What is must have gear for airsoft noob
 

Hello people,

Brennen here, I have creeped on this site for a long long time but just decided its time to get into air soft. So my question(s) are these:

1. What gun do you recommend for a starter? I really like M4s and M16s
2. Whats the main performance difference between battery/gas?
3. With regards to gear, what should I look to get? I would be more of an assault class player.
4. How many times do people here play in Toronto? Do you have monthly meetups?
5. Overall, how much should I budget to spend on a full setup (gun, gear, goggles etc...)?
6. Do you have tournaments? (I come from an old school paintball background)

Thanks for your help in advance and I hope to see some of you on the field shortly.

1. King Arms M4 is the best entry level bang for the buck at this time.

2. AEG (Electric) all weather, Gas susceptible to low/high temperature limitations, Buy AEG as a primary, and keep as a back-up if you buy Gas later.

3. Work on the basics first. Eye-protection, boots, gloves, and hydration carrier to start. Then chest-rig/vest of your preference, BDU/camouflage.

Go to games - observe what people are using in gear, clothing, accessories, etc.. what works, what doesn't for you, and go from there.

4. There is an Ontario events forum here - there are several each weekend, within easy travel distance of Toronto.

5. This varies. Expect $600-1000.00 to start, minimum. Expect to spend another $1000.00 minimum in a short period of time if you choose to stick with the hobby/get more guns/Gucci-fy your loadout. Unlike paintball, the ammunition used is cheap, but the rest of the stuff, ain't.

6. No tournaments that i am aware of in Canada. This ain't speed-ball.

Thanks HackD for the info, its much appreciated.

No problem - Last two pieces of advice .. get age-verified to access the market-place here, and as far as the whole forum goes, read, read, read.. this forum is a huge information resource where chances are any questions that you may have, the answers lie within, in detail.

He is age verified...

Haven't heard anyone mention the airsoft thousand in a while
Costs about $1000 to get all your shit together, maybe $800 now with the price drop on guns.

Get boots. $80 minimum
And if you're going to play seriously, get serious gear. Don't get chinese repro gear if you'll be playing a lot

Didn't notice that.. and he was asking questions that someone normally age verified would have some of the answers for, by simply reading the forum - including the retailer section.

Go to some of the stores (physical) in the GTA for guns and gear and get your hands and eyes on it. Sometimes things look great online look less appealing when holding it.

Figure out what you want first before you open your wallet. A lot of people here get buyers remorse and switch stuff around a lot simply because they get excited and buy stuff before doing proper research.

I think the minimum level to look for would be condor or pantac... the acm stuff is very hit or miss from the stuff I've seen when shopping in stores. The water carrier I have doesn't even have consistently sized molle loops, one of the molle straps is longer than the other and the buttons snaps aren't lined up with the molle slots. Good thing that's the only pos thing I have.

The condor stuff is better... but not great. My m14 double pouches have a divider that was sewn in making one side too big and one side too small.

I wrote this a while ago...I think most of it still applies. Hope it helps.

http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthread.php?t=88238

I know the "performance" differences between electric/gas guns isn't in there.
Gas Pistol vs. Electric Pistol
- no contest...gas pistols rule

Gas Rifle vs. AEG.....

Gas Rifle
+ more realistic trigger break
+ more realism
+ "action" and "feel" of a shot
+ for most...maintenance, cleaning, operation is simpler/easier to understand
- heavier mags, typically more expensive per mag too
- uses propane/CO2 (so you've got to carry those supplies around as well)
-/+ real capacity mags....realism guys like that, shoot'em up skirmisher guys may think that they're way out ammo'd vs. AEGs
- temperature dependant...CO2 mags alleviate that

AEG
+ more plug+play...add battery, add BBs and off you go
+ when they're reliable...they'll go for years
+ typically more accurate (almost too accurate if you're into realism)
- little/no sound...no action...no weapon manipulation actions
+ no weapon manipulation action = "stupid" simple operation
- you're dealing with A LOT of little bits and pieces when you're maintaining/servicing
- when they break down (and they will)...you're typically looking at bench time

Fun Factor....goes to gas guns (IMO). The noise/action greatly enhances the game play and experience.

