Questions about a first purchase.

[JordanAiz]

Hey guys, I've recently developed an interest in airsofting so I went down to get age verified today and am now ready to look into making my first airsoft purchase. I was just wondering if anyone had any tips for a beginner regarding what brands/stores I should be looking for. I have done my research and called a few stores. However, I would appreciate some feedback from the community as to what you guys recommend.

So far I am looking at purchasing from torontoairsoft.com I've had my eye on the full metal AKS 101 (heres the link, http://www.torontoairsoft.com/CYMA-A...al_p_2801.html ). I was told CYMA makes reliable AK's, I am not really to picky on what type of model I am purchasing, I am open to M4s, M16s, Scars, and other variety of assault rifles. I will be driving up to Toronto to possibly make the purchase this Wednesday, I live in the Cambridge area and so far for Airsofts supplies my favorite store is KW Surplus.

If you guys have any suggestions for the Toronto area or Kitchener/Cambridge area on some good stores please let me know! I am really just looking for gear and a standard reliable gun. I am currently on a fixed budget, I will be looking for anywhere ranging $200-260 for a gun, I know this is a low budget, but with all gear and taxes included I am looking at $500-600 and I am trying to keep it as low as possible! Let me know what you guys think, please feel free to suggest some weapons that may be a little bit above my price range!

[redneck12]

Firstly welcome, second no posting links to guns outsided the av'd areas. You can have a look through the classifieds there's always tons of deals there, you could probably gear yourself right up. Also there is a review thread full of tons of reviews on anything you can think of, if you have found guns or gear that tickle your fancy check there for players reviews.

[OpAirsoftBaller]

Small hint. Buying a high quality mask is a good start. Having a fogged up mask will drive you nuts. Don't be intimidated by the price, believe me. It's worth every penny. My first buy was a $120 mask and 5 years later I still use it every weekend.

Happy airsofting!

[BennyBoy]

Goggles, your first priority! If you're a hot and sweaty guy, get one with a fan. Can't hit shit with a $3000+ gun if you can't see them

[L473ncy]

+1 to goggles first. ATGATT, parts can be replaced/upgraded eyes can't. Depending on what your local venue allows (PB goggles+mask, PB goggles only, Sealed ballistics, ballistic glasses) you'd be looking for something that fits that. PB goggles + mask are always good for anywhere but you may not get as good of a cheek weld and not be able to aim down the sights as easily. I highly recommend the JT Proflex or Flex-8's and I've seen a lot of people cut away at the material so there's plastic protecting your teeth/mouth and bare cheeks to be able to get a decent cheekweld on the gun. Otherwise Revision and ESS are what a lot of people seem to use.

Whatever other safety gear you need buy it (good boots are recommended but if you have good hiking shoes you can use those for now, and I mean GOOD hiking shoes with ankle support and preferably a steel shank to add extra support if you have weak arches). tl;dr Treat your feet well cause you run in them and abuse them all day, especially if you're active and moving a lot.

Now gun; CYMA AK's are supposedly BEAST and with a teardown, some precautionary maintenance (and maybe a spring downgrade to 400 FPS or 350 depending on your local venue's rules) they can easily last 100K rounds stock. Doesn't mean you won't get a lemon because the QC isn't that great coming from a mass produced factory in China but they're pretty good overall. For M4's (AR15 platform) you'll want to go with Jing Gong or King Arms.

