Old School Airsofters.

[Old man Jay]

Snap, loved a bit of Stargate back then and there was no marui version, has a ver 3 box with the motor mounted horizontaly under the cylinder. I'll dig it out and take some pics for perpertuity lol

[magaz]

On 09/07/2020 at 16:30, Jacket said:

Upgrades seemed to be a stronger spring, metal bushings and a higher voltage battery. Didn’t always last that long.

BB weights were .2 or .25 if you were feeling posh.

Metal bodies were well over £100 for a M4, the main main aftermarket parts producer was Systema.

 

Don't forget those Excel 0.23's the cool kids used to run!

 

On 05/08/2020 at 21:52, Schnakey said:

 

Your memory is better than mine, was definitely a jackhammer now I think about it.

 

Used to speak to him on the regular in #airsoft, he seemed a decent enough chap... Until he didn't.

 

Now, when can we get act dead and the cigar of choice klub going again? 

#airsoft on IRC? Spent many nights on there with the "Insomniac army"

 

Sorry to drag up an old thread btw. I was giving "Academy XM177 vintage airsoft" a googs and this thread came up in the results. (Trying to get hold of another of my first ever AEG for the nostalgia)

 

I played my first proper game in September 2000. (Had springers and gas pistols for a few years before that)

I often look back at the old days with how simple the game was, less rules, less stress, less arguments. If I was given the option to time travel somewhere I'd definitely go visit some of my old haunts again with a modern AEG...

[Hudson]

Same magaz from Ambush Strines, of the white gloves?

[JimFromHorsham]

Memories

 

[Archer]

Magaz - you were at the opening day of Dragon Valley at Caerwent ?

[magaz]

On 12/06/2022 at 18:12, Hudson said:

Same magaz from Ambush Strines, of the white gloves?

Hudson! Still running that noisy MC51 with a C-Mag?

 

 

23 hours ago, Archer said:

Magaz - you were at the opening day of Dragon Valley at Caerwent ?

I was! Still look back on that game with fond memories

[Hudson]

No, that went years ago! 😂

 

Where are you playing nowadays?

[magaz]

Level 2 has been my main squeeze these days. But I play all around the North West and a little further afield when I do actually get the chance to get out and play. 

Became a regular at SWAT for many years after Ambush closed. 

[THE CHIEF]

I'm about 20 years in now. Good fun in the old day. £300 for a TM M4, that had about a 5 piece barrel held together with grub screws, 2 piece hop unit and lugs that would break if you ever opened it up. To this day... Famas am best gun. Airsoft dynamics was an absolute shit show but had a good player gallery. 

 

There seemed to be a lot more variety. When a new gun came out it was often a different weapon rather than a new varient. There was also some great kits if you wanted to put the work in. Anyone remember smokey's? That used to be the only way to get a 74 or something exotic like a Swedish K. UZI's were plentiful, midcaps didn't exist and AEG's were all the rage getting rid of those annoying guns that required external air tanks... Won't see the likes of those again... Sun project Xm177's... Old technology long forgotten... No sir never again... Thanks Marui man! 

 

[Druid799]

21yrs for me my 1st gun was a 4th or 5th hand TM M16 that the front end wobbled like a leaf in the wind no matter how tight you tried to get it ! 😳

who used to buy their gun from RSOV/Gunner/WGC that used to arrive doing 400+fps all the time pre UKARA ? You’d get that letter from parcel farce saying your parcel from Hong Kong was at your local Depo and you had to go and pick it up from there and you possibly may have got caught and have to pay some charges(they’d usually say something like ‘toy parts with a value of $10 on this honking big box !🤦‍♂️) on it ! 🤬

🤣🤣🤣

[magaz]

I remember a group of us buying about 8 guns and a tonne of parts from RSOV and it arrived in two boxes that where the size of coffins. Best day ever! 

[Lozart]

1 minute ago, magaz said:

I remember a group of us buying about 8 guns and a tonne of parts from RSOV and it arrived in two boxes that where the size of coffins. Best day ever! 

Ahhhh rsov. Those were the days!

[rj1986]

On 15/06/2022 at 22:31, Druid799 said:

 

who used to buy their gun from RSOV

 

[mirinjawbro]

TM desert eagle .44 springer in silver first ever gun. stick mag. no hop-up. 

 

also desperately wanting the  KWC two tone .50 version. 

 

having a TM spas 12 on the train on the way home from wolf armouries feeling like the man.

 

trying to upgrade a TM mp5k after firing maybe 500 rounds and failing. sold it cheap and 500 rounds probably cost me £300

[Archer]

Buying an TM M4A1 from Rebel Troop, thought it was the best thibg ever 😆

[MAX DICKER]

Bought my first 'proper' RIF from a site called Ebaybanned around 2007/2008, seemed a bit shady but damn I wanted that Kart M14 EBR so bad. Also bought a JG G36 around the same time. So, with 2 RIF's, me and various Buddies would run around various patches of woodland in South Wales playing 1v1. 2009 I played my first actual game of airsoft at Dragon Valley, proceeded to play every game there for about a year before starting to try other sites.

 

God damn I miss the DV forums.