My PTW will smoke my GBBR for range and accuracy all day long...but my GBBR is still more fun to shoot and while I'll bring the PTW as a backup/alternative, I rarely use it.

+1 to what these guys wrote and as well don't cheap out on eye protection... If you're coming from pb you may already have good eye protection, but if not don't cheap out.

Don't forget to get a decent radio and earpiece. The two-way GMRS Radios you can buy from FS/BB/CT are all great or you can snag a good UHF radio online if you don't mind waiting for it.

I'm using a Motorolla GP68 and my two back-up loaner radios are these ones: http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/.../10120533.aspx

wow thanks everyone for the tips. Ill check the classifieds and see what people have for sale. From what m102404 is saying I think Ill enjoy a Gas gun more. I like the fact there is more of a real feel to them when firing. The only thing i dont like is how the gas is effected by weather. But what can you do.

Edit: with regards to using Gas, how big of an effect is the weather on performance? are we talking a large/noticeable change?

I highly recommend going for an electric gun as your first purchase. There are a few reasons for it:

Gas guns require maintenance. Stripdown and clean/oil after every use. They also have the temperature issue as mentioned.
Gas gun magazines are around $40 EACH, and only hold 30-40 rounds usually. You will need a minimum of 5-6 magazines to play a proper game. Thats $200 in magazines.
Most gas guns have certain parts that fail quickly and need to be replaced with reinforced parts. Adds to the cost

A decent M4 AEG will have less maintenance, cheaper magazines (a box of 10 mags costs ~60 bucks) and with a decent gearbox, will last you a couple thousand rounds easily. Eventually something will break, but they are less finicky than gas guns for a new player.

As recommended, a King Arms M4 is a great starter gun. You can always switch to a gas powered M4 later if you desire.

I would say the worst thing about gas is the magazines, they hella expensive :)

PS: My GBBR was misfiring a lot at beginning but that chopped up to it being very picky on what BBs it would take, performs flawlessly with BBBastards and Madbull BBs. Failed with ICS and some BIO one i can't remember...

If its really hot outside, the gas in your magazine will warm up and increase pressure. This may put your gun's FPS over the field limit, even if it was field-legal when you chrono'ed it.

With gas guns you also have the cooldown effect. After multiple shots, your magazine (and the gas inside) will start to become cold. This will decrease pressure. With rapid firing, the pressure will drop much faster, to a point where the gas won't be able to cycle your gun properly anymore.
When its cold outside, this effect is compounded. How fast the magazine cools down varies between guns.

So I have pretty much decided on the WE M4A1 AEG as my first gun. What do you guys think?

go for it. I personally would recommend the king arms but to each his own. grab a gun and start playing!

I wouldn't recommend WE as your first gun. King Arms M4s also have their own share of problems. Stick with reputable brand names: TM, G&P, ICS, G&G, Real Sword, etc. -- Avoid china-clone manufacturers and new competitors just entering the AEG market.

The classifieds frequently have good deals too with LNIB/BNIB guns, which can save you a ton of money on a great starter gun. Just a word of caution, don't buy the ones falling apart, eg. "Missing part _____", "broken part ____ but doesn't affect performance", "I permanently removed ____ part because it's not needed". Look for wall hangers that have only been used for minor plinking and you can often save lots of money while still getting a gun that's in virtually new condition.

I own the WE M4A1 AEG. Have ran thousands of rounds through it and gamed it all weekend at Rhino putting about 4k through it. For the most part its been very solid. I had minor issues with the wiring in the grip where the positive feed was pinched from the manufacturer. It caused the gun to overheat and blow the fuse. It was stripped down, the fuse was replaced and the motor reinstalled and has run fine since. The wiring in the grip us finicky and requires a lot of patience to get just right so the bottom plate will go on, but its a minor headache. I upgraded the barrell to a tightbore Madbull 6.03 and a metal hopup ($65) but the gearbox itself has been perfect. I run G&P 9.6 1300MaH and it pumps out at a reasonable rate of fire and decent fps.

