Need Some Help...

[Shrpshtr]

Well I have been looking to buy a airsoft gun for sometime now but I cannot find any sites that will sell airsoft guns to Canada, that is of course besides the stores that sell only high grade guns. I am not looking to buy a very good gun I am only looking to buy a entry level gun, is there a site that will sell cheap entry level guns or is there no sites like this. Every time I find a site it will say they will not deliever to Canada or that they will but only if it a clear gun, and I don't want a clear gun they look bad and there statistics are even worse.

Any help with this is greatly appreciated.

[Pyro]

Try Canadian Tire . . . . . . .

[quikstrike]

Ok... Before everyone flames you.

Look at the top of the page. A list of Canadian Retailers.

Use it.

And for an entry level I'd suggest either an TM Mp5 series, or M4.

And make sure you use the search and FAQ to answer most of your questions, since they probably have been answered already.

Have a good one.

[Shrpshtr]

Well I have already checked most of the Canadian Retailers and found most of them to be to high end for me, and as for Canadian Tire thats a joke right?

My local Candian Tire only has clear guns that look like crap ;P

[BC_K]

Originally Posted by Shrpshtr

Well I have already checked most of the Canadian Retailers and found most of them to be to high end for me, and as for Canadian Tire thats a joke right?

My local Candian Tire only has clear guns that look like crap ;P

Those are ya only real options. Perhaps try real steel? It can be a lot cheaper. :lol:

[quikstrike]

Well you won't find anything on the 'low' end. I'd suggest saving about 1,500 dollars.

Get your gear first, your clothing, vests, mask, etc etc etc.

Then purchasing a gun that fits your 'outfit'

all the guns are pretty much the same on the inside, it's just picking whatever one "tickles your fancy" (hah I've always wanted to say that)

But if spending 430.00 on say an... MP5 SD5 from Rangers Airsoft is too expensive for you, I'd suggest saving a bit more. Because you should get used to spending A Lot of money and time on Airsoft.

It's not something to get into if your really short on cash, because in all honesty, buy your first gun... You're going to want another.

I'd suggest just getting to know the people in the community, go out to a few games to meet people and learn some stuff in person, and watch some games.

Save your cash up, and then buy your stuff.

Originally Posted by BC_K

Perhaps try real steel? It can be a lot cheaper. :lol:

Sadly true in some aspects.

[Shrpshtr]

Well thanks quickstirke, guess I won't be getting any gun for a while then, Only got like $300 right now guess I will have to start saving up hopefully I can get something before the end of summer

[quikstrike]

Yeah, you're almost there, I'd say keep an eye out on rangers' site since it's a pretty nice one with pics etc for new people to see everything laid out nicely.

If you know what you are planning on wearing, then buy whatever first, gear or gun no big deal.

It's just annoying to have your airsoft gun sitting there and not having any gear to go play at a game with the thing.

So it's totally your call, I'd just suggest making sure the money is there, it will help you get everything nice and easy.

Well I'm out, later.

[Skruface]

Originally Posted by quikstrike

Well you won't find anything on the 'low' end. I'd suggest saving about 1,500 dollars.

Get your gear first, your clothing, vests, mask, etc etc etc.

Then purchasing a gun that fits your 'outfit'

I'd dispute this. You only need 3 things to play:

1. Eye protection
2. A gun with a battery and 1 magazine
3. A good attitude and a willingness to listen and learn

Everything else is just gravy to enhance your "experience" and make you look cooler thatn the other guys/gals on the field.

Here's an example of what I'd recommend to a new player on a really tight budget:

1. Paintball goggles: ~$30 @ walmart.
2. Tokyo Marui shotgun; or TM or Classic Army MP5 or M4A1 ~ around $300-500 at various Canadian retailers, taxes and shipping included.
3. Battery for above guns, or extra shells for the shotgun: ~$50 from a Canadian retailer above.
3. bag of BB's: ~$15-25 bucks pretty much anywhere.
4. Locking gun case + trigger lock: ~$50 for both at Walmart or Can Tire.

Dark-colored sweatsuit or hunting camo - free, you should have it at home
Solid footwear - free, you should have it at home
water bottle - free, you should have it at home

You don't "need" an LBV, or camo, or a backpack - you can buy that over time.

BTW, this isn't a cheap sport, but none are if you plan to "win". You can't effectively road-race on a $100 10-speed from Canadian Tire; you can't play competitive golf with $150 clubs, you can't ski/snowboard competitively with $50 boots and bindings and a $99 board/skis.....it's all relative. I know people who spend $1500 on golf clubs and $3K on road-racing bikes. It just allows them to compete at a higher level.

It doesn't mean you can't still be involved with that $100 10-speed, but you probably are going to have to realize that inferior gear means "losing" more often to people with better gear, if your skills are equal. If you can accept that, buy a $200 UTG MP5 and a set of paintball goggles and get in the game and have some fun!

[Greylocks]

Remember; average gun is $500 or so. Then you need; batteries, battery charger, ammo, maybe a spare magazine or two, camo-clothing, protective goggles.

After that; travel costs to the game sites, field fees when you get there.

Cheap alternatives? None.

