couple of questions from a newcomer.

[vfr86]

SO MUCH STUFF TO READ

my 5 friends and i have decided to start seriously airsofting. the only real thing I've done is get verified, and now were all kinda stuck on what to do next. we have been looking at different BDU's and gear, and we all kinda like the US woodland pattern, complimented with OD vests, knee pads etc, as this will go well with Manitoba landscape. It also appears that we are going to wait until Cabelas starts carrying G&G this spring before purchasing our primary weapons, so i have lots of time to absorb knowledge.

i noticed a lot of people are on different teams on this website, and especially here in Manitoba. considering i don't know a whole lot about the politics of the sport, so go easy here gentlemen, but does it make sense for us to go rush out and just buy gear cause we like the way it looks/performs? im just thinking if we show up to play an op in the spring and get put on a team, are they gonna be like OMG WTF if we aren't rocking CADPAT? or does anything go for the most part?

also, id really like a G&G M4 to start out with. is this a good choice?
sorry for taking up so much space. i was born a ramblin' man

[The Saint]

Anything goes with regards to camo. There's no politics about that, don't worry about other people's taste. Most people only frown on sneakers and jeans.

G&G M4s are fair beginner guns. There are plenty of sources for them besides Cabelas, too.

[KNIVEZS]

your age verified
get the guns in the classified or buy from the retailers
if you like an m4 go for a Ca or GP far better quality than a G&G

[rocksteady]

I think he just wants to get the guns from Cabela's because they are new and have a storefront so if he gets any non-working guns from a dude in the classifieds (like i did) he doesn't have to worry about getting it repaired.

As for BDU's, use whatever the hell you want. Teams are usually broken up between camo types anyways (digi vs non-digi, etc). Anyone ever gives you attitude about your kit just tell them to sod off, it's a personal choice, like voting NDP.

[vfr86]

excellent advice guys. thank you. as far as the gun thing goes, i just like to be able to see and feel something before i buy it. so i'm kinda worried about buying a gun from SketchyDude69 that lives thousands of km's away in BF nowhere. although ive heard nothing but praise about amos, and he's local.

and good call on the NDP comment, rocksteady. a choice yes, and a poor one indeed.

[kalnaren]

Originally Posted by vfr86

excellent advice guys. thank you. as far as the gun thing goes, i just like to be able to see and feel something before i buy it. so i'm kinda worried about buying a gun from SketchyDude69 that lives thousands of km's away in BF nowhere. although ive heard nothing but praise about amos, and he's local.

and good call on the NDP comment, rocksteady. a choice yes, and a poor one indeed.

You could always go to a game and hold some of the higher end guns to see what they feel like.

[L473ncy]

I'm the only one on my team with Flecktarn (works well on the coast but not so good for the Prairies). Everyone else rocks the Multicam (except for the one guy with ACU).

Fair enough if you want to buy locally to hold it in your hands first. Go ahead but don't forget about Amos, he's local too.

Also yes there are a certain amount of "politics" in airsoft but it's a far cry from the *drama* of high school.

Also kinda off topic but does anyone know if theres a difference between the Krakens from Cabelas and the ones floating around here (stock ones, I'm thinking of cleaning it up, and upgrading myself)? I'm thinking of buying one, upgrading it, and using it as a loaner for some of my friends that might want to get into playing.

[Crunchmeister]

It's a good idea to get yourself equipped properly before getting a gun. That way when you get your gun, you're ready to go.

Get whatever camo you like best. You seem to be on the right track with what you're looking at. Woodland or CADPAT are good options to start with as they'll work well in your area. For a vest, you've got the right idea look for something either in OD. That's pretty versatile, as is coyote brown. These colors are good as they work well with most other camo patterns, of if you get another BDU down the road, you don't need a different vest. It's also smart to by a modular vest right away. That way, as your needs and guns change, you just need to get new pouches to adapt. It's a bit more expensive than buying a cheap vest in the short term, much cheaper in the long.

