other than the K98 is their any other rifle which looks the part/acceptable as a replacement for the k98 - I dont really want a Dboys and the idea of cartridge loading puts me right off( 8 rounds against a thompson, good night Irene), any suggestions...such as Allied weapons German forces used if they were able to get hold of them (rifles) that would be acceptable for the Heer infantry to use, as the more i look at the K98 the more what is on the market dissapoints me. It looks like i am going to end up with a MP40, but a rifle is more in keeping with the general Heer infantry.
oh what a conundrum.......or am i looking at this the wrong way, from what i have read (remember still to do my first ww2 event) close quarters battle is the exception rather than the rule, so do I need to be thinking more about accuracy and less about rate of fire???????? - if accuaracy should be my main concern (im greedy i want accuracy and fire rate) is the price difference between a dboys and a G&G a fair representation of their performance, also (presuming i have a luger handy) is the norm for rifles to have a 450+ fps rate in MOST events?
so many questions..maybe i should just be patiant and wait for my first event and find out...im just so damn excited, im like a kid at christmas who's parents wont wake up and let him open his prezzies. 
As you suggest, there isn't a perfect solution which is why most players ultimately end up with a selection of weapons!
Anyhoo, you can eliminate rate of fire as a criteria. All WW2 games are severely ammo limited so a high rate of fire is a disadvantage not an advantage.
Historically the 'advantage' of a sub-machine gun (advantage in that this being airsoft you are more likely to score a hit with a squeeze of the trigger than a bolt action and you are aren't changing mags all the time) have been matched by high fps bolt action rifles that have the advantage of distance.
However, many dislike the disadvantage that a high fps brings - you can't pull the trigger below the minimum engagement distance - and choose a normal power rifle. This does mean that, all things being equal, in an engagement between a sub-machine gun and a bolt action rifle the boltie owner is likely to be groaning on the floor.
But it's not all bad news. There is an interest in bolt action rifle only games that level the playing field and there are game rules that even things up a bit. PLUS, don't forget this isn't open day airsoft - the 'win at all costs' is not the primary concern and the tricking-out of weaponry to gain the slightest of advantage doesn't have much point. Thinking on your feet, knowing when to pull the trigger and when not, working with fellow squad members to gain tactical advantage - these are all independent of the gun you have in your hands. Hell, frantically re-loading under fire can be fun - some players love the experience of using the DBoys, unskirmishable though some think it is.
If you are to buy one gun then there will be some swings and roundabouts and you will have to be pragmatic and accept compromise. I might venture to suggest the M14 is such a pragmatic choice - usable for Vietnam games and very skirmishable on open days but also passes well for a Garand and can be fitted with shotgun mags for games that don't allow mid/high caps or can be used on single shot for those that do and can be made to look like a Garand with after-market bits and bobs. The TM is a quality bit of kit. As for the G&G K98 - well, I haven't convinced myself of its value yet but will come to a conclusion in the next couple of weeks. The MP40 is unquestionably a great gun - trouble-free out of the box as are the Thompsons - so if you want an easy option then these are the ones to go for. But, on balance, my opinion is that an M14 is the best 'my first WW2 gun' (not meant to be at all derogatory).
Starting as German I dont think you can go wrong with an MP40, cheap with reasonable good performance and reliability. However you are right to think that the K98 is the basic squad weapon of the humble Landser and bolt actions are great fun. There are times you feel outgunned by the high rate of fire of an smg, but if your using a MP40 there will be times you are outranged by a rifle.
My advice would be to start with an MP40 and to get a K98 later on, they are fantastic fun.
Alternately at Gunmun games he has MP40's and generic springer bolt action rifles for hire, so you can see what style suits you best.
As CW says though its more than just being about guns, although I am sure you will eventually own a small collection 
thank you kind sirs, my fevered brow has unruffled at your sound advice. mp40, see how i get on and go for the m14 when playing a yanky doodle.
or the garand...maayybeee 
There is also the MP44 which is also great OTB.
You could reasonably pass off an M14 as a G43 too IMO...
There is also the MP44 which is also great OTB.
Have they calmed them down FPS wise? They used to be rather hot OTB.
aka Stigroadie
AFRA
better by design
"Truth is a shining goddess, always veiled, always distant, never wholly approachable, but worthy of all the devotion of which the human spirit is capable. "
I have a cunning plan for making Rifles 'hold their own' against SMGs (actually it is someone else's idea, but I am thinking of doing it next year)...
I would urge getting a rifle to fire at sub 350fps - need more people to separate the idea that having a boltie means you are a sniper! At the time the majority of soldiers would have had a boltie, its just hollywood that has made MP40's Vs Thompsons the norm!
I have a cunning plan for making Rifles 'hold their own' against SMGs (actually it is someone else's idea, but I am thinking of doing it next year)...
Oooh what a tease! Would that be hop off?
