new and getting abit lost

[fbmbmx]

Hello everyone, I am in the process of taking up air soft, I have found my local site and shop.
I will mainly be playing close quarter as well as some field games.

I've been to my local shop in Portsmouth who mainly stock ics guns.
I looked through the range and really liked this

 

http://www.fire-support.co.uk/product/ics-tan-metal-cxp-concept-rifle-airsoft-gun-aeg

or this http://www.fire-support.co.uk/product/ics-plastic-mx5-mp5-a5-including-flashlight-airsoft-gun-aeg

I was just wondering what everyone on here though as my opinion is based entirely on looks.
I have too wait at least two months until I can take the gun away but the shop have said I can buy it now and they will take it too games for me .
Is there anything I should be looking to change in them two months while it is still in the shop or does everyone even think i should get something completely different?
Thanks
Harry

[YingKid]

What's your budget? and what sort of sites will you be playing at? CQB or woodland?

[Chock]

They are both very decent guns, and so long as you pick a decent gun (and by decent, I mean a reputable make known for having good internal workings), then going off looks is as good a way to choose as any airsoft weapon.

 

As I'm sure you are aware, all airsoft guns (apart from one or two obscure ones), fire 6mm plastic BBs, so the only major difference between, say an AK47 airsoft assault rifle, and an MP5 airsoft submachine gun, is the internal mechanisms and their quality, as opposed to the real AK47 or real MP5, where they are hugely different in that they fire completely different ammo to each other, are built for very different roles, and are built to two very different standards or workmanship, the MP5 being built like a Rolls Royce, and the AK47 being built more like a jeep. But with airsoft, any MP5 or AK47 could be built either like a jeep or a Rolls Royce depending on which company is making the thing, so when it comes to choosing an airsoft gun which looks like a real world gun, your guide to quality is the company which makes the airsoft gun you have your eye on.

 

ICS is a company based in Taiwan (which is a good thing), and they are known for making very good weapons, with internal workings which are extremely durable, the motor's gearbox in an ICS airsoft weapon is modular, it is made of metal, all the gears are metal etc, so you are talking about robust, decent quality and good design when it comes to ICS airsoft guns. They do build cheaper ABS plastic guns, as well as more durable metal ones, but regardless of that, the quality of the internal mechanisms is invariably top notch. So there is very little you would need to do to either of those guns you linked to, they'll be great straight out of the box, although be sure to clean the barrel when it is new, because even new airsoft guns often have a bit of crap in the barrel (it will come with a cleaning rod, you just need to thread a tiny bit of cotton rag through the end of the rod to use it).

 

Having said that, of the two you are looking at, one of them is a standard real world weapon (the MP5 A5) which is much favoured by SWAT teams and the like, the other one is a customised version of an M4 of the kind which would be favoured by SWAT teams as well, but could easily also find itself on a battlefield. And although that M4 is not actually a standard real world M4 that one could buy off the shelf, it is one that could be created in the real world if we bought an M4 and customised it with a lot of after-market bits and pieces, because the M4 is the most popular airsoft gun by a very long way, and so like its real-world counterpart, there are loads of after-market bits for airsoft M4s, which means that an airsoft M4 is an excellent choice of weapon which is very modular in terms of you being able to modify it, which is why when most people ask 'what airsoft weapon should I get to start off with?', almost everyone always says, 'get an M4', although in fairness, most people do in fact usually say get a G&G M4, since they are inexpensive and reliable.

 

But beyond that reason alone to favour the M4 over the MP5, is that particular M4 which you picked, is as it comes, much more able to have stuff attached to it, to make it preferable for CQB and longer ranged fighting. Notably the fact that it has a lot of rails on it, which would allow you to add optics, lasers, tactical lights, grenade launchers etc, etc (yeah I know the MP5 already has a light, but it could get shot out, which could happen to an M4 too, but it's a lot easier to get a replacement light to fit on a rail than it is to get one that fits in that slot on the MP5). The M4 also has a much more robust collapsible stock than the MP5, so would also be slightly better suited to longer ranged fighting. Another reason to favour the M4 is that it has a larger magazine capacity than the MP5, which means you are less likely to run out of ammo at an awkward moment when at your skirmish, and additional mags for it would probably be cheaper to get hold of as well.

 

I'm not saying the MP5 is a bad choice overall, I have two of them myself and they are lighter and generally a bit better in a tight space, but I've also got two M4s and a lot of other guns too (lol, trust me, if you are anything like the rest of us, you'll end up with loads of weapons as well!), and I almost always end up using the M4s, but if you like the MP5, go for it, because it will still be a good choice.

