In short
- Start with an electric rifle. An AEG, a battery-powered gun, in M4 or AK style works in any weather, runs cheaply and is what most sites hire out.
- Let your site choose the shape. Short for indoor close-quarters play (CQB), full length for woodland, in between for both.
- No UKARA registration means two-tone. A realistic gun is sold only where the seller can show it is for skirmishing, usually through UKARA, the player register British shops check. A brightly coloured two-tone can be sold to anyone aged 18 or over.
- Budget for the whole kit. Eye protection, a battery, a charger, BBs and magazines come on top of the gun.
- Used is a sound first buy. A mid-range rifle for entry-level money, if you check it and pay with buyer protection.
Start with where you will play: CQB or woodland
Before you compare airsoft guns, decide where you will use one. Indoor sites for close-quarters play (CQB) mean short distances, tight corners and low power limits. Woodland means longer shots, mud and a whole day of carrying the thing.
The gun follows the site
Where will you play most?
Indoors (CQB)
A compact electric gun
Short guns win in corridors, and indoor power limits are low anyway. Look at electric submachine guns (SMGs) and short M4s.
SMGs in the webshopOutdoors, in woodland
A full-length electric rifle
An M4 or AK with room for a sling and a sight. Reach comes from a good hop-up, the part that puts backspin on the BB, more than from barrel length.
Rifles in the webshopBoth
A mid-length M4-style rifle
The one-gun answer: short enough for buildings, long enough for the woods, with a stock you can shorten.
All airsoft gunsNo idea yet
Rent first
Play a rental day at two different sites before you spend anything. A used rifle is a low-risk way in afterwards.
Used electric riflesGun types: rifle, SMG, pistol, sniper, shotgun, support
Six types of airsoft gun, and what each asks of a beginner
Rifle
The all-rounder, mostly in M4 or AK style. Rifles work indoors and out, and magazines and parts are everywhere. The safe first choice.
SMG
A submachine gun: shorter and lighter than a rifle. SMGs are easy to handle in buildings and give up a little reach outdoors. A good first gun for indoor players.
Pistol
A back-up, usually gas-powered. Pistols are fun, but a magazine holds only a couple of dozen BBs. A second purchase, unless you only play pistol games.
Sniper rifle
One shot, then you work the bolt by hand. Sniper rifles need upgrades and patience before they out-shoot a good rifle. Rarely a good first gun.
Shotgun
Mostly spring-powered: you pump for every shot, and many fire three BBs at once. Shotguns are cheap to run and strong indoors, limited in the woods.
Support gun
A light machine gun with a box magazine for thousands of BBs, there to keep the other team's heads down. Heavy and costly: a role to grow into.
Power sources: AEG, gas, HPA, spring
What pushes the BB out
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Electric (AEG). A battery and a motor drive a piston. Works in any weather, costs little to run and comes in the widest choice. The default electric airsoft gun is a rifle.
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Gas. Gas in the magazine fires the BB and often moves the slide or bolt as well (blowback). Realistic, dearer per shot, weaker in the cold.
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HPA. High-pressure air from a tank you carry, fed through a hose. Very consistent, but you need the tank, a regulator and a site that allows it.
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Spring. You tension a spring by hand for every shot. Right for sniper rifles and shotguns, too slow for anything else in a game.
Which type comes with which power source
| Electric | Gas | Spring | As a first gun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle | The standard | Realistic, costly to run | Toy grade only | Yes, electric |
| SMG | The standard | Common | Rare | Yes, for indoor play |
| Pistol | Exists, modest power | The standard | The cheap way in | As a second gun |
| Sniper rifle | Rare | Exists | The standard | Rather not |
| Shotgun | Rare | Exists | The standard | Indoors, yes |
| Support gun | The standard | Rare | None | No |
RIF or two-tone: what you can buy today
In the UK the first question is not which gun but which colour. A gun in realistic colours is a RIF, a realistic imitation firearm, and a shop has to see that you skirmish before it sells you one. The usual evidence is a registration with UKARA, the retailers' database of regular players.
Without it you buy one of the two-tone airsoft guns: the same gun with a bright colour as its main colour. Inside it is identical.
Which one are you?
A two-tone
Any adult can buy one. The regulations name the colours: bright red, orange, yellow, green, pink, purple or blue, or a transparent body. Respraying it realistic later falls under the same rule as selling a RIF.
A RIF with UKARA
Three games at one registered site over at least two months, and the site can register you. You have to be over 18 and live in the UK.
An adult buys, you play
You cannot buy any airsoft gun yourself. An adult can buy a two-tone for you to use; UKARA does not register a parent on a child's behalf.
Budget tiers and what you get
Three levels, described by what you get
| Tier | What you get | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | An electric rifle from a known brand, with a plastic body and simple parts inside | A first season; finding out what you like |
| Mid-range | A metal or reinforced body, better electronics and a spring you can swap to meet a site limit | Where most players settle |
| High end | Premium brands, steel parts, tuned mechanics or gas-powered realism | Players who know exactly what they want |
Below the entry level sit the truly cheap airsoft guns: spring rifles and toy-grade electrics, often in clear plastic. They are fine for cans in the garden. In a game every rental gun outranges them, so you end up paying twice.
