What Brand AEG and Why?

[Schnakey]

When I started skirmishing it was essentially TM or TM. I still remember the metal classic army guns being something very special when they came out. 

Currently I have a cheap king arms and an ICS and the quality of the cheap king arms seems on par with late 90s Marui. For me, they're all fairly decent nowadays and I'm happy with anything that handles well and performs on.

 

[Nodnol]

I’ve been pondering the same thing recently when it comes to brands and what toy to buy next. 
 

Currently I have a G&G Raider 2.0 and a TM Hi-Capa.

I want to get something different to the Hi-Capa, but that’ll be a TM because TM pistols just seem to be the best option if you don’t mind plastic slides.

Next RIF though....I find it frustrating that the industry standard is TM’s original gearbox designs and then it’s a free for all after that. Some brands do this well, some brands do that and so on. Even the top end stuff, the same bits will break eventually. That’s fine, I think I’ve learned to look at these things as model kits rather than the finished product, but I find myself increasingly looking at mid range guns as the next purchase because I just feel a mid-range gun that is aesthetically pleasing that will eventually go to a tech for a Warfet and a slight service will do all I need and want. I have a lot of faith in my G&G, so I’m always looking at their line up and liking their newer stuff. If only they made the SIG 55X’s still, and made a decent mid cap for them...

 

[Sitting Duck]

Almost missed this which is closer the mark, almost.. 

Indeed they are and that is what I was hoping would give some interesting points of view (Subjective personal taste, not a$$ holes..).  What's the draw (for you, from your pov) with the Firehawk for regular use?

I've not actually come across the KWA Blowback's, beside the nightmare of proprietary parts, do they offer anything new that Bolt or a TM Recoil doesn't offer? 

Systema is a bit of a red herring/oddity in that they are not really an Airsoft brand imo, they just happen to use the plastic pea popping tech, they are marketed at government bodies and the like that have decent budgets and are used to the cost of real steel?? So they can develop proprietary tech cost effectively within that market.  If I had the money down the back of the sofa i'd certainly get one, but not to use in a muddy forest..

Is that external quality in terms of build quality or quality of the 'look' / ascetics (/trades) i'm guessing the former? You go for?

m

m8 - no offense but you take stuff way too seriously perhaps

some people will take any gun that works

some will take one they believe is more suited to site

some will pick one they like or matches their loadout - eg Russian bollox or something

But I started to explain about the Firehawk because it was one of launch ones

with I believe a high or higher speed gear set in there (at least 16:1, likely 13:1, still not opened it)

with the higher mid range 25k non-neodym blue "Powerful" G&G motor - quite a nice stock motor btw

I removed and flogged on the dumb arse buffer tube GOS-V2 stoc

View attachment 60798

& stuck a stubby fixed stock on

View attachment 60799

that way I can fit cheap 2500mah block lipo's in there without fuss

The stubby fixed stock is tricky to easily source now and does not work for all longer M4's

but a titchy M4 FH, is tucked in tight during cqb and is perfectly matched

Also it is as light a heck being polymer than metal receiver, so you can swing it around without sling or stuff all day

way lighter than the AY-A0026 - aka Force-Core stubby M4 - bit qwirky & odd gearbox with weaken top/front area

Why did ForceCore take material out of the front top part, weakening it is beyond me ???

Also since I changed the bucking a while back it seemed to be pretty damn accurate with good grouping at medium range

so yeah - it is one of my better/more used guns I guess that I haven't altered anything inside the box - no need to

After that initial launch of the FH in 2014, subsequent versions had an 8 tooth bevel that really slowed the ratio

placing a reg 18:1 or 18.65:1 at a 22:1 or 22.38:1 so the rof really dropped with the snappy FH become a bit more sluggish than the usual 10 tooth bevel...

