Chairsofting: a mathematically optimal loadout

[CacklingHawk]

Hey guys. Like some of you, I spend a lot more time off the field than on, so during maintenance sessions I like to do some theorizing. I wanted to get your opinions (or get utterly picked apart) on a loadout that I believe is optimally efficient for the purpose of playing airsoft as a game. While there's a lot of choices and preferences in airsoft, there are some options that fulfill the demands of airsoft (and ONLY the demands of airsoft) better than the others, if personal opinion is removed from the equation. While no one is likely to run this setup without making any modifications, I think it can be used as a starting point--especially for new players--towards designing the loadout that is right for them. Nothing too controversial, but hey, sometimes a man just gotta sit down and write an essay about something he loves. Be advised, this is going to be long.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airsoft tends to be approached in one of two manners--casual, fun, anything goes, and serious, hardcore, milsim-or-bust. The former is what I usually do.

As you can probably imagine, it is cumbersome, impractical, and a complete blast to play in. The thing is, if you look at the top level of milsim you'll notice that, by sheer poundage, those players don't actually carry much less in the way of pointless but lovely gear. So I wanted to go a third way, something with more practicality in mind. I approached airsoft less like a hobby and more like a sport, thinking about high-speed, low drag, not quite silly but not quite operator either.

To use cars as an analogy, think of this as something between the horned-grill monster truck of a pimped-out M60 and the high-performance Lamborghini of a Systema PTW. Something like a five-door Nissan GT-R.

PRINCIPLES

These are the primary objectives of the loadout. Everything else--particularly looks & variety--are of secondary concern.

1. fast & light. Airsoft involves a lot of movement, both towards objectives, enemy flanks, and back to respawn. This build is all lean meat and no gristle. Hell, it all fits into a single backpack, and as somebody whose usual loadout takes ten minutes of packing I think some people might appreciate being able to get squared away with minimal effort.
2. flexible. This basically means any time, any scenario, all season all weather, with the possibility of painlessly modifying the loadout for personal preference.
3. ease of maintenance. This means minimal diddling, minimal tweaking, minimal hassle. A simple gun. This more than any other point can mean some sacrifices in performance but I think it's worthwhile.
4. Economical. Maybe I'm a student & therefore a cheapskate, but I think a hobby--especially one I'd recommend to friends & strangers--should not have massive initial investments as a given.
5. Ergonomical. This build is something that literally everyone from a malnourished 15 year old to a collegiate rugby player can run with little problem.
Most important of all...
6. good at airsoft. This setup can plain & simple do everything that a game of airsoft would have you do. Whether it's urban, woodland, open terrain or junkyard mazes, this loadout gives you the tools to excel. short of extreme-range engagements against a sniper who's poured many times more money, technology, and time into his weapon, you will be on even or higher ground against every possible non-cheating gun-wielding opponent. I make no promises about well-thrown enemy pyros or well-used riot shields--but then, the loadout lets you run from the first and flank the second better, so you're not helpless there.

That said, let's go into each part of the loadout in turn...

The Gun: a plastic-body, short-barreled AEG M4 with RIS and full/crane stock, such as the G&G Combat Machine Raider

Why an M4: easy to find, maximum part & upgrade compatibility (and a large aftermarket!), can fit absolutely everyone, select-fire, and fulfills all of principles 1 through 6.
Why not any other short assault rifle or SMG: can be harder to find, fewer part compatibility, frequently require special mag pouches, less customizable, almost all have tougher disassembly & repairs, and some can be awkward to hold, aim, or reload. So that's principles 2, 3, and 5 gone. equivalent short G36s and AKs are also still heavier, failing principle 1.
why not a GBBR: metal and therefore heavy, low ammo capacity, need to buy ammo AND gas, variable range & accuracy, extremely unreliable in this country for at least half of the year.
Why no secondary: most of the reasons for no GBB applies here.
Why a plastic body: I own four AEGs and two pistols, and ever since I bought the G&G CM Raider I've had a hard time believing how light it is compared to every other gun. The damn thing is only TWO KILOGRAMS. Most other guns are at least 3 or even more, and that weight MATTERS. Sure, plastic bodies are less durable, but most people don't run their guns nearly hard enough to actually break them, because airsoft is a game and your gun is a toy. If you seriously worry about breakage, you could swap out the plastic lower receiver for a metal one, alleviating the most common point of breakage complained about (around the front body pin).
Why short-barreled: it has been proven that barrel length has basically nothing to do with range & accuracy. This build does not run a secondary weapon and so a long barrel is going to get in the way of any close-quarter situation, and in any case is dead weight.
Why full/crane stock: RIS frontend means you either carry the battery in the stock or in a PEQ box. A PEQ box increases bulk and increases front weight of the gun, so it's not good. While a crane-stock is adjustable to fit everyone, a full-stock would be able to carry a large NiMH (or LiPo) and go an entire day on one battery. If you're a big guy the latter would be a better option.
Imperfections: the CM Raider is not ambidextrous. An SR-16 body would fix this, but it would be a metal lower receiver. Also, the outer barrel assembly is proprietary (and crap), and means you'll need to buy a new one if you don't like the triangle front sight. That, or dremel it right off like I did.

