Good evening

[RDodds89]

Hello peeps!

 

Getting into the airsoft game after a few years at paintballing so in need of some advice on the kit.   I’ve looking into gas or electric and lots of other comparisons, and my head is buzzing! Haha 

 

Simply put - what would people recommend for a rifle?  I’d like something with semi & full auto capabilities, and the ability to tune.   Also a nice pistol too as a back up?  Probably have around 1k to spend all in for everything.   Cheers 

[ak2m4]

No real need to spend £1K, just get yourself a reasonable mid-priced AEG (electric) M4 to start off (£200 - £300), pistol if you really want but it's not essential, it's more of a "fun" purchase.  No need for all the gucci gear either.  Far better to dip your toe and then slowly build up over time.  Have fun.

[Cannonfodder]

Welcome. As above, you don't need to  spend a grand to get yourself a decent gun and loadout. I've had some guns from the budget process range which have out performed guns costing several times more

 

Have you played yet? If not then I suggest getting a few games under your belt as it'll give you a better idea of what suits you and more importantly what doesn't. You'll be able to see what others are using and talk to them about it, most airsofters are more than happy to show off/talk about their kit and will probably let you fire off a few shots. 

Another reason is that it means you'll be able to get your site membership (it's not a licence) in place so you're not stuck with an absolutely gopping two tone.

[Dan Robinson]

Yo.

 

Said it many times....decent pew can be had for sub £200.  Bang another £100 over a few months to add mags and a sight of some sort and you're golden until the the bug bites.

 

Then you're £6k in the hole on a hobby that your other half detests, but at least gets you out of the house for a day twice a month that ends up in you returning a sweaty mess as apposed to a drunken sweaty mess (depending on your life choices of course).

[Rogerborg]

Ahoy and welcome. I think we'd generally recommend an electric rifle (for magazine capacity, cheap running and all-weather use), and a gas blowback pistol for fun factor.

 

The good news is that there are few bad electric rifles/carbines out there at the moment if you stick to the range sold by decent retailers like PatrolBase.

 

As you've seen, there's a vast range available, so probably best to pick a weapon platform first.  M4, AK, G36, MP5 are popular, but there are great choices in M14, P90 and some of the gopping bullpups as well. Most of them can all be made to perform much the same if you're prepared to drop a bit of money, so whatever you like the look and feel of is the right choice for you.

 

Pistols, you'll see Tokyo Marui suggested as a default choice, and they are very decent.  You'll want to find a reason to buy anything else. I bought a very cheap Army Armament R-17 because I am very cheap, but if your budget is higher, you'll need a better reason than that.  

 

I'd echo the advice to rent at least once, if only to blag a go on a variety of guns - airsofters are generally very keen to show off our toys.

 

I'm sure you've seen the issues with buying realistic imitations, and that generally you'll get site membership / a UKARA number by playing at least 3 times over at least 8 weeks at the same site.  Other methods are available if you really don't want to wait, depending on the retailer.

[EDcase]

I'd add to all the above advice:

 

Buy a decent £200 starter AEG to get a feel for the game (Its quite different to paintball in many ways)

When you've played a few games you'll have a better idea of the style of gameplay you want to get into.  You'll also talk to other peeps and seen what they run.

This will help you decide what to get in the future.  If you still have any HPA stuff then that might be the best option for you and your first AEG will become a good backup.

 

So start slow and build your gear as you build experience otherwise you risk wasting a lot of money.

[Jedi_Master]

Welcome .

[Rogerborg]

3 hours ago, EDcase said:

our first AEG will become a good backup

 

Echoing that, you'll rarely regret having a generic M4 AEG in your bag as a backup or loaner, even if you accept Satan into your heart and go HPA for your main toy.