Noob arriving in UK on May

[BillieKiller]

Hello guys,

Believe or not I`m sending this message from Brazil

I work on a UK company and just got transfered to UK, so in short I will be there and can't wait to start playing on the amazing fields you guys have there.

Here in Brazil the price for airsoft stuff is insane, most simple brands starts at 400 pounds and a Krytac LVOA is easily over 1000 pounds (in Brazil currency) and in parallel you need to get authorization from the army to buy anything and wait up to 6 months to have the gun inspected by the army.

I took a look about the regulations that to buy a RIF (without two tone) you need to have a UKARA, etc.

Questions I have:

1 - Buy and rent

I found that wolf armories do a buy / rent approach. Which is you buy the gun and can use on Bunker 51 but they will keep it on store until you get your UKARA.

Doing this you can save 20/30 pounds per game, so is a good thing.

Are you aware of any other stores that do the same so I can compare the prices and products?

2 - Clothes

Something I learned in my life is to not buy sh*t stuff since you will have to spend money again and again...

In short I want to take all the budget I have now and put in a good gun and good full face protection which does not fog easily, couple batteries and a good charger.

Is there any problems playing with jeans and jacket if wearing face protection and a good boot?

3 - First gun

I will be probably living in Greenwich so I believe I will be going to bunker 51 or airbourne airsoft CQB field frequently.

I though about getting a Krytac Kriss Vector but due to short barrel I think will be kind of useless on the field, so I'm considering a LVOA S as well as first one.

Any thoughts between the two options?

In the future I want to get a bolt action as well

4 - Battery

All guns I ever played airsoft were rented and all games in Brazil were limited to 200 BBs

So in short, how many rounds a battery lasts for a LVOA / Vector?

Specifically for the Vector I noticed the battery is pretty small so I'm not sure how many shots they handle.

Thanks so much in advance and hope I meet you guys in the field in couple months.

Ps: Sorry for my english. Not my main language and my PC keeps trying to change everything to portuguese.

Cheers.

 

[Iceni]

Most sites run at £20-30 walk on + £20-30 rental. It might be more the closer you get to central London. The buy a gun before Ukara is a good idea, but make sure you pay good prices. If you are paying more than you should then rent, and buy the gun you want with the best discount once you have your Ukara.

Once you have done 3 games over a period of more than 3 months at the same site, then that site will issue you your UKARA.

Buying a gun in the UK is expensive if you pay UK prices. I just payed for an AUG, had I got the gun in the UK if would have been £180, Getting it from Poland it was £120. £60 saved. Often the Polish sites offer free postage as well if you spend over a set value. So in effect you can get gun, mags, some upgrades, batteries, BB's and free postage.

Just be aware that a gun from Poland may need downgrading  to your sites FPS limit. Most online retailers offer a downgrade service.

Same with magazines, UK £10-15 per mag, Poland £5-10.  It's easy to get 5-10 mid caps or 3-4 high caps, and still feel like you need more. Still you will save by going to Poland (just make sure the mags feed correctly).

https://gunfire.pl/main-eng.html

Clothing, Army surplus is and always has been the way forward. You can get just about any army kit in the UK. UK surplus is often the cheapest. The same is true for webbing, and pouches. Don't be tempted by branded stuff, and airsoft specific clothing/webbing. The real stuff is cheaper, more durable, and works.

MTP and DPM is generally cheap, You should be able to get trousers and a shirt for £20.

Jeans and T shirt are also fine at most sites, and if it isn't then they often have kit you can hire very cheaply.

https://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/

https://www.goarmy.co.uk/

MTP

https://www.goarmy.co.uk/military-clothing/shirts-t-shirts/british-mtp-combat-jacket-shirt-prod
https://www.goarmy.co.uk/military-clothing/trousers-shorts/british-army-mtp-trousers-prod

DPM

https://www.goarmy.co.uk/military-clothing/shirts-t-shirts/british-army-dpm-camouflage-shirts-prod
https://www.goarmy.co.uk/military-clothing/trousers-shorts/british-army-dpm-camo-surplus-trousers-prod


Your first gun is your choice, Get something that feels right and fits your budget. Read reviews and post on here with your selection. People on here will tell you outright if it's overpriced, or not very well built.

Battery. It depends on the gun. Most people use lipo's. 7.4v is fine on most guns without upgrades. 11.1v needs a Mosfet to protect the contacts. Some guns will only work on 11.1v. So  it's a gun dependant question. Also all guns have different battery compartments. Some need to use small stick batteries, others might need a block, or nun chuck. You will need the correct charger for the batteries you pick.

https://www.componentshop.co.uk/

There are no rules on magazine size, 3000 round C mags and drums are a common sight, as too are 100 round mid caps. It depends on what you want to use.


UK police.

Our police do not like guns, real or fake.

You must never get your gun out in public. If you are going to a game it needs to be in a bag, The batteries need to be removed. The Mags need to be removed, and If you can remove the BB's. The bag itself must remain closed at all times until you get to the site, or back home. This is true for all guns and pistols, as well as knives.

If you are caught showing a gun in public and it looks real, then the law will act as if it were real. This includes shooting in the garden at home, Inside your house it is also best to keep the guns out of sight. People in the UK are not accustomed to seeing guns, and may report you if you have an AK over the TV!

Some sites also request that you change at the site, and do not travel to the venue in fatigues.