View attachment 60800

Vs

View attachment 60802

(not a wise move G&G imho - too sluggish now)

(and the HC05 is a pos with no semi, so useless for semi only cqb)

BUT it is a bit fucking loud - but I've gotta give credit where credit is due it was/is a damn good gun they initially produced

later models were a bit pants by comparison - so yeah G&G nailed it on that one but fucked it on other models/guns

but it is just my opinion on the FH

The CM18 - I just liked the look of - it really is a tarted up Raider (inside) - though has the 25k motor not 18k std motor

looks nice imho, I like a gun up to about 300mm barrel & think it is 275mm so that does me also

The cyma cheapo's are a bit of fun, trying squeeze a bit of zest out of them for as little as possible

but in the end they are all just toy guns/sewing machines - some work better/worse

some just look better in some peoples opinions, some prefer this/that but like I said opinions etc...

PS - another reason why I could prefer the FH is coz it was the first IF I bought when I got ukara'd

but truth be told it is one of my better investments and coz it is good little cracker of a gun

(doubt if the sentimental factor being my first IF comes into much at all, it is just nice cqb gun to chuck around)

 

[mattaddiction]

When I started skirmishing it was essentially TM or TM. I still remember the metal classic army guns being something very special when they came out. 

Currently I have a cheap king arms and an ICS and the quality of the cheap king arms seems on par with late 90s Marui. For me, they're all fairly decent nowadays and I'm happy with anything that handles well and performs on.

I remember back then too,  my first TM M16 didn't even have a hop..... and no GBB pistols either..

I’ve been pondering the same thing recently when it comes to brands and what toy to buy next. 
 

Currently I have a G&G Raider 2.0 and a TM Hi-Capa.

I want to get something different to the Hi-Capa, but that’ll be a TM because TM pistols just seem to be the best option if you don’t mind plastic slides.

So what made you go with the G&G Raider your currently using?

m

 

[Nodnol]

I remember back then too,  my first TM M16 didn't even have a hop..... and no GBB pistols either..

So what made you go with the G&G Raider your currently using?

m

‘Cos everyone regarded Raiders as a great go to for a beginner. I think when I was looking at my first RIF, the Raider 2.0 had just come out, and I loved the M-Lok rail over a standard Picatinny. 
 

So I had a family of guns that were well recommended, almost universally praised, as a good starter gun, with a fresh lick of paint in the form of a more modern rail, AND at a price point that was a good entry point....seemed a no brainer at the time and I don’t regret it one bit. 
 

A bit like anything in life, once you have trust in a brand, you tend to stay with them until proven otherwise. I do that in fishing, and I think I’ll do the same in airsoft too, to be honest. G&G just don’t seem to make BAD guns. Yeah there’s more expensive ones, sexier ones, better trades etc....but in my limited and brief experience, they just seem reliable and do what I want a RIF to do, at a price point that won’t make you wince when it goes wrong.

 

[Sitting Duck]

‘Cos everyone regarded Raiders as a great go to for a beginner. I think when I was looking at my first RIF, the Raider 2.0 had just come out, and I loved the M-Lok rail over a standard Picatinny. 
 

So I had a family of guns that were well recommended, almost universally praised, as a good starter gun, with a fresh lick of paint in the form of a more modern rail, AND at a price point that was a good entry point....seemed a no brainer at the time and I don’t regret it one bit. 
 

A bit like anything in life, once you have trust in a brand, you tend to stay with them until proven otherwise. I do that in fishing, and I think I’ll do the same in airsoft too, to be honest. G&G just don’t seem to make BAD guns. Yeah there’s more expensive ones, sexier ones, better trades etc....but in my limited and brief experience, they just seem reliable and do what I want a RIF to do, at a price point that won’t make you wince when it goes wrong.

Is it the Raider 2.0 or the Raider 2.0E (ETU inside)

was temped to buy a Raider 2.0 but I got enough, though looks niiiiice

(very very tempted a while back)

The ETU stuff has shall we say "mixed reviews", my FFR2 the etu died & went back to old school stuff

hence me looking at the non-etu 2.0 coz that M-LOK looked sexy and no silly white big CM logo etc...

 

[PureSilver]

Q. So what brand have you gone for and why for your AEG (main one you use, not the 10's of others under the bed)?

I split between my ruinously expensive TM SOPMOD and my downright affordable EVO3A1.

