Portela_999

Once a month if I can and I go alone mostly but most people are very friendly and after a while you will start recognising people. It is a great way to socialise. 
 
 

You guys are fantastic in this forum! Thank you all!
 
I was thinking about https://www.onlybbguns.co.uk/huntsman-m4-cqbr-polymer-body-full-metal-gearbox-inc-bat-and-charger-h060b to start with a scope... Should be enough for the start, no?
And yeah I will book one with rental equipment first to try out

I've no experience with that brand so I can't say for sure but it looks to me like a rebranded cheap chinese gun, possibly a cyma. If so then the internal parts are great but the plastic bodies are cheap and break easily.
 
This. The chargers that come with guns are crap, so much that many shops warranties won't cover them
As others have posted it's often to the materials used and quality control. Also some shop owners are simply greedy and like to hike their prices, only to lower them again to give the impression you're getting a bargain
Personally I try to get a game in once a month as long as life doesn't get in the way. Don't worry about turning up on your own as on the whole airsofters are a friendly and welcoming bunch. You'll soon find someone to tag along with who'll show you the ropes

I'm an anti-social git so team work gets as far as shooting in the same general direction as everyone else in my team.

Anything and everything. Gearbox’s for aegs, mosfets, externals ie polymer or a metal, trade marks etc etc them you may want lots of different types of rifs some are rarer than other. You could prefer gbb. 
 
Thing is it’s a wallet issue, a personal preference issue and performance issue. The more you spend the better you would expect to get in terms of quality but that’s not always the case. 
 
As @gavinkempsell and @Dan Robinson have said. Start a decent cheap brand when you decide you want to upgrade it makes a decent spare for you or a mate. 
 
And if in doubt ask most here will help steer you in the right direction with good rifs and what to absolutely avoid. 
 
 

Dan, please don't make me send you a bipod foregrip for that A3... I'm already getting chased to post out some scotch pies to Shamal

My walls are getting a bit cramped so got some longer grid mesh to give my pews a little space & room to expand.
 
p.s. excuse the mess, I'd only just finished moving them all from A to B & back again.

Brand, materials used, quality of parts etc etc etc... if you find a pew you really really want, google the exact model and compare prices, some sellers have higher profit margins which is better in your pocket or used for extra mags or kewl stuff like mtp bandana's.
you said it brotha...

Different motors
Better quality gearboxes
Better (or no) QC
Better barrels
Higher grade polymers...
 
 
The list is endless and can also be meaningless.  One of my best guns is the cheapest...  But then collections get silly (look at @gavinkempsellfor example).  This is my gunwall:
 

 
And that is not including pistols and the boy's RIFs, and we've only been doing this two and a half years.  Browsing the classifieds here is lethal I can tell you.

I bought a few 2 tones before my UKARA but did so knowing they'd be painted at some stage & only used as a wall hanger long term. I have about 3 REALLY cheap pews that I regret buying so I agree with most of the comments above & try to play/hire different types of site pews, you won't know what style of player you are or what type of pew you like to field until you've played several games, so if you get a chance to borrow for a game take it with lots of thanks. I first used a polymer 2 tone Scar-l which I quickly learnt I loved to use & will usually take it to skirmish regardless which other pews I take on the day.

I agree with @GenuineGerman, spend a few sheckles more and get the Specna.  Those included chargers are only worth using a few times until a better one arrives.  I would seriously hold off buying anything until you have had a few game days - even if only to give you time to get a list of bits that will last you and you've had a chance to try a few other player's guns.  You might decide you prefer an MP5 instead of an M4.  A proper charger is a must, and eventually you'll be changing battery connectors to better ones.  Spend wisely.
 
Ask nicely at chrono/the site's range and people will let you have a few rounds down course.  A lot of us will let you have a game with a back up gun or one of our less expensive babies....  I let a lad have a couple of magazines and a pistol last time out because I could see he was envious on us running around popping caps in people's asses, and he was a rental on his first time out.
 
Two-tone can be undone, but it does reduce the resale value of the pew.  Those few weeks waiting for UKARA will fly by and you'll be in a better position as a result with better targeted purchases.

You guys are fantastic in this forum! Thank you all!
 
I was thinking about https://www.onlybbguns.co.uk/huntsman-m4-cqbr-polymer-body-full-metal-gearbox-inc-bat-and-charger-h060b to start with a scope... Should be enough for the start, no?
And yeah I will book one with rental equipment first to try out

The only difference between a 2 tone and a regular airsoft gun is the colour. To over simplify it if you're not an airsofter you can't buy a regular coloured gun (there are other defences, but for the purposes of this thread I'm ignoring them for now).
 
One big problem with painting a two tone is that with use it will take knocks and the paint will start to chip allowing the bright coloured paint to show.
 
For bb weight,  outdoors you really want the heavier bbs (.28g or upwards) as they hold their 3nergy for longer and so give better range. For years I used .25g, but one day I used .3s as I had them laying around and wanted to get rid of them and the increase in range was significant. If your playing cqb heavier ammo isn't necessary and many cqb sites have limits on the weight you can use

You guys are fantastic in this forum! Thank you all!
 
I was thinking about https://www.onlybbguns.co.uk/huntsman-m4-cqbr-polymer-body-full-metal-gearbox-inc-bat-and-charger-h060b to start with a scope... Should be enough for the start, no?
And yeah I will book one with rental equipment first to try out

Yes - the weight is more down to the hop in the gun and the environment you're pewing in....  outdoors you want a .25 or .28 really otherwise leaves become a deflector screen, and Bush wookies might not feel the impacts.
 
