In
highschool getting people started was pretty difficult because to play you had to actually buy something expensive right off the bat. That can be a problem, especially if you decide the game isn't fun (which I can't imagine unless you play with pricks) but there are a few great starter ideas out there that don't cost an arm and a leg.
Me in Highschool. Feel free to laugh so hard you puke blood.
Since I'm treating this like a beginner guide, I'll show you some
craaazy phrases I'll be using that people love to make acronyms out of.
AEG- Automatic Electric Gun
AEGs are usually full size weapons like an m4 or a p90. They use electric motors to pressurize air and fire the
bb at a decent speed and with ample power.
GBB- Gas Blow-Back
GBB usually means pistols, but there are some rifles,
machineguns, and shotguns that use gas blow back, but most people
dont like them because they have to be refilled more often than a
AEG has to be charged. Gas guns use either Red Gas, Green Gas, or co2.
AEP- Automatic Electric Pistol
A newer design than the
GBB, it uses a miniature
AEG style motor and battery, but has only been used on full automatic handguns and small
SMGs such as the H&K MP7 and the
Glock 18c. They can be cheaper to maintain over time but largely cost more money up front and
dont fire as powerfully and quickly as a gas powered gun.
Rail/
RIS- Tactical Rail System
Tac Rails are accessory rails for guns that can house anything from a flashlight to a grenade launcher. These are a great idea when choosing a rifle because aftermarket they can be expensive.
Grenade- Frag, smoke, and projectile launchers
It may seem funny to be here, but there are
airsoft grenades. Some are normal hand grenades but mostly people use rifle tube types like the M203 or the
EGLM used on
FN weapons. They take 40mm or 35mm
bb shower grenades that use gas, and can fire baby powder, foam projectiles, or
bb showers that can shoot up to 205
bbs at once in a single shot.
What's a good starter gun, douchebag?!- If you want a cheap AEG that's upgradeable, buy a decent 'clone gun'.
The thing with cheaper airsoft guns is this; they are knockoffs of more expensive models. UTG and several other companies that change their names constantly are some manufacturers that take the design of something popular and robust such as the Tokyo Marui brand (which makes every goddamn gun in existence) and makes basically the same gun but with cheaper parts and materials. Anyway, a clone gun will most likely be interchangeable (90% of the time) with aftermarket parts for the more popular and expensive model, so its basically engine swapping a new engine into an old car.
So...what's the point? You can buy a cheap, decent gun now, and if you decide to play more or if the gun breaks or what have you, you can swap in all new, high performance parts for cheaper than buying the more expensive gun in the first place, and with people like me around (haz taken literally everything I own apart just for shits except my stove and my television) it can be pretty damn easy and, ahem, totally free of charge.
Another option is a spring loaded shotgun or rifle. As a starter gun, a spring pump action shotgun would be your best bet, since you can cock and fire at a decent pace unlike a rifle which you'd have to reach up to the bolt and cock constantly. As long as they are high quality, they may work. But honestly, AEGs are where it's at right now, and unless you're really good with a springer, you're dead pretty quick.
Haha. Cock constantly.
- Do not be a douche and play with just a spring pistol.
Most beginners try the game out with just spring handguns because you can buy them for about five bucks. Well, if you absolutely must try this, go ahead, but expect it to break before 500 rounds. Way before. The problem with springers are this; they are single shot and easy to destroy. Since you have to re-cock the mechanism each shot, you put insane amounts of stress on the outer body of the gun, which is usually ABS plastic, which usually cracks and dies a sad death before you use an entire container of BBs. Which you would use very slowly because spring guns, are indeed, single shot only.
Every single springer I've owned has broken. They were all cheap, and they were all useless. You can get nice, competently designed ones made from good materials, but honestly, you can just spend the extra 30 bucks and get a gas gun that's semi-auto for that kind of money. Plus when you bring a springer to an AEG fight, you have absolutely no hope of winning unless its a night match and you're ninja-like stealth and balls of steel allow you to sneak up on someone and shoot them in the back.
Or you can fucking camp.
- Beware of toy guns. For super serials omg.
There are a number of companies that really try to make decent guns for the money, but fail miserably. UHC has a few good kinds out there, but every one I've seen has exploded the gas cylinder at some point (mine) or cracked the slide (also mine). CYMA should be avoided at all costs, as well as any brand sold at walmart. You WILL NOT find a usable AEG rifle or SMG for $60.00 new. Ever. The parts that make the gun are worth more than that, so give up on that hope.
Do not buy shitty brands for any reason. USA branded ones are actually not USA made, in fact I'm not sure any airsoft guns are actually USA made, they usually are just USA trademarked, which has nothing to do with the actual gun quality.
The companies to look for are TM (Tokyo Marui), CA (Classic Army), ARES (formerly STAR), Maruzen, Marushin, ICS (Don't remember), WA (Western Arms), VFC (Don't remember), and so on. Essentially pro-shop brands.
So what kind of gear should I have to play? Do I need to buy a full SWAT uniform? Can I dress up as a Storm Trooper? Do I really have no friends?!- Do not buy a metric shit-ton of tactical shit. For any reason.
But...why? Well, this isn't real battle, this isn't real war, and it's nothing like either IRL. You don't need real military boots, backpacks, straps, blah blah. Military gear is meant for real steel shit, and meant to take care of you and must be able to be shot, torn, submerged in mud, burned, etc. and still work. If you really want to go that way that's fine, lots of people do the whole realistic military outfit thing, but it's totally not necessary.