Don't get me wrong its not the best gun on the market but for $300ish its a solid choice.

Thanks capt. I should be ordering it this week sometime. I can't wait to get this bad boy and join some of you on the field.

is it my computor or is it showing brennan has been a member since 2006 and just starting now??? lol Well at least you finally pulled the trigger. Airsoft, IMO is way better then paintball and you will love it, as long as your stuff works. WE is a great gun, I have a few of them but wow if they dont like a bb and it gets broken inside it is one tittie fucker to get apart sometimes. so you have to keep up on maintainance for sure.

do not get a king arms. best bang for the buck but the best odds to bust. I think you really should get a quality AEG as recommended by Affliction. Then save for the gas. I have lots of both types, and i would go to a game with just aeg's but i would never go to a game with just a gbb. not to mention the mags are gonna add up

Your computer is correct I joined the forums a long time ago but got busy with other hobbies to really get into airsoft.

Definitely need a Robert Goulet. Everyone should have one.

They are discontinued and the used ones are over priced.

The best way to save money is to buy used gear. When I started I went to a swap meet and got tons of great deals. Most of that stuff I should be able to resell for close to what I paid. I have kept good track of how much I have spent on airsoft since I started and I just hit the $2000 mark and it hasn't even been a year yet. Mostly because I wanted a complete loaner set of gear for friends. Small things add up quickly. I'd say you're looking at around $1000 to start out.

^^ half advice. ^^

Don't just buy used gear. Buy used GOOD gear. Stay away from Condor and clone crap for BDU's and such. I have heard extremely mixed reviews on Haungs Clone Crye Gear.

Good gear

Real Gear:
Mayflower
Blue Force Gear
Eagle
SKD (rebrands I think good gear)
Blackhawk!
Tasmanian Tiger

Retailers for Real Gear:
CP Gear
Seals Action Gear
One Shot Tactical
CTOMS

Now these lists are not complete and you are encouraged to do some research on your own.

Mayflower and Blue Force Gear are the tits if you want light and very well made gear
I would definitely recommend them to others.

As far as other good brands, Tactical Tailor, HSGI, Maxpedition, ESSTAC, Crye Precision, TYR Tactical, and Shellback Tactical (heard mixed reviews about their pouches, but their plate carrier has got great reviews, and its really reasonably priced as well. Even seen pics of a SOF guy wearing one)

If you have the means to, I would go with one of the many companies listed. If your tight on cash and only want something that can get you playing, I would say that Condor or Pantac is not that bad. It will by no means be as good as the RS stuff, but it definitely will do the job for the time being. As for other items like boots and eye ware, I would highly recommend you not skimp on these. You can play in shitty TMC gear, but I can promise you that you won't be playing much of anything in the ER.

Thanks everyone for the great advice, i really appreciate it. With regards to batteries what one do you suggest i get for the WE M4A1? I got 2 different suggestions from WE users. Whats the difference between batteries? FPS?

Batteries, get 2 or 3. Never know how much shooting you might do in a game, some games, a few hundred rounds, others, a few thousand.

Utility pouch is something very useful, carries extra batteries, some small multi tools, food, ect.

You wont truely ever know what you need and what you will use, til you get out and play a few games. Keep things bare minimum for awhile, and then learn your style and needs and then tailor your gear to that.

Cheers

Not sure this was mentioned but depending were you are playing I would suggest:

A BASIC chest rig. Condor makes one for $30 bucks that has the 3 double mag pouches in them,(holds 6 mags) and 2 more for stuff. As well as a radio pouch. I JUST NOW a year later got a holy smokes rig yesterday and that $30 one did me WELL! What it did was let me focus on the other stuff, like great gun, mags, chargers etc then come back to this.

Get a Dump pouch too so you dont loose your $20 mags.

While you are doing this you are seeing more and more games and other set ups and figuring out what you want and what works.

