View Full Version : Airsoft
hobbitboy
13-07-2004, 13:08
Nought better than runnin round woodland shootin your mates :o):
Saying that tho, the millions of small plastic balls embedded in the mud was quite an odd sight. Wonder wot archaeologists will make of it in thousands of years??
Probably not very much - almost all airsoft ammo these days is supposed to be biodegradable.
I airsoft at a secret nuclear bunkers grounds in Essex.
Buckshot
13-07-2004, 13:38
My airsoft pistol is used instead of the ones that were banned a few years ago.
I've shot practical pistol for 17-18 years now.
I think they're great fun, as long as you don't take it too seriously.
Cheers
Mark
The group I was/am with does a particularly Mil-Sim (military simulation) type of airsofting, with an ongoing storyline for the events (very very loosley based on Stargate SG1) rather than just shoot-em-up events. I spent 3 years as part of the plot team for the events (who also doubled up as the enemy), and can tell people what it's like first hand to be shot in the (unhelmeted) head 50-100 times in the space of 20 seconds by a group of 8 players...
hobbitboy
13-07-2004, 17:08
i can imagine that it wasnt a nice feeling......
I have a nasty habit of gettin shot in the face so i refuse to wear goggles, full facial protection is the way ahead. :o): :o): :o):
Oh there's also airsofters around here, cool!
It's one of the most fun games IMHO, plus you're in the forest (or in artificial towns...prefer the forest though, it's got more possibilities). Plus most of the kit doubles as good bushcraft equipment: I always wear my Flecktarn trousers when out, my (flecktarn again) KHS boonie hat in the sun, the shirt when it's too cool for just the T-shirt etc. My interest in german kit also got me to find out about the german army sleeping mat and mess kit (that I both own), find cheap places to get the Esbit stoves and fuel (the surplus...), discover Carinthia sleeping bags etc. And the surefire type lamps we use are great bright and compact lights (as long as you don't use them too much...).
It's fun, I was thinking about posting something about airsoft to see what these people's view is about people running around the woods, stomping vegetation, scaring off the animals and showering the woods with plastic...
(By the way, Jack is also a well regarded retailer for airsofters, he even has his own little forum on UKAN :-) [well, he does sell Arktis and Maxpedition kit ;-)])
hobbitboy
14-07-2004, 09:24
Yeh, I found Jack's site from an airsoft forum, then this wonderful place from Jacks site :-)
Not much for flecktarn if its what i think it is :?: (general german camo?) give me good old British DPM anyday (preferably 95pattern cos i cant sow buttons........) I hav a hankering to shoot small plastic balls at people now.......
Not much for flecktarn if its what i think it is :?: (general german camo?) give me good old British DPM anyday (preferably 95pattern cos i cant sow buttons........) I hav a hankering to shoot small plastic balls at people now.......
Yep, standard german, the spotty one, with german flags at the shoulder. The same thing goes for any military kit though, it's good "don't care about damaging" stuff, so good for hard use. (well that is what it was designed for :roll:)
been cheap skates, I and some of my mates are getting basic sprung powerd ones so the aren't very fast but the sure are fun. I'm waiting for 6 1:1 scales guns as we speak
Daft question: What's airsoft? Is it an insider's name for paintball?
Paintballing has been good fun of the one or two occasions I've had a go but getting shot in the knackers most definitely is not. :yikes:
not quite. the principle is the same (running around shooting one another), but airsoft guns fire small BB pellets, and look far more realistic. The main difference in terms of play however is that it relys heavily on the honesty of the players to take their hits when they feel them - as there's no paint to make the hit.
hobbitboy
15-07-2004, 09:31
Good way to ensure honesty either a)public scornings for cheats
or (which is much funnier) b) shootin em with a gas blowback Desert Eagle :o): back o' the head. Either they stop cheatin or they are more subtle about hits they dont call.....Dirty Reds......
or hit them with NPCs who officially don't fall down when hit (the panic in the players voices was a joy to hear!!!)
hobbitboy
17-07-2004, 11:27
hehe, npc's now theres a concept i hadn't thort of.....
Hostage missions are always a good way to garuntee you dont have friends at the end of the day....especially if u spend all your captured time either singing....or drumming on logs......
eventually they shot me in the back...... :cry:
bushwacker bob
18-07-2004, 00:18
I airsoft at a secret nuclear bunkers grounds in Essex.
easy to find you in the dark then :-D
Can any of you tell me where I can get cheap airsoft guns from?
All of the one's I can find are around the £250 mark (that's the electric ones)
I'd prefer the electric but if they cost to much then I'll go back down to spring.