With a $600 budget you're totally in luck and can get mostly kitted out for your first season or two before you get better stuff. Let me give you a quick breakdown of some costs;

Goggles: $60-70
Boots: (if you don't have) $100
BDU's: $50 for a set of CF Olive Drab from a surplus store
Gun: $200-250
Battery $15-20 (from hobbyking or Airsoftstore.ca)
Charger: ~$30 (from hobbyking, let me know if you need help picking something you can go simple like iMax B6/B6AC/Turnigy/something more simple)
BB's: ~$60 for like 4 bags of 5000 ct. (20,000 should last you like a season or more depending on your play style) (BBBastard, Excel, Madbull, KSC Perfect, Airsoft Elite, Evike/Matrix are alright as well (I'm 99% sure they're OEM by Airsoft Elite))
Field fee: ~$20 (unless you play at a private venue for free or whatever)

Total comes to $600 ($580 if you don't include field fee), I feel I've missed something but otherwise that should get you good to go and if anything else is needed then your budget might need to go to $650 or so but that's the basics I can think of.

If you need upgrade parts definitely go to Stealth (he's a user on this forum and the owner of Airsoftstore.ca) and get Lonex or SHS or Core parts, they're cheap, high quality and work. Also note that price isn't typically a reflection of quality, Lonex is high quality and cheaper than most other brands. Failing that Modify and Guarder make pretty good stuff too (I have a lot of Guarder parts in my guns because that's what was easily available to me at the time). If you need a spring downgrade to get to field limits a spring is $10-15 and labour for someone to do it for you shouldn't be more than like $20-25. Also remember limits are LIMITS not goals, a 380 FPS gun is just as good as something that shoots 399.99 FPS time to target is more or less the same and depending on other upgrades (mainly for consistency) range and accuracy is also more or less the same.

[JordanAiz]

Wow, thanks for the quick replies guys! I was not aware that goggles made that big of a difference, but it sure makes sense. I will def be making them a priority! I have now bumped up my budget to $750 as something short notice came up and I was able to spend a little more! Thanks for the detailed response L473, appreciate it! Lots of info, and I've heard a lot of people say similar things, so it seems like your on the money there! The one confusion that I usually get which I am sure is simple to answer is the whole battery deal, I know you have to upgrade to a better battery usually, but can you use any battery as long as it has the same specs? Or are they usually brand specific? I am going to stop by TorontoAirsoft hopefully this Wednesday and will most likely be able to answer the small stuff if its more specific. One other question I had in mind was, is it really necessary to buy a secondary pistol? I hear most people don't even use them, so I figured I wouldn't need it. Again I really appreciate the input, it has def changed my view on what I am going to purchase!

Edit: I was able to find a JT radar mask at KW surplus for $27.99! Looks great, and seems to be anti-fog. Let me know what you guys think, as I hear JT is not to shabby!

[Hectic]

Just buy a good anti fog to go with it and maybe a fans kit.

If you really like AKs get either an LCT or a Real Sword you wont be dissapointed. The cyma AKs are okay but there are much beter built of much beter materials and beter internals cyma sre good cheap AKs but for 350-450 you can buy a full steel and wood (or polymer if you dont want wood) LCT looks as close to real as you can get built sturdy (prolly sturdier then a real ak lol as in no wobbles or creaks or rattles) great color and grain on the wood and strong internals. Also the have a tightbore barrel from the factory.
Their AK lineup
http://lctairsoft.com/aeg_list.htm

[sammynac99]

The advantages of a secondary are obvious, especially if you plan on playing indoors, not only can you run the pistol by itself, but if your rifle malfunctions or runs empty you can easily draw your secondary and use it until you find a safe location to reload or fix your primary, plus there is alot of realism with a nice gas pistol clearsoft pistols can be had for as low as 100$, and full metal for as low as 170-200, worth the money IMO

[L473ncy]

Originally Posted by JordanAiz

Wow, thanks for the quick replies guys! I was not aware that goggles made that big of a difference, but it sure makes sense. I will def be making them a priority! I have now bumped up my budget to $750 as something short notice came up and I was able to spend a little more! Thanks for the detailed response L473, appreciate it! Lots of info, and I've heard a lot of people say similar things, so it seems like your on the money there! The one confusion that I usually get which I am sure is simple to answer is the whole battery deal, I know you have to upgrade to a better battery usually, but can you use any battery as long as it has the same specs? Or are they usually brand specific? I am going to stop by TorontoAirsoft hopefully this Wednesday and will most likely be able to answer the small stuff if its more specific. One other question I had in mind was, is it really necessary to buy a secondary pistol? I hear most people don't even use them, so I figured I wouldn't need it. Again I really appreciate the input, it has def changed my view on what I am going to purchase!

