Post by xaos on Aug 11, 2007 1:37:53 GMT -5
Hooray! You like airsoft, and want a gun (or guns) of your own. How do you select the right one for you? Simple!
1. Check some of the following links, and find a few guns you like (if you already know what you like, feel free to skip this step):
Handguns (pistols like the colt 1911 and beretta M9)
Submachineguns (HK MP5, IMI UZI)
Assault Rifles (M16, HK G36, AK-47)
Sniper Rifles (M24, M40 , AI L96)
The important part is finding several choices, as most of the real weapons in the links don't have airsoft replica representatives.
2. Open your wallet (or check your bank balance) and see how much money you have to spend.
3. Browse through a retailer site, (I prefer Wargamer's Club, which is a Hong Kong based retailer for "scouting trips") and see if there are replicas available of the guns you like in your price range. If you're looking at an HK-based retailer, it's generally best to add $50 or so to the list prices to get a general idea of what the stuff will cost from a US-based retailer. The advantage of browsing at an HK-based retailer is that they tend to stock way more stuff than US retailers do, so you're more likely to find semi-obscure items.
4. Hopefully at this point, you've found a replica that you like. Now we need to know if it's actually worth buying. Huh? Well, there's a ton of different manufacturers out there, and not all of them make solid quality products. I won't pretend to know everything about all the different manufacturers, but here's a little list of stuff that seems to be getting good reviews:
Economy AEGs - guns that can be had at a bargain price, may not be up to the quality standards of the top brands, but can be good guns for those who either don't have the cash, or aren't sure if they're going to stick with airsoft.
Echo 1 - rather new on the market, $130-$200(ish), seem to be great first guns
UTG - been around a little longer, some dubious quality on early runs, roughly the same prices as above.
Not-quite-so-economy AEGs - once upon a time, the only choice...generally higher build quality, more upgradability, and longer-lasting if well-maintained.
Tokyo Marui - The old man on the mountain. TM has long been the industry standard. They produce a wide range of replicas, which are typically of excellent quality and reliability (there are a few exceptions, don't buy their UZI, ever). Generally $200-350 new. I personally own 3 TM guns, and have been nothing but pleased with them.
Classic Army - Another long-time player in the AEG game. Almost as many varieties as TM. Generally come standard with metal bodies. Build quality and reliability has gotten better over the years, however I still consider CA guns to be of somewhat dubious nature. Prices are roughly the same as TM, sometimes a little higher.
STAR - Newer to the AEG business. High-quality guns with great fit and finish. Lots of metal, hefty, solid guns. A good portion of their offerings are quite pricey (specifically the L85 series and the new FNCs). Not easy on the budget, but great guns, in my experience. I spout off all the time about my STAR L85, and for good reason.
G&G - Early production runs seem to take some time to iron out the bugs. Nice fit and finish, but probably not the best choice for a beginner. More pricey than TM and CA guns.
ICS - Mentioned only for completeness. Dubious to terrible quality. Similar price line to CA. Better than choices not listed here, but not better than similarly priced brands listed above.
G&P - Makes quality accessories, not sure about the quality of their full AEGs.
The really expensive stuff - Guns that cost a ton of money, and hopefully have the performance and reliability to match.
Systema - their PTW AEGs seem to be popular with the financially-well-endowed crowd. Fully-liscensed full-scale training replicas. Ridiculous pricetags starting at over $1,000.
VFC - Solid, well-designed, damned pretty guns. They look exceptionally nice, and perform well. Prices range from $400 for an AK-74SU to $1,500 for a Browning Automatic Rifle replica. Generally replicas of weapons that are otherwise unavailable.
Gas Pistols - handguns that use gas (most commonly "green gas" or Propane) to fire bbs.
WE - chinese knockoffs of TM gas pistols. Typically priced right around $100. Perform similarly to the TM guns, though I'd think they're of lower quality.
KJW - Once popular for producing cheap, all-metal pistols, I don't see them mentioned much anymore. Prices between $80 and $120. Not the highest quality, but decent enough budget pistols.
KSC - Solid, high-quality pistols. Mostly plastic, and not designed for green gas usage. Prices range from $120 or so up to $250. I own a KSC Beretta M93R, and can quite happily vouch for the quality of KSC guns. I've been nothing but happy with my pistol, despite my propensity for losing magazines.
Tokyo Marui - Yep, they make gas pistols too. Similarly high-quality, industry standard to their AEGs. Reasonably priced, typically between $100 and $150. Don't use green gas.
