Khyber

Great approach. Very similar to me. I bought PC eyepro and lower mesh mask after my first game to make my next few rental games more enjoyable which they certainly did as I hated the full face fencing style mesh masks rentals got. And like you, it's a great excuse to talk to seasoned players about kit whilst your learning what you like and play style etc.. I bought a light, bifrost tracer, and a few different style optics to try for when I got my rifle. So far I have bought very little which I wasn't keen on. Sold on one optic but everything else I'm happy with my choices. I now have a TM MWS GBBR and a ASG Scorpion Evo. Love them both. When it comes to optics IMO, a £25-£30 red dot is more than sufficient for the accuracy of our pews. Durability is the only real factor at that price. But I have been lucky so far and all my cheap optics are doing great. Your mileage may vary. The only thing I have realised about cheap lights is they are not very good. The tape switches only work intermittently. I am now considering saving for a mid range "real steel" weapon light. But a cheapo will get you going. And with the dark nights rolling in they certainly level up evening games when the light fades away. Top tip... don't hold a position too long if using lights as your position is instantly compromised when used. Keep moving and keep control of the surprise factor. Look forward to hearing how things go for you as you progress.

@Madhouse sounds like a great session. Also seems your doing it right getting eyepro etc first before your UKARA and not getting a 2 tone. I too bought many accessories and sights etc ready to go on my rifle for when I got it.

Scorpion Evo all ready to roll for my first real skirmish with it. First time I used it got 5 mins before it died. Bought it fairly cheap a few months back. Upon inspection it had stripped teeth and the rack had pushed through the piston. Completely new to AEG it was my first 'see if I can figure out what I'm doing' project. A new piston and 16:1 gear set along with new motor terminals have been installed. I gave shimming a go with understanding but no experience and it seems like I've done an ok job. Sounds pretty smooth when fired. Firing around 330 on .2 and 275 on .28 a little low but it's well within chrono for both weights so I'm fine with that. I now know this lil thing inside out as it was 99% dismantled so i could learn it in and out. Only thing i didn't remove was the mosfet and cut out lever. Overall happy with what i have learned and cant wait to try it out. Should be working sweet!

Personally never lost zero on a gbbr. Don't get me wrong if I had a fabled money tree in the back garden, I wouldn't hesitate on a nice expensive optic just cos.

I do keep both eyes open... own both styles and always revert to this one simply cos I just prefer it. Each to their own. Even with both eyes open it's still their in your view There is glass covering the projection port and the housing covers the rest. Pretty well sealed. Plus I wouldn't choose to deliberately go play in the rain. I'm more of am indoor CQB player anyway.

If I were to get a higher end optic it would likely be a Vortex for the warranty. I just wish they did this old school red dot instead of the modern tube ones. They have that much thinner rim and a much less restricted field of view which I like.function over form... And, yes I like the look of them too. Shoot me!! ?

I run a £25 Feyachi red on a TM GBBR and it never loses zero. Is more accurate than the rifle itself so couldn't agree more with you on that one. And with a lens protector from reddotengineering its protected from the front. Better than the ugly rail attached protectors as it sits over the lens and is barely noticable. But if you have that sort of cash for an optic and don't mind spending it then go ahead but for me I would rather a new pew for that price.

Have a blast mate. Your enthusiasm is infectious.

Welcome to the club. Personally I use the RA Tech black MWS NPAS. A bit fiddly to adjust but works great. Had to get mine shipped from emperion though as couldn't find uk stock.

My pleasure. It's a great website.

Hey, check out https://playairsoft.uk/map There are a couple surrounding sheffield but not any closer in it appears. Give them a ping and see if they are playing.

Another here for mechanix. I have two pairs of M-pacts. They have armored on the knuckles and fingers but the forefinger is un armoured which allows easier trigger use.

Apart from renting with high caps, I have only played with lower amounts. My first rif was an MWS so 35 rounds. I have 6+1 in the gun at start. Mostly I have played indoor CQB which I find I never run out on a 20-30 min skirmish. Recently I played my first woodland game where the games are much longer and I found I had to really conserve ammo and not use full auto. I left my loader at base just incase. Next time i play woodland i will use my evo of which i have 5+1 70 rounders. I like the lower count and having to reload and hit bolt release etc in the heat of the moment. It adds for an intense experience. It's all down to what you want out of it. That's the beauty of airsoft l, the variety of play styles to suit. Personally I never feel out gunned in any situation running 245 rounds in a game.

Just bought new gears and piston to replace the bust ones in my evo... first time rebuilding and shimming a gearbox.. i'm confident I understand the technique.

Nice work. The second wan is spot on.

That's some great work mate. Very original. Looks awesome.

Agreed one of my faves. Great work @Floperator very talented.

So I thought it might be nice to start this thread as a nice place to share what else you all like to make when getting creative... So I'll start it off.. i have many other hobbies, one of which is wood turning. So today I made my first inlaid bentwood ring on my lathe. Made from zebrano negro with a pyrite 'fools gold' inlay. It's far from perfect but have learned alot from this first one. Will only get better.

I have had a few months off purchasing but I do want to get a decent sling of some description at some point. For now I can trust what I have with the sewing I have done. I have the 2 bungee sections attached to my shoulders on my chest rig and both attached to a dual qd rear reciever/buffer tube mount. I like it like that as I can transition shooting hand to hand as its equal both sides.

Interesting thread. Can see this gaining traction. Could be a great place for newbies to research real world opinions on gear. Best... Got to be my TM M4A1 MWS. Brings a big grin everytime I pull that trigger. So far has been faultless after around 5000 rounds. Just chugs along. Worst... Hmm... ?? ah yes a, wait for it... Nuprol sling ? fucker lost its stitching in a game and my MWS went crashing towards the ground... ? but managed to catch it before it hit? I sew it back together myself and it's now solid but... I shouldn't have to have done that. Its true what they say about nuprol, and slings too. Don't cheap out. It is literally the thing supporting your nice expensive toy. Lesson learned.

I prefer to go for the ol' punch tape look... Does the job also helps me keep track of mag rotation to make sure one mag just never gets used and one takes the most abuse etc..

I think you might be right. The rifle looks really nice but proportionally the rail is a bit short for the optic.

Thanks. I have considered it but the price is extreme!

Yeah it needs new parts as the metal teeth on the piston have broke and the sector gear also. I believe it's a pre 2018 model so it's old and likely had plenty of use. When I got it it was firing at 320fps even with zero air seal. No idea how. But after using it once. The piston teeth gave way. So I'm thinking I might just upgrade it with ASG ultimate piston and gears. Have put a new o ring on the piston head and it seals perfectly and as for the shimming... well over 1mm of movement on each gear is certainly not good. So I Also bought 3 packs of 100 shims at 0.1 0.2 and 0.3 mm for a 5er per pack. So much cheaper than buying from airsoft shops. The sector gear took 1.6mm of shimming to make it sit nice. But anyway as it's now a non runner figured i may aswell upgrade the parts that need replacing and put the newer 2020 mosfet in it too. Got it cheap anyway so happy to put some cash into it to get it running nicely. VID-20220519-WA0002.mp4

Thanks. Do you know of anything specific that isn't? Ie barrel, hop unit etc.