I always recommend people to buy gear they like the look of, providing its safe and up to standard of course, especially when it comes to goggles/eye protection. The rule generally applies to RIFs, just choose what you like the look of. When first starting out I always suggest that you hire the gear from your local club. Mainly because if you've never played before, it might not be for you. You might get shot and feel it hurts more than you thought it would, find it hard work running around with all the extra weight or just quite simply just not find it to be as fun as you might have been told.
Once you've hired for a couple of times and you realise how addictive it is and decide you want to look into buying your own RIF then you have two options. You can either go straight in at the deep end and buy what is considered high end airsoft RIFs or buy something cheap just to get you started. Just remember though that generally having your own gear may reduce the price of the game day depending on the site you play at. At All Arms Airsoft by having your own gear it reduces the price from £35.99 to £15 or £10 if you're a member!
Also be aware that to purchase your own RIF you will need to have obtained your UKARA.
The first RIF I bought was an L85A2 (SA80) because it was my favourite weapon to use when playing ArmA 3. I then went on to buy a few more random cheap M4 variant RIFs before settling with a Tokyo Marui Mk18 with a recoil and wow, what a rifle that is! I stuck with that for around 9 months and then discovered HPA - game changer! (In my opinion).
Now, i'm no expert when it comes to different weapon systems etc but the feeling I got when shooting the Wolverine MTW Forged Tactical SBR was next level! The MTW comes with a heavy price tag, but again, you learn as you go and it's taken me 3 years to get to where I am now and finally be happy with my loadout. That is the beauty of starting of cheap and working your way up as you learn more and meet others that have weapons that get you all giddy when you hear them shoot.
So without further ado, here is my current loadout as of 02/10/24 -
Helmet - Nothing special, just a generic (H World EU) Tactical Airsoft Emerson Helmet from Amazon
Eye Pro - Again, started off buying cheap goggles and glasses including some that claim they don't fog - they did. So I splashed out on the Lynx Bloc Tactical Glasses - Say bye to fogging up!
Face Mask/Mouth Protection - I started off with the usual mesh masks that the majority of airsofters that cover your mouth and ears. However I just preferred the look of these from Lonestar Tactical
Vest/Plate Carrier - Being a bigger guy, I struggled to fit into the vests you can find on Amazon such as the Nuprol. I did use an 8Fields Tactical Combat vest for a while but wanted something that looked better. So I settled in the end with a Warrior Assault Systems DCS carrier and I've never looked back
Shirt & Trousers - These are nothing special, just a generic multicam UBACS from Amazon and the trousers were bought from a surplus store
Gloves - I went with the Mechanix fastfit gloves. I simply just liked the look of them
Boots - I'm yet to actually find a pair that I'm fully happy with. The ones I use currently are just Grafters Police boots. They do the job, but could be slightly more comfortable
Comms - Novritsch V2 headset. I used to use the V1 but I found they're a bit bulky, especially when trying to see down your scope. The V2 version just sits perfectly over one ear and are more lightweight
Comms - Along with the headset above, the radios we use are nothing too fancy. These are just UV5R radios from Amazon but they do the job!
Primary - MTW Forged Tactical SBR 10". As previously mentioned I was using the TM Mk18 but just took the leap into HPA (High Pressured Air) instead of AEG (Electric). I could not recommend this enough, it really isn't as scary as it sounds. However, I would still recommend you start of cheap and cheerful to see if you like it first
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