I'm new to Airsoft, I have a few questions!

[Barretted]

Hi there, I've just signed up to this forum as Zero-One Airsoft seems to be the best website I can find for well priced Airsoft guns in the UK. In terms of Airsoft experience I've been to a single Skirmish with friends and I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though I was extremely unprepared with little to no BB's, protection, mags or even food & drink lol. I'm hoping you guys will be able to help me out and get me on my feet ready for my next game and hopefully many more after.

So with the introduction over, I have a few questions and need some advice on the gear & guns I'm going to need on the field so here's my situation:

Budget: £230 (MAX)
Guns: Preferrably an AK variant of some sort, I'd also love a pistol (M1911) but it may not be neccessary at this point.
Gear: Not sure on what gear I may need so I'd appreciate any advice & tips. I have gloves and that's about it.

I don't have a UKARA License but I'm looking at getting one as soon as I'm eligible.

So here are my questions:

Q1: What are good manafacturers to look out for?
Q2: Do I NEED a full set of gear?
Q3: How many extra mags will I need?

I hope some of you guys can help me out with advice & tips, I appreciate any information as I'm new and need as much as I can get.

[Figjam]

Re: I'm new to Airsoft, I have a few questions!

1. Always Marui for high end stuff, and particularly pistols, however your budget wont stretch that far. For AKs, Cyma and G&G are your go to manufacturers in my opinion.
2. The context of your discription makes it sound like maybe you did a private/backyard game with your friends? These are bad for the sport, if you've been doing that, stop it before you spoil things for everyone. If you are going to an organised and insured skirmish, Eye protection is the only universal must. Some sites insist on boots due to the dangerous nature of their terrain. If you are sensible, a mesh lower face guard is cheap and saves you from an expensive trip to the dentist. Playing without lower face protection is fine right up until it isnt. For your own comfort, gloves are a really good idea, finger and knuckle hits are a misery, and get worse as winter sets in. For eye and face protection, i can't recommend Heroshark enough, for gloves, best ive owned are Mechanix Impact gloves, they cost a little more, but mine have lasted me two years and counting, while cheaper ones have fallen apart in less than a year.
3. Tough question. If you are going with an AK, hicaps are typically 550-600 BBs. You could happily play with just two, usually not need the second, and refill between missions. If you plan to join the midcap master-race, then i have 5 right now, and always wish i had more.

Just some supplimental information. You asked your questions in an excellent manner, often new people enrage older members by asking the same "what gun is best?" question that has been asked a bazillion times before. Really you post should be pinned for all new members to read when they join as a How To Ask The Forum For Advice example. However you did use the trigger phrase "UKARA License". Be ready for a few jokes and memes about that.
Just so you know, UKARA isnt a license. It is just the easiest way to cover yourself and a seller legally. There are others, but honestly, just get a UKARA membership as soon as you qualify and then be sorted.

[heroshark]

Re: I'm new to Airsoft, I have a few questions!

1:CYMA or jg will do ya for AK. 1911 tm

2:Eye protection is the minimum, some sites won't let you play without boots. The rest is your preference, I'd say gloves and scarf are a good call.

3:Two Hi-caps is good. Or 5 MIDs ,in which case you might want a rig.

4:Jaffa cakes.

[RitchieTheBrit]

Re: I'm new to Airsoft, I have a few questions!

Figjame and Heroshark covered all the bases, just wanted to say +1 for Cyma AKs.

[Barretted]

Re: I'm new to Airsoft, I have a few questions!

Thank you all for the information, I had a weird feeling I wasn't going to get any replies but I'm glad I did.

The only decent guns for my price I can find with AK variants are G&G and now I know they're a trusted manafacturer I'll definitely be looking out for them.

I completely forgot about Eye Protection, I'll be sure to pick up some goggles and lower face protection as my first purchases as I know how important safety is when playing Airsoft.
I do actually have a pair of boots although they're more worker boots, quite heavy and have steel-toe caps so I'm not sure they'll work very well with running around.

I'll also be sure to pick up an extra Mid/High Cap mag as I don't want to get stuck in battle with no ammo, that would suck lol.

Thank you all for the information and I'm suprised none of you took some shots at me for being a newbie, much appreciated.

Also @Figjam: I didn't play in a backyard of any sorts, we went to UltimateWarGames and it was a vast woodland map .

[sparrowhawk]

Re: I'm new to Airsoft, I have a few questions!

Where are you located

[Fizzy]

Re: I'm new to Airsoft, I have a few questions!

Instead of buying a gun before your second game, how about waiting until after your third and getting a realistic looking gun rather than something Dyno-rod orange?

[Barretted]

Re: I'm new to Airsoft, I have a few questions!

Instead of buying a gun before your second game, how about waiting until after your third and getting a realistic looking gun rather than something Dyno-rod orange?

