Newbie FAQ (updated 10/29/08)

[M.S.-ARC]

CREDIT goes to TEX for creating the original thread:  http://miairsoft.proboards.com/thread/18703/newbie-faq-updated-10-29

Newbie F.A.Q.
 

A little info on myself:
I've been into this wonderful sport of Airsoft since 2003, I dabbled into it a bit before hand with springers and the like for many years prior, but unlike most of the new airsofters, I don't consider that airsoft. I've made a couple thousand posts here and there on various forums but chose to primarily stick with my local Michigan Airsoft forum. Also over the time I started opening up gearboxes, and becoming a little better known for my ability to fix and upgrade replica's. Having spent year repairing and upgrading Airsoft replicas for nearly a decade, I have expanded my knowledge considerably and would like to share it with you. Over these past years honestly, the same new guys come on with the same questions…
"What gun is the best?"
"Which one should I get?"
"Gas or electric?"
"Do I need camouflage to play?"

I could go on and on and on with the frequently asked questions. I have found myself occasionally telling them to Google it or to look in the forums like 5 posts below their own since the question was already answered. And I tried directing them at some of the other FAQ's that I had found, but none of them seemed to do the trick. Thus, this FAQ was created.

Now hopefully this will answer most of those basic questions that I dread to read on the forums. However, I may be wrong in one of my statements and if so, PLEASE, correct me. This is just a compilation of things I have learned over the years both first hand and from others. I don't know everything about Airsoft there is to know, actually there are a few subjects I don't know very much about, but I have a firm understanding of all the basics, which will be included in this FAQ.

Any questions/comments/etc. please don't not hesitate to contact me at cgyarring@gmail.com

Thanks, and enjoy the read.
Caleb
a.k.a. Big Texas



 
 
 
 
 
 
**************Newbie FAQ************
Contents:

Preface – Why everyone should search the forums!!

Section 1 – AEGs
a. Basic Overview
b. High End AEGs
c. Low End (Clone) AEGs
d. AEPs
e. Upgrades

Section 2 – GBBs
a. Basic Overview
b. GBB/NBB
c. Gas Choices
d. Upgrades

Section 3 - Springers
a. Basic Overview
b. Spring Pistols
c. Stock Spring Replicas
d. Upgraded Spring Replicas

Section 4 – Accessories
a. Mock Supressors
b. Reddots
c. Scopes
d. Flashlights/Lasers
e. M203s

Section 5 – Gear
a. Eye Protection
b. Camouflage
c. Vests and Pouches
d. Holsters
e. Slings
f. Boots
g. Gloves

Section 6 – Events
a. How to Find Events
b. What to Bring
c. Event Etiquette
c. What Not to Do
 
 
Preface: Why everyone should search the forums![/u]
 
Possibly the most important thing you can do as a new and veteran player to this sport, is to utilize the search function in your various forums and on Google. Why you ask? Because honestly, the question you have was almost definitely asked before, the answer is out there, and all you have to do is look. We don't mind giving out the answers to obscure or even basic questions, but, when a question has been asked 5 times in the previous month, we tend to get a little aggravated, if not pissy when such a question is asked again.

The answer is out there! I promise you this. And why do I know it? Because, I've answered them all way too often. It may not be on this specific forum, but I can almost guarantee you that it is on another!

Now as time goes on, facts change. CA is no longer a poor choice for replica's as they have upped their QC significantly since the days of their infamous gear stripping. Systema's Red Polycarbonate piston still has major issues. Now, I didn't find these out first hand. I found these out by researching! There is so much information out there, and yes, it may take a while to find it, but you find out so many other things along the way while you read through the forums.

The difficult part, is judging whether or not the person who answered the question is full of crap, or outdated. Outdated is simple, if it's 3years old, there's a likeliness that something has changed, and you should find yourself a more recent answer. And always, try to find the same answer twice, if you do that you are much more likely to get the correct answer, rather than a 13yr old kid spouting off BS. Never trust a retailers website. What is written there is to sell their product, and not always factual.

