My first gun

[MrRobertson-]

My first skirmish was Sunday at RIFT airsoft in middle wallop, I enjoyed the day and am now looking for my first gun.
I'm looking for an AEG that will be effective at a long distance with no more then 350fps as I'll use it for CQB also.
I'd like to spend no more than £300 for the gun, sight, battery and mags overall.
Any advise would be appreciated.

[PureSilver]

Re: My first gun

Funnily enough you are the first person ever to buy their first gun, and using the search function on any keyword from this common query on this heavily trafficked forum would have been a total waste of your time - good thing you didn't try it! I reckon you can safely use the search to appraise yourself of your position under the VCRA, though, that one does get asked very occasionally.

£300 for a rifle, battery, magazines and sight? It's a good thing you specified what sort of rifle/SMG/machine pistol you're interested in, what sort of sight, how many magazines you want, whether you want to purchase in the UK or abroad, whether you want to modify it or keep it stock, whether you plan on waiting until you have a defence...

[reaper_leaper]

Re: My first gun

I would like to add that the Airsoft community is not full of sarcastic, narcissistic people, we are generally a friendly bunch - welcome to the community! However, 'Silver does have a point, there are a LOT of options under your brief, many that have been discussed at great length. I'd suggest you defo read up on UKARA (legal defence for owning a RIF), and then work towards meeting the legal requirements. As to a rifle - generally a M4 variant is your best bet, best option is to google your local shop, have a visit and see what takes your fancy 😊 Any further issues, please feel free to drop me a PM

[MrRobertson-]

Re: My first gun

I was looking for advice not a sarcastic comment but thanks for your time...
I'm new to forums as a whole and new to airsoft so was hoping for some help and ideas.
I didn't specify the gun type because as I said I'm new and would like to know other people's views on what they enjoy using so I can do some research from this, also the same goes for the sight as I used iron sights on a rental gun.
2 mags would be ideal, I'd be happy to purchase online from a uk or eu site.
I'm not looking to modify it before my first time using it but maybe in the future yes, also I'll be waiting until I have a defence to purchase.

- - - Updated - - -

I would like to add that the Airsoft community is not full of sarcastic, narcissistic people, we are generally a friendly bunch - welcome to the community! However, 'Silver does have a point, there are a LOT of options under your brief, many that have been discussed at great length. I'd suggest you defo read up on UKARA (legal defence for owning a RIF), and then work towards meeting the legal requirements. As to a rifle - generally a M4 variant is your best bet, best option is to google your local shop, have a visit and see what takes your fancy �� Any further issues, please feel free to drop me a PM

Thanks for the reply, I have my UKARA paperwork and will be attending my next airsoft session on the 5th of next month, I'll surely look more into other posts on this site to see what information I can find. Thanks again ��

[Figjam]

Re: My first gun

So, I'd have probably sweetened the pill, but using search is considered good etiquette for very commonly asked questions. Longer serving members tend to respond more favourably to picking from a short list, i.e. find a few choices that you are interested in and see how people think they compare.

At £300 you aren't really that far off what people are selling 2nd hand marui recoils for if you are prepared to wait for a good offer to pounce on, or failing that, something from G&G top-tech or VFC. Only issue with all those choices is that having one as your first gun may lead to you not appreciating how nice they are.

New Combat Machines are very decent and would leave you with a fair bit in your pocket for mags and other kit. A friend who is new to the sport has one of the 2015 M4s, and it is definitely a step up from older lines. Honestly I'd not look at a 2nd hand one though, they are quite likely to have been poorly looked after.

[Sitting Duck]

Re: My first gun

See both sides - often noob asks for advice but then it is like a scratched record saying same ol' same ol' over n over again

OP - should read up a bit and get at least an idea of what they first think they might be after
But catch anybody on a bad day and I can be a little grumpy - well more than usual
but usually I don't mind a little spoon feeding if it reduces the noob making an unwise 1st gun choice like many of us have done

G&G are great starters and yes buying new is perhaps best advice to avoid a noob buying a poorly maintained gun
unless it is a bargain but then still caution as usually people think their gun is worth so much more
so a really cheap one could be not quite as good as it seems but there are a few good deals to be had now n then
(I'm a pessimist - if gun was so damn good why are they selling it but know peeps do quit or need to sell stuff quickly now n then)

If you are a newcomer with little/no previous experience buying new is perhaps the best possible option
research what you like/get on with - ask at club/site - people love to show and brag about their toy guns
then look around a bit and ask a few questions before you proceed with your purchase

if you are a game or two already in the you may wish to wait until ukara'd rather than rush out to get a 2-tone one
by time you are entered onto the database you may find you actually now like something else

don't rush out and buy the first FANTASTIC gun from just any old BB site is best advice I can give

[PureSilver]

Re: My first gun

I didn't specify the gun type because as I said I'm new and would like to know other people's views on what they enjoy using so I can do some research from this, also the same goes for the sight as I used iron sights on a rental gun.
2 mags would be ideal, I'd be happy to purchase online from a uk or eu site.
I'm not looking to modify it before my first time using it but maybe in the future yes, also I'll be waiting until I have a defence to purchase.

