Well, I wasn't expecting that. I was kind of hoping the bio balls might dissolve away after a month or two.
The problem is that if they were that degradable, then they'd start to break up on the slow boat from China. The last thing you want is BB's shattering while being shot. I've had some biodegradables start to surface-craze about 2 years after being opened and first used, but actually breaking down meaningfully takes much, much longer. Here's what landowners and wives shouldn't read about PLA:
https://www.biosphereplastic.com/biodegradableplastic/uncategorized/is-pla-compostable/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304615824_Mineralization_of_Poly_lactic_acidPLA_Poly_3-hydroxybutyrate-co-valeratePHBV_and_PLAPHBV_Blend_in_Compost_and_Soil_Environments
And that's pure PLA. As you go heavier - which means anything above 0.2g - then you have to start adulterating the plastic with heavier Mystery Mass, like ceramic or metal. Some heavier grey BBs actually have iron in them, which I'd reckon is
more degradable than PLA.
So if possible, I'd suggest a net and some sort of tray or tarp to collect the buggers. 12" sticky targets are available which actually work quite well: the BBs stick, then (slowly) roll down them and into a tray. BBs get everywhere even when you're trying to be careful: I need to give my garage a good sweeping up before Mrs Borg gets
that look again.
And yes, any safety glasses will be fine for self protection, i.e. DIY or even sports glasses as long as they're polycarbonate and not perspex.
A mid capacity magazine or two is a decent shout, but I'd see how you get on with the supplied high capacity magazine. It will hold hundreds of BBS, but needs winding up with a wheel underneath it. Not actually that onerous, plenty of folk use them in skirmishes. But mid caps still hold over a hundred BBs, and are load-and-shoot without the winding. You'll need a "speedloader" to fill them.
E.g.
https://bbguns4less.co.uk/products/cyma-g36-mid-cap-mag-also-fits-src-g36-130-rounds.html and
https://bbguns4less.co.uk/products/vigor-bb-speed-loader-150rd-in-clear.html (larger loaders are available, I'm just guessing about where you're likely to be buying, and looking at what they have in stock). I'd sound a note of caution though that airsoft magazine compatibility isn't brilliant, even within brands. My JG G36 fed fine from its supplied hi-cap but didn't like the mid caps that I bought for it. Much of airsoft is a gamble.
Get a reasonable battery and matching charger
The ones that come with the lower level RIF’s in the box are not to be left unattended whilst charging , plus they are shite ?
True, but you're looking at £45-50 including delivery for a SkyRC S65 and a decent capacity 7.4V lipo. I'd say that's required for skirmishing, but for plinking the provided nimh will actually work just fine. It's not like trigger response and ROF are critical. As with the magazines, I'd say: run it as it is out of the box, and see if you enjoy it. Then consider a 2nd round of purchasing.
Or consider dropping by a skirmish with it - folk of all ages and abilities enjoy airsoft, and plenty of us here play at a very placid pace.