[fbmbmx]

They are both very decent guns, and so long as you pick a decent gun (and by decent, I mean a reputable make known for having good internal workings), then going off looks is as good a way to choose as any airsoft weapon.

 

As I'm sure you are aware, all airsoft guns (apart from one or two obscure ones), fire 6mm plastic BBs, so the only major difference between, say an AK47 airsoft assault rifle, and an MP5 airsoft submachine gun, is the internal mechanisms and their quality, as opposed to the real AK47 or real MP5, where they are hugely different in that they fire completely different ammo to each other, are built for very different roles, and are built to two very different standards or workmanship, the MP5 being built like a Rolls Royce, and the AK47 being built more like a jeep. But with airsoft, any MP5 or AK47 could be built either like a jeep or a Rolls Royce depending on which company is making the thing, so when it comes to choosing an airsoft gun which looks like a real world gun, your guide to quality is the company which makes the airsoft gun you have your eye on.

 

ICS is a company based in Taiwan (which is a good thing), and they are known for making very good weapons, with internal workings which are extremely durable, the motor's gearbox in an ICS airsoft weapon is modular, it is made of metal, all the gears are metal etc, so you are talking about robust, decent quality and good design when it comes to ICS airsoft guns. They do build cheaper ABS plastic guns, as well as more durable metal ones, but regardless of that, the quality of the internal mechanisms is invariably top notch. So there is very little you would need to do to either of those guns you linked to, they'll be great straight out of the box, although be sure to clean the barrel when it is new, because even new airsoft guns often have a bit of crap in the barrel (it will come with a cleaning rod, you just need to thread a tiny bit of cotton rag through the end of the rod to use it).

 

Having said that, of the two you are looking at, one of them is a standard real world weapon (the MP5 A5) which is much favoured by SWAT teams and the like, the other one is a customised version of an M4 of the kind which would be favoured by SWAT teams as well, but could easily also find itself on a battlefield. And although that M4 is not actually a standard real world M4 that one could buy off the shelf, it is one that could be created in the real world if we bought an M4 and customised it with a lot of after-market bits and pieces, because the M4 is the most popular airsoft gun by a very long way, and so like its real-world counterpart, there are loads of after-market bits for airsoft M4s, which means that an airsoft M4 is an excellent choice of weapon which is very modular in terms of you being able to modify it, which is why when most people ask 'what airsoft weapon should I get to start off with?', almost everyone always says, 'get an M4', although in fairness, most people do in fact usually say get a G&G M4, since they are inexpensive and reliable.

 

But beyond that reason alone to favour the M4 over the MP5, is that particular M4 which you picked, is as it comes, much more able to have stuff attached to it, to make it preferable for CQB and longer ranged fighting. Notably the fact that it has a lot of rails on it, which would allow you to add optics, lasers, tactical lights, grenade launchers etc, etc (yeah I know the MP5 already has a light, but it could get shot out, which could happen to an M4 too, but it's a lot easier to get a replacement light to fit on a rail than it is to get one that fits in that slot on the MP5). The M4 also has a much more robust collapsible stock than the MP5, so would also be slightly better suited to longer ranged fighting. Another reason to favour the M4 is that it has a larger magazine capacity than the MP5, which means you are less likely to run out of ammo at an awkward moment when at your skirmish, and additional mags for it would probably be cheaper to get hold of as well.

 

I'm not saying the MP5 is a bad choice overall, I have two of them myself and they are lighter and generally a bit better in a tight space, but I've also got two M4s and a lot of other guns too (lol, trust me, if you are anything like the rest of us, you'll end up with loads of weapons as well!), and I almost always end up using the M4s, but if you like the MP5, go for it, because it will still be a good choice.

Brilliant, so you don't think i would be better off spending a tad more money on another manufacturer ?

Got to say it seems like a good thing that my local shop stock all the spares for the ICS guns....

 

I think at the moment (even before you'r post) I was leaning towards the M4

[Lozart]

Brilliant, so you don't think i would be better off spending a tad more money on another manufacturer ?

Got to say it seems like a good thing that my local shop stock all the spares for the ICS guns....

 

I think at the moment (even before you'r post) I was leaning towards the M4

Nothing wrong with the ics gear but spending a bit more and getting a g&g will get you a better gun. It's especially true in airsoft that you get what you pay for.

[Happy]

Had that MP5 myself, cracking little gun. Only issue I had was the magazine supplied - mis fed BBs at times till I took it apart and properly cleaned it. Other than that it had a respectable range and fps (close to 320) for a compact gun.

 

However as a new starter I would steer more towards the M4. Like a previous poster pointed out - it has a lot more parts available to customise and replace as you see fit. The only problem with any ICS gun though is that they can be tricky to replace internal parts.

