How expensive is airsoft?

When starting out the pricing of airsoft replicas may seem daunting and you may not know where to start. Whether it's not knowing what brand airsoft gun to choose, how much game fees are or even how much airsoft bbs cost. Well in this blog we aim to help guide you through how much airsoft guns cost and what to expect when buying them.

How expensive is airsoft?

Airsoft can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. It can really vary on what kind of airsoft you want to do, for example if you just want to shoot in your back garden then a simple springer pistol or airsoft gas pistol will more than suffice, or if you want to can go down the line of the cloner milsimer which can run you thousands for clone correct kit. That being said, to get started for a normal skirmish game it doesn't have to run you an arm or a leg. The basic kit you need is a gun, a battery, a charger & good eye protection, and that's it. You will find out very quickly that airsoft is for the most part a big fashion show.

Getting started with the basics is essential, your airsoft gun or RIF (Rifle imitation Firearm) will be one of the important things you buy. We offer a range of beginner guns to get you started. We would recommend starting with one of our evolution M4s as the airsoft m4 platform is easy to get parts for. Our Evolution airsoft guns range from about £150-£250 for a decent beginner gun. You can also explore the range of Nuprol defender rifles that range from about £100-£150, both evolution and Nuprol are trusted brands that we stock and highly recommend for beginners.

The next important thing you will 100% need is good eye protection. You cannot cheap out on this, as you only have one set of eyes. A great pair of budget glasses are the Wiley X Saber. For the basic set It is £39.99 which when you think about it isn't a lot to keep your eyes safe. If you want a cheaper option then the Umarex Combat Zone SG1 Safety Glasses are a good option, however these are just basic safety glasses and won't last as long as the wiley X ones.

Once you have chosen your gun and eye protection you will then need to get an airsoft battery and an airsoft charger for your airsoft rifle. First before you go any further check what plug type you have on your selected airsoft gun, It will either be Deans (T-Plug) or Tamiya. Choosing your battery is usually pretty simple, first you need to make sure what kind of battery space you have got. Usually airsoft M4 replicas will be easy to fit stick style batteries in their stock, or a nunchuck style battery in the sides of the stock. Then you will need to choose the voltage you want, that will be either a 7.4v or 11.1v most modern airsoft guns can handle both types of batteries but some can't handle the high 11.1v batteries. The difference between the two is that the voltage will determine how fast the cycle of the airsoft gun works with 11.1 being the faster of the two. Ideally we would recommend sticking to a 7.4 battery for longevity as it puts less strain on your system, however the choice is up to you.

You will then need to look at Mah of the battery, this is how much power the battery stores. Most airsoft batteries will be about 1000 Mah, this will last you about half a game day or depending on how much you shoot. We would recommend you buy two batteries as you will most likely run out of charge by mid gameday for one of them. Would also recommend sticking to li-po or li-on batteries as they hold charge better and distribute power more efficiently. Titan power batteries are the leading battery brand in airsoft, with batteries that have 3000 Mah that fit easily into airsoft gun stocks, making it a no brainer to choose Titan power as your go to airsoft battery. For your charger it's fairly easy to choose the correct one as you will just have to choose one that corresponds to your battery type. Some charges are smart charges that can display how much charge is in each cell of your battery or drain your battery so it's down to a level where you can store it safely. However a basic li-po charger will serve you just fine

So all in for what we have talked about above you would be just under the £300 mark. This price may vary depending on what you choose. For a beginner airsoft kit you would be looking at about the £250- £300 mark, you can go lower than this price however you will be sacrificing the quality you get, whether that be the feature of the gun the glasses quality or only having one battery.

How Much Do Airsoft Guns Cost

Airsoft guns can vary in price, whether it's a beginner model or a top of the line airsoft AEG or airsoft gas blowback replica. It all depends on the brand, whether its licensed or not & its internals. Starting out it is best to start with an airsoft AEG as you will have a higher mag capacity than say an airsoft pistol or a gas blowback gas gun which tend to stick to the realistic round count. Below we will detail the 3 major factors that contribute to why airsoft guns cost as much as they do.

Brand

The brand can play a big part in the outcome of the cost of the product. Just like in fashion with brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton & Supreme you are mostly paying for the name and the quality that is synonymous with that brand. In airsoft brands such as Tokyo Marui, Umarex & Systema are among a few that are very well known as a brand. These brands are sometimes more because of the quality that is associated with that brand. For example Tokyo Marui is a Japanese manufacturer that is well known for making some of the best airsoft replicas on the market, however due to them being located in Japan suppliers have to import them into the country adding an import tax onto the price.

