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Wanting to by a really good out-of-the box airsoft gun
- Thread starter Yashy
- Start date
Impulse
Members
- Apr 18, 2019
- 1,427
- 1,738
That's a shame, because there are some really lovely non-m4 replicas out there (I'm a big fan of Cyma m14s...). Hard for me to say, as I tend to tinker with all my stuff, but if I wanted something that I knew would perform really well out of the box without any tweaking... I'd try and go for a TM NGRS. However, you'll get better performance for less if you're willing to do very basic upgrades, like swapping out a hop rubber and nub, which is incredibly easy to do on basically anything.
I've heard good things about Double Eagle for m4 style rifles and they're a lot less than £400.
I've heard good things about Double Eagle for m4 style rifles and they're a lot less than £400.
Defender90
Members
- Jun 18, 2016
- 95
- 7
I've found my VFC Avalon Calibur to be a very reliable game day mainstay... But I have to admit it double fed like mad out of the box. Once a tech quickly put a Maple Leaf 60 in it, I now have great range and reliability (and I think it's 11.1 ready even if the manufacturer doesn't. I just keep to short bursts). Admittedly for that money it should have been perfect out the box.
6.03 barrel and the cute looking trigger feels great and connected via a Mosfet.
Very nice comfortable enlarged trigger guard with finger rests built in.
I use a variety of any old M4 type mags and it feeds well from all of them now.
Very ergonomic and all ambidextrous controls, it's basically a blingy 416A5.
There's loads of room for accessories galore. Despite the very decent and rather pretty stock I replaced it with a bulbous Magpul one only so as to cram the largest battery I could get into it.
The only thing that vaguely annoys me is the fore end doesn't quite match the receiver for some reason, the gnu is in two shades of sort of metallic FDE and seems to be made to look like someone's custom build.
View attachment 113465
6.03 barrel and the cute looking trigger feels great and connected via a Mosfet.
Very nice comfortable enlarged trigger guard with finger rests built in.
I use a variety of any old M4 type mags and it feeds well from all of them now.
Very ergonomic and all ambidextrous controls, it's basically a blingy 416A5.
There's loads of room for accessories galore. Despite the very decent and rather pretty stock I replaced it with a bulbous Magpul one only so as to cram the largest battery I could get into it.
The only thing that vaguely annoys me is the fore end doesn't quite match the receiver for some reason, the gnu is in two shades of sort of metallic FDE and seems to be made to look like someone's custom build.
View attachment 113465
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Is that budget for the pew or to include batteries, mags, charger, eyepro etc too? It’s really easy to spend the same again on sundries and accessories and the recommendations will be different if we’re talking about a £200 pew rather than a £400 one.
Defender90
Members
- Jun 18, 2016
- 95
- 7
Yes that seemed to do the trick, since then it's been good as gold. Even with the 11.1 in.
I really think the shop that sold it me should have sorted it, just on general principal. But then again it only cost a few quid and he did it in like 10 minutes while I waited. It helped I'd prepurchased the hop on his recommendation.
I've lent it to my teenage nephew a couple of times and I'm pretty sure he abuses it and spams the trigger like hell when I'm not looking but it's still good to go. (Fingers crossed).
To be honest I was in exactly your same position. I'd saved £500 and wanted my first new AEG to be a a solid contender.
I actually wanted the Umarex genuine licenced HK416A5 (AEG), but they're rare and on on back order, however after wringing google dry I found out that it was actually made by VFC and since this has all the same features (and presumably the same internals?)... so once they said it was a VFC they had my attention.
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Defender90
Members
- Jun 18, 2016
- 95
- 7
How mine is set up now, the stock doesn't look as tacticool as the QRS that came on it but the Magpul has room for a looooong day of spray and pray. Rail covers make it much more ergonomic and the sight "riser" thing is because it's difficult to get cheekweld wearing a mask.
Pictured with my ASG CZ75 Accu (C02 mag), these two are my go-to set up, with the (not pictured) drum mag on the Avalon it's as good as an LMG and, with dialled in hops on .28s both have a slight range advantage over the average.
Because godnose it's not my superior combat skills that's for sure.
View attachment 113471
Pictured with my ASG CZ75 Accu (C02 mag), these two are my go-to set up, with the (not pictured) drum mag on the Avalon it's as good as an LMG and, with dialled in hops on .28s both have a slight range advantage over the average.
Because godnose it's not my superior combat skills that's for sure.
View attachment 113471
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Defender90
Members
- Jun 18, 2016
- 95
- 7
I have heard that. Supposedly much of the assembly is done in Denmark and some of the furniture is via CZ as they and ASG have a relationship.
