As you prepare for your first season of airsoft, it's important to consider the costs of equipment. At first glance, the cost to purchase equipment may seem like the only cost to consider; however, there are many other factors to consider such as the cost of transportation, protective gear, and even maintenance and repair to your guns. Many of these costs can be mitigated by choosing to rent rather than buy, or by deciding that buying certain pieces of equipment is more cost effective in the long run.
Assess Your Attendance Before You Invest
Decide how many games you will attend in a season and ask yourself if the same amount of money you would have spent on buying gear in the beginning of the season would be better spent on renting. Rental options enable airsoft players to use the required amount of gear for one game without paying for storage, maintenance, transport, etc. Therefore, if you go airsofting sporadically, then renting is the better option.
Buying your own airsoft gun and also other airsoft equipment to play the sport is advisable if you are going to play regularly for more reasons than one. Having your own airsoft guns, airsoft rifles, and many other pieces of airsoft equipment can make your airsoft experience even better. You will be able to get used to your airsoft guns and therefore play the sport better. This is very important when you are trying to improve at playing the airsoft sport and learn more about the safe use of airsoft guns.
Most airsoft fields outline their policies on what gear is included with rental packages and what types of protective equipment are required by the field. Some fields will also charge for certain consumables, such as any damaged gear, or if they are lost. Understand what these will cost you prior to booking your first session to accurately budget for your new adventure!
Hidden Costs of Ownership
So you have your airsoft gun and you want to start playing. You probably think you just need to purchase a gun and then you can start to play. WRONG! There are many pieces of gear required for a safe and fun game of airsoft. These include eye protectors, airsoft gun batteries, gas, airsoft gun magazines and ammunition. Once you have decided on purchasing airsoft gear, it is also important to remember that there are many pieces of accessory gear required for play. Examples of this would be different types of clothing and possibly even a carrying case. Make sure you know what you need before you make any purchases.
There is plenty of spare parts for guns and accessories and many of these may be purchased second-hand. Some items are even only needed as upgrades once you get a little more used to your first games. The initial setup of basic items to enable safe play will be the best to start with to begin with, helping you learn the basics of airsoft quicker, rather than cluttering up your storage with an array of items which may end up being unused.
Further, you have to consider how you are going to transport all of your airsoft equipment. A great option to consider is to purchase a carrying case for your gear. Many players choose between hard cases, which offer great protection for their gear, and soft or duffel type cases that are great for traveling with smaller amounts of gear and can be stowed away in a small amount of space.
Reliability: Rental vs. Ownership
However, one of the main advantages offered by airsoft rental fields is that they supply a fully functional airsoft marker and all of the additional parts that go with it. Typically, they have ways to deal with any problems that occur with a marker, thus adding value to what you have paid for in terms of the rental fee. This makes for an ideal first taste of airsoft should you be considering taking up the sport and are unsure of how frequently you will play.
If you have owned an airsoft marker for a while then you will be familiar with malfunctions. This can include erratic firing, leaks of gas, or issues with the trigger. Problems with your marker can occur at any time, and it is up to the owner to fix them. So, for example, if your marker begins to swell, or starts to produce a strange odor, then disconnect the power and get it repaired by a qualified engineer as soon as possible. Typical problems and potential fixes are discussed below. In many cases simple checks can reveal the cause of the problem. However, if you are not confident then do not try to repair it yourself and seek the advice of a qualified engineer.
Don't Overlook Maintenance Expenses
The typical consumables, which have a relatively short useful life between games, are batteries, air (gas), magazines and other types of ammunition, eye protection, accessories (such as, scopes, bipod stalks, slings), clothing, and carrying cases. If you buy this lot to get you started you should be OK for a short while, although, there are lots of other accessories available that will enhance your Airsoft experience should you require them later on. Don't buy too many bits and bobs before you have a good feel for the type of gameplay that you enjoy, i.e. woodland, urban wargames etc.
Be aware of any irregularities and tackle problems as soon as possible – any unusual behavior such as irregular feeding or unusual sounds from the gearbox can cause more problems in the long run. Write down any problems that occur and note any changes in performance – these can be very useful when trying to troubleshoot problems.
Crafting a Thoughtful Budget
Consider then the total amount of money you would spend renting the same amount of equipment over the same time span, as well as the cost to purchase enough basic airsoft equipment to play. Take into consideration the cost of certain consumables such as food, water, and any other specific to the airsoft field you will be visiting and potential repairs to already purchased gear. Some people forget that most pieces of airsoft equipment have a certain resale value. However this value can vary greatly depending on the demand for certain items, as well as how well the item was taken care of. Even brand new items do not always fetch what was paid for them.
Do have an initial entry into the game field by buying inexpensive basic gear for your first games. Start purchasing the required protective equipment after your first games, at the field of your choice. After testing several models of air rifles, purchase your main gun. Only later purchase the rest of the accessories required for airsoft.
Making the Right Choice for Your First Season
In summary, the decision to rent or to buy your airsoft equipment depends on your own personal views and circumstances. The casual player who only expects to play on occasional occasions would do best to look for airsoft rental options. The more regular player, on the other hand, who has the potential to really get into the sport and get more out of it with their own equipment will find that buying their own airsoft guns is best in the long run.
No matter if you have decided on renting or buying airsoft guns, remember that safe transport of your airsoft guns and other gear as well as adequate protective gear are a must. You should also make sure to have a way to solve any problems that may arise as fast as possible. Only by factoring in these responsibilities and costs you can make an adequate decision.