Looking to get into airsoft!

[J-jay]

Hi guys,

i am an ex servicemen (army) who served 9 years and have recently come out in the past 2 years. I’m starting to somewhat miss my military roots, but not looking to enlist again, thus turning me to airsoft.

I’m looking to get into airsoft to keep the FIRE BURNING so to speak (as close as a civilian can get to modern combat). It looks great fun and mostly looks like a great social aspect which is crucial for myself.

Been looking at loadouts (weapon systems) and although I’ve handled a wide range of weapons real time, I fully understand airsoft will be quite different. So, instead of jumping in and buying the most OP LMG I can get, I’m looking to you airsoft veterans to help steer me in the right direction. 

I have a starting budget of around £200. Got all my military webbing and EQPT still, however it’s mainly the weapon system I’m looking to buy. It’s quite vast and daunting. 

Whats caught me eye and seems to be positive reviews on YouTube and other source based websites is 2 weapons:

G&G CM16 raider

Nuprol delta series pioneer defender

As they all seem to be at a great budget is this a good starting point or are these weapons likely to break/malfunction due to how cheap the weapons are despite such positive/glowing reviews?

im Devon based (Exeter) and look forward to your response. Thanks.

jay.

 

[Jedi_Master]

Welcome .

 

[RobHedley]

Firstly welcome to the fantastic world of Airsoft!!

Best place in the world but the worst for your wallet.

I am sure some of the guys on here will give you some tips on the 2 rifles you listed above but I don't have any direct experience of them so do not want to speculate. However, one option is to buy a second hand weapon from the Classifieds here. You will get more stuff for your money, especially if someone is selling a package of stuff. That was the route I went down and I landed lucky in that I bought a G36 AEG and when I got there to collect it was presented with bags full of stuff including a TM Pistol, M249, Grenade etc etc etc. It was the guys wife as he wasn't there so I assume he came back to be told 'You have given up Airsoft!' ?. One word of advice if you do go this route, is research the person you are buying off and make sure they are a regular on this forum. This way you should get an AEG that has been cared for and will do as intended.

However, a manufacturers warranty is a very big draw!

 

[Rogerborg]

Hi Jay, I guess we'd all recommend giving it a go.  Just don't take the Walts too seriously, most folk are there for a laugh.

We usually recommend renting first before you commit, to give you an idea of what to expect. And everyone loves to show off their toys, so don't hesitate to blag a go with gas and electric blowbacks as well before settling on a basic electric gun to get you started.

G&G CM16 raider

Yup.  Cheap, work well, no surprises.  They're plastic, but it's a nice, solid feeling plastic.

Nuprol delta series pioneer defender

I wouldn't touch anything Nuprol with yours.  Nuprol rebrand other people's cheapest stuff with a markup.  That's not to say that you won't get a decent enough example, but I wouldn't expect the actual quality to be any better than the cheapest CYMA M4s or AKs.

Which are another usable option, if you really want to keep the budget down.  They do actually work, although they don't feel as good in the hands as a plastic G&G or anything metal bodied.

Jing Gong is another serviceable enough budget brand, and my G36 performs OK. Also, no complaints about it being plastic.

Specna Arms EDGE series offer a lot of value for the money, but may be out of budget.  The CORE series are lower budget, about G&G level, but have a quick change spring system that will come in handy if you want or need to fiddle with the energy level or take the gearbox apart.

Most of the stuff that you'll find on PatrolBase in your budget should be fine, really.  Something to be aware of is that barrel length isn't that important in airsoft, so there's no reason that (e.g.) an MP5 won't perform just as well as an SA-80.

On robustness, well, these things are expensive toys.  You might get lucky, you might have to pop them open, and you might find you enjoy that - I like a bit of fettling, although you'll always want to keep one unmodified gun around, or consider replacing hop unit, bucking and barrel in one unit so that you can swap the stock one straight back in if you're having a bad day.

It's all good, really, you should be able to find something in budget that suits.

 

[J-jay]

Most of the stuff that you'll find on PatrolBase in your budget should be fine, really.  Something to be aware of is that barrel length isn't that important in airsoft, so there's no reason that (e.g.) an MP5 won't perform just as well as an SA-80.

