Sidearms
 

So, I've been doing some research, and im wondering, what do you guys think are good sidearm options? As a new player, there's alot of information out there, but I think the opinion of an experienced player would help aim me in the right direction.

I find that initially a sidearm is not required at all. The money would be best put towards other items such as primary weapon magazines and gear. Later on down the road after playing for a while you can decide if you need a secondary weapon and eventually pick something that suits your playing style, be it electric, gas or whatever.

As the above poster mentioned, the money may probably be best spent upgrading your primary weapon, though choosing a sidearm really comes down to what your primary weapon is of course. If your primary weapon is a Sniper, then you would probably want a light weight, and preferably automatic secondary weapon such as an mp5, or something small and compact you can carry around with ease. Just my 2 cents.

Yeah, that makes sense. Right now, im looking into getting age verified, which will hopefully happen soon. Im thinking of investing in a rifle, but as to which one, I haven't narrowed it down yet. I'm thinking for a first gun, I'm going to be looking for dependability and large battery size and strength. Any suggestions on what i'd be looking at? I've heard the AK47's and G3's fall into this description, but which others would you recommend?

My primary is an MP5 (one of two), my secondary primary is a MK23 GBB(largely special purpose use, silent kills), my personal in-close (or far away) defence/offence gun is a Glock 19, and my sniper rifle is just a "If I can get away with using it, cool!" gun.

Then again, I tend to go against the grain largely. Lol

Hit up a local game and browse the kits, see whats out there. Most players or kind enough to fill you in on details of their set up. Any AEG can be refitted or modified to accept a larger battery. If you are looking for a dependable brand, that would have to be Tokyo Mauri. Good quality, good QC, effort put into R&D, a modest FPS out of the box (A consistent 280fps in most cases depending on model) and as long as you take good care of it with routine maintenance it should last you years. Or atleast thats what my opinion is. However if you want the most bang for your dollar and what something a little more powerful out of the box then a JG or Jing Gong brand airsoft gun is what you want. JG simply put takes TM designs or other manufacturers designs and remakes the guns in their own company using slightly less quality parts but none the less they are a reputable company and churn out a modest quality airsoft gun with a very decent fps fresh out of the box in most cases. (350ish fps maybe 350+)

For a starter, I would recommend just focusing on an AEG if you dont already have on. Go for a TMG36c or TM AK-47 which will run you about $450-$550. They are good quality right out of the box, and can easily be upgraded. If that price is too hight for your budjet, Ive been reading about CA Kraken AK-47 (which has a clear receiver), or JGG36 (which is very comparable to the Tokyo Marui model, but not as good) and they go for $250-$350. So, wait for the GBB and put that money into a quality AEG.

To the original poster as you can see from the above quote that Stalkers set up fits his playing style.

For myself, I run with my M4 with an MP7 attached to the bottom rail and a shotgun duct taped to the side of it. (You may think Im joking, but Im not) I dont require a sidearm, but I do carry my M9 just in case.

What if I wanted to buy a higher quality rifle, which brands would you recommend I look into? I just dont want to drop cash into a gun i'm going to end up replacing in a few months, if you catch my drift. I was talking to a friend, who showed me his C-8, I believe it was, and that looks pretty cool, but im more concerned with the internal parts. I'd rather buy a gun that looks a little less good, but that I can rely on.

For a good AEG most folks will be happy with a Tokyo Marui.

For a sidearm pick one that has magazines, holsters, and parts in wide circulation. Once again Tokyo Marui is a good place to start.

And as said before visit the local fields first, see what folks are running for guns and gear before you start building your kitlist. The local games are often the best place to find the verifiers also.

TM has the reliability fresh out of the box, that reliability degrades when you take apart the gun to upgrade the mechbox though. Most people dont like how TM's fps on their guns are so low but TMs market is geared towards Japan, where airsoft has an FPS joule limit. Personally I dont believe FPS makes the player, although some believe it does.

Other options you can look into would be Classic Army, guns come with metal bodies and their internals have been getting better and better as the time goes buy.

