How you started

[buckyr]

Hey all I am new to airsoft and have posted in the new players section.

 

I am curious to see how you all started airsoft? I am having trouble drumming up interest with my friends as most of them just want to go paintballing or don't have the money to go more then a couple of times a year.

did you all start out going with friends or did you go on your own?

 

Thanks in advance for any replies

[Fumps]

Hi mate

Welcome to the hobby/sport.....erm thing

 

My young son get me into it, we always go together as a father & son day. To be honest now I have gone a few times I would say to anyone thinking of going on your own.

Dont worry, its one of the most friendliest hobby's going people are always friendly & willing to welcome newcommers.

 

go for it mate, you wont regret it

[Colonel Kurtz]

I started with a bunch of friends; we went to a paintball event for friends stag-do, this prompted us to chip in together for some shit bb guns to fire around friends land.

 

When it came to going to airsoft skirmishes, I had and still have issues persuading friends; cost, sparing the time and fear/apathy.

 

Is hard for those with family to escape for a whole day Sunday and most have other hobbies etc they'd rather spend the missus's agreement on. Or they're lazy single bums who don't wake up to midday on weekend. And also having heard my tales of how seriously (often hilariously) people take airsoft, most consider it to be a more uneven match than turning up for paintball (rarely get regulars with own kit). And they don't want to do it if they'll suck compared to the majority as this will result in them getting shot lots with guns 1.5 times more powerful than the plastic crap we messed around with, and probably not have much fun if they're getting their ass-kicked.

 

So I've been doing it on my own, have couple mates who keep promising to go sometime... Seems reasonably common people turn up on their own, most seeming to have made their airsofting friends there rather than prior. The atmosphere is usually very welcoming at skirmish sites

 

You don't have to wait for friends to do it, it's perfectly and commonly possible to do it solo. Just keep telling your mates it's awesome and sooner or later one will join (i hope)

[Esoterick]

I started off by going with a mate but he turned out to be useless so I just went on my own a few times, got my site membership and then met some new people that I still play with now.

 

As Kurtz says it's easy to just turn up on your own, personally I had to really push myself to do it but i'm glad I did. Most people are cool despite what some whiney threads on various Airsoft Forums suggest and as you all have a common ground it's easy to strike up conversations.

[Sitting Duck]

yup I blame my son, we tried paintball a year before but it was full of ego trippers

plus it worked out bloomin' costly if you like to go a bit trigger happy.....

 

we bought a nasty terrible cheap 2/3 replica which was like a pea shooter

 

eventually he talked me n missus int getting a ok-ish SRC M4 and I bought a B500A1

SRC is ok but don't get a B500A1 ffs - I scraped by at a local cqb site just....

 

WTF didn't I get into this much earlier when I still younger & fitter

 

bought ICS42W to get me through until I got ukara'd

got ukara'd - now I have a serious problem and a not so healthy bank balance

 

I taken a m8 of his a couple times but his m8's are lazy bastids

reckon he goes half the time on his own - last time I was too knackered to go

as I was up late finishing my gun - which he decided he would look after it for me

and I have been on my own a few times too - so we ain't joined at the hip no more

 

So - just go for it, airsofters in general are some of the most easy going lot around

yes their are the odd ar$ehole, players who don't have a clue,

wanna be generals - usually they ain't quite as good as they think they are

but most of us have an easy going attitude to playing with toy guns out in the woods

I play for fun - its nice to win but I like to come away smiling about somebody making a fool of themselves

usually that is me - but its the enjoyment I remember more than the score of my K/D ratio crap

 

just get out there

[Samurai]

I went to my first game on my own. I played with a rental Mp5 and after the game I even learned that there is a hopup to be set. I talked to a few people, held some guns, fell in love with the G36. It's very easy to start a conversation with "Wow, nice gun."

[buckyr]

Thanks for all the responses it's great to hear that most of you either started going on your own or have been on your own.

I know people say it's geeky running round with a toy gun but the realism of it really acctracts me. Samurai I may just steal that line "wow nice gun" to get a few conversations started.

[skarra333]

I started paintballing with a group of friends way back when, but the regular costs (site paint - the only allowable sort where we went - at £60 a time) made us look to alternatives.

Airsoft was just that, so we switched back in 2007. It gave us what we wanted, a place to run around shooting people, but with a more affordable burden. It started with 3 regulars and 2 occasionals. Now it's just me usually.

Although it started out about the money, even though I still see the appeal of Paintball, Airsoft now appeals to me and scratches my itch in a different way than Paintball did. Firefights develop and play out different to Paintball - better usually. I'm a bit of a "one man wolf pack" in general anyway, so going by myself isn't a problem. And as others have said, most people in the sport are very friendly and welcoming.

