Zanz's updated (2019) guide on choosing your firearm
Dec 25th, 2019
In my last article, I made a few mistakes regarding choosing your first gun. This is a more in depth analysis of the AEGs currently on market. Remember to listen to the advice of trusted community members!
Rent first.
When choosing your first firearm, it is important to choose a gun that isn't an ovepriced trash heap. First of all, do not start with a pistol. AEPs suck, GBBs require more maintenance, and the majority of pistols circulating are Umarex/EF 1911s, which are made of inferior pot metal and are inaccurate.
You should start off with an AEG. Anyone will tell you this, but avoid brands like JG, Lancer Tactical, and G&G. JG and LT have inferior build quality, while G&Gs flagship gun, the Combat Machine, is outdated. The meta over a decade ago does not apply to modern times.
What you should look for, is a gun with decent externals and decent internals that are upgradable. Some steels are worse than some polymers. Full metal doesn't mean full steel, it just means it could be Zinc or any other pot metal not fit for the field. Generally, don't go under 150 dollars unless on sale, as these are pretty much guaranteed to be low quality and break after a few matches. Internal breakages are less of a problem due to the large amount of aftermarket v2 parts. But remember, these must be high quality too.
The quality of your retailer also matters. Is it a brick and mortar store? If so, is it a dedicated airsoft store as opposed to a department store with an understocked isle for airsoft? These are questions you should ask yourself. In the sources list is a Google document listing most brands and guns and whether they're worth it or not.
Overall the guns I most recommend are the Specna Arms Edge, and the Specna Core for lower budgets. M4 magazines are everywhere in the US and you'll find them everywhere. With fully upgradable gearboxes you can adjust them to have fps based on your field's requirements.
In the end, Lancer Tactical bad. Buy Specna. Also don't forget to ask for advice and don't blow it off. The subreddit r/airsoft has a starter guide for new players, and so do I.