wanting to start up.

[James West]

ive been in Korea for about a month and wanted to start up airsoft again but obviously all my gear is in the states. As far as ive read there isnt a snowballs chance of me getting any guns from the retailers i usually buy from. or for that matter getting the license to get them. The only problem after that is that I cant read or navigate the websites for the Korean distributors. Im positive there are about a thousand work arounds for my problems, and that im not the first or last to gripe about them.
so down to buisness i need some guns, boots, and a mask. i cant access the buy and sell page till i play a game or two and i cant play till i have some gear.
Also i have never played with a group that forced a dress code (i.e. military issued stuff, or theme dress/gear). Is that a requirement or just for fun?
thats it i suppose. basic beginners stuff. Thanks in advance for the help.

[krobinson103]

Welcome and thanks for posting :)

I'll answer your questions as you posted them:

1) The best way to get clothes and boots is to use the web. As you say, Korean is difficult. Come to a game and someone will surely agree to help you on that one. There are lots of spare masks so you are good to just play for a few games
2) Guns... A problem at the moment. Maybe we can get them. They do come up second hand sometimes and they are easy to buy online. The problem is that the police had raided a few online retailers for selling illegal guns (over 300fps) so supplies are limited right now.
3) The uniform? Korean teams are very image orientated. We have a uniform for a number of reasons. To get credibility with the locals, to make the game more fun, and because its easier to hide in the bush if you wear the right gear. You can wear any pattern
you choose, but I would suggest multicam as it works very well in Korea in just about all seasons. That being said, no one will stop you from playing in jeans if you don't mind being shot twice as often as anyone else :P

We're working on finding some second hand guns on the local websites. You can buy a gun online, but the risk may not be worth it right now. Go to a shop and pay cash for a Marui. I know thats the expensive way to go. Its also the easiest. The limit here is 300fps and any
Chinese gun you may buy will shoot faster than that and need to have a sprnig change. I for one hate to open a brand new gun. I say it again... pay the dollars, get a marui and don't change anything internally. You will have a gun that lasts years. I can tell you where a few shops
are if you want to go shopping. :)

[James West]

yeah i suppose if i do buy it personally i do get to play with it right away lol. ill still have to wait for the boots though. as far as ive seen they wont stock size 11 in korean stores.

ive had my eye on one of the Marui Mp5s for a while now and that was going to be my choice.
if you dont mind i really would like a list of stores around Seoul so i can go do some price comparisons and such.

what is the currently accepted uniform exactly? i would expect woodland digicamo to be popular.

also ive seen a few mentions of radios on the site. ive never used one. they arent required are they?
Thanks again.

[krobinson103]

They have size 11 boots online on Gmarket. They go up to size 11 as far as I remember. The preferred uniform would be basic multicam pants, shirt, and a boonie hat. You can add a vest or toys if you want. You will need some way to carry extra ammo so a vest or harness system is useful. You can get away with just a cheap $5 pouch from the discount store if you don't care about the 'look'.

Woodland and Marpat are popular, but every man and his dog has it. When we divide the teams at a large game it always goes by uniform and if you had a woodland or acu etc then you are likely to be on the enemy team. Thus we try and wear the same pattern. I have 2. I have DPM New Zealand style with a harness style rig for ammo pouches, and a multicam rig with a range vest. I always wear my pistol belt with lots of pouches for mags, batteries etc. I find that putting your stores around your waist is better as you can move freely without anything on your chest.

Radios. I would consider a radio to essential if you want to play on the team. Almost everyone has them and we use them a lot. They are very useful to inform your team of what is happening to you, and to find out what is happening to others. Thus we can co-ordinate our efforts and... win. They cost no more than 60,000 won and are one of the best things you can buy short of a good gun. Just make sure you get a headset of some sort so you the radio doesn't give away your position.

You may find that an mp5 as a main weapon against the longer m4,g36,aug,sniper, and machines guns will put you and a i disadvantage in terms of range and ammo. The hicap of an mp5 holds around 150 rounds. The average hicap is about 300-600 and many people here carry box mags holding several thousand or more. Thats just the way the game is played here. Lots and lots of bbs with silly rates of fire. Also at 300fps people don't call hits as much so you will find you need to shoot more.

You can buy just what you need and get the other things (or not) later. But a basic bdu, radio, gun, and eye protection should be first on your list. The easiest place to go shopping for guns is Yongsan station. Go to the big ET land building and go to the 5th? floor. There are some hobby shops and cinema. There is also a gun store. They have mainly pistols, but I'm sure you could get an AEG if you asked. They don't speak english very well.

[James West]

ah well then ill have to ask about which type of radio and for the specifics. im not too savy with large group tactics so when i get to play it will be a new kind of fun lol. I suppose there are pics of the gear on the site somewhere. other than that i suppose ill google surf to find what i need.

[Serran]

Though the downsides of the MP5 do make it a less popular choice, there are several people who use them effectively out here. The only main problem with the MP5 is the magazine capacity, but if you don't mind carrying a lot of magazines it's not really a tactical problem. Most MP5s will fire off all 150rnds in one wind, which will mean you do not need to buy midcaps for any midcap games we decide to play, and unless you plan on suppressive fire with an MP5 the 300-600 rnd hicaps that other weapons have are not that big of a deal. I personally rarely use even one hicap full of ammo in a game. All depends on your playing style and how trigger happy you are. If you find you like to hose people with rounds the MP5 is not for you... if you like having a light and mobile weapon and fire at only things you can hit, an MP5 would be perfectly fine.

I personally prefer light weapons I can move with, or sheer firepower. MP5s, P90s, or SAWs are my choices. The middle ground of the M4s and AKs are not my thing.

[Righteous]

TM has a new 400 round drum magazine for their MP5s.

[krobinson103]

Any FRS radio will be fine. Just go to Yongsan and find one you like.

[James West]

that is good news. im a skinny guy and i rather liked using smaller weapons because they games i played in the states were highly mobile and the tree cover was usually pretty thin. my line-backer sized friends hated that i could hide but they couldn't. i may just pick up the biggest hicap i can find or just a few of the smaller ones and stick to semi auto. ill see when i get to the store. i may find a different gun i like better.
by chance how many batteries do you guys go through on a usual day out? should i grab a second?

[krobinson103]

In winter the batteries don't work as well as they should. Expect to need an extra or two. That or just buy a 7.2v lipol and it will last the whole day with change :)