The 'How Did Your Airsoft Day Go? Thread

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

Need to make sure I take gloves with me next time as my left hand (my lead hand) got shot so many times. 

Did the same thing first game.  Surprisingly painful on the mitts!

 

[TheNotoriousLoki]

Did the same thing first game.  Surprisingly painful on the mitts!

Yeah it a mistake I will not be making again. 

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

Sorry for laughing @TheNotoriousLoki , but I seriously do know what you mean mate.  I swore really badly in front of a bunch of kids, much to my shame.  The marshal laughed off my apology, saying that under the circumstances he quite understood!

These all seem to come out of the same factory.  I get a pair of the cheapest that E-Bay comes up with every few years, not that the inners have much meat left.   

 

[TheNotoriousLoki]

Sorry for laughing @TheNotoriousLoki , but I seriously do know what you mean mate.  I swore really badly in front of a bunch of kids, much to my shame.  The marshal laughed off my apology, saying that under the circumstances he quite understood!

These all seem to come out of the same factory.  I get a pair of the cheapest that E-Bay comes up with every few years, not that the inners have much meat left.   

The worst thing is I already had some gloves but left them at home like an idiot.

Oh I swore too, no kids today so was okay but the Marshall did laugh then said sorry for laughing. He said it’s the quickest way to learn to remember your gloves.

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

Yesterday's game was 'interesting' in a few ways.   My M906C chrono'd at 230fps in the morning.  Once I'd recovered from the shock (I wasn't expecting much more, say 270fps, but still!) I decided to roll with the gun anyway, as my belt is all set for M4 mags and I didn't have 100% faith in my AK.  
So I ended up on a team with Santa and his Elf, which was amusing but not very tactical

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Usual collection of good games in the morning, with a nice pic of me in the battle haze...
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A a great Xmas stew for lunch, a raffle with some decent prizes (no luck on those unfortunately, a P90 with an M4 adapter would've been fun to win)
For the afternoon I decided to roll with the AK but damn it, it let me down.   It looked damnably cool while it was working
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But later in this 'rolling defence' game against the marshals firstly the hop needed tweaking - I asked for help and a teammate got pinged as he was doing it.  Poor bugger was our first casualty, and out for the rest of the game.  Then I couldn't get the top cover back on (I'm still cursing it now, damn thing won't go on easily even at home)... I ended up surrounded by the enemy , knowing that as soon as I showed myself I'd get lit up by multiple HPAs at very short range :[    I popped my head out of cover, holding the top cover and battery sort-of in place with my left hand, aimed at the nearest enemy, pulled the trigger - nothing!  I think the fuse had gone with all the fecking-about.  (Luckily someone from distance saw me first and I got pinged not too painfully)
Back to the M906 which had held up pretty well through the day, considering the low fps - there's a lot to be said for sneaking or rushing up close before opening fire - outright performance isn't an issue when you're engaging at 10-30m rather than trying to out-duke an HPA or sniper at 40m+ range.

Anyway, a good day, roll on the next game, whenever that might be!
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(that's my grinning fizzog next to the left of the Russian flag)

 

[Rogerborg]

Today was my first ever game of airsoft, it is safe to say I’m hooked. 

Great to hear it, and yes, gloves are de rigueur for CQB.  Torch, yes, tracers, hell yes.  Sorry to hear that Bristol Airsoft is closing, it looks like an amazing site.

One thing though, you get a huge adrenaline hit off of the first few days and it's easy to blow thousa- I mean, hundreds.  And that's how we end up with a classified section full of "used once, not for me" cupboard queens.  I'd give it a few months to see if it's true love.

I had another decent day at Area-66 yesterday.  It's a site that's just as big as it needs to be, well developed, with a mostly decent playerbase.  I'd prefer the marshals to be a bit more marshally and a bit less matey with the usual scamps and scallywags.  Still, no real problems, good natured hijinks all round.  My DMR crapped out after lunch, so it was MP5K-and-charge.  Tuckered out today, mind.

 

[TheNotoriousLoki]

Great to hear it, and yes, gloves are de rigueur for CQB.  Torch, yes, tracers, hell yes.  Sorry to hear that Bristol Airsoft is closing, it looks like an amazing site.

