Buying our first Pew Pew’s!

[Reef]

Today I qualified for a UKARA licence and am going to buy our first guns.

I say ‘ours’ as my 12 year old son and myself are taking up this hobby.

 

I’ve been doing my research and think I’ve settled on the Specna Arms Flex series. These seem like good value for money and are very lightweight which I think is good for my son.

I have to really think of the budget as I’m buying x2 of everything including face protection, spare mags, etc. Do you think this will be enough of an upgrade from the standard G36 rental guns? Anything else I should be considering?

 

Thanks guys.

 

 

 

 

[Tackle]

It's not a license ?

[Speedbird_666]

19 minutes ago, Reef said:

I’ve been doing my research and think I’ve settled on the Specna Arms Flex series. These seem like good value for money and are very lightweight which I think is good for my son.

I have to really think of the budget as I’m buying x2 of everything including face protection, spare mags, etc. Do you think this will be enough of an upgrade from the standard G36 rental guns? Anything else I should be considering?

 

Rental guns generally have hard lives, but don't expect an OMGAMAZEBALLZ performance increase with an entry level gun. Slighty better - probably?

 

The key difference having your own gun would be the fact that you can upgrade as time goes on.

 

From what I've seen of the Flex guns (I've had hands-on at the Z1 showroom a few months ago) - they would make a lightweight and nimble platform for some modest upgrades (i.e. motor and hop rubber/nub) at a reasonable cost. Internally, they are the same as the CORE series.

 

In fact - Fire-Support are flogging them for £90 here - which is the cheapest I've found:

https://www.fire-support.co.uk/product/specna-arms-sa-f01-flex-aeg-carbine-replica-black

 

 

[Reef]

14 minutes ago, Tackle said:

It's not a license ?

Ohhh, your right. It’s a register. Sorry about that ?

[Tackle]

9 minutes ago, Reef said:

Ohhh, your right. It’s a register. Sorry about that ?

No worries, for some pedants it's a massive trigger??, for the rest of us it's an excuse for a mickey take & a meme lol?

PS, welcome?

[Reef]

Cheers for the heads up Tackle, I’ll keep a look out for the pedants ?. When you’re a noob it easy to press the triggers ?

 

Speedbird_666 that’s great information, the Flex is seriously cheap on that site, anyone bought from them before?

You’ve got me thinking though, should I up my sons budget and get him something better? I don’t mind waiting for a bit longer to get my gun.

What I don’t want to do is spend 100’s on guns now and then want to update in the summer. I know this always happens with a new hobby but if I can limit it now…..

Edited December 16, 2023 by Reef

[Rogerborg]

Specna FLEX will be fine, and those Fire Support ones are a genuine bargain.  The performance will be on par with a rental G36. They both have decent rotary hops, everything else is functional, but could be better.

 

To get anything noticeably better I reckon you'd have to go to a gun with a fire control system like a Double Eagle M9XX series, or a Specna Arms EDGE 2.0, but you'll pay significantly more.

 

You'll always want to be fiddling around, but it won't necessarily produce hugely better results.  The FLEX will take all of the common parts like motors, hop rubbers, barrels, gears and such if you want to go that route.  Or, with some more experience, you might end up relegating them to backup guns and go another route like AK, MP5, a G-gun, or whatever tickles your fancy.  You'll rarely regret having a light, reliable, basic and unmeddled M4 in the bag or boot.

[jellybeans]

33 minutes ago, Reef said:

Cheers for the heads up Tackle, I’ll keep a look out for the pedants ?. When you’re a noob it easy to press the triggers ?

 

Speedbird_666 that’s great information, the Flex is seriously cheap on that site, anyone bought from them before?

You’ve got me thinking though, should I up my sons budget and get him something better? I don’t mind waiting for a bit longer to get my gun.

What I don’t want to do is spend 100’s on guns now and then want to update in the summer. I know this always happens with a new hobby but if I can limit it now…..

32 minutes ago, Reef said:

?.?

 

 

Speedbird_666 that’s great information, the Flex is seriously cheap on that site, anyone bought from them before?

 

I knew the ffz guys from back in the day and the owner John was a diamond chap. I don't know who is still around as I've been out of the scene for many years, but they are legit.

[Speedbird_666]

1 hour ago, Reef said:

Speedbird_666 that’s great information, the Flex is seriously cheap on that site, anyone bought from them before?