Anywhere for second hand ones?
£250, is the sort of cost you'd expect to pay for an AEG (Airsoft electric gun), depending on model for that money you might be able to get a spare battery and a couple of magazines as well, if you shop carefully.
I'm sure there are places that do second hand airsoft, I'll ask on a discussion group I'm on if you like.
Thanks Womble that would be great.
I only want them for playing around with some mates for a bit of fun :o):
there are a few on evilbay going cheap-like the ones I got. Though they are a bit cheaper then I'd like if I wasn't off to uni next year
Can any of you tell me where I can get cheap airsoft guns from?
All of the one's I can find are around the £250 mark (that's the electric ones)
I'd prefer the electric but if they cost to much then I'll go back down to spring.
Anywhere for second hand ones?
Try Airsoft Armoury.
We have bought all of our kit from them, the service is 100%
www.airsoftarmoury.com
:wave:
Just incase any of you are interested Fire Fight have a site in Chatham Kent, it is set in the grounds of "Fort Amherst" an old Napoliconic fort, its the biz.
I have just been given an Airsoft MK2 Minimi with a 2500 round box mag, and what a tool, gets them mothers dancing all the way to the safezone :o): :o): :o):
TheViking
30-10-2004, 10:45
not quite. the principle is the same (running around shooting one another), but airsoft guns fire small BB pellets, and look far more realistic. The main difference in terms of play however is that it relys heavily on the honesty of the players to take their hits when they feel them - as there's no paint to make the hit.
They actually look so realistic, that most people on a distance wouldn't be able to see the difference from an airsoft gun, and a real gun. :shock:
It's funny, i can have an airgun which is so much more powerful (even than the gas guns) than BB guns, but I can't have a BB gun. :roll: Weird parents. :wave:
rapidboy
30-10-2004, 11:42
I was looking at a softair Glock last weekend and from only a few feet away it was impossible to distinguish it from the real thing.
As a responsible shooter i really wish these where not as readily available.
I see loads of kids playing with these in the streets and i pity any police officer that has to make the decision that it's real or a replica.
Many parents do not supervise their use and consider them little more than toys.
This is not teaching children proper gun handling but encouraging them to treat guns as if they are toy's.
I was taught as a child to have a healthy respect for guns and always handle any gun with proper consideration.
I really think softair guns have little use and a proper airgun is a more sensible choice as they do not resemble firearms as closely ,are usually constructed to a higher standard ,are more accurate and reliable and encourage proper gun handling.
rb
TheViking
30-10-2004, 12:02
I was taught as a child to have a healthy respect for guns and always handle any gun with proper consideration.
I was/am too. When my dad made my first catapult for me, he taught me what I was allowed to shoot at and what I wasn't! And I took it into account.
It was my granddad who taught me to shoot and hit a target with an airgun.
Ive got to admit airsofting looks to be great fun and wouldent mind getting a g36 myself and having a play,big kid that i am. :-)
The group I'm connected to (The Fight School) have an event at the end of this month Clem, where it may be possibly to arrange the loan of a gun. Would you like some details/ contact numbers?
I was looking at a softair Glock last weekend and from only a few feet away it was impossible to distinguish it from the real thing.
As a responsible shooter i really wish these where not as readily available.
I see loads of kids playing with these in the streets and i pity any police officer that has to make the decision that it's real or a replica.
My father was serving in the RHF through the early 60's to late 70's. On their second tour in NI a corporal from his company had to make that call when their landy appeared to come under attack from rocks, molotovs & what their little alarm was telling them was gunfire. As per training , they stopped, bomburst out & tried to identify the threat, adrenaline rushing & believing they had a valid contact.
The shadow with the sun behind him on a rooftop several hundred yards away wielding a .303 turned out to be a 12 year old kid with the same 'toy' rifle that I remember wanting for christmas. The lads funeral was, I believe, well attended, I understand the corporal in question never picked up a gun again & after the inquiry came out of the army on medical grounds.
Suffice to say, I never did get one of those enfield copies. :banghead:
& if I had kids, they wouldn't be getting 'toys' like that either. :nono:
C_Claycomb
01-11-2004, 13:40
And so the spiral continues. :roll:
First the populace cannot be trusted to have real guns, so making things safer for police and the populace. The number and quality of "toy" guns increases to cope with the increase in demand. The number of real guns also increases for other reasons. Now its suggested to limit (aka control...ban)the toys because the police and populace can't tell the difference between the increasing number of toys and the increasing number of real guns!!
