Where to get good/cheap guns?

[Sephiroth]

Im new to this and i have really no money to spend on luxerys like these so could someone steer me towards the right direction. I live in Green Bay,WI. Thxs.

[Downslide]

In the airsoft industry, "good" and "cheap" tend to be mutually exclusive. The "cheapest" you can go, and still get an AEG is really around $100. People will continue to go back and forth on the UTG = good/bad as much as "taste great" vs "less filling." For $100, you can get a UTG MP5, or a UTG AK-47, or a Well R-6(which is an M4 clone), or a Well R-8(a G3SAS clone). Yes, they are the bottom of the barrel, but they do hold up and the versions that are currently released are fairly decent. It will get you into the sport with a gun that is okay, a battery and charger, and a magazine. Spend another $10-$15 on BBs and you're good to go for a while.

Anything under $100 is garbage and should be avoided.

[Sephiroth]

Do you know any good places to shop or go for the items?

[element365]

This really ought to be a sticky.

There is the wargame room (www.thewargameroom.com). Other than that, you will have to go online.

airsoft extreme (www.airsoftextreme.com)
airsoft atlanta (www.airsoftatlanta.com)

[Beasthunter33]

Rredwolfairsoft.com is my store of choice. shipping is a little high but can't beat the to your door in two day from HongKong garuntee they SHOULD offer since 90% of the time that is how fast they are. They also have pretty much everything. FOr BB's I recommend Evike.com if you are on a budget, while I am sure their are better bb's out there I have yet to find a better deal on bulk.

[Sephiroth]

damn. There pricy. Guess it costs money to play this sport eh?

[Beasthunter33]

Well you could always do what I did when I first started out and get a bottle of BB's and a straw. I have heard people have also used Katanas to some degree of success.

Personally I recommend the straw.

[Downslide]

errr...yeah. Regen after the katana hits is always a little tough...

[RTO]

damn. There pricy. Guess it costs money to play this sport eh?

yes, it does cost a bit to get a deacent package right off the bat, but in the long run, its a HECK of a lot cheaper than paintball

[Beasthunter33]

yes, it does cost a bit to get a deacent package right off the bat, but in the long run, its a HECK of a lot cheaper than paintball

AMEN!!! :]

[Sephiroth]

You wouldnt need a good gun right off though would you? If your a beggener. Is there like a beggener gun or something?

[RTO]

there is, yes, but quite frankly, they can suck. most of the beginners guns are not something you want to go out to some of these larger games with unless you are a very sneaky person and can sneak up behind someone with ease.

a "beginners" gun, or beginners package would typically include an AEG, Battery, charger, and some bbs.

[Sephiroth]

hmm. Those sites that the other guy provided had no beggner packages where could i find them?

[Maple]

Seph,
First, let me say a big "welcome" to the world of airsoft.
The words "beginner gun" can mean a number of different things to a number of different people. As I see it, the cheapest you can get into the sport is roughly $200. This would mean buying a UTG airsoft gun and the basic equipment needed to play the game. Personally, I don't reccomend UTG's but that is a whole different arguemnet I don't feel like getting into.

Here is a link to an article I wrote about getting into airsoft, hopefully it'll shed some light on what you are looking at getting into.
http://wiairsoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1866

[Sephiroth]

Well very nice article. Im still searching for a gun but hopefully that is the hardest thing.

[Guerilla Dan]

If you've got a job, or an allowance, you should just save up until you can afford what you really want. Don't spring for something just because it's cheap.

[Klootzak]

or do what i have done EBAY. I know its alot of people frown on it but hell alot of people frown on UTG to so i guess it kinda of equals things out. Well thats just my thoughs. I have had great luck with EBAY so yea. Also Hey man

[Erik_MAA]

I'm going to offer a different point of view - this is a common question from new Airsoft players - "Hey, I need a cheap gun, and a cheap gun is alright, isn't it?"

http://www.pakieser.com/mods/howaboutno.jpg

A cheap gun will cost you more in the long run. Because your cheap gun will only work for a couple of games, and then when it breaks you will have to junk it at a total loss and start over with something else.

My recommendation is to save your money and get a Tokyo Marui. Marui is the only Airsoft company with an semblance of quality control.

People mention UTGs a lot, yes they are cheap but I think you would be better off buying a used Marui than a new UTG. Every UTG owner I know has experienced some sort of problems that had to be fixed, inflating the gun to the price of a Marui pretty quickly.

Classic Army and ICS guns have some neat features, but require some maintenance that most new players are not capable of.

Maruis are by far the best guns for new players. They work well straight out of the box, and with proper maintenance will last much longer that other brands (at least that has been my experience).

Don't take my word for it...find a player who owns the gun you want to buy, and see what their experience is. I have Marui AEGs that I have been using for 5 years with no repairs.