 

Fire-Support have had loads of money out of me over the years (probably tipping into the several thousands now) and I've not had any problems. They are one of the oldest airsoft retailers in UK.

[EDcase]

To re-iterate whats been said before. (too late to the conversation ?)

 

You have done well to wait until you have UKARA number and then not go out and buy the most expensive toys straight away.

The Specna's you chose are good starter guns which you can upgrade or keep as backups in the future.  They should perform noticeably better than the rentals as the hops are new and you'll be able to set them properly.

Keep some budget aside for vests to hold the magazines etc, good ankle support boots, LiPo batteries and decent charger. (search for recommended in the forum)

You probably know, your son will need a one piece full face mask.

 

 

 

Edited December 17, 2023 by EDcase

[Cannonfodder]

Welcome to the madhouse

 

9 hours ago, Reef said:

I’ll keep a look out for the pedants ?. When you’re a noob it easy to press the triggers ?

A more fun alternative is to find that trigger, spam it like a speedsofter and watch them explode ?

 

The Specna Arms is a good choice as they're great value for money and can easily be upgraded later (if even required, it's very easy to spend a fairly sizable amount of cash for marginal gains).

4 hours ago, EDcase said:

Keep some budget aside for vests to hold the magazines etc, good ankle support boots, LiPo batteries and decent charger. (search for recommended in the forum)

You probably know, your son will need a one piece full face mask.

Seconded. It never ceases to amaze me how often people will spend hundreds of pounds on a gun but cheap out on other equally important kit, especially PPE.

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

Cheap but decent batteries can be had here...

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/lifestyle/airsoft/airsoft-batteries.html

 

You'll probably want a couple of Turnigy 7.4v LiPos for each Specna to keep you going through a whole day

[Reef]

Thanks guys, really appreciate the input.

 

Sleeping on it last night I think I’m going to just get a gun for my son and up his budget. Looking at the Specna Edge level now with better internals and Mosfet, etc. I’ll buy my own at a later date.

 

At the moment we’ve been using the hire mesh face masks but will invest in our own. PPE is a tough one, everyone  I speak to has their own opinions on what works for them. Don’t think I’ve seen two set ups the same, I’m going to get my son a Valken mi-7, not sure about me yet. We do a bit of hiking/fishing, etc, so boots, gloves and clothing we’re pretty much set. I’m using gloves, jacket and knee pads from my MTB riding, saves a few quid ?

[Gunboat Diplomat]

1 hour ago, Reef said:

Thanks guys, really appreciate the input.

 

Sleeping on it last night I think I’m going to just get a gun for my son and up his budget. Looking at the Specna Edge level now with better internals and Mosfet, etc. I’ll buy my own at a later date.

 

At the moment we’ve been using the hire mesh face masks but will invest in our own. PPE is a tough one, everyone  I speak to has their own opinions on what works for them. Don’t think I’ve seen two set ups the same, I’m going to get my son a Valken mi-7, not sure about me yet. We do a bit of hiking/fishing, etc, so boots, gloves and clothing we’re pretty much set. I’m using gloves, jacket and knee pads from my MTB riding, saves a few quid ?

If you’re looking at the higher level Specnas, note that its only the Edge 2.0 models that come with a proper Gate Aster mosfet (this gives you all the nice features like active braking, pre-cocking, programmability etc).  These start around the £250ish mark. 

The standard Edge models have an X-ASR, which is essentially nothing more than an electronic trigger contact.  It has no extra features or configurable options.  They come in some nice bodies but arguably aren’t going to perform any better than the £90 Flex that Fire-Support are selling. 

 

My choice when I had this dilemma earlier this year was the Double Eagle M906C. It has their Falcon mosfet in it. Not as advanced as the Specna’s Gate Aster, but it is programmable and has all the features I need. Its been rock solid over many games and thousands of rounds fired. I bought it thinking I’d upgrade to something better, but its dawned on me that in AEG terms at least there aren’t many more gains to be made. This and the rest of Double Eagle’s Falcon equipped models all hover around the £180-£200 mark. Would definitely shortlist them next to the Specnas. 
 

PPE wise, you’ll prob have to experiment a bit. The revelation for me were Revision Anti Fog wipes. I now use relatively cheap and comfortable Bolle eyepro, these would normally steam up very easily but the Revision wipes keep 90% of it at bay. 

