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I get seriously annoyed when people just say 'use the search function' to anything that isn't totally unique. Sure, there are the silly questions like UKARA, VCRA and 'what do I get at my first gun' that are answered weekly, but on other forums it seems even intermediate questions people just can't be bothered to answer and simply give a one-word reply or tell people to look up previous threads without linking them. Urgh.

Well, I've not posted about it anywhere but my $475 Daytona Gun kit went missing in the post over the Atlantic. I've just paid upfront for the majority of a new one whilst we wait until USPS pulls their finger out and settles the insurance claim. So [it's happening] can resume as normal now.

Basically every beginner and intermediate question has been asked on here before. If not, try Zero In. If you need something specialist like HPA, GBBRs, very in-detail sniping etc. then there are forums devoted to each of those. If you're using an AEG or your average GBB then you can bet your bottom dollar it's been asked here or Zero In though. The problem is the search functionality (although better than vBulletins) is lacking with IPB so it's hard to get the information you need. Hell, I try to look up threads just from a month ago to reference in posts I'm making and can't find any reference to them anywhere, even with very generic word searches. Can be frustrating, and I can see why many people just ask a new question when they can't find the answer themselves.

Google says the tag says not to wash them. I'd simply wash them by hand. Soapy water, put them on like normal and then act like you're washing your hands.

Sidearms aren't worth the money unless you're very happy with your primary(s) and gear. Until then, spend that £100 on other things.

You're right. VCRA only covers the selling and manufacturing of RIFs, not ownership. You still need a valid defence to remove the 2-tone, and so that's why tape should be replaced when leaving a site really. However, let's not forget that playing at that site is a valid defence in its own right, regardless of UKARA or site membership. Frankly, it's all a bit of a mess.

VFC are Stark Arms - they decided to go with a different brand name for their 'ultra realistic' series of pistols and the like but it's the same factory.

Ah ok. Yeh, just grab the Madbull ones then. They're fine.

For the GBB I'd go with something slightly higher quality like Green Devil bios simply because biodegradable BBs shatter a lot more easily and you don't want that happening where the bolt contacts the hop. I had this issue with my WOC. I should have clarified though - is this a GBBR or just a pistol? With a pistol you won't have this issue. For the AEG, Madbull and Biosphere I'd say from personal experience that they are largely the same, but Madbull ones seem to cost a bit more because you're paying for the brand. Frankly though, the difference between all three is negligible anyway.

Madbull are ok, Bio Sphere also are alright and a bit cheaper. Are we just talking an AEG here?

Yeh we know, don't worry. Nice setup you have there.

Exactly my thought too. You would have thought he'd been wearing a bright orange vest though eh.

Elite Shooting Centre I presume you mean? That's a nice looking Hi Capa. What did you have done to it?

Frankly I'd say all of the commonly available Glocks are very skirmishable. KWA, TM, WE, Stark Arms/VFC - they're all good. Just avoid your nondescript JBBG brands and you'll be fine. Obviously each has its own upsides and downsides, but I wouldn't be able to list them all. Nothing is a bad choice here, but I'd still obviously stick by what I've said above and go for the TM simply because it's the best performer and has the reputation to go along with it. If you can't stand the plastic slide, the KWA, WE or Stark Arms may be the better call. Plenty here use the WE Glock 17 and would probably recommend it, so that seems like a good option too. The Stark Arms one has slightly worse trade marks than the WE and TM (if you're into that sort of thing), but by-and-large - if this is your first Glock - you won't be able to notice a difference between the four when firing them. Just stay away from your those JBBG types. Expect to spend around £100 - if it's cheaper then something might be wrong.

They do spend more time on the tolerances of all of their guns, and this is true to the point that they do make the most accurate pistols out of the box. People love to hate TM because they think they know something everyone else doesn't and like to feel happy that the WE they were sold over the counter at their local shop is the best there is. Unfortunately, it's really as simple as they know what they're doing, they've done it the longest and they do it the best. When you're so tightly constrained by the Japanese airsoft power limits, you have to be good. Gas efficiency obviously matters a lot there (what with the green gas restrictions), and that's a large reason as to why they use plastic slides. The real fact of the matter is that retailers make a much larger margin of profit on WE and KWA and so selling them is great. Prices on TM guns have always been managed right out of the factory and everyone gets the same price. WE is more popular in the UK because it's cheaper; people like them because they own them and because they use a bit more metal. Let's not forget that the majority of companies simply clone their designs too - that's how good they are at doing what they do. I'd never tell someone to spend more than they're comfortable with spending, but if you have £150 and want the absolute best performance, part compatibility and longevity then TM is who you go for. If you then want to dump a load of money on a metal kit then do so, but you can't have your cake and eat it - metal slides will always slow down your cycle time and produce more wear and even more so if it's a soft metal that will scratch very easily and not stay lubricated for long. When it comes to range and accuracy: Yes, they do. The barrels are generally of a higher quality and the internal tolerances are far greater than those of other brands. They simply are more accurate and do go further. Not by a whole lot, but they do. If it makes you feel happier with your purchase by thinking it performs as well as the original TM design then that's fine, but it's false. There's a reason why the TM Hi-Capa is the most popular competition pistol. If you don't like the plastic feeling then buy a metal kit. And saying TM's plastics are 'horrible' is absolutely ludicrous when they have some of the best looking finishes out there: I'd say Stark Arms is better than WE, but (unsurprisingly) I'd maintain that TM is better than both performance wise.