What a mess! :shock:
What needs to be asked is why you lot LIKE running around with guns that look real? I have played paintball and it is good fun, but I really couldn't care less what the guns/markers look like. As long as they aren't day glo. :roll: :lol:
The group I'm connected to (The Fight School) have an event at the end of this month Clem, where it may be possibly to arrange the loan of a gun. Would you like some details/ contact numbers?Thanks for the offer Womble but i will have to decline at the moment,just too busy to do anything really.
Ban this and ban that,where does it all stop.If some folks want to have real looking soft air rifles ect let them.Why punish the many for the actions of the few nutters.Banning things is not the way to go,all that needs to be done is for the/our allready very tough gun laws to be eforced.Banning things does not work,all that is achieved is that good law abiding /folk,sportsmen and women are denied their sport/pleasure.As in the handgun ban,the irony of this ban is that their are now more handguns in this country than ever before.Trouble is its not the law abiding sportsmen that have them.
rapidboy
01-11-2004, 18:26
I am against banning guns or further restrictions but air soft does encourage bad gun handling .
Paint ball guns are fine as they do not resemble real guns but air soft guns are very accurate reproductions and letting people run around shooting at each other with them simply promotes irresponsible gun handling .
I see people with airsoft guns ,pointing them at people randomly and squeezing the trigger because they know its not loaded ,what happens if or when that individual comes into contact with a real firearm ?
Responsible gun ownership applies to everyone who has a gun even if it's only a replica or an air soft.
The banning of hand guns did not work but i cant see it being reversed in a hurry if ever ,but hand guns do exist and if people come into contact with them it's better that they have a respect for them and don't immediately start pointing them and pulling the trigger.
The problem is that the government ban these things one at a time and when semi auto rifles where banned the pistol shooters kept their heads down and said "well it's not our problem" ,then when it was there turn the fox hunters kept quiet and said "well it's not our problem" ,and so it goes on.
Looks like fishermen might get it next and when will they get around to the people who want to sleep outdoors ,light fires ,carry knives etc .
It's perfectly reasonable behaviour as far as those on here are concerned but to others it would seem as ridiculous as people wanting to shoot hand guns or hunt fox's.
Apart from this i still cant get my head around grown men buying plastic guns that shoot little plastic balls when they could join a club ,buy a real gun and learn to shoot the real thing responsibly and safely.
I do not own or have ever owned an airsoft gun,i wouldent mind having one however.I suspect the reason some folks buy these things and run around shooting at each other is for no other reason other than its blummin good fun,it sounds fun and it looks fun.Well at least is does to me.
Buckshot
02-11-2004, 09:12
Ban this and ban that,where does it all stop.If some folks want to have real looking soft air rifles ect let them.Why punish the many for the actions of the few nutters.Banning things is not the way to go,all that needs to be done is for the/our allready very tough gun laws to be eforced.Banning things does not work,all that is achieved is that good law abiding /folk,sportsmen and women are denied their sport/pleasure.As in the handgun ban,the irony of this ban is that their are now more handguns in this country than ever before.Trouble is its not the law abiding sportsmen that have them.
I agree completely...
Apart from this i still cant get my head around grown men buying plastic guns that shoot little plastic balls when they could join a club ,buy a real gun and learn to shoot the real thing responsibly and safely.
I suppose someone who only shoots firearms could argue the same thing to you. Why spend huge amounts of money on an air gun when you could buy a 'proper' one instead ?
And then someone who shoots fullbore rifle could argue the same to someone who shoots rimfire. And so it continues.
I have an airsoft pistol. It's a completely different type of weapon to a 'real' gun, (and I include air guns in that). I used to shoot practical pistol before the ban. Airsoft allows us to do a similar thing again, with similar feel and controls on the guns. My club continues to adhere to the stringent safety rules laid down when firearms were used - even though airsoft are classed as toys and apart from a direct shot in the eye (we wear safety specs) arn't a danger to people in itself.
If someone walks around the street waving one around then they are asking for trouble, in exactly the same way as waving any other thing that looks like a gun. I've seen plenty of cap guns and plastic £2.50 ones that look close enough to the real thing to be a problem in the wrong situation.
I've also heard of gangs painting real guns vivid colours so they are more difficult to tell the difference between them and a cap gun to give them the edge in a shoot out.
Cheers
Mark
rapidboy
02-11-2004, 19:17
I suppose someone who only shoots firearms could argue the same thing to you. Why spend huge amounts of money on an air gun when you could buy a 'proper' one instead ?
And then someone who shoots fullbore rifle could argue the same to someone who shoots rimfire. And so it continues.
For the record i don't just shoot airgun's.
I shoot airgun's ,rimfires ,shotguns ,fullbore rifles and pistols and black powder.
