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A rifle: I personally suggest the Classic Army KM10, but the KM12, Delta 10/12, EC1/2, and ISSC MK22 are exactly the same internally. G&G Combat Machines, like a G&G CM18 are also very nice and popular starter guns.

Extra mags: My personal favorite are G&P High RPS. They're pretty tight in most guns but are well priced, look nice, and feed well. They fit well in Combat Machines, but I've never tested with Classic Army. Some others that fit in Combat Machines, and probably Classic Army, are Ares Ameobas and PTS EPMs. For mid-caps you'll need a speedloader. For high caps, it's not needed.

Battery: I'd suggest a 7.4v Lipo or 9.6v nimh. If you're going Lipo, buy from Hobbyking. They sell decent batteries for cheap. I'm not sure the exact dimensions of the stock each uses, but this 7.4v 2000mah 15-25c would probably fit in both and run them fine. It has a huge capacity so it'll last a while. For a charger, the Imax B6 will do everything you need it to (Charge, discharge, some other stuff) and the price isn't bad. I'd also suggest a Voltage checker for Lipos. The Classic Armys will come with a 9.6v nimh and a shitty charger. For those, just get a new smart charger. The G&Gs have a battery bundle that'll give you a 9.6v nimh and smart charger.

Head protection: For eyepro, I love Pyramex. Pyramex I-force are my personal favorite, and the V2G-XP are very good as well. They're also rebranded by Valken and are known as Valken Zulus and Sierras. The One Tigris mesh mask is by far the best lower face protection I've used. Hard cover where you need it (teeth, nose, lips) and still covers your cheeks. It's also very comfy and lets you get good cheek weld, so you can see down your sights easily. I also wear a hat and Howard Leight impact sports

Gloves: Hand shots hurt. A lot. Some nice gloves like Mechanix M-pacts are a god-send in game.

chest rig: If you want to carry extra mags, the Condor Rapid Assualt is a nice and cheap way to carry them. 6 M4 mag pouches and a lot of MOLLE to attach other pouches. It's also super adjustable and can fit almost every body type.

BBs: I almost exclusively use Elite Force .28g Bio. They're just the best BBs I've used and aren't crazy expensive. You'll have to find a weight that's best for you (Maybe buy a sample pack?) but .28s are generally best in stock guns.

Camo isn't that important, but I love my LBX Combat Uniform. The shirt uses a thin-ish material in the chest and back which is great if you're using a plate carrier or chest rig, while the arms, and pants, are made of a thick material that really takes away the sting of BBs, but still leaves enough that you can feel hits. I also like having an outfit specifically for airsoft. The pants also fit knee pad inserts. All that being said, jeans and a hoodie are perfectly fine.

First things first, see if there are any fields nearby that have rentals. Go out and play with a rental before dropping $500, last thing you'd want to is spend that much money on a loadout only to find you don't like playing airsoft.

Now that being said, $500 is actually a very reasonable starting budget. I'm already going to assume that you have a good pair of boots, if you don't then you def are going to want to add that as something to purchase. So I have a basic loadout, it's going to be 3 different stores because airsoft retailers are an awful place to buy lipo batteries. A lot of these items I've either owned or know people personally who do.

So let's start off with the basics.

• The G&G CM16 SRXL - It's a step up from their basic Combat Machine lineup, but still sub $250. It has a basic MOSFET from the factory that can be programmed to shoot either full auto or 3 round burst when set to auto. One negative about the MOSFET is I've heard reports of it burning out on 11.1v lipos, so stick to 7.4v ones for now. It is going to shoot just below 400, which makes it perfect for field play. It is a keymod rail, but the one downside is it's "airsoft spec" keymod so keep that in mind when buying keymod accessories. Overall it's a great gun for the price and very much a good starting gun.
  
  
• ALTERNATIVE ICS PAR MK3 - This gun is on sale right now, down from $340 to $214, so if you can get it while it's this cheap then it's a steal. ICS guns are tanks and they are very easy to work on down the line due to their split gearbox design. My first gun was an ICS CXP-16 and it is still running for the dude who bought it from me to this very day. You may need to drop a new spring in, but again due to the split gearbox that's super easy.
  
  
• G&P High RPS midcaps - Great mags for a great price. The will handle damn near any ammo and any rounds per second you can throw at it. They are a bit tight in some guns, you might have to give your mag a bit of a love tap to get it to lock in, but at the same time that means there is very little mag wobble. 5 mags is more than enough for your basic open play. If you're wanting to go to longer events down the road, you can just buy another set of 5 and you're golden.
  
  
• G&P CompM4 Replica - I use this red dot on my shorter M4. It's got a great build quality, comes with a kill flash to keep your scope protected, and takes AA batteries. That last bit about taking AA batteries is my favorite part, I am awful about forgetting to turn off my red dot and it's nice to know that it takes a very common battery.
  
  
• LBX Lock and Load Chest Rig in Project Honor - The LBX Lock and Load chest rig is one of the most underrated chest rigs on the market. It can hold damn near anything you'd need for a day of playing. It's very easy to take off and put on thanks to the large zipper up front. It has plenty of padding in all the right places to keep you comfortable throughout the day. It's overall just a great value. The Project Honor camo one being only $25 is an absolute steal, I personally picked one of these up when I saw that price and it's well worth it. It may not be the prettiest camo out there, but you can't even come close to that quality in the $25 price range.
  
