I still feel that an Echo1 is a good starter that will last you a long time and is worth upgrading if you wish.
As I've seen in many other threads, if your interested in getting out to a game and you don't have a rifle, feel free to ask the use of one in that particular game thread. There are quite a few guys that have extras that wouldn't mind loaning.
There are also quite a few guys that would let you handle theirs and fire off a few rounds prior to a game if you wanted to feel the difference between brands.
Wecome to the forum, hope to see you around!
Eric - Sixfootcow
TKR - FIREZONE TEAM