I used to shoot practical pistol before the ban.
Airsoft allows us to do a similar thing again, with similar feel and controls on the guns. My club continues to adhere to the stringent safety rules laid down when firearms were used - even though airsoft are classed as toys and apart from a direct shot in the eye (we wear safety specs) arn't a danger to people in itself.
I still shoot Practical Pistol and im glad to hear that your air soft club has safety rules.
I am not against airsoft guns provided they are used sensibly and responsibly ,my experience is that many people simply consider them toys.
Cheers
rb
I still shoot Practical Pistol and im glad to hear that your air soft club has safety rules.
I am not against airsoft guns provided they are used sensibly and responsibly ,my experience is that many people simply consider them toys.
Cheers
rb
Well I would say that you are of very limited experience in the airsoft world.
I have been shooting since I was 10, I have held a shotgun licence since the age of 15 and a FAC since 17 and I am now 39. I managed a gun shop for 10 years and have shot just about anything that will shoot, I find it surprising that you you seem surprised that airsoft clubs have safety rules, all of the sites that my son and I have attended have very strict safety rules, some even chronographing every gun on site to ensure that they are not over powered.
Airsoft is a GAME and yes you do get the odd idiot now and again, but these are identified at a very early stage and sent home, and for those stupid enough to play with their guns in public they deserve the attention of the local ARV's.
I have not met one serious airsofter that would put anyone in any type of danger, they are generally middle aged professional people who use it for relaxation and exercise.
Airsoft is a GAME and its fun. DON'T KNOCK IT TILL YOU'VE TRIED IT. :wink:
Right guys, I can see a number of things in this, Airsoft is fun, those that take part will get some form of adrenanline rush, that is the nature of what you are doing.
I have seen some very good weapon handling by people who use Airsoft, but I have also seen some very bad and not all airsoft users obey the rules.
If you have been brought up with a traditional upbringing with firearms the first thing that is taught to you is never point a weapon at someone else (in jest, is sometimes applied to this).
I have used airsoft and found it quite a good training aid, but I have also got a lot of experience with weapons from air rifles (I have been shooting since about 5 or 6 years old) and moved up to some very large weapons.
Now RB has given us a point of view, now I suggest that people read where RB is from, the rules and regulations that are applied there are considerably heavier than they are in England.
Not so long ago someone pointing an airsoft at another person in Northern Ireland if observed by the military could easily have found thier life on the line :yikes: .
"If it is deemed that to yell warning to an armed person would increase risk of death or injury to another person a soldier is allowed to open fire without warning."
Those are part of the rules for soldiers serving in Northern Ireland. Try indentifying an airsoft against the real thing at a range of 100 meters and tell me what you would do in a soldiers place :?: .
So if we come back to the matter of what RB was saying, you may now see that it would seem a bit foolhardy to point anything that resembles a firearm at anyone in Northern Ireland and this I can appreciate :wave:
Buckshot
03-11-2004, 08:45
I still shoot Practical Pistol
Now your just posing :o):
Are firearms laws more strict in Ireland? :?:
Sure, there are more armed officals (solders) walking around which increases the chances of being shot if you're doing something silly, but...
The handgun ban didn't effect Ireland, and I've also heard a rumour (don't know how true) that it's possible to get one using 'self defence' as the reason. You can't do that on the mainland :nono:
Cheers
Mark
Not so long ago someone pointing an airsoft at another person in Northern Ireland if observed by the military could easily have found thier life on the line :yikes: .
Not that it is needed, but I just want to reinforce this. I've seen kids coming out of the Botanical Gardens in Belfast on a hot summer's day, carrying red plastic waterpistols, getting a hard time from foot patrols - and this is in a relatively quiet part of town
And the reactions of a patrol I once saw when a car backfired in an adjacent street just proved to me how highly trained modern soldiers are
Oh, I forgot! I just don't think I'd be able to point a gun at anything I wasn't trying to kill - lessons learnt young are very hard to overcome!!
I think they should have bright red markings in the guns, come to think of it they don't need to look like real production guns so why bother with that.
The danger involved in airsoft is tiny compared to other things. Safety should always come first. The kids that play airsoft in streets are the same ones that wouldn't wear a helmet on their bike. anyone who goes to the clubs isn't going to fit into the first group of people are they
TheViking
03-11-2004, 14:56
Airsoft is a GAME and its fun.
Yes and no. It's a game cause people are not enemies and talk to eachother after the scenario.
But it can be a dangerous game if people don't wear masks! :-)
I know some guys who do it without masks, sometimes. I keep telling them to buy some masks. :roll: