Well, you've finally decided that you want to buy a GBB. But you have no clue what to get! Hopefully this guide will help you pick out one that will actually serve you well for a while....

First, let me say buying a gun based on metal content is the worst mistake you can make. It's widely known that the best GBB manufacturers use primarily plastic, with some metal. However, the plastic is such high quality it's difficult to distinguish it from metal. Back to the guide....

Step #1- Choosing A Price Range

Obviously you have to buy a GBB within a reasonable price range. As a general rule of thumb, spend as much as you can. There isn't such a thing as to high quality of a gun.

$60-$80 (HFC, KJW, WE, KWC)
$80-$100 (KWA, Maruzen)
$100-$140 (KWA, Maruzen, KSC, TM, WA, Tanaka, Marushin)
$140-$200 (Tanio Koba, KSC, TM, WA, Tanaka, Marushin)
$200+ (Tanaka, Tanio Kaba, WA, Custom Dealer Guns)

Step #2- Selecting A Model

Hopefully you've chosen a price range. Now on to the looks. There might be a model that you like the looks of, such as the Desert Eagle. Now's the time to choose it. Some common models-

Desert Eagle (KWC, TM)
UZI (WA, KWC)
1911, Hi-Capa, etc. (WA, TM, KSC, KWA)
GLOCK's (KSC, KWA, TM)
USP (KWA, KSC, Tanaka)

Step #3- Choosing A Manufacturer

The final step is choosing the maker of your gun. For the most part, you'll probably end up with a either a TM or similar, but do not rule out makers such as WA and Tanaka. Be aware that some manufacturers make excellent guns for the most part, but have a particular model that is lacking. Take KSC, for example. Their GLOCK line is amazing, but their 1911's leave much to be desired.

(OPTIONAL) Step #1.5- Choosing Performance and Attributes

Perhaps you want a gun with particular performance attributes, such as a good racer. Be sure to choose this before the model, as some types of gun's designs do not allow for good performance.

Racing Abilities (TM Hi-Capa, WA Infinity)
High FPS (KWC UZI, KWC Desert Eagle)
High Accuracy (TM Hi-Capa, WA Infinity, KSC/KWA USP)
Fully-Automatic (KWA/KSC G18C, G23F, G26C, WA Prokiller Series, KWC UZI, WA Mini UZI)
High Upgrade Potential (KSC/KWA GLOCK Series, Tm Hi-Capa, WA Infinity, WA 1911)

This post has been edited by 44_Magnum: Apr 28 2007, 08:02 PM

This is a very good start 44M. If you don't mind I would like to suggest a couple more selection factors.

One thing to consider is, does the gun fit your hand? For those with smallish hands like me not every model of GBB will be a good match. And likewise some have large hands and the smaller Glocks might not be a good choice.

Also, when picking a style of gun for the sake of looks one is not limited to just replicas of real steel. There are some fiction inspired pistols out there too. And some manufacturers have put their own visual spin on a line of guns for the sake of originality and coolness.

You may also want to consider upgradability when picking a GBB. Some models and brands have more available after market parts than others.

which gun is the best value for the money? I don't mind spending money, but I don't want to be spending it on something that must be upgraded or needs to be fixed etc etc.

any help?

Tokyo Marui Hicapa or Tokyo Marui 1911. Amazing guns.

these are both good guns but I think the 1911 is better and more reliable

^ How so?
They have VERY similar internals.

This topic needs to be updated..

With what?


I can't edit it any more, even though I see grammatical errors.

Add P226, make a seperate section for 2011s.

I'm sorry for asking this, but whats racing?

Not literally racing guns, like putting them in cars and VROOM VROOM. Practical Shooting [racing] is when you shoot x amount of targets in x amount of seconds. The best hits with the best time wins. If you search IPSC on YouTube, you will find many results showing what this is.

I have never owned a revolver would anyone tell me if any of these are worth the money because I can think of many other guns to save up for.

I LOVE the look of this:

http://www.redwolfairsoft.com/redwolf/airs...il?prodID=22239

This seems like it has good performance:

http://www.redwolfairsoft.com/redwolf/airs...il?prodID=23314

I like this one but I don't know if it's better than the first:

http://www.redwolfairsoft.com/redwolf/airs...il?prodID=19017

The Tanaka revolvers are very reliable and strong. If you want accuracy, you would want the revolver with the longer barrel. Revolvers are NBB pistols, so for someone who likes the recoil of a GBB, a revolver might not be right for you.

Honestly, you'll have to try one out for yourself to see if you like it. I bought a Tanaka Smython 6" a while back and I liked it. But when it's compared to my GBBs, it's just not as fun.

Pros:
Collector's item
Looks cool

Cons:
No recoil
Reloading time
Lightweight (unless it's made from heavyweight material)
Accuracy (unless the barrel is long)
Not a lot of upgrades

The revolvers also only hold eight rounds I believe. I purchased the TM Hi-Capa 4.3 Dual not too long ago and I love it, but now I'm looking for yet another GBB sidearm. Specifically a Glock. Any suggestions on which model/brand I should consider??

The Tanaka revolvers can hold up to 14-16 rounds, I don't remember exactly, but it's more than 8 rounds.

The KSC Glocks are pretty good, and I have heard decent things about the TM Glock 17 as well. The KSC has more models to chose from, G17, G18c, G19, G23F, G26, G26c (The 18c, 23F, and 26c have full auto capabilities) The TM has the 17, 26, 26 advanced.

http://www.defconairsoft.co.uk/reviews/ksc...17vsmarui17.htm

I never owned a TM GLock, probably never will. I love the KSC G19 because it has a heavyweight frame and is heavier than the KSC G17 even though it's smaller.

Thanks imphranki, helped me a lot! I'm definitely getting the KSC G18c now.

Yeah, I was about to say KSC is good.

Redwolfairsoft provides you with info about the gun such as magazine capacity so that's not a problem.

Still-the prices are inaccurate and many models are missing. Specifically, I couldn't believe the m9 wasn't mentioned at all. don't get me wrong, its well done, but it could be updated.

Still-the prices are inaccurate and many models are missing. Specifically, I couldn't believe the m9 wasn't mentioned at all. don't get me wrong, its well done, but it could be updated.