Western Arms - The holy grail of gas pistols. Though all plastic, and again not designed for green gas use, their fit and finish is top of the line, and function, durability, and accuracy is all a cut above everything else. Of course, all this comes at a price, as WA pistols generally start around $200, and can run upwards of $350 if you get into the limited-edition stuff.
Maruzen, Marushin, Tanaka Works - three seperate companies, all somewhat on the outskirts of the pistols game. Maruzen mostly makes replicas of Walther pistols, and good quality pieces. Marushin pretty much specializes in revolvers, most of which fire 8mm bbs now. Tanaka makes a good selection of revolvers and autos, but they're quite difficult to find for sale, at least in the US. The one thread that connects these three companies is that you're not real likely to see pistols from them for sale at US retailers often.
Sniper Rifles - I'm not going to go too deep into manufacturers here, as I really don't know that much about sniper rifles, never having owned one of my own. We'll start with the one I am at least somewhat familiar with, and if anyone wants to add on, feel free to drop a reply and I'll think about pasting it in.
Maruzen - Manufacturer of the APS-2 and L96, the first being probably the most widely used sniper rifle in airsoft, and the second being basically the same gun in a british package. High-quality, though like any sniper rifle, they're not really useful until you get the upgrade parts in. Generally run ~$350 for the base gun. Expect to spend $500 all told with upgrade parts, etc.
Okay, so now we've picked out a gun we like, found out that a replica is available from a decent manufacturer, and that we can afford said replica. What's next?
Buy the damned thing, dummy.
That was pretty easy, huh?
But but but xaos, you never told us what the BEST gun is!
There's a pretty good reason for that. Quite simply, there is no "best" gun. There are good guns, and there are guns that are garbage. Here's a little hint for you - any weapon, airsoft or otherwise, is only as good as the person wielding it. Get yourself a solid gun, and make yourself into an evil-white-sphere-spitting badass out on the field, and stop worrying about what's the "best".
Anyhow, yadda yadda, for completeness, if you've anything you'd like to add, or feel I've missed, feel free to PM me (try not to clog this thread up please), and I'll think about adding your stuff in. It's worth noting that I don't have much knowledge regarding the "economy" brands, since I'm a snob and only buy the good stuff I do reserve the right to completely ignore any PMs that get sent to me that I don't agree with, but surely that won't be all of them, right?
1. Check some of the following links, and find a few guns you like (if you already know what you like, feel free to skip this step):
Handguns (pistols like the colt 1911 and beretta M9)
Submachineguns (HK MP5, IMI UZI)
Assault Rifles (M16, HK G36, AK-47)
Sniper Rifles (M24, M40 , AI L96)
The important part is finding several choices, as most of the real weapons in the links don't have airsoft replica representatives.
2. Open your wallet (or check your bank balance) and see how much money you have to spend.
3. Browse through a retailer site, (I prefer Wargamer's Club, which is a Hong Kong based retailer for "scouting trips") and see if there are replicas available of the guns you like in your price range. If you're looking at an HK-based retailer, it's generally best to add $50 or so to the list prices to get a general idea of what the stuff will cost from a US-based retailer. The advantage of browsing at an HK-based retailer is that they tend to stock way more stuff than US retailers do, so you're more likely to find semi-obscure items.
4. Hopefully at this point, you've found a replica that you like. Now we need to know if it's actually worth buying. Huh? Well, there's a ton of different manufacturers out there, and not all of them make solid quality products. I won't pretend to know everything about all the different manufacturers, but here's a little list of stuff that seems to be getting good reviews:
Economy AEGs - guns that can be had at a bargain price, may not be up to the quality standards of the top brands, but can be good guns for those who either don't have the cash, or aren't sure if they're going to stick with airsoft.
Echo 1 - rather new on the market, $130-$200(ish), seem to be great first guns
UTG - been around a little longer, some dubious quality on early runs, roughly the same prices as above.
Not-quite-so-economy AEGs - once upon a time, the only choice...generally higher build quality, more upgradability, and longer-lasting if well-maintained.
Tokyo Marui - The old man on the mountain. TM has long been the industry standard. They produce a wide range of replicas, which are typically of excellent quality and reliability (there are a few exceptions, don't buy their UZI, ever). Generally $200-350 new. I personally own 3 TM guns, and have been nothing but pleased with them.
Classic Army - Another long-time player in the AEG game. Almost as many varieties as TM. Generally come standard with metal bodies. Build quality and reliability has gotten better over the years, however I still consider CA guns to be of somewhat dubious nature. Prices are roughly the same as TM, sometimes a little higher.
