How much do you customise your replicas?

SGSS

SGSS

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A thought occurred to me the other day. How much are people customising their replicas?

Looking through the photo threads or classifieds, I tend to see very similar setups. MWS + Magpul CTR/K2 + BCM handstop + Spec Precision EoTech + WADSN light. Rinse and repeat.

Not to say there's anything wrong with that, but given all the toys we play with fire the same BB and performance when tinkered with will be relatively similar, especially for close quarters, the world is your oyster.

What's the most you aim to spend on a build before things turn daft?

There's so many weird and wonderful ways you could customise your replica, especially with GBBRs. We're not properly restricted by logistics like actual soldiers, would be cool to see more people step out of their comfort zone and build some more interesting stuff!

Obvious cost of things aside, anyone else feel this way or do I sound like a Chairsofting Hipster?
 
It honestly depends on the gun. For me I first use the holy trinity when building a gun: Optic, Light, Retention (Holster, Sling, etc.) For 99% of cases these things will always improve your replica. Everything else after that is dependant on experience using the gun and finding out what bits I like or dislike. In terms of price a decent optic can run me from 150-200, a light normally runs me 100, and a holster/sling is often 50. That does sound like a lot but I prefer to use real brands where possible - the quality and warranty you get with that stuff is absolutely worth the money.

The main issue with customising stuff comes down to compatibility and price. Some brands/systems are better than others - such as Hi-Capas having a huge parts ecosystem, plus MWS compatible GBBRs now looking like they're becoming the standard for AR-15s. That said it can still be a bit of a potluck and often certain parts (particularly real steel ones) will require modification and fitting which completely ruins their resell value.

It all comes down to personal preference and lets be honest having a cool rifle makes you feel good.
 
I personally try to keep it minimal; I'll only put PEQ boxes or torches on if I actually need them.

However, I very much intend to get a 3D printer one day and make my own parts. I absolutely love the rail Poprocket made for my Tac41, and the chances of me encountering someone with the same at the sites I frequent are astronomically low. I love having a unique look that is rare to see.

Run a P90 with an Scope or LPVO and see how many people come up and ask you about it lol
 
Pengelly said:
It honestly depends on the gun. For me I first use the holy trinity when building a gun: Optic, Light, Retention (Holster, Sling, etc.) For 99% of cases these things will always improve your replica. Everything else after that is dependant on experience using the gun and finding out what bits I like or dislike. In terms of price a decent optic can run me from 150-200, a light normally runs me 100, and a holster/sling is often 50. That does sound like a lot but I prefer to use real brands where possible - the quality and warranty you get with that stuff is absolutely worth the money.

The main issue with customising stuff comes down to compatibility and price. Some brands/systems are better than others - such as Hi-Capas having a huge parts ecosystem, plus MWS compatible GBBRs now looking like they're becoming the standard for AR-15s. That said it can still be a bit of a potluck and often certain parts (particularly real steel ones) will require modification and fitting which completely ruins their resell value.

It all comes down to personal preference and lets be honest having a cool rifle makes you feel good.
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Parts and mag compatibility seems to be a massive hindrance to most. I definitely agree with you about real steel parts, that's what's made some builds expensive for me, half the time the accessories cost more than the replica and mags together.

I really like seeing people show off their personality and going out of their way to create cool things. I'm constantly complimenting people on their stuff and it's strange that that sometimes catches them off guard.

Being in this hobby is nutty enough, we should definitely praise each other more!
 
Punisher3990 said:
I personally try to keep it minimal; I'll only put PEQ boxes or torches on if I actually need them.

However, I very much intend to get a 3D printer one day and make my own parts. I absolutely love the rail Poprocket made for my Tac41, and the chances of me encountering someone with the same at the sites I frequent are astronomically low. I love having a unique look that is rare to see.

Run a P90 with an Scope or LPVO and see how many people come up and ask you about it lol
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I want a 3D printer for that exact reason too! There's some really talented people out there creating parts and bolt-ons. I'm considering buying a P90 again. A TM P90 was the first airsoft gun I ever bought and the SG-1 vibe has never left me. I hope the new SI WE based P90 GBB is decent! Mag carrying looks like a pain in the arse though.
 