In conclusion, for myself I find that cost reflects quality, but not always since our market here is a little different than that of the rest of the world.
Example being crappy 70 dollar gun sold every where else on earth being sold for 250-300 in Canada. Im sure you get the idea.

Best of luck.

It will all depend on how much you want to spend. If cash is not an issue a 2008 factory built ptw would be you best bet. No upgrades needed (exept if you want to pimp it with rails, scopes, etc) But internally the only thing you'll buy are cylinders for different fps.

As for sidearms, if your not a sniper then normally you wont use it. Right now my primary is a 07 PTW CQB PCK and my side arm is a MAC11 but that's because I really shoot a lot!!

Those who haven't enough experience
don't see the need for a side arm / pistol
as a secondary. But if the battle gets
close and structures are involved you'll
quickly learn that a pistol can out
maneuver and AEG anytime.

no actually we love to show off/ talk about our kit....

love it when paintballers come over to ask questions..

Yeah, that makes sense. Anyways, thanks to all for their input, going to take it all into consideration before making the big purchase.

Cheers.

Agreed, but initially a new player can better spend his money else where for the time being. Its definately undisputable the maneuverability of a pistol in tight situations, such as close quarters or tight brush, and of course a grabbing your pistol in most cases is faster than reloading.

I some what agree, but if you develop
bad habits early, like running without
a sidearm, then you won't get that
valuable experience until later, and
many bad beats that could have been
avoided if your trusty sidearm was
available and used to being drawn.

Play with players that use side arms and
then try the opposite. See which you find
of more value, and fun.

and a sidearm can also be an AEG. We have a player here who has a MP5 for a sidearm with a dropleg holster! :D

my two cents:
I've had 2 revolvers, the TM one failed due to flimsiness, bad mechanics and leaks.

I've had one Hicapa (TM 5.1) I was quite satisfied with it, but it's hard to find extra mags and they do sometimes leak.

My second revolver (tanaka) is the most efficient for the following reasons:
-no blow back, so only one refill of gas gives you more than 50 rounds.
-because of that, it's relatively silent and VERY precise.
I've had many unexpected hits because of that precision.
-you don't have to carry extra magazines that will eventually leak or need some maintenance, and make your kit heavier.

you only have 12 rounds, and they're a bitch to reload but it's not too bad.

Best advice : There is a game this coming saturday (look here : http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthread.php?t=65413 )

Less than 1 hour drive from Montreal, come and have a look at our kits, and you can probably stay and talk all day with the organizers, and us players. Ask first though before coming. And there might even be an age verifier there, also ask for that.

Welcome the the wonderful, addictive world of airsoft.

Cheers to that!! :D

My very first sidearm was a USP tactical. It was not reliable enought. So I got a KJW M9. Again, I needed something even more reliable, since I'm a sniper and shooting people out close is not possible. So I finaly got a MK23 NBB. Now I trust it with my "life". Each time I pull it out, I know it will fire when I press the trigger.

All my other pistols where not that reliable, especially in cold temperature.

So my point is: You must thrust your backup/side arm. Because when you will need it, it will be a close situation. It has to work or your "dead". Pick a pistol that has proven itself. Having a full metal, ultra 7331 pistol is not always a good idea.

+1 to the Mk23 NBB.. I've only had it a few weeks but its a solid nail driver and dead silent. When the M249 is too loud and we need to be stealthy, nice to pull that out and get a few silent kills.

Not needed but very handy. Ive been using my TM1911 for quite some time now with zero fails. I know its plastic, for now... but its reliability is unsurpassed in my books. Some ppl swear by different brands and mine seems to be TM. In my short experience i have found no problems with my TM rifles or pistols where as CA never seems to work for me...

A TM Hicapa is a very good choice for a quality sidearm.

Mags and parts are really easy to find though, don't know where you get that from.

KSC Glock 19 has saved my ass in situations where I either got my MP5 "gun hit", or I had to shoot left handed (CAR style) around right corners, OR the best use of a pistol, when you heard and see a stream of BBs come at you and yo upull a Matrix thing and end up on your back, pull the sidearm and fire from the 'reverse prone' position, on your back and shooting at a target. Trust me, trying to get an AEG up to be able to use the sights is fucking slow and impossible while lying on your back, unless you just point and shoot. But some might whine it's blind firing, even though it isn't.