Stuff like the gun and mags is non negotiable. Buy cheap--get cheap.

I suggest you go balls to the wall on that, the mags and battery. That is the cement of the basement.

The rest is the fun part.

I think the basic things like good boots and eye protection should be first and foremost on the list. good protection that fogs makes you pretty much useless on the field and might be dangerous since you can't see where you are walking and you might roll an ankle.. which brings you to the boots. get good ones that support the ankle because hiking a mile in the bush on a twisted ankle really sucks

The battery has absolutely no effect on the FPS of your gun.

The battery powers the motor that is used to compress the spring. When the spring is fully compressed, it is then released and pushes the piston into the cylinder. Different batteries will make this whole process faster or slower, but the amount of compressed air that comes out of the cylinder will always be the same.

When looking for a battery, the voltage (think "power") will affect the ROF, and the mAh (think "capacity" of the battery) will change how many shots you can actually take when the battery is fully charged.

Thats about it. Also consider WHERE you have to put it (handguard? Stock?), depending on how the gun is wired (dont know about the WE). Usually you want a smaller battery if it has to fit in the handguard.

Ill be ordering my gun from the states but it has the orange tip...is it possible to replace/paint it?

Sometimes, if not most times, US retailers will ship a replacement flash hider in the box if it's being shipped to Canada!

Thanks, I'll make sure they include one.

1. What gun do you recommend for a starter? I really like M4s and M16s
M4s are perfect starter guns. they're commonly found, easily upgradable, and user friendly
2. Whats the main performance difference between battery/gas?
Gas is a lot more realistic and cooler looking, however buying propane/ gas can be expensive. and the mags are expensive too. they also perform poorly in cold weather. AEGs are alot more basic. first gun should be an AEG
3. With regards to gear, what should I look to get? I would be more of an assault class player.
The very first thing you need it eye protection, I recomend a low profile maks or goggles and a mesh mask. dont go with a paintball masks, its hard to aim down sight with its bulkyness. the second thing is a tactical vest, they can make jean and a hoodie look tactical.
4. How many times do people here play in Toronto? Do you have monthly meetups?
Dont know, in Calgary
5. Overall, how much should I budget to spend on a full setup (gun, gear, goggles etc...)?
i'd say 200-1000$ you can always buy a maks, cheap M4 and tacitcal vest.
6. Do you have tournaments? (I come from an old school paintball background)
on ASC there is an events forum, look in there and you will find scheduled events, but most paintball fields run airsoft night, go there pay, play.

Thanks Jerry,

I ordered the WE M4A1 AEG today; Im quite excited to get going with this. The reviews from the net and member of this fine forum have been great. Ill be heading to Toronto Airsoft (or another company if it gets recommended) to get a battery and some mags. Any suggestions on those?

Does anyone know where i can get batteries for my WE M4A1 AEG? Toronto Airsoft has difficult hours, Amy Issue doesnt have any. I even checked a few hobby stores and nada.

Any ideas?

shrikeairsoft.com
airsoftparts.ca
airsoftdepot.ca

Thanks for the help ill check them out but I'm looking for more of a walk-in store in the GTA.

airsoft depot has a walk in store
airsoft parts you can contact him about a local pick up
shrike is in barrie and you can sit down and view the product

I orded my batteries from airsoftparts.ca and I must say the service there is amazing. I placed the order on Thursday and I received the equipment today. I will shop their again with out question. Amazing.

Now, what do you consider a quality BB? I searched the forum with no luck. I want to get some to mess around with at the cottage this weekend, does Canadian tire or walmart carry bb's that wont damage my M4 (ill buy mega good quality for any milsims/scenario games I attend)?

Save the crappy tire/wally world bb's for devices where quality doesn't matter - M203 shells, claymore mines etc. Otherwise, junk junk junk to the internals of any airsoft gun you wish to keep reliable.

I figured as much, looks like its a trip to Army Issue for me.

When you are at Army Issue, take a serious look at the chest rigs and try them out. You got to be comfortable when you play and the rig will make a difference.

