Welcome to the forum.
We're lucky that we've a host of Airsoft sites in Kent...
Apocalypse Airsoft (my regular haunt)
Cool Under Fire
Jungle Warfare Airsoft
Quex Airsoft
UCAP Sandpit
And this isn't all of them... Like others have suggested, maybe get to some of these sites, all will do rentals & you'll get to see & feel in some cases what others are using, their experiences & what they have found works for them.
Hope to see you around at some point
Mike