  
• Krytac .25g BBs 4000 count - Great BBs, never had any issues with them feeding. It's one of the 4 brands of BBs I will use in my rifles.
  
  
• 6mmProShop 500 round speedloader - A nice, basic speedloader. Better than the smaller pistol mag sized ones since you don't have to fill it up after every freaking magazine. I had one of these for a while, only reason I don't still use it is because someone stole it at an open play. A step up would be the Odin Sidewinder but that puts your budget over $500.
  
  All of this with the Free3Day coupon code puts you at $410.
  
  Now we get to protection gear (and a charger)
  
  
• Pyramex I-Force Dual Pane Goggles - Great pair of budget priced goggles. I personally use these on longer games or days when I just don't feel like running my larger goggles. For anyone that doubts the quality of these Valken rebrandes them for their Zulu goggles and charges almost twice as much.
  
  
• OneTigris mesh lower facemask - Better than the full mesh ones because the cloth on the sides conforms to your face better. There is still plenty of padding on the cloth sides to protect your face and it gives you a better cheek weld on the rifle. Only complaint I have is they do tend to get a little hot if it is very hot outside, but that's the tradeoff for protection.
  
  
• Tenergy lipo charger - Nice, basic lipo charger. You'll need this for the batteries I'm linking later. I use this charger personally, haven't had any issues with it yet.
  
  If you have Amazon Prime, that put's this portion to a total of $53. Overall we're at $463.
  
  Now for the batteries. I always suggest HobbyKing for purchasing lipos, they have by far the best prices on lipos. These 1200 mAh 2s nunchuck lipos should work great for your gun. Lipos are going to give you a better trigger response than NiMH batteries. I'd order two of these, which are about $13 total. Shipping will cost you about $9.
  
  Overall total: $485

Yeah, low income can be a bear... but since you don't seem to be allergic to work, there are possibilities, even for the "too young" to work. Traditional stuff like mowing neighborhood lawns, less-so like dog-walking... or whatever.

Definitely rent first. Getting in to play the game will help you to figure out what role(s) you want to play when you do start buying gear and allowing you to focus on gear that lets you, as well as helps you, do what you enjoy.

Budget for your rental trips. Locally for me, a day's airsoft as a minimum rental is about $60US. That's $30 field fee, and $30 rental (covering mask/goggle, AEG, battery, and a single hi-cap mag. Additional mags and a chest rig can be rented for an additional $15, but usually, that's unnecessary. BBs are extra, ~$22 for 2700 rounds, (I use .32s and .20s are going to be cheaper) but you can save the ones in the bottle you don't use and use them on subsequent trips. All told, you're looking at about $70 per person, per trip. Once a month is probably a good rate.

Start saving now for gear if you can, don't burn gear money on rental fees if you can help it. Every dollar invested in your starter gear is going to (usually) improve the performance and longevity, especially in a gun, which will probably (and should) be your greatest single startup expense.

There are low-cost options for basic gear.
A set of Pyramex I-force goggles and a One Tigris foldable mask (or similar) can be had (collectively) for less than $50.
Condor makes some (at least in my limited experience) cheap but reasonably good quality gear.

My current cheap gear setup (less than $100US here, without shipping):
Pyramex I-Force
NO B Tactical Folding Mask w/ Ear protection (really a One Tigris knockoff, but it works)
Condor Modular Chest Panel
Condor Triple M4 MOLLE mag pouch

This setup, over street clothes, is functional and cheap, and I have personally had no major issuses with it. Minor issues include some condensation with the goggles (more "why am I staring through a fishbowl" water than fogging really, and that after several hours of play), and the mask straps loosening on occasion.

Changes I would have made looking back:
- Color choices on the mask, panel, and pouch. The olive drab I went with on the panel and pouch didn't match the rest of my eventual gear setup (black), which started with the black mask. Didn't plan that well enough. I would stick with a color (probably olive drab for cheap or Multicam for more expensive) if I did it over again.
- Should have gone with a set of three single pouches, rather than the triple. The ~50% (or about $10) increase in price would have been worth the increase in loadout flexibility. I seldom find myself needing six spare mags.

High dollar things you are going to want to budget for (at least eventually) when you buy gear:
- Boots. Regular street shoes are ok, especially indoors, but you really want to have a set of high-quality boots to play in, especially outdoor fields with broken terrain and obstacles. The ankle support and all-around toughness of a good set of boots are going to be worth the expense. Add to that the ability to switch out of your boots for the ride/drive home is great, especially playing outdoor fields where you might get rained on or have to wade through a building ( >1 inch deep puddles inside buildings, ISYN), and you'll feel a lot more comfortable doing so if you know you won't have to wear wet footgear home.
- Defogging system. I bought an ExFog system recently and ran it the first time last weekend (same time as the rain and indoor puddles) and I'm over the moon. Cleared up the condensation issues with the goggles I was having completely. I can't recommend this enough. But at >$75, it is definitely in the "luxury" category, so buy it when you can afford it, but consider it as soon as you can.

