Noob looking for some tips!

[infernouk]

Hey guys

 

So recently I was made aware of airsoft having been a big paintball fan but couldnt afford the paint / gun / getting to locations.

 

I also love replica guns from all the video games I play!

 

So as a combination is seems like a great activity to get into, especially as im in an area with a few sites (hertforshire)

 

I was looking at buying my own gun to learn and practice with in my garden before i get involved massively!

 

So I was wondering what are the essential buying tips for a new entrant? I have enough budget to afford whatever I decide I want, its just making those decision in an informed manor : )

 

Appreciate any help and im looking forward to making some purchases!

[sp00n]

look here >> http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/topic/17294-ians-guide-to-noobism-on-a-tight-budget/

[infernouk]

look here >> http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/topic/17294-ians-guide-to-noobism-on-a-tight-budget/

 

Cheers ill take a look, im not particularly on a tight budget though! i believe in buying once and buying good : )

[TacMaster]

Welcome to the forums and the sport

 

A good place to start is by going along to a site and renting for a day, this will give you a good idea of how it all works and you'll get the opportunity to speak to some of the regulars there. People are usually more than happy to talk about their guns and kit, and they'll usually let you have a play with their guns as well.

Generally speaking, you won't need to practice or anything- that will come later if you decide to join a serious team of sorts.

Renting is an inexpensive way for you to have a go without splashing out on a gun, and maybe finding that you don't enjoy it.

 

If you do like it and you wish to buy a cost-effective gun, I would recommend a G&G Combat Machine of sorts. They make them in a variety of models and styles so there's something for everyone in G&G's range.

The guide sp00n posted should be very useful for you in regards to information etc.

[infernouk]

Welcome to the forums and the sport

 

A good place to start is by going along to a site and renting for a day, this will give you a good idea of how it all works and you'll get the opportunity to speak to some of the regulars there. People are usually more than happy to talk about their guns and kit, and they'll usually let you have a play with their guns as well.

Generally speaking, you won't need to practice or anything- that will come later if you decide to join a serious team of sorts.

Renting is an inexpensive way for you to have a go without splashing out on a gun, and maybe finding that you don't enjoy it.

 

If you do like it and you wish to buy a cost-effective gun, I would recommend a G&G Combat Machine of sorts. They make them in a variety of models and styles so there's something for everyone in G&G's range.

The guide sp00n posted should be very useful for you in regards to information etc.

Cheers ill give it a read!

 

I plan to go to a site asap to give it a go, from there im willing to spend a lot to get the best make / quality I can manage, I can always sell it on if i quit! I see guns are mostly £150-£200? which is pretty reasonable to me. Im just picky about the style! i love the G36C, Tavour21 and a few others specifically : )

[SeniorSpaz87]

Cheers ill give it a read!

 

I plan to go to a site asap to give it a go, from there im willing to spend a lot to get the best make / quality I can manage, I can always sell it on if i quit! I see guns are mostly £150-£200? which is pretty reasonable to me. Im just picky about the style! i love the G36C, Tavour21 and a few others specifically : )

 

Alrighty mate, well, if those are you favs, then the G36 will be cheapest for ya. I love Tars as well, saving for one now (even though I just bought an MP7 and may be moving in a few months... A big thing to keep in mind; until you get registered with UKARA (oh no I've said it), which is easy to do, you can only buy guns that are not RIF (realistic imitation firearms), which means you can only buy two-tone guns. Not recommended, as you should just rent; if you get a two-tone, and you end up not liking our little game, it's harder to sell a two-tone gun, as fewer people want those. Also, if you buy and and DO like the sport, once you get your UKARA registration number you will be able to buy RIFs, and will never use your two tone again, no matter how much time, care, and cash you've put into it. So I say go rental at least 3 times, get UKARA registered, and go from there.