All in all search; if the first one comes up with nothing, search again! But be less specific and use broader terms such as "kjw airsoft gbb", something quite broad but should give you information about that KJW P226 you saw some guy selling for cheap. And even if your question is not answered, I guarantee you will know a lot more than you did before if you read through all the results that closely match what you're looking for.

With that in mind, remember; search before you ask your question. Not only will others appreciate it, but you will become much more knowledgeable in the process.
 
 
Section One – AEG's
 
a.   Basic Overview
 
What is an AEG? An Automatic Electric Gun, or in laments terms an airsoft replica which is powered by a battery. An AEG consists of a few key parts the battery, the motor, the gearbox, the magazine, the hop up, the barrel and the body. Each piece working together in order for the replica to function properly. Typically, these replicas have the ability to fire on full auto, and are the primary weapon for at least 90% of those who play Airsoft.

How they work – Essentially, the battery sends power to the motor when the trigger is pulled, causing the motor to spin. The gear on the motor, then causes the 3 gears inside the gearbox to spin. These gears then cause the piston to pull back against the spring, drawing air into the cylinder. Once the piston is fully back, the gears release it, and it is pushed forward by the spring. This process quickly releases the air that was sucked into the cylinder through the small air nozzle. This air pushes the bb which is sitting directly in front of the air nozzle through the hop up and out the barrel.

Now, as with everything you can buy these days, there is a wide range of quality and with such, a wide price range. There are the originals, and cheaper Chinese clones of them. Yet, they are still all AEG's, this section will hopefully allow you to determine whether the AEG you are looking at is worth purchasing or not.
 
b.   High End AEG's
 
The most common high end AEG's on the market as of 2008 include: Tokyo Marui (TM), Classic Army (CA), I Chih Shivan (ICS), Guay & Guay (G&G), VFC, and STAR.

Note: Systema's are not normal AEG's they are in a category of their own as they use a higher lvl of technology in their replica's and are widely known as the best replica's on the market.

These AEGs are your best choice in terms of durability and quality. They are typically around $200 and up for their replicas many of these include metal bodies and all have high quality internals. The Tokyo Marui is hands down the best AEG on the market when it comes to longevity. A stock TM is known to easily last 5 years without problems (granted it is well taken care of), and I even know of several TM's upgraded with metal bushings and an PDI 150% spring that also lasted 5 years of continuous use with no break downs.

The Classic Army is a very popular choice especially for the Armalites which combines a metal body and nice Armalite trades with quality internal parts. ICS is known for it’s split gearbox design on the M4 series which has been hit or miss in terms of quality, getting better in recent times of course. G&G is making great steps towards being a top dog amongst other airsoft companies putting out some really high quality products at affordable prices.

All in all, if you pick up any of the high end AEG’s you will likely be happy with your purchase. Just remember, there are some models that each company puts out that have a lot of issues. Be sure to do your research before making an investment and purchasing any replica!

 
c.   Low End (Clone) AEG's
The most common low end AEG's on the market as of 2008 include: Echo1, JG, Dboys, A&K and Cyma.

These replicas are dubbed “clones” because they typically are a cheaper copy of a more expensive replica out on the market. Normally the company they choose to copy is Tokyo Marui. They are made in factories in which quality control is not as much of a concern, so not all their replicas are the same, some have a little too much grease, others too little, the same with the sizes of o-rings, strength of springs and amount of shims on the gears. What seems like small things that could easily be checked for actually save these companies hundreds of thousands of dollars in the long run. Most of the clones have plastic bodies similar to that of a TM, however, they are much cheaper plastic and more prone to breaking. As for the clones with a metal body, they are made of extremely cheap, thin, pot metal, and you are far better off with the plastic bodied clones.

These replicas do come with a much lower price tag, typically for under $150 you can get a replica, battery, charger and high capacity magazine and get yourself out onto the field to play this awesome sport without spending too much money. However, you do not get the longevity that you would get from purchasing a high end AEG. More often than not I see younger people get into this sport with a clone, and quit just a few months later because their replica took a crap and they don’t feel it’s worth it to try to fix.