Something you might be able to get cheap:
BDUs/Combat Uniform. Old military combat uniforms and such can be found occasionally at thrift stores or places like the Salvation Army. Actual military uniforms are going to hold up great (even if they're not in perfect condition when you get them) and they are already camo. Much cheaper than buying them new, or buying civilian equivalents.

The battery type in that gun is a 'nunchuck' type which exists out of 2 stick batteries wired together. Extra magazines depends on where you play and how trigger happy you would be:

• Fast play, Lots of shooting, 1h+ matches, get 1 or 2 extra Hi-Cap magazines (They contain more BB's (200+) and you have to wind them with the small rotor on the bottom of the magazine).
  
  
• Slower play, Milsim-like (I wouldn't advise this as your first experience in airsoft but I'll add it anyways, get a bunch of Mid caps (70-180 BB's) and a speedloader to fill them up as they don't make sound they could be useful for more sneaky gameplay.
  
  
• CQB, 20 min games, just use the Hi-Cap magazine you got with your gun, will be plenty of BB's for you to start with until you have chosen what you really want.
  
  If I'd be you, I'd just get the gun with a nunchuck battery (9.6V NimH or 7.4 Li-PO) (fits in the stock of the gun) and a decent smartcharger. Play some matches in your local fields (make sure you have some fields near you before you buy anything) and search for your favorite field and adapt your gear towards that.
  
  Accessories aren't a must have, but a nice grip (I prefer an angled one) could give you some good comfort. Also a simple sling will save you from dropping your gun by accident. A scope again depends on the environment you play in, if it's CQB get an open reflex sight it makes aiming so easy. If it's outdoor, get a red dot which could have magnification (prices go up very quickly!). Flashlights are useful but expensive, laser sights are forbidden in some countries like mine.
  
  But most importantly, get some good eye/face protection, some which have been repeatedly advised:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Pyramex-I-Force-Sporty-Anti-Fog-Goggle/dp/B01GOR9756
  
  
• Dye i4 for full face protection (I have this one in particular and it never fogs on me, It's just great, just doesn't give you the realistic look some people are looking for. But it is great especially in CQB situations
  
  
• Revision desert locust for eye protection, I heard these are great against fogging up, they will cost you big aswell though if I am not mistaken (correct me If I'm wrong) as these are military goggles.
  
  
• A simple half-face mesh mask to go together with one of the 2 eye-protection suggestions:
  https://www.amazon.com/OneTigris-Comfortable-Adjustable-Protective-Available/dp/B01KT0HEW2/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1483779165&sr=1-1&keywords=onetigris+half+mask
  
  Don't go about and buy plate carriers / camo before you know what you actually want, this sport is a money drain, use your money whise is my last advise.
  

Goggles + face shield: I would recommend the Pyramex I-Force goggles. They are extremely light and dependable for all types of gameplay. For some reason, I can't make them fog (which is really good btw), and the price is pretty damn good too. Also, stay clear away from mesh goggles. For face protection, I would use a metal mesh mask. Any will do (I haven't seen any company screw up mesh masks yet).

Batteries: For a battery, my input would be to start with a 9.6v NiMH battery (you seem to already have one). If you know how to take care of them, upgrade to a 7.4v LiPo battery for the best performance. The 'C' rating should be around 15C if you are just beginning your use of LiPos.

Charger: For different battery types, it depends. A lot of people say that Tenergy Smart chargers work great with NiMH batteries, so I'll throw that on (feel free to correct me if there is a better one). For LiPos, I personally use a Turnigy Accucel-6, which has had no problems for me yet (again, please correct me if there is a better one).

Internals/Tools: I wouldn't say to open your GB yet if you aren't willing to devote some time. If you are, then I would say to pick up a set of allen wrenches/hex keys in multiple sizes, a set of screwdrivers in varying sizes, tweezers, pliers, wire cutters, Dremel, soldering iron, and a couple neodymium magnets (for keeping things in place, like ARLs).

The first things you want to upgrade (in my opinion, your build will vary) would be your motor and hopup bucking. Your motor basically drives the trigger response, rate of fire, and torque (ability to pull strong springs) of your gun.

A good 16TPA motor like the SHS High Torque or the ZCI Balanced will be good for most applications. They both have a good mix of trigger response and speed, and get you about 20RPS on a 9.6v NiMH, M120 spring, and 18:1 gears (results may vary). For higher torque builds (M125 and above), use a 22TPA motor for good trigger response and loss of fire rate. Do some research to find which motor is right for you.

Your hop-up bucking is one of the most important things to upgrade. Upgrade to a Prometheus Purple, Maple Leaf, or Lonex bucking for better consistency. In almost every application, flathopping the bucking is vital (you can search up how to flathop. there are plenty of articles out there).

BBs (Pellets): For your BBs, go with Elite Force BBs (.25s work for most applications). They are well-priced, and are some of the best BBs that I have used.

Guide: Search the forums and this subreddit. I don't want to type an essay, and it would do you much more good to search it up yourself (you learn more if you find it yourself instead of listening to me).

Maintenance: Refer to above, but do lube your gun every one in a while. (also research on how to do that).

A good 416 would be the VFC HK416 CQB, or the TM Recoil Shock 416 (can't find link sorry). Either are good choices and are relatively low-priced.

An AEG will serve you well. A well-upgraded AEG is dependable and cheaper to run than a GBBR. Most airsoft guns have Picatinny rails that can take real-steel attachments, so you're good there.

Do NOT get the 'discoveryline' one. It's not worth it. The two I mentioned above are the best, and will let you upgrade as you wish.

Best of luck!

To get started you really only need protective gear and a gun.

For protective gear, I'd either recommend an inexpensive paintball mask like this or a lower mesh mask and goggles

For a gun, I'd recommend something like a G&G CM Raider or a KA TWS or a CYMA AK or something similar (M4 or AK is preferrable). Make a list of the best looking guns in your budget and post back here to help narrow it down. The high cap that comes with the gun should be enough, and if you really want then you can buy an extra one which will definitely be enough.

From there you will want a battery and charger from HobbyKing (I wont make specific recommendations since it will depend on the gun) and some good quality BBs (I wont make a recommendation as this depends on where you are playing).

It is more than possible to get into the game with that kind of budget, settle on the absolute essentials (protective gear first, then gun, battery, charger, and BBs) and then you can look at investing in other areas in your gear. I'd recommend that you play for a good while before expanding your loadout so that you specialise in an area that you really enjoy playing.

Check the super useful links in the sidebar for more information and good luck!

IGNORE ALL OF THOSE GOGGLES AND BUY Pyramex I-force dual lense

jk (:

Well you don't have to ignore them, but these goggles are so cheap you can buy like 4 for all your friends and still spend less than on revisions.

I can tell you that they are very low profile, I can get my eye past the relief on my trijicon, and they do NOT fog at all!

I sweat a lot on hot days and that would usually fog up my lens but these.. super comfortable, do not fog. Just make sure your eyelashes are nice and soft because they will brush up agaisnt the lens a little bit but it doesn't bother me. You don't even feel it.

HERE

I was messing around with it to the point where I thought I would break it but it is very flexible. Only problem is if you sweat too much it will drip down the lens, you can just wipe it off. It's not as bad as fog, which you don't get with these (:

Okay, here's my recommended loadout for you: (using your $1k budget)

Gun: Tokyo Marui Recoil Shock M4 SOCOM $460 Test firing video of gun

And yes, despite all the Tokyo Marui stigma that all their electric guns are cheap plastic, the new ones (since 2009) are made of metal.

Mags x3-5 $75-$125

Battery and Charger

Most Tokyo Marui guns hold their values really well, and they perform well too. Most guns, when you open the box, they instantly lose 1/3 of their value from you just touching it. But Tokyo Marui guns have a reputation of being reliable and pretty rare outside of Japan, so they hold their values much better, usually at 80% of original, or sometimes if you find the right buyer it'll hold 100% of their value. Not to mention they perform very good and have superb accuracy right out of the box. The Socom M4 also has a unique bolt lock (like the Systema PTW) and a simulated recoil function that provides feedback when you shoot it. Downside to this gun is that you need to buy special magazines for the gun to feed, or buy an adapter. So if you somehow don't like Airsoft, then you can resell this gun for basically MSRP.

Shirt: Voodoo Tactical Combat shirt $30 Best combat shirt, very breathable, has zippers to vent armpits as well.

Plate Carrier: Shellback Tactical Banshee plate carrier $130 Pretty much a real steel plate carrier, one of the best you can buy, and is not that bulky for better mobility.

Dump pouch: Any dump pouch will do, $15

Mag pouches: I use a condor one $20 (because I'm cheap) but I've tried a HSGI Taco pouch $30 each and they're pretty good... But pretty expensive

Eye Protection: If you play outdoors and want goggles, I can't really give you a recommendation here, but I play indoors and I use a full facemask the dye i4. It fits really well to your face, is low profile, and never fogs.

I would use the remaining money on gun equipment to make to make it more "OPERATORZ"

G&P red dot sight Eotech 551 clone $60

Magpul PTS Handguards $20

Magpul MOE vertical Grip $20 will only work with the MOE hand guards above

> I can't really recommend any cheap walkie talkies, but i can help with some of your other questions. The helmet rails are called ARC rails, and some things you may want for a helmet setup are any push to talk button with kenwood style pins for the baofeng, a set of hearing amplifiers/ comm headset like howard leight impact sports, and any 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable to connect the ptt to the howard leights so enemies can't hear your comms blaring out of the radio.

Thanks that helps a lot. I'm wondering though even without a license is anybody really going to care / would it even be a problem just using it for games every other weekend? Not like I'm gonna get a knock on the door from the cops about something like this am I? Won't other people in the games be using the same setup?

These helm attachments + Headset = yes? And just any radio really for example = all good to go?

Check out the Krytac forum for technical discussions on Krytac products.

I've got my FDE Krytac LVOA-C on the way, but I did order two batteries from Hobby King:

2000mah 2S 15~25C LiPo (7.4V)

2000mah 3S 15~25C LiPo (11.1v)

Researching on the Krytac forum, if you have a US-market Krytac AEG, you should be fine using a 11.1v. However, if you are in Europe, you may have better results with the 7.4v. My friend received his US-market LVOA-C last week and the 11.1v worked great.

I'd also recommend this Tenergy charger: http://amzn.com/B004FGWY54
I've got a more involved LiPo fast charger, but the Tenergy is a simple balance charger that'll do the job just fine. Also, don't forget to get a Kevlar lipo bag for safety!