[RabidNinja64]

Welcome to the forum, inferno good to see a fellow noob join the ranks of the meatshields

 

That being said, on the account of what type of gun you want(It's best to be ukara'd first), take into account the sort of field your playing in; considering it's gonna vary between woodland and CQB, starting off electric is your best bet, with a gas sidearm i might add. and should you upgrade your primary to a gas blowback in the future, you have an electric to fall back on, should the need arise.

Budget wise, I wouldn't go blowing it all on guns; really, facial protection, boots and a vest (optional) are your PRIMARY concerns, which also form part of the loadout you want to go for, as well as the role you wish to play within games; rifleman, sniper, support, scout, etc. go for the gear that best suits your playstyle; the beginners tips should really cover most of that.

 

Personally, the only help i can give, being 1 game away from a ukara myself (and getting a chrome slide PX4 from one of the marshals on the day..... ) I can only give general playstyle tips and recommended prices; hey, it's your money, but buy well instead of buying twice.

• Don't go running at the enemy unless you live for battle-scars. coordinate with your team/squad effectively, call out enemy positions wherever you see them, and it at all possible, suppress/flank them.
• Always take cover
• BODY SHOTS! I've seen way too many people get lit up in the grill at 20m range to the point their mesh mask bent out of place, or even leave a bleeding welt. as fun as it is to do, its a H+S issue, so not recommended unless you wanna blind someone! and if you must shoot them in the face, dont aim for the eyes and dont go full auto, a double tap will suffice, unless they dont call their hits....
• DONT be one of those idiots that walk around the streets of london showing off his newly bought RIF AK in an attempt to look hard; alongside eyepro, a well built gunbag to transport your gear from A to B is just as necessary.

Other than that, stay with your team, get a feel for the field and have a good day

As for that weaponry-based budget, a wise recommendation from personal experience ranges from this:

 

Primary - £200-300

Secondary - £100

Vest - £50 (Depends if your going for a empty MOLLE vest or a full setup)

Boots - £30-40

Face protection - £20

Gunbag - £30

And that's not even accounting for the magazines and ammo/gas & provisions you'll need, just for the day!

Trust me, there's a fair bit of research needed before making a well informed choice.

P.S: Some sites for gear:
Military1st.co.uk

Airsoftworld.net

[Colonel Kurtz]

use hire guns until you get ukara, then any gun made by Tokyo Marui will fill the 'buy once and good'

[infernouk]

thanks guys, how many games are required to be registered? and what about buying non 2 tone second hand?

[SeniorSpaz87]

To get registered, you must attend at least three airsoft events, and these events must not be closer than two months, but within a year as well. So you could get it in six months if you want. Buying RIFs secondhand is a touchy subject (all I've ever done ), as it is then dependent on the seller to accept whatever defence you have. Mines rather good, as I have been to The Mall four times now, have video footage of three of those days, have receipts from those days, I know the staff, and have others on this forum and others to back me. For you, you still would need to attend a few games before you would have a suitable defence, and by then you could have your UKARA registration number anyway. Once you got your number, then give that to whoever you want to buy from, whether a retailer or a person on here, and they will sell you just about anything.

[infernouk]

To get registered, you must attend at least three airsoft events, and these events must not be closer than two months, but within a year as well. So you could get it in six months if you want. Buying RIFs secondhand is a touchy subject (all I've ever done ), as it is then dependent on the seller to accept whatever defence you have. Mines rather good, as I have been to The Mall four times now, have video footage of three of those days, have receipts from those days, I know the staff, and have others on this forum and others to back me. For you, you still would need to attend a few games before you would have a suitable defence, and by then you could have your UKARA registration number anyway. Once you got your number, then give that to whoever you want to buy from, whether a retailer or a person on here, and they will sell you just about anything.

 

Great thanks, so i have to wait 6 months before i can buy my own equipment? was hoping to invest after the first time if i enjoyed it to save paying rental fees!

 

My local venue is 'AWA Herts' 30mins away if thats a good place?

[Mack]

 

Great thanks, so i have to wait 6 months before i can buy my own equipment? was hoping to invest after the first time if i enjoyed it to save paying rental fees!