One thing though, you get a huge adrenaline hit off of the first few days and it's easy to blow thousa- I mean, hundreds.  And that's how we end up with a classified section full of "used once, not for me" cupboard queens.  I'd give it a few months to see if it's true love.

I had another decent day at Area-66 yesterday.  It's a site that's just as big as it needs to be, well developed, with a mostly decent playerbase.  I'd prefer the marshals to be a bit more marshally and a bit less matey with the usual scamps and scallywags.  Still, no real problems, good natured hijinks all round.  My DMR crapped out after lunch, so it was MP5K-and-charge.  Tuckered out today, mind.

I have already spent a bit of money but that is buying my gear (helmet, gloves, face protection & tactical vest). My fiancé has bought me a two tone RIF which I will use for a while then maybe purchase a pistol once I have my UKARA. 
 

looking to book my next game on 28th but all depends if Boris does another lock down or not. 

 

[Cannonfodder]

@TheNotoriousLoki glad to hear you enjoyed it. Forgetting your gloves is a lesson I'm sure many of us have learnt the hard way, I know I have.

Good call on not buying more gear for the moment, it's very easy to end up buying loads of stuff that ends up sitting in a cupboard gathering dust. 

 

[TheNotoriousLoki]

@TheNotoriousLoki glad to hear you enjoyed it. Forgetting your gloves is a lesson I'm sure many of us have learnt the hard way, I know I have.

Good call on not buying more gear for the moment, it's very easy to end up buying loads of stuff that ends up sitting in a cupboard gathering dust. 

Yes I learnt very quickly to remember my gloves next time. 
 

I have made two more purchases but nothing crazily expensive, just a torch for the side of my gun & a better sight.

as soon as it’s all arrived and it’s all fitted, I will make sure to upload a photo for people to see. 

 

[Cannonfodder]

In that case I suggest some kind of protection for the lens on the light as they can easily be shot out. 

 

[TheNotoriousLoki]

In that case I suggest some kind of protection for the lens on the light as they can easily be shot out. 

Thank you for the information, I will fit it first then work out what protection would be best. As not sure if I need to use the riser or not yet.

 

[TheNotoriousLoki]

Another day at Bristol Airsoft (The Courts) today, was a fun day. A lot smaller teams so played more tactical.

it’s such a surreal feeling sneaking through the cells in darkness, listening out for foot steps. As soon as I heard anything I stopped dead and aimed toward the direction it was coming from. 
 

My high cappa helped so much today also on the tight stairs. Just need a sling now and had to go one handed while holding my rifle down to the side.

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always seem to get hit in the same place tho, you can still see the reminiscence of the 19th when we last played but now a few new marks from today. 

 

[TheFull9]

First time at Gunman Bravo yesterday since it was the closest thing to getting a game this weekend just gone and @Asomodai rated it highly.  Overall, not an undeserved reputation; I struggle with giving fair appraisals of sites as I was pretty spoiled by the places I went to when I got in to this game and probably judge things overly critically as a result so while I didn't have the *best* gameplay there per se that's probably no reason to think negatively of the outfit.

I was very surprised indeed by the semi only rule throughout the whole site, definitely an interesting approach and something to mull over given the conversation that's ongoing in the ROF-related thread.  Unfortunately I'd brought two TM NGRS that are now by modern standards pretty old school, one being dead stock and the other with just some extra FPS and as some of you will well know those guns don't mesh well with trying to fire quickly in repetition, so a few lock-ups reared their head.  Luckily the visceral satisfaction of doing the reloads was a saving grace.  The TM M45 would've really struggled if I'd actually used it which was also surprising as it was almost 10C, but it was also the moistest skirmish I've ever done which may have been a factor and I barely saw any pistol use all day from anyone.

Also learnt that the Revision desert locust fan goggles have enough extra stand off from the face to cause some minor eye relief issues with my replica ACOGs, though again it was so damp that the optics were fogged fairly often anyway.  Lessons learned for future and I think my new Holy Warrior magnifier might actually have further eye relief so it could all work out.