It's never let me down, and at times (like the Mill game I went to last month), my MP5 was only good for longer (past 100ft) ranges (although I did get a 120ft head shot on a guy with my G19......... no front sight), but over about 25 or so kills that indoor game, about 6 were from "sniping" with my MK23, about 5 were MP5, and all the rest were G19. Just because I know my gun very well and how to instinctively shoot it.

Guys that buy pistols just to complete the look annoy me. I'm very happy using GBB vs. AEG in the brush, indoors, but that has taken a lot of practice and shooting, and learning it how to use it both hands/one eye (part of CAR) for close in shit when it hits the fan. And I focus on drills at home with my Glocks (I say that because I own two KSC G19s....... ok, two Mk23, two MP5, two sniper rifles).

What kind of drills do you do?

Have a basic range set up in the basement, used to do a lot of transition drills between AEG (fire a burst, sling it, draw sidearm, use support pole as cover, etc.) or just the usual quickdraw instinctive stuff to set up my holster. But having never tried the CAR concept with my left hand, angled to line up the sights with my right eye, I totally fell in love with my G19 shooting low, around doorjams at the last Mill game, got at least 6 guys shooting that way. Minimal exposure, enter at a position that isn't expected, double tap those in the room and get out. Using my MP5 would have taken more time and gotten me shot. Just in, see target(s)target, front sight at reading focal distance, double tap and back out again. Very fast once you get the hang of it. Was surprised I could do it left handed also, that was a first!

im glad to see i made the right choice in buying my two pistols then.

Helps to bug me a lot, doesn't it. ;)

i dont get it? but if its good enough for stalker, its good enough for me. i too have a speed holster for my G19 that i would use for quick draw, where as i would use my MK23 for planned advances into a bunker.

I got alot of kills with my HFC beretta when using it as a sidearm with my vsr-10, but I bought it as a sidearm for my M4, incase I ever ran out of ammo and didn't have time to reload. So far It's done that once, and luckily I was able to switch to the pistol during one game when my M4 broke down :)
So although it's certainly not necessary, it does make the game more fun, depending on what role your playing.

a sidearm it's just badaass

Previous conversations/questions about the MK23. Lol

And as a basic want for a sidearm, in games where "gun hits don't count as damaged gun", having a good sidearm gives you another life. Having a second good side arm............. well, the old Col. Cooper motto, "One gun is none, two guns is one.........."

Let's not forget the best one, "Beware the man with one gun".

Thanks Aegiis! Im planning on going down to Ottawa this saturday to the LZ to see their OP: Prison Break game, but where should I inform the organizers? I'm hoping there will be an age verifier there, I've been attempting to contact one for awhile, I managed to get in touch with one who simply told me to come out to a game.

EDIT

those were goods times. thanks for being so patient with me during that little escapade.

Ex_Royal runs the field this year, PM him. Likely Primus will be there as well, he's a local (or was, but can do it) age verifier. I won't be there, but more than enough people with sway can do it. At a minimum, one of the big guys there can check your ID, PM me the info (ASC name, Real name and Bday), and I can pass it on to the right spot on the forums. Not the RIGHT way to do it, but at least the big names are trusted so it should work out fine if Primus doesn't do it.

No problem, they keep me around here for some reason, and it's not because of pretty camo face paint.

okay, who would I ask if that turns out to be the case? I'm new to the community, and thus dont really know anyone, would I just ask around and say that CDN_Stalker mentioned I could do it this way?

PM Ex_Royal and talk to him. If I said a trusted member can do it for me, then PM me the info, am sure he'd be fine with it, or even just say "Ya, Primus will be here and do it for you".

Taurs 24/7s ar a good bet for a starter pistol. Cheap, reliable, mags are hard to get tho. They're clear but paint em up and you're good to go.