optic: yes. Eotech 552 style red-dot sight.
lr.EoTech-552-512R.jpg
Some people say that optics are optional in airsoft because you just watch where the BB flies and walk it over. I think it's much more beneficial to be able to fire just one shot and know you've taken somebody out, CQB or not. In this regard a red dot sight is much better than irons because of the ease of target acquisition it brings.
why no magnification: ranges beyond naked-eye identification are also typically beyond effective BB range. They're even superfluous on sniper rifles without the appropriate upgrades. Zeroing them are also a hassle. If you want a mag'd scope for long range visual's sake, a monocular is a lot easier than constantly bringing your gun to bear.
My pick goes to the Eotech 552 style (it is not a holosight because holosights are lasers; this is a standard red-dot sight in a holosight's shell) red dot sight. Its primary benefit is that it runs forever thanks to the power source being AA/AAA batteries. It is however relatively heavy; if that is a concern, a Trijicon style sight will do as well. Add either a mesh killflash or a perspex protector if you're playing CQB.

Internal upgrades: a better hopup rubber (such as TM) and an H-hop nub, and nothing else. Optional: tightbore barrel, high speed motor, Deans connectors, rewiring, LiPo battery.

The 350fps limit in UK sites means that the great majority of aftermarket upgrades, designed to improve FPS or the ability of a gun to handle the higher FPS, are irrelevant to us. Meanwhile a good rubber and nub will go way, way further than anything else money can buy, especially considering they're less than a tenner for both. Deans and rewiring are listed as optional because they require soldering, which not everyone can do, but if you can you should because these are upgrades which cost very little but have very high efficiency; they slightly improve battery life, trigger response, and fire rate while again having a single digit cost. It's too much faff to be essential, though.
why is a TB optional? Despite good results as can be seen here, I don't personally believe the performance increase is worth the price, especially considering the jamming problems that a 6.01 can give. This one's a tossup for me.
why is a LiPo optional? Mostly because everybody seem to run NiMHs as standard already. Upgrading to LiPo batteries means new more expensive batteries & chargers for not necessarily much improvement (and apparently the threat of fire). If you've already got LiPos or are just starting out then it's not a problem.
why no gearbox mods like drilling pistons or correcting AOE? For the amount you get out of them vs. the amount of effort they take, I don't think these are essential. Plus, gearboxes apparently operate under some kind of crazy voodoo sorcery principle, so don't fix what ain't broke.

Magazines & Ammo: 0.25g in Lonex Flash Mags x2. optional: 0.20g BBs; midcaps.

Why 0.25? The physics is a little too long-winded to explain here, but suffice to say (and most of you know) that a 0.25g BB flies further with more consistency at a lower velocity when shot out of the same gun. Air resistance also degrades a BB's velocity much faster than you'd expect, and a 0.2g BB at 350fps muzzle is not flying at 350fps when it's ten feet out of the gun. However, they are a 40% price increase over 0.2s on Z1, and it's up to you to decide whether that's worth the consistency, range, and accuracy increase. I personally believe it is.
Why flash mags? With nearly four times the capacity of a midcap magazine (over 4x for some brands) and no mag-tickling like a conventional hi-cap, a flash mag will remove the concern of ammo from your mind entirely. Minimal hassle between games or doubt about whether a mag will last you a firefight, minimal reloads to fumble, and worry-free full auto suppressing fire if called for, and no need for a rack of mag pouches. Mathematically optimal.
But what about the hi-cap rattle? I want to sneak! in most cases, the only person that can hear the hi-cap rattle is yourself. This is not true in CQB of course, so feel free to swap out if you want. Annoying maybe, but I don't feel that annoyance is necessarily worth all the annoyances of midcaps.
But I want to have fun reloading and feel like an operator! Sacrificing some practicality for fun is entirely up to you. This is only theory & chairsofting after all.

