Richie Boyle

thanks for the correction and heads up Ian

in the last 5 days i have bought this little lot, most of it has arrived 95 trousers 95 shirt twisties web tex knee pads revision goggles half mask patrol hat mechanix gloves magnum boots longback bergan SAS smock i wanted the bergan for work but it might be ok for airsofting. i may get an army holdall for this instead though since i seem to remember them being padlockable and big enough to take all this kit plus a rifle and pistol

i went with the revision goggles and i have received them. i have clear, smoked and yellow lenses but i cant see how to swap them? the smoked came fitted and the elastic strap is easy to remove but the lens appears to have a light glue round the edges which i am reluctant to prise out. any ideas?

does this mean it only applies to commercial sales and not private? do the site owners ask for UKARA defence to allow RIFs?

I had a chat with a mate last night about the 95 kit i bought. Not my first choice but i couldn't find any of the older DPM so i went with what i know. Its thin material but fairly durable. The latest kit is not! He wore his stable belt and ripped 3 belt loops off when he removed the belt. He did a 3 day exercise and had to exchange 2 pairs of trousers after it. The guy is a technician in the signals so not exactly SAS training which does show just how cheap and nasty the new uniform is. DO NOT BUY IT! Its bad enough that our lads and lasses are being subjected to thus rubbish but you lot are spending your own money so don't waste it on the newer army kit. Its not worth the hassle

i went for a pair of grade 2 desert magnums which have also supposedly been used in Afghanistan. I haven't worn them yet but i did try 1 for size and it was very comfortable. £19.99 if i remember correctly and they were bought specifically for airsoft. I think they will serve me very well

i have been looking for a uk fb page, particularly for buying stuff so i will join

that looks ideal. even a built in pistol pouch on it and it looks dirt cheap for what you get. it looks like the belt is very similiar to 95 pattern webbing so extra pouches (ammo pouches) may be compatible. nice suggestion

you really cant go wrong with army issue boots. they want to running in streams, climbing over assault courses, running over uneven terrain and still in good enough condition to stamp your feet on parade and make a loud enough noise to give the sergeant major an erection that will keep his wife faithful while he is away for 6 months

i am very tempted to go with the last link i posted. having read some posts on this forum regarding eye protection and various opinions, i think the more industrial design which does not seal against the face is out of the equation. lenses or mesh? lenses seem to be safer but can fog up so anti fogging lenses seem to be the way to go and being able to change lenses to suit the light level is probably a bonus. finally, price! i saw a set with a claimed RRP of well over £100 which is great if i there is a risk of a panzer running over my head but possibly a little too much for airsoft. that last link does seem to be a decent price (albeit more than i wanted to spend until i read the posts) for a set that ticks all the boxes plus the seller seems to be going out of his way to support the quality and give confidence to the buyer. most sellers put a basic list of functions and leave it at that. this guy is effectively putting his own reputation on the line and that does inspire trust. the brand may not have been on the well known list but every brand was there in the early days so they may be worth trying then coming back once a few skirmishers have had a look at them and given their opinions

ESS bolle or these? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Revision-desert-locust-ballistic-goggles-airsoft-OLIVE-GREEN-UK-SELLER-/271423668767?pt=UK_Protective_Equipment&hash=item3f321c821f

i had a scrim when i was in service and that is exactly what i had planned on getting for my neck. thanks for the advice guys. i have started buying now

i did see some Bolle and ESS on ebay. around the £17 price range for the goggles alone?

my mistake. i am still getting to grips with the terminology but from what i understand, i need to register my participation in a skirmish with the approved site/s 3 times over a period of no less than 2 months and they will sort out the UKARA for me. from then on i can legally buy RIFs instead of IFs (the only major difference being whether its authentic colours or 2 tone with a minimum of 51% being a bright colour). carriage is a bag or case to conceal the weapon from public eyes. it must be unloaded and no gas or battery connected

forget that package then. what would you recommend instead?

i am looking at the safety kit now and i have stumbled across a package supplying separate goggles and mask which seems to be the favourable option over a single piece item. the one i found is all mesh. any opinions on that for airsoft application? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Airsoft-Wire-Mesh-Mask-and-Goggles-Full-Face-Protection-Glasses-Skirmish-Strike-/191094232615?pt=UK_Protective_Equipment&var=&hash=item2c7e1a9627

i can pick up a set of 95 bottoms and top for around £20 but that is probably the lightweight jacket rather than ripstop jacket. it is good kit for summer but not so much in the wet although it does dry quickly. i cant find the older DPM kit so 95 is looking like the winner i have been wearing boots to work for 20 years so my feet are more than used to them

http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/topic/20600-army-l85a1-jg-mp5/ looking at it, this would be ideal but i have no idea how it differs internally from the L85A2

i think he likes it http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/topic/11381-ics-l85a2/ i havent got to grips with the differences between gas and electric and throwing different manufacturers into the equation just complicates things even further. choosing the rifle is bad enough but then having to choose who you want it made by is a headache when i havent even seen an airsoft rifle in the flesh. i can hold various weapons at a skirmish but you guys are using them so you know how good or bad they are. it doesnt matter how good it feels if it constantly fails during a firefight

the approximate date for our team event is august but i want to be licenced by then (assuming i like it but i am pretty sure i will love this) so i want to get started a lot earlier. the only problem is a car getting put back on the road first. jap import and its MOT is getting closer! i can chuck £100 at getting the kit (loadout?) sorted out from ebay and i can get the skirmishes i need under my belt as long as i hire weapons i have looked at the pictures thread and noticed some L85A2s kicking around. for obvious reasons i am going to notice them but are they any good? i would favour the L85A1 from that range but i would appreciate some opinions on them as airsoft guns from you guys. assault rifle seems to be the starting point with this sport which makes sense with their versatility and popularity as a standard issue item with the worlds armed forces albeit different makes and models

the guys who invited me to create a team have never done it either but it turns out that i work with a lot of guys who are into airsoft. i had a quick chat with one this morning but he was busy and i didnt want to get in his way for long. hopefully i can tag along and have a look at the weapons. the only weapon i have fired is an SA80 and my guess is that it wont compare to these. hopefully these things are more reliable

2 days ago i had never heard of it but i am learning. i do want to check my kit wish list though and a question on getting started budget wish list (no point in buying decent kit until i know i will use it regularly which would be after UKARA membership) 95 kit seems to be the cheapest and easiest option although it is a bit thin compared to the combats that it succeeded. i would prefer a bit more padding than this stuff but that will have to wait gloves with knuckle protection eye protection of a high standard (i have read the guide on this forum) boots probably used army issue to keep costs down. my work boots are far too well polished for this sport headgear although i havent read up on specifications yet. kevlar is probably overkill for this application facemask better separate from eye protection? knee pads possibly only advisable for most people but my knees are shot to hell already so my knee caps getting shot to hell from BBs would hurt a lot not looking at weapons or accessories until after i am UKARA licenced one thing i have not found the answer to is how to actually get started. everyone seems to be a part of a team and while that is the long term plan (i learned about this whole thing through an invitation) so how does an individual get involved in a local skirmish? are they all team versus team or is it a case of teams made up from numbers (possibly added to existing teams from spare bodies)?

i havent played anything else on my playstation since i got it in september

i haven't even started on this stuff yet but it sounds like the easy option is to rent a site gun for 3 skirmishes to get the AKURA membership then use any gun you like in any colour. Would that be my best option? This also allows me to see how I get on before putting serious cash into something i may not like after the novelty wears off