Airsoft

[Clint1]

If its legal and they are not doing any harm good luck to them.

A lot of snotty attitude on here about people enjoying themselves. At least they are keeping fit unlike some of the bug-eyed 'gamers' sitting up all night murdering pixels.

If you start dissecting any 'sport' or'special interest' you will find plenty to criticize. Personally I have never understood the fascination some have for sitting in a tent all day on the edge of a filthy canal dangling impaled maggots in the water.

Can't quite believe the how realistic some of the airsoft 'ordnance' is, expensive too. You can buy an actual Mini-Gun which will fire 4000+ BB's a minute for £4-5K.

[hedge]

Listen guys.

 

Airsoft is VERY marmite. You love it, or you just don't get it.

 

As you've all already pointed out, it's a combination of playing war, role play, some sort of fantasy/fetish and strangely for ex-military folk it can be quite theraputic. Yes - there is probably a liberal dose of wannabes as well (really scary ones).

 

I used to play `war` as a kid and we'd dress up as soldiers and have plastic toy guns. My airsoft gun was a very old .177 air rifle that I loaded with elderberries (call it an early paintball gun) and shot my bro with it. Airsoft is a bit of an evolution from that - I would have given body parts to have had some of their gear back then.

 

For those that are very serious about airsoft they buy all the gear - and to all intents and purposes they look like the real thing. Is it re-enactment? Not in my mind. Is it fairly harmless fun? Yes I think it is. Every `sport` has it's fanatics and those who maybe get a bit `too` involved but isn't that their choice? I'm sure that they would think that standing in a field for 8 hours, wearing full camo, waiting for a passing pigeon is hardly `sport` (or fun, or entertaining and you can't really do it with a group of mates...).

 

Each to their own.

 

It's quite big in Europe and you get big competitions where teams do whole weekend `battles` - and yes, like most team sports they do practice! That's why a lot of ex-military like it - they get to use their skills and training, nobody dies and almost as importantly for them, they still feel like they `belong` to something.

 

I've never done it - I enjoy paintball and used to think that airsoft was a bit `full on` and full of weirdo's etc. I'm still not sure but it does look like fun and I can see why people do it.

 

I'm sure it looks odd to us but I'm sure that they must think we're a bit odd as well. I don't think that what they do reflects badly on us and I'm sure that most people view it as grown up kids having a bit of fun. It is also sodding expensive if you buy all of the gear.

 

All you need to know right here: http://www.patrolbase.co.uk/airsoft

[Scully]

Looking at some of the replicas on that link I can certainly see the appeal. Thanks for that.

[Wb123]

I went on an airsoft stag do. I didnt enjoy it, I found peoples complete disregard for safe muzzle direction (even those on the same team) stressful, and found it very difficult to point a 'gun' at someone.

 

The people i was with seemed split between those who were having a bit of fun, and a subset who were rather fanatical. Those I didnt mind until the matter of my owning shotgun came up where the fanatical lot seemed morbidly obsessed about the destructive potential on people.

 

Not my cup of tea.

[Davyo]

Wow, all this from just a simple enquiry regarding airsoft for my son.Some of the replies got me thinking as nobody has mentioned the FAC holders that hold tactical aggressive looking .22 rim fire and other calibres, Are these people not nutters? more worrying though, nutters with firearms held in safes in UK households. Then we have the FAC/SGC holders that have multiple guns rather than what's required to do the job, are these not fanatics or obsessives ? Or the Boxing Day turn outs in full tweed looking like something that's just stepped off the set of Downton Abby.

[hedge]

Wow, all this from just a simple enquiry regarding airsoft for my son.Some of the replies got me thinking as nobody has mentioned the FAC holders that hold tactical aggressive looking .22 rim fire and other calibres, Are these people not nutters? more worrying though, nutters with firearms held in safes in UK households. Then we have the FAC/SGC holders that have multiple guns rather than what's required to do the job, are these not fanatics or obsessives ? Or the Boxing Day turn outs in full tweed looking like something that's just stepped off the set of Downton Abby.

 

LOL. Spot on!

 

Here we are, sitting in a greenhouse, lobbing bricks all over the place.....

 

Most people on here have more than one gun and as much as we like to justify why we have a semi-auto, O/U, SxS, springer .177, springer .22, PCP, .22 rimfire, .243 and crossbow - let's think how that looks to the uninitiated....

 

PS - someone I know (who doesn't shoot) was amazed that people use "tactical" kit like night vision to shoot rats. And then video it. How absurd!

[Breastman]

I went on an airsoft stag do. I didnt enjoy it, I found peoples complete disregard for safe muzzle direction (even those on the same team) stressful, and found it very difficult to point a 'gun' at someone.

 

 

Did someone explain to you what game you were playing

 

Wow, all this from just a simple enquiry regarding airsoft for my son.Some of the replies got me thinking as nobody has mentioned the FAC holders that hold tactical aggressive looking .22 rim fire and other calibres, Are these people not nutters? more worrying though, nutters with firearms held in safes in UK households. Then we have the FAC/SGC holders that have multiple guns rather than what's required to do the job, are these not fanatics or obsessives ? Or the Boxing Day turn outs in full tweed looking like something that's just stepped off the set of Downton Abby.

Thats another PW favourite by the anti-fun police that this forum seems to have a higher than normal percentage of

[Jaymo]

Pot calling kettle black

People in glass houses

 

God I could go on and on about double standards and the 'we are responsible shooters , holier than thou' that parts of PW membership hold.