Headgear: Full-face protection

Nothing ruins an airsofter's day faster than getting shot in the face. Tactically, the flinch from knowing that your face is tender & exposed can negatively affect how well you play. Solve all that with a full-face mask. The loss of field-of-vision can be minimized with a praetorian-style mask or even a paintball mask.
On lens fogging: fogging happens on masks & glasses with subpar ventilation and is the most commonly cited reason for picking mesh masks over plexiglass lens. Well, as long as the mask is well-designed (meaning costlier) and you're not a grizzly bear of a man, this is not a concern. Anybody who thinks they fog should try a Dye i4 for a day, but then again not everyone (not even myself) has the money to wear a Dye i4.
why not a helmet with lower face combo: weight. Although if you're filming a helmet makes for a very good mounting surface.

load-bearing: a PLCE belt or equivalent. optional: front-panel MOLLE rig.

Two M4 mags and a couple pyros means you've got maybe three pouches full-up. That absolutely does not require a plate carrier or assault vest, it's all dead weight. Put all that stuff on a belt and you'll see fast & nimble you become. Helps that it's a cheap setup, plus you can still use MOLLE pouches so that you wouldn't need to buy new ones in case you do swap to a plate carrier.
I'm running midcaps: four double M4 mag pouches, giving you 130x8=1040rds to work with, is still entirely manageable on a belt even with no yoke involved; if you're in an hour-long skirmish prepared to expend that much ammo you should be going hi-caps anyway.

Camo: ATACS AU or FG depending on environment. If you don't care about camouflage then it's all optional.

While what you wear in airsoft is of course more about taste than anything, if concealment is your concern then A-TACS is as good as I've ever seen. I don't get advertising money from them and I don't actually own any so I'm no shill, but in the scrub woodlands that so much of airsoft seem to take place in A-TACS is absolutely amazing. Fighting players with A-TACS on feels like fighting Predator. They are pricey (violating principle 5), but with so much money saved in every other regard you might get away with this splurge. In any case cheap DPMs are a tenner a set so you can always go with that instead.
Also, less padding means less hits not taken, which is good because nobody likes being an unwitting cheater.

Boots: wear 'em. Is this a no-brainer? Apparently not, judging by the number of skirmishers I've seen in Converse shoes of all things. As one of my friends say: "a gun you can hire, but boots you must own."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whew! There you guys go. This would be my conceptual starting point for any airsoft loadout. Comments, criticism, and general discussion is you guys' job now. I'd like to hear about any changes you'd make, or your own loadouts and why you run it. Thanks for reading!

[a_flea]

Re: Chairsofting: a mathematically optimal loadout

Can't see any maths...

But yeah, I'm guessing this is your definition of the 'demands of airsoft', as mine are to just have a laugh! Wielding a full steel AEG with a few midcaps and a coupla pouches of Haribo, wearing some funky camo or whatever I slung on that morning is my kind of airsoft... No formula needed as its always gonna be different!

I know you were approaching it from a different angle but I think 'kit requirements' is entirely subjective even when only considering airsoft as a game (which it isn't).

Looking at that pic of you with the mask- you're doing it right. No need to re-evaluate or formulate!

But anyway, some good thoughts have been going on and would be useful for some noobs, especially preventing 'all the gear- no idea' from destroying peoples early perception of airsoft.

[-=256=-Swerve]

Re: Chairsofting: a mathematically optimal loadout

I have been following almost your exact formula for a while now, with the exception of full face.

I've recently departed from it, to try spring only all weapons, which is even more pared down as I can even get away without a belt load.

