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PT247
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hi, for a first gun I'd probs not go for a GBBR, the G&G Combat Machine AEGs are really good for the money.
Airsoft_Mr B
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- Jul 14, 2013
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Ares usually kinda shite but the Amoebas are supposed to be alright. Personally think they're really ugly and look nothing like the real AAC Honey Badger - but whatever floats your boat.
Chock
Members
- Sep 2, 2014
- 687
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Welcome aboard 
As others have already mentioned, a GBB is indeed more realistic in terms of how it works, which is obviously appealing, but I'd agree that it is probably not a great choice for your one and only first gun. Gas blowbacks take a bit more maintenance and can be temperamental, especially in this cold weather, which is not a good thing when you are new to stuff, not to mention the fact that they have small capacity magazines and require gas (tenner for a can of it), which means you need to buy probably at least three or four spare mags. Spare mags for gas blowback rifles tend to cost 30-40 quid a pop (unless you buy them from abroad, when they are about 20 quid), so that'd be another 100 quid or so you'd be looking at to get something you could skirmish with easily, and of course it would also mean you'd need some kind of suitable tactical vest in order to carry the mags as well (cos GBB mags are heavy), so that's at least another 30 quid again.
Yes it is fun and realistic to yell 'I'm out, reloading!' in mid skirmish, but it can get old soon in comparison to simply rocking a 300 round mag on an aeg, with nothing more to do than occasionally twirl the little wheel on the bottom of the mag to keep things feeding. Going with 30 round capacity gas blowback mags is only really enjoyable if you are at a military sim airsoft skirmish, where you know everyone else has the same thing to deal with, at a more typical skirmish, it'll just put you at a disadvantage. Besides which, it is possible to get 30 round aeg mags too, which are cheap, if you fancy trying a bit more realism, but I'm betting you'll be popping that high cap mag in before long when you are pinned down by someone with a high cap aeg mag!
Far better to have something which just works without any worries straight out of the box, which is what electric ones will do after you've simply charged the battery up and slung it in the thing. Most of them come with a high capacity mag which can take 300-500 rounds (and between 2000-4000 rounds if you stick a drum magazine on them, which you can find for 20 quid), which is enough to last an entire skirmish if you don't spray automatic fire all over the place, but even if you do, high cap mags for AEGs are usually only 5-10 quid a pop, so the additional mag cost is negligible, they don't weigh much either, so they'll go in a pocket of some combat pants no bother and are almost disposable at that kind of money.
You'll probably get a lot of recommendations for something like the Combat Machine M4 from G&G, which is an excellent choice for airsoft. I've got one myself and even though I have a lot fancier guns, that one is a firm favourite of mine, because it is reliable and fun to use. You can find 'starter deals' which include the G&G combat machine M4 and a few other necessities, so it's a good way to get started for not a lot of money. Here's a few for example:
http://airsoftzone.co.uk/airsoft-zone-deals
Some other decent starter guns to consider if you want to get a gun alone and get the protective gear separately (watch out for guns that don't come with a battery or a charger by the way, which some places do to keep the price down, which is a bit misleading, although the ones I've linked to usually do come with that stuff):
117 quid: http://www.zerooneairsoft.com/product_info.php?products_id=5645
139 quid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PMdp_l-Hv0#t=403
104 quid: http://www.onlybbguns.co.uk/g5-g5.html?filter_name=Galaxy%20G5#.VNeDli5JVhM
140 quid: http://www.patrolbase.co.uk/two-tone-airsoft/umarex-g36c-two-tone.htm#.VNeEHi5JVhM
270 quid: http://extremebbguns.co.uk/product/ares-twotone-am-013-6mm-electric-airsoft-honey-badger/
Note that some places (principally websites with BB in the name, which come in for a bit of flak on this forum) tend to sell mostly two-toned guns (this is worth knowing, because other outlets can sometimes charge you twenty quid to spray the thing two tone), which would be the only thing you could legally buy unless you could prove you were a regular skirmisher, which people invariably do by applying for a United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association (UKARA) registration number. A UKARA number allows a website to check up on your airsoft credentials when you are ordering stuff online, so they know you are buying it for a legitimate reason. You can get a UKARA number by having attended three skirmishes at a professional skirmishing site (ask them about it when you go). In the interim, it is often smarter to simply hire a gun from a skirmish site, then apply for a UKARA. That would enable you to order an airsoft gun from a company abroad without any hassle (since the border agency do look for UKARA numbers on packages, and can confiscate things if they think you are 'importing' an airsoft rifle without a legitimate reason). Airsoft guns are vastly cheaper from such foreign websites, so this is a good idea if you are prepared to wait before buying..