Oh jeez, I don't even know. Total cost is probably around 350, but it'll outperform Any $350 gun you can just buy. It's effective range is around 200' and it'll do around 25 rps. I run 11.1v 2200 mah batteries and 1 battery got me through an entire day yesterday firing around 3k rounds.

The most important things you can do for range and precision is going to be barrel and bucking/nub. Durability upgrades would be shimming, AoE correction, and a metal tooth piston minimum.

Shimming itself is not that difficult and there are any number of YouTube guides. You do have to open up the gearbox for it though.

I'd say a 9.6 would get you through it. The only real pros of a 7.4 Lipo is the size per MaH. You can fit more electricoty into a smaller package. But there's absolutely nothing wrong with running 9.6 NIMH batteries. I moved the NIMH from my m4 to my SAW when I switvched the m4 to Lipo.

[these batteries ](http://www.Tenergy.com/ 9.6V NiMH 1600mAh Butterfly Mini Battery Pack with Mini Tamiya Connector for airsoft guns ) with [this charger](http://www.Tenergy.com/ 6V-12V Universal Battery Pack Charger for NiMH NiCd RC Car Batteries https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003MXMJX8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0c6AzbTXDKZMR)

I'd recommend having two batteries minimum. Even if one will last, having a spare can be the difference between a ruined day and having a lot of fun

I run this barrel but it's out of stock right now. ZCI barrels are an excellent value.

The SHS motor will give you increased trigger response at the expense of possibly being a little more power hungry but I never had an issue when I ran 9.6 batteries. That is the only con. It's better in every way than the stock motor. you can get it here

Gun:
G&G CM16 is solid. It has rails, is pretty light, and is suitable for CQB. Get him a couple of hi-cap magazines, 9.6v butterfly battery and smart charger to go with it and he's set gun wise.

Eye and Face pro:
I really like my Pyramex I-Force, never fog, low-profile, and meet the ANZI impact requirements so his eyes will be safe. The OneTigris mesh mask is really comfortable and will protect his face and more importantly his teeth. There are some that clip onto FAST and BMP helmets as well. Small version and one with ear-pro attached.

Honestly if he holds the barrel, there's no need to spend money on a grip, you can always go back and buy it later if he wants it. Same goes for the other equipment and attachments, stick with the basics and make sure he likes it before heavily investing.
A lot of people stand by Just Airsoft Ammo for BBs. Only use .2g BBs at the minimum. .12s and cheap BBs will mess up the gun's internals and may shatter on impact, potentially seriously injuring the person who was shot.

Materials aren't impact rated, eyepro is because part of impact testing is that it has to remain in place on your head, but that's besides the point. To put it very simply:

$15 for 16-Joules of impact protection backed by MIL-PRF-32432 impact standards, ANSI Z87.1 high impact standards, and Pyramex, an industry leader in PPE.

Vs. hoping that you selected a strong enough material, hoping that you built your homebrew mask correctly, and hoping that the field allows your homebrew mask (which any field worth their salt will not), backed by your personal, non-expert confidence in your own work.

You can't replace your eyes. Buy the freakin' eyepro.

Sorry for the long wait but here it is

Right strap yourself in this is probably going to be long one. It will help if you have some electronics knowledge and soldering skills. But don't worry if you don't, most of this it very basic, but a bit fiddly.

Also to note this is going to be based around the Kenwood style connector, this is what you find on most BeoFeng radios. If your radio uses a different type then you'll have to do some reverse engineering to find the pin out of that, you may find getting a speaker mic that useful for this, as they normal have a PCB inside thats labelled.

​

Parts list:

- Howard Light Impact Sports

- Antlion modmic 4 without mute

- 3.5mm audio Aux cable (length dependent on your setup, also get one with rubber insulation rather than a braided sleeve,it will only give you more problems later on)

- Wire strain reliefs (the correct size for your Aux cable & Kenwood Cable, I belive that I use 4mm)

- Zip ties

- Belt spring clip + screws and nuts to mount (Just M3 pan head screws & nuts will do, the included poppers are crap)

- Momentary on button

- Small electronics box

- Speaker mic or anything that has a compatible connector for your radio (I used a BaoFeng speaker mic as the kenwood connector is used on my rectervis radios).

- Breadboard

- wire

​

This will come to about £100 so it's defiantly cheaper to go with a reproduction unit, but I had a lot of these parts already and its a fun project.

First take a set of Howard Lights and pop off the black plastic piece that holds the foam padding over the driver on the side that has the 3.5mm aux socket.

Next cut a notch in the main body for the mic to sit in and and not block the black plastic piece. cut the wire on the mic down to size so that would reach the 3.5mm Aux socket but so you could still move it about to make soldering easier .

Then strip the insulation to expose the wires on the mic, these are excessive thin and have a coating on them that you will need to strip. I advise that you practice on the off cut so that you get a feel for it a few times as you don't want to find your mic wire being too short.

On the Aux socket you'll have 3 wires attached to that, ground(black), left audio & right audio(red & white, I never bothered to figure out which was which) . Desolder one of the audio wires and solder it on to the other. This means that any audio from the Aux socket will play through both ears but will only be a mono signal, which for this will be fine for us as the audio from the radio is mono anyway,and this won't affect the sound pass through of the headset.

​

**you're going to need a multi meter for this bit**

If you didn't know already audio jacks are normal spilt in to 3 or 4 sections these are called TRS & TRRS respectively, we should be dealing with the 3 sections kind, they are spilt up in to the Sleeve(S), Ring(R ) & Tip(T), inventive right.

A Kenwood connector is made up of 2 TRS jacks 1 3.5mm & 1 2.5mm. Fortunately I've done the hard work of figuring out how the pins are wired:

​

||2.5mm|3.5mm|
|:-|:-|:-|
|T|Speaker||
|R||Mic|
|S|Ground|Push To Talk|

You will need to check how you've wired your Aux port to know what wires need to go were, just plug in your Aux cable and do a continuity check for the tip and ring and the sleeve will be ground. For me I had the Mic wired to the Ring and the Speaker wired to the Tip.

Here is what my wiring layout looked like.

You want to strip down the insulation on the Kenwood cable and reveal the wires and find out what colour wires are which. You also want to measure out how long you need to leave your 3.5mm Aux wire and not cut it down to size leaving enough slack for your head to move and enough length of wire to solder and strip back the insulation and test to find out which wires are linked to which.

Now once you have figure out what colour wires are which you want to cut down a section of breadboard to the right size, if your a bit of a novice with a soldering iron, you will probably want to cut a larger section as it will make things easier for you. Then just solder all the wires on to the correct place, just to note it doesn't matter which way round the push button is soldered on. and you'll end up with something that looks a bit like this

Now you can just zip tie the ends of the wires inside of the box to stop them from popping out and move the point of stress to the insulation of the wire rather than on the solder joints.

I would suggest doing a continuity test from jack to jack to ensure that nothing is shorting (wrong point to point) and that everything is connected to were it should be.

We should be good now to plug it all together and give it a test, it should all be working, you should be receiving audio in both ears of the head set, and when the push button is depressed you should be transmitting from the microphone.

Once your happy with that and only when, cover all your solder joints with a bit of hot glue to again stop anything from bouncing around and causing a short on it, in particular on the Aux port on the head set and the breadboard. we also want to fix the microphone in place with some hot glue and make sure the hole is filled so no water can get in. I also added some foam to the headset just it increase the noise deadening effect.

all done, you should have something that looks a bit like this also I have seen a video on youtube that shows you how to add rail mounts to them so you can mount them on a helmet which I haven't tried yet but will be soon hopefully

Full Album Of Reference Photos

With the battery and charger you have on there they don't match. you can't use a nimh charger on a lipo you'll blow it up.

If you're going to use a lipo battery I use this charger

https://www.amazon.com/Tenergy-Cells-Li-PO-Balance-Charger/dp/B004FGWY54/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1510907253&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=airsoft+lipo+charger&psc=1

also with that battery it will only work if your gun is front wired (the plug for the battery is in your handguard) if its rear wired it wont work because you need the battery in the buffer tube.

as far as the gun sack you can pick up a hard rifle case at walmart for under 25$ and it will keep your rifle safe and you can lock it with padlocks if you'd like

I also really wouldn't recommend a paintball mask either cause they usually fog unless you get a really nice one like a dye i4/i5. they are also almost impossible to aim down sights with. I use arena flak jaks as I just pop out the vents and they never fog and you can get cheap replacement lens on ebay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Arena-Flakjak-Tactical-Eye-Protective-Goggles-Tan-Airsoft-Paintball-Tactical-New/253221912379?epid=1001535811&hash=item3af533bf3b:g:sNEAAOSwCmNZxI2I

others recommend the pyramix goggles as they are lower profile but I just find it easy for them to move off my eyes by just moving facial muscles

https://www.amazon.com/Pyramex-I-Force-Sporty-Anti-Fog-Goggle/dp/B006WPSDXS/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1510907577&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=pyramix+i+force

with those if you want lower face protection most people recommend the one tigris as it makes it easy to aim down your sights

https://www.amazon.com/OneTigris-Comfortable-Adjustable-Protective-Available/dp/B01MTS1611/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1510907635&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=one+tigris+mesh+mask&psc=1

bamf mags I've heard many different things on them so i guess it just depends on your gun if they fit they will be good if not kwa k120s, g&p skullfrog, and pts epm are all good mid caps and those go in order from least to most expensive

Probably like 1.1x or 1.25x, straight 1x magnification looks weird. Vortex is one of the few real steel optics I'd say you should be fine taking to an airsoft field thanks to their absolutely amazing warranty of "no matter what happens, we'll replace it".

But if you want something suitable for airsoft that you won't worry about that's just a 1x red dot, I recommend the Field Sports one. It's on par with a $50 red dot I've got and it's way cheaper. Definitely the best bang for your buck red dot you can get for airsoft

On my backup gun I run this Pinty reflex sight. It's cheap and gets the job done. The adjustable brightness is a nice touch if you're playing in a dark/light environment.

On my main gun I run the Bushnell TRS-25. Definitely the best bang for your buck. Great construction and a super clear and sharp reticle.

Ok. Keeping in mind that I'm US-based, I'm linking to US-based sites. Everything should be available through UK/European sites as well, I just don't know them as well(I'm assuming you're UK/European-based due to the currency). I'm also not including BBs into the initial cost, as I consider those to be a consumable item and tend to factor those into cost-of-play per day of playing.