[ImTriggerHappy]

I tried paintball a few times but wasnt a big fan then a friend asked me to go to airsoft. I thought it was going to be a bit crap to be honest. Unfortunately I caught the bug, now I go once or twice a month depending on commitments. I actually find it less hassle to play on my own and quite regularly bump into other players I know now anyway.

Forget your friends just go on your own you will still enjoy it.

[Baz JJ]

Tried to get others to go with me, but they always had an excuse when it came to booking so just went on my own in the end.

 

Felt a bit weird turning up there on my jack and the site didnt really go out of their way to help beyond the basic rental safety brief, so I asked the organiser if they could introduce me to someone who would show me the ropes for my first game, so they did.

 

Dont think he was overjoyed at having a newbie asking stupid questions of him, but he did help.

 

I found that if you dont put yourself about, people will just cluster in their teams or with their regular game buddies and leave you to your own devices.

 

As said before, if you chat to people, especially other players there on their own, they will open up. Guns and kit always being a conversation opener.

 

Once I persevered and played there two or three times, people started to get more friendly.

 

In hindsight I think they get a lot of one time only rentals looking for a day out, so they dont get too excited until you show some commitment.

 

Also, because Im a mature player, somebody told me later that they thought I was a journalist writing about the evils of airsoft at first so were a bit wary about saying too much until they sussed me out - go figure !

[beastmode]

I was going to go on my own initially when I started. But I put a message up on here offering lifts for anyone that can't get to a game site. nickh messaged me and we've been going ever since. Formed a team with a few other new players we've met along the way. I have been to a few games on my own when my team can't make it and enjoy it just as much playing on my own as always get talking to other people about their kit.

[AirsoftTed]

I was born in Izhmash factory in Russia. Thirteen year old capitalist order Russian Sniper on dark web and Sergei arrive in box. Thirteen year old not happy with this, he leave me at site. Now Sergei make living as professional soft air marksman.

 

Jokes aside, I think I was aware of airsoft from a young age due to scoutthedoggie's youtube channel, I'd had a JG bar10 for my 11th birthday without knowing about forums, it broke so I binned it, turned out to be the trigger sear. Then got a TM colt python for my 13th. fast foward to when I was 16, I had some extra money, thought I'm big enough now to go to one of these sites by myself and see if I like the game. Long story short spent £500 or so on gear before I'd even been, turned up at site, loved it, decided I wanted a loadout based on a real unit, sold all my stuff then spent over a grand to get where I am now, which is as usualy, inbetween bloody loadouts lol.

[Monty]

Back in 2009, I shot afew rounds with a mini Mp5 at a target in a friends garden, and thought, "huh, this is pretty cool."

 

[Happy]

I found out about airsoft from a group of guys I used to play Call of Duty with regularly (I can hear the cries of "FFS another CoD noob!" already haha).

 

Did some research into it and was hooked from the first few videos I watched. Ending up buying a cheap trishot as I wanted the cheapest okay/decent gun I could buy and about nine shells for it. First game I ever went to was at The Embassy in Leicester (sadly now closed). Got shot to hell and outgunned often but I absolutely loved it since it reminded me of Call of Duty when I would run a "crap gun" instead of a more powerful one to give myself a challenge. Kept at it and nowadays I can happily say that I can hold my own against AEG users with my trusty shotgun!

 

 

...so long as I see them first

[Airsoft_Mr B]

Can't remember where I first found out about airsoft, although I think like most people the interest started with 'bb guns' cheap plinkers. Had a spring 1911 type thing, a GSG M9 which was actually quality, and a DE M56 at first.

Then found a GroupOn deal so we could hire for £20 / £25 rather than like £45 so had to give it a go, that was at the old F&O Hey Wood site near Huddersfield. Shame they don't do it there anymore afaik, was close and seemed like a very good site too.

[BBrotherwood]

I started off by watching a load of videos by a polish? group called Birnyx who took the fun out of themselves and the sport in a good way. Then watched the videos by level cap and was put off by his attitude slightly. After that I watched some videos from other youtuber's which re-affirmed my belief that not everyone took it that seriously and was also happy to find out that RIFs were way cheaper then I thought they would be. I work in the cycle industry and raced a fair bit when I was younger and know from experience that once you get to a certain age group you need a good bike and a £1000 aint going to cut it. (I stopped racing near this point ). Airsoft in comparison seemed much more accessible as I became more financially independent from my parents. Dragged some school friends along and rented. Loved it, friends went of to Uni so I then dragged someone along from work Done a few skirmishes by myself and have always ended up nattering to someone. Otherwise I go along with my friend from work. Buying an AUG as a first RIF helped as everyone seems really curious about them at the Sandpit for some reason.

