Hi from maidenhead

[Jack Reacher]

Hi everyone ,just joined the forum .I haven't actually been to a airsoft event but am planning to get into it , there's a place up the road that does it & I've got a mate who's into it but he's a novice to .Ive been into airguns & shotguns for quite a few years but have really fancy skirmishing as it look like great fun.Heres the first of many questions , I presume it's better to buy a couple of 2nd hand guns to start off , with l the mods ect done .Any suggestions . cheers jack

[DX115FALCON]

Mr Reacher, your best place to start is by reading the article: IAN'S GUIDE TO NOOBISM ON A TIGHT BUDGET- which is linked in my signature on here.

 

welcome to the forum!

[Jack Reacher]

Thanks for the reply I will do . Cheers jack

[Mack]

Better off going to a site, renting some gear and playing to see if you even like the hobby. Get a feel for it first and then if you do decide you want to take it up then you will have more of an idea how you want to play. I here a lot of people saying that " I could save a load of money by buying rather than renting" which is true to a certain extent but you dont save that much. For example

 

Buy your own Gun: £117 (G&G CM)

Walk on Fee: £15

Bottle Of BB's: £10

Cheap tac vest for mags etc: £25

Mesh goggles or mask: £15

 

Renting: £30

Most places will give you BB's and an extra mag and face protection, so your good to go

[Esoterick]

Welcome to the forum, I agree with what Mack said. Also check the new player guides as recommended.

 

The best sites close to you are Xsite: Lane End(my local) or The Mall in Reading(never been)

[Jack Reacher]

Thanks for for that , I am gonna try before I buy but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna enjoy it , Strange situation for me as there's not much I don't know about airguns ect but this is a different ball game . I expect I'll end up spending quite a few bob on it in the long run as I love new guns.Ive got stuff to wear ,just need safety gear .Been after a new hobby to get into for a while so am really looking foreward to this.Allso there's a place a couple of miles away from me anyone know if it any good .cheers jack

[Chock]

If you're like most people who get into airsoft, you'll probably end up trying a few different things before settling on something you are happy with. What works for one person, someone else might hate, and it often takes a bit of experimentation to find out what suits you best. Some of that ends up being down to your style, i.e. you might like running about all over the place, or you might like sneaking about, possibly both, you might like shotguns, or full auto machine guns, pistols or whatever.

 

That's why it's not a bad idea to rent stuff first. You'll get to see what everyone else who goes regularly is using and how useful (or not useful) their choices are when it actually comes to a fight. You can quiz people about their choices, and you'll find out what kind of player you are in terms of the way you play goes, and then be able to make a more informed choice without having spent money on something which you end up not wanting to use, or cannot get along with for one reason or another. That goes for clothing, boots, webbing/tactical vests, helmets etc, just as much as it does for weaponry.

 

For example, obviously you need eye protection, and if you hire it, the chances are it will be a full face mask. This is because, since airsoft sites have to ensure anyone under the age of eighteen wears full face protection, it's just easier for their rental gear to be a full face mask. However, full face masks can be a bit of a pain in the arse in practice, because they are often bulky and can end up preventing you from getting a rifle up into your cheek to use the sights properly, but there are things you can do about that. Some people will go with simply wearing shooting glasses and nothing else (risky, since it offers minimal protection), some people will go with perspex goggles (which can fog up but offer good visibility when they are not fogged up), some with mesh goggles (which don't fog up but are not quite as good in the visibility they offer), some will combine that with a lower face mask of either plastic or mesh, and some might use a shemagh or other type of scarf on their lower face. There are pros and cons to all of those things, for example, if you had an M16 with an optical sight mounted on the carry handle, you'd probably be able to get that up to your eye even with a bulky mask on, but you might have a different rifle which doesn't make that quite so easy, so you might forego lower face protection in favour of practicality, but then you are risking getting a tooth shot out (that happens sometimes with people who don't wear lower face protection and is why under eighteen players have to do so).

 

The more you can find out about what you like and don't like before spending a lot of money on gear, by just renting some stuff for a skirmish or two, the happier you'll be with what you ultimately end up deciding upon, and almost certainly better off money wise as well, in avoiding buying something you later find out you don't like that much. You'll make the odd mistake with things you buy, everyone does, but if you rent stuff first and get a bit more clued up about things, you'll certainly make smarter buying choices in general.

 

However, some things are going to be obvious from the get go if you are inclined to want to gather some gear right now, and in fact, you might have some or all of this stuff anyway, which is just as well, because none of this stuff will be part of a hire package: Some decent boots from an army surplus place will serve you well and won't cost much, and you definitely need good ankle support when running and diving about all over the place. Some combat pants will also serve you well, since they have pockets which are designed to be big enough to fit spare magazines in, but they are not the warmest attire known to man, so some long johns or cycling leggings underneath them will not only keep you warmer, but also stop hits to your legs stinging so much. A baseball cap (which everyone has anyway) will protect your forehead from BB hits whilst you decide if you want to have a helmet or something more specialised (trust me, hits to the forehead hurt and will bleed, so cover it up, because hits to the head are very common). Some thin gloves will offer some hand protection from hits, but will still let you operate your weapon properly (hits to the hands and arms are very common too, so again, wearing long sleeved stuff and gloves will minimise that stinging, which it does, especially in cold weather). A decent scarf, such as an Arabic keffiyah (shemagh) is a good buy if you don't have one, since it will protect your neck from hits, if you do buy one, get an olive drab one, the more typical white ones stick out like a sore thumb in woodland terrain. Hits to the neck hurt and can draw blood, which is why you see so many players wearing those scarves. A small water bottle is a good thing to take with you too, since you will get thirsty running about shooting people.

[cavninja]

Welcome Jack, im based out of the Windsor area when im in the UK, the site near maidenhead is a woodland paint ball site, my son has been there and says its not very good. The Mall in Reading is excellent, my son amd I have been there a couple of times and love it, very well organised and very thorough. Not been to xsite, I'll have to check that one out!

As everyone says, hire to start with, try before you buy, get a feel of what you like and whats out there.

The forum is a great resource of info and advice, enjoy!

Might see you on the field sometime!

[Esoterick]

Allso there's a place a couple of miles away from me anyone know if it any good .cheers jack

 

I'm guessing it's Absolute Airsoft you are talking about, they have a bad reputation. I know quite a few people who have played there and they've not gone back. They are also partnered with a "shop" that is fairly well known as the biggest scammer in the country(Special Airsoft Supplies)

 

If you want to buy some kit before going I'd suggest you limit yourself to getting some basics like trousers, shirt, face protection and some boots. As much as it seems like a chore it is worth hiring before you buy and most players will be happy to talk to you about their kit so you get an idea of what might suit you.

[DX115FALCON]

legit? I was looking at picking up something from Spec A.S. Might look elsewhere now. Cheers Eso

[Jack Reacher]

Fantastic advice which I will take on board thank you .Had a feeling the one up rd might be iffy .Cheers jack