I’ve joined an airsoft group in one of their games. One of my friends lent me his gear. Because I enjoyed the game so much, I’d like to start buying my own gear. My friend has been in it for a long time. And, his guns are really cool. Unfortunately they are very expensive. Can you help me find some cheap BB guns? I’ve seen a lot of cheap BB guns online but I don’t which one I should get. The prices are too good to be true. I’m afraid of getting a BB gun that I would not be able to use.

The prices of airsoft guns can be very intimidating. Sometimes, they are even as expensive as the real deal. Getting your first airsoft gun doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg though. There are a lot of cheap BB guns in the market. Most of these are manufactured in China. These low-end guns are lesser than $100. Unfortunately, they are not known for their durability. You may only be able to use them for two years.

Because the Both Elephant Steyr Aug can easily be upgraded to a respectable skirmish level, a lot of ACM (All-China Made) users love this gun. The disadvantage of buying this gun is that it is made of plastic and you may end up spending more for the upgrade. You also need to buy a set of high-capacity batteries to support this upgrade.

Of course, there are other cheap BB guns in the market. Buying something slightly more expensive like a Well R5 which has a metal gearbox would be a good idea. The problem with this gun is that it may not work well the first time you use it. Sometimes, you need to remove and reinstall the selector switch. An advantage of getting this gun is that it comes with extra stuff like a flashlight and red-dot reflex sight. The quality of the plastic used for the body of the gun is better than that of the BE Steyr Aug. At $100, this can be a good first gun.

If you think you’d like to invest on something better like a Tokyo Marui or a Classical Army, you may want to check out some forums online. You may find some enthusiasts who would like to trade up for a more recent model and you could get a second-hand high-end gun at a cheaper price. The good thing about getting second hand guns is that most of them have already been dressed up and upgraded. You’ll need to check the gun’s condition though. Perhaps you can ask your friend to help you examine the gun.

Remember that a gun is not the only investment you should make if you plan to play airsoft games as a hobby. You should consider getting some safety gear that would protect you from hits. At 650 fps, the light plastic balls can cause some bleeding.