Getting Ready for your first airsoft game? Read this guide first!

So you’ve had a look online or in store, seen a few videos and decided that airsoft might be the right thing for you. So where do you start?

Finding a site

Finding an airsoft site can be as easy as going on Google Maps and searching for airsoft sites, don’t worry there isn’t any hidden membership or secret password, it's just as easy as clicking and booking a day! You can choose either Rent kit which will usually provide you with a rifle, BBs and face protection commonly in the form of a Paintball Mask or you can bring your own equipment in which case you will be responsible for your own Face Protection, Airsoft Guns and BBs.

Can I go on my own?

Yes of course airsoft sites have no minimum requirement to sign on and often rely on solo players to help fill in the gaps from big groups not wanting to swap sides. Of course going with friends is a great way to get some enjoyment but remember no one is there to look down on you and many airsofters are welcoming of new players in the hobby so long as you follow the rules correctly. Just make sure you take your hits and listen to advice and you might just find yourself a group!

What happens before a game?

Before you start the game you’ll be provided with a ‘Safe Zone’ this is the no fire zone and will usually have rules against loaded magazines in guns or firing guns while in the zone as this is the area where most people will not have protection on. You’ll be given a safety brief that will cover some basic rules such as:

The Safe Zone area where it is and what is not allowed in it (I.E. Loaded Guns)
When you are hit you raise your hand and yell “HIT!”
All Airsoft Guns you are using in a game must be Chronographed before the game and you must inform a marshall if you want to change BBs or use another Gun

Obviously some sites will have specific rules such as Knife Kills or Binary Triggers but these can vary depending on what type of site it is and the marshalls running, If you have any disabilities such as epilepsy this would be a good time to mention it to one of the marshalls so that they can inform all the players about strobing lights or any other changes that need to be made to accommodate you.

How do you Chronograph?

Before any game starts the Marshalls of the site will Chronograph every Airsoft gun you are planning on using, some sites may allow you to Chronograph later on during the day but it’s best to get it all done in the morning to avoid issues. You will let the Marshall know what BBs you are using or they will make you use 0.2g BBs either way you will shoot through the Chronograph and as long as your Gun is under the limit, usually around the 350 FPS mark, then you will be given an indicator that your gun has been Chronographed in the form of a sticker or Zip Ties depending on the site.

What should I wear?

Whether you are bringing your own equipment or are renting from the site what you wear in airsoft is very important to how you are going to look and feel. Go to an outdoor site in a t-shirt and shorts don’t be surprised when you come home looking like a human dot to dot. When starting out it’s best to just follow a few tips:

Never cheap out on eye protection! - Always a good word of advice this is the most important thing in airsoft is keeping your eyes covered BBs have been know to blind so make sure you’ve got glasses that are either ANSI or EN 166 rated these are able to withstand loads more impact than a BB would provide giving you the best chance of shaking off an unlucky hit
Keep it covered - The more of your body is covered the less a BB will hurt when it hits there. This goes for Face and Body. It's always best to wear an extra layer if you can to avoid any nasty stings.
Keep it concealed - No ones going to want you in their squad when you look like a big target and they blend in with the bushes. It’s best to bring some form of military camo, British MTP and DPM can be found cheap on most military surplus websites and works really well for blending into the British countryside. If you don’t want to go down the route of looking like you walked straight out of the latest Call of Duty just stick to a dark hoodie to avoid anything too bright.
Good Footwear is key - Regardless of what you wear above you should really think about what you're going to wear on your feet. Running around all day in mud and sweating is going to be hell on your feet unless you keep them protected. Ankle supporting boots are brilliant but also walking shoes can work just as well to avoid trainers unless you want to get your brand new Nikes ruined.
Hydrate - Like with any sport keeping hydrated is key bring a large bottle of water and keep it at the safe zone to drink between games or invest in a hydration pack for your equipment for quick relief between firefights.

So now what?

Have fun! Airsoft is a sport all about enjoyment so get out there and start shooting before you get shot and remember if you need any advice or just want to stock up on some essentials before your first game come over to Drapers Gun Centre Nottingham and ask to see our airsoft collection.

New Airsoft In Stock This Week!

Here at Drapers Gun Centre, as some of you might know already, we not only have a large airgun showroom but have recently expanded our Airsoft Showroom to include even more deals and guns for those looking to get into the hobby or to stock up before their next game. Here is just a small selection of what we’ve got this week.