Edit: I was able to find a JT radar mask at KW surplus for $27.99! Looks great, and seems to be anti-fog. Let me know what you guys think, as I hear JT is not to shabby!

I was busy for the last two day but I'll answer your questions if you haven't already had them answered already.

Don't get too caught up in having the best goggles, as long as you get QUALITY goggles that's all you need. Just like with helmets, you don't need a $500 SNELL approved Shoei when a $200 SNELL approved Scorpion will protect you just as well. Sure the Shoei might have better features and be a nicer fit and all but if you're on a budget just get something that's middle of the road in terms of quality (that will last for a season or two, doesn't shatter and you lose an eye) and upgrade later when you can if you want.

As far as batteries go, a battery is a battery. They're literally electrochemical cells that produce magic and do things for you. The specs might be different but the underlying concept is the same. NiCD, Lipo, LiFE, etc. they all do the same thing, pick one but generally people go towards LiPo (although I'm different and bought a LiFE battery).

Generally try to keep within the same voltage specs but mAh will determine how long you can run your gun for. As a rule of thumb it's 1 mah = 1 shot/cycle of your gun (more or less). So an 800 mAh battery will shoot ~800 BB's while a 1600 mAh battery will shoot ~1600 BB's.

As far as pistols go, I have a few actually but I rarely use them. They're nice to have but based on my play style of kind of just sauntering to places and giving cover fire (doesn't mean I don't run in and do quick scrambles/rushes but I subscribe to the play style of slow deliberate movements and providing "overwatch") I rarely use them, maybe like once in every game day. I did get a pistol pretty soon after I started but it was because I managed to jump onto a good deal at the time, otherwise the second pistol I bought was about after a year of playing. And as far as pistols go they are a bit more personal to the person so pick the style you like and find ergonomic. Personally I like the Glock 19 because it feels like it was made for my hands.

As far as that JT Radar goes, if it's the one I'm thinking it is.... It's alright but not something I would personally buy. For the price it's an amazing entry level mask and protects awesome but there's little things that bother me about the fit to my headshape and airflow (I sweat like a pig some days and most goggles even with "antifog" will fog up on me unless I can get good airflow (eg. no problem when I'm snowboarding or riding my bike but moving slowly at least for me they're guaranteed to fog up within the first 30 minutes of running around)).

PS: BTW it's "Latency" like "Fatal1ty" (the pro Quake/CS guy, I was young when I made this online identity and it kind of just stuck).

[BogardusFoul]

Kw surplus sucks. Their guns are a joke, and pretty much are just there for little kids to get their dad's to buy for them, and are on par with what you would find at Walmart. Their staff have little or no respect for the sport. A few good items can be found there, such as goggles and speed loaders, sometimes boots. Please for the love of God (and your rifle) do NOT purchase their bbs.

CYMA AK is a good choice for a low cost reliable weapon.

[moop]

for goggles i would get yourself some ESS Advancer V12 Goggles . i have some and bought them off ebay stores from the uk. 30cad for them brand new and $15 in shipping. these things are great and cost a hell of alot more here. took only 8 days shipping. i use a halh mesh for my face there only $15. with this setup its very easy for me to look down sights.

[ThunderCactus]

^ +1, they're weird to look at, but mil-spec, good for anti-fog, and fairly comfy.

[AirsoftChewy]

I only started to play last year. Airsoft ROCKS! But it's only great if you stay safe.