I have a cunning plan for making Rifles 'hold their own' against SMGs (actually it is someone else's idea, but I am thinking of doing it next year)...
Oooh what a tease! Would that be hop off?
I think the mixed weight BBs sounds like a plan... but we will see next year
I would urge getting a rifle to fire at sub 350fps - need more people to separate the idea that having a boltie means you are a sniper! At the time the majority of soldiers would have had a boltie, its just hollywood that has made MP40's Vs Thompsons the norm!
Yes, I agree. Hollywood and 'Airsoft'. Although there is a problem with availability - As Chomley says, out of the box MP40 is inexpensive and functional, any bolt action is a substantial investment. So I do sympathise.
Having used AEG`s for years, I was swung over to wanting a boltie for games but the options are either too pants or too expensive for my pocket. I`m in the process of making up some forestocks to fit VSR`s, which should make them more period looking. My original idea was to make up something as a quick, cheap and dirty conversion which people could slap on a VSR and be good to go. Hopefully I`ll have some pics by the end of next week.
Mr CW - once you have field tested your G&G K98 would you be able to be so kind as to post a review of how you found it in the field?, range, usage, reloading, quality etc. As I would be greatly interested in your thoughts as it appears to be a very good purchase on youtube reviews - but i would prefer a first hand account of how it holds up.
, although I am sure you will eventually own a small collection
You are so right, already have a M4 (doesnt everyone) and a Real Sword type 97 (if only all guns were of this quality) not to mention the beretta and hand cannon. I am constraintly fighting the urge to buy more, but i am being a good boy and fighting my "want" desire until the armsfare at the grange in October (trouble is I have a booking at fireball on the same day and i want to do both) - I converted one of the spare rooms to an Armoury a few months ago and I already need to expand, so i image a few years from now I will have something equalling a...............Average america preppers arsenal.
I have a cunning plan for making Rifles 'hold their own' against SMGs (actually it is someone else's idea, but I am thinking of doing it next year)...
Oooh what a tease! Would that be hop off?
I think the mixed weight BBs sounds like a plan... but we will see next year
I would urge getting a rifle to fire at sub 350fps - need more people to separate the idea that having a boltie means you are a sniper! At the time the majority of soldiers would have had a boltie, its just hollywood that has made MP40's Vs Thompsons the norm!
Yes, I agree. Hollywood and 'Airsoft'. Although there is a problem with availability - As Chomley says, out of the box MP40 is inexpensive and functional, any bolt action is a substantial investment. So I do sympathise.
So for going off topic but my 2 pence for whats its worth! I wouldn't be happy using lots of types of BBs (Brands and weights) in any of my airsoft guns with upgraed barrels. As the tolerances are very high. Low Caps only in AEG's or a "BB cap" in Mags (lets say 50) could work? There was another chap who suggested rifles gaining an extra bandage to prolong them in the field? But hey i am willing to give anything ago once!
Mr CW - once you have field tested your G&G K98 would you be able to be so kind as to post a review of how you found it in the field?, range, usage, reloading, quality etc. As I would be greatly interested in your thoughts as it appears to be a very good purchase on youtube reviews - but i would prefer a first hand account of how it holds up.
Will-do. Initial feelings are mixed but need to knuckle down and get issues worked out to eliminate numptyness - but lets just say so far I'm not entirely convinced of the benefits of CO2 over normal gas sources. Other than that it is much like the Tanaka.
Interestingly, the box that spare magazines come in shows two types - the CO2 AND a normal gas type.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWH9lANZChc&feature=related ][/youtube]
maybe of interest.
i note there are two mags according to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1z_Nf8da6w
at 2:10 mins
Yes, there has always been two different powered CO2 magazines but this is the first time I've seen a picture of a conventional gas version (in place of the CO2 bulb retaining plug there is a gas nipple).
while ordinary gas would be a real seller for me i'd wonder what power it could give in a gun designed for c02 (sub 300fps?),it would have to be clever but given that this is a gun based on the tanaka and that uses ordinary gas ....maybe it would be fine.
armoury
m1a1 Thompson,sten mk2,mp40,stg44,sterling,mk2 bren gun,lee Enfield no4 mk1,Mauser Kar98, Walther ppk,smith and Weston m10 and Mauser m712
Give me a big enough hammer and a place to stand and I could fix the world.
i'll kill a man in a fair fight or if i think he's going to start a fair fight or over a woman or.......
a problem shared is a problem halved ,but an advantage shared is no advantage at all
if a job's not worth doing then its certainly not worth doing well
I'm guessing the magazine is exactly the same but instead of a CO2 bulb filling the void it is just used as a gas chamber. I'll post up a piccy tomorrow as the box is at work. If anyone is interested in the gas valve mechanism they are shown in this vid:
[youtube2]nnVXujqSQ74[/youtube2]
