Herrgh

Pointless weight? YES PLEASE! (I bought an Elcan, and managed to get a decent chunk of change off the price thanks to an eBay promo! Variable zoom version too!)

How about "ENDED" instead of "COMPLETED"?

When I was in Tokyo last, I wandered into a nondescript airsoft shop in Akiba. 5 minutes and I released the entire shop was dedicated to the MWS system. I suspect its popularity in the Japanese domestic market is the reason why MWS has such a variety of aftermarket parts.

I get that. I took over 3000 photos when I was in-country a few weeks ago (new high zoom lense.) Don't go bankrupting yourself this early in the relationship though. No one should be expecting fancy trips to Enoshima at this stage. Keep it simple. Make it about spending time together instead of going to wondrous places - save that for later. There is plenty to do that won't drain your wallet and can provide photo opportunities. Street photography is legitimate photography. Other ideas: Showa Kinen Park in Tachikawa. Big bloody park with a JGSDF base next door. There is also a museum near the entrance (closest to Tachikawa station) dedicated to Emperor Showa. I didn't explore too much of it when I was there last, but Google Maps shows how big and varied the park is, so I bet there is plenty to do and see. Can't believe I forgot this one: Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, right by Iidabashi/Suidobashi stations. Lovely landscape garden and only like 300 yen to get in if I remember right. However I don't know if its worth visiting in winter (we last went in sakura season). Tokyo Government Metropolitan Building - the viewing platform on the top floor is free to the public, and the view is brilliant as expected. You went to Skytree, so why not try the original Tokyo Tower - built to be slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower. You could pay money to walk up it, but it's just as impressive from the ground. More interesting colours than Skytree I think. New Year's is coming up - there is bound to be some local festival you can visit. Very lovely for couples, which is a cliche but it's a cliche for a reason. Ask her to teach you about her camera - that's a bonding activity that easily take an hour if she's technically knowledgeable about them. (I'm not, on the other hand. I shoot everything on auto and have no clue what most of the buttons do.)

Why not just paste the link in your post? Here, I'll do it for you: https://coldwarairsoft.co.uk/

YES! I also did this! Why on earth did G&G design the gearbox that way? It was stupid.

It's a good one. Take photos! You can also take the tourist boat around the lake, or do what we do and just sit by the lake shore and admire the view, with a haul from the nearby Lawson in hand (booze and chicken for me, cake for her.)

Fair point. Alright: Harajuku is always a good shout. Girls love Harajuku. There's a mameshiba cafe on Takeshita Street as well - 30min for 1000yen. Yasukuni Shrine has great photo opportunities, but the subject matter might be a bit heavy for a date, at least at the beginning. Edit: As she's not fond of military stuff, avoid the Yushukan Museum which also located in the shrine complex. Can't go wrong with Akiba in general. The prizes from UFO catchers/crane games make for great date memories (if you're financially prepared for it). My wife informs me that the anime-related shops in Ikebukuro are aimed more at girls if that is her thing. Hamasushi, the McDonald's of sushi. Avoid dinnertime. I've not been, but I've heard Ueno Zoo is pretty good. If you can afford it and can go further afield: Enoshima Island is the cliched thing to do. Mount Takao is a good climb and easy to get to. Moominvalley Park/metsa Village in Hanno is the kind of super cute place most girls love. Take a Chuo Line limited express to Otsuki, then a Fujikyu train to Kawaguchiko, and then walk to Lake Kawaguchi. The view is amazing - I take my wife there for our anniversaries. Plus you're right by Mount Fuji so if the clouds aren't too low there are amazing pictures to be had. Maybe save this date for later.

Don't pay too much mind to Social Blade - it's good for collating all the public info about a social media personality (e.g. subscriber count and trends), but its algorithm for how much money someone makes is a mere guess at best and likely to be very wrong for all apart from the biggest names. I remember KM tweeting about pushing back against his landlord trying to increase his rent. So despite Social Blade reporting his income that high, he's not got onto the property ladder?

@son of dan Date idea - take your lady friend to 41px, floor B1, TamTam Hobby building in Akiba. It's north of the station. They've got a wicked shooting range there and they'll let you (and her) test fire anything they've got on display (which seems to be every airsoft gun in existence I think). I shot my first GBBR there and was immediately smitten. Then I saw the hairdryer to warm the mags back up...

TM P226R and two mags. Very giddy atm; pistols sure are cool. Not sure why I've put off buying one for so long. Technically I should be using a P220 for my JGSDF loadout but there is a balance to be struck between impression accuracy and airsoft practicality. This is a fine middle ground.

Gotcha. Any other tips for looking after it?

I've just bought my first GBB pistol in a very long time - a TM P226 Rail. What is best practice for maintenance regarding the magazines and the pistol itself? I know not to leave the mags gassed when not in use - got a 1911 mag somewhere that has swelled and no longer fits (from over a decade ago!)

Ah, the crap gun bags I gave away for free via this advert. Interesting.

Realised I had the parts to make something interesting. For your consideration: an alt-history Olive Drab AR-15 Dissipator build. Imagine the chopped short M16s from the Vietnam-era became standard issue all the way to the A4 variant. Then make it a lovely military-ish green. Recently a real steel Dissipator (that's an AR-15 with a 16 inch barrel and a full rifle-length gas system) was released for sale by Anderson Arms, and this video popped up on my YouTube feed. I really love the full-length-but-shorter look of a Dissipator, and I think sticking on an A2 handguard and a full stock makes it look a lot more military than the Magpul equivalents I had on it previously. What do you think?

I'd love a Type 89 that ran off a standard V2 or V3 gearbox and took standard AEG parts. No need for mechanical 3-shot burst now that Peruns and Gates are a thing.

For the XPS3 clones, get rechargeable CR123As from eBay. This seller does 1 battery + a charger for under £10 - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255389518441 (A) I got this and am pretty happy so far. It's nice to know that, for a one-off cost, I don't need keep a stock of batteries on hand just to make sure I can always run the holo sight on game day. And you can always recharge off a powerbank!

Absolute top quality post, exactly the knowledge I was after. Cheers!

In October, I'll have an 8 hour layover in Hong Kong. Plenty of time for some airsoft retail therapy. Any ideas on where to go? (Not planning on buying RIFs, wouldn’t be smart to add THAT to the equation for my return flight...)

I planned ahead! Got me some rechargeable CR123As. Sick of having a red dot that only takes a weird uncommon button battery I can only get from Halfords (or online). Gonna throw it up on the Classifieds in a moment. Really enjoying the M906C itself so far. Just the receiver alone is a treat, compared to the 10 year old G&P AR15 receivers I'm used to: - Ambi controls! - Functional dust cover! - Functional bolt hold-open! (VERY bloody useful.) - QD Spring (admittedly more to do with the gearbox but still) - QD sling attachment points built in! And it's quite replica-ish in looks instead of being a horrible non-replica skeletonised sportsball/speedsoft affair that the likes of G&G have focused on over the last few year. It'll serve me well until my main AEG is back from being subject to the "Trigger's Broom" protocol.

SOTAC Eotech EXPS arrived today. Looks smashing on the M906C. The CR123A batteries arrive tomorrow, rotten luck.