Bounce Back to Airsoft Budget Busting Tips

Bounce Back to Airsoft Budget Busting Tips

Words Jason Green
The right tools in the right place for the right job

Intro
Having the right tools for the right job is an essential part of Airsoft Skirmishing. Relying on products that won't let you down when you need them the most means that you have to shop wisely. This can be a pain as you'll troll through loads of information to find the right tool for the right job at the best price. Let Ai take all of the legwork away for you as we highlight what we consider to be some of the very best tools that any discerning Airsofter should have in their gear locker at some of the best prices we could find.

Standfirst
We should have been at the War and Peace show right about now, but sadly the show is yet another victim of COVID 19. However, looking back through the archives, it suddenly dawned on me that we have been missing a trick or two. Every year we exhibited at the War and Peace show our "Young Gun " at the time- he's not so young now, was given £200 to find a fictional loadout, which over the years became better known as the Beltring Bargen Hunt! Of course, sadly we can't do that this year, but the spirit lives on in this article that we have aptly named “Bounce Back to Airsoft” where I go foraging for gear and put together a loadout for £200 or less.

Sounds like a plan
You’ve got to have a plan right? You would think, so my plan was to consult our seasoned expert and take some advice... Yeah right, the email from CJ read "Start at the beginning and finish at the end and don't forget to haggle!"So with those words of wisdom ringing in my ears, I decided to go with my own plan, but before I start, I wanted to talk about Military Surplus. We all know that the War and Peace show is synonymous the world over for Military surplus, you can buy anything from a WWI Tank to a Uniform button. What is good to know is how the Military surplus world grades an item as this would come in very handy as I would be putting my "haggling skills to the test on a very well known auction site.
New – Item is unissued and unused.
Super Grade – Item has been issued, but is like new with little or no use.
Grade 1 – Item is issued and or used, but in good or serviceable condition (may contain minor professional repairs).
Grade 2 – will need repair.
eBay merchants follow the same grading principle, so it's very easy for you to find what you are looking for, but it's a sterile process to say the least, but can become quite addictive. Just remember not to bid on too many auctions for the same bit of kit, because you might find yourself with far more than you anticipated.

From Head to Toe
Building your Vest I'm going to approach this from the point of view that you already have the basics – face pro, gloves and boots so what I will be adding to my pay cart is a vest, uniform, belt, pouches and holster.
The first and most expensive piece of kit you're going to need is some form of vest/plate carrier. For me, that was the first easy choice.

Viper Tactical have really stepped up their game, which is now evident in their latest product ranges – Viper Tactical Elite and VX. The VX Buckle Up Carrier Gen 2 is quite frankly a stunning piece of kit at a very affordable price. Admittedly I'm going to blow a good chunk of my budget here, but the quality and appearance of this modular vest will match anything on the market and save me having to replace it in years to come.

The vest is designed to carry a variety of VX System and MOLLE compatible accessories, which would have been easy and also cost-effective to use, but where is the fun in that. With quick-release buckles throughout as well as multiple hook and loop panels, you can create a unique set up that's right for you. You will want a hard-working vest that won't fail or fray, I'd go as far as to say that the right vest can last you a lifetime, so shopping wisely here will ultimately save you a fortune not only compared to more expensive examples that let's face it will do the same thing. In reality, I'm going to blow most of my modest budget on Nylon gear as I'm going to need pouches and some form of a tactical belt, not to mention a holster.
Pouch placement is a personal thing when it comes to building your plate carrier, that's why there are so many choices on the market, but for me, my saviour came in the form of the Spanish Gear company TMC. They have a huge selection of gear to choose from, which is all available from many merchants on eBay at various price points, but I was super happy to win several auctions at knockdown prices for some of their quality gear.

Here's a top tip for you, look for the merchants that offer FREE postage and that have a lot of auctions going on- there are a number to choose from, but at the same time its well worth looking at the second-hand market. Decide what you want and the budget you want to spend. For instance, I was eyeing up one of their Tactical Strike Double Mag Pouches that usually retails for £22.00. I found a hardly used example for £12.00 – that's almost half price and a major win for my budget. I then came across an unbranded "Fats Mag" made of high-density polymer; they are quick and easy to install and perfect at £9.00.
I reverted back to Viper Tactical to aid me in securing my pistol mags in the shape of their excellent elasticated Mag Plate range of pouches. They are pretty much a universal low profile pistol magazine holder. I'm not that big a fan of carrying too much gear onto the skirmish field, so when it came to Utility pouches, I'm not greedy or swayed by mega brands and the mega price tags. I found two different sized used utility pouches on sale by the same owner for £12 – that's a bargain in any currency. When they arrived despite the seller saying they were unbranded to my surprise one was a Direct Action Pouch Mil Tech made the other, they normally retail for around £30 per pouch – result!
I've surprised myself I've managed to get a killer vest with all of the pouches I'll need for the princely sum of £115. Now that's not bad going, but it does leave me tight on the remainder of my shopping list, let's see how I get on
.

Shopping list

Viper Tactical VX Buckle Up Carrier Gen 2 £73.00
TMC Tactical Strike Double Mag Pouch £12.00
Unbranded high-density polymer Fast Mag £9.00
Viper double Mag Plate pistol mag pouch £9.00
Utility pouches x 2 £12.00

Total £115.00

Gun Belt
This was going to be a tricky one, not so much the belt itself, but the holster. I'm not going to lie; I could not see myself hitting that £200 target, but then one of the guys in the office suggested I take a look at the holsters at Taiwan Gun. Bingo! their prices are crazy cheap starting from around £4.00, the most expensive was £12.00.
I went for a mid-price point Glock holster at £6.25, Whilst this was all going on I had a bid on an auction for a Riggers belt that had reached £3, which is what I paid as yet again I managed to win the auction. Used but not abused was the description. When it arrived, it looked like there had been very little use at all, the sizing was a bit too big for me as a Medium, but that was soon resolved with minor adjustments.

Shopping list
Riggers Belt £3.00
Unbranded Polymer Holster £6.25

Clothing
This was a “Slam Dunk” easy I have £76.00ish left to get the clothing part of this challenge nailed. eBay is littered with all sorts of Multicam gear at all sorts of prices ranging from new to Super Grade, which is the lowest grade I would personally go to when buying military clothing off eBay, but there is normally nothing wrong with the items so feel free to drop a grade and make an even bigger saving if that's what you want to do.The shirt I went for was a Crye Precision style AC Shirt in Multicam, which had a buy now price tag of £24.00. I also picked up a pair of Multicam field pants form the same merchant for £20.00.

Shopping List

Crye Precision style AC Shirt in Multicam £24.00
Multicam field pants £20.00

All that was left to do now was go back to the office with my gear, with what I must admit was a pretty smug grin on my face. The remaining £32.00 we spent on a round of ice creams for the office.