The Newbies - Save your money thread

[Droidling]

It seem like there aren’t enough Noobies around for this thread. Guess I'll dive in. I plan to get a Classic Army G36C for my main gun. It seems like you are mostly recommending TM, is there some advantage over the CA weapon? Are there other manufactures I should look into? My local Airsoft shop has an indoor CQB arena. Would the G36C be a good choice for this situation?

I have a real steel Glock 35 for a personal defense weapon, and would like to get something with a similar feel for a side arm. Is the KWA G18C a reasonable option? I have shot a lot of 1911 frame pistols during my time in the service. What do you guys think of the WE Dragon type B?

I'll probably end up buying online. Are most of the online shops pretty honest?

I'd like to keep this in the $500 to $600 range for the weapons, mags and related items. Probably another $150 to $200 for clothing. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

BTW do I need to worry about matching my gear to a particular country's military? I was talking to a friend about going to a big event where they were doing a blackhawk down scenario. He said that because his gear wasn't authentic US military he had to be part of the Arab forces. Is this "reinactment" type policy normal in Airsoft?

Terry

[prebanman]

I plan to get a Classic Army G36C for my main gun. It seems like you are mostly recommending TM, is there some advantage over the CA weapon?

The TM G36c is probubly a better option for starting out, though CA has made pretty excellent steps forward as far as reliability out of the box goes, While a CA gun would probubly treat you right TM still rules out over all.

My local Airsoft shop has an indoor CQB arena. Would the G36C be a good choice for this situation?

a G36C is an excellent choice for best of all worlds, while they all perform mostly identicly out of the box range/rof wise the ergonomics of he g36 will perofrm just fine for both ranged and close engagments.

I'll probably end up buying online. Are most of the online shops pretty honest?

usually, but sticking with something local you can actually physicly venture to always is handy if its an option

BTW do I need to worry about matching my gear to a particular country's military? I was talking to a friend about going to a big event where they were doing a blackhawk down scenario. He said that because his gear wasn't authentic US military he had to be part of the Arab forces. Is this "reinactment" type policy normal in Airsoft?

depends on scenario and the level of play you intend to get into, just like project mayhem, you decide your own level of involvment in airsoft. if you dotn want to sim a particular nation/military then dont, and sometimes in someplaces you may get put on a particular side accordingly. sometimes though this is the exception you are required to wear a particular uniform color or even style of gear, but again these are the exceptions and not the rule.

hope any of that helps

-patry

[Droidling]

Lots of good info. Thanks alot!

The TM G36c is probubly a better option for starting out, though CA has made pretty excellent steps forward as far as reliability out of the box goes, While a CA gun would probubly treat you right TM still rules out over all.

I thought the CA would be less likely to break because there is more metal in them. What kind of reliability issues do the CA guns have?

I'd really like to hear about my choices for a sidearm. I have no good reason for wanting the KWA 18C over some other Glock. It's just cool to have the full-auto option. Does anybody know if it is even remotely reliable?

[IceUK]

Personally I'd get the CA, I have 2 CA36s, they're great bits of kit.

they have many advantages over the TM version:

Glass fibre body is stronger than TM.
Higher torque and speed motor than TM.
Stronger gearbox shell than TM.
Standard ratio flat cut steel gears are far stronger than their TM Zinc alloy counterparts.
7mm steel bushings are stronger than 6mm nylon bushings as found in TM, and the fact that they are 7mm allows the use to 7mm ballrace bearings possible. (6mm ball race bearings are not recommended)
The CA polycab piston is marginally stronger than the TM one, although the TM one has a harder surface)
The CA piston head is vented and lighter than the TM, which has that annoyng retaining nut, although the TM one does have a better o-ring.
The newer CA36s have o-ring airnozzles, vary rare on stock AEGs.
CA36s have a metal spring guide, stronger than the TM plastic one.
The CA's polycarb tappet plate is one of the best around, far stronger than the TM.
CA's come in at about 310-320 compared to 280-300 for the TM.

What's better on the TM you may ask:
Piston head O-ring (I love TM o-rings, they're just the right size and seem to work on whatever piston head I put them on)
Hopup rubber (CA rubber is just not quite as consistant as TM)


If you do get the CA, use a 9.6volt or above, anything less is a CA is pointless. Personally I never use less thatn a 10.8 in any of my CAs.



