gunracer1
Collector of fine junk
I'm looking at getting the grand kids some air soft guns for Christmas. seems 170 or so a piece would buy pretty decent ones. I have been thinking something in a m4 pattern. anyone know them well?
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air soft guns
- Thread starter gunracer1
- Start date
dentedsub
Haberdasher
I bought a clear plastic sig 15 years ago for $20 and it still shoots well. Are you buying something they can compete with or just play around?
KarlVP
Not Sure
Crosman makes a really bad ass full auto M-16/M4 gun. It runs off of C02 cartridges though.
I wish I had something like that when I was 12 years old. I had the Crosman pump gun with a cheap ass tasco scope on it.
No squirrels or blue jays in my hood were safe.
I wish I had something like that when I was 12 years old. I had the Crosman pump gun with a cheap ass tasco scope on it.
No squirrels or blue jays in my hood were safe.
gunracer1
Collector of fine junk
i have been looking at the electric rechargeables.
Do you want an AEG that they can actually play Airsoft with or just something to play around in their yard with?
Keep in mind most AEGs do not include the battery pack and charger.
Here is something in your price range that is decent:
https://www.airsoftatlanta.com/coll...g-g-combat-machine-cm16-raider-aeg-long-black
That is a decent entry-level AEG for actually playing Airsoft that is much better than a lot of the junk that are more toys than anything and can't be modded or upgraded.
Might also want to look at some safety gear. A real Airsoft AEG will shoot over 300 FPS and can easily put an eye out. Full-face paintball masks work well.
Keep in mind most AEGs do not include the battery pack and charger.
Here is something in your price range that is decent:
https://www.airsoftatlanta.com/coll...g-g-combat-machine-cm16-raider-aeg-long-black
That is a decent entry-level AEG for actually playing Airsoft that is much better than a lot of the junk that are more toys than anything and can't be modded or upgraded.
Might also want to look at some safety gear. A real Airsoft AEG will shoot over 300 FPS and can easily put an eye out. Full-face paintball masks work well.
IIRC, a guy on pirate (or a friend) was refilling a tank & blew apart his hand...
That was most likely paintball and a CO2 tank. Very few Airsoft weapons use gas, and most of them use a type of refrigerant as a propellant. AEGs are "Auto Electric Guns" and use battery packs similar to RC cars.
gunracer1
Collector of fine junk
bought 4 aeg's last night at the local paint ball place. i paid about 20 bucks more a gun. but they are local and very helpful. it was 900 by the time i walked out.
MoparMan
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2020
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I still have mine from when I was a youngster. I'll post a picture of it sometime today or tomorrow.
My Tokyo Marui SR-16:
It's old enough that it still has full trademarks on all of it. I forget what all is done to it. I do remember a Systema Stage 2 or 3 kit, tight-bore barrel, G&G Knights Armament rail system, G&P Magnesium Receiver, knockoff Aimpoint, custom paint, etc.
It's old enough that it still has full trademarks on all of it. I forget what all is done to it. I do remember a Systema Stage 2 or 3 kit, tight-bore barrel, G&G Knights Armament rail system, G&P Magnesium Receiver, knockoff Aimpoint, custom paint, etc.
The cheaper you go, the more plastic you will have. You go too cheap and you end up with something that doesn't work after a while and can potentially break with rough handling. Also be aware that most AEGs will weigh a lot less than the real deal, so that may impact your training. More metal usually means more realism and better quality, but usually also means a higher price. Something like this one might suit your needs:
https://www.evike.com/products/66586/
There are just about as many AR style AEGs as there are actual ARs, so they can be found in a variety of configurations as well as rail systems, receivers, stocks and other mods to customize it to your taste.
https://www.evike.com/products/66586/
There are just about as many AR style AEGs as there are actual ARs, so they can be found in a variety of configurations as well as rail systems, receivers, stocks and other mods to customize it to your taste.
KarlVP
Not Sure
I have a Diana Model 75 (also branded as a beeman model 400). It's a recoilless target gun. Super fun.
I sent to to a tuner in New Hampshire. It's fucking awesome now.
Google "Giss guns."