 

My local venue is 'AWA Herts' 30mins away if thats a good place?

 

No. To be put on the UKARA database (not the only defence) you need to play three games in "NO LESS" than 2 months.

[SeniorSpaz87]

Before you can buy an RIF, yes, as Mack says. Reading my previous post back it does seem to give that impression of 6 months. You can buy kit and such before that, just not non-two tone guns. I know 6 months can seem like awhile, but if you are smart (unlike a lot of us on this forum when we were new) you will resist the urge to buy a two tone gun, and spend time learning about the guns and retailers, both online and at your games. Feel free to talk to people at your site as well, most people are happy to show off their stuff. I don't know that site, but probably tomorrow someone will come along and give their thoughts on it. Alternatively, there is a 'sites' section of this forum, you could see if anyone has reviewed it there.

[SeniorSpaz87]

And yes, Mack, thanks for clearing that up

[Samurai]

It's not 6 months. The first and the last game must be more than 2 months apart, and there must be at least 3 games. So it can be done in 2 months and 1 day as a minimum. Or get a site membership, that's defence too.

[Airsoft_Mr B]

It's not 6 months. The first and the last game must be more than 2 months apart, and there must be at least 3 games. So it can be done in 2 months and 1 day as a minimum. Or get a site membership, that's defence too.

Shit I never thought a simple site membership would work as a defence...

So you're saying you could get it straight away as well?

I guess it's not as good as UKARA though since nowhere online is gonna accept it for buying a RIF.

 

I wanna see if it would work at Patrol Base with my Halo Mill membership now... (When I'm 18 obviously) want a Tippmann M4

[Samurai]

As I read the VCRA, it should be a defence. However as far as I know, site memberships usually have the same requirements (3 games in 2+ months).

[Colonel Kurtz]

Don't be in a rush to get a gun, especially if you want to only buy once. Most people rush and then a few months later once they've got a feel for the game and established their preferences they end up buying another one, and the first sits mostly unused, or sold at a significant loss.

 

Owning one is at least half the fun, but it'll be worth the 2month wait and using a hire gun 3 times to be able to buy whatever you want from whoever. During that time hopefully you'll get a feel for all the different types of gun and perhaps end up being the first person ever to buy one gun and stick with it.

 

There's 3 genres of airsoft game (woodland, cqb and mislim) and types of airsoft gun (electric, spring, gas), and that's before you even start to think about style, size etc. You won't know what type of airsoft game you prefer until you try it and different types/styles of gun are suited to different ones.

 

E.G

 

You might prefer normal woodland games, and need a rifle rather than pistol, submachine gun etc

You might prefer CQB and find it best to have pistols, submachine gun, or shotgun rather than a rifle

You might go full conscript and get into milsim and want a rifle that's as close to it's real firearm counterpart as possible and all the military uniform to match

 

I tried to be patient and bought a decent length m4 style rifle after going to a woodland site half a dozen times. But now it sits in a box because I prefer CQB

[infernouk]

Fantastic replies guys!, so i can get registered in 2 months by playing 3 games?

 

I am planning on going easter weekend with some friends as the first game.

 

Will sites have a range of gear to rent? or do most sites have like 20 of 1 gun and thats it?

 

Perhaps ill but the clothing etc and wait for the gun! do all my research first and save a bit more cash!

 

Any advice on where to purchase other equipment? clothes, etc.

 

My local place is £45 a day including rental, how many rounds do you get in a day? much like a paintball day?

 

Also, any more brand recommendations / youtube channels / review sites i should research to learn about different guns?

 

Cheers for all the help! great forum!

[SeniorSpaz87]

Haha, rounds are nothing like paintball. It costs quite abit for paintballs; bbs are much cheaper. You can get around 5000 bbs for around £24, I believe. Haven't bought ammo in forever due to buying bulk, but it should be about that. Also, some sites have a range of guns to rent on a first come first serve basis, but others stick with either M4s or G36s.

