A guide - Deciding on a sidearm

[Kodiak]

I see a LOT of people asking about "what sidearm should I get" nowadays, so I thought I'd write this guide so it gives some new players an insight on the topic.

First: What is a sidearm?
A sidearm is a secondary weapon, or holstered weapon. Sidearms are mainly used when a primary weapon is no longer useable, or not appropriate for the situation. E.g.: No ammunition or too long for the environment the user finds themself in. It's better to use a small pistol for clearing something like a bathroom cubicle than a large assault rifle.

In airsoft, they serve the same function. Sidearms are weapons to fall back on. Pistols are the most popular sidearms, but compact SMG's are also considerable.


Second: What gun should I pick?
The gun you want is ENTIRELY YOUR CHOICE. Other people can't decide what guns you like, it's up to your personal preference. This section will cover different sizes of sidearms, their application and their practicality.

Small sidearms
Examples: Glocks, snub nose revolvers, USP compact or anything similiar, Detonics .45, Walther P99 or anything along those lines. Anything with a barrel length of 3" or under I'd say is a small pistol.
Application: Compact, light and easy to get to. Small pistols are good in cases where power isn't an issue and the weight needs to be light. The downsides of these guns is that they can have small gas capacities and possibly lower power. They are also a lot easier to lose.
Should I get one of these?: If you want a small pistol that is easy to carry, draw and shoot, buy one. Big heavy guns aren't as practical as small pistols are.

Medium sidearms
Examples: Colt 1911 or any varients (Hi-capa 4.3, 5.1), M9, P22X (X being 6, 9 etc), USP .45 full size, Mk. 23 SOCOM without suppressor, Glock 26.
Application: These medium size guns offer a great compromise. They have good capacity magazines, good power, are not very heavy and are not easy to lose or hard to draw from their holsters. They sit well between large guns and small guns.
Should I get one of these?: If you don't want something small or massive, these are a great choice. The power is great, the gas capacity is good and they're very versatile offering a good compromise. They fit all situations.

Large sidearms
Examples: Large revolvers with a barrel length of 6" or more, Desert Eagle, Hi-capa 7.1, Hardballers, Mac 11, TMP, MP7, Mac 10, Mk.23 SOCOM with sound suppressor, MP5K, VZ61 Scorpion
Application: Where power is a must or a full auto capability is needed, large sidearms are a good choice. Big guns like the Desert Eagle have a massive gas capacity, hard blowback action and usually a high stock FPS. These guns can take a kicking and dish it out too.
Should I get one of these?: Large sidearms aren't a very good choice for a new player. Electric SMG's like the MP7 and MP5K require more caring for than smaller gas pistols and batteries are needed too. Gas SMG's are very tough guns for new players to cope with. They require a lot of lubrication on the bolts to prevent jamming and frequent maintenance. They're also very big, so carrying a large sidearm can get in the way of a fair amount of things.

Get one of these only if you're sure you can handle the size of it. A large revolver isn't going to sit well on your leg like a medium or small sidearm would. A shoulder or belt holster work a lot better here. Large sidearms on thigh holsters tend to throw their weight around a lot, they're not comfortable to run with. If you find yourself in a tough situation frequently, a SMG will be a good sidearm here. If you tend to not bring a lot of gas to games with you, a Desert Eagle or Tanaka Revolver will work wonders.


Third: Makes & manufacturers
So you've decided on a gun, you know it's the right choice for you.... but which make?

There are a lot of manufacturers out there. Tokyo Marui (TM), Tanaka, WE, WA, KJW, the list goes on.

My personal preference for any gas gun is either Tokyo Marui or Tanaka. Tokyo Marui may be plastic bodied, but they're extremely well built. They can take a beating and the will last you a life time with no problems. Tanaka are the same, they make the best airsoft revolvers you can buy.

The other makes you can find information on below. Other users will contribute their experiences with manufacturers, but always go for quality. Cheap sidearms won't last long, where as an expensive Tanaka or TM gun will.