Face protection is important, Go into a shop, and try on different styles. Buy the one that fits best, you will be wearing it for a few hours at a time. Mesh and polycarb styles are equally safe.

So in short, how many rounds a battery lasts for a LVOA / Vector?

I use 7.4v 2200mAh batteries in my main gun. At the weekend I put 3000 rounds through the gun (bedding in a new rubber so spamming auto). The battery lasted all day. A battery with less capacity 1450mAh might have needed changing at lunchtime. It is generally best to have at least 2 batteries. And take a charger shooting. That way you can stop for lunch, swap batteries, and put the used one on charge for if you need it later in the day.

 

[Gepard]

Wecome! 

Your English is great and you've clearly done a lot of research. If you need a quick answer to anything have a search for it as there's a ton of info on here.

The pinned posts in UK law and New Players and Arrivals may interest you. They explain the basics of Airsoft in the UK and Brazil seems a bit different so they're worth a read.

1: Whilst you can buy a two tone gun as long as you're over the age of 18 I've never liked them so I waited until I had my UKARA before buying my own gun. Depending on the site you could end up saving money by using your own kit. My local doesn't have much of a price difference between renting or not sadly. 

2: Wear whatever you like as long as it's comfortable and you don't mind getting dirty. You can always pick up some surplus BDUs from eBay very cheaply. I'd recommend bringing kneepads if you have any, but certainly not required. If you're under 18 you're required to wear full face protection such as paintball masks but as you're 18+ the choice is yours. I run ESS ICE and no lower face protection and never fog up. 

3: My first gun was a CM16. Great starter gun and good bang for your buck. It all depends on your budget. Other popular starter guns include those by CYMA and JG. If you have the cash, Tokyo Marui or ICS are my favourites. Its the inner barrel length that counts not the outer barrel so don't be put off by the Krytac - I've heard it's a very good gun. @rocketdogbert can probably chip in with his thoughts. He owns a few. If you're playing CQC something like an MP5, L85, or anything with a short build would work best. End of the day it doesn't matter too much but you'd struggle with corners with a long barrel so take that in mind when buying. 

4: Battery wise I use a Zero One 8.4v 1600mAh NiHM Mini Battery. I've ran this a couple years and have never had any issues. Best to have a couple with you and remember to charge them the night before a game. Not sure what would fit in the vector so if you've got your heart set on that then there's better people who can comment on that than me. 

 

[BillieKiller]

Guys, thanks so much for the replies.

Really appreciate the help.

One question I still have after oing trough all the other postings is about transportation of the guns.

I know the basic things you need to do? Remove magazines, BBs, batteries, put them in a bag and put a padlock on it.

But is there any formal requirement for doing so?

Example: in Brazil you need to log into federal police and fill a form showing which guns you will take to which place, on which date and time. Then you have to print it and carry with you.

The guns must be disassembled in at least 2 parts (example you take the bolt or the slider off) and must be stored in two different bags with padlocks.

I didn't find this specific instructions in UK. If I have the guns in a bag and with a padlock is enough?

Is there any specific requirement for the bags (like rigid, how many pad locks, etc?

I'm just trying to understand the law to do the correct thing.

Thanks again folks.

 

[Iceni]

I know the basic things you need to do? Remove magazines, BBs, batteries, put them in a bag and put a padlock on it.

But is there any formal requirement for doing so?

No you don't need to inform anyone that you are travelling with airsoft equipment. It is worth booking into a site in advance so if something does happen they can call the site and check you were heading for a game.

The padlock is also non essential. Provided it is out of sight, and you have made every effort to ensure it can't be pulled out of the bag and shot straight away the police will not bother you. If they do pull you up for a search then declare what is in the bag, and tell them that a street side inspection may cause alarm to the public. Chances of actually been stopped in the first place are very slim, So I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Nasro]

I know the basic things you need to do? Remove magazines, BBs, batteries, put them in a bag and put a padlock on it.

But is there any formal requirement for doing so?




 

hey bro, welcome!

Which city in the UK are you going to be staying?

As far as I am aware, to transport your RIFs you just got to make sure it is concealed appropriately such a simple bag where the gun cannot be physically seen. that's it.

It is a toy so even if you do get stopped by police here and they ask what you have in the bag... you just declare it is a toy airsoft gun and you are 'transporting it from here to there'

you will be ok.

Also well done doing your research, your English is also good too.

If you need any extra help finding the right loadout or guns and such, there are so many pages on this forum. Have a good look.

good luck

Mabs

 

[BillieKiller]

Hi Mate,

I will be working in central London and living on Greenwich or Isle of dogs. I have couple friends there so it is good to live close to some friends when you are couple thousand miles away from home, so there is probably where I will be renting my apartment. In short I believe will be playing on Bunker 51 or Airbourne Airsoft CQB.

By the way, is there any store with Army surplus stuff that I try before buying somewhere in London? I found a lot of these stores online but not sure if there is a place where I can feel the stuff before buying.

Ps: The army surplus sites provided above are blocked from Brazil. I believe will have to wait when I arrive to have a look

One more thing: I know kids are not allowed on the game (my daughter is 6) but is allowed if she stay with my wife on reception while game goes?
Some sites in Brazil you have kind of a restaurant with glass walls so they watch the game and drink some Coca Cola, so complete safe for anyone without protection.

Is common to have such things in UK?

Again, thanks so much for the warm welcome. Really appreciate all the help