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So I don't know if this is the right section but move it if you don't like it mods.
So you have decided to get into the sport of airsoft, huh? Well first off congratulations! This truly is a great sport that people all over the world love to play. While this is a great sport it can be a little intimidating to actually take the plunge and get out of the back yard and actually go and play a game. First piece of advice is just relax! Everyone has been a noob at one time or another even the great Aggressor. This guide is for all of you who are just getting into the sport and hopefully will help with the process.
Guns: price range $100- how ever much you want to spend.
First thing I can say about guns is if you are looking at sticking to this sport then you are going to need a gun, but not just any gun, a decent quality gun should be bought. Granted the first few times that you play at field you can rent a gun, but after a few rentals you already spent the money you would have if you had just bought a gun. Also (and this is the fun part) figure out what kind of gun do you want! This comes with so many different aspects. Do you want to be a sniper (i'll get to this more later)? Are you a fan of any guns? What do you want out of your airsoft experience e.g. long range, rate of fire, light weight, uniqueness? And the best asset to answer these questions is by reading reviews online or talking to a retailer. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
Used guns: Used guns can be a great asset to take advantage of, but just like a car you can be buying a lemon. If you are looking at getting a used gun I would take someone who knows about airsoft guns. Make sure there are not any major wobbles in the body or stock of the gun, make sure it fires, and it fires well. If you are uncomfortable with anything about the gun, just don't buy it. Your money can go further somewhere else. You may be able to find great deals on used guns, but I strongly suggest you inspect the gun in person not just pictures over the internet.
Some places that you can find used guns: MAA b/s/t threads! Airdog Airsoft has a section of used guns and anyone there will be more than willing to help. Craigslist, while filled with scammers can still be a good place to find used guns.
Another good place to find used guns is from auction websites. Ebay.com can be a good place to get guns, but I have heard of people having bad experiences using this website. I have also come across www.sportsonlyauction.com which is used quite a bit by airsofters, and can be a great place to find guns to buy.
New Guns: New guns are a good idea because you know that what you are getting has not been used or abused. New guns also come with (usually) a high capacity magazine, a battery, a charger, a cleaning rod, and a funny looking manual with cartoon characters shooting themselves in the eye. New guns can be found from retailers. www.evike.com www.airsoftgi.com are just a couple of online retailers, or you can go to your local airsoft retailer. I would recommend going to your local retailer, because they can be there to give you advice about guns, accessories, mags, etc.
Overview of Guns: First thing I can say is buy a decent gun. Lowest quality gun I would go with would be JG (Jing Gong) or D-Boys. Do not buy your gun from Dick's, Walmart, Bass Pro, or any other superstore retailer. You will not be happy with these and you aren't going to get any kind of performance out of them. They have plastic gear boxes and gears. You cannot upgrade these guns nor fix them; they are junk. Pretty much if you go through an actual airsoft retailer you are going to end up with a decent gun. Better guns are made in Japan or Thailand, but Chinese guns serve many people day after day. And the best thing would be to buy an AEG, if you want to be a sniper skip down to the sniper section.
Gear: While not essential to playing airsoft gear gives you a bit of an advantage if you can use it well. Best advice for this is to use what you are comfortable with and what you can afford. If you are only comfortable looking exactly like a Ranger with real gear then go for it, but be prepared to pay for it, or if you are comfortable in your walmart hunting camo with soccer cleats and a cross draw vest then that's cool too. This is about you and what you want. Many people can and will judge you based on your gear, but then you just find them on field and shoot them
BB's:
Quality: Some people don't care about the bb's that they use in their guns, they buy crossman bb's from walmart to use in their guns. I don't do that, because if I just sunk $200 on a AEG I am going to use quality bb's. Good quality bb's are going to give you better range, better fps consistency, and shape consistency. If you buy your bb's from an airsoft retailer you are already a step in the right direction.
Weight: First thing do not use anything less than .20g bb's in your guns. If you put .12g bb's in your gun and it is not a $9 spring pistol you found in a ditch I will just slap you on the forehead. .12 g bb's break easily and are just too light. Take a kleenex and see how far you can throw it, now try it with a baseball (you get the point just don't use them in your guns). Now for those of you who are wanting more range and less effect by wind you can elect to use heavier than .20 g bb's. This is a trial and error test and see bit. Snipers sometimes will go as high as .43 g bb's. See what works and what doesn't but always have some .20 g bb's because this is the industry standard for chronoing your gun.
Where to order from:
Below is a list of places that I have had good luck with.