I highly recommend the following as FIRST and LAST purchases. If your like most of us, you'll go through several guns lol

1. Full seal goggles with anti fog wipes. A Must. Period.
2. Face protection. I find a combat wrap ($10) perfectly acceptable. Protects your teeth. that is the key. No chipped teeth. Hurts like a B!72H. Lots of guys get mesh as well. Works for some, not for others. Mesh can have a cool look, but may interfere with siting the same as full face (paintball style) would.
3. Good solid footwear. Highly recommend a combat style boot with excellent support. Your going to be on your feet all day
4. Good gloves, preferably with reinforced knuckle and joint protection. Trust me on this one....
5. Head protection. If you got bushy hair your just going to be a bushy target. Get at the very least a combat style camo cap (hell wally world has em for $10). Combat wraps do a good job here too. Most guys seem to enjoy looking like U.S marines with modern style combat helmets. Whatever you choose, choose something. Last thing you want is a bb from 20 feet going at 400+ fps going into your ear.
6. Full sleeve full pants. Preferably camo style. Desert colors work all right as well. You want to blend in, and you want to have as much skin protected as possible. Bleeders suck. if you get one, man up about it. They happen. If the same guy keeps lighting you up at close range, just kick him in the balls.
7. not needed, but a vest goes a long way in helping you carry everything you need, helps identify you on the feild and offers more protection than just a layer of thin cotton. You can get something decent for $40, if you shop around
8. Last but not least, a solid, entry level gun, that is EASY to modify and upgrade, and will grow with you as your needs, skill level and style change over the course of time.
9. A solid, full metal pistol. I've had more pistol kills than rifle kills at the start of my adventure into this sport. That is starting to shift. But some of these guys are good at getting close fast. dropping the rifle when they get close and shooting with a semi pistol allows more manuverability and it's just plain FUN.

I can't recommend putting safety first highly enough. Quality will last.

What I spent:

boots: $160
gloves: $40
Goggles: $100
vest: $40
Face: $10
Head: $40
camo pants: $30
Batteries: (1 and a spare) $60
charger: $40

I experiemented with various qualities and types before settling on what i listed. Add another $300 in buying crap that was just crap first.

Guns, a whole other story.

I've bought 4 + a pistol. Nothing was under $200 and most were over $400.

Stick with one that is solid, shoots well and is easy to get parts for and maintain. Honestly, there is no advantage of an AK over an M4 over some crazy bull pup. It's purely cosmetic. They are doing the same thing inside. Start electric. Gas is harder to maintain.

Lastly - ENJOY it. IT's not cheap. I don't recommend used as your first gun. If you get screwed, well, your going to get a bad taste in your mouth.

I almost dropped the sport after my 3rd game, as it seemed to be filled with losers and hot heads who thought they were some kinda cool bad ass tough guys cuz they play this. Then I met a mature group and the game really took off for me.

It's not cheap to play. So think 2x before buying anything.

enjoy, have fun, and keep your head down!

[ThunderCactus]

There ya go. Straight from the horses mouth.
I should add, some guns are better than others. Brand names aside, an AUG and an AK traditionally perform better than an M4 with minimal upgrading.
So like where you'd need to spend $120 on an M4, you could spend $60 on an AK and have it shoot just as well.
The differences in the different types of guns don't really show up until you start upgrading them. For the most part, most stock guns shoot on par with one another, and two fully upgraded guns (like an AUG and M4) will usually perform very similarly anyway.

As a gunsmith, what I look for in an AEG is simplicity. Sturdy metal body, 100% tm spec mechbox for upgrading. And none of that fancy crap like EBB or PBB that just makes the mechbox fail faster.

[JordanAiz]

Great feedback guys, thanks for being such an open community! I def have a better idea of what I am getting into now, seems like goggles/masks make a big difference on the field. I will be purchasing my equipment in two days here, I am planning on driving up to toronto airsoft and having a first hand look. If anyone knows of a good store in toronto or near toronto other than toronto airsoft, feel free to let me know! Thanks again guys, I appreciate it, not all communities are so open to helping new players!