Wow, didn’t realise barrel lengths aren’t to competitive in airsoft. As an ex soldier, that blows my mind haha.

and on that note, bull pup seems to be something I want as my career weapon was an SA80 so it’s a natural step I suppose. 

Thanks for all responses guys. Appreciate it!

 

[GAMBLE]

@J-jay ?

Welcome and my Respects to you, for your service! ???

Good luck getting your gear, finding a site and having some fun! ?

?GAMBLE?

 

[EDcase]

Welcome mate.

Important to remember that is not very serious and focus is on having fun rather than winning or completing objectives.  (Can be quite frustrating because its not very organised)

The weapons generally don't have much range and projectile trajectory is a joke but its all we have

The G&G CM16 is the most common entry level M4 style (which is the most common style due to all the attachment points)

As Roger said, the Specna Arms range are very good (I have one) and can be found at low prices.

Avoid Nuprol weapons

When choosing an entry level weapon the main thing to decide is if you want polymer or metal body.  Obviously poly is cheaper and generally glass fibre reinforced so quite sturdy.  The metals are low quality zinc type so not much stronger than the poly but affect weight and feel.  Both will perform the same.

You can get a good airsoft L85 by LCT and G&G but they will be above the £200 limit unless you can find one second hand.

Army Armament have a cheaper one called R85A1 but I can't say how well that works.

Be aware that airsoft weapons often need tweaking to get them working at their best.

 

[Samurai]

Welcome.

Rent first otherwise you'll have to buy a two-tone. Keyword: VCRA.

 

[Rogerborg]

didn’t realise barrel lengths aren’t to competitive in airsoft

Yup, the barrel just needs to be long enough for the BB to pick up all the energy from the air or gas that it's going to pick up (although you can get that with a tighter bore too), and for any wobble to come out of it.  Longer can actually be counter-productive if the puff runs out before the BB exits the barrel.

You can get surprising energy and accuracy out of even 100mm barrels (MP5K Master Race FTW) and 200mm+ will do everything that you need in a typical AEG.

 

[Musica]

I have a starting budget of around £200. Got all my military webbing and EQPT still, however it’s mainly the weapon system I’m looking to buy. It’s quite vast and daunting. 

I'd save more money £200 to get in to the hobby isn't enough IMO. 

You have any eye protection ?  You should really use face protection but you can get away without it if your mental I mean brave. 

Getting batteries and a charger of good quality will cost close to £80. 

 

[Rogerborg]

I'd save more money £200 to get in to the hobby isn't enough IMO. 

Eh. You can do it for that.  CYMA / Specna Arms Core M4 (both come with a small nihm battery and burn-your-house-down charger) plus another hi cap, eye-pro, bottle of BBs, larks ahoy.

I mean, until the battery runs out half way through the day.  And don't invest another penny in nimh.

For a semi-auto CQB day though, it's do-able.

Not a long term plan, but if it's play with that, or don't play at all, I'd happily grab a CYMA and sling balls.

 

[Musica]

Eh. You can do it for that.  CYMA / Specna Arms Core M4 (both come with a small nihm battery and burn-your-house-down charger) plus another hi cap, eye-pro, bottle of BBs, larks ahoy.

I mean, until the battery runs out half way through the day.  And don't invest another penny in nimh.

For a semi-auto CQB day though, it's do-able.

Not a long term plan, but if it's play with that, or don't play at all, I'd happily grab a CYMA and sling balls.

It can be done for sure but I think it's a false economy. I have been playing for just over a year now and still only have 1 AEG and 1 GBBP. Haven't had to do any "upgrades" on them myself. 

Airsoft isn't a hobby for people without a fair amount of disposable income either so if someone was really tight on money it makes it more important they spend it right as they probably can't get 2-3 guns.   

 

[J-jay]

So I’ve settled on a SMG. Done a bit of research and wanted something I’ve always wanted (was raised in Australia and loved the look of the steyr AUG’s the ozzy army used) so I’ve gone for this:

View attachment 53294

 

[EDcase]

Have fun ?

 

[Stotherd]

I have an old D-Boys AUG A3 - Not sure if that model has one but watch the pressure sensitive trigger - it can be a bit of a pain in CQB sites, and the bit that lets you take it apart can be a bit fiddly. Other than that should be a lovely little SMG.

 

[glockkidd]

How did you get on mate? Did you buy the AA Aug?