Much better, this is what we need to know. In order:

1. Type of Gun: The keywords you're looking for here are reliability, affordability and versatility. It is no good having a reliable, affordable gun if it's a support weapon that weighs 15kg or it's a DMR that's five feet long and has a thirty-metre MED. Equally it's no good having an affordable, versatile weapon if it's a JLS FN2000 and it needs forty hours of tech work for every ten minutes of operation. I strongly suggest you look at the various assault rifles and SMGs on the market; they're light and compact (good for CQB) - assault rifles have the added advantage of not looking silly in woodland play. Like the others have suggested, have a look at the AR-15 ('M4') and Kalashnikov ('AK-47') platforms, in particular G&G for the former and CYMA for the latter - they're affordable and reliable. Pick a gun you like the look of before asking for make and model recommendations - the vast majority of AEGs are functionally identical internally, so a good brand can be found for virtually any model and price range.
2. Sight: CQB and woodland arguably require different sorts of sights (unmagnified for the former, lightly magnified for the latter) but it's mostly personal preference - a Red Dot Sight (RDS) like an Aimpoint will serve you well in both scenarios, but iron sights are cheap and reliable.
3. Magazines: If you're only budgeting for two they will need to be the dreaded hi-caps; alternatively, buy a box set of five mid-cap magazines. You need to ensure that the magazines you're buying will fit the gun you want - compatibility issues are common with particular guns and magazines.
4. Upgrades: Virtually all AEGs will benefit from slight attention out of the box - shimming, lubricating, and often hop-up rubber replacement will do wonders for the gun's abilities. However, this may conflict with your warranty, and you should find a reputable and preferable independent technician to perform the work for you. Find a local one on here or via Facebook.
5. Purchase: We can't recommend any other retailers than Zero One on ZeroIn's forum. Although attractively priced, Zero One do not have the best reputation for customer service, and do charge for things that should be free - like spring downgrades - so do your research carefully. As a new player I would recommend you purchase a new gun, preferable with a long warranty - you don't have a backup gun or the budget to buy one, so if yours breaks you will be in real trouble if you don't have recourse to have it repaired. However, modifications will likely void your warranty; consider asking the retailer to perform them for you.
6. VCRA: Good, it's a sensible idea to wait until you have a defence. UKARA is the most readily-accepted form of defence, too.

[HunterAndy]

Re: My first gun

Sorry about these guys, bees in bonnet springs to mind. Apparently you've insulted their intelligence by asking a question in the new players and advice forum, what were they expecting? Certainly the opportunity to flex one's patronising ability has been used here. We were all new at some point.
If you dont know where to start, you don't know where to start, its a good thing as it also means you are open to suggestions. Unless you are particularly into a certain style, you want a workhorse for your first gun.
You want something reliable but ultimately upgradeable, as thats a large part of the airsofting lifestyle. I'd personally say go for an AR (m4) varient, preferably non Blowback unless marui. Blowback models tend to break easier, and for the same price you could get a better non blowback AEG.

Think about your playstyle too, and the size of rifle you want to show off. If you like CQB don't be buying a long gun like a m14 , if you're a small person probably think about not buying a really heavy rifle. A days game will make you realise.

Try to buy new if you can, second hand always runs the risk of needing more regular maintainance, and seeing as you probably just know which is the dangerous end and what makes it go bang.

Most new guns come 328-350fps stock these days too.

[MrRobertson-]

Re: My first gun

Thanks for the detailed answers, I've had a look at G&G and this has caught my eye.
http://www.zerooneairsoft.com/produc...oducts_id=8510
It's on the low end of my budget for the newer G&G's and looks great IMO.
Does anyone have much experience with the newer combat machines as I used an older hired one Sunday and it didn't seem to be as effective as I'd have hoped for field use.

[HunterAndy]

Re: My first gun

Were you able to adjust the hop up or was it sealed off, that can massively affect the usability of a rifle.

I remember when I started renting (over 10 years ago now), they had duct taped over it to stop adjustments, and I had to loop my rounds for most of the day.

what exactly was wrong and we may be able to tell you if you can fix the problems on that rifle.

[MrRobertson-]

Re: My first gun

It seemed to shoot high, nothing was taped over but I was told not to adjust anything as it could result in the gun being damaged and the cost of repair would've been mine to deal with.
As it was my first time I didnt want to fiddle with anything I didn't know much about lol, although it was firing high I just had to adjust my shot and still enjoyed myself fortunately

[HunterAndy]

Re: My first gun

Yeah that's just the hop up and laziness on part of the site owners. They were just scaring you into not adjusting it. Adjusting a hop up will not break the gun.

Most newly bought rifles will shoot between 40-50m with a flat trajectory, when set up properly at 350fps.

[colinjallen]

Re: My first gun

"Adjusting a hop up will not break the gun."

Really? Too much hop can lead to jamming and potential damage to the gearbox. I know; I was that man!

- - - Updated - - -

The R8-L is a decent gun; as HunterAndy says, you should easily be able to coax 50m range out of it, especially if using 0.25g BBs. The G&G hop units are very decent and their green hop rubbers are excellent.

[MrRobertson-]

Re: My first gun

"Adjusting a hop up will not break the gun."

Really? Too much hop can lead to jamming and potential damage to the gearbox. I know; I was that man!

- - - Updated - - -

The R8-L is a decent gun; as HunterAndy says, you should easily be able to coax 50m range out of it, especially if using 0.25g BBs. The G&G hop units are very decent and their green hop rubbers are excellent.

My only question with the R8-L is what else should I do to it to improve it keeping the fps below 350? I'd be happy to spend up to £300 and wouldn't want to spend much less if I'm able to get something else better for around £300

[HunterAndy]

Re: My first gun

colin, I'd just like to clarify I said adjusting the hop will not break a gun. Setting it to overhop (anything above a 2 ft rise) is of course a bad idea, and not what i'd call "adjusting"

I'd hope you wouldn't try firing a real gun once it's jammed, to clear it- that just seems a no brainer to me