Gun: I like this G&G Raider Shorty. $150. Alternatively, This CYMA AK is a good option as well, and comes in at $128.

Battery Charger: This is what I use $33

Battery: This one should fit both the Raider and the AK. Important note: If you're using lipos, and the gun is stock, you'll need to use a 7.4v lipo. The 11.1vs are going to shred your wiring. $13

Lipo Sack: You'll need one for charging your batteries $7

As an alternative, Amazon has a package deal for $40

Eye Protection: I like these Pyramex i-Force goggles $16

Face Protection: One Tigris makes this mask $16

Magazines: AK style Mag for $10/each or AR-style for $12/each. I'd recommend getting one extra for starters, and then get more as time and budget allow.

Belt: My normal choice would put you out of your budget, so there's this one that I've never used before that's normally $9, or there's this one from Condor that's $15.

Pouches: It's gonna depend on which rifle you choose, but there's this AK-style that's normally $9 or this AR-style also normally $9.

Almost forgot, barrel cover: It's generally considered good etiquette to have one of these on your gun when not in-play, and mot fields here in the US require them when not on an active field $2

Total Cost for AR-style: $254USD bundling where possible(you could save a little by not getting the belt for now. If you normally wear a belt, just attach the mag pouch to that belt. That'll bring the cost not on-sale to $245USD). Total Cost for AK-style: $230USD, also bundling where possible.

Personally, I'm more of a fan of ARs, but I'd go the AK route and spend the extra $$ on either a third magazine, or an extra battery.

As I'm thinking about it, a second important note on lipo batteries: charge them with the small white connector on the battery, NOT the one that connects to your gun. It might explode if you try to do that.

Hope this helps you out.

Gloves, use them for a very long time, not too much protections, but super comfortable and durable

Mechanix Wear - M-Pact Coyote Tactical Gloves (Large, Brown) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007INZVHO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_mXfNzbFFTD9T9


Mask, has soft sides, really easy to aim down the sights with it



OneTigris Foldable Half Face Mesh Mask Military Style Comfortable Adjustable Tactical Lower Face Protective Mask 9 Colors Available (Green) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KT0HESQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dYfNzb5TWRBWP

Yep, generally that's a great starter. Pretty good externals for plastic, room for upgrades, not bad out of the box.

https://www.amazon.com/Tenergy-Universal-Smart-6V-Charger/dp/B003MXMJX8

is a good charger, generally you're looking for smart chargers. Unfortunately off top I can't think of a nimh battery that fits just a buffer tube. You might have to pick up a mag pouch and strap it to the stock.

Best bang for your buck starter guns will be the G&G CM16 ($180 CAD with free shipping) and the G&G CM16 Raider ($200 CAD) if you think he'll want to put attachments on it in the future.

For eye protection you can get him the Pyramex I-force goggles ($25 CAD off of Amazon) or the Pyramex V2G-XP (also $25 CAD on Amazon), that'll come down to personal preference on which style he prefers. For face protection the OneTigris foldable face mesh ($23 off of Amazon) allows the user to look down the sights well while still offering proper protection.

What I've listed above is probably the simplest and most economical beginner setup for Airsoft up here in Canada. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask!

And don't forget to check out my list of Canadian Airsoft Retailers to compare prices and see what's close to you!

^^^^^^This ^^^^^^was ^^^^^^good ^^^^^^practice ^^^^^^for ^^^^^^the ^^^^^^airsoftbot ^^^^^^response...

Pyramex I-Force or V2G-XPs are great. I own a pair of both and love them.

If you're a fan of your teeth a mesh mask is definitely a good thing to get, especially if you're fighting in CQB at all. I recommend the Striker V1 from Evike or the OneTigris ones.

highly recommend for these $15 goggles. amazon link

I have run them two days so far, and am in love with them. They are ANSI Z87+, comfy, and fit under my hat. ymmv with the anti-fog but i treat the lenses before i play and so far haven't been fogged out of a game.

first day with the new goggles I took a bb to the right lens from a player with a notoriously hot HPA set up from only about 25 feet and the lens was totally unmarked. it splashed sweat and dial soap off the lens into my eye which made it look like i had pinkeye, but that's a personal problem.

to be fair, I am one of the sweatiest people on the internet so my issues with fogging and sweat may not be relatable.

I was previously running some smith optics boogie goggles that looked very cool but would fog so bad I had to leave the field mid game more than once and those damn things were about $50. now i feel like i found my goggles.

lastly, just buy smaller gloves? is that an insensitive suggestion? i wear gloves in size small if that makes you feel better.

inb4 trump and or dick jokes.

EDIT: fixed link

I have an $150 Pilad 1x42 red dot which is great but honestly it saddens me to say I still prefer my $16 Feyachi I run a protector for it but i definitely don’t feel the need to baby it all the time which is great.

I bought a $30 version as well , and both are the same quality (though the $30 actually has less brightness settings!)

Bang for your buck, it’s hard to beat $16.

Here is the $16 one on my MP5K

And the $30 one on my Calico

Since you're new to airsoft I suggest getting a cheaper red dot at first. This red dot is pretty good, only 20 bucks and has great reviews. For the height you should get a rail riser, like this.