Ice

[prebanman]

they have many advantages over the TM version

yes the sum of the parts over a TM is higher, but I refer to the quality control at CA. Whenever you buy any gun other then a TM you run your risk of getting a lemon, one that just has problems of whatever kind (Im not bashing CA I use a CA M4 as my primary in point of fact) The benifit of TM is that as a first gun, getting one that you KNOW is gonna work just perfect outta the box and so long as you dont upgrade it will work perfect forever (within reason) is a nice assurence to have.

I thought the CA would be less likely to break because there is more metal in them. What kind of reliability issues do the CA guns have?

as far as the body being weaker glass fiber body stuff etc, you will have a hard time breaking either G36 just becuase of the nature of their design. for the M16 seris, this is not the case becuase they are stuctuarly weaker and benifit greatly from metal upgrades, this isnt really the case with G36 designs. so have no fears there. the only benifit is that they feel less plasticy becuase instead of ABS plastic furnitiure they use glass fibre (supposedly)

I'd really like to hear about my choices for a sidearm. I have no good reason for wanting the KWA 18C over some other Glock. It's just cool to have the full-auto option. Does anybody know if it is even remotely reliable?

skip that, shop around and buy a KSC Glock17 or 19, whichever is closer to the frame of your carry roscoe. KWA and KSC are kind of the same company, KWA's are remanufactured with metal slides installed) but I have found in my airsoft travels that KWA's are far less reliable overall. I actually have a KSC Glock19 I bought used, its at least 2 years old, un-upgraded, been beat to hell by everyone who owned it but just like its namesake the thing just will not die. They come highly reccoemnded by me. The same cannot be said for any other GBB I've ever owned.
on top of all that, a full auto pistol just screams n00b worse then a UTG cross draw desert digi tacvest, and nobody wants to be a screaming n00b with a full auto Glock 18c and a UTG cross draw desert digi tacvest.


-patry

[SamDamon]

Hey Guys,

Just joined this party a few months ago, and my shiny new CA M4 r.i.s. just showed up last night.

I was wondering, would the regulars here be open to a "Do's & Don'ts Thread"? The internet is full of bad advice on everything from car maintenance to ****** behavior, and I would like some good trustworthy advice on how to care for, maintain, and upkeep my new AEG investment. The Tiwanese and Hong Kong translated manuals are great for amusement and some limited pointers and advice, but I think alot of us airsoft noobs could benefit from you guys with more experience.

Thanks.

[asch]

hmm, dunno, before i get my aeg upgraded, i just do basic maintenance, as in instruction. drops if silicon oil in the pellet receiver and barrel, then shot off ~ 100 pellets, clean barrel after every game, that's all. and NEVER clean barrel with hop-up adjusted.
as result, when i install upgrade (after 1 year of active playing) my gearbox was in perfect condition, no garbage/dust inside, all perfectly clean and oiled.

so, there is a tip №1 - basic maintenance before upgrade.
and this applied to Marui only. when i get CA and G&P aegs, my life turned into infinite suffering those little bastards trying to fvck up on every opportunity.

edit: oh, i see, you just have CA. well, show it to experienced aeg mechanic. basically in airsoft communities always some "master of all trades" around.

[Redguy]

I'm looking for a airsoft gun for around 100-150 usd.... (i know thats not alot for a good gun) looking for a m16/m4 ish gun.

Thanks...

was looking at this one btw.
http://www.hobbytron.com/AirsoftAssa...unAEGSDR6.html

[prebanman]

ublekuhI'm looking for a airsoft gun for around 100-150 usd.... (i know thats not alot for a good gun) looking for a m16/m4 ish gun.

Thanks...

was looking at this one btw.
http://www.hobbytron.com/AirsoftAssa...unAEGSDR6.html

save your dollars, it sucks, they all suck in the 100-150dolla catagory, for anything but purely fooling around your basement/dorm.

if your looking to actually play airsoft, save some more dollars and buy a tokyo marui newest gen M4, and thusly, you will get your monies worth. check out places like airsoftretreat.com's classified section and any local airsoft forums (in and around your area) if you want to try to snag a deal, just watch your ass cuase it is possible to get ripped off or buy slag in places like that. your best bet just geting into it is to buy new and buy marui.
end communication

-patry

[goat89]

Is the TM G36 good? I was recommended as upgrades were easy to get.