Airdog- just recently opened up their new retail store. No e-commerce yet, but we are told it is coming soon.
Airsoft Atlanta- GREAT place if you are looking for VSR-10 parts (see sniper section). Website is a little lackluster and slow, but it gets the job done. Boneyard is also available
Airsoftgi.com- Quite a good place for e-commerce. Boneyard available.
Evike.com- Have had very good experiences with them and also have great "Holy Cow!" deals
Hobbyking.com- in China so expect expensive shipping and wait time, but they were pretty decent.
ebairsoft.com (aka ebaybanned)- another Chinese place but have some decent products.
When going with any sort of online ordering, I'd advise staying away from sites that haven't been used to the degree you are looking for. If you want clear plastic guns that shoot .18's then go to Dick's or Sports Authority. If you are looking for something better then go to a reputable airsoft distributor.
Preparing for your first game: So you've got your gun, your gear, and your bb's so now it's that fateful Saturday where you are ready to go, or are you? Every good airsofter knows what to throw in the trunk for an event. First thing to ask yourself is what kind of game is this an open game or an OP?
Open game-
1. money (you have to pay to play) check with field fees and rental fees before that day
2. gun can't play if you can't shoot! or just rent one
3. eye protection can't play without it. some fields require more than others read the rules or call the field before hand.
4. ammo you can't hit anyone without ammo! some fields will have bb's for purchase there.
5. batteries (charged)- remember to charge your batteries before you take the field. If you battery dies your day might be over.
6. Waiver is always something to have figured out before you get to the field. If you are under 18 you have to have your parent or guardian sign it.
7. A good attitude! Get ready to have some fun!
OP-
Everything you need for an open game but then also take into account the story line and time that you are going to be on the field. Ask yourself, "are there uniform requirements?" "How long am I going to be there?"
If you are staying for more than a day, then plan for camping for that many days, but also bring extra everything in the list in the open game + your battery charger.
General Rules: Generally speaking you are always going to play by the same rules.
First and foremost you must be honest. No this is not paintball and most bb's aren't going to leave any mark so it then depends on players to call their hits. If you get shot or think you got shot just call yourself out. It happens to everyone and if you don't call your hits you are going to develop a reputation and no one is going to want to play with you.
This is equal with the first rule, and that is play safe. Remember your MED and follow it. Keep others as well as yourself safe we just don't want anyone hurt.
Be on time to player briefing and listen. This is your introduction into game play and is more important than stopping by for your Egg McMuffin so be on time.
Always listen to the refs. They aren't picking on you, they don't care who wins at the end of the day, and they are going to be as fair as possible.
DON'T TAKE OFF YOUR EYE PROTECTION ON THE FIELD, period.
Another idea to consider is whether you have to have a parent or guardian present. Sorry to say it but some fields require you to have a parent or guardian on the field with you if you are under a certain age. Once again call ahead of time and figure this out.
Snipers: Alright I know, I know you want to be a sniper. So Tom Beringer is your hero or you've seen "Shooter"(crappy movie by the way) 9283 times, I don't care this is airsoft. To get an advantage with a sniper rifle (inherently understood as a bolt action) you are going to spend $1000+ on your spring powered sniper rifle. Still feel like being a sniper? You are going to have to have great mechanical ability. If your bucking is off by 2mm you aren't going to make your shots. Still want to be a sniper? You aren't going to get many kills. It's the bottom line that you aren't going to be slinging the amount of plastic to get the kills you think you should be getting. Still want to be a sniper? Good luck.
Quick note about backyard airsoft:
Airsoft often gets a bad reputation. Bottom line when it comes to backyard airsoft is if you are in sight of the public, then you are not playing safely. You have been warned; police have and will continue to be called about airsoft guns. Also if you are going to have a pickup game. Still wear the proper protection and establish what the rules are going to be (MED's etc.). Just be safe and follow the rules and laws.
List of terms:
AEG- airsoft electric gun. 99% of the airsoft guns out there are aegs
AEP- airsoft electric pistol
GBB- gas blow back, usually refers to pistols which cycle the slide like a real steel pistol
Real steel- this is real guns that shoot real bullets like .223 9mm or .308 (these are not approved for airsoft battles)
High capacity magazine- (aka hicap) essentially a box that you attach to your airsoft gun which holds your ammunition and loads them into your gun. These magazines hold anywhere from 200-700 bb's and you must wind a wheel occasionally on the bottom of the magazine to keep the bb's feeding into your gun. There is a hatch which you open and pour bb's into.
Mid capacity magazine- (aka midcap) this is a spring loaded box which feeds your bb's into your gun. Requires no winding, but must load with a speedloader. Holds from 90-140 bb's.