[quikstrike]

Yes I do agree you don't really need any camo or anything to get started...

But in all honesty...

Thats just my opinion, get some cash, get all your gear, just basic gear, you don't need to go ALL OUT on your clothing or mods to your weapon. But it is nice to at least have some not too bad gear and an average airsoft gun to start off.

Makes your experience a lot more friendly in the beginning.

I said that much money just because its DEFFINATLEY going to cover just basics.

All a matter of opinion.

It's just...

Originally Posted by Greylocks

Cheap alternatives? None.

So make sure you have the money.

[yanhchan]

Originally Posted by Skruface

I'd dispute this. You only need 3 things to play:

1. Eye protection
2. A gun with a battery and 1 magazine
3. A good attitude and a willingness to listen and learn

Everything else is just gravy to enhance your "experience" and make you look cooler thatn the other guys/gals on the field.

Here's an example of what I'd recommend to a new player on a really tight budget:

1. Paintball goggles: ~$30 @ walmart.
2. Tokyo Marui shotgun; or TM or Classic Army MP5 or M4A1 ~ around $300-500 at various Canadian retailers, taxes and shipping included.
3. Battery for above guns, or extra shells for the shotgun: ~$50 from a Canadian retailer above.
3. bag of BB's: ~$15-25 bucks pretty much anywhere.
4. Locking gun case + trigger lock: ~$50 for both at Walmart or Can Tire.

Dark-colored sweatsuit or hunting camo - free, you should have it at home
Solid footwear - free, you should have it at home
water bottle - free, you should have it at home

You don't "need" an LBV, or camo, or a backpack - you can buy that over time.

BTW, this isn't a cheap sport, but none are if you plan to "win". You can't effectively road-race on a $100 10-speed from Canadian Tire; you can't play competitive golf with $150 clubs, you can't ski/snowboard competitively with $50 boots and bindings and a $99 board/skis.....it's all relative. I know people who spend $1500 on golf clubs and $3K on road-racing bikes. It just allows them to compete at a higher level.

It doesn't mean you can't still be involved with that $100 10-speed, but you probably are going to have to realize that inferior gear means "losing" more often to people with better gear, if your skills are equal. If you can accept that, buy a $200 UTG MP5 and a set of paintball goggles and get in the game and have some fun!

Yeah the UTG results in 100 dollar upgrades and million dollar headaches....but its not a bad gun for CQB. But you want to field it...seriosuly you need to upgrade...

[The Saint]

I was working on this as something to petition to place in the FAQ, but I thought I'd try it out here. Why is it so detailed? I'm trying to avoid doing real work for something else.
----
Disclaimer: This is a guide/example for a bare bone kit. It is assembled by me, so my own personal taste and expectations are reflected in it.

It is by no means the cheapest or only possible way to get into airsoft, especially since for certain important items I went with the best choice rather than the cheapest choice (you can also probably do cheaper by using the Buy and Sell forum). Yet it is well priced guide for everything you will need to play (in shirt and jeans that is). I can do cheaper, but you’ll enjoy your airsoft experience progressively less and less. As such, this guide can be read as an explanation of why airsoft can cost so much to get into.

I’m not plugging my favourite retailers (or am I?); I’m listing retailers that happen to coincide with the needs of the guide (though I’ve done business with all listed except one). No guarantee is made here that any of these items will be in stock at the listed retailers or for exactly the price given, that’s for you yourself to make sure. I'm not doing your research by giving you the price, rather I'm proving that I'm not just making numbers up.

Prices given here are approximate. Shipping and tax are estimated and included whenever possible. Shipping is estimated assuming the buyer is in or near Ontario. There are also some minor rounding ups (who wants a dozen 9?).

Gun: $520 Classic Army M15A2 Carbine x 1
Ammo: $100 AE BB bag x 5
Battery: $60 Intellect 9.6v 1400mah mini battery x 1
Charger: $70 BB Bastard NPT x 1
Goggles: $40 JT Guardian x 1
Misc: $30 Taxes, undercounted shipping costs

Total: $820

The following is a detailed breakdown of the above. The prices are: item (without tax, round up to the nearest dollar) + estimated shipping. A link is given for where I got the item’s price (and where it’d theoretically be available), followed by my reasoning for the item.

Gun:
$500 + $20 = 1 x Classic Army M15A2 Carbine (http://aasurplus.ca/airsoft/product_...products_id=79)

Reasoning: Some people state that CA is less reliable than TM out of the box and thus a poorer choice as a newbie gun. My first gun is a CA and it’s not given me serious trouble, so I’m recommending from my own experience.

CA comes with a hicap instead of (with TM) a locap, which is generally what more newbie will want to start out with. No worrying about running low, getting a BB loader or having a huge supply of spare mags and a vest to carry them in. Just fill, wind and shoot. CA guns will generally shoot harder and sometimes faster than a TM, so no worry about getting out gunned. CA’s high stock performance and metal bodies will also negate the urge or need to upgrade later on.

Furthermore, a medium length weapon like the M15A2 carbine should provide good performance both in CQB and woodland, which is the flexibility a beginner will want. Plus an extendable stock is very, very good for comfort. A weapon that does not shoulder properly can be a very unpleasant thing and fixing a problem like that can be more expensive than getting more batteries. Finally, Armalites are generically ergonomic. One size fits all almost.

