Airsoft is a hobby that some may thinkis a bit tricky to get into. There are a lot of questions, which weapon to choose, how it all works, do you have to be in a team or what should you take with you out. Jonathan Lundkvist from Lundkvists Logement has written a beginner's guide that answers most questions a newcomer might have about the hobby.
Airsoft is a hobby that, in its basic form, involves using limited-effect weapons to "shoot out" the opponent. Every airsoft game – be it a Sunday game in the local woods or the Mountain – has that in common. Games can be indoor, outdoor, have different rules, different goals and different focus but they all have in common that the goal is to fight the opponent which can be another player or as in dynamic shooting a goal board. The absolute first thing that should be mentioned is that according to Swedish law, you must be over 18 years old to participate in airsoft games or own an airsoft weapon. The limited-effect weapons - commonly known as Airsoft guns or in more colloquial speech Soft Air Guns and hereafter referred to only as weapons - are realistic replicas of real weapons and often function in a similar way depending on the brand and price range. The guns best suited for airsoft play shoot 6mm plastic bullets at velocities between 85 to 170 meters per second. Higher muzzle velocity does not automatically mean longer range or better accuracy, and there is also a myth that a longer barrel means better accuracy. Shooting a projectile at these speeds is considered dangerous.
A bullet can pierce your skin, damage your teeth or blind you. Consequently, the weapons must be treated with respect and care. Always wear safety glasses when shooting, even on the range. The plastic bullets have a nasty tendency to ricochet - that is, bounce off something - and more than one shooter has had the experience of a bullet bouncing off a tree right back onto itself. All players wear eye protection and often mouth protection in addition to clothing that covers most of the body to reduce the risk of these injuries.
In addition to this, there are rules that dictate at what distances a weapon must be used. It is your responsibility to know the muzzle velocity of your weapon and at what distance you are allowed to shoot it in order to minimize the risk of injury. You don't have to be in a team to be in the smaller games and usually not the bigger ones either. Some of the bigger ones require scenarios and on "Sunday games" you usually sign up on a list to give others an indication of how many people will be there. As long as you have everything you need, just show up and meet new people.
In all games, there is a place called the Safezone where the weapons must not be loaded, which usually means that you take out the magazine and fire a couple of shots in a harmless direction before entering. This maneuver is performed because it is not possible to make a classic Patron Ur with airsoft guns.
None of what you have just read is subject to discussion. These are generally accepted rules for the hobby, and if you can't accept them, I suggest another hobby. I would also suggest borrowing a gun from a friend or renting a gun from the places that have this option for your first game so you know it's something you enjoy doing.
Being a beginner is something we've all been. Remember, it's better to ask too many questions and feel stupid than not to ask and be stupid.
I know from experience that the absolute first thing newbies think about when they want to start playing Airsoft is what gun they want and what it should look like and how much they will shoot people with it. We'll get to that point in the next part. Airsoft may be a lot about weapons but there are other things that are directly necessary that have nothing to do with the weapon and those are the ones we will deal with now.
The most important thing is your protection. There is no reason to save on what should protect your body from consequences other than good mood, fatigue and exercise pain. Eye protection is mandatory and must be worn by all participants in an airsoft game. These come in different varieties, from masks to smaller, more flexible glasses and protect your eyes with either mesh or glass. The net protection cannot fog, but you will see worse in them as soon as they start to obscure. What you prefer is mostly about what you think is comfortable - which is important - and how good you think it looks on you - which is also important to some. Protective masks (or gas masks in colloquial speech) do not have protection-classed glass and should therefore not be used as protection unless you replace the glass.
Consider spending a little money on getting good eye protection, especially if you choose glasses. It will be difficult as a beginner to learn the hobby, tactics and how everything works if you can barely see because your cheap glasses have started fogging up again. Also think a little if you want to wear mouthguards. Shots to the mouth are considered rare but will happen sooner or later and mouthguards are cheap insurance against an expensive dental bill. If you wear a full mask, you don't need a mouth guard, but it has its own disadvantages.
Finally, non-sore clothing is important. You will move, you will be shot with plastic bullets and your clothes will be exposed to wear and tear. If you are outdoors, it is also important to have something on your feet that can handle the terrain - hiking shoes or boots are a good option.
Wearing clothing and shoes intended for military use is encouraged but not among the first things you need to buy. However, uniforms have the advantage that they are usually cheap and help you blend in with the terrain and the group of people. The cost of a few hundred Norwegian kroner is a good investment. Don't focus on choosing a country or camo or the like right away, a simple pair of trousers and a field shirt will do well in the beginning.
On your first Sunday game, in addition to what you're wearing - clothing appropriate for the weather - you should bring weapons, ammunition, something to carry extra magazines in (more on that in the next chapter), team markers, hitting cloth (an orange cloth that you wave or carry on your head if you get hit and out of the game), a bottle of something to drink and candy or a sandwich to keep your energy up. The latter is more important than you might think and helps keep your spirits up.
Finally, you'll also need a bag or two to transport all of this in. I personally recommend a duffle bag or other larger bag where you can scoop everything in as needed, but depending on the length of the gun, you may want a separate gun bag. It is very important that no part of the weapon sticks out, and for that reason the boxes - which often show pictures of the guns - are not recommended for transport other than when it is to be sent somewhere.