STAR - Newer to the AEG business. High-quality guns with great fit and finish. Lots of metal, hefty, solid guns. A good portion of their offerings are quite pricey (specifically the L85 series and the new FNCs). Not easy on the budget, but great guns, in my experience. I spout off all the time about my STAR L85, and for good reason.
G&G - Early production runs seem to take some time to iron out the bugs. Nice fit and finish, but probably not the best choice for a beginner. More pricey than TM and CA guns.
ICS - Mentioned only for completeness. Dubious to terrible quality. Similar price line to CA. Better than choices not listed here, but not better than similarly priced brands listed above.
G&P - Makes quality accessories, not sure about the quality of their full AEGs.
The really expensive stuff - Guns that cost a ton of money, and hopefully have the performance and reliability to match.
Systema - their PTW AEGs seem to be popular with the financially-well-endowed crowd. Fully-liscensed full-scale training replicas. Ridiculous pricetags starting at over $1,000.
VFC - Solid, well-designed, damned pretty guns. They look exceptionally nice, and perform well. Prices range from $400 for an AK-74SU to $1,500 for a Browning Automatic Rifle replica. Generally replicas of weapons that are otherwise unavailable.
Gas Pistols - handguns that use gas (most commonly "green gas" or Propane) to fire bbs.
WE - chinese knockoffs of TM gas pistols. Typically priced right around $100. Perform similarly to the TM guns, though I'd think they're of lower quality.
KJW - Once popular for producing cheap, all-metal pistols, I don't see them mentioned much anymore. Prices between $80 and $120. Not the highest quality, but decent enough budget pistols.
KSC - Solid, high-quality pistols. Mostly plastic, and not designed for green gas usage. Prices range from $120 or so up to $250. I own a KSC Beretta M93R, and can quite happily vouch for the quality of KSC guns. I've been nothing but happy with my pistol, despite my propensity for losing magazines.
Tokyo Marui - Yep, they make gas pistols too. Similarly high-quality, industry standard to their AEGs. Reasonably priced, typically between $100 and $150. Don't use green gas.
Western Arms - The holy grail of gas pistols. Though all plastic, and again not designed for green gas use, their fit and finish is top of the line, and function, durability, and accuracy is all a cut above everything else. Of course, all this comes at a price, as WA pistols generally start around $200, and can run upwards of $350 if you get into the limited-edition stuff.
Maruzen, Marushin, Tanaka Works - three seperate companies, all somewhat on the outskirts of the pistols game. Maruzen mostly makes replicas of Walther pistols, and good quality pieces. Marushin pretty much specializes in revolvers, most of which fire 8mm bbs now. Tanaka makes a good selection of revolvers and autos, but they're quite difficult to find for sale, at least in the US. The one thread that connects these three companies is that you're not real likely to see pistols from them for sale at US retailers often.
Sniper Rifles - I'm not going to go too deep into manufacturers here, as I really don't know that much about sniper rifles, never having owned one of my own. We'll start with the one I am at least somewhat familiar with, and if anyone wants to add on, feel free to drop a reply and I'll think about pasting it in.
Maruzen - Manufacturer of the APS-2 and L96, the first being probably the most widely used sniper rifle in airsoft, and the second being basically the same gun in a british package. High-quality, though like any sniper rifle, they're not really useful until you get the upgrade parts in. Generally run ~$350 for the base gun. Expect to spend $500 all told with upgrade parts, etc.
Okay, so now we've picked out a gun we like, found out that a replica is available from a decent manufacturer, and that we can afford said replica. What's next?
Buy the damned thing, dummy.
That was pretty easy, huh?But but but xaos, you never told us what the BEST gun is!
There's a pretty good reason for that. Quite simply, there is no "best" gun. There are good guns, and there are guns that are garbage. Here's a little hint for you - any weapon, airsoft or otherwise, is only as good as the person wielding it. Get yourself a solid gun, and make yourself into an evil-white-sphere-spitting badass out on the field, and stop worrying about what's the "best".
Anyhow, yadda yadda, for completeness, if you've anything you'd like to add, or feel I've missed, feel free to PM me (try not to clog this thread up please), and I'll think about adding your stuff in. It's worth noting that I don't have much knowledge regarding the "economy" brands, since I'm a snob and only buy the good stuff
I do reserve the right to completely ignore any PMs that get sent to me that I don't agree with, but surely that won't be all of them, right? 
