Making The Jump...

[MidnightX]

Alright folks, I have decided due to cost and some other factors that I will not go into here that I want to make the jump from paintball to airsoft, but I need some advice. First of all the stats... here is the gear I currently own for paintball (for those of you that have played, know and understand the sport).

Guns:
Primary: BT TM-15 with RipClip, FLASC SQB Barrel w/APEX tip
Secondary: Kingman Chaser .43cal
Backups: Smart Parts SP-1 / Ion

Soft Gear:
BT "Woodland" (CadPat) Pro Pants and Jersey\
BT Empire Event (CadPat) Mask
BT Merc Vest with various and sundry pouches
Invert "Woodland" (CadPat) gloves

Comms:
Puxing 400-470Mhz (FRS Channels) Radio
No Name Throat Mic

There's about a hundred other small side things that I won't list here cause it would take all day.

Here's my question... I already know what my first gun package is going to be... it will be cheap, it will probably break easily.... oh the heck with it... it's this thing:
Colt M4A1 On Duty Package

Why? Cause it's VERY cheap money wise ($100 before taxes) and because I can walk down to my local hobby shop and pick it up tomorrow (if I had the cash).

My question is... knowing that the better guns cost more... and knowing that I like the M4/M16/G36 style... What Should My SECOND gun purchase be? The one I will save up for that will last me until I find a new gun that I just have got to get?

I know, I know, I shouldn't buy the cheap one first, I know that it will give me problems but there are a couple of factors here... first... it took me almost a year to save for my beloved TM-15 and even then I had to sell one of my gaming consoles to pick it up. But at this point, I just want something that I can shoot so I can test the other aspects of airsoft to see if I am finding a new and better sport or if I am just going to end up in the same place 5 years down the road.

Two more questions; Some recommended websites and shops located here in Ontario would be much appreciated. Links or Phone numbers please! Two; fields in the Belleville Kingston Area that are regularly running airsoft games would be much appreciated as well.

Thanks in Advance for your help!

-Midnight

[kaiu]

You can get a second hand aeg for around $200 (or lower that includes shipping cost too) that will still be hundreds of times better than that soft air thing... (After you spend all that money upgrading that gun to work decently, you could have got something way better)

On average, save at least $500 bucks? You can get a decent aeg that can cost as little as $250/$300 brand new, but you need to factor in stuff like batteries, potential upgrades/downgrades, and mags.

Just wait until you get AV'd imo... You are in Bellville, so you could probably join that Zombie game close by, get AV'd there, and rent a gun first.


Games & Events in Ontario: http://www.airsoftcanada.com/forumdisplay.php?f=68

Stores: You need to get AV'd to see those sections anyways...

[Mitchell12]

My biggest recommendation is to save just a little bit more at least. If you can buy a 200 dollar AEG online as opposed to a cheapo clearsoft you'll enjoy the sport so much more and you'll even have the ability to upgrade it to whatever you may want and or retain some sale value.

Also players aren't going to like you rocking a high cap for very long (it's ok for a while most places) so that's another cost to consider.

Just my 0.02 from experience.

[ap27]

First thing almost everyone will tell you is to get Age Verified. ASC has a strict policy about not giving out information to anyone below 18. I read your other post and I know you are of age, but you'll have to prove it by meeting a local Age Verifier rep (look in the FAQ section to find a list of reps near you).
Once you are verified you'll get access to restricted parts of the forum that have information regarding local shops, websites, as well as retailers who are members of the forum and have a stockpile of goodies. You'll also get access to the 'for sale' section that will be the source of many good deals.

Second thing everyone will tell you is to NOT buy an unknown/cheapo brand gun. Save up a bit more and you'll be able to find a better one on the classifieds. It'll save you a lot of headaches. You may also be able to find a package on the classifieds for a good price that would get you started with a gun, magazines, accessories and even some gear.

You should also know that while prices will seem much lower on sites in the US or Asia, those guns wont make it past the border due to Canada's laws. Your only option is to buy locally or from canada-based retailers/sites.

As for paintball gear you can reuse, most of the gear like gloves/outerwear/mask/radio should all be reusable for airsoft games.

Read and research a lot. The FAQs section will give you a lot of info, and the other sections will give you a better idea of which guns would be ideal as starters.

[amano999]

If your not sure about airsoft I would just rent for a game or two and see how goes.

[Redzephyr]

As has been stated, get AV'd and the world opens up to you.

