Jan 10

Written by:
1/10/2012 11:50 AM 

We have all read the posts online 'what is the best gun', 'what gear should I get', and of course the famous 'I am starting a team and looking for members'. DUCK decided to put our collective heads together and answer some of the basic questions about airsoft and to impart a few tips for players that are getting started into the sport. This is not an end-all be-all guide to the sport, just a few pointers so by all means go out and research to your heart's content about the sport and get a second opinion.

This is also not just a guide for the questions being asked but as a general rule for players that are about to sink a good portion of funds into a kit. As a general rule do as much research as you can into a subject before investing so much as $1 into it. You will find that $200 spent on something of good quality will be better than $80 spent 3-4 times due to poor design, functionality, or usability every time.

1. What gun should I get?

This is one of the most common questions posed on an airsoft forum and to other players at a field. We will break it down into its major parts to give you an idea what is the best course of action.

1. What rifle/pistol do you like? Start with a basic style in mind. Other than a few rare items there is likely a replica of all grades and qualities being produced to choose from. Before picking based on looks alone we highly recommend going to a shop or a game and trying a few replicas out. You may find that the TAR you want really looks cool but magazine changes are hard to do prone. You also might find that the uber-leet sniper rifle you want has a bolt pull like prying a nickel out of your grandpas fist. Start your search off by trying out a few weapon systems and really seeing if you want to use it for a long time. Since the weapons all perform similar it is best to decide based on ergonomics instead of immediate performance. Remember that excellent tactics and a rubber knife can defeat a top end rifle and a camper every time.
2. Quality is a relative term. Most people talk about getting as high a quality replica as you can afford right off the bat. This might be a bit overkill for a started replica that will get used for 5000-8000 rounds before being traded off or replaced by a new or different weapon system. Remember that your tastes may change and the quality of the replica you purchase needs to match your playing needs. Granted if you can afford the Real Sword AK as a starter replica then go for it but it is almost guaranteed that in 6 months you will want to replace it with a different style, model, version, etc. We recommend something in the middle price bracket that is shooting 350fps. Most midgrade replicas shooting 400+fps have a shorter life since the more fps you have the more stress the internals on the replica are under. Most DUCK members start with a midgrade replica with solid stock performance and will do minor tweaks to get it to the level of use that we normally incur. No one runs a System PTW or high end GBBR because we mostly feel that they are not necessary to be able to enjoy the sport since we all seem to be having just as much fun with our midgrade equipment as the top end replica owners do.

2. What gear should I get?

This is the second most common question that we hear at games. People come up to DUCK and look at our gear as a team and ask us what gear they should get for themselves. We would love to do nothing more than sit around and tell you the evolution of our kits over the past 10 years but I am afraid you would be bored to death by year 2.

1. What role are you going to play? This is a tricky question since you are likely reading this guide as a new player and may not have a role picked out as your primary focus. Assaulters need lots of magazines, recondos need light gear with lots of gadget pockets, and snipers need only a couple magazines and some good camo. There are tons of roles we could define and none of them is better than the other. First thing to do is go to a few games with some players and let them loan you their gear. See whether or not you like the way a CIRAS fits or a DACH goes on and off. Unless you are serious about roleplaying as a SEAL or Recon you have many options to look into for gear selection so take your time and try a few sets out first hand before you buy one from China and and up not liking it. Most of DUCK has a few bins of old gear that we never use anymore because we did just that. We could have saved ourselves the trouble by borrowing a kit from someone else for a game and realizing that it really doesn't work for our play style.
2. Quality (again) is relative. Buying a China clone CIRAS is not a bad deal if you are not going to be diving, rolling, using the drag handle, and generally loading the vest up with 80lbs of goodies. The quality of a clone is decent enough to use for months of play and can last a long time if cared for. Granted you can always end up with a crappy one but it is more likely that the vest will outlast your interest in it.
3. Configurability is key. MOLLE is a good way to start so that you can change the configuration of your vest as often as you feel like it. Some best style systems like ALICE can be decently configurable but are not quite as flexible. Omega style vests are solid sewn in place and cannot be configured much if at all. As a new player it is recommended to get something with the ability to be changed around without needing a whole new rig.

3. I am starting a team and looking for members!

Shortly after getting into airsoft there is the want and need for players to start up a team by posting this on a forum. In some ways it is nice that they are looking to work with some like minded players but in others it can really be a detriment to the development of not only their understanding of the sport but their teams understanding as well. Most teams are formed from players that are around the same skill level and experience and if the person is new to the sport that is forming the team then most likely everyone on the team will be similar levels of experience. This means that you have a 'team' that is made up of people that are asking each other the questions about the sport that would be better served being asked of a veteran player or veteran team of players.

Go out to a field. Play with a lot of other players. Meet other teams and see how they operate. Play the sport for a few months or even years before you decide to start a team up. Most likely your area has a lot of teams already existing and they usually have a good variety of players in their ranks. See if you can join them or at the least socialize and work with them at games to learn from them and to get all of your questions answered with a few people's opinions or facts.

Also, having 4 acres at your grandpas farm to play on does not entitle you to become the team leader. Not many veteran players want to play on small undeveloped fields with your 'team' of 3 people so getting veteran players to join you will be hard to accomplish. If you have a place to play and want to host games then work with a veteran team and you may find that they can help you either make it a great location or they can point out why it would be near impossible to make it any good.

 

This has been fun. We hope to see many new players in the field in the future and we hope that everyone keeps safe and learns a lot about the sport. As always we are always available for airsoft questions over on the South East Airsoft forums if you want to ask us anything.