Fourth: Gas
All gas blowback guns obviously require gas, but there are a fair amount of choices! This section will cover gasses and how they will affect your gun.

"Duster" gas
Power: Very low
Blowback action: Weak
Basic overview: Duster gas is any gas that you can put into your magazine that isn't highly pressurized, such as deodorant. This is dangerous, and very weak. Do not ever use anything like this in your guns.

Abbey 134a
Power: Low (200 - 250 FPS)
Blowback action: Low - Moderate
Best used: Warmer days
Information: Abbey 134a is a good choice if you're very concerned about your gun's condition. Abbey 134a gives low power, but also results in less wear and tear. Use this gas if you're happy with lower power but a lot less wear and tear.

Abbey Ultra
Power: Moderate (250 - 300 FPS)
Blowback action: Moderate - high
Best used: Fair to warm days
Information: Abbey Ultra is a compromise between green gas and 134a. It offers moderate power, moderate wear and tear and a fair blowback action. Use this if you want a nice compromise.

Green gas
Power: High (300+ FPS)
Blowback action: High
Best used: Winter
Information: Green gas is propane mixed with silicone. It offers high power and high blowback action at the cost of wear and tear. Plastic slide guns will have their slide stops worn down quickly and inevitably they will cease to function. The TM Desert Eagle is a good example of this. Metal slide guns do not have this problem. Use this gas if you want the highest performance at the cost of increased wear and tear.

Propane
Power: High (300-400 FPS, varies)
Blowback action: High
Information: Pure propane used in gas magazines grants very high power, however the seals in your gun will dry up quickly and the magazine will begin to leak. Green gas typically has silicone mixed in with it to keep the seals lubricated. Propane does not. Due to pure propane having no silicone whilst green gas has a % of it in, propane grants higher power at the cost of high wear and tear and in some cases, gun destruction.
BE ADVISED: PROPANE IS DANGEROUS IN PLASTIC GUNS.

CO2
Power: High (400+ FPS)
Blowback action: High
Best used: Winter
Information: CO2 guns are usually powered by CO2 "bulbs" containing gas. They're very powerful and will wreck plastic guns easily. Fixed slide guns don't have this problem, but blowback guns do. CO2 should only be used in very highly upgraded guns suited for CO2 as CO2 also dries up seals very fast in regular magazines

General gas information
All gasses are affected by temperature. A high temperature green gas magazine can destroy some guns easily, whilst a cold one will lower the power and blowback action drastically.

Higher temperatures give gasses in the magazine more energy, therefore they occupy a larger space and become more pressurized. Cold temperatures give gasses decreased energy, so they occupy a smaller space and become less pressurized.

Fifth: Fixed slide and blowback slided guns
There are different variations of guns. Fixed slide guns do not have a "recoil" feel like gas blowback guns do. Their slide stays fixed in place.

Advantages of a fixed slide gun
*Can take higher power gasses
*Quieter
*Less maintenance

Disadvantages of a fixed slide gun
*Not as much fun as a gas blowback gun


Advantages of a gas blowback gun
*Much more fun
*Stops firing when out of BB's
*More upgradeable

Disadvantages of a gas blowback gun
*Cycling slide means that high power gasses can blow the rear recoiling part straight off the gun
*Louder
*Require more maintenance

Ideally, fixed slide guns are better for being quiet and needing higher power whilst gas blowback guns still offer high power, but are quite a bit more noisy. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages, so which you choose it your choice.


Sixth: Caring for your gun
This is an important section. Gas blowback sidearms and SMG's are high maintenance. Not maintaining them can cause them to stop functioning, become slow or even break.

To care for a gas blowback pistol, learn how it disassembles. The basic maintenance is to lubricate the moving parts to ensure crisp action.

If your magazines are leaking and you want to fix them yourself, learn how to take them fully apart. You will find inside each gas magazine some seals. These are black rubber O-rings. If they are not lubricated, they will dry up and the gas will vent itself. Use some silicone spray on the O-rings, ensure the filler valve (where the gas goes in) and the flow valve (that silver bulb on the top back side of the magazine) are properly screwed in and lubricated and ensure nothing is missing from the gun.