And also, be sure to get good boots. That seems to be so understated at times when talking about gear. There's nothing that will make you more miserable in the field than uncomfortable boots that make your feet sore and leave them covered with blisters. Running through woods and stuff, you need comfortable boots with good grips and good ankle support. I have 2 pairs of CF boots and I really like them. You can get them for a reasonable price at surplus stores.

[vfr86]

one more thing guys, is it normal for an M4 mag to be a little loose in the receiver when the gun and the mag are brand new?

[rocksteady]

Originally Posted by vfr86

one more thing guys, is it normal for an M4 mag to be a little loose in the receiver when the gun and the mag are brand new?

How tight the mag is in the magwell all depends on the type of gun and magazine. Some brands work better with others or might not work with one at all.

Also, I would vouch for Amos. I've bought a few things from him in the past and I've never run into a problem - other than the fact he lives on the other side of the damned city from me. Does what he says he will and that's all I really ask in a retailer. Whether he will let you grope the guns however, I cannot attest to.

[pusangani]

Originally Posted by Crunchmeister

It's a good idea to get yourself equipped properly before getting a gun. That way when you get your gun, you're ready to go.

Get whatever camo you like best. You seem to be on the right track with what you're looking at. Woodland or CADPAT are good options to start with as they'll work well in your area. For a vest, you've got the right idea look for something either in OD. That's pretty versatile, as is coyote brown. These colors are good as they work well with most other camo patterns, of if you get another BDU down the road, you don't need a different vest. It's also smart to by a modular vest right away. That way, as your needs and guns change, you just need to get new pouches to adapt. It's a bit more expensive than buying a cheap vest in the short term, much cheaper in the long.

And also, be sure to get good boots. That seems to be so understated at times when talking about gear. There's nothing that will make you more miserable in the field than uncomfortable boots that make your feet sore and leave them covered with blisters. Running through woods and stuff, you need comfortable boots with good grips and good ankle support. I have 2 pairs of CF boots and I really like them. You can get them for a reasonable price at surplus stores.

+1

most noobs only care about "what first gun should i get" or "is this a good gun thats upgradeable" etc. get some gear guys, no matter what, you will always need gear, this means boots, BDU and something to hold your mags in etc.

the jeans and a hoody thing is kool sometimes for smaller skirmish games but it's kinda annoying to see ppl in it all the time, put the same effort into your kit as you do into buying that kool new toy

[Kuro_Neko]

Originally Posted by vfr86

excellent advice guys. thank you. as far as the gun thing goes, i just like to be able to see and feel something before i buy it. so i'm kinda worried about buying a gun from SketchyDude69 that lives thousands of km's away in BF nowhere. although ive heard nothing but praise about amos, and he's local.

and good call on the NDP comment, rocksteady. a choice yes, and a poor one indeed.

I was alittle worried about shopping online for such big purchases when I started too. But the community self-polices like nothing else I've ever seen. Age verification is done in person with government ids, so the staff have everyone's personal info in case of trouble. This also stops people from making multiple logins to scam with. You deal with anyone that has a decently high number of positive trader reviews and you won't get burned. We're a very tight-nit community. Anyone that scams anyone else here basically throws him/herself out of the sport. Pretty much everyone in Canada that plays airsoft is a member of ASC, if someone proves themselves untrustworthy, no one will ever play with them again. Or do business with them either.

As long as you do your homework so you know what you're looking for and what you're getting you're fine. As to gun type, all airsoft guns work pretty much the same so it's all about what you like. As to make, well that all depends on your budget. If you can afford it, Classic Army, Tokyo Marui and to a lesser extent G&P are great manufacturers to go with. If you're on a limited budget then JG, G&G or ICS are worth the price and will serve you well enough.

Kit is good, but a good gun is better. Alot of people will probably disagree with me but if the choice is a $200 vest and a G&G gun or a $70 chest rig and a CA gun, I'm going with the latter every time. When I started all I had was my gun, I got the best I could afford (a CA). For the first couple of games all I had was my gun, a hicap and dark clothes. Then my bank account recovered and I slowly got the rest of my kit: chest rig and mags, drop leg holster and sidearm, CADPAT camo, shooting gloves, etc.