Licencing

Various brands strive to make their replicas as realistic as possible and adding licenced trademarks is one way they do that. Airsoft manufacturers will add all correct trademarks to an airsoft gun to give it a level of authenticity. For example Umarex is the official licence holder of Glock and will include all the correct markings on their Glock pistols. Because of this airsoft companies will have to pay a licensing fee to the brand that they want to put on the gun. This then reflects on the consumer cost as the licensing adds a premium to the finished product.

Internals

Another factor to consider with price is what is included internally. Some guns might include a Mosfet, upgraded gears or a better hop up. Airsoft replicas with a Mosfet pre-installed like gate asters are a good option to go for as GATE is an already established company that specializes in airsoft upgrade parts. Some brands might make their own brand of Mosfet to keep the price down. Due to these extra parts being put into the gun this does affect the price of the gun however usually down the road you will have to upgrade your gun and if it is already pre-upgraded you might not have to do much to make it perfect.

How much does it cost to play airsoft?

Thinking about going to your first game? You may have pre bought all of your gear or may have not bought anything yet. Either way we will guide you through how playing airsoft in the UK works cost wise. The first thing is to find out where your local airsoft field is. A good tool to use is a website called platairsoft.uk. This website has an extensive map that shows all airsoft fields in the UK and Northern Ireland. Once you have chosen your field it's best to do a bit of research on it. Check out their Facebook or their website to see what events are happening and what the fees are. Your site fee or Green fee may depend on what field you are going to. Most fields are £25-£30 for a full day of play (usually 9am-4pm), other fields in specialized locations such as indoor sites may be more. The green fee/ site fee is just your basic fee to play, if you bring your own gear then you only have to pay this fee. If you don’t have your own airsoft gun and gear then you will have to hire your gear from the site. Most airsoft fields offer hire packages for beginners that include an airsoft gun, BBs, a mask or eye protection and sometimes clothing/ overalls. Hire packages can vary in price from about £25 - £50 depending on the site/ what's included. Bear in mind that some airsoft fields may not offer a hire package so it's best to contact them ahead of time to check that they offer that service.

How much is airsoft eye protection?

Eye protection can vary depending on the brand and what level of protection it offers. This is something you cannot cheap out on or get something of sub par quality, you only have one set of eyes so protect them. A great pair of budget glasses are the Wiley X Sabre for the basic set. It is £39.99 which when you think about it isn't a lot to keep your eyes safe. If you want a cheaper option then the Umarex Combat Zone SG1 Safety Glasses are a good option, however these are just basic safety glasses and won't last as long as the wiley X ones.

How much are airsoft batteries?

With the vast choices of airsoft batteries on the market it may feel daunting choosing what battery is best for you and your airsoft gun. The first thing you need to know is what type of adapter your gun has, usually it's either Deans (Tplug) or Taimya. From there you can then choose what battery type you want. Airsoft batteries come in a few different types; they are either stick, nunchuck, or brick type batteries. You will need to consider what size of battery you will need and where it will be placed as a brick battery wont fit in an airsoft m4 stock.

Then its time to choose what voltage type you want. As a standard you will have to choose between either a 7.4v or an 11.1. Voltage will dictate how fast your system works, so on an 11.1v you can get a quicker response and faster full auto fire but you are putting more strain on your internals, whereas 7.4v will be a bit slower but will offer better longevity for your airsoft gun. After you have chosen your voltage you will then need to decide what Mah capacity you want. The Mah is just the capacity of your battery and how much charge it can hold. In a typical Sunday skirmish you will use roughly 2000 Mah (depending on gun and how much you shoot). Most airsoft batteries will be around 1000-1400 Mah and will cost around £15-£30 depending on brand and voltage. Nuprol offers a range of budget batteries that are great if you are just starting out. If you want something that will last you all day plus a bit more then the range of Titan power battery are the ones to go for. Titan power has batteries with up to 3000mah which will last you a full day, plus probably half another game day.

How much are airsoft bb’s?

Airsoft bb’s can vary in price usually depending on weight. Most bags of 0.20-0.25 gram bbs will be around the £8 range as well as depending on the branding and finish. From there you will get heavier weight bbs like 0.28,0.30 &0.32. These can vary in price again from about £10- £18.99. From there you will be getting into the heavy weight bbs like 0.36,0.38 & 0.40 for this weight you will be paying upwards of £20 depending on quantity and brand. Anything heavier than a 0.40bb is classed as sniper weight bbs and will run you about £20-£30+. Sniper BBs will also have less bbs in the packs as most packs will be done via weight or just include a set amount as the heavier they are the more expensive they are to make.

Conclusion

So now you have an idea how expensive airsoft is. We hope that with this new knowledge you will be able to decide when shopping what items to choose with an idea about how they are priced and why they are priced that way. If you need more info about any of the airsoft guns on our website then we are more than happy to answer questions about them. Please contact us via email at [email protected] or give us a call on 0131 654 2452, we are always here to help.