SGSS said:
I want a 3D printer for that exact reason too! There's some really talented people out there creating parts and bolt-ons. I'm considering buying a P90 again. A TM P90 was the first airsoft gun I ever bought and the SG-1 vibe has never left me. I hope the new SI WE based P90 GBB is decent! Mag carrying looks like a pain in the arse though.
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Mags are a pain, but I use sideways mounted Novritsch P90 mag pouchs on the front of my chest rig holds 2 and i have a spare mag on my belt, works really well
 
I have tried to clone an exact replica from battle of Mogadishu, not the BHD film they got the guns wrong in that.

I’m around £1200 ish into this build if I remember correctly. Only thing I need to change is the butt pad & I think it’s pretty much clone correct
 

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I prefer to custom build all my guns. It get great out of finding inspiration, tracking down or designing parts and then setting it all come together 1000009274.webp
 
For me it depends on the rif but I try to keep the number of extras attached to to a minimum

SGSS said:
Looking through the photo threads or classifieds, I tend to see very similar setups.
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View: https://youtu.be/QereR0CViMY?si=ORM6wO8Pdi9YxOqx

I'd say a fair amount of this is down to people following trends or wanting the newest "must have" bit of kit. Often influenced by what's in the media whether it's film, games or the news (think how many L119 builds appeared after the Nairobi terror attack). Of course then manufacturers stick to making what sells creating a vicious circle.
 
Depends on the RIF. I tend to buy with the finished look I want to achieve in mind.

My least customised tend to be the older style that typically had nothing attached in real steel, thinking AKMS or MP5 SD. Love the look of both of these completely standard.

My most customised are the more modern AK12/RPK16 which suit a foregrip, optic, torch, suppressor and all the zenitco parts I can lay my hands on.

I do try and keep the customisation as close to the real thing as possible, it’s the main reason I’ve fallen into the LCT trap as they have so many lovely little bits and pieces to customise until my hearts content.
 
SGSS said:
Obvious cost of things aside, anyone else feel this way or do I sound like a Chairsofting Hipster?
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You just have to take in to account what people's end goals are. Some people have almost zero interest in anything besides going to a field on a Sunday and shooting, so all they want to do is take a gun out of the box and put in BBs and a power source. The 180 degree opposite also exists and then everything inbtween.
The reason you see so many MWS with similar mods is because it's a super popular base platform on account of the realism/performance/reliability combo alongside the fact that the mods you mention are non-permanent, with no/minimal tooling or technical experience required to carry out. Plus of course they make sense for use in bb world for the same reasons they are a go-to standard in the real world. People try things over time, the wheat gets sorted from the chaff and what works is what sticks and becomes meta.
 
There is a balance to be drawn over what's practical for airsoft and what's practical for real soldiers.

If you look at the things that make an airsoft gun practical for airsoft, well look at the speedsofters. Dropped stocks and minamilist guns unconstrained from the need to handle recoil. At most red dot optics because airsoft engagement ranges really do not need mangnification to get hits so why trade off the slower acquisition.

On the other extreme you have the impression builds, that attatch things to guns that a real soldier would have, but that have limited or frankly no utility in airsoft.

Neither avenue is strictly wrong, sure the speedsofters gat is going to be more effective in a skirmish but lets face it many wouldnt be bothered to engage in the hobby if practicality forced them to run around in lycra weilding an ar variant bastardised beyond anything the clinton assault weapon ban produced.

Personally i've ran all the usual suspects for accessories and almost always ended up removing them (sometimes mid-game) to save weight. The only things that made it through are suppressors (which on an hpa actually do work) and red dots (because they're the easiest optics to use for short airsoft distances).

That is, outside of night games where a torch would enter the equation.
 
Personally I prefer the 'original' look of a rif, I'll add accessories to militarise each one but I don't have much imagination so tend to clone a pew I like, cost limits how many rivits I count but I try and get close if I can.
Performance of a rif doesn't mean much to me but if it works well I'm happy with that.
I will add that I tend to buy better quality rif's these days but at the start of my collecting 'quality' wasn't a concern.
 
My quirk for "customisation" is a bit weird, I seem to like making long guns shorter, & short guns longer.
🤔
 

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