The other advantage of doing that, is you can dip your toe into the water a bit with skirmishing using a hire gun (which will most likely be a Jing Gong Heckler and Koch G36 assault rifle, which is another excellent first weapon incidentally), and get a feel for the kind of weapon you would like to buy, plus you get to see what everyone else is using too, what sights they favour on their guns, whether they also carry a pistol etc. Doing that is very useful, because if you ask nicely, most everyone at a skirmish will let you have a try out of their weapon (we are a friendly bunch with a shared interest), and that is very helpful, because you do sometimes find that something you like the look of actually does not sit well in your shoulder, or fit your hands very well, or you may not like the position of the fire selector switch or whatever when you actually hold the thing. For example, the fire selector switch is a bit tricky to reach on an AK47 if you have small hands, the fire selector switch on an M4 can easily get knocked onto a different setting when it rubs on your chest if you have it on a sling, the H&K MP5K can be tricky to point accurately if it doesn't have a shoulder stock, but it has an ambidextrous fire selector switch, the G36 has an ambidextrous fire selector switch and cocking lever, and a folding stock, so it suits left handed people and is good for CQB and long ranged fighting, and so on. There is no better way to determine if these features will suit you, than to actually hold the things.
If on the other hand, you cannot wait to get something (yes that happens a lot when people are excitied and keen to get into it), and do wish to get a two toned rifle right away, then do your best to stay away from the crap stuff, by using this forum. Ask people on here about weapons you are considering purchasing. Some stuff can be had for not a lot of money from various sites such as: bbguns4less, onlybbguns, justbbguns and bbguns365, geniestuff, and that is a tempting proposition when you are new to things and not sure what is good or bad. Be aware that some of those sites are known for selling stuff which is not really up to the task of skirmishing against others at professional airsoft skirmish sites, yet claiming that they are (they tend to claim that everything they sell is awesome). Not everything they sell is crap, and they can quite often be the cheapest places to acquire a particular airsoft gun, but do not take the reviews on those sites at face value, check other sources, look for reviews on youtube and ask about things on forums before you hit that 'add to shopping cart' button, because if you buy something which sucks, you'll end up having to buy something else not long after. Many of us have been caught out that way on some occasion in the past, but you don't have to join that club!
Above all, take your time before committing to spending money, the internet is your friend in this respect, and you will find a bit of research will go a long way and save you money in the long run. Oh, and don't forget to get some decent eye and lower face protection, and a decent scarf for your neck, do not go cheap on that, you only get one par of eyes, a BB can easily smash a tooth out, and a BB hit in the neck is bloody painful and will draw blood, so cover yourself up.
As others have already mentioned, a GBB is indeed more realistic in terms of how it works, which is obviously appealing, but I'd agree that it is probably not a great choice for your one and only first gun. Gas blowbacks take a bit more maintenance and can be temperamental, especially in this cold weather, which is not a good thing when you are new to stuff, not to mention the fact that they have small capacity magazines and require gas (tenner for a can of it), which means you need to buy probably at least three or four spare mags. Spare mags for gas blowback rifles tend to cost 30-40 quid a pop (unless you buy them from abroad, when they are about 20 quid), so that'd be another 100 quid or so you'd be looking at to get something you could skirmish with easily, and of course it would also mean you'd need some kind of suitable tactical vest in order to carry the mags as well (cos GBB mags are heavy), so that's at least another 30 quid again.
Yes it is fun and realistic to yell 'I'm out, reloading!' in mid skirmish, but it can get old soon in comparison to simply rocking a 300 round mag on an aeg, with nothing more to do than occasionally twirl the little wheel on the bottom of the mag to keep things feeding. Going with 30 round capacity gas blowback mags is only really enjoyable if you are at a military sim airsoft skirmish, where you know everyone else has the same thing to deal with, at a more typical skirmish, it'll just put you at a disadvantage. Besides which, it is possible to get 30 round aeg mags too, which are cheap, if you fancy trying a bit more realism, but I'm betting you'll be popping that high cap mag in before long when you are pinned down by someone with a high cap aeg mag!