When it comes to OOTB AEGs I firmly believe the ASG Scorpion EVO3A1 is by a country mile the best gun available - possibly the best OOTB airsoft gun on the market at present, full stop. Yes on the new ones they cheaped out on the gears, but for the money it's basically impossible to get such a compelling combination of handling, sturdiness, performance, reliability and interactivity. These things were sub-£300 from Patrolbase for years, when the VFC MP7 - which while very cool is deeply flawed - debuted at £450 (since dropped to £400ish) and the Krytac Vector, inferior in basically every respect except being Vector shaped, remains £450. I can't sing the EVO's praises loudly enough: it is a spectacularly good gun.

That said, I don't think there's a single other product I want to buy from ASG, because ASG don't even make it, VFC do.

When it comes to not OOTB AEGs I equally firmly believe the TM NGRS SOPMOD or HK416 is the best AEG platform on the market. You get the best overall design, but to get it to the build quality of an LCT you're going to spend many hundreds of pounds on new plastics, a steel outer barrel, a revamp of the gearbox, a Spectre or Titan... The AR-pattern NGRS is the best design on the market in the same way that the TM G17 is (at present) the best G17 design on the market - it's a great design, but you really don't want to buy something built in ABS when you can get it in nylon GFP and aluminium and steel. If cost is no object for an AEG, I would always recommend a and-the-kitchen-sink AR-pattern NGRS.

That said, there isn't a single other AEG I would buy from TM, because...

mostly what i look for in a gun is external quality, because for the basic tm pattern boxes it might take some work but you can get a pretty even playing field of performance out of them.

This. I'll never buy a gun that's made of zinc alloy where it should be steel ever again. There are too many great options on the market and more on the way - just look at LCT's EBBR HK33s - to mess around with fragile ARs with aluminium outer barrels.

 

[Cromulon1994]

I'm not a fan of AEGs, it's something I can't really put my finger on but I guess I prefer the mechanical nature of gas and spring, especially the physical triggers.

However, build quality is what I look for and realsword is the best in this field.

 

[Adolf Hamster]

I'd highlight CYMA in particular as epitomising the principle of economies of scale.  My M4 cost £75 (with battery and charger) and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it out of the box.  Sure, cheap, nasty plastic, and pretty much every part could be better.  But pretty much every part could be worse too (Jesus, Nuprol what the actual...), and they all function with no unpleasant surprises.

this is the thing, you don't need to go all that high end to get something that for the fundamental task of slinging plastic downrange is perfectly acceptable.

and given that pretty much any gun can be made to perform at a roughly equivalent level, really what you're paying for is the looks/feel of the thing.

This whole topic is interesting to say the least from the perspective of what people play with.. I've always believed you get what you pay for, but at the end of the day our hobby is governed by the laws pf physics. A bb of the same weight and pushed out with the same power should in theory if all things being equal travel the same distance that a Cyma will shoot at or at the extreme end a Systema will shoot at. Of course range and accuracy will vary depending upon the brand of gun or the upgrades done to it to achieve the perfect air seal with each shot and to attain almost zero friction down the barrel.. Of course external factors like wind, humidity, indoor vs outdoor all play a key part... Will all these big buck guns make me a better player.... hell no! Does it make me smile each time I use them.... absolutely! Rock with what you're happy with....

don't get me wrong a higher end gun can feel nice to use, but i think the problem is for the money/effort it costs you end up feeling dissapointed because the reaction becomes "well of course it shoots straight".

you're exactly right about it not making you a better player, it might open up opportunities but it won't stop you getting pinged from the bushes by some kid with a rental ak.

 

[mightyjebus]

airsoft guns are a bit like cars. Most cars will get you from A to B. Some will get you there quicker, smoother or in comfort. You can add fancy alloys, spoilers and go-faster stripes which add nothing to the journey however look cool.

Some run on electric, petrol, diesel or some funky weird fuel.

There are a million car makers all claiming to be the best however choice usually comes down to personnel taste and cost.

Oh and I can't decide if it's the Hi-capa or the M4 is the "boy-racer" equivalent. 