So be careful when you purchase a clone, research it thoroughly before you make your choice so that you get the best one on the market. For instance the JG G36c is an amazing clone and entirely worth purchasing if you like the G36 rifle. On the other hand the Dboy’s M4 is a worthless piece of scrap metal.
 
d.   AEPs

AEPs (Automatic Electric Pistols) are a new type of AEG available on the market today. These are similar to AEGs in that they use a battery as the main power source, but differ as they are much smaller, and use 4 gears in the gearbox as opposed to the typical 3.
Since the AEPs are so much smaller than AEGs they lack the FPS of their larger counterparts. A typical stock AEP will fire at about 220-230FPS at a decent rate of fire. They are very nice to use in the winter when gas replicas do not perform very well, and the ability for full auto is a nice touch. The downside to the AEP is that they lack the realism that a GBB does as the slide does not blow back at all.

There are a few upgrades you can do for durability, accuracy and power to your AEP, but the only one that I suggest is to upgrade your battery and barrel, all other internal upgrades have proven moderately useless. Perhaps increasing the spring power to get up to 265FPS is worth it, but on a pistol, range is not a big deal and I would suggest keeping it stock for longer life.

AEPs are very effective in close quarters and a very smart purchase for those who have winter months in which the typical gas blow back pistol is ineffective. I highly suggest AEPs to all airsofters, they are great investments!


e.   Upgrades

There are TONS of upgrades available for you AEG. There are some very quick, affordable upgrades, and then there are the extremely expensive ones that involve a complete gearbox rebuild. I will give you a brief overview of them, and divide them into two categories: External and Internal Upgrades.

The most common upgrade is the External upgrade. The most popular of which are silencers and optics. Others include metal bodies, custom stocks, RIS and RAS kits, Vertical Grips PEQ Boxes, etc. The list goes on and on. But the thing they all have in common is that they are outside of the replica and very quick, and easy to do by yourself. You by no means need to have any of these things professionally installed, other than the metal body which some people may have problems with. They external upgrades can be as cheap as $10 and can cost upwards of $1000 for full kits. There’s really a lot you can do to your replica and it is encouraged that you do so to make yours look different from the rest.

Internal Upgrades, my personal favorite, and expertise. The most common internal upgrade is the simple spring upgrade, which will instantly increase the FPS (feet per second) that your replica fires at. It is so common because it increases the range of your replica, something almost everyone wants to do. The down side to this is that it increase the stress on all the internal parts of your gearbox, leading to premature breaking of parts. In order to counter act that, most people add upgraded gears and pistons that are more durable, in order to keep their replica lasting for a long time. For those who have nylon bushings, upgrading to metal ones is a must, it will improve the life of your replica drastically.

For those who wish to upgrade to rather high FPS, many of the stock parts need to be replaced to ensure long life. The gears, piston, piston head and motor are the parts of main concern. The spring guide, cylinder head and gearbox shell are often upgraded as well, but not necessary unless extremely high FPS is being attempted (over 420fps).

The easiest and best upgrade you can get for your AEG is a tight bore barrel. It requires basic disassembly of your replica, and gives you a considerably improved performance. It will give you a slight increase in your FPS, and a considerable improvement to your accuracy. When you do upgrade to a tight bore it is suggested that you start using higher quality bb’s in order to prevent jams which sometimes occur with cheaper bb’s that sometimes have small burs on them.

The other extremely easy upgrade, for an AEG is a higher voltage battery. Now it won’t increase accuracy, durability or power of your replica. But it will increase your rate of fire, and if you get a higher mAh battery, it will make it last for more shots on each charge of the battery.

In closing, leaving a replica in its stock form is usually the best in order to keep it running for a long time. I typically only upgrade once one of my replica’s breaks and needs a part to be replaced, because, hey, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it!




Section 2 – GBBs

a.   Basic Overview

What does GBB even stand for? “Gas Blow Back.” This is normally used when referring to pistols as GBB rifles are far and few between. These gas replica’s are the closest to the real steel counter parts that you can get because of the added realism of blow back that they have.

