My Load-out Updated with MarPat Loadout

[a1 (Babez)]

Nov 19, 2010 15:31:58 GMT -5 Vampyre (Immortal) said:

I am planning on buying the ARES Aw-338, so right now my airsoft budget is focused on buying that gun and getting it upgraded. Other than that I'll probably have to wait for the summer to get the expensive LBE gear when my gun load-out is complete. Which means I'm going to get a MarPat BDU jacket(I already have MarPat fatigues) and a CT or CB Cross-draw vest, so I can have a green load-out too. I will probably buy a Mich helmet and another Pantac MP7 holster(CT or CB). I will end up having an identical ACU and MarPat load-out before I can get a new load bearing rig. I'll have to live with the inefficiency of a cross-draw vest until my income starts flowing in again and I can budget myself toward getting better gear.

Why don't you just save up for a really nice AEG, and instead of spending more $$$ on another (somewhat useless) load out, when you can vastly improve your current one, AND save money you would have otherwise spent on that marpat loadout!

If you save up for a Tan CIRAS, then it will cohere with your ACU and MARPAT, so there will be no need to spend extra.

[Paranox]

Hes got a point. Just pick up a Khaki Land CIRAS and your all good to go. Also, I don't think you should buy that ARES AW-338. If you really have your heart set on a Sniper Rifle at least get something that will work for a "impression". Overall though, an M4 of some sort would be best.

[Andrew]

Sooooooo much ACU.

[Vampyre (Immortal)]

I am not an AEG user, and I am not really going for any impression with my guns. I buy the airsoft guns I like and think are interesting.I play mostly rec games and some scenario games, so I am not really worried if my guns don't quite match with my outfits. If I want to make a good impression I will make a Gillie suit and go for a British or European sniper load-out.

I am buying the tan cross-draw vest, mp7 drop-leg holster and helmet because that is what I will be able to afford at the beginning of the season. I understand that a tan or CB rig will be immensely better than the cross-draws, but I need something to use in the meantime.

I don't mind spending about $50 for a cross-draw vest to complete a load-out. I would rather have something mediocre that I can use in the beginning of summer than have no gear to use for my green load-out until the end of summer. I am getting a new rig but it will have to come later because my airsoft budget will be drained after I fill out my pre-season shopping list. Then my finances will be locked until mid August.

[Paranox]

I still don't understand why you want an ARES AW-338. As far as I know a good amount of the parts are proprietary. Also, how do you expect to upgrade this gun and get it shooting nice when you cant even afford 100 dollars or so worth of gear?

Just saying, this gun is going to be a money pit, and there are better guns out there. If you really want a gas sniper rifle look into the KJW R700's, other than that stay away from gas. (There may be other nice gas sniper rifles out there, this is just what comes to mind at the moment).

[Vampyre (Immortal)]

I did not say I can't afford the sniper rifle. I meant I can't afford the gear after I buy the sniper rifle because I have a budget I set for myself. I already have my heart set on getting this rifle and upgrading it. I have saved up the money to do so and I'm committing to my plan.
The ARES AW-338 is pretty easily upgradeable it takes standard AEG hop-up buckings and TBBs. I also can tap the mags and connect an HPA rig to it. So upgrading is actually pretty simple when you know how to do it. Also, the people that have upgraded enjoy the hell out of it and I have tech support on the Sniper Proboards.

I am an Airsoft Sniper and I like being one. I will be making a Gillie suit for myself from scratch, but the load-outs I am buying are for REC and CQB games mostly.

There is no need for arguing about my gun choice because I will not change that aspect of my load-out because that is my favorite part of my gear. For myself collecting the airsoft guns is the fun part of making my load-out and my other gear is a secondary priority.

All of my choices on what I am purchasing are my decisions to make. I have taken into consideration the tips and suggestions that others have made and I am going to implement some of those suggestions accordingly. So, again thanks for the input, but please don't make gun suggestions for me.

[Knief]

As far as gear goes, I think the biggest question is why are you so set on a cross draw vest? Even just a tac vest that doesn't have the holster would be an upgrade, and they run the exact same price. But a cheap chest rig (MOLLE or not) would be a better choice and similarly priced. So what is it that you like so much about crossdraw vests that you're unwilling to look at other options?

[edit] For example, check out this set up:

www.airsoftsmith.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=31_77&products_id=2627

It's going to be just as low profile as a crossdraw, hold more rifle mags, more pistol mags, and still hold a pistol. Only it keeps that pistol tucked under your arm (whichever arm you desire) rather than dead center on the weak side of your chest. That's prime rifle mag real estate, and keeping something else there is about as foolish as it gets.

Or there's this guy:

www.airsoftgi.com/product_info.php?cPath=28_96&products_id=4637

It holds all of your mags right off the bat, so you're not hurting for storage space. Then, as you get more money, you add a pouch or two to hold extra accessories. You can even slap a MOLLE holster somewhere on there (hell, if you really want to, you could stick in on your weak side chest because it'll stack outside of your mags rather than replace them. Eventually, you can build up a full scale kit out of it that's good for any load out. And again, it's priced right around the same point as the crossdraws, but infinitely better because it's modular.

