Rogerborg

Hmm, I seem to recall that nimh AEP batteries aren't an exact fit in some AEP-based SMGs, but I don't recall the details. Reviews say they work in Mac10s and Škorpions so I'd be optimistic. Lipo does transform AEP response and ROF. Glue or tape the end cap on though!

Mmm, the 51X series work OK, but the plastic is made of recycled Battlefield Earth action figures. One to keep in the bottom of the bag as a backup-backup-backup-backup gun.

You don't need to set anything, so I wouldn't sweat it. Burst mode is fun. Active-braking is handy if you experience overspin. Pre-cock gives you a snappier trigger response (but at the cost of keeping the spring partly tensioned, so remember to unset it at the end of the day). You almost certainly won't need rate-of-fire reduction unless you run 11.1V and an upgraded motor. Binary triggers are heretical.

Magnets, magnets, magnets.

Legally, probably not much. The Firearms Act 1968 Section 19 distinguishes between private and public places, but it's not as clear as you might image. A private venue can be a "public place": “public place” includes any [...] any other premises or place to which at the material time the public have or are permitted to have access, whether on payment or otherwise; I'm struggling to think of a clear distinction between a con venue and an airsoft site. Both admit the public on payment, both have exclusions and rules on that admission, both regularly turn a blind(ed) eye to their own rules. Practically, it's likely more of an issue where cosplayers twirl outside of, or to and from the venue, including parading their gats through airports, of all places. But note the lack of real consequences - all you need is a "reasonable excuse", and the bar for that is very low. We've seen a Sheriff opining that "playing cowboys and Indians" would count, and there's case law on selling otherwise prohibited police gear for "fancy dress" purposes. Just don't argue the toss when you hear "Armed police, drop the gun." You'll be calling that hit.

Yes, it's common (although not universal) for sites to require under 16s to wear a paintball style mask - Dye, Valken or similar - whether CQB or woodland. I prefer one for CQB anyway. The risk I flagged above isn't so much you shooting someone in the eye, you seem pretty sensible. It's your mates getting their grubby mitts on your gun(s) and showing less restraint. One incident we know of where a lad did lose an eye was when his friend picked up his gun in a safe zone and shot him in the face with it. The mag was out, but it hadn't been cleared. Even if Stifler's Mom is minded to buy and "gift" you a RIF, I'd check with your own parents how they feel about it. They may quite reasonably point out that if you only need to use it at an airsoft site then it should only be in your possession at the site, and not on your bedroom wall.

Not really. Boneyard guns are one-offs, always a gamble, and retailers tend to over-value them. Asking around at your local sites, or hoping for an honest classifieds listing, is where I'd be looking.

I'd argue that asking if they can is a better sign than not asking at all.

Well, you could have checked his activity and found out that he's 14. Nothing wrong with that, we've all been 14. The trigger doesn't care, and anyone who calls their hits is welcome. Just be circumspect about how the RIF/IF gets to site, and be very aware that having any imitation firearm (realistic or otherwise) in a public place is an offence that needs a reasonable excuse, the proof whereof lies with you. Going to or from an airsoft site is reasonable, showing it off to your mates isn't. It's not so much how you get it as what you do with it that matters.

The legal position: You're 14. It's an offence for you to buy any imitation firearm, realistic or otherwise, or for anyone to sell one to you. The only way you can get one without an offence being committed is to be gifted it. At the point of transfer to you, it doesn't matter if it's realistic or not (because of your age), only that nothing changes hands from you to the person gifting it. The practical position: Once a realistic imitation firearm has been sold by a retailer, the State won't take any interest in where it's transferred later, as long as it's used sensibly. If it never gets taken outside to show off to your mates, no problem. If it's taken in a bag, in a private vehicle, to and from an airsoft site, nobody will ever care, and nobody at the site will ask how you got it. The dad position: Talk to your parents about owning and using an airsoft gun, and getting to and from sites. Whether you can get a gun, and whether you should get one, is really down to them. I'd repeat the advice to go and play airsoft as a rental at least once before thinking about buying anything. It's a great hobby, but it's not cheap, and YouTube videos can give a false impression of the reality. The classifieds are full of guns that were bought on a whim and then never actually used to play. Don't be that person.

Ah, have you played at all? We'd always recommend playing at least once and renting to find out if it's for you. And ideally, get site membership / a UKARA number before committing, so that you can buy a RIF rather than a two-tone. That said, I played once, loved it, and bought a cheap M4 and never regretted it. It's now a cut-down backup-backup-backup-backup gun. If you are intending to purchase now (despite any advice to the contrary) I'd snap that up. It's a genuine bargain. Any differences in construction and performance between the FLEX and CORE will be minimal, and down to the QC on the actual example that you buy. If you don't stick with airsoft, they won't matter. If you do stick with airsoft... they won't matter.

