[Ricochet]

- Turnigy nanotech lipos are a good move, but stay at 1200 mah as bigger may be too long or wide for many stocks, grips, etc.

- Imax B6 smart/balance charger is the only worthy charger in my opinion. I know I'm not alone in this, but luckily it is very affordable.

- M203 grenade launchers are cool, but are really just extra weight. I'd recommend looking towards a good pistol or secondary first.

- the King Arms Colt M4 is a very good place to start. It's solid, reliable and can be easily turned into whatever variant you want over time. Usually starts around $250 - $300, which makes it the cheapest and well built airsoft gun on the market.

- First upgrades on your gun should be hop-up, barrel, piston assembly (nozzle, spring, etc). After that focus on finely tuning internals for performance and reliability. A gun that shoots straight, far and will last is always the priority. Especially if on a budget.

- ACOG sights can work well, but get one with a doctors sight attached in case of CQC situations. Also a variable zoom or a max of 2x or 3x is preferable in airsoft, as more may be too much zoom to be effective.

- Get a reliable brand of magazine to avoid short life spans and feeding issues. Low caps seem to perform better and longer than mid caps in many cases, but 60 - 70 rounds per mag is usually more than enough regardless.

- before going all tacticool with your gun I'd recommend having a plan for quality gear. BDUs, boots, and proper weight distributing gear is key for successful gaming.

- BB Bastard makes a hell of a BB, but most fields require eco-friendly rounds here. BB Bastard bios are also great, and available locally. For flight stability don't go lighter than a 0.28g round.

- Unfortunately there is no real one stop shop for everything airsoft, especially in Canada. Although many local stores have some good products, their prices are often much higher than other Canadian retailers.