Noob questions rd. 2: the cheapskatening

[Skytorn]

Alright, so I did a bit more lurking and saw a post in the general guns discussion claiming that a decent starter gun for a beginner should cost around $400.

FOUR HUNDRED? Really?

This has gotten me curious, though! Veterans, how much was your first gun, as your initial purchase for serious airsoft? I imagine no one shelled out for a $500 CA straight away...

How much was it with all the aftermarket upgrades you made down the line?

Thanks!

[Disco_Dante]

$300 TM mp5k

[Skruface]

$670 for an all-plastic Tokyo Marui AK47 with no accessories...back in 1998? I still have it, and it still runs like a champ 150K+ rounds later - I've only ever opened the mechbox once, many years ago, and installed about $200 worth of performance parts, including a tightbore barrel. Don't think you can say that about too many Chinese cloned guns....

A decent, used gun will cost you $400, or thereabouts. A new one is closer to $500-$600, depending on brand and model. Of course, I'm only speaking about quality guns (TM, G&P, STAR/ARES, VFC). If you're looking at overseas/US prices for CYMA or Kalash/D-Boys guns, multiply them by X2.5 or X3 and you'll be in the ballpark of what you'll pay in Canada. That $150 CYMA gun will cost you $400 here....

FWIW, I have half a dozen guns that were over $1K each to build.

Were they worth it? That depends on how you look at it; I bought only top-of-the-line parts, learned to build guns properly from a number of individuals, and I know that when I go out to the field, my guns will fire accurately every single time I pull the trigger. Reliability is worth it's weight in gold to me.

[Forever_kaos]

$700-800 on my AK when all was said and done.

You can totally buy something cheaper, I had a Dboys AKS-74 I bought for $350 shipped, I switched out the hopup rubber ($10) and she was golden.
I regret selling her that's for sure.

All depends what you are looking for. Treat it well and it should do the same.

[fi3re]

400 for a TM MP5k pdw with a crapload of good accessories.

If you're patient and willing to spend some time fishing around you can get very good deals.

[J-Man19]

$350 stock TM commando back in....2005

[GBear]

$600+ on my VFC SCAR-L

[skalnok]

600 on a stock CA g36k (Prometheus barrel ) and then 900 on a fully upgraded CA g36.

so youre right i never spent 500 on a brand new CA :P i spent more.

[Thenooblord]

$30 walmart springer ;p
I would have gotten something better, BUT I still lived with my parents back then, and my dad didn't like guns, so I had to slowly move up to more realistic guns, starting with clear shitsoft

my first real gun was an Echo1 G36C for $225, that thing was great

[L473ncy]

About $550 once the smoke cleared. However I went the buy a "decent" gun first route (nothing like cheapo JG's back in the day but more similar to something of slightly higher quality but definitely not CA or TM or anything like that) and it's still going strong.

[ratnest]

300 for a jg, plus another 150for optics, sights and a front end.

[Doc]

$600 - TM M14 Socom, back about 4 years ago when they first came out, opened the gearbox once to replace a tappet plate (v7, pain in the ass), sold it about 2 years ago for almost the same amount of $

[Slow]

$400 g&g mp5-a5
Then spent another $60 to get the piston replace and to figure out why Trigger Assembly wasn't working.

[burningashes]

$300 Classic Army Sportline M4.

[Daiviet]

$450, Toyko Marui P90. Don't buy cheap shit to begin with. Buy cheap, buy twice.