These are hands down the most common side arms in airsoft and are available for about $40 to $300 or more. Many of these come with metal slides and frames and sound amazingly like their real steel counter parts when the slide is racked.

How they work – The magazine is filled with gas and bb’s and inserted into the mag well. When the hammer is cocked back and the trigger is pulled a burst of gas exits the magazine and flows upward both propelling the bb forward and forcing the slide backwards (this also re-cocks the hammer). The slide then is pushed forward by the recoil spring, loading a bb into the chamber and is again ready to fire. That is the basic mechanics of how they work, and enough to give you a general grasp on how they function.

b. GBB/NBB

While GBBs are the most common of gas replicas, there are also some NBBs or “Non Blow Back” replicas on the market. These include a handful of pistols, shotguns, and long rifles. They use the gas in a much more efficient way simply using it to propel the bb forward and not having to use any to rack a slide back. These often have higher fps and get a lot more shots per magazine fill.
The downside to NBBs in terms of pistols is the lack of realism that they have in comparison to the GBB. They also tend to have a very heavy trigger pull. This is because on a NBB, it does not automatically re-cock the hammer with every shot so your trigger pull ends up cocking the hammer for you. The bolt action sniper rifles and shotguns that use gas however are very realistic, and extremely fun to use! The only downside is that they are not very reliable in cold weather.

c. Gas Choices

There are a few different options on the market for gas to use in order to fuel your GBB or NBB. The most common is Green Gas or Propane and they are the “middle” of the three power levels of gas on the market. You can buy these in ready to use Green Gas cans which have the adaptor on them to fill your magazines along with an added fragrance to cover up the smell of the gas. Propane is simply Green Gas without lubricant or scent added to it. It can be bought in just about any grocery store and at many gas stations. You will need to purchase a propane adapter as well as some 100% silicone in order to use it, but it is cheaper than green gas in the long run. You just need to remember to add silicone when filling up your magazines otherwise the seals will dry out and your magazines will no longer hold gas!

Next, is HFC134a and Duster Gas, these are the lower powered gas on the market. 134a gas can be purchased just like Green Gas in ready to use containers, which Duster gas is simply the compressed air you buy at Best Buy or Meijer for cleaning out computers. You will need an adapter in order to use the Duster Gas in an airsoft replica, silicone is also suggested!

Next, is red gas. It is rarely used and is the highest powered gas on the market. Very few GBB replica’s are reinforced enough to use it, and it is primarily used in sniper rifles and other NBB platforms.
The last, is C02, the same stuff used by paintballers. These are becoming slightly more popular because of how affordable the C02 NBB pistols are on the market. Unlike the other gases C02 can only be used in specific replicas because of how it is used in the magazines. A small non-reusable cartridge filled with C02 is inserted into the magazine and once the gas is depleted, the cartridge is thrown away. C02 is more powerful than Green Gas and Propane, yet still less powerful than Red gas.

d. Upgrades

There are a few common upgrades to the typical GBB. These include, tight bore barrels, metal frames and slides, as well as outer barrel and high-flow valves. Upgraded recoil and hammer springs as well as various other accessories like grips, mag wells, sights, silencers, tac lights. There are a large amount of options out there, and with each of the performance upgrades comes a side effect. For instance, high-flow valves increase the FPS output of your replica, but, use a lot more gas per shot. Metal slides will need an upgraded recoil spring, otherwise the recoil may become sluggish if it was intended to be used with a plastic slide.

Adding externals like a tactical light, and grips and the like will not alter the performance and once more are extremely suggested in order to make your replica custom and unique!

[M.S.-ARC]

Section 3 –Springers

a.   Basic Overview

Ahh, springers. Usually the very first replica that anyone owns is a springer of sorts, because they are so affordable! And then as time goes on, some purchase the most expensive springers available on the market, Upgraded Shotguns and Sniper Rifles.