But, it's a form of sport like any other and if you choose to do so then surely it's your choice.

 

I was around for the early 'Practical' days and we had our share of weekend warriors but I didn't pour scorn on them as like me, they were enjoying the sport that they chose.

 

On one forum that I used to visit who was into practical shooting objected to my views that we have become a bit namby pamby in dropping Fig11's from general use--- it's a bloody piece of paper, nothing more, nothing less.

 

How many times have you seen pumps used at clay events and heard muttering from those who discount their use.

But my overall favourite at the moment is ----- oh that gun looks powerful as its military, nope- I do believe the cartridge is the same one used in the next blokes oldy world' wooden stocked gun.

 

Conventions are there and should be followed in certain circumstances such as dress n conduct for game shoots, but otherwise- go out and have fun. Enjoy what you do and don't feel judged by others who cannot see beyond their own opinions

[rjimmer]

I went on an airsoft stag do. I didnt enjoy it, I found peoples complete disregard for safe muzzle direction (even those on the same team) stressful, and found it very difficult to point a 'gun' at someone.

 

 

+1 I just can't understand shooting people allowing their kids to be involved in an activity where guns are pointed at people. My first, and only, cap-firing toy pistol was taken away as soon as I pointed it at someone, but I was given a .410 when I was 14.

[Scully]

Not everyones cup of tea admittedly, and there will always be those who regard the discipline they participate in as the only discipline which should be allowed.

As a pistol shooter I once applied to join an indoor pistol club at Morecambe ( though if I recall it was nearer Heysham ) and was asked to bring along my handguns and examples of handholds to an 'informal' interview. I did so, and one of the members took exception to the handguns I owned and commented that he once visited my club and was horrified to find people walking around with holstered guns 'like Dirty Harry'. I pointed out to him that as well as slow fire Bullseye competitions we also did practical, PP1 and PP2, and as a result holsters were necessary, and that Dirty Harry was a fictional character. I didn't join.

I have also had a run in with a dedicated game shooter who frowned on the ownership of handguns and any tactical or 'black' type firearms, even for target use. He couldn't accept that while their targets consisted of paper, his consisted of living creatures and it was his type of shooting which attracted the most hostility.

I grew up with guns both real and toys, and we would endlessly play cops and robbers or cowboys and indians as kids, but not once did we confuse toy guns with real ones. We also used to get many visitors to our 30m range of an evening in Summer, mostly Irish Rangers or UDR; the likes of Wb123 and rjimmer would feint at their muzzle awareness. I got my first glimpse of an H&K assault rifle on one such evening. Nice blokes.

[LondonLuke]

Live and let live I reckon

 

I don't have kids but I reckon I would rather they were doing this than playing Xbox.

[Breastman]

Not everyones cup of tea admittedly, and there will always be those who regard the discipline they participate in as the only discipline which should be allowed.

As a pistol shooter I once applied to join an indoor pistol club at Morecambe ( though if I recall it was nearer Heysham ) and was asked to bring along my handguns and examples of handholds to an 'informal' interview. I did so, and one of the members took exception to the handguns I owned and commented that he once visited my club and was horrified to find people walking around with holstered guns 'like Dirty Harry'. I pointed out to him that as well as slow fire Bullseye competitions we also did practical, PP1 and PP2, and as a result holsters were necessary, and that Dirty Harry was a fictional character. I didn't join.

I have also had a run in with a dedicated game shooter who frowned on the ownership of handguns and any tactical or 'black' type firearms, even for target use. He couldn't accept that while their targets consisted of paper, his consisted of living creatures and it was his type of shooting which attracted the most hostility.

I grew up with guns both real and toys, and we would endlessly play cops and robbers or cowboys and indians as kids, but not once did we confuse toy guns with real ones. We also used to get many visitors to our 30m range of an evening in Summer, mostly Irish Rangers or UDR; the likes of Wb123 and rjimmer would feint at their muzzle awareness. I got my first glimpse of an H&K assault rifle on one such evening. Nice blokes.

+1

 

Its a terrible affliction a significant minority on PW have

 

[12gauge82]

Not everyones cup of tea admittedly, and there will always be those who regard the discipline they participate in as the only discipline which should be allowed.

As a pistol shooter I once applied to join an indoor pistol club at Morecambe ( though if I recall it was nearer Heysham ) and was asked to bring along my handguns and examples of handholds to an 'informal' interview. I did so, and one of the members took exception to the handguns I owned and commented that he once visited my club and was horrified to find people walking around with holstered guns 'like Dirty Harry'. I pointed out to him that as well as slow fire Bullseye competitions we also did practical, PP1 and PP2, and as a result holsters were necessary, and that Dirty Harry was a fictional character. I didn't join.

I have also had a run in with a dedicated game shooter who frowned on the ownership of handguns and any tactical or 'black' type firearms, even for target use. He couldn't accept that while their targets consisted of paper, his consisted of living creatures and it was his type of shooting which attracted the most hostility.

I grew up with guns both real and toys, and we would endlessly play cops and robbers or cowboys and indians as kids, but not once did we confuse toy guns with real ones. We also used to get many visitors to our 30m range of an evening in Summer, mostly Irish Rangers or UDR; the likes of Wb123 and rjimmer would feint at their muzzle awareness. I got my first glimpse of an H&K assault rifle on one such evening. Nice blokes.

+1 the more we isolate ourselves within the wider shooting community the weaker we become, by the time the authority's come for our guns there'll be but a handful of people to fight our corner because it will only be the 'real' shooters left to argue there case.