 

[mattaddiction]

airsoft guns are a bit like cars. Most cars will get you from A to B. Some will get you there quicker, smoother or in comfort. You can add fancy alloys, spoilers and go-faster stripes which add nothing to the journey however look cool.

Some run on electric, petrol, diesel or some funky weird fuel.

There are a million car makers all claiming to be the best however choice usually comes down to personnel taste and cost.

Oh and I can't decide if it's the Hi-capa or the M4 is the "boy-racer" equivalent. 

And that's the point, there are so many options, their isn't a golden *best*, what suite one person won't suit the next, be it budget, features, brand, what the shop had on the shelf  etetc and that is what the topic is about, what's made something good for YOU, NOW.  Personally I couldn't give a monkeys if your talking about a cheap CYMA or a brand new PTW, recoil, it's not a willy waving competition, it's about what makes that a good fit for YOU, right now.

It's a very personal question that only you can answer, it's about what you're using right now (not what you might go for in the future, sage advice or general drivel about the virtues of various AEG's you've had or not had  etc),  and limited to AEG's in the context of the question (GBBR's / HPA etc are a whole different kettle of balls).

I think Nodnol has given one of the best answer (to my question) so far about his G&G raider,  answer was spot on to the question.

m

 

[mattaddiction]

this is the thing, you don't need to go all that high end to get something that for the fundamental task of slinging plastic downrange is perfectly acceptable.

and given that pretty much any gun can be made to perform at a roughly equivalent level, really what you're paying for is the looks/feel of the thing.

Indeed, i'd go as far as suggesting you could probably play a game or two with a long straw and enough puff at the very extreme if one so desired.

I would  personally add quality of materials used and features, though guessing that's partly what you mean by look/feel?

m

 

[Cannonfodder]

.... GF hardly  ( you only have to put up with an AEG on a Sunday and it's a dam sight easier to change it,  if it gets cranky on you... : o p )

m

Also you can ask a mate if you can have a go with his without risking a slap  ?

My go to gun is my AKS74U. It's an E&L outer with the gb from my old cyma as the E&L was a lemon and kept jamming

 

[mattaddiction]

m8 - no offense but you take stuff way too seriously perhaps

Just trying to keep this particular ship on course, no offence intended.  Plenty of 'whats the best AEG' or 'what would you.. ..' threads out there, I had tried to pose a slightly different question. 

m

 

[Nodnol]

Is it the Raider 2.0 or the Raider 2.0E (ETU inside)

was temped to buy a Raider 2.0 but I got enough, though looks niiiiice

(very very tempted a while back)

The ETU stuff has shall we say "mixed reviews", my FFR2 the etu died & went back to old school stuff

hence me looking at the non-etu 2.0 coz that M-LOK looked sexy and no silly white big CM logo etc...

 Just the 2.0....without the ETU. Was a conscious decision at the time to keep things simple. 

 

[Rogerborg]

I think Nodnol has given one of the best answer (to my question) so far about his G&G raider,  answer was spot on to the question.

What does he win?

To expand on my choices (chopped down CYMA M4, Galaxy MP5K, JG G36C, Army Armament R17, CYMA plastic tri-shotty), the reason is the same in every case: the cheapest way to get something to use or loan out that's handy in CQB, accurate enough at 10 metres, and makes people say "Ouch" just as well as anything else when they get hit.  Or "Ouch-ouch-ouch" for the tri-shot.

I've played woodland a bit but it seems that range is king there, and I couldn't shake the feeling that it was a bit pay-to-win, or that folk were at it, running hot guns, or trigger-spamming 450fps DMRs.

In CQB, all you need is 200fps and either be first on the trigger, or first to the right spot.  Rather different criteria.

 

[Sitting Duck]

Just trying to keep this particular ship on course, no offence intended.  Plenty of 'whats the best AEG' or 'what would you.. ..' threads out there, I had tried to pose a slightly different question. 

m

Which at least you admitted was perhaps it badly asked/framed...

Probably badly asked, but my questing posed is about what you are using now and why, not what you would go for.

(And not a what first AEG to get question,  just curious what rocks your world and why).