Ammunition:
$100 + $0 = 5 x bag Airsoft Elite BBs
(http://www.airsoftkelowna.com/pellets.htm/)

Reasoning: Newbies are generally heavy on the trigger, which is fine. Nothing wrong with compensating lack of experience with volume of fire as long as it’s done safely. Why AE and Airsoft Kelowna? Free shipping on 5 bags of BBs. Why $100 worth of BBs? It’ll probably last you the entire year and change, plus it’s cheaper to order in bulk than one bag here and there. Besides, it sucks if you spend $500 on an AEG then can’t use it when you want to because you’re busy rationing your limited ammo. It’s not like BBs go bad anyways and unused bags can usually be easily sold off at games.

And if you intend to plink quite a bit at home, you can and will want a mix of 0.20g and 0.25g bags, because 0.20g comes with more BBs per bag and inside one’s house there’s not enough range to differentiate between the performances of the two different weights. For example, 2 bags of 0.20g (3750 per bag, 7500 rounds total) for plinking and 3 bags of 0.25g (3000 rounds per bag, 9000 rounds total) for games. If you’re really cheap or live in a region where there’s little to no wind all year around, then feel free to get purely 0.20g BBs.

Battery:
$50 + $10 = 1 x Intellect 9.6v 1400mah mini battery
(http://members.airsoftcanada.com/jugglez/home.shtml)

Reasoning: This is a rather expensive mini battery, but it’s also the best available. Why don’t I suggest ordering just any mini battery, like the ones BB Bastard sell? Because CA guns can be very picky about their batteries and prefer the good stuff. Batteries that’ll run a TM will not always run a CA, and I know for a fact that TMs will hum off a BB Bastard mini while CAs choke on them. So you might be able to get two mundane minis for $60, but they won’t work as well as a single Intellect.

Be advised that Jugglez does one group order per month, so you’ll want to keep an eye on the time of the month. Alternatively, Raygis LasVegas and ILLusion are both able to bring these batteries in.

Charger:
$60 + $10 = 1 x BB Bastard NPT Charger
(http://www.bbbastard.com/)

Reasoning: Most affordable, reliable, idiot-proof charger available, ‘nuff said.

Goggles:
$40 = 1 x JT Guardian Vision Goggle System
(Your local Canadian Tire)

Reasoning: Most fields require paintball goggles and JT’s as good as any. This isn’t the best model available, but it’s cheap. I’m not sure if this model allows the mask to be removed from the goggles; you’ll want to check before buying. Many airsoft rifle sights are difficult to use while wearing the complete mask.

Finally, items not included as you can play without them but really shouldn’t…

$60 Used analogue BDU set (shirt and pants), more for digital camo.
(ASC’s Gear Buy and Sell forum)

$40 Boots with lots and lots of ankle support.
(http://www.armyissue.com/Gallery/thu....php?album=900)

And then there are the good to have (and “can’t help but get, always need more”) items… I’m not even going to bother listing the places they’re from (but most are available from every place I’ve already mentioned) and most prices are from memory.

You’ll want to hum “Spanish Flea” for this next part.

In no particular order:
$25 Gun case
$10 Padlock
$60 Another battery
$25 Kneepads
$25 Elbow pads
$50 Vest to carry everything on the field
$20 Duty belt
$70 Radio set (Moto)
$20 Armoured paintball gloves
$10 A cup (http://www.darkaperture.com/gallery/040806/alv)
$10 Chemical icepacks (see above)
$10 Electric glow stick
$25 Mouth guard
$30 Sling
$20 Gortex socks
$20 Canteen
$25 Rain poncho
$10ea Locaps
$20ea Midcap
$40ea Hicaps
$10 BB Bottle
$15 A hat
$15 BB Lo/midcap Loader
$20 Duffle bag to store and transport all your stuff in
$20 Rubber knife
$90 Springer sidearm
$200 GBB sidearm
$10 Propane tank
$30 Propane adaptor
$5 Silicon oil
$30 GBB magazine

Have we broken the $1000 mark yet? I think we’re actually closer to $1200 now. As you can see, airsoft is not exactly cheap, certainly not cheaper than paintball (unless you’re into them chromed markers). Hope this has been a helpful guide and may you get into airsoft with less purchase-related, money-wasting mistakes than me.

[Mantelope]

Looks good Saint, but I'd say the gun case is under the list of necessities. It's just not safe to transport otherwise. Also, from what I've heard, the CA M15 series is rock-solid out of the box. Might want to mention that other guns of comparable quality will cost the same.

[The Saint]

Originally Posted by harleyb

Looks good Saint, but I'd say the gun case is under the list of necessities. It's just not safe to transport otherwise. Also, from what I've heard, the CA M15 series is rock-solid out of the box. Might want to mention that other guns of comparable quality will cost the same.

Thanks harley, I'll edit my master copy.

I thought about putting gun case under necessity, but the fact so many people (including veterans sometime) don't threw me off. I guess I should change it to reflect what should be rather than what is.