[prebanman]

basicly anything marui is a great idea

if you are already planning on upgrading you should certainly consider purchasing a CA G36 of whichever flavor you desire (C,K,Full) for the reasons listed in IceUKs' post above.

but if you want my opionion on the subject:

dont upgrade your first gun, if it is indeed your first gun, keep it stock for at least a few months to get a feel for things, then later on decide to upgrade and how. spend the extra money you would have used on upgrading now and instead get extra batteries, mags, gear that doesnt suck ammo etc. it will be money much better spent.

-patry

[Droidling]

It sounds like the debate between CA and TM is one of those things that can turn into a holy war. From what I can tell there is no real looser.

What about spare mags? I see lots of comments about using Star mags with the TM, are there any good deals on mags for the CA? I'm guessing I need at least 2 spare mags for each gun. More if I want to avoid Hi-Caps. I could envision spending hundereds on mags. That's fine, but I don't want to waste my money either.

shop around and buy a KSC Glock17 or 19, whichever is closer to the frame of your carry roscoe. KWA and KSC are kind of the same company, KWA's are remanufactured with metal slides installed)

I guess the Glock 18C is out just on bad style. My G35 is the Glock long slide in .40 SW. It's very similar to the Glock 22. I think the G17 is the same frame. I'll start there. The nice thing about air soft is I could afford to try out different pistols then buy the real steel to match.

a full auto pistol just screams n00b worse then a UTG cross draw desert digi tacvest, and nobody wants to be a screaming n00b with a full auto Glock 18c and a UTG cross draw desert digi tacvest

Which brings me to tac gear. I have boots, BDU Cap, and a Kevlar left over from my Army days. I figured woodland camo nylon BDU's. I'm in Northern California so it never really gets cold. Do I want digital? There never was such a thing when I was in the service. One reason I ask is that this vest seems like a great deal.

[A]http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/VEST104-683-616.html[/A]

It looks like it has a reasonable number of pockets, as long as they fit my gear. In the summer heat around here a water blader seems like a big plus. I figured this, a pistol belt, thigh holster, and maybe a K-bar just for show ought to be a pretty good starter setup, or am I being a n00b again.

I found it after someone posted this link to the afore mentioned tan crossdraw vest.

[A]http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/MOLLE511-41854-1977.html[/A]
And, I was hopeing this would be a place where wouldn't have to worry about being fashionable I actually was thinking of getting a black cross draw vest for the indoor CQB range. Would that be acceptable?

Terry

[Hurricane]

Seriously, I've owned the following:
CA MP5A2 (v.3)
CA MP5A3 (v.3)
CA M15A4 RIS
CA M249 MKII

Aso we have had alot of CA in the team, Off my head:
CA M249 MKII (another)
CA MP5SD2
CA MP5A2 (two others, my excluded)
CA M15A4 Rifle
CA M15A4 Carbine

And we haven't had a single problem, other then the normal ones from wear. I'd go for the CA because the weapon is alot more solid. The TM bends and makes noises while doing so. I want my AEGs to feel like real weapons and not toys.

The main problem with the G36 is its magazines, they take alot of space. Few pouches can hold 2.

[prebanman]

It sounds like the debate between CA and TM is one of those things that can turn into a holy war. From what I can tell there is no real looser

you are correct, there is no real loser here, I myself use a CA gun, the reason I'm extolling marui here is that as a first weapon I belive they are the best becuase of pure unupgraded reliability, like a honda. if you were planning to buy something in M16 familiy, then CA might very well be the way to go, since they benifit structuraly very much from all metal. but if a G36 is still what your looking at I would urge marui, as the physical diffrences just dont offset your gurenteed work outta the box forever certaintiy that marui has.

I was hopeing this would be a place where wouldn't have to worry about being fashionable

haha, sorry but everybody is just trying to be the best dressed gi joe.
skip the knockoff omega crossdraw vests, almost everybody buys one of those in the begining and ALWAYS ends up selling them soon after, and they have absolutly no resale value.
http://www.optactical.com/onepimavbo.html
check that out ^ for a great modular right to start out on, with a MAV, a few mag pouches and a GPpouch you wont go much over 100 bucks, and when you decide to sell it you can actually get something like what you paid for it.
-patry

[Redguy]

I'm just looking for a gun that i can fool around with in my back yard.....i just don't want to buy one that'll break in a month.