Regardless, all springers work in the same basic fashion. Inside the replica, there is a cylinder, this houses a spring and piston. The piston is drawn backwards by pulling a lever on the replica, or cocking the slide or pumping a handle. When you are ready to fire, the trigger is pulled and releases the piston, shooting it forward and pushing air out of the barrel behind the bb. The stronger the spring that is in the springer, the faster the bb leaves the barrel.

b. Spring Pistols

The most basic airsoft replica you will find is the Spring Pistol replica. These are typically under $20, and a lot are even under $10. They fire 1 bb at a time, and require you to pull back the slide to cock the piston and load a bb into the chamber. Spring Pistols are normally very low powered but provide an amazingly fun time in an all Springers game.

If you don't own on, I suggest getting one, they are very affordable and always are fun to play with.

c. Stock Spring Replicas

Now there are a few advanced spring replicas on the market, which include Shotguns and Sniper Rifles as well as Spring M4's and AK's and the like. The only ones that are honestly worth your time, as a skirmish ready replica, are the Shotguns. These can vary in brands from TM, to Echo 1, to Maruzen and so on. Basically any spring shotgun will be quite worthwhile if that is what you are looking for. They are fun and require a bit more skill to obtain kills with, and are often a nice challenge for even those of us who have been around for a while.  I would definitely suggest one of these if a shotgun is what you are looking for.

I would not, however, recommend buying Spring Sniper rifles as your first replica for airsoft. These tend to either be poorly made knock offs that break prematurely, or they are very low FPS spring models which are really only effective to about 30 yards. If you truly want to be an "Airsoft Sniper" I suggest you read my next section on upgraded spring replicas.

d. Upgraded Spring Replicas

Personally, one of my favorite types of replicas to upgrade at my store is the bolt action rifle. These take a lot of money, and a ton of tedious work in order to fine tune them into accurate, and effective replicas. But with a good amount of money, in the $700+ range, you can have a bolt action rifle which will be accurate out to 75 or 80 yards and very reliable. If you are willing to put in about $1,000+ then you will start to see those rare 100 yard shots becoming possible.

The first step in upgrading, is to determine how much money you would like to spend on your rifle. There can be an appropriate upgrade for every budget, and a knowledgeable tech will be able to pick out the proper one for you. The first thing I suggest to upgrade is your trigger. It's what makes your gun continue to function and is the number one reason why bolt action rifles break. After that, a tight bore barrel, a good hop up unit, and a good bucking are essential to accuracy. Upgrading the FPS will yield you more range, but range without accuracy is useless. The next pieces get more expensive and include pretty much every internal in the bolt action. Upgrading these will increase your consistency and thus increase your accuracy. Using the best parts possible will truly make all the difference in the long run. If you're not 100% sure that the sniping role is for you, I really wouldn't trek down this path, as it is quite expensive.

Section 4 – Accessories

a.   Mock Suppressors

A very common addition to many airsoft replicas is the mock suppressor. These generally look just like a silencer, but offer little to no sound reduction. Rather, their main purpose is for looks and to allow for a longer inner barrel to run through the replica. These come in all shapes, sizes and styles for every imaginable type of replica you could own.

Now, on the other hand, there are functional suppressors, which actually do offer sound reduction, which can be fairly great depending on the size of the suppressor and what it is filled with. For instance, there is a SIGNIFICANT difference in sound with my sniper rifle from when I have my foam filled suppressor on, and when I have just my flash hider on. However, when I add my 3’’ suppressor onto my pistol, although it does reduce the noise it does so on a much smaller level.

b. Red dots

A common addition to many SMGs and Assault Rifles in the Red dot sight. This allows for quick target acquisition at closer ranges and offers infinite eye relief when looking through the optic. Again these come in styles ranging from Aimpoint to Eotech to Reflex sight. They also range in quality, the cheaper ones being made of cheap material, and also having a horrible case of parallax.

What is parallax? Well, it’s the apparent shift of the red dot against the background that is caused be a change in the users’ position. In other words, you can hold a replica still with your cheek firm against the stock of the replica and find the red dot pointing at the center of a target, then, move your head, but not the replica, you will notice that the red dot seems to have moved to the side, yet your replica is still aiming at the same spot.

