Newb looking for first rifle (mid-long range, quiet, not a sniper)

[Alexleyenda]

Hi,

I'm completely new to the airsoft world and trying to figure out which rifle will be my first one. I kind of know what I want, but i'm totally lost because there are so many options and like 30 brands, so help from experienced players would be more than welcome.

Basically, I know that my playstyle will probably be hiding and shooting people undetected from afar, trying to ambush and stuff like this because I'm more of a coward counting on strategy than a front line guy. So I want something that is rather quiet with a good range and precision. However, I want to be able to adapt to many situations and playstyles, so I don't want a sniper even though I will act kind of like a sniper like 50% of the time. I definitely want to use a scope, but not a very strong one, probably 3 or 4x. If possible, I would like the gun to still be playable in CQB if I need to, even though I want more of a long range focus.

In other words, i'm looking for a gun that has the best range and precision possible, while still being not too cumbersome. And I definitely want it to be particularily quiet. I don't care about realism: plastic and no blowback is fine with me. I would prefer battery powered. For the gun alone, I'd like to spend not much more than 200$, knowing i'll have to buy a scope and other equipment too. I could be able to spend up to 400$ for the gun if you tell me that it will really make a big difference, but I'd much prefer to pay around 200.

Also, i'm from Montreal, so if you have any suggestion of particularily great shops around, or just good sites to order from i'm willing to hear them.

-What kind of rifle should I look for and do you have any suggestions that would meet my expectations?

Thanks !

[Serkhar]

If you want to go to a store to try and handle different weapons and brand, there is

Taktik Airsoft
2125 Crescent St #200,
Montreal, QC H3G 2C1

If you have a car, there is also
Aventure Airsoft Lanaudière
535 RUE LECLERC, SUITE I
REPENTIGNY, QUÉBEC, J6A 8B4 (CANADA)

and

Prefair (Tactique)
1055, Louis-Marchand, BELOEIL (Québec)
Canada J3G 6S4
450.446.7060

I've been to all those store and recommend them to anyone.

In term of low 200$, I would say to look for a G&G CM16 Raider 2.0. Long, CQB or CQB RIS won't have any effect on range or performance, only the look and how easy it is to use in tight spots.

If you want to spend more, anyone would recommend to go for VFC (600$ for Avalon) for a significant boost in performance (range, ROF, precision) and the possibility to upgrade easily with aftermarket parts.

Krytak is also great out of the box, but not a good pick to upgrade (475-495$ for Trident MKII).

[Alexleyenda]

Thanks for your reply! I've seen all the praise for VFC avalon, but it is definitely out of my budget. However, VFC also makes cheaper stuff like "M4 VR16 Fighter MK2 CQB Metal Black" for 400 $.It is still expensive, but I could afford it if I really wanted to. What I wonder is how much of a difference can I expect between the 200$ GnG vs 400$ VFC vs 600$ vfc and is there a more quiet or more long range model (I get that the barrel lenght doesn't matter much, but what about the rest of the gun)?

[Freeze]

The difference between a $200 G&G and a $400 VFC is that the VFC is full metal, and boasts an excellent reputation for having one of the best bang for buck higher end guns.

The difference between a $400 VFC and a $600 VFC is likely the production date and updated internals which may include a built in MOSFET (recommended if you plan to use LiPos). I'm not entirely sure about this because I'd buy the $400 one and just overhaul the internals immediately anyways (which I did actually).

VFC is also reputable for the ability to accept basically all decent aftermarket parts with little to no modifications.

Realistically if you plan to upgrade the gun in the near future (or maybe a year later), I'd recommend the $400 VFC.
If you want to buy a cheapo starter gun to try the game and see if you want to stay, I'd recommend the $200 G&G.
I'm entirely unsure about the $600 VFC I have no experience with that.
I would also 100% stay away from Krytac, they have some proprietary bits, and are known for the lower receiver to crack at the grip area, and once that happens you might as well throw the gun out.

Also as a side note, I recently (if 2 months if "recent") purchased a VFC from Aventure Airsoft Lanaudière, they have excellent communication, definitely would recommend.

[Alexleyenda]

Thanks for the advices. The main thing I still wonder though is about the noise. What should I do if I want it as quiet as I can? I heard you can pad a certain piston piece, but is there something else?

[Ov3rWatch]

There are things you can do to help the reduce the noise of an AEG that being said most of these options require that you open the gearbox. If you don't have any experience do that I'd recommend hiring a professional to do any upgrades for you.

The particular upgrade you are talking about is a sorbo pad and you can buy those online.

In terms of making a gun "long distance" that's primarily affected by the gun's hop-up. This upgrade is easier to do. I'd recommend trying to flat hop your gun and a tech or your local store should be able to help you with that.

[Alexleyenda]

I will look into that. I'm more or less trying to decide between ARES AMOEBA M4 CQB or G&G CM16 RAIDER L 2.0E right now. Is there any major pros/cons I should be aware of before I chose? I know G&G is reliable for this price, what about ares amoeba? I didn't hear nearly as much about them.

[BioRage]

Honestly, just save your money and get a VFC..

Price gap isn't even large, ~$200 bucks, and it'll go a long way.

Amoeba and Raider are plastic, one bad fall and RIPPERINO.

Edit: Else.. look at E&C .. full metal and can get ones under $300.

[Alexleyenda]

I get your point, but "just 200$" is like double the price so yeah, it's too much. Didn't really notice E&C, but if they're full metal for so cheap, I guess then the internals must be lower quality, nah?

[BioRage]

All internals are "meh" quality, especially if you buy the lower tier brands. You can't expect much with your budget TBH.

$200 is double the price, but really you get what you pay for. In the end you would spend more fixing something then just buying what was recommended.

On the side note, E&C seems to hold up well, the exterior finish isn't as nice as a VFC, but it's less then half the price. A bunch of people at the local field run them, I see them as cheap as $280 on a local website.

[Serkhar]

My backup is a G&G CM16 RAIDER 2.0 CQB and while the entire rifle is made of polymer, it has a great finish and feel sturdy. It also has the advantage of being lighter than a metal replica.

One thing to note is that the cycling is pretty slow, which means that if you like to press the trigger quickly without quite giving it the chance to reset it will jam, and force you to switch to full auto to reset before switching back to single.

From my experience, it's usually better to spend more at first than buying a second AEG a few months later. You won't regret buying a 400$ VFC and probably won't have any issues reselling it if this doesn't work out for you. The basic upgrades (bucking, MOSFET) are really cheap to get as well.

There is also a difference in term of range/rof/accuracy between a 200$ G&G and a 400$ VFC. Nothing that would prevent you from playing, but something you'd feel at your first game where longer engagement range are to be expected.