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Don't bother with that M200. Sniper rifles are always a bad decision for a first gun and shell ejecting ones will be completely outmatched by your VSRs and L96s - it is a very regular mistake to make as a new player so don't worry. Airsoft sniper rifles are not commonly ready to skirmish out of the box and you will not have a good day if you take that thing onto the field so soon after obtaining your UKARA number. Also, sniping in airsoft is very different to what you may see in the videos where everything is cut and edited. You need to know the site you're playing at inside and out, a lot of the time you need decent camouflage and you need to be able to move between many spots and then be very patient whilst you wait for something to shoot. The best way to work this out for yourself is to go along - you'll see what I mean immediately even if you're not behind the sniper rifle yourself. You may think it's for you, but I implore you to keep an open mind on this one for now. All that aside, as sniper rifles go I must say lugging that M200 around is probably not going to be fun at all. There's no need for something so big and the novelty may wear off quickly - check out the VSRs, M40s and AWSs as they're much lighter. Yes, if you have a UKARA number you can have a gun imported and passed through Border Force and customs with no issues except for a lovely 20% VAT plus some import tax. They may test the FPS/do a velocity test. I am not sure of the limits on either of these, but I'd imagine it's somewhere in the region of 450fps on a .20g or 1.88J if it's bolt action. Someone else will probably answer this.

Welcome to the forums. 1) A common misconception is to call UKARA a 'licence' - there is no such thing is a licence to play with (or own) an RIF, despite the frequent use of this word on Facebook and in other places. Instead what we have is the VCRA and what is referred to as a 'valid defence' for purchasing an airsoft gun. I understand that this may be confusing initially. Basically, the Violent Crimes Reduction Act stipulates purchase of any realistic looking gun (a Realistic Imitation Firearm - RIF) is illegal without a defence for owning one. The issue is this is a very grey area as a 'defence' can be anything and is not properly discussed in the VCRA - rather, an example is given in the form of UKARA (United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association) as to what a defence could be. Again, it is important to remember that UKARA membership is not the be all and end all of a valid defence for RIF. A seller of an RIF must ask for proof that you have a legitimate reason to purchase the gun. For almost all online retailers in the UK, this is in the form of a UKARA membership number as it's the easiest way of verifying someone is a player. Many shops however won't ask for a valid defence - this is frequently illegal. Either way, the responsibility to make sure the buyer has a valid defence is on the seller (not the buyer) - this is why online retailers are careful as they obviously don't want to be prosecuted under VCRA. Again, VCRA only covers the purchase and manufacture of an RIF not operation or ownership. Pretty much all questions regarding VCRA, valid defences and UKARA have already been asked - you can almost always find the answer you're looking for in this forum: http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/forum/12-uk-law/ it's worth a read to dispel some of the myths you'll find in Youtube videos and in social media. In practice what this means for you is that you'll probably need UKARA membership to buy an RIF. I'll cover this in a bit. 2) Nonsense. 3) Without a UKARA number UK customs will destroy your gun most likely. I have not known of anyone able to provide a defence for the purchase in any other way to have it released as currently Border Force and HMRC only really seem to accept UKARA as a valid defence. This is probably out of ease though as it's not the law. Besides, we have just as good (if not better) selection in airsoft guns as the US in my opinion. A lot of their unique brands brands over there are simple re-brands of ones you can already buy here or just plain rubbish. if you want to import something exotic then you need to look east not west. Basically man, just go to some games/skirmishes. Sites are set up to provide rental weapons to new players and would be more than happy to accommodate. Find one near you and go - it'll be maybe £45-55 for the day if you include the rental, entry fee and some BBs. UKARA membership requires one to attend 3 games in a period of no less than 2 months between the first and last game and for you to be over the age of 18. You need to print the UKARA registration form and take it with you - they will stamp it each time you attend and on the third you can register with a retailer and get your number. You may use an RIF that you've rented from a site or borrowed or been gifted from a friend. Again, VCRA only covers the purchase of an RIF - ownership and operation is fine. The alternative is an IF (Imitation Firearm). This is a gun that's 51% brightly painted (commonly referred to as '2-tone') - you still need to be over 18 and most would not recommend wasting your money on an IF. Wait until you get UKARA and then buy something.