[buckyr]

wow it's great listening to all the stories of how you all got into Airsoft and the amount of you who went on your own at first. I got watching Novritsch on YouTube who I think makes awesome videos and it got me into looking more into Airsoft. I think once I got into it I wouldn't be bothered going on my own it's just taking that first leap of going on my Todd for my first Airsoft experience.

 

Luckily for me the first and only Airsoft shop is 5 mins down the road with 2 of there sites both about 20-30 mins drive away.

Thanks again for all the replies it's great to here all the stories.

[Hudson]

Discovered it through GunMart back in 1997 when they still had an airsoft section, and started off with a few schoolmates on a friend's farmland.

 

Soon after, I discovered X-ring & airsoft.org then venturing out to one of the few sites that existed nearby at that time.

 

Joined a team down in Sheffield a few years later & eventually here I am now...wondering if it's all still worth it!

[Fumps]

I should have put more info on my first post really. look like the first one dancing.......dad dancing anyway.

 

My son who was 11 at the time went to a paintball party, when he was coming back to the safezone he saw the guys coming back from airsoft. he never stopped talking about it and asked for a BB gun for Xmas, I decided to see how responsible he would be with one so I bought him a cheap springer pistol & he was extremely careful & respectful.

the following year I decided to get him something with a bit more bite & found this community.....the more I read about it the more I kind of got into it myself.

We now go together & use it as our time. fast forward to him turinging 13 this year and we are still loving it.

 

Great people, fantastic community, top fun shooting strangers and laughing about it in the safezone.

[ImTriggerHappy]

I should have put more info on my first post really. look like the first one dancing.......dad dancing anyway.

 

My son who was 11 at the time went to a paintball party, when he was coming back to the safezone he saw the guys coming back from airsoft. he never stopped talking about it and asked for a BB gun for Xmas, I decided to see how responsible he would be with one so I bought him a cheap springer pistol & he was extremely careful & respectful.

the following year I decided to get him something with a bit more bite & found this community.....the more I read about it the more I kind of got into it myself.

We now go together & use it as our time. fast forward to him turinging 13 this year and we are still loving it.

 

Great people, fantastic community, top fun shooting strangers and laughing about it in the safezone.

What a lovely post gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.

My boy is pestering me to take him problem is hes only just turned 5.

[Aunty Pasty]

I didn't even know airsoft existed until last year. When I was on holiday in Newquay I saw this toy gun in a shop window and I I thought "How on earth can a toy gun cost £80?" So I started looking stuff up online and came across airsoft. After being sucked into the whole gun thing I thought I'd see what the guns were like so I bought a WE M92 2 tone pistol. I thought it'll be ok for garden plinking. I was blown away from the first few shots just from the noise and the kick it gave as I fired. I immediately felt I needed to do more with the gun than just shoot cans in the garden so I went to a site on my own and started renting until I got my UKARA.

 

I remember my first day well. I immediately started chatting with this guy and 2 kids who were more than happy to show off their guns to me. There was another new guy there as well as he was trying to jam his (magazine shaped) bb loader into his magwell until somebody helped him out.

[n1ckh]

Same as fumps above with my boys, I'm always looking for things for us to do together as they lost interest in rc models & airsoft interested me & thought it be a good lesson for my kids about discipline, tactics but above all being sociable

 

Luckily beastmode was interested & lives up the road from me, we've been going since September 2014 & haven't looked back

 

Having a brilliant time, made some brilliant mates, formed a team of like minded people & trying any game sites we can plus how often do we get to dress as soldiers (apart from us who've been in the forces) shoot people & giggle about it

[ImTriggerHappy]

Having a brilliant time, made some brilliant mates, formed a team of like minded people & trying any game sites we can plus how often do we get to dress as soldiers (apart from us who've been in the forces) shoot people & giggle about it

I hope you didnt shoot people and giggle about it when you were in the forces.😦

You'll be another one on the front page of the Sun. 😉

[n1ckh]

I hope you didnt shoot people and giggle about it when you were in the forces.😦

You'll be another one on the front page of the Sun. 😉

 

No mate I didn't giggle about it

 

Real life is a bit different from the movies but you do get some that your not to sure about

[Alex34]

Originally heard about it back in the '90s but thought it was just for target shooting and as a man's office toy. Afterwards heard about events etc throughout the years but never seriously considered it until I kept seeing youtube videos of these Scottish blokes shooting eachother in the woods... then I thought hmmm.

 

Spoke to a couple of skirmishers I met, visited Wolf Armouries in London last year and the rest is history.