 
If you're indoors, then I see no need to use anything more than .2s.
 
With increased weight comes increased cost too.
 
There's a thread with a spreadsheet somewhere on the forum with links and prices - I'll see if I can find it.
 
 
 
Here we are:
 
 

Just that you'll probably regret it a bit at the point where you do a dodgy paintjob, or try to sell it on and find that there's a limited market for them.
 
There's nothing inherently wrong with buying a two-tone if you really don't want to wait. I did it, and many other people have. It's a fixable situation.
 
 
 
 
And a scope protector.  Glass acts like a magnet for plastic BBs.
 
 
 
And batteries. Typically 7.4V lipo unless you've got a specific reason to get something else, and I like to run a pair of them in the 1200-1400 mAh range (at least) and change over at lunch.
 
Cheap chargers are a false economy. They are, no joke, fire hazards.  Something like a SkyRC S65 is the typical recommendation.

SO? It's a G3, man up

I played at Ambush near Cobham semi regularly last year but stopped as the hit taking started to get a bit of a piss take. Having to put long bursts into people before they call the hit quickly goes from frustrating to bloody annoying, especially when the marshals do bugger all when it's reported
This. I've always liked the G3 but when I got one I found it totally unsuitable for my playing style as I like to go sneaking through bushes and a long gun like that just gets in the way

I am right over the other side of London, almost in Kent.

Ambush Airsoft in Cobham is still open.

Before buying your first rifle, play your three games at the same site in not less than 56 days and get your UKARA registration, so that you don't have to buy a two toned gun.  Try to get your hands on as many guns as you can to see what suits you and what you like; as others have said, most airsofters are more than happy to bore you to death with information about their guns.

If you want to make a safe first purchase, the Specna and Double Eagle M4 style guns are decent.

Just done this journey myself.
My son and I played four games as rental before buying any rifles. This was to make sure it’s something we wanted to do and also get the UKARA defence so we didn’t have to buy two tone.
For protective stuff I’ve got full face covering (goggles, face shield) hat, gloves and knee pads. Face covering and hat is a good idea because as a new player you will get hit… a lot!
We play woodland so rifles were a no brainier. Spent about £170 each on rifles + scope, strap, spare mags, BB’s, battery charger, carry bag, This is taking into account you already having the proper clothing and boots.
 

Welcome. As others have posted, it's best to rent for your first 3 games till you get your site membership.
 
I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but gloves are a good idea too as hits to the knuckles bloody hurt 

I can recommend Skirmish Wycombe in High Wycombe. Not too far from you.
 
Just to ram it home even more...
Rent for your first 3 games (at the same site) Then you can get UKARA registered and look to buy the toys.
 
- First get good boots with ankle support.
Either army surplus or more modern comfy ones.
 
- Secondly get good eye protection. (full face or separate lower mask is recommended to protect the teeth)
Aim to spend around £40 or so for good eyepro and some anti-fog wipes. (Someone chime in with the best)
 
- Don't bother with a pistol until later.  They are fun but add extra hassle to loadouts, need more preparation and not that important for woodland games.

Don't, at least not until you've played at least once and the adrenaline and aches have worn off.
 
Long guns, we'd generally recommend an electric carbine under £200. There are loads of viable choices in just about every platform, so it's really a case of narrowing it down to whatever platform you like the look and feel of and then thinking about brands and models.
 
For pistols, green gas blowbacks are the default choice for maximising fun. Unless you're playing CQB or at quirky sites, you'll rarely use a pistol, so on the few times you do draw it you'll want something that delivers the most smiles per cycles.  Toyko Marui are the default choice for good reasons, they're Japanese made and do a great job in most platforms.  Again though, decide whether you want Glock, Hi-Capa or something else first, then we can (and oh, we will) discuss brands and models.
 
The classifieds are usually full of "regret purchase packages" with something like a Bulldog M4 and a Raven Hi-Capa, which indicates the sort of thing to avoid.  It can be an expensive mistake to go all-in off the first adrenaline rush.
 
Buying your own eye protection is a good shout since rental facepro can be random.  You might get given something decent like a paintball-rated Valken, or you might get a horrible cheap mesh mask, so having your own will be handy.  I like the Pyramex i-Force (rebrandings are available) as they're dual pane and less prone to fogging up than some single panes, but again there's a huuuuge choice and sometimes you can only find out what doesn't work for you the hard way.

I would suggest just going out and buying the most expensive rifle you can afford 😂Haha.

But being serious let contextualise that.  Never be prepared to spend more than you are willing to lose, consider you may not enjoy Airsoft and choose not to carry on. If you have spent a load of cash on rifs and other things you won’t get the money back. 
 
I would say not to spend more than 150-200 on a rifle initially. Yes it won’t be the all singing and dancing rif but you will have something that works out the box, get a couple of extra mags, batteries and charger. Don’t forget eye pro and I would strongly recommend mouth protection. 
 
£300 should get you all you need to start with. As you can see many here have got all the kit, real steel plate carriers, helmets, rif with all the added extras but then they have been doing this for years and probably have partners that don’t ask too many questions 😂
 
All I’m saying it don’t drop a f**k ton of dosh straight away. Spend wisely and once you have decided you want to do this and enjoy it. 

 
 

Welcome to the money pit!

Rent a gun and kit first to get a feel for the hobby and make sure you want to invest in it.  Make sure you have good boots that give ankle support and wear clothing that you don't mind getting wet and filthy.

Where in London are you based?