Basically, a red dot with horrible parallax can often cause a person to miss when firing upon another because they believe they are aiming at them, but are rather aiming to the side because their cheek is not in that same very firm position that it was in when they sighted in their optic.

c. Scopes

There are many scopes on the market, most of these are used on DM or Sniper Rifles in airsoft. Pretty much any scope will suffice in airsoft, although something with variable zoom is preferred by most. This is because you really only need about 3/4x zoom in airsoft, and anything more can often cause you to lose your target because of the close range that there is.

The only way you can really go wrong with a scope is to get one that has a minimum zoom that is 6x or greater. At that point, it starts becoming less effective for airsoft. Outside of that, I just suggest that people get the scope which looks the best on their replica. They don’t have to be real steel scopes since there is no real recoil on our replica’s, so save some money and buy a Chinese knock off of your favorite real steel scope!

d. Flashlights/Lasers

Flashlights and lasers are extremely common accessories for CQC! The flashlights not only light up dark areas, but can also be used to blind the opposition when entering a room. Lasers are an effective way of telling where you are going to fire your bb’s, however, they also give away your position to a large degree!

Flashlights and lasers alike are best used in short bursts, rather than being on for long periods of time. Both will give away your position, but, for example, if you do a short burst with a laser to acquire your target, and then squeeze off a few rounds, you may go undetected. However, if you leave it on continuously, the opposition will not only see it, and avoid it, but will be able to trace it to you. Used properly, flashlights and lasers can be excellent additions to any replica, however, used improperly, they can give make you stand out like a sore thumb.

e. M203s

M203s, otherwise known as Rifle Mounted Grenade Launchers, are moderately common in airsoft. They typically cost about $100 or more for the launcher itself and then another $30-60 for each one of the shells that they use. The high cost for these is the main reason they are not as common, since for the same price, you can purchase a spare clone, or a plethora of other accessories. However, when purchased they are very effective in CQC environments.

The M203 Launcher is extremely basic, and simply consists of the mount for the replica, the tube for the shell, and the trigger and firing pin. A very simple, yet effective design.

The shells hold multiple bb’s, ranging from about as low as 32 to 165 rounds per shell. Each brand and style shell has a different spread and a different effective range. However, most are effective out to about 50 feet providing a good spread of bb’s at that range. All M203s are much more effective in a close quarters engagement and are excellent tools to use when clearing out a small city.

If you have the spare cash lying around, I definitely suggest investing in one. Not only are they unique, but they are a LOT of fun to use.

[M.S.-ARC]

Section 5 – Gear

a.   Eye Protection

The most important part of your airsoft gear is your eye protection! Absolutely under no circumstances should you ever play airsoft without the appropriate safety goggles!

Many fields, specifically all big event fields in Michigan require the use of full seal goggles. What are full seal goggles? Well, they are goggles which uses foam or another substance to create a seal completely around the eyes protecting them from any angle. Paintball goggles for example, are full seal.

ANSI rated goggles are also a must. Full seal goggles which are made out of flimsy plastic or rubber are NOT acceptable. Anything which could be pierced by a bb does not belong on your eyes when playing airsoft. The last thing you want to have happen is for your eye to get injured. Not only could you potentially go blind, but it would be a giant disaster for the entire airsoft community.

b. Camouflage

Another thing that every airsofter should own, a set of camouflage. The main idea of airsoft is to simulate the military, and one step in the correct direction is getting yourself a set of cammies. A simple set of Woodland BDU's is very affordable and enough to get you started, you can pick up a set at pretty much any Surplus store for under $50.

Once you get more involved with this great sport, you will find that you want multiple sets of camo, such as MARPAT, perhaps Desert, a CQC set and a Winter set. There really is a large amount of camo's out there, each are effective in certain regions and ineffective in others. For instance, TriColor Desert will stick out like a sore thumb in a field of lush green grass, while MARPAT would blend in rather effectively.

c. Vests and Pouches

The new airsofter will often run around in just his BDU's, without a holster or vest of any sort. While this is manageable, keeping spare magazines in your cargo or back pockets gets very old, very fast. A very basic vest that will hold multiple magazines as well as various other items can be found for under $30; many find it essential to have with you while on the field.