Gear box- (aka mechbox, gb, or mb) this is the heart of your aeg. It holds the piston, spring, spring guide, gears, cylinder, piston head, cylinder head, trigger, wiring, etc. DO NOT TAKE THIS APART UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING OR ARE READY TO PAY SOMEONE TO PUT IT BACK TOGETHER!
Gear- everything that you take onto the airsoft field besides your gun. This includes but is not limited to vests, helmets, and boots.
Gear whore- those who are obsessed with gear. They don't really care if they are good at airsoft or not; they are concerned with looking good or legit. (AKA Jimmy, reconsniperga)
Loadout- everything you are using on the field, often used for showing off on the MAA thread "Show your loadout"
FPS- Feet per second. This is the speed of you bb which 99.99% of fields use to test to make sure you aren't going to hurt someone with a gun that shoots too fast or too "hot"
Chrono- chronograph, the device that measures your fps and all good fields will have one and require you to "chrono" (this time a verb)
Hop up- can refer to a device inside your gun which gives the bb's backspin thus further distance, or the effect of the back spin
bucking- the rubber tube which is utilized inside your hopup to give the grip needed for the application of back spin.
OP- (aka Operation) this refers to a large game with objectives which follows along a story line. Storylines are provided before hand so you can prepare for the day of the game. May involve uniform requirements and can last several days. OP's have objectives that are worth an amount of points (usually) and at the end of the day the points are added up to see who wins.
Open game- this is a casual game where you get together for a day and play. there may be small objectives or game types.
MED- Minimum engagement distance
full metal- all parts on the airsoft gun are metal that are metal on the real gun. This does not mean that your gun will not have plastic on it.
pot metal- a low quality of metal that (sadly) quite a bit of airsoft parts are made of.
rainbowing- a technique of aiming way above your target to have your bb's rain down on your target (a technique that I think is in poor taste)
If you are still reading this, thanks. I hope that that this helps you noobs feel a bit more comfortable getting into this great sport. There is a wealth of information out there and this is just the tip of the iceberg. So get out there shoot lots and call your hits.
So you have decided to get into the sport of airsoft, huh? Well first off congratulations! This truly is a great sport that people all over the world love to play. While this is a great sport it can be a little intimidating to actually take the plunge and get out of the back yard and actually go and play a game. First piece of advice is just relax! Everyone has been a noob at one time or another even the great Aggressor. This guide is for all of you who are just getting into the sport and hopefully will help with the process.
Guns: price range $100- how ever much you want to spend.
First thing I can say about guns is if you are looking at sticking to this sport then you are going to need a gun, but not just any gun, a decent quality gun should be bought. Granted the first few times that you play at field you can rent a gun, but after a few rentals you already spent the money you would have if you had just bought a gun. Also (and this is the fun part) figure out what kind of gun do you want! This comes with so many different aspects. Do you want to be a sniper (i'll get to this more later)? Are you a fan of any guns? What do you want out of your airsoft experience e.g. long range, rate of fire, light weight, uniqueness? And the best asset to answer these questions is by reading reviews online or talking to a retailer. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
Used guns: Used guns can be a great asset to take advantage of, but just like a car you can be buying a lemon. If you are looking at getting a used gun I would take someone who knows about airsoft guns. Make sure there are not any major wobbles in the body or stock of the gun, make sure it fires, and it fires well. If you are uncomfortable with anything about the gun, just don't buy it. Your money can go further somewhere else. You may be able to find great deals on used guns, but I strongly suggest you inspect the gun in person not just pictures over the internet.
Some places that you can find used guns: MAA b/s/t threads! Airdog Airsoft has a section of used guns and anyone there will be more than willing to help. Craigslist, while filled with scammers can still be a good place to find used guns.
Another good place to find used guns is from auction websites. Ebay.com can be a good place to get guns, but I have heard of people having bad experiences using this website. I have also come across www.sportsonlyauction.com which is used quite a bit by airsofters, and can be a great place to find guns to buy.
New Guns: New guns are a good idea because you know that what you are getting has not been used or abused. New guns also come with (usually) a high capacity magazine, a battery, a charger, a cleaning rod, and a funny looking manual with cartoon characters shooting themselves in the eye. New guns can be found from retailers. www.evike.com www.airsoftgi.com are just a couple of online retailers, or you can go to your local airsoft retailer. I would recommend going to your local retailer, because they can be there to give you advice about guns, accessories, mags, etc.
