Usual Noob Gear Questions

[38super]

Hi all

Just getting started and looking for advice.

I've got my old paintball mask but I'm looking for recommendations for more appropriate PPE?

View attachment 69105

Preferably not mesh lenses and looking for full face/head protection. I'm tempted by a helmet but that's probably going a bit far.

Already got stuff like dpm, boots, SP sling, LiPo/Nimh charger.

1st gun Option 1 (after quite a bit of research)

JG MP5 SD6 £105 (already got an SD5 in .22) which I'd be looking to upgrade like the one below. I've got a Vortex Sparc2 kicking around to go on top.



I figure I'm ahead of the game here as I'm well practiced at stripping down the clamshell receiver on my SD5.

The only unusual expensive upgrade would be a Perun ETU++ as I'd like the option of 3 round burst and precocking. ("because I can")

I'd also want to get a torch forend eventually.

Option 2

A G&G Raider (£100 new on Z1 classifieds) upgraded in similar way. (I've also got an M4 in .22)

Any thoughts or advice on the above much appreciated

Should I spend a bit more on the base gun? Cyma or ICS SD6? or Specna Core M4, Double Eagle M904 etc.

I don't really want to spend more than £150 on the base gun unless it's really necessary.

Budget for the gun is £150-£200 for the gun including upgrades. Battery and mags extra

Accuracy and semi auto are priorities for me. I'm planning on running .3g BB'sz

 

[EDcase]

That mask will be fine for airsoft.

You can always change after a few games and seeing what other people are using.

JG are quite good for budget gunz.  May as well try it out before breaking into it.  It won't break down the same as your 22

I don't have experience with G&G but others rate them well.

ICS are good at the mid price range

CYMA are good budget

My Specna has been very good but some here have had lemons

Double Eagle are rebranded JG

 

[DRay]

I play at 3 different CQB sites, at one paintball style masks are the norm, at another everyone wears bump helmets with goggles and masks, at the third the fashion is a baseball cap, goggles and some kind of soft lower face protection. 
 

I think it doesn’t really matter which you opt for as long as you look like you mean business are are there to take some names. And obviously that your eyes are protected. Agree about mesh goggles, I would advise against shooting glasses etc because Sod’s law is a bb and bits of shit will get underneath and still get in your eyes. 

 

[38super]

Thanks guys. I've been watching YouTube and seen all sorts of headgear.

Some people have suggested amplified ear defenders as ear protection. Is that a sensible option?

 

[Druid799]

I think it doesn’t really matter which you opt for as long as you look like you mean business are are there to take some names. And obviously that your eyes are protected. Agree about mesh goggles, I would advise against shooting glasses etc because Sod’s law is a bb and bits of shit will get underneath and still get in your eyes. 

I’d say bollox to how you look and go with what you want to use that gives you the level of protection you want . Glasses yay or nay is a question that’ll never be settled, some players won’t wear them at all most do , I run sawflies with a mesh mask if I’m running a boonie or a ball cap and if I’m using a helmet then I usually use a full mandible shield attached to the helmet and the sawflies .

 

[DRay]

Getting shot in the ear stings but it’s not like there is a chance of permed at hearing damage etc. 
 

I’d say bollox to how you look and go with what you want to use that gives you the level of protection you want . Glasses yay or nay is a question that’ll never be settled, some players won’t wear them at all most do , I run sawflies with a mesh mask if I’m running a boonie or a ball cap and if I’m using a helmet then I usually use a full mandible shield attached to the helmet and the sawflies .

Come on airsoft is 50% dressing up! 

 

[alxndrhll]

Worth noting that with ear protection such as Peltors protecting your ears from BBs is largely a secondary protection from the main reason they tend to be worn. Some of the pyro's that get used are loud enough to consider wearing something to protect your ears (I'm sure some will poo poo it as 'man up you Jessy', ears are delicate), especially at CQB sites with small rooms that keep that noise in a small space, and largely where headets such as ComTac's and the like do there best work. Having something on to control how loud those bangs are is nice, especially if you have/have had/have a history of hearing issues.

If you're considering something along those lines it's also worth putting a decent amount of thought/research into your eye pro. If it's eye pro with arms that sit behind your ears (like most regular glasses) rather than a headstrap (like most goggles use) headsets can get extremely uncomfortable across the course of a day as the headset pushes the arms of glasses into the side of your head.

As I'm sure many experience players will echo, there are 2 things I would highly recommend putting as much research as you possibly can into, and allocate a healthy portion of a budget to. Protective equipment (eye pro, face pro etc) and footwear (including some decent socks).

Only thing I'll add from there is whether the paintball mask you own has thermal lenses? Fogging is the bane of many an airsofter, paintball masks with thermal lenses tend to prevent it for most... though there are of course various options depending on how much fogging winds up being an issue.

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

I use Howard Leight Impacts for the ears.  The comm plugs straight in and they are useful for RS if you have a .22. 

I used to use an earpiece but I took a shot from a sniper to the bit that fits in your ear.  Being hollow it went with a hell of a bang.  It seriously hurt volume wise, and set my tinnitus off something terrible!   Few weeks later I took a direct hit to the earring.  No damage but it stung like hell, hence the Impacts.  

With the 'phones on you need a strap or very flexible arms on your specs for comfort.  Summer they bake your ears, so I use a separate mic on my webbing and a mesh mask that covers my lugs.  

 

[38super]

I have my regular live fire setup with electronic ear muffs and safety glasses with very thin side pieces but even those get uncomfortable after a few hours under the muffs. I've also found that I often knock the muffs out of place from cheek weld. I don't know if that'll be the same with airsoft.

Personally I don't believe ordinary safety glasses are good enough as they generally only protect from objects coming from directly in front not from all directions and they're often easily dislodged. Mask or goggles would be my preferred option.

My paintball mask has the thermal (double glazed) lenses so fogging isn't bad. The biggest problem I had with them was heat. I had to wear a sweatband under them or I could end up with sweat dripping down the inside. It was quite a bad problem at an all day milsim event in the summer. 

Should I look for a perfect all round solution or do people generally have different setups for different conditions?

My ear defenders have a speaker socket so I'll try plugging my XTM446 in if I've got a cable. I've never thought to see if it works.

(PPE doesn't come out of the toys budget.? I'll get whatever works best for me.)

 

[Druid799]

Getting shot in the ear stings but it’s not like there is a chance of permed at hearing damage etc. 
 

Come on airsoft is 50% dressing up! 

My comment was more in relation to the the other chap saying “doesn’t really matter as long as you look the part” , freely admit I’m a total geardo But ain’t sacraficing safety for ‘the look’ ?