Now we come to the fun part of Airsoft and the one that will make your wallet cry blood if you decide to stay in the hobby. It is also the part that most of us find the most fun and that is buying a gun. It's inevitable that there are too many different models and brands to have a proper overview but there are some guns that stand out more than others when it comes to the two things that you should care about for your first gun - namely performance and reliability. I'm not going to waste time by listing a bunch of good models that are good for beginners (*host* Jing Gong G36C *host*) without more specific things to think about. Firstly. If you have been misled that "Sportsline" or "Proline" means something special, get rid of that silly opinion immediately. Sportsline and Proline are concepts that have no basis in reality but were invented to try to compete and ridicule airsoft guns made in China when they first appeared on the market.
The concept is that Proline would be superior to these and that Sportline (which was first inferior weapons and then unmarked Chinese made weapons) was also but a cheaper variety. Some dealers - and you know who you are - tried to push this opinion and others did not. Thus, these concepts have no meaning. If they are on a weapon you want, don't let that stop you unless reviews say otherwise.
When it comes to which type of weapon you should choose, the answer is simple. Nine times out of ten what you want is an electric submachine gun or automatic carbine. You should not buy a sniper rifle. The short reason for that is that sniper is a play style and not just a weapon. It's a style of play that can just as easily be played with an electric powered automatic carbine that will shoot better and faster than a sniper rifle does out of the box. Once you know you're warm in the clothes of the hobby you can start to expand your horizons but remember that Airsoft is not Call of Duty, no matter how much that guy looks like Ghost or Cpt Price.
A rule of thumb is that you should choose the model you think looks good. If you have a store within traveling distance, it is recommended to go there and shop - a nice bag doesn't necessarily suit you - but usually appearance is what you should focus on. It is your weapon, your taste and style and only you can decide if it suits you or not. However, it may be worth choosing a shorter weapon if you already know that you will be playing indoors or at playgrounds with short shooting distances.
Your new weapon will come with one or sometimes two magazines. Magazines are available in three different varieties – Low, Mid and high cap. Low and Mid use a charging tube or pump charger (much easier!) to load bullets and hold between 20 to 150 bullets and are what you want to use if you want to reload frequently. A high cap can hold between 200 and 600 bullets but in return requires you to spin a cog every now and then which is very annoying to do in a firefight. However, the bullets in these have a tendency to rattle and spoil the realism somewhat. There are also Flash magazines for G36, M4 and AK where you pull a string instead of screwing on the gear, which in my opinion is much more efficient, but they have to be bought separately. Don't forget to check which magazines can be used on your board.
Finally, the difference between the guns is whether they come with a battery and battery charger or not. In my experience very few of the batteries that come with the guns are good and the same goes for the battery chargers. It is much better to directly buy a LiPo Battery and a charger for this battery. For almost all guns, it's best to start with 7.4 volts - it will give you enough power to power almost any gun.
When you fire your weapon for the first time, you must set the Hop-Up. It's a little rubber thing that adjusts the trajectory of the ball and makes it spin. This little manikin makes the trajectory of the ball extremely much better and can carry the ball over longer distances. Check the manual where you adjust the hopup (usually in the cartridge door) and then adjust until you think the trajectory is reasonable. It will take a few shots before you get it right but it is important that it fits correctly.
In conclusion: You don't hit something just because you aim at it. Even indoors, there will be things that affect the ball track. Learning to hit in Airsoft takes practice and there will be times when you think you hit but you don't because of a tree, wind, bushes or some other reason. A good rule of thumb is to get close enough that you are sure to hit and learning at what distances a weapon is effective is very important.
The absolute first is a vest or chest rig. These are available in all sorts of different variations and here too your priority should be something that is comfortable and where you can reach the different pockets in the easiest possible way. Some vests have systems that allow you to adjust the position of the pockets, making it easier to adjust it as needed so you can carry any sidearm, candy, water, ammo and magazines. Depending on whether you bought a gun with a lot of magazines, this might be something you might want to purchase before your first game, but even then it's not necessary.
Uniforms also fall into this category. It's cool, you blend in, but they're not really necessary, especially in the summer when a pair of loose pants, a short-sleeved shirt and something to carry the magazines in can be much more comfortable.
Radio facilitates communication within the team and gives you a smaller overview of what is happening on the playing field. These aren't even particularly expensive anymore - you can get a versatile radio for less than a fiver from the right store - and are considered a really good accessory.
Cosmetic changes to your gun are also something to consider, such as a different butt that can be adjusted and thus make it more comfortable in tight spaces or a rail with rails that allow you to attach accessories such as front grips, flashlights or lasers. Sights are almost always a good investment (depending on the weapon they may require a sight base) and add to the look of the weapon and make it easier to aim. Weapon lights are also highly recommended on indoor games.
By now you have hopefully read and taken in the information that this guide has given you. It sure feels like there are a lot of things to think about and that it all sounds more complicated than it really is. That is not the case. Airsoft is a relatively easy hobby to get into, especially if you take it in small steps.
The biggest mistake I see beginners make is they buy everything they think they might need and then realize they don't really enjoy the hobby that much or they buy things that turn out not to be suitable for what they want to use them for . Some people - especially those newbies who buy Sniper weapons - can sometimes come into the Safezone frustrated and say that the whole hobby is crap - because it was not what they expected. It is better that you discover that you are missing something that you can then buy than that you have too much that is not used.
If you have more questions, it's fine to ask them in this thread or in the Newbie section of the forum, but keep in mind what I wrote above. We have already discussed what makes a good gun, and if you are responsible enough to handle a weapon with limited power, you know how to search a forum. If you notice that there is no thread or review about which G36 is the best - only then you can create a thread about it.
Finally, remember the following. Airsoft is not about winning, having the most stuff, or anything other than having fun. Vad som är kul bestämmer bara du själv så agera därefter.
Nordiclegends.se thanks Jonathan Lundkvist for the guide.
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