OK, the constructive answer is: forget about buying anything. Find a local site, rent a gun - which will be a generic electric carbine like an M4 or G36 - and actually play. While you're there, ask about what guns, eye and face protection other people are using, and see if you can cadge a go with some other long guns and a gas pistol. If you enjoy yourself, stick with it and do it a few more times. Renting a few times will be cheaper than losing the money on some two-tone that you buy on an adrenaline high that quickly wears off - the classifieds here are full of regret purchases like that.
If you're still enjoying the hobby after at least 3 games and 8 weeks at the same site, then you'll be in a position to buy non-two tones, and will have a far better idea of what questions to ask to get something that's likely to suit what you now know to be your preferred play style.
Opening your own site is something to think about years down the line.
That makes sense, I'll have a look at a site and play some in the actual field, just thought maybe I should get some time in, in my garden but by the looks of it, the garden may also be frowned upon.
You're right the site is something to be considered much later, just thought I would voice all my reasons for asking about the type of gun. Thanks for the advise, I will look for a place close to me to go play first.
I'll second that. I had huge misconceptions before agreeing to taking my son out for his birthday. Got bored watching in the morning and now I'm an unhealthy amount of ££ in the hole after taking part in the afternoon. I have no quarms about rocking up to a random field on my own and have always felt welcome. Even when I've gone to a shitty location (very rare) I've still had a good day if only for the banter and camaraderie.
YOU have to bear in mind the audience of your question and the way it was worded. As a Gas engineer (fancy plumber) we have secret forums and when someone breaches the inner sanctum with a post equivalent to yours, they either sink quickly....or take the replies constructively and thrive. It is part of the filtering process.
Well at least it is to us Gen X'ers and before.
If you're a millennial or above. Welcome to our world. We don't give a fuck.
Now .... welcome to the fray. Enjoy the hobby for what it is. If you can make a successful business out of it...Fantastic, the more sites the better.
Hence the comments of go to some and see how they do it. You haven't said where you are, but of you're close to London, Spec Ops, Skirmish High Wycombe, AWA, Reformer are all decent sites. As I've said is a recent post. Decent facilties make a difference... tea. Coffee, decent lunch, clean toilets, free/available drinking water are, IMHO, essential.
Ye I guess I worded it wrong, I did ask about pistols but I guess I didn't realise how many kinds of pistols there may also be. I know there are gas, electric and green gas ones but just thought there would be one kind of pistol with variations in terms of companies and their features. Sounds like I need to play at a site and test a few before getting one of my own. Thank you for your response.
New to airsoft, want some basics, failed searching for a beginners guide, then try here:
Exactly what I was looking for, I will have a read of that.
@Polyscript You have to understand that our hobby is hated by many people including some in authority and even government.
Not wanting to sound like some of the gun nuts across the pond, but we are wary of anyone who might bring bad publicity to the ownership of replica firearms.
Past incidents have already brought tighter controls and anything new would bring us closer to an outright ban like in Australia.
Didn't realise it was a misunderstood sport, I would have just grouped it with paintball as a little hobby. thanks for making me aware.
I'd honestly say a bloody nose from the ridicule and strong responses is a small price to pay compared to setting up a business without a scooby of running one or of airsoft and running it into the ground with you eating extra value baked beans for the next 6 years.
You really should heed the advice to learn to walk before you can run.
Getting airsoft guns isn't that difficult so when you're setting up a business using them, they should be much lower on your list of worries. Without checking your particulars are in order first as Dan R said, it's utterly pointless in thinking of what guns to buy to rent out for a business.
As others have said, you really should get out there and find if airsoft is for you or not. You've asked for experienced players' advice and you've been given it. Safety risks aside of playing in your house or garden, that isn't going to prepare you for playing at a site any more than Doom, GoldenEye 007 or Half Life prepared me for when I first played airsoft many years ago.
Like EDcase pointed out, this hobby has a lot of naysayers and opponents. The UKARA defence to buy RIFs is a compromise the government made to allow realistic play in the hobby since it is good exercise and dare I say it, a good boost to a lot of people's wellbeing. The harshness of many of the responses you've received is out of them caring more for protecting the hobby than protecting your feelings. Hell, a new site I played had some objections from local residents complaining about potential noise from the site with imitation firearms playing, showing their complete ignorance that it's most unlikely that they'd hear much from 5 miles away. Someone with little appreciation for safety and possibly legal implications of playing with airsoft guns in their house or garden doesn't sound like someone fit to operate a site safely.
I don't think Rogerborg could have put it better. Getting out on and gaining practical experience with airsoft is invaluable but setting up your own business is something you should put on the back burner for years until you can sort things out operationally first.
Ye that makes sense, just thought I would get one to play around with in my garden but didn't realise that it was frowned upon even in my own garden, that being said I will be reading that beginners guide given above and also look at some sites to play at. Thank you for your reply
At the risk of throwing petrol on the fire, when challenged about shooting in the garden, you changed to shooting in the house.
Are your parents comfortable with this arrangement. If we had kids, the little shits would be sleeping in the garage if they decided to ruin my walls.
From reading this thread, the mental image I have of you is: you’re 20% RGB keyboard, 20% Monster energy, 10% edgy teenager and 50% dickhead
sometimes a 100% dickhead
No just myself, my spouse and a couple of cats. I guess I shouldn't be doing the garden so I would have just done it in one of my rooms, they're biggers rooms so just some target shooting at about 15ft but the room doesn't get any bigger! Without anyone in the room of course.
Also not a teenager, well far from that.