Not the same thing as an Airsoft rifle. Airsoft is like paintball, only you shoot full auto at each other with little BBs, usually made of polystyrene or a biodegradable material.
i need one for shooting neighbor dogs coming in my yard 
4x4junk
Member
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- Oct 2, 2020
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- 2908
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Any other particular guns or brands you recommend to buy or to stay away from? It appeared to me $400 was the average I will have to spend for a realistic one.
gunracer1
Collector of fine junk
the 200 dollar ones i bought are pretty decent. and i bought one that was a little more expensive but shoots around 430 fps.
I've been out of the loop for a while, so a lot of the brands that were good when I was active are no longer available. Tokyo Marui was always known as a great quality brand, but a lot of their components are plastic. They are some of the most reliable mechanically and many other manufacturers copy their gearbox designs which helps with compatibility. Echo 1 was a brand that was sort of like Badlands winches. Some people swore they were the best for the money, others swore they were a waste of money and I do remember a couple people buying non-working AEGs from them that needed the gearbox re-shimmed or something to get it working. Evike has reviews on their website, so that might help you with some of the brands I am not familiar with these days. Classic Army was always a good brand back in the day and still seems to be popular. Tokyo Marui and CA were like the "GM and Ford" of the Airsoft world for a long time. Here is an AR that might be of interest:
https://www.airsoftgi.com/product/Classic-Army-Nemesis-Gen2-MK18-M4-AEG-Airsoft-Rifle-Black-38748/
I know, I know, TLDR, but bear with me...
Also, for anyone looking to get into Airsoft, here are a few hard truths. They aren't like metal BB guns. Most do fire full auto and single shot, some have burst modes. The BBs are light, usually in the .2 gram range, so wind will blow them all over the place. They also drop very quickly out the barrel, much like paint balls but most AEGs have what is called "hop-up", which is a silicone membrane that protrudes into the barrel so that the BBs are given a bit of spin. This makes the BBs come out the barrel and start to drop then they will pick up and arc up higher to get more range. The "hop-up" is adjustable so you can tune it to get the range and accuracy you want, but I would never consider an AEG to be very accurate at longer ranges. The more Feet Per Second you push, the more accurate they will be, but the more dangerous they become. You must wear some safety gear, ballistic rated safety or shooting glasses at a minimum. These can easily put an eye out. Full face paintball masks or airsoft "mesh" masks are recommended. It doesn't happen often, but people have had teeth knocked out. That sort of thing is rare due to most players following minimum engagement distances and surrender rules. Basically, we never fired at anyone at less than 10 feet. We asked for a surrender. Back when I played almost all players were honorable and would take the surrender. Being honorable also meant they called their hits and would walk back to the staging area to "respawn" later or wait until the end of the match as the rules allowed that day. People who didn't call their hits were weeded out and not allowed back. Calling hits is essential in Airsoft since the BBs are hard and do not mark the player when they hit. You can hear one "pop" when it hits a coat or web gear from a long way of though.
Also, Airsoft is a bit of a hobby, meaning there is a little tinkering to be done with the weapons to keep them in working order and customize them. Rebuilding a gearbox or tearing one down to put in an upgrade kit or something is not unusual and you will eventually need to do it to fix a problem or just to re-grease the gears. It also requires a bit of research as some upgrades work with some brands and some gearboxes but not others. You will see things like V2 or V3 gearboxes. This is the design of the gearbox which usually is due to the shape of the gun. Most ARs use Tokyo Marui style V2 gearboxes while AKs and I think MP5s use V3 gearboxes. If you are buying parts you will need to dig around a bit, read some forums, watch some YouTube vids to get the scoop on what works and what doesn't. Batteries are a big thing, but as with RC cars, you can go too far. Capacity is limited due to where the battery is stored. Power is limited due to what the motor and gearbox can withstand. Be careful going above the rated battery voltage or jumping to a Lipo battery without doing a bit of research on your weapon and any needed upgrades to support the battery upgrade. As for capacity, I liked my SR-16 since it had a full, M16 style stock so I had plenty of room for a "large" battery. AR AEGs with the collapsible M4 style stock don't have that capacity so they usually have a smaller battery stored under the rail system around the barrel. Others may modify theirs to have a "magazine pouch" on the stock to hold the battery. This sort of mod would require disassembling the weapon and rerouting the wiring from in front of the receiver to the rear like my SR16.