The only real gear you need to play with, and pay attention to;
- You will need safety glasses OR a mask that protects your eyes.
Shooting glasses work best, but safety glasses also work. You can get a pair for really cheap about anywhere.
- You will need a holster/sling for your gun, or you will drop your gun.
Any kind will do, no need to buy anything super fancy, used holsters go for about $4.00 and you can get cheap slings and holsters at Wal-Mart in sporting goods.
- You will need to buy bbs (and gas if you have a gas gun) from proshops or online. Do not buy store brand.
Store brand is always off-brand. Off-brand is always crap. I know this as a fact.
- Do not over-stuff your gun with features it doesn't need.
Part of your gear is your weapon load-out, and if you happen to have any weapon with a rail system on it, congrats, you can officially mount THOUSANDS of parts on your gun. Some people who go ridiculous do it because its funny and they have the money. Let's assume the second part isn't for you, even though mounting an M4 to another fucking M4 sounds pretty fucking sweet. Fuck.
For example, I once saw a gun that had four grenade launchers on it. Four. Four grenade launchers. Yes, you can fit that many, and in some case more than that, and people do it. But, don't do it, it's stupid. Also, if you know damn well you'll never play a dusk or night game, don't bother with a flashlight. They can be handy for blinding people only if someone isn't already looking into the sun, and only help you see if you can't already see. Otherwise it's extra weight and an easier way to spot you and shoot you in the face.
To illustrate my point, I found a picture of a six shot revolving grenade launcher with a grenade launcher mounted to the top and another grenade launcher mounted to the bottom.
Pictured above: A dick-bag move.
Do not buy expensive sights, scopes, or lasers, either. Why? Again, this isn't real combat.
You don't have to be ready for every situation, and if you aren't, and you die, you're not really dead. Also, airsoft guns fire around 300fps, not around 1,000 fps like a rifle, so a laser will only be accurate, say, 30 feet or so depending on the gun, and the same goes for any sights.
Gun awkwardness and weight increases with all the bells and whistles you place on your gun, and lugging around a 25 pound rifle all day is going to be a pain and it will cost you the game, i guarantee it.
Or you can just fucking camp. Then weight won't be an issue. Douche.
I shall also note here that people that carry around 6 magazines are either used to playing all day rounds or are nearing a psychotic breakdown. A fully loaded mag is heavy, which is nice for realism, but not so nice to carry a bag of.
Extraneous tips and tricks for starting airsoft players.
- Practice Constantly.
Airsoft is a sport, and like all sports, you can't naturally just kick ass at it, it involves a little work. Airsoft guns are great to target shoot with because they are relatively quiet, cheap to shoot, and won't get you arrested and put on the hood of a police car for discharging in your backyard (unless its at another person/stupid neighbors can't see orange tips/tell the difference between real guns firing and the 'fup' noise these make)
Setting up targets is easy enough, soda cans and disposable plates work the best. I used to practice with foam and paper plates, cardboard boxes, paper targets, and cans. There's no need to buy targets, and when you're done you can recycle if you want. If you have problems shooting plastic BBs in your yard, you can buy biodegradable BBs online at certain pro shops.
Practicing airsoft is all about getting used to your gun and getting used to carrying your gear. Practicing shooting is only part of it, once you've got your gun figured out, trying multiple distances and practicing pop-and-shoot (draw-and-shoot) you may just want to sling your rifle or holster your pistol and walk around a little bit. This is will help you decide where your gun needs to be and where it will stay when you play. You dont want to have your holster slide around or fall off mid game, that's not good.
- Do not modify your gun unless you know what you are doing or are okay with destroying it.
Online Guides always have a disclaimer about you breaking your gun is not their fault, and this is true. If you want a higher ROF or FPS, then go for it at your own risk. If you have no idea or drive to do such things but still want it done, get someone who knows how to do it to help. Hackjob guns won't fire, and if they do it won't be pretty. Like your mom.
- Do not simply jump into the game without knowing what you are getting
yourself into.
Airsoft can be a cheap and fun weekend hobby. Sometimes it can be horribly expensive, its up to the player. However, if someone were to jump in and buy a bunch of stuff from the get go, then decide they don't like to play, that's just money wasted. Borrow a gun and play a game, or duel, or something first. Then if you think you want to try playing, you may want one of the starter guns listed above or you may want to try playing with a good GBB pistol for a while, it IS possible to win a game with just pistols, I've done it.
Backyard play is cool, but it can get boring. Going to play at Airsoft fields usually costs money, and if you know you'd never be cool with that, that's your choice. Entry fees usually aren't horrible, though, but the pro-shops can be. Certain pro-shops within fields have gun rentals, this could be a good chance to just try a game if you're up for it. Beware of rental guns though, sometimes they can be total heaps, don't let them tell you you have to play with a POS when it doesn't work, they work for you, not the other way around.
Well, that concludes my huge airsoft blog list for today, I hope at least someone read this and is considering play. It can be the most fun you ever have if your into this sort of sport.
<- Sex. This video shows the gun (which brand, not sure) in use with a VFC brand EGLM. Notice how you want to put your penis in the barrel, but we all know that would be an error on your part. Oh, did I mention, this happens to be one of the easiest and cheapest stand-alone grenade launchers as well, also shown in-video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDlM2aT7GIc&feature=player_embedded
That should answer your fucking question.