£25 for the walk-on is certainly decent, very good safe zone maybe the best I've seen at a woodland site, but £8 for the lunch did shock me slightly.  On the one hand you're in the middle of the woods with no connected utilities and the lady doing the cooking is lovely and quantity was good and quality at least average, I certainly didn't dislike eating it.  Then again quality wasn't amazing either and orders seem to take ages for some reason.  Luckily I'd arrived just after the gates opened and got my order in but a lot of guys were only getting their food after the lunch break had finished and I was back out in the game area.

The thing that was best and worst at the same time is I discovered my Blackhawk Omnivore (non-light model) doesn't protect the 1911 mag release sufficiently from my thicc ol' quads and after about 14 years of not having it happen I had the absolute classic 'oh that expensive GBB pistol mag isn't in my pistol where it should be' moment.  But then the small size of the main play field really worked in my favour and by the will of all of the gods I almost stood on AND actually spotted my small, thin, black painted, dirty 1911 mag on the dark, mucky forest floor while wearing tinted goggles on the walk back to regen.   I can only presume I had some good karma built up because as I'm sure most of you know the odds on that were fuckin slim.

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

Good review @TheFull9

£25 and then £8 for lunch?  Ouch.  I'll appreciate the free nosh at Special Ops all the more hearing that.

Losing a gbb mag would be painful, glad you found it.  Please buy me a lottery ticket ?

But spare a thought... at my last game some poor bugger lost a TM gold match hi capa pistol.

That's an advert for pistol lanyards right there ?

 

[Jacob Wright]

Always had fun at Gunman Bravo, and never an issue with the semi-only rule. iirc they still allow full auto with support weapons, and I think the last time I went that’s what I was using. 
 

Can’t comment on the lunch as it’s new since I last went so will reserve judgement until my next visit!

 

[TheFull9]

Good review @TheFull9

£25 and then £8 for lunch?  Ouch.  I'll appreciate the free nosh at Special Ops all the more hearing that.

Losing a gbb mag would be painful, glad you found it.  Please buy me a lottery ticket ?

But spare a thought... at my last game some poor bugger lost a TM gold match hi capa pistol.

That's an advert for pistol lanyards right there ?

I'd say under 35 for the day is alright, at least in SE england, I've paid more for CQB with no lunch and that was years ago.  I think The Mall was at least that much before it shut.

I don't like to say it, but unless it's gone down a rabbit hole or lost in the deepest undergrowth then somebody would definitely find an entire pistol so if it wasn't returned.. not great.  I'll say I don't recommend pistol lanyards, 100% totally unnecessary if you just get a decent holster and it's a lot better to buy a decent holster than spend the same on a cheap holster + lanyard combo and drag your pistol through the muck.  Even if it's not damaged, a lot of GBBPs can choke pretty easily if anything gets inside in crucial areas, given the low pressure of the gas and comparatively super low momentum of the slide cycling.

Always had fun at Gunman Bravo, and never an issue with the semi-only rule. iirc they still allow full auto with support weapons, and I think the last time I went that’s what I was using. 
 

Can’t comment on the lunch as it’s new since I last went so will reserve judgement until my next visit!

It's a decent rule overall, I'm still on the fence but a bit about it but certainly one effective method to keep a lid on some issues and super easy to enforce.  As I say my selection of guns just really didn't suit that rule and I'd have picked differently if I'd realised, but only had 4 lock-ups all day max out of my usual 4-500 BBs slung and only when I got spammy.  As long as you have something that's a "real world machine gun" you can flick the switch, but one guy just had an RPK and I don't know where they'd draw the line on ARs with belt fed uppers etc so personally I'd change that one to some kind of weight requirement but again pretty minor issue there were only 2 on site.

 

[Rogerborg]

I was very surprised indeed by the semi only rule throughout the whole site, definitely an interesting approach

My local runs semi-auto only days (with full auto LMGs) and they work pretty well.  I actually prefer them to the usual full auto spamfests, as it's not a huge site.

it was also the moistest skirmish I've ever done

Sad to report that my day today didn't go, as the full-day raffle-prize game pre-booked out a month ago.  I don't book woodland that far ahead, because... well, we've got torrential rain and 40mph gusts this morning.

