Buying Airsoft - Q&A

Look, we've seen people come into their first game carrying brand new sniper rifles, perhaps thinking they're going to score a lot of hits without getting hit. Unfortunately, airsoft sniping requires a lot of skill AND a significant investment in hardware to get that performance.
The advantage to renting and playing a few games is it will let you figure out your style. Once you have a few games under your belt, that's when you can begin to make intelligent decisions about the guns that suit YOU.
If you’re a rusher, a long rifle won’t be your best choice. You might prefer the smaller form of a sub-machine gun, like an MP5, or short-barrelled AK/M4. The aforementioned are also good choices for quick, intense, close quarters battles (CQB).
Maybe you’re the more cerebral player - preferring to hide and patiently compose each shot? Maybe a better choice now could be a sniper rifle or multi-scenario designated marksman rifle (DMR).
It’s really important at this stage to not lock yourself into a style you think you might like. Play different roles, ask other players, then handle a few different builds to see what actually suits the way you like to play.

AEG
The most common type of airsoft you’ll see are the battery-powered rifles (AEG). These are the USB of the airsoft world where all you do is plug and play using a charged battery. Typically you will get better trigger response and decent rate of fire with 11.1v lithium-polymer batteries. A well-tuned AEG will provide years of use and great performance on the field while supporting a "grab and go" lifestyle.
Common selection here is usually an M4 or AK style - which is a good thing! M4/AK mags are plentiful in the market place and it's easy to swap mags with teammates when needed. More esoteric platforms mean you can't expect to find a lot of magazines available and they could be more expensive.

GAS/CO2
The next type is gas, either blended propane (green gas) or CO2. These are most commonly seen in sidearms like pistols and SMGs. These tend to be more realistic and feature a blowback so they have a “kick”. Gas rifles are less common on the field, but still feature blowback - and require regular maintenance. Where you can easily have more than 100 bbs in an AEG magazine, gas magazines are quite costly and might hold 30 bbs - or less if a pistol magazine. It’s not impossible to skirmish with a gas rifle, but you will need at least 4 magazines to support reloads in the field - definitely add this to operating cost!! Hey, I’m not trying to put you off gas rifles, I prefer gas for the realism myself, but I wanted you to be aware this is a serious decision.

Sniper
Department stores might carry a type of airsoft we call a “springer.” These are typically extremely low end, clear plastic, single shot, guns. So why would I mention springers? Easy, if you’re levelled up to a sniper rifle it’s most likely going to be a single-shot, bolt-action, that compresses… a spring!!!
Not all are this way, of course, as you can buy gas snipers and AEG snipers as well. A lot of folks think they will prefer the "one shot, one kill" world of the greatest combat marksmen - but THIS IS AIRSOFT!!! You are lucky to get 300 feet before any gentle breeze pushes your bb well off course.
As I said earlier, you should play a few games, figure out a style that suits you BEFORE deciding to go down this road. Hang out with the local snipers, act as a spotter/defender, then jump in!!

HPA
Finally we come to high pressure air (HPA). These are the top of the line airsoft guns with tech borrowed from nasty, yucky paintball. Power for these mechanically simple guns is supplied by a tank of air - either as part of the butt/buffer tube, or a tank you carry on your back. You're able to “dial in” your power without having to change springs, upgrade compression parts, buy a new motor... Of course, these are the extreme top end with component pricing to match, but members of the HPA Master Race say they really enjoy the way they cheat. Ha ha ha. All kidding aside, it comes down to how you feel about realism in your play, your budget, and carrying a tank of air on your back.
NOTE; Not all fields have compressed gas to refill your tanks, but the community of HPA nuts look after their own.

This is what you ALWAYS get when you go onto a forum asking, “What should I buy?”
Everybody has an opinion and after you’ve read through those thousand-line comment threads, you're more baffled than when you actually started reading!!
I've been there and I hope I’ve given you some thinking points prior to this and can only say what I know. There are many factors in play with every purchase decision - do you like the look? What's the quality of internals? Material durability? Construction quality? Are you prepared to invest in upgrades?
Here's the thing, no bullshit, each brand has pluses and minuses at different price points. At the $500+ level in an AEG you should expect great performance with an 11.1v LiPo out of the box. At this price point you should have a gun that's solid and performs well without upgrades.
However, below that price, each brand cuts corners. They have to find a way to give customers "reasonable" performance, but something has to give to get that price.
Lower grade materials translate to a lower price. That's why claims a $200 gun might perform like a $1,000 gun are truer than you think - for maybe two minutes.
You cannot get performance without paying a premium.
That being said, I cannot jump on any brand's bandwagon because they're all good at the higher price points.
But I will leave you with this thought; No matter which brand you choose, rely on your tech to optimize its performance. Did I say tech? Listen, no matter what brand you buy, your tech will make it sing.

I hope I've given you some good thinking points throughout this document. Feel free to contact me if you have questions, or disagree with anything I've written.
Now have fun playing!!