You may know that but most people won't. A sad fact of life is that one always needs to cater to the lowest common denominator, and that's that the SS are naughty people who did naughty things. It's just probably not worth it - save the uniform for a re-enactment day or something.

It does have a metal slide, which is something that you don't want if you need performance. One of the larger reasons why TMs shoot better out of the box - better gas efficiency and more money in the budget to spend on internals. It's still good. You'll have fun with it for sure.

Not sure why you'd go for one over the TM given the price is near identical. They don't perform quite as well out of the box, but the external finish is supposed to be slightly better on the later batches.

Get a Mancraft kit if you can. This reads like an advertisement. The fact of the matter is green gas is always susceptible to varying weather. I would never use a sniper rifle powered by anything other than CO2, HPA or spring - consistency will always be sub-par. DMRs, well, that's a different story.

If it's £185, then I saw one go up on Zeroin for £200 that had a heap of upgrades: http://forums.zeroin.co.uk/showthread.php?261577-tm-vsr-atacs The TM ones are the best out of the box, but if you're going for upgrades then the JG 'Bar 10' actually has a slightly nicer stock.

Don't trade it. Gas sniper rifles are crap unless you're using HPA - you need consistency. You should never be using propane if you're serious about the best performance. Stove gas is dirty and screws up your internals and o-rings over time. If you want the most powerful gas in the UK then it's still Guarder Powerful Gas - Firesupport stock it. Again though, stick with spring. Your TM VSR is basically the most accurate bolt action airsoft rifle out there anyway.

Perhaps a little too much hyperbole - certainly wasn't intended to be taken so literally. I get that they can't turn into dust when you fire them, and need to be able to at least hit the side of a barn, but at the end of the day we're talking about the £20 difference between having something locked to semi and something that does both. The only objective reason for not having it to come up so far is that it produces a bit more wear on the internals when you're blatting away at 20 rps, but that's a given. There's also the issue of the selector not fitting into some holsters, though I've yet to experience this myself. Those who've had bad experiences with the G18c seem to have either owned KWA/WE or just don't take care of their stuff properly. The 'full auto in CQB' point is moot - most sites ban it anyway, and you'd never see any reasonable player using it. The auto is very effective in bursts though and will reach out to about 25-30 metres in the right conditions. To everyone: Go fire a TM G18c in full auto if you've not before - it's a rather 'unique' airsoft pistol when in auto, and on semi it's just another TM G17 - one of the most reliable, practical and accurate airsoft pistols that you can own. Select fire is rather impractical, but for the £20 I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Indeed I did - twice. Ah, thanks. I just thought they were trying to be a bit arty-farty, heh.

Everyone talking about practicality when we're playing with toy guns.

Obviously you had an inferior brand then, and this is what I mean with most people tarring all of them with the same brush; the TM one can be in any position before using the fire selector. I've noticed the selector to be very spongey on the others too - the TM one has a very positive click. I've not once accidentally had it switch to full auto from semi (or vice versa). Firesupport I think. If not then overseas - WGC probably stock it. It's a Guarder one, but I know they have a weird name for the colour for some reason so it might not be as straight forward to search for. Edit: Yeh, 'titanium gold' is the colour. Here's the link: http://www.fire-support.co.uk/product/guarder-aluminum-cnc-titanium-golden-outer-barrel-for-marui-18c

There's something distinctly brilliant about emptying one of the 50 round mags in 2.5 seconds when it's a pistol though; very few other GBBs produce that much kick and they're fairly unique for it. TM frames do crack at the front screw post after about 3000 rounds, but the Guarder ones (aprox. £30) are re-enforced with brass and are the first upgrade one should buy for them. The TM ones are built solidly elsewhere and the tolerances are good, but I'd never touch the WE and KWA ones (which is what many people form their opinions from). They're cheap and nasty - far too much money goes into the material cost of a metal slide, and the internals are made of complete pot metal. And that sexy ported barrel: