How to Choose an Airsoft Gun

Look at the cost. Make sure you have a firm idea of what you want to spend before you start looking for the perfect gun. Your price range should also be based on not only how much you have available to spend, but how involved you want to get. There's no point in dropping hundreds of dollars on a professional guns if you are new to the sport. Start of with a cheap gun so that if you will break it you won't miss too much and then gradually work your way up depending on your involvement and how much money you got.^[1]

Keep in mind the type of play you will be doing: CQB, sniping, support gunner, or just covering fire. Make sure you are suitable for the role (e.g. if you are not patient than there is no point of you becoming a sniper). After you choose your role then pick a gun suitable for it. CQB (or Close Quarters Battle) guns are fairly short to make it easier popping in and out of the corners. Snipers usually use heavy, expensive but very powerful bolt action sniper rifles. Support gunners are equipped with extremely heavy but hard hitting light machine guns (for example M60s). For covering fire, any assault rifle with a high capacity magazine should work.^[2]

• $0 - $100 or £0 - £60 : If you don't have at least $100 to spend on a new gun, you should keep saving. DO NOT buy a random Chinese LPEG (Low Powered Electric Gun). You may be thinking, "Hey, cool, a $20 gun! I'm gonna have loads of fun shooting at things in the backyard!" The reality is that you will spend about 10 minutes shooting things in your yard and then realize that you just wasted $20+ dollars on a piece of junk. Electric guns within that price usually have a plastic gearbox, which breaks very easily. Do not buy a gun with plastic gearbox inside if you want to go further than just garden battles.
• $100 - $160 or £60 to £100 : This price range contains most of your entry level guns. The primary manufacturers in this price range are Echo 1, Classic Army Sportline, and G&G Affordable Series. As long as you stick with these 4 manufacturers, you really can't go wrong. The style of gun you choose should be based on personal preference. If you really want a G36 but your friends are telling you to get an M4, GET THE G36! It's your gun after all, and you should be happy with what you buy. When you buy a gun it is always a good idea to check possible upgrades for it. G36s aren't as popular as M4 Series and don't have as wide range of upgrades. (see "How to Airsoft on a Low Budget")!
• $160 - $200 or £100 to £120 : This price range contains upgraded/ metal body versions of the entry level guns from the same manufacturers. Upgraded gearbox guns have a great quality inside but still have that low quality outside body. However if you know how to treat a gun and you will treat it well than metal gearbox upgraded guns are a good step to start out professional airsoft for first couple of matches. If you wish to avoid this area consider saving for a high end gun or spending the extra money on BDU's or other gear.
• $200 - $250 or £120 to £155 : This is a problematic price range to be in if you plan to go fully professional. Many clone manufacturers, most notably A&K, market specialized guns in this area such as SR-25s and custom M4/M16s. Although the metal bodies are enticing at this relatively low price point, the internals could best be described as a steaming pile of... you know. The one exception is the Classic Army MP5s. If you are looking for an MP5 and this is your price range, they are definitely a solid investment.
• $250 - $300 or £155 to £180 : Welcome to the promised land! This price range is the start of the true high end models. Most of the guns you will find in this range are Classic Army M4/M16s. You really can't go wrong with a Classic Army, and most people choose an M4/M16 variant. This is a great kick off point if you plan to go professional and in fact most professionals often stick to this price range.
• $300 or £200+ : This is where the floodgates really open. Classic Army, Tokyo Marui, G&G, KWA, and ICS are all excellent manufacturers. This price range really is all about personal preference. Note that Tokyo Marui bodies ARE plastic, although the internals are excellent. Once again, you really can't go wrong if you buy from one of these manufacturers, and your choice should be based on personal preference.

Consider popular models. As mentioned before, select your model based on YOUR preference, not what other people tell you. Here is a quick rundown of what to expect from most models.^[3]

• M4 and M16 Series - Most popular gun series in airsoft. There is a huge range of both external upgrades (such as scopes or hand grips) and internal upgrades for this type of rifle. If you wish to attach the scope to the gun from those series make sure it has 20mm wide rail, and then you're all set and the rest is up to your preference. Because of the high competition for great M4 AEGs, this category will have the most perks because of the constant company competition, but as said earlier pick the AEG model you want most. Also, if you wish to use these guns for CQB then avoid long barrels, as most of these guns have long ones.
  

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• MP5 - Another popular gun. Not quite as many options for external upgrades as M4/M16's, but plenty of internal upgrades available. These really shine in CQB, where the small size makes a big difference.
  

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• AK-47/ AK-74 - Many different body styles to choose from, ranging from a basic AK-47 to a compact AK-74u. Once again, not as many external modifications as M4/M16's, but plenty of internal upgrades. This is probably the secondly bought airsoft model on the planet.
  

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• G36 - Not quite as popular as the previously mentioned guns, but still a great choice. One big advantage is the availability of magazine well adapters. These can be a god send since G36 magazines aren't as widely available as other types.
  

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Don't dismiss the less popular options, though. Here are a few models that are less popular:

• G3 - Very few external modifications, although still heavily upgradable internally. They tend to cost a lot of cash and have electric blowbacks.
  

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• P90 - Decent number of external upgrades, and somewhat limited internal upgrades.
  

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• SIG 550/552 - Fairly limited external modification, heavy internal upgrade potential.
  

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• LMG's (') - Limited external modifications, lots of internal upgrades available.
  

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• Base your choice around what YOU prefer rather than what anyone else says. If you feel more comfortable with an MP5 than with an M16A4, go with the MP5!
• You might also want to consider the layout of the gun. There are two main layouts of airsoft guns (and real guns for that matter), regular, and bullpup. Bullpup guns have the magazine behind the trigger, so that the gun can be a bit shorter overall, yet keep a ridiculously long barrel. Because of this, bullpup guns can be easily used as snipers, field guns, and CQB guns all at once.

Think about weight. Here is one situation where it isn't recommended going with what your personal preference is- LMG's (i.e M249, M60, RPD/ RPK, etc). Although you might think it would be cool to run around shooting at people with a weapon like this, the weight of these guns is simply too much for most players to use effectively. If you have the upper body strength to carry one of these around for long periods of time, by all means go for it. However, make sure you consider the weight before purchasing one.^[4]

Factor in your play style. Consider the type of play you will be doing when you choose your airsoft gun. There are two main types of games in airsoft- CQB (close-quarters battle) and field. If you might want to be playing CQB, you should consider getting a gun with a shorter barrel or a folding stock. If you are playing field, you might want a gun with a much longer barrel, as this will be more accurate. It is definitely possible to take a long gun into a CQB game, but it will be easier for the player if the gun is shorter. Also, it is very possible and very easy to take a shorter gun to a field game, but you will have to get close to your enemy for the shots to be effectively accurate. There are two bigger branches of the game above CQB and field, Casual and Milsim. Casual play is essentially the grown up form of backyard airsoft. Although no one is running around a backyard, the atmosphere is generally pretty relaxed, and there are no major restrictions on gear. Milsim, on the other hand, is much more restrictive in terms of gear. Most milsim events will not allow high capacity magazines to be used unless they are used with a weapon that would normally have a high capacity (i.e LMG's). They also require realistic gear such as proper camouflage (teams in both casual and milsim play are often assigned based on camouflage type).