 

For the money they're sound beginner guns. But there are other options out there. Out of curiousity, what's your budget?

[fbmbmx]

Had that MP5 myself, cracking little gun. Only issue I had was the magazine supplied - mis fed BBs at times till I took it apart and properly cleaned it. Other than that it had a respectable range and fps (close to 320) for a compact gun.

 

However as a new starter I would steer more towards the M4. Like a previous poster pointed out - it has a lot more parts available to customise and replace as you see fit. The only problem with any ICS gun though is that they can be tricky to replace internal parts.

 

For the money they're sound beginner guns. But there are other options out there. Out of curiousity, what's your budget?

Well I already have a decent lipo charger,

My budget it around £250 for a gun and then leave a bit of money for a flash light and maybe a dot sight..... BB's and another mag?

[Sitting Duck]

I bought crap JBBG first

then SRC + ICS M4's - great improvement for getting ukara

 

BUT bought G&G M4 rif's and not looked back

 

G&G M4's are easier to source parts & maintain & tweak if they need attention

(ics are really nice - most come with 2 mags but G&G really are a better M4 to maintain)

[fbmbmx]

I bought crap JBBG first

then SRC + ICS M4's - great improvement for getting ukara

 

BUT bought G&G M4 rif's and not looked back

 

G&G M4's are easier to source parts & maintain & tweak if they need attention

(ics are really nice - most come with 2 mags but G&G really are a better M4 to maintain)

Thanks for the info, my local shop do have all parts in stock for the ics range though.... ?

[Sitting Duck]

They also sell G&G's but FireSupport are about the best for ICS stuff no question

lucky they are your local shop too...

 

Either make will do - just saying like a "non-mainstream" or some imported cars

the owner may not be able to get parts easily from local halfords or local spares shop

and have to keep going to a certified main dealer to get these bespoke bits n pieces

 

ICS are very nice - (so is another make) but just giving you the full picture that was all

[Mack]

Dont worry about ICS parts, The only thing different in the gearbox is the AR latch, everything else is standard V2 parts. The M4's are a dream to work on with the split gearbox. Can have a spring change done in 10 mins without having to touch the lower gearbox. I had one for 4 years and the only problem I ever had was a stripped piston (again a 10 minute fix)

 

The only problems you would encounter with ICS's m4's are the receivers as they are unique to the ICS. Rail systems, If you want to change it you will need a G&P delta ring, and lastly the Hop Unit is unique as well but they are excellent so no need to change.

[M_P]

Sitting duck his local shop isn't fire support.

 

@OP, Assuming you're talking about combat south, you're in good hands. ICS is a good starting point for a new players, I've got one of their mp5s that's been going well for over 5 years, it must have had hundreds of thousands of rounds through it and have only swapped the inner barrel, can't really fault it.

[Sitting Duck]

apologies FS are Peterborough way

 

I'm sure they (ICS) will be fine for OP - said either would be fine

though Lord Metile has had a bit of grief with his ICS M4 mine are still going

may not always grab it as main aeg but is there as a fall back/spare

in fact I think the rof is slightly higher stock than most G&G's

(could be gears or most likely ICS stock motor is quicker)

[Russe11]

ICS are generally a good manufacturer. They are possibly one of the best manufacturers for an MP5 and although their M4's don't get people very excited, they are a good well built gun.

The only bad thing I have ever heard about ICS MP5's is that they are a bit choosy about which mags they will work with. Just don't buy loads of non ICS mags without trying one in the gun to see if it works.

There is one manufacturer who makes a better MP5 than ICS and that would be TM. Looking at the combat south web site http://www.airsoftgames.com/marui-mp5-sd6-p-216.html they have a TM MP5SD for £45 more than the ICS MP5. That would be good use of £45 as the MP5SD has much easier to fit battery space and TM guns are just damn good. Oh and the MP5SD looks super cool.

[Colonel Kurtz]

ICS is a good place to start, and it's where i started too. I almost bought the CXP, until i noticed the TransforM4 and decided latest had to be best. I bought the shorter one and is very good, has served me well in woodland and CQB.

 

Out the two you suggested, i'd say go with the CXP, as it'll be easier to get accesories for it as most stuff for M4-ish guns is compatible.

 

If you're going to spend a little more dosh then i'd say buy a Tokyo Marui rather than a G&G as they're more likely to just continue to work without needing much maintenance.

[fbmbmx]

Thanks everyone for the great help, I will be playing my first game this Wednesday and then getting a gun on the weekend, It will be an ICS probably the cxp, Also is the cxp part of the M4 family?
Thanks
Harry

[M_P]

Yes, it's an m4 that ICS have modified with their own parts