NEWB Questions!!!
 

I am currently fifteen years of age and completely fed up with paintball. I cannot stand lobbing those balls and hoping to hit something. So I decided to look into the realm of airsoft. I went to a few sites (aasurplus.com etc) to look at gun prices and availability. I know about the troubles of bringing guns across the border into Canada so I am forced to purchase locally (I live in toronto).
At first I thought that the prices where very high, but after looking at the low cost of pellets and the benefits of no CO2 and then comparing that to the very high cost of paintballs and CO2 and gear, adding in the fact that paintball does not look as fun as airsoft, I realised that $400 is not too shabby for a realistic gun.
Anyways, because I live in Toronto, I cannot play in fields with my friends so I am forced to go to a place where I can play with other people, refs etc. I also know that you need to be 18+ to purchase an airsoft gun, but would I be able to use it despite my age? (My dad will buy the gun for me but I will pay). And where is a place that I can play? I've seen some pictures a while back of a place with buildings and rolling hills in the GTA area but I cannot remember the name now. Thanks :D

Hey there, welcome to the site. I'd welcome you to the sport, however there are a few things you should know.

You got it right that you can't import guns from the states, no matter how much of a better deal you think you'll get, the odds of getting raped by customs are pretty good, so IMO it's not worth trying.

Even if you did have a large private field to play on, it's not recommended that you go and have skirmishes with your friend. There are a few reasons for that, such as safety and liability. You don't want some passer-by to see you with a realistic looking firearm and call the cops. You also wouldn't want anyone getting hurt and then holding you responsible. Legit fields have insurance specifically for that, so it's a better idea to let them deal with that headache ;)

As for playing airsoft at the age of 15, the short answer is that you won't be able to play at any legit fields till you're 18. Some places with the proper insurance and whatnot make exceptions and allow 16 year olds to play, but that's not something you should expect. You'll need to prove yourself to be responsible and gain some respect in the community. What you can do though, is you can go to an airsoft event and talk to people, ask questions and prepare yourself for when you'll be able to play. If the community sees you're a responsible person, that's when exceptions may be made for you.

If you want your dad to buy an airsoft gun for you, that's entirely up to you. You should know though, that for you to use it legally your dad would have to be there with you when you use it.

I don't know much about airsoft in the Toronto area, but that's the general low down. Get in touch with some local players, and get known. As a final piece of advice, read, then read again, then read some more, THEN ask a question.

Cheers and Good luck :)

Well as it stands, legally the ownership of the gun would be that of the parents till you reached the legal age of maturity, they can how ever allow you to use it, but legally they must be supervising you at all times during use.

I seems you have a grasping of how the details of airsoft are in Canada and I commend you for taking the time to read.

As for what fields will allow you to play, as it stands I believe that being able to play or not is up to the owner of the field. Good luck with your inquiry unfortunetly I am unable to offer much more information and hopefully someone else can aid.

Check the FAQ.

I'm not touching this one. I've lurked long enough and read some (no where near enough probably) but it has become quite obvious of the procedures.

Any chance we could move the FAQ section to the very top of the forums?

Stick with paintball until you're 18...

While you're waiting you can get some real world equipment and a realistic set up.. So that when you're able to play airsoft all you'll have to do is clean the paint off your gear.

Thanks for the quick replys guys!
Sadly, I did read the FAQ right after I posted this and I discovered that I would not be able to play. I guess I'll just wait until I'm 18 but thanks for the help guys :D

i love when a new kid comes along and actually reads the faq ...

i would say stay in paintball but go to airsoft events .

Zombiefruit, the number of minors that have expressed interest in playing this sport inspired this photo... If I can say no to him I can say no to anyone.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...onprime/d2.jpg

What events would I be able to go to? And do you guys think that it would be smart to purchase the MP5A4 (http://aasurplus.ca/airsoft/product_...products_id=37)
if only for target shooting in my basement (completely safe with goggles btw :p)
and then to be used when I can play airsoft later. I have no money right now so I'd have to save for a while but I'd love the idea of being able to pratice in my basement. Thanks :D

You can visit most places with a parent, contact the organizers first.

+1

My uh.. little brother.. dressed up in my gear, and wanted me to take a pic of him and post it on ASC

http://tacticalmoose.com/pic/1337n00b.jpg

Photoshopped.

Thanks guys. Do any of you know of any airsoft location near Toronto (1-2 hours drive is fine) and their websites? I tried to use google to locate some but I couldn't... IDEA!!! I'll check Canada411.ca. And btw, what are your thoughts on buying a gun now?

YES!!! I found the large place that I was trying to remember. It is called "Flag Raiders" and they do both paintball and airsoft. The only other place was a place called regiment airsoft but they don't have a website so I couldn't look them up.