A complete first purchase at today's prices
Read from our webshop as you open this page.
| Item | From | Usually around |
|---|---|---|
| Electric rifle | €147 | €515 |
| Eye protection never save on this | €7 | €28 |
| Face mask | €12 | €13 |
| BBs | €4 | €19 |
| Spare magazines | €1 | €40 |
| Gun and kit together | €171 | €615 |
New or second-hand
Used airsoft guns are often the better first buy. Players sell mid-range rifles when they upgrade, usually with magazines and a battery, for what a new entry-level gun costs. What you give up is the warranty, and certainty about the inside.
So ask for a video of it firing and a chrono reading, the measured speed of the BB, and pay with buyer protection: your money is held until the gun has arrived. Start with the used electric rifles and the listings in the UK. Most sellers are in the Netherlands and Belgium, and the RIF rule binds them too.
Electric rifles right now: used against new
Live figures from our marketplace and our webshop.
- listings in AEG on the marketplace
- more than 800
- middle asking price: half ask less, half ask more
- €280
- eight out of ten asking prices fall in this range
- €125 – €600
- products in stock in Rifles in the webshop
- 37
- lowest price of what is in stock in Rifles
- €147
- brands in stock in Rifles
- 4
Airsoft Bazaar data Measured on 13 November 2026
Used electric rifles on the marketplace
Sold by other players, often with magazines and a battery.
The rest of the kit: eye protection, battery, BBs
In the basket next to the gun
0 of 6 ticked
Our short list for beginners
The best airsoft guns for a beginner are platforms, not single models: ranges change every season, the logic does not. These three come from brands that build them at more than one budget level.
An M4-style electric rifle
The most common platform in airsoft, so magazines, parts and advice are everywhere. Specna Arms and G&G build it from entry level upwards.
Specna Arms in the webshopAn AK-style electric rifle
Simple and solid. CYMA covers the affordable end; LCT and E&L build the heavy ones in steel.
CYMA in the webshopA compact electric SMG
Short, light and quick round a doorway, and often the cheapest way to a decent electric gun.
SMGs in the webshopRifles in the webshop
Shown here: rifles within the limits for Great Britain. In Northern Ireland and Ireland the line is 1 joule.
In stock, ships right away
Airsoft Gun AR15 KeyMod 10" Charlie Eagle Tan
In stock, ships right away
Airsoft AEG URG-1 Sopmod Block 3
In stock, ships right away
Airsoft Rifle GBB CQB-R Block 1
In stock, ships right away
HECKLER & KOCH (Umarex) AEG Rifle G36C Sportsline EyetraceThe best first gun is the one you can run all day at your own site, with magazines you can buy anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Which airsoft gun should I buy first?
An electric rifle (AEG) in M4 or AK style from an established brand. It works in any weather, runs cheaply and takes magazines and parts you find everywhere. In the UK it is a two-tone until you have a UKARA registration.
What types of airsoft guns are there?
By shape: rifles, SMGs, pistols, sniper rifles, shotguns and support guns. By power source: electric, gas, spring and HPA, which runs on compressed air from a tank. Most rifles are electric, most pistols gas, most sniper rifles spring.
Can I buy an airsoft gun without UKARA?
Yes, as a two-tone, if you are 18 or over. A two-tone is mostly a bright colour and may be sold without a defence. A realistic gun is only sold where the seller can show the sale is for skirmishing, usually through your UKARA registration.
How much should I spend on a first airsoft gun?
Enough for an entry-level or mid-range electric rifle from a known brand, and no less. Keep part of the budget for eye protection, a battery, a charger, BBs and magazines. A used mid-range rifle often costs what a new entry-level one does.
Is a second-hand airsoft gun a good first buy?
Often, yes: you get more gun for the money, usually with extras. Ask for a video and a chrono reading, and pay with buyer protection so the money is held until the gun arrives. For a realistic gun the seller will want your UKARA number.
What else do I need besides the gun?
Eye protection first, then a battery and charger, BBs and two or three spare magazines. A sling and a bag for the journey complete the set. Many sites ask under-18s to cover the lower face as well.
Sources
- Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, section 36 (sale and import of realistic imitation firearms) legislation.gov.uk, 12 November 2026
- Realistic Imitation Firearms Regulations 2007 (defence, colours) legislation.gov.uk, 12 November 2026
- Firearms Act 1968, section 57A (airsoft guns) and section 24A (age) legislation.gov.uk, 12 November 2026
- Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2004, Schedule 1 legislation.gov.uk, 12 November 2026
- Player registration rules UKARA, 12 November 2026
1 more source
- Buying replicas in the webshop; payment requests with buyer protection Airsoft Bazaar help centre
