Hello readers! Today's topic is the age-old question: is it better to buy something outright or build it? This question can be asked in many hobbies, particularly one that allows for vast customization of equipment or hardware. Airsoft is no different; you can easily go down the rabbit hole and spend a lot of money without realizing it.
First of all, if you were to come into our store today, we'd get to talking, and we'd probably ask you more about your player background and then start going into what you are looking for. If this is your first time playing, whether you have a ton of money to spend or not, do you have any experience with airsoft guns at all? Some players might not, and it can be very hard to justify spending $300 or $3000 if you need to know what meaningful difference it will make. Imagine trying pizza for the first time and you get lucky. Your first one was good, but your friends tell you there are better brands. Sure, there will be a difference, but if you have never tried it, you won't know. Our philosophy at Fox is not to sell you something just to get a sale but to get you what works for your needs. If you have a bad experience, you won't want to come back to us, or you will develop a negative feeling about the sport, and we don't ever want that. To get to that we must determine your needs and give you a realistic idea of what you are getting.
And that's another important thing. If your expectations are unrealistic because your experience is only second hand (watching YouTube), you may be in for disappointment. Performance between airsoft guns can be anywhere from marginal to big but you have to know what to look for. This is where I recommend that new players rent a few times before taking a big plunge. Once you get an idea of what a stock-level gun performs like, you can decide on your gun purchase and the route you want to take. If you understand this, your upgrades will feel more satisfying and worth the money.
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Now comes gun selection. Do you get a Sportline gun or a Proline gun? Are you going to modify it? Though proline guns tend to have better parts, the higher cost usually comes from the higher quality external components in the way of metal bodies, rail systems, and higher overall fit and finish. The performance as far as raw fps may be the same if not better than comparable Sportlines, but most guns are built for outdoor or indoor standards of FPS and you do not need a ton of upgrades to make it shoot hard. A proline's "nicer" parts will equate to better efficiency, faster trigger response, smoothness in function, and better quality control.
So, if Sportline guns shoot nearly the same, can we upgrade that? You sure can! For some players, the metal body is not a deal breaker. In fact, some players who prefer to keep weight down may throw money at upgrades for a Sportline gun better. That could be a great route to explore.
When someone wants to talk about upgrades, my main questions are: what is your gun doing/or not doing, and what do you want to improve? Then we go from there. Then, we can delve into budgets and what you want to achieve. For some people, if it's about maximizing their dollars, I recommend modifications that increase efficiency and do little to sacrifice durability. If you are upgrading your gun to shoot harder, remember that overall longevity will come into question because you are putting more stress on the internal parts. Some people want to maximize performance as much as possible regardless of whether the extra expense is worth the marginal gain. My advice is to change based on your needs, and then I will begin recommending everything you could do to gain that edge from your gun.
Now, there are some guns and brands that are touting to be the ultimate in built-up guns out of the box that do not come from a traditional brand. Some people have asked us if those are much better than a high-end rifle that a traditional retailer might sell. I think Jonathan from Airsoftology echoes my sentiments well and delivers realistic expectations to potential buyers. Guns like that push the edge of what you can do but are going to be less durable than a regular gun. High performance custom built guns go down all the time, and for people to maintain that high level of performance, there is a short window of service life before you have to get the thing rebuilt again. This is what owning a hot-rodded gun is like. You might not be satisfied if you get frustrated or want a simple, turnkey solution.
Used guns are also an option, though it has many pitfalls. If you picked up a gently used gun, it would work out great for you. If you pick up a gun that has been jerry-rigged together or is full of gremlins, you are in for some headaches. Buying something with the idea that hiring someone will fix it for you will make that deal not so good. If you are an expert tech, you will know exactly what a good deal is, and fixing those guns will be worth it!
The safest route for your wallet, if you yourself are not tech savvy, is to get something great to start with and have fun with it for a while and upgrade or replace it when your needs are not being met. But if you are itching to spend the cash and you've already been running your gear for quite a bit, treating yourself to a well-tuned machine will bring you great satisfaction. Whatever route you pick, we offer it all, so keep us in mind for your next project!