Back in Stock - G&G Firehawk / ARP 9

Coming back into stock now we have a couple of fantastic guns from G&G the Firehawk and the ARP 9 both featuring a low profile look and excellent out of the box performance. Perfect for any CQB games as well as outdoor all you need now is a Dye Mask.

The Firehawk is offered in both a Two Tone Green and a UKARA Black and is compatible with standard M4 AEG Magazines. The ARP 9 comes in Two Tone Blue and UKARA Black with it’s own magazine of which we have both Hi Cap and Mid Cap variants, as well as a Drum Magazine if you’re wanting a mini support gun!

New In Stock - Two Tone Vorsk Split Slide Hi Capa

The already iconic look of the VORSK Hi-Capas, with their rail-cut outs and grooved top rail, leading to a reduced slide weight, excellent grip, snappy trigger response and memorable looks have been further advanced with the introduction of a split slide. The split slide design improves the performance levels of the Hi-Capa series by reducing the weight of the moving slide, which in-turn increases the trigger response. This comes into Drapers with a Two Tone Blue Slide out the box so can be purchased by anyone and sent right to your door!

New In Stock - S&T Lee Enfield Spring Rifle

Join the Front! With the brand new S&T Lee Enfield now in stock at Drapers Gun Centre with full metal and wood body this beast of history allows you to storm the trenches with ease and with its spring power there is no need to worry about batteries being charged or gas to refill.

All this and more can now be found on our website and in store! Make sure you keep a lookout at our airsoft sections and feel free to pop down and let us know what you’d like us to get in store. We're always looking for suggestions to expand our new airsoft range!

Hands on with the KLI Hi Capas

This week we thought we’d bring something a bit different. The brand new KLI Baba Yaga Hi Capa 4.5mm Pistol which bridges the gap between Airguns and Airsoft by being a Hi Capa pistol chambered in 4.5mm.

To those of you who are unaware of what a Hi Capa is and why they are so popular on the airsoft market, here's a quick trip back in time for you. Originally made by STI in the 90s the Hi Capa, then called a 2011, was supposed to be a modernized version of a 1911 featuring a double stack magazine allowing for more shots which would be used in competition shooting. This 2011 design even went so far as to be used by the American Delta Force for a short period of time. After this success it was natural for an Airsoft copy to be made and Tokyo Marui saw the potential of the large magazine to store plenty of Gas thus the Hi Capa was born. Fast forward to modern day and the Hi Capa has seen plenty of use in Airsoft as well as on screen being used in the hands of Kenau Reeves in the popular series John Wick which made this design even more popular.

Getting our hands on the KLI the gang here were immediately impressed by the build quality of the pistol and when firing how awesome the kick is making you really feel like a true assassin on the loose. The ability to add a suppressor was also a nice touch although much like other pistol replicas this was a 14mm CCW thread instead of the usual Half Inch UNF that we see on many airguns however there are plenty of good Airsoft Suppressors on the market that will dampen the sound but we would of really liked to see what the likes of a Weirauch XLK or even a 0DB Suppressor would have been like.

Overall the KLI Baba Yaga and other Hi Capa series offers a good feeling pistol with a fantastic kick and would make an excellent addition to any action movie buff or replica collectors arsenal

Drapers at the Shooting Show

As many of you have probably seen from our post Last Week Team Drapers went all out at the Shooting Show last Sunday. We saw a few familiar faces from the shop and it was lovely to meet you all as well as getting to know some of our suppliers so we thought we’d let you all know how our little trip went.

Starting on Saturday we closed up a little earlier than usual to make sure we all had enough time to get down to the show, the Team quickly getting changed out of their uniforms into something more show worthy. We sadly didn’t catch any of the show Saturday but arriving at the hotel we heard nothing but good things making us excited for the coming day. That night we went out for a meal with the folks at Sportsman Gun Centre, who had kindly offered to show us around their stall the next day. We all enjoyed some wonderful food, the lads a little annoyed at there being no ribs but quickly switched to burgers instead, and had some great conversation before retiring for the night.

Waking it up it was a quick hotel breakfast and then off to the show. Starting off we first made our way over to Edgar Brothers, as their wood panelled stall always stands out in a crowd, we were intrigued by their .22lr Rifles, specifically the GSG STG44 and Model 16 both of which offer a nice semi auto 22 at only a £450 price point. They also had a new model of the Hatsan Factor available with a shortened barrel which offered a large capacity and tactical stock for the same price as an entry level PCP, not a bad offering given the looks.