I know you've probably been told this, but Daytona Gun kits are very expensive and can require a fair bit of expertise to install depending on the kit you buy. If this is your first HPA build then you're going to incur more costs for the line, refill tank etc. that you may not have considered. Just worth bearing in mind before you dive in - hell of a lot of fun though. My accumulation of knowledge for the DG stuff thus far. Going from their discussion forum on Facebook, advice from Tony Rizzo (who builds and distributes them) and others: Get a 4500psi for a DG - they eat a lot of air (especially during the break in where you're going to need to be shooting it a lot to get through those 8000rds). Would also recommend bigger than 62cl if you go for the M249 or M240 kits - Guerilla do a 88cl/4500psi too but I think it may have been discontinued Do not try to import a tank from the US - pressured containers cannot be transported by Royal Mail or Parcelforce and the hydro testing standards can be different (explained later) Consider a 300bar (for the 4500psi) or 232bar (for the 3000psi) scuba tank for refills or you're going to be doing a lot of driving if your site doesn't offer refills. Check eBay - I got mine for just shy of £100 and they're about £200+ new, so there are good deals out there Be aware of what 'hydro testing' is when it comes to both your tank and possibly your scuba cylinder. The majority of pressured air containers are hydro tested every 5 years and expire after 20 - so if you buy something second hand then find out its 'born date' (when it was made) and when it was last serviced Remember to buy a refilling station if you go for a scuba tank. Get one that fits DIN if you go with a 300 bar cylinder or Yoke if you go for a 232 bar (again though, would not recommend 232 bar as that would mean a 3000psi tank) Make sure you have a single quick detach Redline - order direct from TNK Guns if you need to. Amped Airsoft also do customer Firebases for DG, but in the UK they are double QDs which will require slight modding. Double QD restricts the air flow - this is fine for other HPA setups, but the DG needs a lot of air Consider a Ninja regulator over the Guerilla. Even the G3 isn't that brilliant from what I've been told on the DG group and they all swear by the Ninja Pro (and Pro V2) regs If you want to remove the G3 reg that comes with your bottle, then you will need an anti-slip mat, big spanner and a heat gun. If not, you need a big spanner and a clamp. Honestly this is more of a problem than it seems. Ask the retailer to provide the tank with the regulator pre-removed if at all possible as adding it back on is super easy Backpack wise, I'd consider a small pack like the WAS Cargo Pack - anything that size will hold a tank fine. Anything bigger you won't need for a tank but that's of course up to you if you want it for mags and stuff. I got my pack second hand for £35, which is still quite a bit but it's really very good. It can attach to molle or you can use the straps. It has an elasticated interior too which stops the tank rattling when you run Hydration/bladder carrier are also a good idea as you say. Sizes are fairly uniform and you'll be fine if you stick wit ha 62cl, but if you go any higher than you may need a backpack instead Wide bore is a good idea. Problem is it's expensive. Prometheus do a 6.20mm barrel for an affordable price, but the plastic hop up window will get smashed to pieces by a DG during the break in. The ORGA Magnus 6.23mm barrels are the only other real choice. I can point you at a good retailer as they're hard to source in the UK, but they're still a lot of money (£50-90 depending on length) R-Hop as well if you're going wide bore. You'll get 75m+ out of a broken-in and tuned DG so it's a good idea to do so. I'd recommend the cold weather patches as they are slightly easier to install due to being translucent - also, you can make your own R-Hop material if you don't feel like spending a lot of money R-Hop patches can sell out frequently on Airlab and are considerably marked up in price. I'd recommend ordering directly from Hunter Seeker Armouries in the US. You won't pay import duty as they come in an envelope and you can get the installation aid. Buy lots of GetSome 1000 when you buy your DG (2-3 bottles). There's no retailer in Europe yet (though that may change soon) and get the needle dropper bottles - trust me You will end up paying 20% VAT and import duty unless you were to er, umm... ask Tony to mark the value of your DG differently on the invoice Buy a spare DG bucking when you buy your gun. Most people tear theirs during the break-in Don't lube your fill nipple as you will quite possibly blow your f*cking arm off when the sheer pressure of the tank ignites the petroleum derivative in your lubricant like a diesel engine. Do not lube the output on the scuba tank (if you get one) as you'll blow this into the tank as well (resulting in the aforementioned issue) Also with regards to RPS: Daytona Guns will get up to 25-30rps on some builds so the stigma is still there when it comes to overkill in CQB. The recoil makes them a billion times better than other HPA setups though as far as I'm concerned. Edit Updated bit about VAT, exploding tanks, tank regulator and removal

Actually the click is probably the mag catch. The feed tube pushing the catch on the mag that holds the BBs is generally not audible enough to hear. I think really you're going to have to look at it and make sure the magazine is seating right on with the hop unit. It's probably just sagged a little through general wear and needs a bit of shimming in the right place - sounds like this place is the rear of the mag well. If - as you and Lozart both stated - shimming the rear of the well pushes it forwards and up enough then do that, but angle the shim so it's not interfering with reloads. Basically apply the epoxy and then let it cure for a good 24 hours before sanding it down a little at the bottom of the mag well. Again, this is so it doesn't interfere with reloading when you push the rear of the magazine up into the mag well, but will still push it forward when the magazine is fully seated. Shouldn't be too tricky. Just take your time and if in doubt apply a very small amount of epoxy first and let it cure for a while before sanding or reinserting the magazine. Though epoxy is good to touch after 30 minutes, it will be 'rubbery' until it cures for a good day and may not push the magazine as much as it would if it was fully cured.