Edit: also any normal red dot should fit on your rail system

Okay awesome. I just bought the Classic Army Skirmish EC-2 and it has a Deans / Small Tamiya connector.

A couple more things:

So does the 2S and 3S mean a larger battery with longer life? And will that fit in my stock?

What is a good and affordable balance charger that you would recommend? I'm just starting out so trying to ball on a budget. I'm an amazon guy so looking at this one

Nylon fabric on the outsides with mesh in the middle, yes.

One Tigris makes then, you can buy them on Amazon here. Not quite as breathable as a full mesh mask, but fits way better, is more comfortable, and makes aiming down sights way easier. Really cheap too!

My friend uses these with them and they fit great. I’ve tried these with the onetigris as well and it’s very comfortable. https://www.amazon.com/Pyramex-I-Force-Sporty-Anti-Fog-Goggles/dp/B01GOR9756

• Classic Army Skirmish ECS CA4A1 $184.99
  
  
• Lancer Tactical High Capacity 300 rd. Magazine $8.50
  
  
• Emerson Full Finger Gloves $8.49
  
  
• WoSporT Steel Mesh Nylon Lower Face Mask $10.16
  
  
• Gryffon Golem Chest Rig $14.95
  
  
• Pyramex I-Force Sporty Dual Pane Anti-Fog Goggles $16.12
  
  Total: $243.21 USD
  
  Personally I find helmets to be cumbersome, hot and unnecessary, but if you really want one they will run another $20-$60 depending on what style you like. I would also recommend picking up a Li-Po and smart charger which will be another $30. While the gun does come with a battery, a Li-Po will perform much better. You might also consider picking up a pair of boots, you don't need anything fancy and you can find work boots for pretty cheap at Wal-Mart that will get the job done.
  
  You don't necessarily need to buy everything at once either. All you really need to get out and play are a gun and face pro. The 300 round highcap that comes with the gun is more than enough to get you through one game, as long as you aren't hosing people down constantly.

Hi. As both someone who uses Froglube on firearms, and as someone who techs AEG gearboxes...

It won't be harmful, but really isn't ideal. Specifically, froglube CLP isn't good, far too thin. The paste - well, if you properly treat all of the metal with the heat treatment, it'll be okay, but I still think a proper gear lubricant is in order.

You have to realize that while they are both "guns" - an AEG is far more a gearbox than a gun. You need gearbox lubricant not gun lubricant.

I highly suggest for seals and the like - a solid silicone lubricant. Barrels and mags - a teflon lubricant with alcohol application, so it dries but still provides lubrication, without getting on bbs.

For the gearbox? Go with Super lube.

different option, but soemthing like this?

https://www.amazon.com/OneTigris-Comfortable-Adjustable-Protective-Available/dp/B01KT0HESQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487350024&sr=8-2&keywords=mesh+mask


only mesh over the mouth the rest is like a cloth mesh and padding bit easier to get a cheek weld and it "auto-shapes" to your face. worth a look or consideration.

Budget for everything or just the gun?

If you want modern I would get this
https://www.evike.com/products/74192/
If you want classic I would get this
https://www.evike.com/products/63262/

The battery I would get a good 9.6v or 7.4v I'm not an AEG guy so I can't tell, but that is what LCT recomends

Those goggles https://www.amazon.com/Revision-Military-Desert-Locust-Goggle/dp/B007HKPCMW
Or those if you don't want to spend money on a better pair
https://www.amazon.com/Pyramex-I-Force-Sporty-Anti-Fog-Goggle/dp/B006WPSDXS/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Pyramex&qid=1564177900&s=gateway&sr=8-3

For a face mask this is great, I have one and I love it
https://www.amazon.com/OneTigris-Foldable-Comfortable-Adjustable-Protective/dp/B01KT0HEVI/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=TOE1ESNK4EIE&keywords=onetigris&qid=1564177939&s=gateway&smid=A61NV174423ZK&sprefix=onetig%2Caps%2C426&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

Welcome to the sport! It's a blast.


For fields, check here: https://airsoftc3.com/fields


You can always rent a gun and mask at the field you play at, although the quality won't be too great.

The first thing you should spend money on is good eye and face protection. I recommend either these or these goggles, and this face mask.


Don't worry about buying all the kit at the start. You'll find out what type of gear, camo, gun etc. you prefer after playing a few times.


For your first gun, look into AEG's. Don't spend less than $100, but you don't need to spend more than $200. CYMA, CA, JG, there are some high-quality affordable AEG's out there that will last a long time.


Have fun, and prepare your wallet lol

Pyramex Safety V2G-XP Eyewear, Black Strap, Clear Anti-Fog Dual Lens
I use these and they're great, they do fog after about and hour and a half, so some anti fog wipes/spray helps a lot.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RDJ9IU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_QNi-AbRGA2C03

Please buy a 20 dollar red dot from amazon, Its a toy gun!

I can vouch for the cheap sights, they are perfectly fine. Spend money on the gun to make it shoot better, not the sight to view the bbs :)

Edit: Here is the sight i have here and [here] (https://www.amazon.com/Sights-Screen-Shield-Tactical-Protector/dp/B01N4P5XX7/ref=pd_sim_200_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=DF7ZCNEQBJBNY7Y9FMV8) is the cover i use to protect it.