Moving on to what Sportsman had to offer and there was a lot. Given our current interest in shotguns as our licence changes over we all had a good look at the ATAs which we were absolutely shocked at the quality to price difference with these Turkish bad boys offering Italian Level Craftsmanship at American level pricing! Sportsman have even acquired CZ so the Czech are getting in on the action with lots of bolt actions on the way. Sportsman also revealed to us a new Pard Scope along with automatically upgrading the ones we already had on order to the new ones, talk about speed, meaning that Drapers Gun Centre will be among the first to see what this new 008 has to offer.

After talking with both Sportsman and Edgar Brothers we had a chance to wander around a bit for ourselves seeing what everyone else had on offer. BSA had once again put their historical foot forward showing off both the BSA of the past and the BSA of the future. We got a quick look at the new RAWS guns, the new breed of Theobens, definitely something to be on the lookout for those of you wanting to upgrade your old Rapid 7. Umarex had some interesting offers for those out there wanting accurate HK replicas with their blowback PSG1 being an almost exact copy of the real steel variant but at almost a 3rd of the cost of the real thing!

Finally we got to sample some of the smaller stalls, and their cakes!, before Josh had a go on the Tactical Training Scenario although he might need a few more tries to beat the top score. Overall we had a fantastic day out and hope you all did too and we can’t wait to see what next years British Shooting Show has to offer.

Great British Shooting Show

Here at Drapers Gun Centre we are all getting excited to be at the Great British Shooting Show this weekend, which you can catch us at on Sunday. We just love to see all the familiar faces coming together once again to celebrate this great hobby so we thought we’d tell you a little about what’s going on for those of you out of the loop.

What is the Great British Shooting Show?

As stated on their website the Great British Shooting Show is an opportunity to educate and inform. Everyone wants to keep the sport alive and this is an opportunity for all of us to become more knowledgeable on all the different aspects of shooting, helpful for us with our current move into Shotguns and Shotgun Cartridges!

It’s also a good opportunity to get out there and see what companies have on offer as the show offers a fantastic platform for companies to announce new products, just earlier this month we got to have a sneak peak at a new offering from Hawke so be sure to look out for their stall if you get the chance.

And finally it’s for conservation and inspiration with the BASC coming to the show there is an emphasis on wildlife preservation while we all enjoy the hunting side of shooting it is important for us to maintain a low impact on the environment and wildlife so that we can keeping shooting available not only for ourselves but also future generations of shooters.

Who’s going?

As we said earlier there are going to be lots of familiar faces at the show. Not only are all the regulars going to be there such as Hawke, Air Arms, BSA, Edgar Brothers, Elite Optical and so on but also the whole Drapers Team so don’t be afraid to say hi if you catch one of the lads drooling over what new Airsoft guns are coming out or Karen getting lost in a crowd!

We’re also looking forward to seeing those outside of the show having organized to meet up with the great people at Sportsman Gun Centre and John Rothery Wholesale and being able to have a chat and some food with like minded people at the event.

Most importantly we’re also looking forward to seeing you our customers, some of which we know are going and others going to be a friendly surprise, not only on the Sunday when we’re there but also on the Saturday for those of you coming round our way before or after the show since we’re still open usual hours.

For those who can’t make it

For those who can’t make it, we are sorry to miss you but we have some good news! As part of Team Drapers going to the Great British Shooting Show we will be filming and picturing the whole of Sunday to really give you the highlights of what went on, and be sure to keep an eye out on the video side for some fun secrets coming later in the year…

Finally we’d like to thank everyone who has already gone to the Great British Shooting Show not only as fans of shooting but also suppliers, shops and friends we’re all looking forward to going here at Drapers Gun Centre and can’t wait to see what’s next.

New for 2022.

Exciting times ahead! Here at Drapers Gun Center we have got an amazing Year in front of us, this year we have got many changes in the pipeline all for the benefit of you guys out there.

So what are we up to?

Shot Guns and Ammunition

Coming soon we are changing our registered firearms license to incorporate the ability to sell Shotguns and Shotgun shells of different gauges to suit, as you may be aware from our previous Blog the Drapers team visited the Lyalvale Shotgun shell factory, this was to experience the making of the shells along side giving our team some valuable hands on knowledge in preparation for when our customers visit or call the shop, in order to assist in any queries or sales to make the transition smooth and pleasant.