Far better to have something which just works without any worries straight out of the box, which is what electric ones will do after you've simply charged the battery up and slung it in the thing. Most of them come with a high capacity mag which can take 300-500 rounds (and between 2000-4000 rounds if you stick a drum magazine on them, which you can find for 20 quid), which is enough to last an entire skirmish if you don't spray automatic fire all over the place, but even if you do, high cap mags for AEGs are usually only 5-10 quid a pop, so the additional mag cost is negligible, they don't weigh much either, so they'll go in a pocket of some combat pants no bother and are almost disposable at that kind of money.
You'll probably get a lot of recommendations for something like the Combat Machine M4 from G&G, which is an excellent choice for airsoft. I've got one myself and even though I have a lot fancier guns, that one is a firm favourite of mine, because it is reliable and fun to use. You can find 'starter deals' which include the G&G combat machine M4 and a few other necessities, so it's a good way to get started for not a lot of money. Here's a few for example:
http://airsoftzone.co.uk/airsoft-zone-deals
Some other decent starter guns to consider if you want to get a gun alone and get the protective gear separately (watch out for guns that don't come with a battery or a charger by the way, which some places do to keep the price down, which is a bit misleading, although the ones I've linked to usually do come with that stuff):
117 quid: http://www.zerooneairsoft.com/product_info.php?products_id=5645
139 quid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PMdp_l-Hv0#t=403
104 quid: http://www.onlybbguns.co.uk/g5-g5.html?filter_name=Galaxy%20G5#.VNeDli5JVhM
140 quid: http://www.patrolbase.co.uk/two-tone-airsoft/umarex-g36c-two-tone.htm#.VNeEHi5JVhM
270 quid: http://extremebbguns.co.uk/product/ares-twotone-am-013-6mm-electric-airsoft-honey-badger/
Note that some places (principally websites with BB in the name, which come in for a bit of flak on this forum) tend to sell mostly two-toned guns (this is worth knowing, because other outlets can sometimes charge you twenty quid to spray the thing two tone), which would be the only thing you could legally buy unless you could prove you were a regular skirmisher, which people invariably do by applying for a United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association (UKARA) registration number. A UKARA number allows a website to check up on your airsoft credentials when you are ordering stuff online, so they know you are buying it for a legitimate reason. You can get a UKARA number by having attended three skirmishes at a professional skirmishing site (ask them about it when you go). In the interim, it is often smarter to simply hire a gun from a skirmish site, then apply for a UKARA. That would enable you to order an airsoft gun from a company abroad without any hassle (since the border agency do look for UKARA numbers on packages, and can confiscate things if they think you are 'importing' an airsoft rifle without a legitimate reason). Airsoft guns are vastly cheaper from such foreign websites, so this is a good idea if you are prepared to wait before buying..
The other advantage of doing that, is you can dip your toe into the water a bit with skirmishing using a hire gun (which will most likely be a Jing Gong Heckler and Koch G36 assault rifle, which is another excellent first weapon incidentally), and get a feel for the kind of weapon you would like to buy, plus you get to see what everyone else is using too, what sights they favour on their guns, whether they also carry a pistol etc. Doing that is very useful, because if you ask nicely, most everyone at a skirmish will let you have a try out of their weapon (we are a friendly bunch with a shared interest), and that is very helpful, because you do sometimes find that something you like the look of actually does not sit well in your shoulder, or fit your hands very well, or you may not like the position of the fire selector switch or whatever when you actually hold the thing. For example, the fire selector switch is a bit tricky to reach on an AK47 if you have small hands, the fire selector switch on an M4 can easily get knocked onto a different setting when it rubs on your chest if you have it on a sling, the H&K MP5K can be tricky to point accurately if it doesn't have a shoulder stock, but it has an ambidextrous fire selector switch, the G36 has an ambidextrous fire selector switch and cocking lever, and a folding stock, so it suits left handed people and is good for CQB and long ranged fighting, and so on. There is no better way to determine if these features will suit you, than to actually hold the things.