There is a enormous amount of different vests out there, and picking one for yourself can often be fairly overwhelming. The most important part about picking one out, is finding what suits you the best. There are extremely light weight vests which just have a couple magazine pouches, and then there are plate carriers which are much bulkier and carry ballistic plates in them. To figure out what is the best fit, is up to you and you alone. Browsing your local army surplus store and various online stores will give you a much better idea of what might work for you.

Another one of the very nice things to have with you is a camel back that will hold water for you on the field. These can be bought in backpacks, but they are readily available for under $15 as a pouch to put on the back of your vest. They come in very handy on those long hot summer days when you don't want to have to drag a canteen along with you.

d. Holsters

If you ever upgrade your AEG, or roll with a Sniper Rifle, or other high powered replica, than carrying a Pistol on your person is almost a necessity. The reason being their lower FPS so that you may engage people within the engagement limits of your other replica.

There is a wide variety of holsters available for carrying your pistol in, and they range in price and quality from about $5 to over $100. For general airsoft use, and for the new player, the cheaper, cloth holsters are all you need. These are typically adjustable so that they can fit a large amount of different pistols and usually have a thumb break on them. The thumb break is a small strap at the rear of the replica when it is holstered and prevents it from popping out when you don't want it to. These are typically attached with a button which can be easily disengaged with your thumb, then allowing you to draw your replica from the holster.

More expensive holsters are available, and any real steel holster will be more than enough for airsoft. These can include SERPAs, Safarilands, Fobus, and other retention holsters. I won't go too much into depth with these as they are normally a little expensive for the newer airsofter.

e. Slings

To be honest, until recently, I was a newb when it came to the usefulness of quality holsters and slings. First, I will start with slings. There are 3 general types of slings, they are 1 point, 2 point, and 3 point slings. The typical sling that most people think of is the 2 point sling which attaches to two points of the replica, typically at the very front and the very rear of the replica. This provides a very basic way of hanging your replica during travel and in combat. However these being very basic, are typically hard to adjust on the fly. Now there are expensive 2 point slings which run about $50 which are extremely nice and adjustable, allowing you to sling a replica on your back and tighten it up so it does not bounce around, and then easily being able to loosen it for quick access and use while you are in combat, as well as the ability to tighten it back up quickly for secure transport on your back.

The next, and my favorite sling, is the 1 point sling. These are typically seen in accompany with a Plate Carrier or some other type of vest in order to provide maximum comfort. The one point sling attaches at 1 point on the replica, typically these are used with M4's and attach to the rear of the receiver. These look like a loop with 1 clip on it and hang around the neck so that when the replica is dropped it hangs at the center of your body without striking the ground and can easily be picked back up and shouldered. The best feature of the 1 point is that it can be attached to a vest so that when it is hanging it rests extremely comfortably on both of your shoulders. My 1 point sling, which has a bungee incorporated into it for increased comfort when it is dropped, cost me only $15 and came with the adapter to use with my M4. It was one of the best purchases I have ever made in my 5 years of airsoft.

The last is the 3 point sling, which typically attaches at 1 point towards the front of the replica, and wraps completely around the butt stock of the replica. These are popular due to their versatility, there isn't one set way to use the 3 point sling, but rather over 20 ways to sling a replica on your person. The way you choose to sling it depends on what you personally find the most comfortable and the most useful.

All in all, get a sling, they don't cost that much, and you will be much happier with one that without one. It will save your arms on those long days and make sure that you never lose your replica again (yes, this has actually happened).

f. Boots

The 2nd most important piece of gear one can own is your boots! When crossing rugged terrain, your tactical tennies just will not cut it. You'll end up with a twisted or rolled ankle, and it will ruin your entire day of play.