Leo Greer
Members
- Dec 31, 2022
- 328
- 285
I would recommend the newer Arcturus lines. They’re coming out with newer models that feature a collaboration with GATE, but right now the C.A.T. Series and ME series feature extremely solid gearboxes paired with great barrel groups. The externals are good quality, no creaking or cracking, but the star of the show are the reliable, simplistic, and extremely well performing internals. I’m a tech, and very familiar with these, so here’s my more detailed opinions and notes:
(I’m long-winded, so there’ll be a TL
R at the end. Feel free to skip.)
The gearbox is the same on all the models from 170 to 400, but the externals go up in quality. The externals are easy to judge for yourself, so here’s my take on the internals.
The compression set is 100% good. Steel cylinder, CNC POM nozzle, and cylinder head with great seal.
The piston is bulletproof. It’s much tougher than almost all aftermarket pistons. I and another tech both use the stock pistons in DSGs doing 55+ RPS.
The gearset is ordinary, but solid. I use the stock gears in upgraded builds doing higher FPS and faster RPS.
The trigger unit is a microswitch paired with an inline 3034 MOSFET. This means you have 1,000,000 cycles with no issues, according to manufacturer specs, as well as a tactile “click” to the trigger. The design of the gearbox here does make it very difficult to install any aftermarket trigger units if you ever wanted to, so keep that in mind.
Arcturus has a steel QC spring guide that can be accessed just by removing the stock.
The motor is a mid-level neo motor that does about 30K, which means you’re hitting 20 RPS on 11.1v (M120 version, faster for the weaker versions) with great response. Don’t expect it to pull any M170s, but it’ll get the job done, and I’ve used them in tougher builds as well doing 25+.
The spring is Japanese tempered steel, and is of excellent quality. I tested four of these springs from an Arcturus rep, and got the exact same FPS from each, as well as ~1-2 FPS variance. No change over time, between a heavily used spring and ones right out of the packaging.
The gearbox is solid. Nothing special, except for the split GB shell on the CAT models, but it’s strong and easy to work on if anything should happen. Arcturus uses 8mm bushings for spur and sector, and 8mm bearings on the bevel.
The barrel group is very, very good out of the box. The hop unit is an ordinary plastic rotary, which works well. The hop rubber is a split design similar to those that Krytac uses. It does the job out to about 60 meters, but you may need an upgrade for farther distances.
The barrel is where it stands out, as Arcturus features a 6.02mm steel QPC coated barrel, which is excellent. It’s much better than ZCI and a lot of “upgraded” barrels.
They also come wired to deans with a high quality plug.
Cons:
The only real con is that you’re prohibited from using any aftermarket electronic trigger units, and doesn’t feature an ETU built in. It’s a matter of preference whether you like your RIFs with computers built in, but Arcturus not allowing you an option (yet) is a con for sure.
TLR, the internals are great, super simple, and will allow you to keep up with players running far more expensive RIFs.
(I’m long-winded, so there’ll be a TL
R at the end. Feel free to skip.)The gearbox is the same on all the models from 170 to 400, but the externals go up in quality. The externals are easy to judge for yourself, so here’s my take on the internals.
The compression set is 100% good. Steel cylinder, CNC POM nozzle, and cylinder head with great seal.
The piston is bulletproof. It’s much tougher than almost all aftermarket pistons. I and another tech both use the stock pistons in DSGs doing 55+ RPS.
The gearset is ordinary, but solid. I use the stock gears in upgraded builds doing higher FPS and faster RPS.
The trigger unit is a microswitch paired with an inline 3034 MOSFET. This means you have 1,000,000 cycles with no issues, according to manufacturer specs, as well as a tactile “click” to the trigger. The design of the gearbox here does make it very difficult to install any aftermarket trigger units if you ever wanted to, so keep that in mind.
Arcturus has a steel QC spring guide that can be accessed just by removing the stock.
The motor is a mid-level neo motor that does about 30K, which means you’re hitting 20 RPS on 11.1v (M120 version, faster for the weaker versions) with great response. Don’t expect it to pull any M170s, but it’ll get the job done, and I’ve used them in tougher builds as well doing 25+.
The spring is Japanese tempered steel, and is of excellent quality. I tested four of these springs from an Arcturus rep, and got the exact same FPS from each, as well as ~1-2 FPS variance. No change over time, between a heavily used spring and ones right out of the packaging.
The gearbox is solid. Nothing special, except for the split GB shell on the CAT models, but it’s strong and easy to work on if anything should happen. Arcturus uses 8mm bushings for spur and sector, and 8mm bearings on the bevel.
The barrel group is very, very good out of the box. The hop unit is an ordinary plastic rotary, which works well. The hop rubber is a split design similar to those that Krytac uses. It does the job out to about 60 meters, but you may need an upgrade for farther distances.
The barrel is where it stands out, as Arcturus features a 6.02mm steel QPC coated barrel, which is excellent. It’s much better than ZCI and a lot of “upgraded” barrels.
They also come wired to deans with a high quality plug.
