Recommend me gear!

[Tyr1415]

(I know this should probably be in the new players thread/ and or this type of thread has probably be made hundreds of times but still)

Having waited around 3 years to get into Airsoft ,mainly because I decided to wait until I was 18, I am finally ready and UKARA certified. I have also saved in very small increments over the past 36 months and have managed to muster around £1000.
Few Conditions:
AEG
Maybe M4 platform but can be inclined to more exotic platforms e.g FAL
What Gear do you veterans recommend? 

I'm talking clothes and equipment, all the way to the attachments for a specific AEG.

 

Thanks for all the help (admin please move if I this is in the wrong area)

[Pop]

I have little experience other than a lot of research - but both the Krytac Trident Mk2 and VFC Avalon are supposedly excellent AEG's that would fit your budget quite well. I'm planning on getting the Krytac myself. 

 

Anyway, I'll let people who know what they're talking about chime in lol.

[Guest Yukarin]

Don't spend the whole 1 grand on airsoft, at least not in one go! You'll end up buying stuff that you end up not using and regretting. Less is more.

 

Get a Specna Arms M4 or a G&G CM16. Get a reliable first gun that doesn't need tinkering and just works. Then get a more exotic gun down the line.

Clothes, I would say go to a surplus store and grab either DPM or MTP (inb4 walt) always found that milsurp stuff is decent quality and you pay a good price.

For chest rigs and the like, Avoid 8fields shit. Falls apart in minutes. Viper and Bulldog stuff is ok.

Boots are important, everyone will chime in about their certain pair of boots being a godsend. For me, I got a pair of second hair Haix boots from my local surplus store and they have lasted a few years with 0 issues whatsoever. Get ankle protection!

Eye pro, face pro and gun attachments are all down to taste and experience.

 

 

 

 

 

[Druid799]

How about go back to your home site have a look around at what the other players are using , have a chat with them and then make your own mind up about what you want to buy ?

time and time again new players go on to all of the Airsoft groups out there and ask “what am bestest gun?!”😲

and “tell me where to buy am bestest gun ?!” 🤦‍♂️

You are not going to find your answer on here (or any other forum) one mans perfect gun is another’s pile of shit ! And it’s the same with kit one player will tell you “xyz is the best Camo ever !” And the next guy will say “no it’s not ! It useless!”

Your asking for a personal opinion on a subjective topic so you will NEVER get the right answer for you from someone else 😳

Here’s my point exactly , this chaps opinion is totally opposite to mine ,  I really like 8Fields kit (been using it for a couple of yrs now no problems at all) as to viper and bulldog ? Viper I would piss on if it was on fire and bulldog I think is grossly over priced Chinese knock off kit .

30 minutes ago, UKCYukarin said:

For chest rigs and the like, Avoid 8fields shit. Falls apart in minutes. Viper and Bulldog stuff is ok.

polar opposite to each other but who’s right ?    

So put on your big boy trousers and make up your own mind , savvy ? 

And remember when asking for someone’s ‘opinion’ on anything , “an opinion is like an arsehole , everyone has one and there frequently full of shit !” 

 

[TheFull9]

First off, spend a bit of that K on some really good eye pro.  

 

Other than that the question is really far too open ended, just within the categories of clothing and load-carrying kit there's hundreds of brands making thousands of items.  My generic recommendations are brit surplus uniforms off eBay and BULLE or Warrior kit to carry stuff (from flecktarn.co.uk and uktactical respectively); those are the best all around quality:cost ratio I've found in many, many years of searching and comparing.  Guns are probably even more subjective than kit though, you need to narrow it down.  If you've got your VCRA sorted you must've tried some things already.

[Stratton Oakmont]

I run ak's. Could give you many reasons why I am an idiot to do so and why the M4 and its many variations are better (talking about rifs here)  but can give you the only reason that matters to defend my choice - I just like them.

pick what kit you like you will only find yourself wanting it even when you own what may be "better" on paper items

[M_P]

Make sure you get some good eye protection and boots first. They'll save the thing that £1k can't buy. 

 

For load bearing gear, look at the warrior assault systems stuff, it's solid gear and reasonably priced for what you get for your money. 

 

For your actual rifle, if you're not sure exactly what you're after I'd recommend getting down to an actual store and have a play around to see what you like best

[Adolf Hamster]

gear is very subjective, and can depend on the theme you're going for.

 

for example i really like russian gear, the gorka/smersh combo is great and can easily switch between m4 and ak mags, carry an hpa bottle etc.

 

however that's not for everyone, and might not work for you if you want a really themed loadout or if you're running a battle rifle.

 

good boots and eye pro are a must, in terms of camo you can cheap out and get surplus dpm/flecktarn which will be perfectly fine.

