Suggestions desired: a day out shopping

[joshyftw]

Hi! I've got two weeks off work, and a lovely fresh email from UKARA. 

 

I am looking to go out in the car and visit a handful of larger brick and mortar stores. I've been looking forward to getting my gear for a while now, and some retail therapy is in order.

 

I'm based in Northampton. 

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for where to head? I don't mind driving an hour or two to get to a juicy cluster, but if I could get to 3 or 4 stores in a day and get some varied opinions and touch some stuff, that would be amazing.

 

Thanks in advance :)

[Tommikka]

31 minutes ago, joshyftw said:

Hi! I've got two weeks off work, and a lovely fresh email from UKARA. 

 

I am looking to go out in the car and visit a handful of larger brick and mortar stores. I've been looking forward to getting my gear for a while now, and some retail therapy is in order.

 

I'm based in Northampton. 

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for where to head? I don't mind driving an hour or two to get to a juicy cluster, but if I could get to 3 or 4 stores in a day and get some varied opinions and touch some stuff, that would be amazing.

 

Thanks in advance

I don’t think that you’re going to be finding a variety of shops to get into within a day.  The market is small

 

I can recommend Super5ives (bearing in mind that I know the owner, and I also am partially to blame for encouraging some of his business decisions)

Their warehouse / shop is in Fareham which should be around 2 hours from you

 

 

https://shop.super5ives.com/shop/category/16-airsoft.p1.html
 

Otherwise I’d be pointing north with 3 or more hours of driving

 

Apparantly there’s an airsoft shop in Northampton, I have no knowledge of the place and it looks to a degree like an army surplus place which will have some airsoft 

 

https://www.airsoftcellar.com

 
There is a retailer list on here,

 

 but do take care in ensuring that they are still in business and actually have a shop to go to before committing a trip 

[TacticalWaifu]

https://extremeairsoft.co.uk in Leicester is a 45-50 minute drive north of you, well worth a visit. They also have a CQB site, https://thedepartmentcqb.co.uk

 

About 1h NW of you in Cannock, you've got https://jdairsoft.net -- or or about 1h westbound on the M6 / M6 Toll from Extreme Airsoft 😉

 

Not seen Patrol Base since they got revamped, but it's a good bit further north of you, up in Huddersfield (about half way between Leeds and Manchester) -- and that's a 2.5 - 3h drive.

 

 

[Spartan09]

52 minutes ago, joshyftw said:

I'm based in Northampton. 

greetings fellow northampton airsofter,
i got most of my guns and my starter kit from only airsoft in stevenage (about 1hr drive from northampton)  and they have a store in norfolk (1.5hr drive)

i havent been to the norfolk store, and the stevenage store is only a small shop, especially in comparison to the likes of patrolbase, (its only a standard high street size unit, but well stocked for its size) but the guys there are knowledgeable and easy to get on with, so i would definately recommend them.  if you have a question or want some information, then you can message them through the chat on their website www.onlyairsoft.com and they are usually pretty quick to respond (during opening hours of course)

i should also like to stress that im not sponsored or affiliated with them in any way,  just a very happy repeat customer

[Tackle]

Hi bud, I would do all your necessary research BEFORE you hit the road, you want to be 90% sure of what you want & how much you should be paying for it, it's very easy to get a shiny toy in your hands & retailer telling you it's all you'll ever need, only to later find out its lacking in many areas & your potentially lumbered with it. 

 

That sounds cynical I know, but thankfully you've got places like this with a wealth of experience, good & bad, to hopefully ensure that you don't regret your purchases. 

Plus with stock levels so hit & miss at the moment there's no point in schlepping 2 hours away to find there's feck all about & what is there is overpriced. 

So holler out, what gats are you considering ??? 

 

PS, this is great for checking stock levels 🤞

https://www.airsoftdb.com/

 

[joshyftw]

3 hours ago, Tackle said:

Hi bud, I would do all your necessary research BEFORE you hit the road, you want to be 90% sure of what you want & how much you should be paying for it, it's very easy to get a shiny toy in your hands & retailer telling you it's all you'll ever need, only to later find out its lacking in many areas & your potentially lumbered with it. 

 

That sounds cynical I know, but thankfully you've got places like this with a wealth of experience, good & bad, to hopefully ensure that you don't regret your purchases. 

Plus with stock levels so hit & miss at the moment there's no point in schlepping 2 hours away to find there's feck all about & what is there is overpriced. 

So holler out, what gats are you considering ??? 

 

PS, this is great for checking stock levels 🤞

https://www.airsoftdb.com/

 

 

Ahh I've been researching for some time now!

 

I'm primarily after an M4 AEG, something mid-length. I especially want something with a slim M-LOK rail, 12/13". 

 

BBGuns4less currently have this on sale:

 

https://bbguns4less.co.uk/products/double-eagle-m908a-ar15-rifle-with-falcon-system-in-black.html

 

I've heard not too bad things about DE on this forum, and for £230, it has everything I broadly want, and it has an ETU that'll do 1-5 round bursts.

 

I'd prefer something with a more modern receiver style, but with an ETU, you're looking at circa £400.

 

My wants, if you have any other suggestions:

 

SPR Length

M-LOK handguard

Metal receiver

Functional bolt catch

Programmable ETU

 

For my first RIF, I think it's a good price point.

 

It's £50 dearer everywhere else, I just want to get it in hand, and don't mind the drive and want to get a few other options in hand, maybe a pistol too, but I have no idea what, I'll just see if anything takes my fancy.

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

If you're confident teching then go for it.  Personally, after my one and only encounter with that establishment, I consider their sales to be warranty free.  

 

TBH if I was looking for a particular rif, I'd ask about it on here and see if someone volunteered a lend or look locally.  I've given a few people lifts and/or lent them rifs.  

[Krisz]

I bet you find better prices online. Usually brick and mortar airsoft shops like to sell the same stuff for more money.

Just make sure the retailer is reputable. Lof ot them are dodgy and are only interested to sell shit to you and when something goes wrong you end up being told "you pulled the trigger wrong".

At this point I'd even consider a used gun from here for example as long as the seller has good feedback.

Edited June 21, 2023 by Krisz

[joshyftw]

4 hours ago, Krisz said:

I bet you find better prices online. Usually brick and mortar airsoft shops like to sell the same stuff for more money.

Just make sure the retailer is reputable. Lof ot them are dodgy and are only interested to sell shit to you and when something goes wrong you end up being told "you pulled the trigger wrong".

At this point I'd even consider a used gun from here for example as long as the seller has good feedback.

I'm only going to places that also have an online presence so hopefully they'd stick to their posted prices, eh!

[TacticalWaifu]

1 hour ago, joshyftw said:

I'm only going to places that also have an online presence so hopefully they'd stick to their posted prices, eh!

 

 

Beware places having E&OE (errors and omissions excepted) stated on the site, or "prices are subject to change without notice" being hidden in their terms and conditions somewhere -- basically absolving them of responsibility if they've either got something wrong, or not updated the site in a while.

Edited June 21, 2023 by TacticalWaifu

[Dan Robinson]

8 hours ago, TacticalWaifu said:

Beware places having E&OE (errors and omissions excepted) stated on the site, or "prices are subject to change without notice" being hidden in their terms and conditions somewhere -- basically absolving them of responsibility if they've either got something wrong, or not updated the site in a while.

 

They can write any old shite in your T's & C's, but it can't absolve them from the Consumer Rights act and Sale of Goods act.  Many places rely on people not knowing the rights they have - especially buying online.