Now boots are not that expensive, and I highly suggest getting a pair from a military surplus store as they will typically have inexpensive boots that will provide you with a comfortable sole and superior support compared to that of your typical hiking boot.

You can pick up a pair of breathable, desert boots for about $20-30 at your local surplus store. If you want waterproof boots (an absolute must for winter) then you should look into spending a little more, closer to $40 or $50 as you really get what you pay for. Any leak in a water proof boot will lead straight to soaking wet socks.

g. Gloves

Now this is an area that I feel fairly strongly about, especially after completing a little experiment of my own as to the damage that ones hands would receive in a CQB setting without any gloves on. Needless to say, my hands were severely welted, and a bloody mess, which actually led to a small infection on my knuckle. I cannot stress how important even a cheap pair of gloves is for any style of airsoft play, but most especially for CQB. Yes, it still hurts to be shot in the hand with gloves on, but there is never any significant damage.

There are a few pretty popular types of gloves on the market. You have your typical leather glove that you can find in Meijer and Walmart, a work glove, similar to that of a Mechanix glove, Nomex Flight Gloves, and then various other higher priced, reinforced gloves. Out of all of those, Nomex Flight Gloves are likely the best bang for your buck, they provide a fair amount of protection, but most importantly will form tightly to your hand, making it easier to use your replica, a radio and what not without having to cut off the finger tips like you have to do with so many other gloves.

I personally went out and purchased the Oakley Standard Issue gloves which ran me about $80 shipped, but have reinforced knuckles and are extremely comfortable, however, an affordable pair of Nomex Flight Gloves can be purchased for under $20 and will be absolutely all you need for airsoft.



Section 6 – Events

a.   How to Find Events

Regardless of what forum that I have been on, there is always an events section. It is there that you should go in and look for events that may be close to you.

b. What to Bring

There are so many little things that one should bring to an event, and I will try to include the basics here. You will want the following:
A POSITIVE ATTITUDE! (makes every game better)
Water (lots of it)
Full Seal ANSI Goggles (if you don't know what they are, ask to make sure yours qualify)
Your airsoft replica
A fully charged battery for your replica if it is an AEG
Gas for your replica's if they run on gas
More than enough bb's for the day (I usually bring at least 2,000 but some may go through more)
Your camouflage or uniform for the day
Magazines for your replica (remember these are NOT called clips)
A red rag to be used as a kill rag
Money for admission, and extra just in case you need to buy something
Good, hardy boots
Spare batteries for any optics or accessories you may have
All your tactical gear (vest, belt, knee pads, gloves, helmet, etc)
A signed waiver

c. Event Etiquette

The most important thing I can suggest to new people coming to events is to have a positive attitude, and to look at it as a learning experience. If you come out and act like you know it all, you will most likely be frowned upon and have a rather poor time out there on the field. Honor and integrity are huge for airsoft, and is what this sport is based upon. You must respect everyone on the field and call your hits, even when you're not sure if you got hit or not. What's the worst thing that will happen? We have the luxury in airsoft of being able to come home at the end of the day even if we have taken a round to the forehead. So be thankful for that, and learn from your mistake, and grow from it.

d. What Not to Do

NEVER remove your goggles while on the playing field. Even though you may not think that someone is out there, a stray round could hit you in the eye at any time and cause permanent blindness. This is a serious risk, and a problem I see with a lot of new guys on the field.

Yelling and screaming at people to call their hits is a disgrace to the sport and disrespectful to everyone around you. If you have a problem with someone, talk to a field moderator in a calm fashion, yelling and being belligerent will not help your case.

Do NOT shoot at animals. I cannot tell you how many people I have kicked off my field for doing this. Shooting squirrels or birds with airsoft guns is not only morally wrong, but is actually a punishable crime.

And lastly, do not forget that it is a game, that we all enjoy and have fun playing. This is not a competition sport where you have to win to have fun. If you enjoy the camaraderie and adrenaline rush, you can genuinely have a blast while losing the battle. After all, that's what this is all about, having fun!