Overview of Guns: First thing I can say is buy a decent gun. Lowest quality gun I would go with would be JG (Jing Gong) or D-Boys. Do not buy your gun from Dick's, Walmart, Bass Pro, or any other superstore retailer. You will not be happy with these and you aren't going to get any kind of performance out of them. They have plastic gear boxes and gears. You cannot upgrade these guns nor fix them; they are junk. Pretty much if you go through an actual airsoft retailer you are going to end up with a decent gun. Better guns are made in Japan or Thailand, but Chinese guns serve many people day after day. And the best thing would be to buy an AEG, if you want to be a sniper skip down to the sniper section.
Gear: While not essential to playing airsoft gear gives you a bit of an advantage if you can use it well. Best advice for this is to use what you are comfortable with and what you can afford. If you are only comfortable looking exactly like a Ranger with real gear then go for it, but be prepared to pay for it, or if you are comfortable in your walmart hunting camo with soccer cleats and a cross draw vest then that's cool too. This is about you and what you want. Many people can and will judge you based on your gear, but then you just find them on field and shoot them
BB's:
Quality: Some people don't care about the bb's that they use in their guns, they buy crossman bb's from walmart to use in their guns. I don't do that, because if I just sunk $200 on a AEG I am going to use quality bb's. Good quality bb's are going to give you better range, better fps consistency, and shape consistency. If you buy your bb's from an airsoft retailer you are already a step in the right direction.
Weight: First thing do not use anything less than .20g bb's in your guns. If you put .12g bb's in your gun and it is not a $9 spring pistol you found in a ditch I will just slap you on the forehead. .12 g bb's break easily and are just too light. Take a kleenex and see how far you can throw it, now try it with a baseball (you get the point just don't use them in your guns). Now for those of you who are wanting more range and less effect by wind you can elect to use heavier than .20 g bb's. This is a trial and error test and see bit. Snipers sometimes will go as high as .43 g bb's. See what works and what doesn't but always have some .20 g bb's because this is the industry standard for chronoing your gun.
Where to order from:
Below is a list of places that I have had good luck with.
Airdog- just recently opened up their new retail store. No e-commerce yet, but we are told it is coming soon.
Airsoft Atlanta- GREAT place if you are looking for VSR-10 parts (see sniper section). Website is a little lackluster and slow, but it gets the job done. Boneyard is also available
Airsoftgi.com- Quite a good place for e-commerce. Boneyard available.
Evike.com- Have had very good experiences with them and also have great "Holy Cow!" deals
Hobbyking.com- in China so expect expensive shipping and wait time, but they were pretty decent.
ebairsoft.com (aka ebaybanned)- another Chinese place but have some decent products.
When going with any sort of online ordering, I'd advise staying away from sites that haven't been used to the degree you are looking for. If you want clear plastic guns that shoot .18's then go to Dick's or Sports Authority. If you are looking for something better then go to a reputable airsoft distributor.
Preparing for your first game: So you've got your gun, your gear, and your bb's so now it's that fateful Saturday where you are ready to go, or are you? Every good airsofter knows what to throw in the trunk for an event. First thing to ask yourself is what kind of game is this an open game or an OP?
Open game-
1. money (you have to pay to play) check with field fees and rental fees before that day
2. gun can't play if you can't shoot! or just rent one
3. eye protection can't play without it. some fields require more than others read the rules or call the field before hand.
4. ammo you can't hit anyone without ammo! some fields will have bb's for purchase there.
5. batteries (charged)- remember to charge your batteries before you take the field. If you battery dies your day might be over.
6. Waiver is always something to have figured out before you get to the field. If you are under 18 you have to have your parent or guardian sign it.
7. A good attitude! Get ready to have some fun!
OP-
Everything you need for an open game but then also take into account the story line and time that you are going to be on the field. Ask yourself, "are there uniform requirements?" "How long am I going to be there?"
If you are staying for more than a day, then plan for camping for that many days, but also bring extra everything in the list in the open game + your battery charger.
General Rules: Generally speaking you are always going to play by the same rules.
First and foremost you must be honest. No this is not paintball and most bb's aren't going to leave any mark so it then depends on players to call their hits. If you get shot or think you got shot just call yourself out. It happens to everyone and if you don't call your hits you are going to develop a reputation and no one is going to want to play with you.
This is equal with the first rule, and that is play safe. Remember your MED and follow it. Keep others as well as yourself safe we just don't want anyone hurt.
Be on time to player briefing and listen. This is your introduction into game play and is more important than stopping by for your Egg McMuffin so be on time.