[RostokMcSpoons]

I'm a big fan of my Double Eagle M906C... 

 

    

 

Added a used PTS EPS-S stock for more battery space...
 

  

 

And after a recent paint job... 

 

 

Metal receiver and handguard, it's very nicely made and great value for money.
The provided spring won't last long, but the quick change mechanism is super easy to use.

Edited December 17, 2023 by RostokMcSpoons

[Sewdhull]

5 hours ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

Cheap but decent batteries can be had here...

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/lifestyle/airsoft/airsoft-batteries.html

 

You'll probably want a couple of Turnigy 7.4v LiPos for each Specna to keep you going through a whole day

I dont need more batteries... but now im looking...

[RostokMcSpoons]

2 hours ago, Sewdhull said:

I dont need more batteries... but now im looking...

 

We rarely need things, just want them (just in case, y'know).   

 

The parallels between me and airsoft, and my wife and shoe shops are a bit too close for comfort  ?

[Gunboat Diplomat]

2 hours ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

 

We rarely need things, just want them (just in case, y'know).   

 

The parallels between me and airsoft, and my wife and shoe shops are a bit too close for comfort  ?

Your wife throws a grenade through the door of the shoe shop before rushing in and shooting all the mannequins?

[jellybeans]

On 16/12/2023 at 20:59, Speedbird_666 said:

 

Rental guns generally have hard lives, but don't expect an OMGAMAZEBALLZ performance increase with an entry level gun. Slighty better - probably?

 

The key difference having your own gun would be the fact that you can upgrade as time goes on.

 

From what I've seen of the Flex guns (I've had hands-on at the Z1 showroom a few months ago) - they would make a lightweight and nimble platform for some modest upgrades (i.e. motor and hop rubber/nub) at a reasonable cost. Internally, they are the same as the CORE series.

 

In fact - Fire-Support are flogging them for £90 here - which is the cheapest I've found:

https://www.fire-support.co.uk/product/specna-arms-sa-f01-flex-aeg-carbine-replica-black

 

 

I took a quick look at those specnas today in person and if I was starting out today I would buy one in a heartbeat. I can't speak for reliability and durability of the internals ofc, but an aeg like that at those prices was unheard of in my day.

I'm going through a holdall of some of my old guns that will need some new springs etc and I'm thinking sod it and just getting one myself too. ?

In fact I might even call them or take a drive up tomorrow and get a new loadout.

[Speedbird_666]

16 minutes ago, jellybeans said:

I can't speak for reliability and durability of the internals

 

Internals are decent enough - full strip down here:

 

 

[jellybeans]

Looks alright tbf. Thanks for the link.

I'd happily slap a spring and a higher voltage battery in it and see how it fares in the field. Love the compact frame too. Very versatile.

[Rogerborg]

19 hours ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

I'm a big fan of my Double Eagle M906C... 

 

You've kept that quiet.

 

And yes, to re-iterate, the FLEX, CORE, and EDGE Specnas are all much of a muchness. I won't even list the detailed differences as they actually alter depending on the phase of the moon.

 

EDGE 2.0 with the Gate Aster, or Double Eagle M9XX with their Falcon fire control system, is where you'll get features like burst mode, pre-cock and active brake (which can help if you go for a battery spicier than a 7.4V)

 

And that's not to say that you can't add a well featured mosfet to a more basic gun later.  The best gun is the one that puts a smile on your face, and I have as much or more fun playing with "worse" guns.

[RostokMcSpoons]

1 hour ago, Rogerborg said:

You've kept that quiet.

 

.... I'm still waiting on my first commission cheque

 

 

The bastards

[Reef]

My son and I did the deed today and bought our first guns.

 

My son went for a Specna Arms SA-C19 Core Daniel Defence in Chaos Bronze.

I had my heart set on the Specna Arms SA-F02 Flex but after handling my sons choice it didn’t feel right. After trying a few different guns I picked up a G&G Raider mark 1 in long barrel. I know it’s old tech but I understand why they’ve been so popular, it felt really nice and solid. As I was buying two guns, batteries, etc he offered me a discount on the raider and I couldn’t resist…

 

They’ve been wrapped up for Christmas now otherwise I’d post some pictures.

[Gunboat Diplomat]

Good that you got to try a few out, the handling and general feel is probably as big a distinction between one AEG and another as much as raw spec differences.  Nothing like father-and-son toys for Xmas day!  Have a good one.