You could have conducted a poll & asked for reasons for your most used gun in collection

But asking what "brand" or make may not be applicable to all

As mentioned, G&G make some very nice guns at a wide range of budgets

yet their electronic reliability has let them down from basic mosfets in older toptech's

to the lucky lottery of the ETU's for reliability, needing at least 9.6v to 11v to operate properly

(though some have been fortunate to use 7.4v - though not that common)

What that meant is limited power options in some guns for larger 11.1v's in a compact battery area

in their fancy looking guns & fancy looking compact stocks/battery area

So to me the actual brand on its own is a bit vague as there are good & not so good examples in most "brands"

I'll agree @Nodnol gave one of the best answers, he did some research and made imho a wise choice

(in also choosing the model carefully)

 

[mattaddiction]

What does he win?

Absolutely nothing, Who said he won?  Why did he win ?! ?!

I just mentioned I though his answer was spot on for what I was asking, a few others as well (no, haven't won anything either.....), I did have to go back and look through and have a re-read as i'd missed some posts with some bad gain structure happening....

I only tend to play at Woddland sites and I find the opposite. When I used to go to Urban Assault (granted not a proper CQB site) that's where I've tended to find  people with obviously hot guns which wasn't ever pleasant in close quarters and would just be getting out ranged in the open.  I personally find in woodland you can at least narrow some of that gap most of the time if your outraged.  But cheating makes Airsoft suck in any situation....

m

 

[mattaddiction]

Which at least you admitted was perhaps it badly asked/framed...

I've never claimed to be a literary genius and know my limitations.

However there was enough of the right words in almost the right order if read properly....

You could have conducted a poll & asked for reasons for your most used gun in collection

But asking what "brand" or make may not be applicable to all

En no, I can't stand internet forum poll's....  So I couldn't, I'd rather set fire to the internet and be done with it.   Not to mention doing that wouldn't have answered what I was asking.....

I was after some thoughts and maybe some discussion on peoples right now, next game day AEG's.  I feel like I've said that before...

Brand is very applicable, you can't really not buy a brand..... that's who makes the plastic pea shooters... someone has to make the thing you start with even if you gut it and rebuild the thing...  and if your AEG is a mishmash of lots of different parts, rock on and state your case, but parts are usually referred to by there brand's, could be a good read !

Your starting to sound like my 11 year old that's got an answer for everything, no mater how silly it make him sound.

As mentioned, G&G make some very nice guns at a wide range of budgets

yet their electronic reliability has let them down from basic mosfets in older toptech's

to the lucky lottery of the ETU's for reliability, needing at least 9.6v to 11v to operate properly

(though some have been fortunate to use 7.4v - though not that common)

What that meant is limited power options in some guns for larger 11.1v's in a compact battery area

in their fancy looking guns & fancy looking compact stocks/battery area

How is that relevant in the context of the question asked in this thread?

So to me the actual brand on its own is a bit vague as their are good & not so good examples in most "brands"

Cool, so don't try answer the question, no one will be offended.

Dear g@d... i'm asking about what you (that's the royal you, not you specifically) are using right now.... and tbh I'm probably not actually asking you specifically as sounds like you in a niche that 3d prints their own receivers and forges your own gear boxes in the fires of Barnard Castle. 

I've added and model to the question, I had credited everyone with been able to make that assumption TBH.   I would guess 100% of people  Airsofting anywhere ever, aren't using even half of any one companies entire product line, for there next game day.... (My question is specific to what you are using NOW as your main go to AEG... is there an Echo in here....?!).  

I'll agree @Nodnol gave one of the best answers, he did some research and made imho a wise choice

(in also choosing the model carefully)

90% faff, 10% substance ^^^^, that about sums up Airsoft.

: o p 

At least this is keeping me amused while work is still on hiatus and a good few different and interesting points of view so far...    Can we string this out until next March though?!

m

 

[Sneaky]

I have tried out many different manufacturers of RIF’s. I tend to go for what I like and functionality. If it is not a great brand, I am prepared to put in some work. Things have moved on over the last couple of years and it only gets better in my opinion.