Long thread - awesome though
Some questions!!!
If I wanted to get hold of a noob entry level M4 - could someone suggest one? There seem to be so many different ones, but obviously I don't want one that will just break on my first outing.
Also, what do I need in terms of paperwork / license etc to own said air rifle?
Any info appreciated good people of ocuk
The manufacturer is far far more important than the model of weapon. For the most part, airsoft weapons are the same, with different shells. Different platforms have different gearbox versions (M4 is V2, AK is V3 for example) and some mechanical systems vary (electric blowback, gas blowback - both types of simulated recoil) and different designed hops but it will be the manufacturer which dictates the quality and reliability of the product.
There are a lot of manufacturers to choose from, in various price bands and it can be a complete minefield to get a good one. For playing, anything under £100 for a gun is not going to be skirmishable, but above that you can get almost anything that will serve you ok for a day.
My suggested manufactures (at this moment in time) would be G&G, Classic Army, KWA (i would probably rate these the highest for a £200-£300 one). G&P make nice looking ones, and have the most extensive range of M4s, but in my personal experience (which differs a lot to some others) they suffer a lot from weak internals, i've seen 7 pistons strip in the same M16 so far this year.
You will probably notice that you can get products from outside the UK (like the US, and particularly HK) whilst it's nice to save money, also consider the import duties, inspections by customs, courier handling fees etc. It often does not work out any cheaper.
*edit to add some useful info*
I would reccomend:
http://www.fire-support.co.uk/
http://www.landwarriorairsoft.com/
http://www.xsiteairsoft.co.uk/
I've personaly purchased weapons off of these and have not had a bad service. I would say however that no matter how good it looks on paper, go somewhere to get a feel for one before you buy it, you may find it's not for you. A lot of sites rent stuff for the first few games so you can get an idea of things.
As well as the gun there are other important factors to consider, eye protection, gloves, boots. These are the the most important things, tac gear etc. is nice, but by no means necessary.
You will also require a defence to the VCRA in order to purchase RIFs from anywhere .I think this was covered earlier in the thread, but for a summation, Airsoft weapons are actually illegal as per the Violent Crime Reduction Act. Airsofters fought long and hard in order to get an exemption to it, in where you can prove you are a regular skirmisher, you may purchase RIFs for the purpose of Airsoft. This is the only thing that entitles you to buy them. Shotgun licenses, Air rifle licenses, even Section 5 does not entitle you to purchase Airsoft weapons. In order to prove you are a regular skirmisher you need to be a member of a fully insured, recognised site. This allows retailers to contact the site, confirm your details and your defense. Following on from that there is also UKARA (UK Airsoft Retailers Association). This is a nationwide database created and maintained by a series of retailers that allows quick update and access of members. Basically it speeds up the process of buying one, it is also extremely useful when ordering abroad and dealing with customs.
Hope that helps, all the info and a ton more is available on airsoft forums like airsofters and zeroin
Cheers
