|
Post by creativity on May 16, 2012 10:38:23 GMT -5
Hello everybody. I'm a paintballer and I'm considering getting into airsoft. A good friend has gotten me in to it, and I really would like doing some paintball/airsoft with him, but he doesn't like paintball for whatever reason, so I went to his house, we went out some place, and played an indoor skirmish. It was a lot more fun than I ever had playing paintball. I got tagged or hit, whatever you call it, a lot. Partly because my friend only let me use his old gas pistol, which he sold to me afterward (a WE 1911), along with some green gas and bbs.
He told me to come to these forums, read the rules of airsoft and etc. from people who know better than he does. I've learned a whole lot, and to be honest, it's only made me more and more interested.
Although, I am currently pondering over a few things:
What AEG should I purchase? Money is not an issue, but I don't want to go out and buy something expensive I will hardly ever use.
What camouflage is appropriate for outdoor play? Indoor play? Are there any that are universally accepted? Is camouflage necessary for rec play? If it isn't necessary, would it be acceptable to go play some place in just jeans and a sweater, because I know a lot of paintball could honestly care less about what you wear.
What gram BBs should I use? I currently have half a bottle or so of .25s, which my friend says are a good balance between accuracy and speed.
I live in Livonia, and driving no more than one hour is preferred, so where is the most active, noob-friendly, and closest place I could go, just on a weekend or something?
Sorry for all the questions, but I'm really determined to get into airsoft, and become a serious player.
So any help is appreciated. I will try to be as active as I can on the forums, and help out when and where I can, (which is hardly anywhere, and any advice I give would mostly be just common sense.)
Thanks in advance, Andrew
|
|
|
Post by arguablycrassic on May 16, 2012 11:13:03 GMT -5
Futureball in Whitmore Lake is fairly close to you. They run games every weekend from (I believe) 11 to 4. The majority of players there are newer players, but they require you to have a barrel condom and something to protect your lower face.
Other than that, there is No Limits in Taylor, but they don't run games all the time.
We used to have a really nice field in Ypsilanti, but the owner ran into some red tape, last I heard.
Your only other option is Eastside, Pheonix Tactical, and ACS(Did i spell that right?) Closer to the east side of the state, which may be a little too far for you.
|
|
|
Post by Pagan on May 16, 2012 11:16:11 GMT -5
What AEG should I purchase? Money is not an issue, but I don't want to go out and buy something expensive I will hardly ever use. What camouflage is appropriate for outdoor play? Indoor play? Are there any that are universally accepted? Is camouflage necessary for rec play? If it isn't necessary, would it be acceptable to go play some place in just jeans and a sweater, because I know a lot of paintball could honestly care less about what you wear. What gram BBs should I use? I currently have half a bottle or so of .25s, which my friend says are a good balance between accuracy and speed. I live in Livonia, and driving no more than one hour is preferred, so where is the most active, noob-friendly, and closest place I could go, just on a weekend or something? Thanks in advance, Andrew First and foremost welcome. Thank you for taking the time to post a well though out and well written post. It's refreshing to see from someone just getting into this forum. This depends on what style you AEG you like. If you're in to M4/M16 style rifles, I'm 100% certain you'll get the recommendation of the G&G Combat machine. They're inexpensive, and very reliable for an introductory priced AEG. www.airsoftgi.com/product_info.php?products_id=4587 As far as camo, this is completely up to you. The only suggestion I would make is this, for out door play try to avoid wearing a lot of black. It's not a color found in nature in large amounts, and tends to make you stick out. Most of the players tend to purchase both a tan or green set of camo, as most of the outdoor games split teams up by color. This allows you to play one whichever side you would like. Surplus stores and the commerce section of this forum will be your best friend. You can usually pick a set of woodlan surplus for around $10-20, and there are is usually different sets floating around for sale in the commerce section. At rec games and indoor games, it's pretty much wear what ever is comfortable. It's not until you get in the the scenario or milsim games that camo is required. BB weight is a personal preference as well. The heaiver weight bbs will tend to withstand wind and brush a bit better, so most players use .25g and higher outdoors. Indoors a lot of people will use .20g as you're not shooting as far, and the little boost in speed can help. There are plenty of places to play within an hour of Livonia( I'm in Garden City myself). For outdoor games ther is No Limits/Action paintball in taylor. There is usually at least one game a month there in the spring/summer/fall months. There's one on the 26th of this month just as a example. Indoor you have Eastside Airsoft, Phoenix Tactical South both in Warren, and Phoenix North in Commerce (a little over an hour for me, but close enough). My suggestion is even if you don't have all the gear yet, come out to a rec game, or an indoor game( most indoor fields rent the needed gear for playing) and check things out. You get a chance to meet other players and see what it's like first hand.
|
|
bobbunny
New Member
No long fishing.