Other stuff would be things like magazines. Naturally you will want more as ammo is limited and loading magazines in the "field" is a pain in the ass. Most AEGs use one type of magazine or another and almost all will swap. Again, a lot is based off of Tokyo Marui's original designs. Magazines generally resemble the "real steel" or actual weapon magazines fairly closely, so cheap surplus gear that matches the country of origin for the weapon works fine. AR magazines are slightly shorter than the real deal 30rd, so sometimes they can get swallowed up by genuine surplus or aftermarket magazine pouches:
And finally the obvious. AEGs and most other Airsoft weapons look very real. Check you local laws to see if you are going to get in trouble for removing (or painting) the federally mandated orange flash hider on the end of the barrel. If you point one of these at a cop, naturally you are probably going to get shot. Treat it like you would a real firearm in public, carry it in a case and don't go making a nuisance of yourself with it terrorizing your neighbors. If you are buying these for your kids, consider keeping them locked up like a real weapon unless you are around to supervise. No one likes seeing on the news where some kids out playing got shot by someone because they were careless or had a moment of poor judgement. Like a dirtbike or something similar, they are a bit of a toy, but they are a toy that has a lot of responsibility that needs to go along with it. These are great to teach a kid about gun safety and due to the injuries that are possible, similar rules apply about unloading, shooting directions, backdrops, don't look down the barrel, etc. But at least the consequences are not life threatening in most cases. Most Airsoft related accidents are due to people not understanding what they are seeing. When I played terrorism was the big thing and going to and from matches occasionally would get some weird traffic stops or people freaking out when we walked into a convenience store or fast food place dirty and still all dressed in camo. Use common sense and if you are going to be playing where people can see you, consider knocking on a couple doors and giving them the heads up. If you are going to be playing near a public road where people can see you, give the local cops a call and tell them what is going on and let them know they are happy to stop by and check things out. Also, make sure you have permission to be on the land you are playing on as running around someone's property looking like terrorists tends to make people "edgy". Hope this helps.
kf4zht
Red Skull Member
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I've been thinking about picking up a similar setup to what my shtf rig would be and heading to the localish indoor air soft place and practice some skills like getting around corners, gear swapping, etc.
Just not sure if it's worth the investment
Just not sure if it's worth the investment
It's a lot of fun, but looking back I put a lot of money into it. I was pretty active and played whenever I got the chance years ago, but it's been a long time since I played and now I have a $1,200 AEG sitting around doing nothing, and that doesn't include the rest of my gear. But then again, it was A LOT of fun. :D
kf4zht
Red Skull Member
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Yeah, I used to play paintball and at some point just kind of dropped it. Then a few years later realized that I had hundreds of $$ in it that was laying around. And with how paintball stuff depreciates I should have dumped it as soon as I stopped playing. Part of the headache is there are only so many Paintball/airsoft places to play, or you need friends that will regularly play on private places. If the local place goes to shit - bad refs, taken over by annoying little shits, closes all the time for "special events" or you lose your group you can go from several times a month to zero in just a month or two
In theory airsoft should be cheaper. If I did it right it would use the same vest, pouches, holsters, etc that I run for shooting matches. But its still money and they dont hold/increase in value like real firearms
Probably should go do a rental and see how the place is. If its a bunch of preteens running around shooting at anything that moves it would be useless. If there is a serious crowd it could be worth it.
Yeah, I had to travel an hour or two to get to matches around here. The only people playing Airsoft were some kids with Walmart quality guns that were no match for me. I tried to get a couple friends that played paintball "woodsball" into it but no one wanted to drop the money they had in paintball stuff to swap over like I did. I played with a group at Va Tech a few times, and then with a bunch from all over the state that gathered near Charlottesville every few months but as time went on it got harder to make time to get out to the matches and I lost interest in it as life got busier and more bullshit took up my time. I think the last time I played was in '06 or so. Sucks, but that's life I guess.
As for a rental, if you have a CQB type place to play, go for it. The one place I know of in Northern VA was designed as a training facility for LEOs in the state, but when they were not rented out for that, they rent AEGs and let people play or you could bring your own and play once they tested the FPS. I never made it up there to try it since I mainly preferred playing outdoors in the woods. Don Shipley that runs Extreme SEAL Experience, also well known for his work involving exposing fake SEALs, used to do Airsoft as well but I don't think he does it anymore. Virginia is just a pain in the ass place to play Airsoft apparently, hopefully your state/area has more to offer. :D