And if you're just set on getting a tac vest, why not get a modular one?

www.airsoftgi.com/product_info.php?cPath=28_96&products_id=1103

It will have the same feel as the cross draw you're using now, but with the flexibility of a MOLLE vest. If you want to set it up like a crossdraw for a game, you can. If you don't, then you get that option. If your sniper rifle mags are too short or too wide to really fit in an M4 pouch, you can find pouches that fit your mags better. You can add on some large pistol mag pouches for your mp7 mags rather than fitting them loosely into M4 mag pouches.

There are just so many benefits that you're missing out on by continually buying crossdraws. That's what's so baffling to us. We don't understand how you can continue to waste time on an inferior design when there are so many other options out there at the same price.

[Fugazi]

Nov 19, 2010 19:57:31 GMT -5 Vampyre (Immortal) said:

I did not say I can't afford the sniper rifle. I meant I can't afford the gear after I buy the sniper rifle because I have a budget I set for myself. I already have my heart set on getting this rifle and upgrading it. I have saved up the money to do so and I'm committing to my plan.
The ARES AW-338 is pretty easily upgradeable it takes standard AEG hop-up buckings and TBBs. I also can tap the mags and connect an HPA rig to it. So upgrading is actually pretty simple when you know how to do it. Also, the people that have upgraded enjoy the hell out of it and I have tech support on the Sniper Proboards.

I am an Airsoft Sniper and I like being one. I will be making a Gillie suit for myself from scratch, but the load-outs I am buying are for REC and CQB games mostly.

There is no need for arguing about my gun choice because I will not change that aspect of my load-out because that is my favorite part of my gear. For myself collecting the airsoft guns is the fun part of making my load-out and my other gear is a secondary priority.

All of my choices on what I am purchasing are my decisions to make. I have taken into consideration the tips and suggestions that others have made and I am going to implement some of those suggestions accordingly. So, again thanks for the input, but please don't make gun suggestions for me.

I'm not going to make a suggestion, but the Ares wouldn't work well in the winter. If you plan on doing some cold-weather games, you're eventually going to have to get an AEG. I understand your current predicament with cash however. Maybe just hang on to your current rifle to use in winter time? Just don't out yourself for half the year because of how you prefer your gun to be powered.

That aside, I think the AW-338 is a sharp looking gun. I love the fluted barrel, overall the gun is sex.

[Vampyre (Immortal)]

Nov 19, 2010 21:36:34 GMT -5 Knief said:

As far as gear goes, I think the biggest question is why are you so set on a cross draw vest? Even just a tac vest that doesn't have the holster would be an upgrade, and they run the exact same price. But a cheap chest rig (MOLLE or not) would be a better choice and similarly priced. So what is it that you like so much about crossdraw vests that you're unwilling to look at other options?

It's not that I am unwilling to look at other options. The molle rigs do offer more customization, but I also have to add the pouches that I will need to buy for it. I am probably going to get a belt rig and although I can buy the initial rig for about the same price as a cross-draw vest I will also need to buy specific mag pouches for my MP7, rifle and pistol mags along with other miscellaneous pouches. A cross-draw vest in tan will suit my needs in the meantime before I can save up more money to buy the rig and get everything I need for it. The Cross-draw vest is only $50 and it comes with all the pouches that suit my needs already and fits my immediate budget. I have 3 40rd MP7, an extra pistol mag, and an extra sniper rifle mag. All of these will fit into a cross-draw vest comfortably, so I can use the vest in the meantime before I can get a full rig.

That is the only reason I am buying the tan cross-draw vest first.
I am buying the molle rig mid-summer when I have a job and I get more money so I can buy all I need to make it complete.

This summer I am planing on completing all my load-outs so I'm not worried about getting an extra cross-draw vest. Besides it'll be nice to have three rigs with two being able to be rotated between all three load-outs.

Knief, Thanks for the links, but when I buy my molle rig I will be getting a battle belt rig so I can keep my gear away from my stomach. It will be useful for when I'm sniping and I will be able to crawl around more easily.

Also, MikeDay87
If I get an HPA rig for the Ares AW-33 playing in winter games will not be an issue. I also have my MB05 which I will be repainting with a functional camo for use in the winter as I have stated before earlier in the thread. The KWA GBBs work quite well in the winter so besides having an FPS drop I will have no issue with using them. And thanks for complementing on the ARES AW-338 that is one of the reasons why I am getting it.

[Knief]

But why not the chest rig that holds all of the same stuff as the crossdraw but takes up less space on your body and puts mags in the right place on your chest? It holds 4 pistol mag pouches which ought to fit your mp7 mags. And if it doesn't, then you can store them in the M4 mag pouches like you do right now.

But then, why not just get the tac vest without the holster and keep your pistol in one of the mag pouches? It'l hold it just fine and only use up one of your mag pouches. That'll leave you 5 mag pouches, and again, in the right place on your chest, to fill with mp7 mags.

