Renting vs Buying a Rifle for your very first airsoft game 

• • Okay, we’ve explained that AEGs are the best rifles to start off with. But there are multiple ways to get your hands on one for your very first game of airsoft. And let me tell you straight up: for most people, buying a rifle isn’t the best choice at this moment. But to list the options, here you go:
    • You can rent the rifle on a field (if you find one that rents)
    • You can borrow a rifle from a friend 
    • Or ultimately, you can buy the rifle, right up
  • In the majority of cases, you should consider the first two options – renting on the field or borrowing from a friend. Both have their ups and downs. When we talk about renting, the main upside is the service you get. If something goes wrong, you just give it back and they either fix it for you or give you a different gun. Simply put, you get all the assistance you might need. On the other hand, renting turns out to be fairly expensive, especially if you do it multiple times. Expect the fee to be around 20 bucks per game day (on top of the regular admission fee). For a one-time thing, that’s okay. If you were to do it again and again, that’s a different story we’ll touch on later in this series.
  • When you borrow stuff from your friend, the plus side is obvious: it’s most likely gonna be free. Moreover, your friend is likely to have a gun that’s a slight bit better than what you would get as a rental. On the other hand though, if something goes wrong, you are more likely to be done for the day. 
  • If these variants don’t suit you for some reason, you might be better off buying a gun. However, we only recommend doing that if you like the way the guns look. Long story short, if you end up feeling that airsoft is not for you but you’d still like to have the gun because it’s cool, then it’s OK to buy one. Just make sure you’ll get an AEG – automatic electric rifle – that is reliable. We at Novritsch recommend the SSR4 for this very purpose, however, there are other options on the market. Luckily, the starter AEGs have become much better and more affordable in recent years. For this very reason, it might not be a great idea to get a second-hand rifle if you don’t know how to fix it and maintain it yourself, even if it might be a cheaper option.
  • In case you decide to buy the rifle, we strongly recommend you check Chapter 7 of this series, where we talk about all the things you might need for this Assault setup.
  • To sum up, choose the variant best for your situation, whether it is renting, borrowing, or buying. In the next part of this series, we will discuss other stuff that you should consider bringing to the field or renting.