I made the biggest mistake a few years ago on a $70 chess rig that suppose to be good value because it had every pouch on it, M4, AK, pistol, radio, admin pouches and plate carrier. I hated it because every pouch was in a spot I didn't like and not removable.

Get a basic empty molle chest rig and you can customize it for any game.

I have the OPS chest rig. http://www.condoroutdoor.com/opschestrig.aspx

My friends went with OPS and other went with the modular chest rig. http://www.condoroutdoor.com/cs_modular_chest_set.aspx

I like mine because on a hot day, I can run light without a plate carrier. For CQB, I set up for M4 and pistol mags. For big games, I add my gps/radio pouch and hydration, and extra mag pouches. Unlimited possibilities with the OPS.

By the way, the Condor is just fine. Had mine for years. The only thing about it are the stitching that fails, but you can always restitch it back. I have yet to have the fabric fail. For the money, it is good value. Pantac is also good.

in all honesty, mo' molle means mo' heat. A preconfigured rig will be a lot more light weight since the molle webbing and strapping adds a lot of layers and weight.... if you run an m4, that's something to consider, you can get hooked up with a preconfig rig pretty quick and a lot cheaper than a full molle custom rig...

Draw back is that it's a preconfigured rig and you don't have a lot of customizing options if you want to change loadouts.

The Condor OPS rig is very light and has web meshing on the inside to keep you cool.

I had this for a year and love it. And being able to customize it is a big plus.

I have the condor crossdraw rig. It's light, messed (very breathable), it holds your sidearm holster right too it and has 4 pouches for extra sidearm mags. It also has 4 pouches for your primary mags but just be careful because i originally had a G36C and the nubs on the mag would get caught in the pouches, plus it comes with a duty belt that is detachable and also carries 2 sidearm mags.. It came to about $75 ish.

As an added bonus it helps you lose mags on the field like no tomorrow. I've seen guys loose $300 pistols right out of the integrated floppy holster.

Go modular. Start small. Figure out what works for you and what doesn't. Molle gives you that flexibility.

I use this Condor holster. Never lost a pistol. It has double retention; elastic and strap.

And did I say Molle for customization.

Those modular, "all in one" vests, of which Condor makes several, while appealing to the average newbie (I know, i was one a short time ago) as a 'start-out' rig with the variety of pouches offered, are actually quite limited in their wearability/suitability as a skirmishable load bearing vest. Sometimes things can be a too much of a compromise in the name of "all-in-one", to be expected to do anything particularly well.

Number 1 on my bitch list - mesh or not, if it's real tight fitting, especially a zip up vest style, it gets F'in hot and sweaty in anything higher than 20 degrees C. days. It can also restrict upper body movement to a certain degree. I started out with the Condor "Modular Style Vest + 8 Pouches" version. Half the pouches, i removed from the start, and others were bought. Money, in hind-sight, wasted - I should have just gotten bare, and built from there, on a platform that is more comfortable and versatile.

This vest is no longer used at this time - it's pretty much useless to me at the moment, unless I'd assume a "police" impression. Given that i have had time now to observe what others are using, and what style/design is being used on the field. I decided to try something else other than a vest style, and i am glad i did. Some of the removable, Molle pouches from the vest continue to be used elsewhere, so it isn't a total loss.

I switched over to a Condor "modular chest set" recently. So far, i find it far more comfortable and flexible, for a M4/M203 load-out.

I also use a Condor battle-belt and suspenders combo, for a lighter-weight Mp5 or M14 load-out, when it is really darn hot out there.

Both setups combine camel-back water carriers. Hydration capable basic load-outs are vital to your health and happiness on the field, especially when it is hot, and you are working up a sweat.

You can certainly go more expensive, exotic, or just plain go to Condor's competitors.. there is likely better out there - but i for one am satisfied with Condor's quality, given the price point, and my experience so far of Condor products for air-soft use.

This all based on my past years experience. Do take with a pinch of salt, your experience may vary, yada yada yada..

Order bbbastards.