Posts: 779
|
Post by bobbunny on May 16, 2012 21:05:47 GMT -5
What AEG should I purchase? What camouflage is appropriate for outdoor play? Indoor play? Are there any that are universally accepted? Is camouflage necessary for rec play? If it isn't necessary, would it be acceptable to go play some place in just jeans and a sweater, because I know a lot of paintball could honestly care less about what you wear. What gram BBs should I use? I currently have half a bottle or so of .25s, which my friend says are a good balance between accuracy and speed. I'll go straight at the basic stuff. Frankly, a Combat Machine will probably do you the most good at a good price. However, if you want to get more serious in it, I would recommend a G&P or a KWA. Additionally, if you again, want to or begin to get serious, go for some upgrades. TBB (Tight Bore Barrel) will increase your accuracy. R-Hop Up will give you greater consistency with your hop-up, and increase your range. Metal Bushings are a must for any decent gun, and they're cheap! There are a million other things, but IMO, these are some of the most simplest things you can do for the best effect. As for Camo, I frankly just use a set of BDUs from a Surplus Store. Generally, the camo depends on you and the game, but if you just do REC games and such, a nice set of BDUs is great. However, you can just wear hoodie and jeans. Personally, besides the face area, try and protect your arms, legs, and hands. Some knee protection is definitively not necessary, but getting shot in the knee hurts more than getting shot in the chest. .25g BBs are by far the best for a basic set up. Obviously, if you tune and upgrade, you can go higher. However, .25s are the way to go. Make sure to use quality BBs as well! No BBs you find at Walmart or the local Sporting Goods store shall do you much good.
|
|
|
Post by creativity on May 17, 2012 6:34:40 GMT -5
arguablycrassic, thanks for all the field info.
Thanks for your thorough replies Pagan and bobbunny, you truly don't know how much I appreciate it.
One last question though, regarding eyewear and face protection. Would a pair of full seal goggles suffice? Or is a full mask better? What about something like a balaclava and goggles?
|
|
|
Post by Knief on May 17, 2012 6:57:05 GMT -5
How much face protection you need depends both on you and the field. Some fields require all players to wear a full face mask with hard plastic covering your mouth, nose, and ears (and obviously your eyes). Others may require soft covering for your face, like a balaclava or shemagh. Others only require face protection for players under a certain age (often times that age is 18, 16, or 14) while others only need eye protection. And still others require only full seal goggles for everybody. If you're younger, it's a good idea to have something to protect your face just in case its required at a game you'd like to go to.
You have a lot of options, from mesh to hard plastic to cloth solutions. Different people prefer different forms of protection, so take a bit of time and do some reading in the gear section here and see what you think might suit you. If you can, come out to a game and ask people if you can check out what they're using (hell, do this for whatever gear you're interested in). I don't know a single airsoft player who doesn't want to talk about his gear to anybody who'll listen.
|
|
|
Post by Pagan on May 17, 2012 7:08:33 GMT -5
Just using goggles is fine, a lot of people do it. I personally use a mesh face mask, as it allows me to have protection and still get a good cheek weld for aiming. I highly recommend face covering anytime you're playing indoors. The engagement distance is normally pretty close, and any sort of protection will be very welcomed. Just realize that unless you use some sort of harder covering, the chance of still getting blasted is pretty high. I use to just wear a shemagh indoors, and took a shot from a tri-shot shotgun at pretty close range. Two of the bbs found the 2mm opening between my cover and my goggles and I ended up with a swollen and bleeding cheek. This was with covering that had moved just a fraction. I've also seen a team mate have a tooth broken by someone at an outdoor game, when he dropped his covering for a moment to get some fresh air. *Edit, Damnit, Knief beat me to it....
