Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronan
You forget not everyone can afford a PTW or even a CA or TM. I'm perfectly fine with people playing with china clones as long they are not clearsoft crap (that would ruin the game since we play for 'realism'). Those 'china stores' are not much, but its a start. Who knows, maybe they will grow in TM/CA/ICS/etc stores when they have more money.
For the people you mention that don't like those clones, well thats fine. Don't get a clone and go pay the premium for a TM, CA or w/e they want. Everyone to their own taste  The good thing about those 'china stores' is they open the sport/hobby to MORE people that don't have the luxery to spend $500ish for a basic AEG to come play with us. |
I think you missed my point. You can't open up a store without a license. Licenses are not easy to get, they don't just give you one because you pay a fee. You can't import guns other than clear without a license. If you want the sport to "grow", you need guns. You are not going to get anymore into Canada that what is already available, unless you get clear.
And clear is the low end of the low.
The advice dished out on ASC over the years when this same discussion arose was "Be prepared to spend $1000 on gun and gear, or airsoft is not for you". I don't recall ever saying that myself, but many others did. Now, people complain over who sells a $99 U.S gun the cheapest.
I remember seeing one of these Chinasoft AK's for the first time at a game I hosted about 1 1/2 years ago. It was a bad copy of a Marui, and performed about even worse. Before the guy even played, many guys laughed at him openly. I did not think that was right, but at the same time, I don't believe that we should just let airsoft take this route either. How many threads on ASC are about the cheap guns?
At least with the Marui and others, you had to sink $1k+, which tended to weed out the kiddie-commandos, and you had to be serious to play if you were tight for cash but had to decide to spend big, because there were no alternatives.
You can't have more retailers selling anything other than non-clear guns unless more licenses get issued. The CBSA and the CFC have a strangehold on airsoft in Canada now, and things will get worse, not better. Clear is not the way to go to grow the sport, but they are the only guns available to people who want to open a retail airsoft business without getting a license.
And for the record, I say spend what you want on a gun, I will spend what I want. But I don't think the cheap guns will help out airsoft in Canada at all.