[beastmode]

Fantastic replies guys!, so i can get registered in 2 months by playing 3 games?

 

I am planning on going easter weekend with some friends as the first game.

 

Will sites have a range of gear to rent? or do most sites have like 20 of 1 gun and thats it?

 

Perhaps ill but the clothing etc and wait for the gun! do all my research first and save a bit more cash!

 

Any advice on where to purchase other equipment? clothes, etc.

 

My local place is £45 a day including rental, how many rounds do you get in a day? much like a paintball day?

 

Also, any more brand recommendations / youtube channels / review sites i should research to learn about different guns?

 

Cheers for all the help! great forum!

 

The sites I've been to all usually only have one style of gun to rent but you never know yours might be different. usually something like a JG g36c or G&G combat machine.

 

When I first started I bought some basic clothes, boots and eyepro to get me started while I rented. I still use the same Dpm uniform today just because I've gone for the old British army look. so I'd suggest having a look on ebay for a shirt and trousers which you can usually pick up for about £20 for the set. make sure you've got some decent boots too. get some eye protection and wear a hat as shots to the forehead aren't to fun.

 

look up epic airsoft on YouTube for some gun reviews. Your best bet would be to ask a few people at your first skirmish if you can have a look at their gun and decide which style suits you best.

 

I started with an m4 but quickly got bored and didn't want to be the same as most so got my self an sa80. it really comes down to personal preference. Anything made by G&G is good. I recommend you just spend plenty of time researching which gun you want and don't dive straight in like I did.

[infernouk]

Cheers guys! i prefer light weight vs loads of combat gear so minimal stuff would be best for me! just a hoodie and a face mask with a cap would be great if you can be that minimal!

 

Obviously i dont know what the pains like but can you just wear a t shirt? will it welt and bruise like a paintball to bare skin?

 

Ill check that youtube now! Ill be sure to ask a load of questions, first event is likely to be easter sunday at AWA Herts. Its all woodland based it seems.

 

And yes the main draw is that BB arent as expensive as Paint and i like having a replica of a gun! more realistic!

[TacMaster]

Cheers guys! i prefer light weight vs loads of combat gear so minimal stuff would be best for me! just a hoodie and a face mask with a cap would be great if you can be that minimal!

 

Obviously i dont know what the pains like but can you just wear a t shirt? will it welt and bruise like a paintball to bare skin?

 

I'd get my hands on a cheapo combat shirt if I were you. I've played in a T-shirt before and it can welt horribly. You could play in a long sleeve t-shirt however those also tend to be made of a thin material. Combat shirts (even cheap ones, £25 or less) are usually made of thicker, sturdier fabrics- you're less likely to welt in them and the most you'll have are bruises.

 

There is a LOT of lightweight combat gear on the market- you don't have to have a full plate carrier covered in pouches, there's plenty of compact and lightweight chest rigs around. I'd suggest picking one of them up once you properly start airsofting, pockets are all well and good for 1 or 2 spare mags, but you'll probably need a chest rig / belt rig to carry more- same with spare batteries, speed loaders, extra BBs etc.

 

I have a couple of light rigs including a Tactical Tailor Mini MAV. Those are designed for bodyguards to wear under jackets or over body armour. Here's a pic of one:

 

And here's a full size plate carrier in comparison:

 

There are smaller plate carriers around, but with a full pouch load they're still quite bulky compared to rigs like the Mini MAV.

[Airsoft_Mr B]

You can't get your defence in UNDER 2 months, not within 2 months.

Also, SeniorSpaz, 5000 BBs for £24? You can get 3000 0.20 Blasters for £6.

[SeniorSpaz87]

You can't get your defence in UNDER 2 months, not within 2 months.

Also, SeniorSpaz, 5000 BBs for £24? You can get 3000 0.20 Blasters for £6.

 

IDK, I kinda just threw out a number. Havent had to buy bbs in around a year.