 

osteoshot puts it very well- run what you like, it really doesn't matter. yes an m4 platform will make tinkering easier due to the wealth of parts out there, but if a good ak is what makes you smile then do it, or anything else for that matter. my first rifle was an f2000, i still have it, i still love it, it might not be as good as my m4, but that doesn't matter.

[Dentonboy]

HAVE heard👂 on the GRAPEVINE 🍇 that some people wear SURPLUS💂 kit for Airsoft💀 so that MIGHT be a thing to look into. 🤟

 

👀

[Rogerborg]

Ahoy and welcome.  And as above, there's no right answer.

 

It's not that we don't want to be helpful, it's just that it really is a subjective decision, and "what get?" is a huge question.

 

You must have some ideas what you want.  How about you share them with us, and we'll see if we can find any reasons to get alternatives.

[AK47frizzle]

I'd recommend this if you're running an m4 or smg: https://www.bespokeairsoft.co.uk/big-foot-airsoft/big-foot-d3crm-chest-rig-vest-with-three-magazine-pouch-tan

 

All you need tbh. The mags are held using plastic clips on the inside, so no annoying tangly strings getting in the way. The big pouch is also super useful.

[TheFull9]

You can't make a consistently good quality knock-off of the Haley D3CR-M (which is what that is) and still end up with that price after all the shipping, retailer cut, profit for the factory etc etc.  Objectively, Warrior will be far better made (as will the original).  Personally I don't think there's a reason to buy the cheapest chinese clone of something when you have a significant budget when you can afford the real thing that'll do guaranteed reliable service for maaaany years.  As per usual with clones, some examples will be fine, some will have crucial stitching fall apart on the first outing.

 

This is a debate as old as time so I'll leave it up to the o.p. what they buy, just stating some reality.

[Tackle]

go easy with your budget, easy to blow a grand.

I'm currently having a bromance with a cyma m14 socom, its frickin awesome & there's some s/h in the classifieds so you could pick up a ready to go package at a bargain price.

same with load carrying gear, verry easy to get sucked in to the whole plate carrier "thing", before you know it every inch of molle is filled & your sweating before you've left the safezone.

 

why not start with a grab bag, essentially a small crossbody bag with 3 or 4 mag pouches on the exterior, & room inside for a nalgene water bottle, chocky bar & some extra bb's.

it'll be more than enough for most walk-ons, real high-speed low-drag loadout, you'll be like a gazelle & with very little outlay your ready to play, & it gives you time to ascertain what you really need in the future, rather than what the gearqueers will tell you is essential in order to play.😉

[hunter511]

@TheFull9 I don't personally tend to use knock off kit. That said if I hadn't tried a £15 TMC D3CR clone I would have never paid for a real one. 

To the OP, good boots and eyepro as mentioned above are definitely must have's.

 

Gun wise, get talking to guys at your local site, see what they think, see what they like, if they let you fire a couple of rounds. Ultimately 90% of the difference between most stock guns is ergonomics although some models are harder to find magpouches for.  

Gearwise, see what you fancy. I've been through multiple evolutions of gear and at the moment have settled on something I like, that said it's cost me more than I dare count to get to where I am. Equally I've had some pretty cool days running around and working out of a go-bag whilst wearing a loud hawaiian shirt and a pair of old dpm trousers.

[Stratton Oakmont]

I hate plate carriers, pointless for Airsoft

i own a "real" one purchased in a moment of madness and still look at it and think why the hell did I buy that 

[bladerunner168]

@Tyr1415

 

Ignore all the sensible advice, go balls deep full Gucci from day one, you won't regret it.

[Tackle]

1 hour ago, bladerunner168 said:

@Tyr1415

lol, i told ya, here come the gearqueers 😜

 

I cant say too much, I've been guilty of it in the past, taken me years, had to go cold turkey 🐔

[Rogerborg]

4 hours ago, TheFull9 said:

You can't make a consistently good quality knock-off of the Haley D3CR-M (which is what that is) and still end up with that price after all the shipping, retailer cut, profit for the factory etc etc.

 

Sure, you won't get more than you pay for.

 

But what on earth makes you think you can't get less?

 

 

 

4 hours ago, TheFull9 said:

 Objectively, Warrior will be far better made (as will the original). 

 

Who's backing that objective guarantee?  You?

 

 

 

4 hours ago, TheFull9 said:

when you can afford the real thing that'll do guaranteed reliable service for maaaany years. 

 

Who's backing that guarantee?  You?

 

 

4 hours ago, TheFull9 said:

As per usual with clones, some examples will be fine, some will have crucial stitching fall apart on the first outing.

 

And whatever brand it was that you're shilling (I forget) are different because why?

 

This is a genuine question.  If you can show me some "objective" evidence that your favourite brand is actually made to a consistently higher standard, with a meaningful manufacturer warranty, I'll be happy to be enlightened and cheer-lead along.