Cons:
The only real con is that you’re prohibited from using any aftermarket electronic trigger units, and doesn’t feature an ETU built in. It’s a matter of preference whether you like your RIFs with computers built in, but Arcturus not allowing you an option (yet) is a con for sure.
TL
R, the internals are great, super simple, and will allow you to keep up with players running far more expensive RIFs.
Rogerborg
Supporters
- Aug 22, 2017
- 9,195
- 6,058
Without wishing to be That Guy, I'd actively recommend against VFCs as while people demonstrably do get examples that (almost) work, they're notorious for needing work done on them. At that asking price, it's not a gamble I'd be willing to take when Double Eagles M9XX or Specna Arms Edge 2 guns offer more features, including quick-change springs and an actual fire control systems, right out of the box, for a lot less.
I can't speak to Arcturus, but I'd highlight that the recommended model above doesn't appear to be available from (e.g.) PatrolBase in the UK, and that brands can produce a wide range of quality, so it's not a blanket recommendation.
What I would stress is that airsoft QC is all over the place and you can get peaches and lemons within the same batch, let alone the same platform or manufacturer, so it's always a bit of a gamble. I never play up without a backup gun (or two, or three) in the car, so you might want to consider the £2xx DE/Edge 2 option, plus a magazine-compatible cheaper backup / loaner (Specna, Lancer Tactical, G36C with an M4 magwell adapter or similar) instead.
I can't speak to Arcturus, but I'd highlight that the recommended model above doesn't appear to be available from (e.g.) PatrolBase in the UK, and that brands can produce a wide range of quality, so it's not a blanket recommendation.
What I would stress is that airsoft QC is all over the place and you can get peaches and lemons within the same batch, let alone the same platform or manufacturer, so it's always a bit of a gamble. I never play up without a backup gun (or two, or three) in the car, so you might want to consider the £2xx DE/Edge 2 option, plus a magazine-compatible cheaper backup / loaner (Specna, Lancer Tactical, G36C with an M4 magwell adapter or similar) instead.
RostokMcSpoons
Members
- Sep 3, 2021
- 1,940
- 1,749
Yes, Luke from Negative Airsoft seems to hate VFC AEGs with something of a passion. I've been tempted by a couple of boneyard guns at Action Hobbies, but ultimately decided against them because of him ?
The DE has the psychological advantage of lowering expectations due to their lower price, but almost always being very good. Which is nice. I love mine. Roger's suggestion therefore has great deal of merit. Two guns for the price of one also introduces a bit of variety, which allegedly is the spice of life ?
I like the sound of the Arcturus guns, shame they seem to be hard to find. Maybe Krytac or :gasp: Novritsch might be contenders for around £350?
- Oct 7, 2017
- 6,069
- 5,360
As has been asked, is the budget you mentioned for guns alone or do you need to factor in other kit, such as eyepro/boots/vest etc.
If it's just for your gun, if I personally was starting out, knowing what I now know from years of playing, I'd consider the new DE range of M4 variants, they look good, & all player reviews so far indicate good performance & features for the price.
To that end, you could technically afford TWO, I would definitely recommend getting two, maybe a nice long version, backed up with a compact stubby variant, then you've always got a mag compatible backup, as well as suitable guns for woodland or cqb sites.
View attachment 113480
Edit: i saw your post after typing mine, great minds think alike ??
Yashy
Members
- Aug 19, 2023
- 80
- 4
- Thread starter
- #17
Would you guys recommend this then? https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/specna-arms-sa-h21-edge-2-0-airsoft-aeg-carbine-rifle
It's very under my budget (of course i dont mind
!) but what do you guys think about this? 
MrTea
Members
- Aug 22, 2022
- 672
- 454
Here's a link to all of the Specna Arms Edge 2.0 guns.
In this price range have you considered something like a G&G Predator. You can get it in both a polymer and metal receiver.
Keep in mind, Patrolbase isn't the only place to buy airsoft AEGs and there are, usually, cheaper places to get it.
- H Series - Styled off of a HK416 platform - Personally i'd go for the SA-H20 or SA-H22.
- E Series - Styled off of a AR15/M4 platform.
In this price range have you considered something like a G&G Predator. You can get it in both a polymer and metal receiver.
Keep in mind, Patrolbase isn't the only place to buy airsoft AEGs and there are, usually, cheaper places to get it.
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Yashy
Members
- Aug 19, 2023
- 80
- 4
- Thread starter
- #19
Yeah just using patrol base as a reference.
I'm loving the look of this gun. https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/specna-arms-sa-h22-edge-2-0-tm-carbine-aeg
I'm loving the look of this gun. https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/specna-arms-sa-h22-edge-2-0-tm-carbine-aeg
RostokMcSpoons
Members
- Sep 3, 2021
- 1,940
- 1,749
I prefer the look of the H21 with the longer barrel, but of course a £15 outer barrel extension will give you that if you want it (I'm buying one for my VFC HK416A5)
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