The gun is the most expensive part of this sport and really the only part that is truely needed. The rest can be gotten as you can afford it.

Cheers,
Kuro_Neko

[Danneichh]

Originally Posted by Kuro_Neko

I was alittle worried about shopping online for such big purchases when I started too. But the community self-polices like nothing else I've ever seen. Age verification is done in person with government ids, so the staff have everyone's personal info in case of trouble. This also stops people from making multiple logins to scam with. You deal with anyone that has a decently high number of positive trader reviews and you won't get burned. We're a very tight-nit community. Anyone that scams anyone else here basically throws him/herself out of the sport. Pretty much everyone in Canada that plays airsoft is a member of ASC, if someone proves themselves untrustworthy, no one will ever play with them again. Or do business with them either.

As long as you do your homework so you know what you're looking for and what you're getting you're fine. As to gun type, all airsoft guns work pretty much the same so it's all about what you like. As to make, well that all depends on your budget. If you can afford it, Classic Army, Tokyo Marui and to a lesser extent G&P are great manufacturers to go with. If you're on a limited budget then JG, G&G or ICS are worth the price and will serve you well enough.

Kit is good, but a good gun is better. Alot of people will probably disagree with me but if the choice is a $200 vest and a G&G gun or a $70 chest rig and a CA gun, I'm going with the latter every time. When I started all I had was my gun, I got the best I could afford (a CA). For the first couple of games all I had was my gun, a hicap and dark clothes. Then my bank account recovered and I slowly got the rest of my kit: chest rig and mags, drop leg holster and sidearm, CADPAT camo, shooting gloves, etc.

The gun is the most expensive part of this sport and really the only part that is truely needed. The rest can be gotten as you can afford it.

Cheers,
Kuro_Neko

may i ask what actual model your CA is, and where you got it from? was it from a dealer or a private sale?

[Kuro_Neko]

I did extensive research and settled on the Tactical Carbine version of the Classic Army M15A4 as my first gun. If an Armalite is what you're looking for then I think it's the best of all possible versions. You have the shortened M4 carbine barrel, which makes you less likely to smack your barrel off something when turning quickly, combined with the full stock which houses a large battery. Small batteries don't have near the run time of a large battery, not to mention that the reinforced slip ring (the ring that keeps the fore-grip on) is really stong. While this is mostly a good thing and a big step up over CA's previous M15 versions, it makes changing small batteries in the field very difficult if not impossible.

CA's M15A4 series in general is a big step up over their previous versions and as far as stock armalites go they're probably the best. All metal where the real steel version is, the plastic parts where the real steal version is plastic are made of good quality. Classic Army has a deal with Armalite so you get all the proper markings. Plus that deal also goes to show the quality of the manufacture, Armalite wouldn't put their name on a shoddy product.

Internally the gearbox is reinforced metal and all the gears are metal as well. It fires hotter stock then Tokyo Marui's as well, firing at 300-320 fps where your average TM only fires 280-300 fps.

All in all this is a great starter gun if you can afford it. Because it's all metal you don't have to worry nearly as much about breaking it and you won't get any of the wobble or creaking that is infamous in stock TM M4/M16's. Unfortunately affording it is the biggest problem, they're not cheap. I got my CA M15A4 from the classifieds, upgraded with a bunch of Systema internals to fire 390fps, for $600 shipped which was a great price.

Kuro_Neko

[vfr86]

and another question!
I'm looking at the G&G CQB R. Very nice gun, its BNIB with a tightbore and a decent gearbox. i hear they shoot around 320 fps or so. would this gun be suitable for outdoor ops? ive heard that just having a tightbore, regardless of length, will increase the distance and accuracy, therefore negating the need for a longer barrel. does this sound copacetic?