Be sure to leave your magazines gassed to stop them from becoming dry. If you're using things such as propane and CO2, I recommend using Abbey maintenance gas every 5-10 magazines to keep the seals properly cared for.

So to recap, just generally lubricate seals and moving parts. Keep the insides and outside of the gun clean and your gun will last far longer!

.

[jagillham]

Re: A guide - Deciding on a sidearm

I think it is worth noting any GBB is a challenge, be sure you are up for that kind of commitment.

They are much less reliable than AEG's, and will very often break in some shape or form. During the winter many will not fire at all. Any breakages usually require the most tiny part from Hong Kong, which will cost a fortune with shipping.

That being said, they are the most realistic airsoft weapon, and by far the most fun. :D

So definitely worth it, but will take some maintenance!

[shadowcaptain]

Re: A guide - Deciding on a sidearm

Should i get an AEP or GBB?
Bear in mind the differences between gas and electric

for pistols you also have the choices of AEPs, electric pistols are not effected by the weather and have a more consistent performance , however they lack the reaslism of the gas blowback GBB pistols and the good quality ones are just as expensive as a GBB


Which should i choose?

Basically do you want a gun that is going to work everytime you pull it, something to rely on, but arnt bothered about looks, feeling and realism? - then an AEP is for you

If you want the feeling of a real pistol, high fps performance and great looks and can put up with a bit of maintainance and put up with gas in cold weather - then GBB is for you

(this by extension covers GBB sub machine guns and electric smgs)

[aribos]

Re: A guide - Deciding on a sidearm

Also most CO2 guns, unless modified or a few mags are fired off straight after the bulb goes in, will be too hot to use on most skirmish sites.

[sparrowhawk]

Re: A guide - Deciding on a sidearm

i wouldnt call a glock 26 medium,its definately small....
medium glocks are 23f, 19
large could be 17, 18c

also choice of makes are very limited,if you read a lot of peoples posts on this forum, you would think that there was only one decent make TM...but you could argue that KWA/KSC are a strong contender, maruzen make good pistols also marushin make great revolvers

[TheLazyMarksman]

Re: A guide - Deciding on a sidearm

KWA/KSC may be considered, however most new players won't spend that much on KSC pistols.

Maruzen and Marushin are great companies, however price and magazines are an issue.

WE and TM are probably the best manufacturers, a skirmisher's favourite.

[Taylorb]

Re: A guide - Deciding on a sidearm

KSC are one of the leading pistol brands. Have the new System 7 design and the non-7's are the same price as TM's....

And as for WE's they're not that far from JG pistols in terms of manufacturing experience and quality. Certainly they are sub par in comparison with KSC and TM pistols, which are favorites in that medium priced/all rounder category.

As for my personal experience:

TM are very good, they last and work great. I have had a MEU, HiCappa and Tacmaster and for plastic pistols they are very good. The MEU is probably the best around, except for the WA ones.

Also KSC Glock's and USP's are top notch =]

Also, for a budding sniper the TM Mk.23 is a top shout They are quieter, have less gas consumption so last longer and they perform better and are easier to shoot accurately with too.

[Sci Fi Steve]

cleaned and edited however will not be stuck but left as a discussion thread as with all Gun threads it is subjective.

[zack]

Re: A guide - Deciding on a sidearm

what gas should i use for a tm m92f plastic - abbey ulta seeing as its geting warmer

[Taylorb]

Re: A guide - Deciding on a sidearm

Abbey ultra is probably best. A lot of people use green all the time and all year round in their TM's and don't experience any problems, but on the other hand problems are probably more likely to occur using green.

I've always used green, even in plastic pistols, and no problems so far for me

[Kodiak]

Re: A guide - Deciding on a sidearm

All the TM pistols I've had can take green gas without a problem, so my recommendation is that if you want the most out of your gun