I picked up an Airsoft weapon not out of sport, but as an author seeking tactile truth. I wanted to feel the weight, the balance, the mechanical soul of something I’ve found myself writing about. What I received was far beyond expectation. My last brush with Airsoft was as a teenager, wielding cheap plastic BB guns that cracked after a single trigger pull. Yet even with these poor beginings literally decades ago something lingered. So when I decided to learn by doing, I turned to Patrol Base. The quality and weight of the weapon stunned me. This wasn’t a toy—it was a ritual object. Changing the gas canister, polishing the surface, greasing the mechanisms, loading the rounds… these acts became part of a sacred rhythm. Garden target practice has become a moment to slow down and breathe—one of the most satisfying experiences after hitting “publish” on a book. Though anxiety keeps me from skirmishes (for now), I find joy in the solitude of practice. Even the two-tone finish—required for legal reasons, as these are damn good replicas—is done with care. I actually like the colour. It feels like a mark of initiation. Patrol Base earned its reputation. The service was smooth, the product exceptional. I’ll be expanding my collection soon—not just as a hobbyist, but as someone building a mythic toolkit for future stories.