We cannot wait to be making our first order and to get things moving and growing in the area of Shotguns, We are currently making provisions for our “classic room” to incorporate a full range of Shotguns that customers will be able to come in store to view, and providing you have the correct up to date license required, purchase.

Keep an eye out on our Website/Blogs/Facebook/Twitter/instagram for up to date news on this great new venture!

Website

Next to change this year is the website, the Drapers team have worked extremely hard to come up with a brand new layout, new ideas, easier access, to make the website a much better experience and more user friendly, including up to date stock information, new and exciting offers, easier ways to shop through the website itself.

We here at Drapers are aware of the ever changing internet needs and feel now is the right time to get fully up to speed.

Utilizing outside agencies we have spent months preparing and going over ideas and readdressing issues we feel can and may have caused customers and staff problems with purchasing online and hope to eliminate a lot of these to make your experience with Drapers through our website be taken to a whole new level.

Airsoft

As some of you may already be aware in the last year or so Drapers has expanded into Airsoft, we will be expanding this even further over the coming months, We will be actively advertising and adding to our current stock and welcome feedback from fellow airsofters should you visit the shop, The gents here at Drapers currently attend regular Airsoft Games and have an extremely good level of knowledge and experience, whether to just have a good chat over new or existing Airsoft equipment or to guide any new starter on the best route to take or practical Equipment needed to start you off on this exciting sport.

Airsoft the Law and You

Since officially opening up our Airsoft section last year we are often asked why so many of the guns we stock are Red, Blue or Green especially by those used to Airguns. Here at Drapers Gun Centre we want to expand into all different forms of shooting while making sure our current customer base can also enjoy all that it brings along with us, to help with this we've listed a few common questions we often get asked about our Airsoft section.

How are Airsoft Guns Powered?

Unlike Airguns, Airsoft guns are powered through a few different means. While there is the standard Spring, CO2 and Compressed Air like Airguns, many Airsoft guns are powered by Green Gas, or Red Gas in the colder months, this works much like CO2 but is usually filled in the bottom of the magazine in a similar fashion to a standard butane lighter. Another common method of powering Airsoft Guns is AEG or Airsoft Electric Guns these run off of Battery Power commonly 7.4v Lipos, these batteries are fixed to the gun with either a Tamiya or Deans connection (It is important to know which batteries your rifle takes before purchasing an AEG as many higher end guns will not be supplied with their own).

Why Two-Tone?

According to the Violent Crime Reduction Act of 2006 (VCRA) any Realistic Imitation Firearm can only be sold to those with the appropriate licence such as a UKARA licence but don’t worry for those of you that are not planning on getting a UKARA or wish to buy your own airsoft guns before getting a UKARA any Imitation Firearm that has at least 51% of it coloured a “Non-Gun” colour (aka transparent, bright red, bright orange, bright yellow, bright blue, bright green, bright pink, or bright purple). Here at Drapers Gun Centre we offer a wide range of Two Tone or Non UKARA Airsoft Guns from Pistols to Rifles, and for those of you wanting to get into skirmishing don’t be afraid Two Tone does not always mean back garden plinking with many of our offerings being available in both Two Tone and Real Steel colours.

What is a UKARA Licence?

A UKARA Licence is The United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association, it was formed in response to the 2006 Violent Crime Reduction bill to enable a safe method of selling Realistic Imitation Firearms (RiF's) to the UK Airsoft player market by confirming the eligibility of purchasers. Player registration is free, to become a registered airsoft player you are required to take part in Three games at the same UKARA registered game site over a minimum of two months, e.g. the third game being 56 days or more after the first.

You must be over 18 years of age, live within the UK and able to provide identification such as Passport, Drivers Licence or Bank Statement.

Is there a power limit?

Unlike Airguns, Airsoft guns measure their power in FPS and Joules rather than Foot Pounds. Their legality can change from skirmish site to skirmish site and while the limit for an automatic is 1.3 Joules and 2.5 for everything else each skirmish site will set their own limits. Most sites will limit AEGs to 150 FPS , DMRs to 300 FPS , Snipers to 500 FPS but this can vary.

We hope this week's post has been able to answer a few of the more common questions that we get here at Drapers Gun Centre but if you do have a question about Airsoft that wasn’t covered don’t hesitate to phone up or ask one of our friendly staff members in store.