Returning Player from pre VCRA / UKARA era

The Daddy O

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Hi folks,

So my neighbour is very much to blame for me now getting back into an expensive hobby, when I already have an expensive hobby which is Warhammer 40K and other board games. Also my partner said to me last night it would be good if I started to play Airsoft again too, to which I replied I’d eventually need my own guns again and she was supportive of the idea. 😮😂

Anyway, I was an Airsoft player in the early 2000s, when I was between 12 and 17 years old. I was a mature kid who would play with a group called Teufelshunde aka Devil Dogs as we was all PC gamers playing Operation Flashpoint, Allied Assault, Battlefield 1942 etc and we play at Airsoft Eversley and Chobham with occasional visits to Combat South and the bunker in Epsom.

I had my own collection of guns:

Tokyo Marui G36C (upgraded with Systema parts)
Tokyo Marui GBB Desert Eagle
Tokyo Marui Mk23 SOCOM
Maruzen L96A1 Arctic Warrior Sniper Rifle

Eventually stopped playing due to a motorbike accident, finding girls and alcohol and just generally life getting in the way. This was all when the VCRA and RIFs etc was about to come into effect.

Back when I was into Airsoft you had two main competitors when it came to AEGs. Tokyo Marui and Classic Army. TMs were the champions though for their reliability and CA were more authentic with metal parts. Obviously there was other manufacturers about too like Maruzen, Marushin, G&G etc but TM and CA were the two most popular.

However 20 some years later I’m sure that’s all changed and whilst I won’t be purchasing an AEG until after I get my license, I would like some understanding and education on what brands to avoid and who you’d recommend. Assuming I can get access to my old man’s storage (we’ve not seen each other in about 6 years), my old stuff should still be around although in no doubt in need of a good service. But to be honest, I’d want to have something newer anyway.

A new G36 would be great. It was my favourite gun of that era. Although I am also partial to an L85 variant too.

Some light on the current state of Airsoft Affairs would be much appreciated.

Also for shits and giggles attached some old photos of “back in my day” Airsoft 😂. My G36C ended up getting an extended barrel and a silencer to cover it up but it’s not pictured.
 

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Welcome back 🖐️
Yeah, TM are still highly regarded but there are others around with various quality levels and they all do similar weapons so its best to choose the one you like (G36 I guess for you) and then find out who makes good versions of it at your price range.
Lots of reading and research 👍 (which I enjoyed)
 
Welcome back.

There's certainly a lot more variety in of guns, both in terms of models and manufacturers catering for all budgets. Some of the Chinese makes have gone from being cheap market place crap to being able to keep up with the more expensive makes. The tech for guns has also come on leaps and bounds with mosfets allowing things like burst modes and quicker trigger response.

Oh and it's not a licence. 😁
 
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