a few choices

[GuardianWolf]

ok, im new to the sport, I'd like top get in it, my question comes down to
should i buy a clear soft to see how much i like to get into it
such as the a tf16 or the umarex hk mp5 or mp7, i know they fall under the clearsoft category
but i also would like for more a realistic feel in my gear then a heap of plastic
using a loaner isn't a bad idea i find but it gets to be a hassle after a few games
(makes me thing of bronc saddles, once twice ok but if your always borrowing its a pain)
could always just wait till im age verified, check the classifieds, im not against spending 500$ish for something that will last and not fall apart(also if i end up not liking the sport, i can sell back to the comunity)

any thoughts from anybody

(note what looks like my fav models are in the m4 category with rails, of a g36 catagory)

[L473ncy]

Well, you're in luck then I believe you live one of the more AV rep dense areas.

As for guns, wait till AV gets through. There's no point in buying mediocre if you're willing to spend the money.

For the price you could easily get fitted up with a full set of gear for $550-600.

I'm guessing you already have some gear like hiking shoes and such however $550 for a gun, battery, a few mags, and maybe a cheap red dot isn't too much of a stretch.

You're probably going to want to borrow some gear (eg. PB mask, and possibly a vest) the first few times cause it's a lot of money to drop at once. Things you should definitely show up to the field with though are: lunch, water, snacks, BDU's (as little as $40 for surplus OD and as much as $200+ for non issued real stuff), good quality boots (no running shoes or anything like that, it's a safety issue and rolling your ankle can ruin a good day in a matter of seconds).

EDIT: Don't buy crap stuff like that if you don't like the sport they don't retain their value at all and are probably better off in the garbage. On the other hand high quality guns like TM hold their value really well and you might only be out $25-50 if you decide to sell it.

PS: The only reason why you see people with clearsoft guns and they're happy with them are usually because they're gundocs and bought them as project guns to work on. eg. You could buy a 350Z but someone else who knows their ways around cars could buy something like an AE86 and fix it up/modify/tune it and achieve comparable performance. If you're not comfortable "under the hood" of an airsoft gun then just start off with a higher quality gun that you don't need to mess around with.

[GuardianWolf]

as for gear i go to prefair (www.prefair.ca) its near my house used to be called sail, so gear i can get easily bddu mod vest face mask
and i tinker with alot of stuff, but for me something of quality is always a must, have a 20$ crossman springer not bad but meh pop shots at cans at best
also the tf16 and such i mentioned it cause there selling it at the store im working at and i get a discount
but yeah id love a tm with mostly metal parts if not all but im not all that picky

[Forever_kaos]

For your first game, I'm sure you can borrow or rent a gun from someone to use at first.

[Rock 'N' Roll Outlaw]

If you get a cheap POS as a first gun you will very quickly find out why we always tell people to avoid them. It will break very quick on you. They have little to zero aftermarket support and it will just leave you with a bad taste in your mouth about the entire sport. Then you will come back here and tell us your POS gun broke and then all you will get from us is a big "we told you so". Its happened many times to many people who did not listen to us.

I have a feeling you are a level headed dude and are willing to listen to us so I doubt you will go through the shit other people have gone through when they don't listen to us. Getting AV'ed is gonna be your best bet. Get yourself a decent gun, there are a tonne of great deals in the For Sale right now with lots of mags, batteries, and a bunch of extras all for great prices. Then the only other things you will need to start gaming: BOOTS. Don't skimp out on a pair of boots as you will quickly find out why spending a few extra bucks on a good pair of boots will be the wisest investment. And also quality eye protection, this one should be obvious. Paintball mask is always a good idea since certain fields will only let you wear paintballl rated goggles (at least here in Ontario not sure about La Belle Province). Everything else you can just get with time.

[yuhaoyang]

taking that analogy...
you'll need to spend a lot of $$$ over the price of a 350z on an AE86 to get it to run the same as that....
Throwing away almost all of a clearsoft gun is no fun either.

[kalnaren]

Originally Posted by GuardianWolf

should i buy a clear soft to see how much i like to get into it
such as the a tf16 or the umarex hk mp5 or mp7, i know they fall under the clearsoft category

If you think using sub-par equipment will give you a good enough experience to "see if you like it", go ahead. Personally, I'd go with better equipment up front. You can usually borrow/rent from people.

[RaisinBran]

Isn't the TF16 just a JG, so it's basically TM compatible (internals)

[GuardianWolf]

yeah i read the internals were tm compatible, but to take out the parts change them, and well if chaning the internals i might as well change barrel and the feeder and well the stock while im at it, im seeing if i can get into this, and i don't think id have a problem the problem would stem from time and money which is always a problem with everyone

[yuhaoyang]

I think there is a broken down M4 in the classfields with frankly excellent externals for cheap-ish. Buy that, and just replace everything broken. You are bound to do that with your clearsoft anyways.

[RaisinBran]

Originally Posted by GuardianWolf

yeah i read the internals were tm compatible, but to take out the parts change them, and well if chaning the internals i might as well change barrel and the feeder and well the stock while im at it, im seeing if i can get into this, and i don't think id have a problem the problem would stem from time and money which is always a problem with everyone

If money isn't an object than get A/Ved and buy w/e floats your boat, like you said you can always sell back to the community.

[L473ncy]

Originally Posted by GuardianWolf

using a loaner isn't a bad idea i find but it gets to be a hassle after a few games
(makes me thing of bronc saddles, once twice ok but if your always borrowing its a pain)

I do see your point about renting however think about it this way, you're probably going to rent 3 or 4 times (and it's mediocre equipment not crappy stuff). By then you should have a good idea about whether or not you like the sport or not and assuming that you get AV'ed the first week by then your AV should have gone through and you can buy whatever to your hearts content.

I actually rented my snowboard equipment from the mountain for my first season out (4 or 5 times) and I really liked it. After that, I picked up my own gear. As much of a hassle as it was to rent, I really liked using mediocre equipment rather than getting some cheap setup with the crappiest equipment out there. It really made a difference and now that I know a bit more about snowboarding and what good equipment is and isn't I can really appreciate using rental stuff.