Suppose I'd better make the leap..

[Venture48]

Well, I'm not entirely new to running around a field with a weapon, or cracking CQB in compounds and ship interiors having been an RN medic working with 3 cdo brigade RM for 6 years as both company medic within a unit and troop medic for a certain group of counter-piracy lads up north. I was recommended giving airsoft a go by a good friend of mine, ex para trained RMP, who tells me it's the most fun he's had since leaving the army (he's now a submariner, quite the career change.)

What I am new to is, of course, airsoft. I've never touched an airsoft rifle/pistol/you-cant-break-it-intervention weapon and I'm floating in the dark a little on exactly how much my experiences in the real world are going to shape up in the airsoft one. Am I going to get shot up by some 12 year old and looked upon with pity by airsoft vets? Yet another forces member who thought the transition would be easy? Or can I actually translate what I know onto the field?

I have to say, I'm not wholly interested in the 'milsim' side of things (get beasted on fire & manoeuvre/section attacks for a week until you can't move or rinsed with simunnition and it quickly loses its appeal) but I imagine like most people playing this game, I am just out to have as much fun as I can with what time I have.

So I found this forum, liked what I saw, thought I'd introduce myself a little. I've been thinking about how I want to approach airsoft. I'm contemplating dusting off that suit I've got in the wardrobe, strap some 9mm mag pouches to an armani trouser belt and buy myself a crome 1911. I've already got a bald head and some incredibly thick black eyebrows, a bar code on my bald spot and I'm practically agent 47. And who wouldn't have fun playing agent 47 for a weekend, right?

For info I live in Leek, Staffordshire, so I'm close enough to Anzio to have heard about it before now (I'll hopefully be showing my face around there if I get the chance sometime this month). What's the deal with dressing as characters from popular culture? Is it frowned upon or can you generally just do what you feel like, so long as you're safe? I'm conscious of raining on people's parade and upsetting any regulars with something that isn't militaryesque..

Any info or suggestions on the above please feel free to contribute. Also, I'll put it out there that should any serving or ex forces members be lurking around these forums then send me a PM if you you have any further tips, or just want to say hello...you honking creatures.

 

Much love.

 

Tom.

[sp00n]

best advice i can give is, don't take it too seriously and you will be fine

 

also wear what you want

[Guest PT247]

Airsoft is 80% how cool you look and 20% how well you play, go for it dude and have fun doing so. I'd stick to CQB/indoor sites if wearing a suit though lol, woodland gets a bit muddy this time of year!
I found my SPO training to be helpful with airsoft, but playing a game is very different to real life as you get loads of lives to use and abuse, I do far more running into fire than I'd ever have the balls to do against 5.56 rounds! At our site we have a regular who plays in his paintball gear much to almost everyone's disgust haha but he owns quite a few folk so they soon shut up except for banter. Peeps pretend to be US Marines, peeps pretend to be in WW2 on the trenches, peeps wear onsies at times. Just have fun is the main thing, and in CQB a pistol and a bunch of mags is really all you need.

[Sitting Duck]

Turn up in whatever ya like I guess - though some sites are a little more serious or military themed than others

 

Generally getting a good loadout is very practical and looks the part

but not an absolute must - heck spend a fortune if you like then play underground bunker cqb

(then peeps can't see f*ck all in front of them let alone if the guy next to them has the "proper" kit on)

 

are you gonna get shot by some 12yr old - yup and he probably has a bright orange 2-Tone

pity - nah not really. You could say we are all 12yr old kids trapped in various aged bodies ( nearly 4 x times over moi )

 

I would bet that you you may not be ultra serious you probably would enjoy the general semi-serious sites out there

Your experience may assist you but also so will an open mind to get out there & enjoy yourself

The breifing especially safety is important, then go with the flow, watch the regulars and all that

They generally know the best strategies and ideas.....

You go with the idea to have fun, forget your K-D bollox and enjoy your day out coz you probably get hooked

[Sitting Duck]

Onesie - cool I'll try and get a duck one for NAE

[Samurai]

IMO you can use that setup in cqb just fine. If you want to go to a woodland site, I recommend an AEG. Pistols don't have the range and the needed capacity for that.

Also for CQB I strongly recommend face (teeth) protection.

[SeniorSpaz87]

I have a feeling that this video will show you just how... How would I put this... Inventive(?) people can be when it comes to dressing up...

 

 

That's right, two of those costumes are pretty extreme...

[cavninja]

Welcome to the sport and the forum mate, there's a real mix bag on here which makes even better, loads of great advice and as everyone says, play fair and have fun!

 

That's vid is gleaming! Can't stop laughing!!! Hahahahahaha

[jcheeseright]

As everyone else has said, wear what you want, play how you like :-)

 

I've found some aspects of military knowledge are useful, others less so, you will get shot by 12 year olds though... Happens to everyone :-)

 

Wouldn't be massively put off by MILSIM either, even the more 'hardcore' games are really just man crèches with toy guns and slightly more organised teams/objectives. You certainly won't be pulling stag for 6 hours in the pissing rain after 2 hours sleep under a poorly erected basha, not unless you really wanted to anyway!

[BrightCandle]

Every site is different and goes between a spectrum from speesoft all the way up to milsim operations. You have a lot of choices about fun verses organisation across all the possibilities in the country. Its worth trying quite a few of the different types to work out what you do actually enjoy. Myself I started on the speedsoft side of things and now I tend to prefer woodland and the more milsim the better. I am kind of lucky with my site selection as I have found quite a few that meet my sort of games. Look around and you'll likely find one that suits what you are now looking for, just don't assume its milsim from the outset due to your background as you might surprise yourself.