Now put a DG M240 kit in it.

Or https://youtu.be/xgs3nse8rW0?t=21m54s His revolver speed reloads are the best though:

Aye. Wooden grips are more comfy to me too - less slippy a lot of the time.

Got a stock slide for the internals to go in the Zeke one arriving shortly. Looks ok in this light though even against my horrible carpet.

Yep, you're completely fine doing that. Just make sure they know that you've painted it as ex-2-tone stuff generally has less value to people given the finish being not as good as one that wasn't initially a bright colour. Legally though there's no issue at all as you turned those into RIFs (by spraying them) when you had a valid defence.

Give the barrel a good clean too with the usual alcohol and squares of kitchen towel if you've not already - bio BBs, regardless of brand, tend to leave a fair bit more residue in the barrel.

You should seriously consider second hand though. Bolt action springers are so straight forward that they're some of the safest airsoft guns you can buy second hand - there are one or two per week posted on Zero In and places. That money you save can go into upgrades (which you're going to need to do as with any airsoft sniper rifle).

Biosphere and Green Devil are the two I know are properly degradable. Madbull and G&G being a couple that aren't but can't confirm others. So yeh, buy new ones. They tend to start warping after a year.

Actually it depends on the brand. The issue with a lot of bio BBs is that they're not truly biodegradable - most of them still have a non-degradable shell on them. If that hasn't been broken then they're fine to use. The proper biodegradable ones will warp anyway like Adam says.

This thread may help: http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/topic/27911-question-about-parts-external-upgrade/

Stark Arms just announced their G42 and it looks pretty good. http://pneumaticmusketeers.com/stark-arms-glock-42-announce/ http://www.airborne-shop.com/products/detail.php?product_id=11321

You're welcome. And er, welcome to the forums too.

That's where the law gets grey because it's terribly written. A defence can be anything that proves you engage in airsoft as a hobby - so that could be as little as a single receipt for a site. (This in itself is an issue though as is one attendance enough to consider something a 'hobby'?) To be safe I'd get a membership - some sites will require you go 3 times before they let you become a member anyway as is stated in sections 36 to 38 of VCRA. This is the problem with common law: Until something is taken to court there's no precedent for others to live by. As no airsoft player has ever been charged for selling or manufacturing an RIF, all we have to go by is the literal interpretation of the words contained within VCRA. Edit Edit #2 And here's the bit about UKARA. This is where people get confused as it offers UKARA as simply being a means to prove your defence, but not the only way to prove you're an 'airsoft skirmisher'. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-violent-crime-reduction-act-2006-commencement-no-3-order-2007-firearms-measures Edit #3 In short, be safe not sorry. Keep it 2-tone for now and consider wrapping some camo tape around your gun when you go play. Once you've been registered then replace those parts. http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/topic/27802-rif-loopholes/?p=211458 http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/topic/25706-taking-a-two-tone-to-woodland/

Spend at least £800 on gear to make yourself a complete shadow as you blend seamlessly with the terrain around you. Spend the remaining £200 of your budget on a £150 pistol and a horrendous AEG. Never move from behind a tree and don't run. Occasionally lean out and get shot, but for the most part spend your afternoon complaining other people aren't taking their hits and shouting for your team to 'move up'.

No it's not legal - it counts as manufacturing an RIF as you say. However: Whilst manufacturing an RIF without a defence is against the law, but the defence itself doesn't have to be UKARA membership - this is the most common misconception we get on this site. If you're a member of the site you play at then you're fine as you're able to provide evidence of being an airsoft player with regular attendance to a site. This can be done without ever having registered as a player with UKARA. Edit Changed some stuff.

Are you talking about bringing guns in or taking some back to the US with you after Christmas? Customs don't really mind what you export (that goes for any country) - imports are what matter. I imagine those tips are something that are easier to obtain in the US and bring with you and then attach them here. Put some tool strength loctite on them so they look permanent to US customs if you're taking them into the US that is. If they're coming into the UK then all you need is a valid defence and to declare the item like you would any other - I think UK customs only really accept UKARA as a defence without a load of ballache though.

This was asked before and unfortunately we couldn't find one then: http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/topic/13031-kwa-m93r-stock/ Looks like you'll have to shell out for one. Don't get them from the US though - go East or the postage is through the roof.

Agreed. G36 mags are pretty sexy anyway.

I was seriously considering one earlier this year - they're all sold out now until Christmas or something. That cheek rest...

Word of warning: They're ugly as hell.

ITT: We all realise airsoft is mostly subjective.