|
|
|
Post by Gimpalong on May 17, 2012 8:35:21 GMT -5
Hello everybody. I'm a What AEG should I purchase? Money is not an issue, but I don't want to go out and buy something expensive I will hardly ever use. It's hard to go wrong with a 10.5" or 14.5" carbine which uses STANAG [M4/M16 style magazines]. For example, an M4A1, M4A1 CQBr, SCAR, KAC PDW, etc. For the budget-minded airsofter, G&G's "Combat Machine" series usually gets mentioned, although many people also recommend JG or Dboys M4s for upgrading. If you are on a budget and just want a relatively reliable rifle that will work alright out of the box for a good while and not need any upgrades right away then the "Combat Machine" series is a good choice. For higher end M4A1-type rifles, I recommend G&Ps. They have a standard V2 gearbox which is compatible with the plethora of aftermarket and replacement parts. Externally they are extremely nice in appearance. Out of the box they are reliable (although you will find many a mention of weak gear axles on various airsoft forums) and skirmishable. They are often hard to find in the United States, but are plentiful overseas. So you do run the risk of seizure by customs if you order one from an Asian retailer like Ehobby Asia or Airsoft Global. I have ordered two (an M4A1 and M733) and did not run into customs/shipping problems with either. In my opinion, it's hard to go wrong if you purchase a rifle made by: Tokyo Marui (TM) G&P Classic Army ICS King Arms (KA) VFC KWA Ares While there are differences in the gearboxes and external build quality of these manufacturers, you generally get a decent product that will function reliably out of the box. Some manufacturers (KWA, ICS, Ares [?]) have gearboxes that are "off-spec" from the Tokyo Marui which can make them marginally more difficult to work on and find parts (mostly just the gearbox shell itself) for. Take some time to find a particular model-type that you like (M4A1, M733, SCAR, etc) and then do some research to find out who produces it and what the differences between manufacturers are. As mentioned, games are usually divided between a "tan" team and a "green" team, so if you purchase a set of woodland BDUs and a set of desert BDUs (DCUs) you should be able to fit onto either team. If you're on a tight budget, you can easily get away with wearing a tan or green shirt and pants. This really depends on what velocity you're firing at and what your hop-up likes to eat. Most people recommend .25s, but .20s are still extremely common. In recent years, many people have started shooting .28s, .30s and even .40s depending on their rifle and its capabilities. Everyone chronos at games with .20s no matter what they will shoot on the field, so I like to keep a bag of .20s handy even if I usually shoot .25s on the field. Aside: One thing that I wish someone had told me when I started is this: you only need eye-protection, good shoes, an airsoft gun, a battery or two and a single high-capacity magazine to play. Focus on picking out the gun that you want before delving into gear and equipment because, as you will find out soon enough, one purchase will drive a whole series of other purchases. Play a few games, get to know what kind of gear there is and what might or might not work for you before making any big investments in load-bearing equipment or a plate carrier.
|
|
Dean
New Member
Posts: 193
|
Post by Dean on May 17, 2012 15:04:24 GMT -5
It's been said; the G&G Combat Machine is the way to go if you're looking for a good, inexpensive starter gun.
Adding onto what Bobbunny said about kneepads, I would recommend them because the first time you kneel or land on a rock directly on your kneecap you're going to wish you had some. This has happened to me before and it's not very pleasant.
|
|
|
Post by Tank on May 17, 2012 16:06:07 GMT -5
It's been said; the G&G Combat Machine is the way to go if you're looking for a good, inexpensive starter gun. Adding onto what Bobbunny said about kneepads, I would recommend them because the first time you kneel or land on a rock directly on your kneecap you're going to wish you had some. This has happened to me before and it's not very pleasant. It's also just nice to be able to just drop to your knee, or knees, without having to care how hard you hit down, when you wear knee pads. I'm sure kneeling on a BB when your playing on concrete isn't any fun either.
|
|
|
Post by Gunny87 on May 18, 2012 9:33:11 GMT -5
Also when picking up knee pads, pick up a set of Bijan Marine style knee pads. All other knee pads that I've used end up hanging at my feet by the time I'm even on the field for 10 minutes.
|
|
|
Post by arguablycrassic on May 18, 2012 9:40:56 GMT -5
I would second the mesh face mask. purely because at least 3 fields I have attended required people of any age to wear lower face protection, and at least one has been total dicks about enforcing it. Didn't happen to me but some other kids face protection drooped off, immediate expulsion from the field. That's a little off topic though. An added little tidbit of info, with a balaclava or face mask, you're not going to be able to talk all that clearly into a walkie, where as a mesh mask isn't going to garble your words.
|
|
|
Post by Dallas on May 18, 2012 14:56:45 GMT -5
One bit of info on mesh masks: Biodegradable BBs can shatter into sharp fragments if they hit the mesh. In the event that this happens, and it will, I would suggest wearing a balaclava under the mesh mask. Not to contradict Crassic, but it may be in your best interest.
|
|
|
Post by Talisman on May 19, 2012 8:16:54 GMT -5
This thread has some good information on mesh masks - it's about goggles, but I assume the same would apply to a full face covering. Mesh face protection isn't as critical, but it depends on how critical it is to keep your face protected.
|
|
|
Post by creativity on May 19, 2012 22:48:12 GMT -5
Alright. Here's an update for you guys.
I've went ahead and purchased the G&G Combat Machine GR16 Blowback, with an Intellect 9.6v Battery. I've bought two bags of KSC Perfect .25g bbs, and another can of gas for my WE 1911.
Along with the mesh face mask similar to the one Pagan suggested, I bought some Flakjak desert goggles.
I don't think biodegradable bbs are too popular, especially indoors (what would be the point?), and I'm planning on playing mostly indoor games, until I decide that I it's something I could really stick with and take seriously, maybe purchase camouflage at that point, and start playing outdoor games.
At this point though, I feel like knee pads aren't truly necessary. But I will keep that in the back of my head.
Thanks for all the feedback, everybody.
|
|