If on the other hand, you cannot wait to get something (yes that happens a lot when people are excitied and keen to get into it), and do wish to get a two toned rifle right away, then do your best to stay away from the crap stuff, by using this forum. Ask people on here about weapons you are considering purchasing. Some stuff can be had for not a lot of money from various sites such as: bbguns4less, onlybbguns, justbbguns and bbguns365, geniestuff, and that is a tempting proposition when you are new to things and not sure what is good or bad. Be aware that some of those sites are known for selling stuff which is not really up to the task of skirmishing against others at professional airsoft skirmish sites, yet claiming that they are (they tend to claim that everything they sell is awesome). Not everything they sell is crap, and they can quite often be the cheapest places to acquire a particular airsoft gun, but do not take the reviews on those sites at face value, check other sources, look for reviews on youtube and ask about things on forums before you hit that 'add to shopping cart' button, because if you buy something which sucks, you'll end up having to buy something else not long after. Many of us have been caught out that way on some occasion in the past, but you don't have to join that club!
Above all, take your time before committing to spending money, the internet is your friend in this respect, and you will find a bit of research will go a long way and save you money in the long run. Oh, and don't forget to get some decent eye and lower face protection, and a decent scarf for your neck, do not go cheap on that, you only get one par of eyes, a BB can easily smash a tooth out, and a BB hit in the neck is bloody painful and will draw blood, so cover yourself up.
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Undieing_Lust
Members
- May 16, 2014
- 225
- 132
Hello and Welcome! For a first gun it would be best if you were to stick to a AEG rather than a GBB.
- Thread starter
- #8
just had a look on the airsoft map and it sounds like I really need to book into either the Cerberus woodlands at otley or the all arms at trawden both within 10 miles of me any reccomendations to which 1 I should try as my first taster of airsoft ,thanks
Chock
Members
- Sep 2, 2014
- 687
- 547
Yeah you can find decent guns cheap on occasion, but what you don't want is something which is only a cheap gun. Things to look out for, are names you will hear and see people talking about regularly and actually use, names such as: A&K, S&T, Tokyo Marui, SRC, Jing Gong, CYMA, Cybergun, DBoys, Galaxy, G&G, G&P, AGM, ASG, ICS, Classic Army, Ares, Umarex, Bolt, WE, HFC, Real Sword.great post chock thanks a lot, really good read and some food for thought there, I cant believe how cheap some of the guns and add ons are to get going in this sport
Names to watch out for and usually avoid are ones such as: Double Eagle, Golden Eagle, Black Viper, Bulldog, Well, UHC, Yika.
This is by no means a definitive list of names, and it's not always true that one of the more revered brand names will guarantee it's a good gun, and in fact some of the 'avoid' names can make the odd one or two guns which are decent, for example, G&G don't make especially brilliant AKs, which you might think they would do since they make very good M4s, CYMA on the other hand, make very good AKs and their M4s are not quite so good, Well make a lot of cheap and nasty guns which will break fairly quickly, but they do actually make a pretty good gas blowback MP5K and some fairly decent sniper rifles too. In fact, out of that list of names to avoid, I've got guns from five of those brands mentioned (only two of them are actually good though, the others were bought for projects where I was aware they were not good straight out of the box).
In addition to that, you can occasionally find that a fairly naff gun can be tarted up into something decent when you know a bit more about how they work and what parts are available to put in the thing, so you do sometimes see people using what you might ordinarily think was a bit of a cack weapon, only to learn that they've replaced some critical parts (for example, I have a Black Viper AK12, and Black Viper is a name I would not normally recommend too highly, but my BV AK12 has a full metal CM.02 gearbox in it, instead of the plastic one it originally had - which went in the bin - so it now has the same gearbox you find in decent CYMA AK47s, which means it now shoots as good as one of those will).
Moreover, there's quite a lot of 'badge engineering' going on where airsoft is concerned, with many guns being knocked up in the same Chinese or Taiwanese factories, and simply marketed under different brand names, often more than one brand name. For example, you might find that a Umarex branded airsoft Walther PPK might have genuine Walther logos on it and such and be exactly the same dimensions as a real PPK, but that is because Umarex own the Walther company which make the real PPK. However, that doesn't necessarily mean you're going to find it has the kind of 'Swiss Watch' internals that a real Walther PPK has, it could have been knocked up in China to fairly low standards, and might even be marketed under the brand name of S&T, since they are the Asian distributors for Umarex. Thus you might quite easily find the same pistol marked as an SRC, HFC, Bulldog, Black Viper or Cybergun product.
So yes, use the brand names as a guide, but don't treat them as gospel.
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