Vorsk seem to be trying to go upmarket with this "race gun". £146 + postage new, or thereabouts. Of course, there's a reason it's being sold.

I would definitely prefer to buy the one that I could buy. The FLEX will be fine, it's got a rotary hop and quick change spring, the two features that I'd look for in a basic M4. Specna change their branding so often that it's hard to keep up. The CORE used to have an X-ASR mosfet that was pretty much a gimmick rather than a feature. It also had bearings rather than bushings, now the FLEX has those (personally I'd prefer bushings, but the bearings in my CORE haven't given up even though I'm running it at 1.8J as a DMR). At that price point it's really not worth worrying too much about it, just bag whatever's in stock and deal with the reality of what you actually receive.

Those cheap Double Eagles have plastic shelled gearboxes. That would generally rule them out as skirmish guns, but the components are likely to be the same as any other TM / CYMA clones (even if they end up having nylon bushings or even gears instead of metal), so you'd get an idea of what you were doing - and plenty of opportunities to fix things. That said, you could consider starting with a broken boneyard gun and seeing if you can fix it - although you may find the cost to do so is higher than buying a working one to begin with once you've figured it out and found the parts. It might be worth asking at your local site if anyone has a bits-box gun that they want rid of for petrol money.

The Depot 1.0. An Old Abandoned Furniture Factory with loads of dedicated parking. 180,000 square feet. Seven stairwells meant that there was always another way to push. Daylit upstairs, dark and dank downstairs. Cover absolutely everywhere. Locations full of character, including a canteen with counters and chest fridges (perfect for hiding in, or grenade-popping hilarity). Anything that ejaculated BBs, right down to a springer shotgun or pistol, was usable. Best of all, it was (generally) superbly run with a marshal team that knew their site and what they were doing. Chrono was run efficiently and guns were tested in-game with site BBs. Shenanigans were shut down, games were rebalanced on the fly, mentals and cheaters were punted off site, including a couple of rogue marshals who got caught with hot guns and sent away in disgrace - that's the way to do it. There's a Depot 2.0 now but it's reportedly more linear with choke points that can lock games down in ways that never happened at the OG site. I'll try it at some point, but I suspect it'll be like dating your hot ex's chubby sister.

But they're reputable brands!

Eh. I think it's a matter of luck, even within a brand or model, and even by airsoft standards. Some people swear by CYMA tri-shots, but I got an absolute lemon with random hops and feeding issues. There's a lot of fragile little plastic pieces inside, always trembling just on the brink of breaking, regardless of whether it's in a plastic or metal shell. My ASG Franchi is much more consistent and smootherer, but completely unhopped. Great fun when you do get a hit though, and, aside, it's significantly easier to push forward with your trigger-hand rather than hauling back on the pump action.

I should clarify that my suggestion to the contrary is more about typical magazine capacities, and the amount of BBs you can put downrange or carry on the same budget. That said, I have a blast running an MP5K with a 600 round hi-cap as a "second-primary" when sniping.

When you're lapping a bushing, you generally want to stay away from anal.

OP is thinking in Euros, he should presumably be OK (or at least know his local laws).

01110101 00100000 01001111 01001011 00100000 01101000 01110101 01101110 00111111

What's that in fractions of an M67 hand grenade? 🤔 7.4V = 18% 11.1V = 27% if my numbers are correct

Perhaps the Novritsch scope add hits markers automatically? 🤷‍♂️

Ahoy and welcome. The AK is slightly more suitable for woodland, the MP5 for CQB, but both will be usable for either purpose - just buy whatever you prefer. You'll want to invest in a decent charger (SkyRC S65 or equivalent) and lipo or (life or li-lion) batteries. I'd suggest at least 2 x 7.4V lipos of 1300mAh or higher. Magazines are another consideration. You'll need to buy more magazines for the MP5, although these hi-capacity mags work well (although are temporarily out of stock at TaiwanGun). As above, I'd forget about shotguns and electric pistols, at least until you have something else reliable.

Is that manufacturer's guidance, or... ... dammit! 😠 Airsoft batteries cost about as much as a bottle of BBs, and storage charge is not something that I worry about with any lithium based battery, whether it's phone, laptop, vacuum cleaner, or ebike. I'm not making an exception for airsoft. Mags stored empty, or full, and with what gas?