For now, based on the advice i've received, i'm going to put buying a sidearm on the back burner, if you will, atleast for the time being. I am, however, going to be looking into buying a primary.

Good idea.
But when you do get a backup, don't waste your time with some silly little gas pistol. Get an mp5k or a m4 pistol. Even an mp7.
Get something with a mechbox and high ammo capacity. And alot less long-term bullshit.
The mp5k is light and small enough to use as a pistol but has all the benefits of an aeg. Easy to fix, cheaper mags, more bbs, more range, more accuracy at range. Ver3 box is tough and easy to get parts for.
GBB's are worthless in comparison. Gas is a smelly, inconsistent pain in the ass.
I've even been using the mp5k as a primary lately with amazing results.

indeed Schwag mp5 with an mp5k sidearm is lethal , that mp5k u use beastly!

I was checking out the G36 earlier, and I was wondering if anyone who has owned/used one of these would be able to give me some feedback on them. As I understood from earlier posts, most AEG's can be modified for a larger battery capacity, what about this one? If anyone can just send me some info about it, that'd be great.

Are you serious? I can pick off ppl with my 1911 at 100 feet no problem... it performs 100% of the time but it doesn't have +100 rounds. Its a back up not another primary...

Plus pistols just kick ass

Theres no doubt the pistol would have its uses, and I like the look of the 1911too. Would you recommend that model? I've heard good things about it, mainly from the vets, but its always good to get an independant review.

kjw m92fs, kjw glock,ksc glock, we baby high cappa or tf 11!!!!

I started by going with a primary first like many other people here have suggested. I ended up going with a Marui SIG 552. It's a nice gun for short and medium range work but it's a bugger to work on. I picked up a pistol for my kit later after I had several magazines and a decent battery for my SIG as something to fill a holster, but to be honest it came in handy in the last game I went to.

I love my TM 1911. Shoots like a dream, easy to work on, and great range. The only thing ppl dont like is its a plastic frame and slide however ive been using mine for the past 2 years on propane with ZERO problems... All the new TM's can take propane with the plastic slides (ie. 1911, 226 etc.) Some ppl dont like the plastic but do you want to feel a metal gun, or use a great performing gun?

Personally I stay away from WE and cheaper brands because i hear them always breaking... Its only my opinion and i dont like taking chances. In my experience i never cheap'd out and because of that i've never had any headaches.

The only thing is a metal guarder kit can run you up to $300 in canada...

And the quality is WAY different. I've owned a few WE Hicapa 5.1's, and they all had problems or just had things I didn't like.

Bought a TM Hicapa 5.1 with a Guarder metal slide and I love it and I will probably never sell it. Has excellent performance, and can shoot nearly as far as my TM AUG firing at 400FPS. It's crazy.

The TM pistols do put AEG's to shame for such a short barrel... though most ppl cant shoot pistols accurately enough to matter

now ill agree with you bout the 5.1 but im talingbut the 3.8 inch baby hi capa havent heard of one breaking yet. as for tm being propane edy plasitc ill still say it isnt safe to do so!

and why not? Ya logically its less structurally sound however ive put mine through about 3000 rounds with no cracks or faults. I know of plenty of ppl who use their stock 226's, glocks and 1911's with propane. However its limited to the new models and I cannot guarantee it for any others. TM makes some high quality pistols and I swear by them, but then again who am I? Just a airsoft player who loves his pistols. Plus if the slide cracks in 2-3 years it just gives you an excuse to buy a full metal upgrade...

Just tp say ot again for new people, a side arm should be the last peice of equipement you buy, as it's one of the least usefull. It's better to have a good, working AEG, plenty of mags, a good vest to carry those mags, a good battery to last all day long, a good charger to charge that battery and so on.

As for the LZ game this weekend, I'll be there to very ages also. There will be plenty of us.

so how to the WE Hi-cappas compare to the TM one's in your opinion m102404?

WE Hi-Capas have a harder kick, not very good made metal, and less parts parts to upgrade?

PM Inbound!

thanks for the info!

And likely less parts available to replace broken parts. Not as bad as KJW though.

Yessir. Clone of WA I guess.