Always listen to the refs. They aren't picking on you, they don't care who wins at the end of the day, and they are going to be as fair as possible.
DON'T TAKE OFF YOUR EYE PROTECTION ON THE FIELD, period.
Another idea to consider is whether you have to have a parent or guardian present. Sorry to say it but some fields require you to have a parent or guardian on the field with you if you are under a certain age. Once again call ahead of time and figure this out.
Snipers: Alright I know, I know you want to be a sniper. So Tom Beringer is your hero or you've seen "Shooter"(crappy movie by the way) 9283 times, I don't care this is airsoft. To get an advantage with a sniper rifle (inherently understood as a bolt action) you are going to spend $1000+ on your spring powered sniper rifle. Still feel like being a sniper? You are going to have to have great mechanical ability. If your bucking is off by 2mm you aren't going to make your shots. Still want to be a sniper? You aren't going to get many kills. It's the bottom line that you aren't going to be slinging the amount of plastic to get the kills you think you should be getting. Still want to be a sniper? Good luck.
Quick note about backyard airsoft:
Airsoft often gets a bad reputation. Bottom line when it comes to backyard airsoft is if you are in sight of the public, then you are not playing safely. You have been warned; police have and will continue to be called about airsoft guns. Also if you are going to have a pickup game. Still wear the proper protection and establish what the rules are going to be (MED's etc.). Just be safe and follow the rules and laws.
List of terms:
AEG- airsoft electric gun. 99% of the airsoft guns out there are aegs
AEP- airsoft electric pistol
GBB- gas blow back, usually refers to pistols which cycle the slide like a real steel pistol
Real steel- this is real guns that shoot real bullets like .223 9mm or .308 (these are not approved for airsoft battles)
High capacity magazine- (aka hicap) essentially a box that you attach to your airsoft gun which holds your ammunition and loads them into your gun. These magazines hold anywhere from 200-700 bb's and you must wind a wheel occasionally on the bottom of the magazine to keep the bb's feeding into your gun. There is a hatch which you open and pour bb's into.
Mid capacity magazine- (aka midcap) this is a spring loaded box which feeds your bb's into your gun. Requires no winding, but must load with a speedloader. Holds from 90-140 bb's.
Gear box- (aka mechbox, gb, or mb) this is the heart of your aeg. It holds the piston, spring, spring guide, gears, cylinder, piston head, cylinder head, trigger, wiring, etc. DO NOT TAKE THIS APART UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING OR ARE READY TO PAY SOMEONE TO PUT IT BACK TOGETHER!
Gear- everything that you take onto the airsoft field besides your gun. This includes but is not limited to vests, helmets, and boots.
Gear whore- those who are obsessed with gear. They don't really care if they are good at airsoft or not; they are concerned with looking good or legit. (AKA Jimmy, reconsniperga)
Loadout- everything you are using on the field, often used for showing off on the MAA thread "Show your loadout"
FPS- Feet per second. This is the speed of you bb which 99.99% of fields use to test to make sure you aren't going to hurt someone with a gun that shoots too fast or too "hot"
Chrono- chronograph, the device that measures your fps and all good fields will have one and require you to "chrono" (this time a verb)
Hop up- can refer to a device inside your gun which gives the bb's backspin thus further distance, or the effect of the back spin
bucking- the rubber tube which is utilized inside your hopup to give the grip needed for the application of back spin.
OP- (aka Operation) this refers to a large game with objectives which follows along a story line. Storylines are provided before hand so you can prepare for the day of the game. May involve uniform requirements and can last several days. OP's have objectives that are worth an amount of points (usually) and at the end of the day the points are added up to see who wins.
Open game- this is a casual game where you get together for a day and play. there may be small objectives or game types.
MED- Minimum engagement distance
full metal- all parts on the airsoft gun are metal that are metal on the real gun. This does not mean that your gun will not have plastic on it.
pot metal- a low quality of metal that (sadly) quite a bit of airsoft parts are made of.
rainbowing- a technique of aiming way above your target to have your bb's rain down on your target (a technique that I think is in poor taste)
If you are still reading this, thanks. I hope that that this helps you noobs feel a bit more comfortable getting into this great sport. There is a wealth of information out there and this is just the tip of the iceberg. So get out there shoot lots and call your hits.
Last edited by NJSC on 08.07.11 19:55; edited 4 times in total
+1
![Markerscope1 [SOTHG]](https://2img.net/u/2713/75/72/23/avatars/50-70.jpg)
, anyway this is still cool, and does nj have any suggestions on spring shotguns? might get one, but it would be very handy to get some advise 