Or if you could even find a set up like this:

www.lapolicegear.com/blackhawk-omega-tac-vest-shotgun-rifle-30ev31bk.html

And add in a $15 drop leg (a cheap new one or a decent used one can be had for about that much) on your left side.

The point I'm getting at is pretty clear to everybody who isn't you. There are any number of cost effective options out there for carrying gear (and would work for exactly what you need to carry) and a crossdraw vest is just about the worst way to go about it. To insist on buying another crossdraw when you already have one inferior vest goes beyond stubbornness. It seems like you're doing it less out of practicality and more out of an unwavering and mistaken instance on being a contrarian--an attempt to prove that all of us nay-sayers crossdraw haters are wrong. The only other option reason to do it is ignorance, but that doesn't really seem like the case.

[a1 (Babez)]

I don't see the point of having a cross draw with mag pouches(that has room for plenty of M4/AK/MK36/MK5 mags) but not using them! You could get a MOLLE system, and have THREE pistol mags for your Mp7, and have alllllllllll that extra room for anything... Including nothing. Plus, a good cheap MOLLE system will run you as much or a little bit more than a crossdraw.

We're not saying you have to go out and get all this fancy stuff, but we don't see the logic behind your purchases, that is all.

Like the Mp7 by the way.

[Vampyre (Immortal)]

Nov 19, 2010 22:28:43 GMT -5 Knief said:

But why not the chest rig that holds all of the same stuff as the crossdraw but takes up less space on your body and puts mags in the right place on your chest? It holds 4 pistol mag pouches which ought to fit your mp7 mags. And if it doesn't, then you can store them in the M4 mag pouches like you do right now.

But then, why not just get the tac vest without the holster and keep your pistol in one of the mag pouches? It'l hold it just fine and only use up one of your mag pouches. That'll leave you 5 mag pouches, and again, in the right place on your chest, to fill with mp7 mags.

Or if you could even find a set up like this:

www.lapolicegear.com/blackhawk-omega-tac-vest-shotgun-rifle-30ev31bk.html

And add in a $15 drop leg (a cheap new one or a decent used one can be had for about that much) on your left side.

The point I'm getting at is pretty clear to everybody who isn't you. There are any number of cost effective options out there for carrying gear (and would work for exactly what you need to carry) and a crossdraw vest is just about the worst way to go about it. To insist on buying another crossdraw when you already have one inferior vest goes beyond stubbornness. It seems like you're doing it less out of practicality and more out of an unwavering and mistaken instance on being a contrarian--an attempt to prove that all of us nay-sayers crossdraw haters are wrong. The only other option reason to do it is ignorance, but that doesn't really seem like the case.

I don't know, I'm not really trying be ignorant or contrarian. I just don't have a use for the extra mag space of a tactical vest. I'm able to access all my mags fine and I have easy access for my pistol mag. Besides when I get a battle belt rig I will only be using the cross-draw vests in CQB games which they will work decently well in. I just think they look cool and they work fine to suit my needs.

When I get the Rifle I want I will be able to devote my airsoft budget mostly on tactical gear, so I plan on collecting a whole lot of different vests and rigs. So buying this vest in spite of it's inferiority is really just because I want it so I can add it to my collection and use it once in a while. I'm going to get a lot of fancy rigs anyway.

And My MP7 mags do not fit in pistol mag pouches. In my pics I took I just forgot to put a 40rd mag in my MP7. When it is in my Pantac MP7 drop-leg holster I keep my 20rd mag in it so it doesn't stick out behind my leg and I always have 20rds in my MP7 ready to go when I need them.


The mag on the top is the 40rd mag(I have three)
and the mag on the bottom is my only 20rd mag.

[Ct Man]

I have had experience with the Ares Aw 338. It is more a wall hanger than a skirmishable weapon. You can do what you want, but the $500 can be spent on a gun that will be much more effective and in the long run, not turn into a money pit. Yes, the fit and finish on the gun is amazing, but anything that can go wrong on it, will go wrong with it. If you are getting a Gas rifle, Tanaka is the way to go. Otherwise, get a spring sniper and go nuts on the internals.

Anyways, good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[Vampyre (Immortal)]

Nov 19, 2010 23:05:09 GMT -5 Ct Man said:

I have had experience with the Ares Aw 338. It is more a wall hanger than a skirmishable weapon. You can do what you want, but the $500 can be spent on a gun that will be much more effective and in the long run, not turn into a money pit. Yes, the fit and finish on the gun is amazing, but anything that can go wrong on it, will go wrong with it. If you are getting a Gas rifle, Tanaka is the way to go. Otherwise, get a spring sniper and go nuts on the internals.

Anyways, good luck with whatever you decide to do.

I like the look of the ARES and there are many people on the Airsoft Sniper Proboards that use thee rifle and love it. I will need to get wear parts for it but other than the upgrades I plan to do I shouldn't have any problems with it. Also, a lot of gas sniper rifle owners have converted to HPA rigs and after accuracy upgrades there isn't really a difference in performance between the Tanaka and ARES and they both need to be upgraded the same way, so it's really a matter of personal preference between the two replicas.

[Ct Man]

Well, I hope you prove me wrong and it all goes well for you, for your wallets sake.