C-Diddy

IFAK on my belt kit with plasters, a few small dressings, small bandages, wound closure strips, sterile water etc, and a larger, better stocked first aid kit I keep in my daysack back at the safezone. I do also have an FFD but, to be fair, that's probably overkill. I also have paracetamol, ibuprofen and a shit ton of electrical tape because you can fix anything with the correct application and quantity. Like @SSPKali says, some basic first aid training is highly recommended as it's just good life skills and you never know. Also, again as touched on in the same post, the CAT tourniquets on eBay or Amazon are as much use as tits on a fish, and if you do have a real one, you'll probably do more harm than good if you use it. Call 999 instead.

Good man! No such things as daft questions either. I mean, that's not strictly true, but you know, ask away. Now you'll be on the look out for the bulk buy gas offers!

I have a mix of KYWIs and C2R. The C2R pouch is definitely less aggressive but still keep a decent grip on gas and polymer M4 mags

When I started a few years back, I thought GBBRs seemed like too much work for little gain, especially against the hi-cap/drum mag spray-and-pray window lickers. Now, I'm completely at peace with the game, including the drum mag, HPA speedy bois and all their shenanigans. One well-aimed shot from my MWS gives me a tingling usually reserved for buxom wenches bringing beers. A couple of games ago I tracked one lad as he was running. When I squeezed the trigger it was followed by a "Ow. OW! That fucking hurt! That's a stinger!" as I got him in the neck...although this was more by luck as I'm a crap shot and body mass is my preferred target 😂 Seriously though, GBBRs are a different and more rewarding gaming experience, at least to this call sign. They've rejuvenated my interest in the hobby and long may it continue. As i've said before, "JOIN US!!!!"

It's all relative. I'll drop £500 on airsoft without blinking. I look at a pack of pasta and think; "You can fuck off if you think I'm paying £2.80 for that!"

I picked a Specna Arms Edge up for my son earlier this year. It's one of the RRA standard Edges, not from the Edge 2.0 series. I have to say, for a sub £200 gun it was pretty impressive out of the box. His mate bought an Ares that was double the price (his dad didn't listen to me!) and that sounds like a bag of dicks next to the Specna. Range and ROF are decent enough, and build quality is fine. I imagine that the Edge 2.0s are an improvement, as alluded to by the trusted voices above. Having said that, his Specna is currently away getting a service and some TLC as it suffered from a dead trigger at the end of the last game. Cyma are also producing some awesome, out of the box gems. The Platinum series look really good, and, even though I'm a TM whore, I have a stock Cyma AK that I will never get rid of because it's just brilliant. I've heard their M4s are also pretty damn good too, now. Not heard anything too good about VFC, apart from their externals and official licensing. TM is also pretty much then gold standard for stock performance, but the prices now would stretch your budget.

I hear you...not that I'm brave enough to even open a gearbox! I do keep a couple of AEGs, including my absolute workhorse TM 416, as back-up. I definitely recommend always having an AEG to hand, just in case, but they can't compete on the joygasm scale for user experience 😂

I'm a huge advocate for the MWS, as it's easy to work on, has huge third-party support, and, most importantly, just works like a mo'fo right out of the box, at least in my experience. This is the reason I've just added another to the collection. Having said that, it seems like a few other brands are starting to up their GBBR game recently, which can only be a good thing. While I admit to being a bit of a whore for TM, I'm keeping a close eye on Cyma's latest offerings. They're affordable and, if they're anything like their AEGs, are unbeatable for the price. Also looking at VFC, but my only experience with them (one of the OG Umarex Glock 17s) is all a bit meh. They do seem to have improved however. For me, gas guns are just that little bit more exciting. They're mechanical instead of electrical, have an element of realism AEGs can't provide, and are just fucking cooler. Whichever path you choose, it'll be a great extension of the path you've started.

Another advocate for Red Dot Engineering 👆 Ypou could also try a suitably sized kill flash.

Like Wavey says, strip it all down, give it a good clean, and look for any obvious signs of wear on the BCG. When you put it back together, make it as near stock as possible and see what the score is. And congratulations, of course

Absolutely right. I usually only go overseas for parts, due to wider availability, as you say. Never had a charge from the Far East but have from Europe and Australia. And by 'treat the Mrs' you mean, buy something extra for yourself as it was all airsoft money, right?!

I hear you, and I must admit, I umm-ed-and ahh-ed about going overseas for a RIF for a good while. I've used WGC once before, when I bought a few Guns Modify P-Mags, and again, no additional charges. I ordered a charging handle the other day so we'll see if third time's a charm! I do generally go for UK retailers (with FS a particular favourite) especially for RIFs, but the price difference was too good to pass up, even with the risk of additional charges. Good luck with your Mk18, wherever you choose 👍

No, no extra charges. All included in the shipping charge I think

I bought a second MWS and was pretty shocked (don't know why tbh) at how the prices have shot up in the UK. I got my first from Fire Support with three extra mags a couple of years ago for around £550. Now the gun alone is around that. I used WGC Shop in Hong Kong instead, and they were great. I think it took about 12 days from order to delivery, and even with £90+ shipping, I saved over £100 on the price.

First fun I bought was a second hand Classic Army M4A1, with an M203. The rifle was ok, the launcher was crap, it weighed a ton but Christ, it looked the shit! The urge to shout "Knock, knock!" or, predictably "Say hello to my little friend!" before firing the MOSCART was immense 😂 Pretty sure between all the 3D printer dudes and engineers around, you could get a head shield built and, for the authentic Dutch-look, a barrel extension to the M203. Depends how deep your pockets are.

For my next build, I'm going to be using a BavTac magic hop nub, rather than the SixG brass one. I've been thinking of adding a Laylax Strike hop arm too, but not sure it's necessary. Any arguments for or against?

No. Toyed with that a while back, but decided against it.

As always, loads of decent suggestions here. I've got a couple of MWS and, clichéd as it sounds, they're just awesome. Yes, they're expensive, but of the box, without doing a thing to them, they work bloody well. Mags are another story and a necessary expense, sadly. You'll likely need a fair few, but these can be built up over time. No 'upgrades' are strictly necessary, but a SixG or Bavtac nub are a good place to start, and nozzle return springs are a must as they will shit themselves at some point. Gameplay is very different with GBBRs and before making the leap, if you're using an AEG, try playing with a lo-cap, or something like a PTS mag, switched to 30 round capacity, and see how you fair. Can't speak for WEs, VFCs or GHKs, but my experiences with TMs have been excellent.

Sounds vaguely sinister 😂 I've been on a bit of a mission since around February, and started buying a bunch of stuff for another MWS build. Still got a few bits to arrive, but it's looking promising. Sod's Law I'll get it done and it'll be too cold to run a GBBR properly!

😂 I've got plans...

New pew day...

Just have to offer another shout to WGC Shop. Ordered on 18 July, delivered earlier today. MWS was almost £200 cheaper than UK prices, and even with shipping of £93, its a decent saving. No additional customs charges either.

I recently got a Platatac Peacekeeper 5 with a Chicom Y-harness. Loads of mag storage, additional molle space and very comfortable.