[squezeel]

I'm going to offer a different point of view - this is a common question from new Airsoft players - "Hey, I need a cheap gun, and a cheap gun is alright, isn't it?"

http://www.pakieser.com/mods/howaboutno.jpg

A cheap gun will cost you more in the long run. Because your cheap gun will only work for a couple of games, and then when it breaks you will have to junk it at a total loss and start over with something else.

My recommendation is to save your money and get a Tokyo Marui. Marui is the only Airsoft company with an semblance of quality control.

People mention UTGs a lot, yes they are cheap but I think you would be better off buying a used Marui than a new UTG. Every UTG owner I know has experienced some sort of problems that had to be fixed, inflating the gun to the price of a Marui pretty quickly.

Classic Army and ICS guns have some neat features, but require some maintenance that most new players are not capable of.

Maruis are by far the best guns for new players. They work well straight out of the box, and with proper maintenance will last much longer that other brands (at least that has been my experience).

Don't take my word for it...find a player who owns the gun you want to buy, and see what their experience is. I have Marui AEGs that I have been using for 5 years with no repairs.


then again you also dont want to pull an rto and start with 8 grand in guns right off the bat.just get a sr-16 m4 or a famas, ak dont matter your not gona have the best gun out there.like me for instsance i have a famas and just started like last week. besides haveing the gun appart 2 times allready it a good gun and i like it. now i just need to find mod for it and im good.so do you kinda understand that you dont need to spend a lot off money to start out.i will say this tho make sure you got like $80 the first day for entrance fees also other needs for the game. a quick loader, and ammo is useally realy helpfull during the game.thoos three items quick loader $10, ammo depending on what waight like $20 for 4000 rounds and 15 for a fee. that right there is $45 that doesnt include gas, food, and camo. so your fist day dont worry if you drop $80 it then goes because you now have the ammo, quickloader, you just have to worry about gas money as well as entrance fee money.well i got that off my chest. i hope you have a better understanding of what your getting yourself in to. c ya around

[d9137]

I agree with Eric...Sort of, slow down and save for the gun of your choice. Anything cheap is exactly that, cheap! The better quality you get from the get go, the better off you'll be. (I personally like ICS, but that is off-topic) If you spend $100 and it breaks you'll probably going to spend up to another $100 to fix the thing, not to mention having a gun that may still not let you compete.

If you're not sure about Airsoft in general, hang out on the Events board and see who's going to the games that you want to attend. They may just have an extra gun that they'll lone you for the day.

I came into the sport slowly, and the $500 worth of crap that I have just sitting here because I wanted to ease into it, tick me off now.

Save up and get what you want...you'll be happier!

[Sephiroth]

but dont u need like camoflauge(spelled wrong probably) and pads.

[NATHANIELJONESTHUGANGEL]

but dont u need like camoflauge(spelled wrong probably) and pads.


If you spend a bit of time searching you can find a full woodland BDU for like $25. Or you can be a bit crafty, like I got one with a really small tear on the elbow for free from a friends dad, as he has like 4-5 of the things from when he served.

[Airsoft Kombat]

well im no expert but ive been airsofting(obsessivly) with my frends for about a year.
finding cammo and other things of that sort isnt that hard at all, look at army surplus stores. they usually have cheap cammo, gun holsters, canteens, and belts etc. not to mention carriyng bags. i have gotten almost all my gear from these types of places and i am as good as the next fanatically obsessive airsofter lol. but buying really GOOD guns is the only down fall, i only have springers, but if u take VERY good care of them, they will last(even if u no u wont stand a chance against good AEGs) also there is no shame in buying a cheap AEG. my friend has had his for like a year and not much has happpened to it. any way.....dont stress to much about this big skirmish game stuff, try and get some friends into it, and airsoft with them for a while. just to get the basic things and get all set, and then buy ur awesomelky big gun.
-patience is a virtue.

[Maple]

I have to echo ErikMAA on this one, buying cheap is not the best idea.
A lot of people will tell you that a UTG can hold it's own with a stock TM gun, but that has yet to be proven in the long run. UTG guns are still relatively new, so they do not really have a proven track record, one way or the other.

As for gear, as others have said, you can find cheap used gear online or at surplus stores.
Goggles are another item you will need to spend money on. If you are under 18, you will need a set of full seal goggles. Should run you between $20-40 pending on the brand and make. If you are over 18, all you need is ANSI87.1 eye protection. They start at $10 and run upwards of $100 pending once again on the brand and make.

Unfortunately, playing airsoft at bigger skirms will cost a fair amount of money. A cheap springer rifle or LPEG can not hold it's own against even a stock TM or CA. (A certain red head on Roadkill can vouch as he used a springer M4 at OP:BHD :) ) don't let this totally dissuade you.
You can show up to games with a cheap springer and still have fun. You may not get many kills, but you are still running around playing some airsoft.
I feel you on the crappy job scene. I am glad that I found airsoft when I was a bit older and had more cash to spend on toys. If I had started playing when I was 16 or 17 (min. wage was $4.25 at the time) I would have been hard pressed to get a good gun too.