 

Can you show that?

[SgtTalbert]

[Musica]

Theres no doubt the "real" stuff is better materials and stitching but you have more money than sense to think it's worth it. I'm not saying people shouldn't buy it but to advocate others spend £100s on gear or they will regreat the "copy" stuff is crazy. You do get what you pay for but there's plenty of cheap tested kit and if it's under 35 quid it's probably 1000% cheaper than the real stuff so you could liturally buy 10 of them.

 

I'm not paying for expensive gear that I crawl around in and get caught on things. It's not a real war if my equipment fails me on the day I won't be dead.

 

I'd have to go through a few pairs of something before I decided I needed something built better.

[Druid799]

1 hour ago, Rogerborg said:

 

Sure, you won't get more than you pay for.

 

But what on earth makes you think you can't get less?

 

 

 

 

Who's backing that objective guarantee?  You?

 

 

 

 

Who's backing that guarantee?  You?

 

 

 

And whatever brand it was that you're shilling (I forget) are different because why?

 

This is a genuine question.  If you can show me some "objective" evidence that your favourite brand is actually made to a consistently higher standard, with a meaningful manufacturer warranty, I'll be happy to be enlightened and cheer-lead along.

 

Can you show that?

As per usual about as subtle as a size 10 to the bollox with a good run up first ! 😖

BUT do agree with you when it comes to kit you do get the full gamete of gear that’s based of one design , from the original costing hundreds of pounds right down to the out and out shit for a tenner ! 😳

but you do get some that are very good value for the small cost you have to pay for them in the middle .

Yes the designs have been blatantly stolen from the original designers but it comes down to supply and demand , if airsofter A wants chest rig B but can’t afford or isn’t prepared to pay the asking price for the real one but Wang in China can knock one out for peanuts then he gets the money simple as that !

The real one may be good and strong enough to abseil down to Hades , kill death him self and then evac back ? but what Airsofter actually ‘needs’ that level of reliability and quality of manufacture ? Even if the kit will last for yrs quite frankly most S’ofters haven’t the attention span to warrant that sort of longevity (me included !) from there kit ! Magpul had the right idea when they had there Airsoft range , you want the magpul kit because all the cool kids have it but it’s fecking expensive so you had magpul ‘light’ think it was an excellent idea .👍

[TheFull9]

Shilling 🤣

 

Fucking wish I was shilling, could seriously use the money.

[Lozart]

There are folks that will only ever buy the cheapest thing that does the job and there are those that choose to spend a little more to buy better kit. Neither are wrong, neither are 100% correct. Fit your kit to your budget and use what you want to use.

 

Personally I have a range of kit from cheap chinese knock offs that are perfectly functional for the level of use they will get right the way through to gucci AF gear that is WAY better made than I will ever need it to be and most points in between. While yes, the cheap gear does what I want it to it's not so cheap as to be disposable so when I compare my TMC chest rig with my Warrior Assault Systems one I look at them for what they are. One is good enough for airsoft and the other is significantly better (whether or not it's good enough for actual service use I can't say but I have been told by serving members of the armed forces that it's better than their gear so take from that what you will). Not only is it made from better quality materials, it's better put together with better quality stitching and higher strength threads. It's constructed with real world application in mind so it is fully backed with breathable padding, decent plastic fittings and above all an actual workable warranty. The chinese stuff isn't awful but it IS demonstrably lower quality AND there is no comeback if it falls apart the first time you use it!

 

And remember - 

 

[GeorgePlaysAirsoft]

I use a mix of 'real' kit and knock offs - from paraclete to viper. My viper drop leg has held up for years, my helikon combat shirt's zip broke on its first outing, ive torn a warrior magazine pouch, my alta kneepads are falling apart - (the latter admittedly after years of use.) I dont think gear cares whether you are getting shot at with real bullets - if you use it enough it will take its toll. 

 

Get more then you can justify without bankrupting yourself in the process and hope for the best.

 

[Lozart]

1 minute ago, GeorgePlaysAirsoft said:

I use a mix of 'real' kit and knock offs - from paraclete to viper. My viper drop leg has held up for years, my helikon combat shirt's zip broke on its first outing, ive torn a warrior magazine pouch, my alta kneepads are falling apart - admittedly after years of use. I dont think gear cares whether you are getting shot at with real bullets - if you use it enough it will take its toll. 

 

 

I see this from time to time when someone mentions that their Crye trousers are falling apart. Someone will shout that for £300 a pair they should last forever but that's missing the point. They're designed and made for people that have a specific requirement, one of which is not always longevity! When you have a quartermaster that will just issue you a new set when you rip the arse out from sliding down a hill you don't tend to be bothered about how much they cost!