If you absolutely won't be dissuaded from picking something up on the extreme cheap, might I (and I know others would echo it) recommend the Crosman Stinger S34P? It regularly goes on sale (looking online, it is presently 119.99) at Canadian Tire for cheap, and it's a decent clone shotgun that you could actually keep using once you get into airsoft for real. Throw a coat of black paint on it and you're good to go.

And trust me, speaking as a former paintballer, you will get into airsoft.

[Taxt]

I saw one walmart gun in action today.. I can throw bbs with my hands better than that thing.

[phloudernow]

I strongly suggest you do not get that thing, its a waste of money as i looked it shoots 310 fps on .12s which are usually crappy bbs. i know you know its gona break, but you wont exactly experience airsoft with that thing. you gots shoot something more proper In my opinion.

Save up around 300 and get your self a cheap entry level m4 AEG its nothing fancy but it beats getting a crapsoft gun. go to a game and experience the joy of airsoft

[Kozzie]

I had one of those as my first gun it never even made it to a skirmish b4 it shat the bed on me, very flimsy and fragile terrible plastic internals and the springer pistol is totally useless. After seeing the performance of my second gun I'm glad I never gamed it I would have been slaughtered. I really regret buying that gun and I wished I had the money back to put towards a better gun.

Rent until you see if you like airsoft enough to invest in it, it's not uncommon to spend $1000+ to get outfitted, I did. I would recommend you save up a bit and spend $400-$500 on a gun (sell some paintball stuff if you need to) so you get something that will last. The worst thing for a new player is to have a gun that doesn't work as you won't know how to repair it (not that that gun can be repaired) and you won't have a back-up to keep you in the game when it goes down, and it will go down, at the worst possible time too. If you can't afford to spend that much on a new gun good deals can be had in the classifieds if you're patient. You could also get a new JG AEG for around $250/$300 which would make a good starter gun, not the greatest of quality but a million times better than that colt duty package and they're TM compatible so you can easily upgrade and fix it as you go.

[Rugger_can]

There is no jump or Challange it's all a preception. Here's the simple 5 step process for ya.


1. Sell your Paintball shit (or don't) using the appropriate channels.
2. Get age verified here.
3. Use money made from selling paintball shit (or whatever) to buy airsoft stuff you have researched via this forum and the magic of internet queries.
4. Search for local games on these boards and others.
5. Attend local games and have fun.



Cheers.

[SteelToe]

Cheapest is not the best. First couple of things would be to read up on your preferred model and then the makes that carry them. Do more reading here on why one model is better than the other. I picked the Systema PTW M4A1 2010 after much reading.

Get AV right away so the community can help you and have access to more info. You have to be patient with AV as it takes between 1 to 4 weeks. Hopefully your intereat does not fizzle then. Good luck.

[L473ncy]

I would say $300 is the bare minimum that you should spend on a gun. Much better to get AV'ed and maybe snag a deal for $250 for the gun itself or $350+ on a package (ie. includes extra mags, extra battery, half a bag of BB's, etc.)

Don't get an LPEG (LOW Powered Electric Gun), you'll be disappointed. They're like the retarded second cousin twice removed of airsoft guns. It's like comparing a nerf gun to a paintball gun.

If you must go budget (and you have experience playing stock/modified stock/super stock/open class) then the Crosman S34P (Tri shot TM M3 clone, NOT the single shot one) is a decent gun but keep in mind that you'll be severely outgunned and need to be sneaky. Ie. It's like playing with a stock class gun against full auto/semi auto guns, you just have to be REALLY REALLY sneaky, skilled and rely on precise/accurate fire rather than dumping a bunch of paint across the field.

PS: If you go the S34P route, NEVER pay full retail price for it. It goes on sale semi often (maybe once every 3-4 months) and you might be able to snag it for $70-75+tax rather than $120.

[Juke16]

The Walmart gun is shit, I brought it to a game last night, rounds per minute is terrible, I was shooting maybe three times faster than a bolt action gun.

[tygr701]

Just like these guys said make sure if your going to invest in a gun make sure its a quality AEG. Get age verified so you can see a better selection of guns that won't bust the first time you use it on the field. You don't want to end up spending a whole load of money just to keep the gun in the game. Just do your research for brands here that are reputable and read the reviews before you decide (CA, TM, RS, G&P, Ares, VFC) . In the meantime you may just want to rent as stated above.

Make sure you visit the FAQ section and read all the major posts. http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthread.php?t=58784http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthread.php?t=72497

[Cheesevillage]

1)Sell your secondary (the Kingman Chaser .43cal)

2)Get AV'd

3)Pick up a random cheap TM or Cyma on the classifieds