[Druid799]

49 minutes ago, MAX DICKER said:

Bought my first 'proper' RIF from a site called Ebaybanned around 2007/2008, seemed a bit shady but damn I wanted that Kart M14 EBR so bad. Also bought a JG G36 around the same time. So, with 2 RIF's, me and various Buddies would run around various patches of woodland in South Wales playing 1v1. 2009 I played my first actual game of airsoft at Dragon Valley, proceeded to play every game there for about a year before starting to try other sites.

 

God damn I miss the DV forums.

I used to buy near all my kit from Ebaybanned !(never bought a RIF from them) back then when the pound was king and the US dollar was nothing you could get near a whole new rig for the price of just a couple of pouches from a Uk seller , and nine times out of ten it got here quicker ! 🤬

[Guest DrAlexanderTobacco]

My first RIF was a KJW P226, it locked up after 2 shots in winter due to cooldown, the finish was this shit glossy black paint. I loved it!

[Tommikka]

1 hour ago, Druid799 said:

I used to buy near all my kit from Ebaybanned !(never bought a RIF from them) back then when the pound was king and the US dollar was nothing you could get near a whole new rig for the price of just a couple of pouches from a Uk seller , and nine times out of ten it got here quicker ! 🤬

 

2 hours ago, MAX DICKER said:

Bought my first 'proper' RIF from a site called Ebaybanned around 2007/2008, seemed a bit shady …..

 

God damn I miss the DV forums.

eBayBanned are/were a good little outlet.  Not shady, but a good bit of marketing based on rule changes on eBay 

They are still around as ebAirsoft.com

 

 

Asian outlets get a good amount of stick, and the same goes for AliBaba.com and AliExpress.com

 

There are good sellers and bad sellers, plus things can just go wrong with anything and the support on that will vary.

 

I will aim to buy locally where possible, and also pick a favourite retailer asking them if they are willing to import on my behalf (which if they have the existing supply chain can work well)

 

But I will also decide on a case by case basis on the item and my needs.  If I want it quickly and after sales support then I’m going to pay for those. 
If I’m not in a hurry, am not going to use support and the saving is worth considerations at customs then I’ll look around imports such  as Asia etc

 

You do need to be ‘internet wise’ on where you’re buying from

 

I’ve been having a lot of conversations about a couple of subjects with someone in particular recently which included that ‘Chinas just cheap crap’.  Whereas Chiba does provide ‘cheap crap’, and also ‘cheap quality’. It depends on the quality control and the corporate customer who is getting the items made in China - it’s relatively very cheap to run businesses  in many parts of China, which could be low labour costs of that market (or additional exploitation of labour on top of that)

 He’s not internet wise, and has had dodgy payments taken a few times.  He stopped using eBay and random sellers to go to Amazon - ‘Because that’s secure’ finding himself paying more for cheap crap losing out by using dodgy Amazon sellers rather than Amazon itself

 

ebAirsoft / eBayBanned always worked out well for me, and very often much quicker than expected

AliBaba.com is aimed for use as a wholesaler and AliExpress.com as a marketplace like eBay and Amazon sellers.

 

 My experience with these Asian sellers is that they often get send via free government subsidised postage for ‘commercial zones’ which is why the postage doesn’t shoot up in price unless you are after fast international postage, and that if it disappears, is broken or wrong I have had easy refunds and/or replacements.  It’s costly for them to take returns, and as long as they are a bulk seller rather than bedroom trader then the customer service of a loss on an individual sale is worth it

[Speedbird_666]

1 hour ago, Druid799 said:

I used to buy near all my kit from Ebaybanned !(never bought a RIF from them) back then when the pound was king and the US dollar was nothing you could get near a whole new rig for the price of just a couple of pouches from a Uk seller , and nine times out of ten it got here quicker ! 🤬

 

Bought loads of stuff from EbayBanned when the exchange rate was $2USD to the £ back in '07 to '08ish.

 

Good times. 

[tinkle60]

I'm 21 years in on and off. Started when I was at uni and remember spending every other wednesday afternoon traipsing to RM and Parcelforce depots to collect parcels with import charges.

 

Spent all my free time ogling custom guns on Redwolf and Airsoft Club.

 

Shopping on WGC and waiting for emails to actually make payment

 

UPS were the only courier to actually security check airsoft stuff, a friend got a phone call saying he needed velocity declaration for a protec helmet. He said 'depends how hard you throw it'.

 

Playing with/against the Airsoft Dynamics staff at Ambush.

 

Getting up at stupid o'clock to drive for hours because there wasn't any decent sites near London.

[Druid799]

2 hours ago, Speedbird_666 said:

 

Bought loads of stuff from EbayBanned when the exchange rate was $2USD to the £ back in '07 to '08ish.

 

Good times. 

Yup definitely were , god I think sometimes I was buying stuff just for the sake of it ! I’d want a particular pouch/magazine/bolt on , see other things and think “F*** it ! I’m already ordering my stuff why not ?” 🤦‍♂️ 🤣🤣🤣

[THE CHIEF]

You want shady, remember special airsoft supplies? He had quite the reputation for parcels at one point. 

[Jacob Wright]

1 hour ago, THE CHIEF said:

You want shady, remember special airsoft supplies? He had quite the reputation for parcels at one point. 

I don’t think it was that long ago that he was still operating, with very much the same reputation!

[John_W]

On 23/06/2022 at 09:22, THE CHIEF said:

You want shady, remember special airsoft supplies? He had quite the reputation for parcels at one point. 

Amazingly, still running. Has a Facebook group dedicated to him.