This time next year I'll probably be skirmishing naked, with a blowpipe, storing bb's in my cheeks.

Then we'll see, oh yes ....then we'll see

- - - Updated - - -

by cheeks I mean face cheeks

[loki7491]

Re: Chairsofting: a mathematically optimal loadout

I think that will be very useful to the new guys.

There are seasoned players who have gone back to basics and going pistols only or shotty / pistol combo so there must be "something" correct in your formula.

[Sabbath]

Re: Chairsofting: a mathematically optimal loadout

Very well written and just what i would have wanted to read when i started originally. Quite honestly i just want a good light loadout with easy to repair parts and sensible choices.

Thanks :-)

[GhostDivisionAirsoft]

Re: Chairsofting: a mathematically optimal loadout

Definitely good advice for new players and the veterans, keeping it simple is often the way to go. Making the change from Plate carrier to belt rig is quite amazing in how much it frees you up, I would reccomend!

[No Probs]

Nicely written and informative for new and experienced players alike. Got to agree with a light loadout, belt rig with mags, grab-bag left at safe zone with all the extras you may need like food, water, bb's etc although it is fun albeit more strenuous having a full loadout ie helmet, pc plus all the day's gubbins in you need.

[-=256=-Swerve]

Re: Chairsofting: a mathematically optimal loadout

I use a 1980's vintage S10 resi bag as my grab bag thing if I really need to carry one in. Modded the strap a bit so it fits nicely across the shoulder, and waterproof-ish too-ish

[Junglespy]

Re: Chairsofting: a mathematically optimal loadout

Really interesting concept and well written, too. I've had conversations with friends just starting and recommended almost the same things.

[WTP_Trust_ME]

Re: Chairsofting: a mathematically optimal loadout

Bang on, but common sense really.

[Smeg2727]

Re: Chairsofting: a mathematically optimal loadout

Well written and fairly accurate.
Like most players when they first start airsofting...
"BUY ALL THE THINGS"
Now I'm happy (and probably more successful) charging around with a simple belt/hip rig, with just a pistol, or my 416 with 3 mags...

[dave38x]

Re: Chairsofting: a mathematically optimal loadout

One of the best days airsoft I've ever had was with a TM spas Tri-shot and a belt of 30 shells, a speedloader, kneepads and DPM.

It's one of the reasons I realllyyyy want to get a TM Tri-shot when I have the cash.

[-=256=-Swerve]

Re: Chairsofting: a mathematically optimal loadout

I've had 3 of them in the past (2x M3 1x Spas12) all TM. I have a clone ASG M3 shortie on the way to me, for under £50 it's worth a punt.

[RedHawk]

Re: Chairsofting: a mathematically optimal loadout

"AK's are still heavier"



>MFW CYMA AK Spetsnaz is 2.3kg whereas the gun you posted is 2.5kg, Spetsnaz is smaller, can fit a bigger battery in the stock and has an awesome gearbox.
>Logic?

Why AK's are easier to maintain than M4's: V3 gearbox has a better design with motor cage, doesn't require a hammer to smash pins out of body to remove it, only need a screw driver to disassemble a TM AK-47 design, only need your hands for a VFC design, selector plate doesn't f*ck up as often as an M4's. Plus (and I'm sure people will spill tears out of their anuses for me saying this) the M4 design is as overused as a Soho escort. The hopup in an M4 sucks ass as well in comparison to the V3, it's overly complicated. Plus if you think about it, the V3 takes the exact same internal parts as the V2 bar the motor and cage so it's not like it is more expensive. Also, wiring a V3 is easy as piss and you don't even need to open the gearbox up to rear or front wire one.

And that argument of "M4's have more options to make it look better" - you obviously have never seen a custom AK build.

Basically, if you want a gun that's easy to use with loads of parts you have to look beyond your bias + preferences and realise the performance of other guns. "M4 am bestust" doesn't cut it everytime, and in this case the M4 is inferior to many other designs and not just the AK. That was an example.

inb4 rage

[-=256=-Swerve]

Re: Chairsofting: a mathematically optimal loadout

wow....

that's a bit anger you have there fella

I had a Cyma AK74su and it was a wonderful little gun, fit right into the theme of this thread