Well, I realize I pretty much echoed what several other people said, but I hope this helps. Keep an eye out for used guns for sale (I believe Vanac has a good deal on a used MP5 for sale right now) and keep saving your cash.
-mat

[NATHANIELJONESTHUGANGEL]

I have to echo ErikMAA on this one, buying cheap is not the best idea.
A lot of people will tell you that a UTG can hold it's own with a stock TM gun, but that has yet to be proven in the long run. UTG guns are still relatively new, so they do not really have a proven track record, one way or the other.

As for gear, as others have said, you can find cheap used gear online or at surplus stores.
Goggles are another item you will need to spend money on. If you are under 18, you will need a set of full seal goggles. Should run you between $20-40 pending on the brand and make. If you are over 18, all you need is ANSI87.1 eye protection. They start at $10 and run upwards of $100 pending once again on the brand and make.

Unfortunately, playing airsoft at bigger skirms will cost a fair amount of money. A cheap springer rifle or LPEG can not hold it's own against even a stock TM or CA. (A certain red head on Roadkill can vouch as he used a springer M4 at OP:BHD :) ) don't let this totally dissuade you.
You can show up to games with a cheap springer and still have fun. You may not get many kills, but you are still running around playing some airsoft.
I feel you on the crappy job scene. I am glad that I found airsoft when I was a bit older and had more cash to spend on toys. If I had started playing when I was 16 or 17 (min. wage was $4.25 at the time) I would have been hard pressed to get a good gun too.

Well, I realize I pretty much echoed what several other people said, but I hope this helps. Keep an eye out for used guns for sale (I believe Vanac has a good deal on a used MP5 for sale right now) and keep saving your cash.
-mat


Yeah, I used a springer at RD, and BHD, I'm not even sure if i got any kills either of those games, but I had a blast just rolling around, wearing a fanny pack, and probably using $1 worth of .12s a skirm as oppose to $10 worth of .20s you use a skirm with AEGS. Using something like a springer also makes you appreciate AEGs that much more. At one point I was ready to give my right arm for a TM G36c.

[Sephiroth]

So if you show up to a skirm do you think anyone would have a extra gun to share or something?

[Maple]

So if you show up to a skirm do you think anyone would have a extra gun to share or something?
Usually, unless you know somebody at a skirm, most people will not lend out guns.... especially if you are having problems affording one of your own.

[Sephiroth]

dam, this is gonna be impossible. You probably need atleast 500 dollars lol i have like 1/10 of it.

[NATHANIELJONESTHUGANGEL]

dam, this is gonna be impossible. You probably need atleast 500 dollars lol i have like 1/10 of it.



I can't remember if you've ever played airsoft before, but maybe it would be better buying a "beginners" gun first, just in case you find out you don't like it and than are out $500 (sounds like an impossible scenario, I know, but it does happen).

edit: Hell, if you dont live to far from WGF, you could ask Gary if you could down there one day, and just watch part of a skirm.

[RTO]

we'll get ya out to a game or two and see if ya like it. you live not to far away from us, and we have a few fields that we play at, so we'll get ya some action to see if you like it.

[Venus]

I dont agree with professor on much.... but for the love of god... will you noobs PLEASE READ through the forum to make sure there ISNT ALREADY a section about this before you post. The least you could do is think before you type.... think.... well if I am asking this, how many other people have probably asked this question. Then THINK, its probably been answered before, perhaps I'll look around before I clutter the forums with the same question that someone wants answered for the billionth time....... I hate to be a bitch man, but it gets old when there are new threads like this made every week. ALWAYS do a quick run though on ANY new boards you are on to make sure their isnt a FAQ section or a new member section...... thank you!

Oh yeah, welcome to the boards hope to see you on the field!

[Sephiroth]

we'll get ya out to a game or two and see if ya like it. you live not to far away from us, and we have a few fields that we play at, so we'll get ya some action to see if you like it.Wow, that sounds great. Yea i would appreaciate it.

[Vigilante]

I dont agree with professor on much.... but for the love of god... will you noobs PLEASE READ through the forum to make sure there ISNT ALREADY a section about this before you post. The least you could do is think before you type.... think.... well if I am asking this, how many other people have probably asked this question. Then THINK, its probably been answered before, perhaps I'll look around before I clutter the forums with the same question that someone wants answered for the billionth time....... I hate to be a bitch man, but it gets old when there are new threads like this made every week. ALWAYS do a quick run though on ANY new boards you are on to make sure their isnt a FAQ section or a new member section...... thank you!

Oh yeah, welcome to the boards hope to see you on the field!


What a nice warm welcome....

[Downslide]

What a nice warm welcome....

yeah, she make you feel all warm and fuzzy, eh?