Because I'm still 17 so i'd still have to wait until my 18th for a bypass on non Two-Tone guns.

@sparrowhawk: I'm located in Watford, Hertfordshire.

[sparrowhawk]

Re: I'm new to Airsoft, I have a few questions!

You are only up the road from me, when will you be 18

[Barretted]

Re: I'm new to Airsoft, I have a few questions!

You are only up the road from me, when will you be 18

I'll be 18 early next year, so I have a while to wait haha. I just really want to get stuck into the sport as quickly as possible.

[sparrowhawk]

Re: I'm new to Airsoft, I have a few questions!

What a downer having to wait 6 months, well it's not too long and will give you time to prepare

[heroshark]

Re: I'm new to Airsoft, I have a few questions!

Wait bud it's worth it.

[PureSilver]

Re: I'm new to Airsoft, I have a few questions!

Because I'm still 17 so i'd still have to wait until my 18th for a bypass on non Two-Tone guns.

You can't purchase a RIF or an IF until you're 18. What you can do is get someone (a parent) to buy an IF and give it to you, and then once you've played your three games you can manufacture a RIF by repainting/stripping the paint from the IF. There is nothing to stop you doing so if you have a defence, and nothing to stop you getting a defence if you're a minor.

The upshot of this is you should attempt if at all possible to have your gun painted by someone who gives a shit about their work. If you can convince them just to paint the gun's furniture (that is, the stock, handguards and pistol grip) you will easily be able to replace that furniture with unpainted stuff after you have a defence (i.e., after you've played your three games). If they do a shitty job of painting the gun - don't strip it down/mask it off before painting it, so the paint gets everywhere, or paint the receivers too - it'll be much harder for you to do undo that damage.

[Barretted]

Re: I'm new to Airsoft, I have a few questions!

You can't purchase a RIF or an IF until you're 18. What you can do is get someone (a parent) to buy an IF and give it to you, and then once you've played your three games you can manufacture a RIF by repainting/stripping the paint from the IF. There is nothing to stop you doing so if you have a defence, and nothing to stop you getting a defence if you're a minor.

The upshot of this is you should attempt if at all possible to have your gun painted by someone who gives a shit about their work. If you can convince them just to paint the gun's furniture (that is, the stock, handguards and pistol grip) you will easily be able to replace that furniture with unpainted stuff after you have a defence (i.e., after you've played your three games). If they do a shitty job of painting the gun - don't strip it down/mask it off before painting it, so the paint gets everywhere, or paint the receivers too - it'll be much harder for you to do undo that damage.

So what you're saying is I'm allowed to get a parent to give me an IF Gun and that's ok?

Then once I've played my three games I'm allowed to strip it down of it's paint aslong as I have a defence?

Just re-read the last part, I'll have a worthy defence once I've played 3 games at skirmish sites?

Sorry for the dumb questions :P

[PureSilver]

Re: I'm new to Airsoft, I have a few questions!

A minor commits a crime if they buy or try to buy a Realistic Imitation Firearm ('RIF') or an Imitation Firearm ('IF', 'two-toner'). Someone who sells or tries to sell a RIF or an IF to a minor also commits a crime.

Therefore, you cannot buy yourself an airsoft gun, and no-one call sell you one. However, you can be given ('gifted') one without exchange in consideration - that is, without paying money for it, without exchanging labour or goods for it or anything else - it has to be a gift. Therefore the most common way for minors to acquire airsoft guns is being given one by a parent.

Someone commits a crime if they sell or try to sell a RIF to someone over the age of 18; that someone must provide the seller with a defence to prosecution - that is, evidence that they have a legitimate reason to purchase the gun. The most common way to acquire a defence is to play airsoft at your local site at least three times in at least two different months and then apply for membership of that site. This can then be registered on a national database run by the United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association ('UKARA'), who will give you a registration number you can give to sellers as evidence of your defence so they'll let you buy things. Unfortunately, UKARA is a retailers-run organisation, and you as a minor will still not be allowed to purchase things from them even if you do have a defence (minors can't buy RIFs or IFs) so you won't be able to get UKARA registered until you reach majority.

Additionally, most parents do not play airsoft and therefore do not have a defence. Therefore, they can only buy IFs, not RIFs, and therefore can only give you an IF. Someone - over or under 18 - commits a crime if they modify an IF into a RIF (e.g. by painting it all black, or stripping off the brightly-coloured two-tone paint). However, if they have a defence to prosecution, they can do so without worrying about the consequences. You cannot be UKARA registered, but you can be a registered site member of your local site.

Therefore, what you need to do:

1. Read up on the VCRA and how it affects you.
2. Play three or more games in two or more (but less than 12) months at your local site.
3. Register as a member of your site. Congratulations, you now have a defence to prosecution, regardless of your age.
4. You can now convert your IF into a RIF by repainting or stripping it with exactly the same legal protection as a UKARA-registered player.