Aggravating because I'm pretty sure that half the bookings won't show up, and half of those who do will leave after getting soaked through, or plunging into the Dagobah swamp.

Had it been a walk-on, I might have pulled the MVP DPM on PDQ for PDW play and gone anyway, but we'll never know now.

That's an advert for pistol lanyards right there ?

Love 'em, because I can just drop the pistol and fumble with my balls or yank my pin on a whim.

 

[Fatboy40]

This might make someone chuckle, it's from my local sites Christmas game back on the 19th December which was a bloody cold day and is out in the country, where I played with my 12 year old son and his two cousins (12 and 14).

The sun had just set at 4 pm and we all played one final game, marshals vs all other players, and the last player standing wins a free game day. Lasted about 20 minutes and the marshals shout "Game Over", so back to the safe zone, and then off to the raffle that had loads of good prizes with each of the four of us having tickets. Half way through the raffle, so about 20 minutes after game over, I notice that my son and his younger cousin still aren't at the raffle so call their phones, no answer, where the hell are they?

The youngest cousin's ticket then wins an £80 Nuprol shotgun, but there's no sign of them, the marshals wait as long as they can but have to re-draw the ticket and give it to someone else. All very odd so a marshal goes off looking for them.

About 40 minutes later they were both found hiding under a bush, freezing cold in the pitch black, thinking the game was still on! ?

 

[Impulse]

First game day of 2022 and it was pretty damn good. VSR is now shooting well enough where I can upgrade my claims on it from "it has an effective range of 75m" to "it has an effective range of 85m". Took it to the range when no one was there, deployed the bipod and started plinking to zero the scope for the day. Was hitting the 75m target every time (they're metal and make a very audible dink when hit), so I decided to try for the 85m target. Aimed and fired and there was that satisfying dink. Shot again, another dink. Again? Another dink. Literally hitting the target, which is about half man-size, every single shot without me having to tilt the rifle; just put the crosshair on it, pull the trigger and watch the BB sail towards it. Was so happy and then took it out into the game and got so many kills with it. The ghillie continues to work flawlessly and I'm really loving it. Felt bad because someone crept around the outskirts of the site on a massive flank that took a looooong time, then walked right past me and got mk23'd in the back. He then came back along a path I was watching and was victim to about an 80m shot. Good day for sure!

However, it started absolutely tipping it down after lunch so now I have to dry my ghillie, rifle wrap, take apart my mk23 so it can dry out. I think the VSR is fine as I stopped playing pretty soon after it started raining, but I'll probably stand it up with the bolt open so it can get some air through it anyway. And no, I didn't stop because "oh no, it's raining!" I stopped because my thumb cuticle got caught in the bipod when I was deploying it and it tore away about a 2cm square of skin from my thumb and started bleeding profusely. I stayed where I was for the time being and got a few kills, taking off my fingerless glove and clenching my thumb into it, but as soon as I had to move from my hide I called it a day because I couldn't properly use my rifle one-handed. It's fine when the bipod is deployed and I'm watching an area, but having to move, maybe take a shot or two, re-deploy... Not doing that one-handed. Oh, I also needed to get a plaster on it  

Roll on the next game day!

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

I'm not getting back on a site until the middle of the month, so my recent airsoft days have been "learning how to (bedroom) tech".  I've been spending quite a lot of the holiday at it, and to be honest it's been time consuming and frustrating in parts, but ultimately very rewarding when it's all come together.

I've now meddled (apparently successfully) with all 4 of my guns...

1) Double Eagle M906C - quick changed the spring, new bucking and nub.  Super easy jobs!  Not even teching, really

2) Classic Army M15A3 - shooting off to the right, spent a while shimming the outer barrel to get it straight.   Fixed full auto feed.

3) Cybergun F2000 (Cyma) - shooting at 270fps out of the box with a rather slow trigger response, so replaced the spring, cylinder and motor

4) TM AK47S - Replaced cracked nozzle

Given the last time I tried to change springs on the AK I ended up giving the gun to a tech to put together, the fact I've got all this done on my own feels great

Only thing that's a tiny bit of a pisser is today I found out one of my two Turnigy Nano Cell 11.1v 1200mAH batteries has completely died.