it's a tricky one, on the one hand i do agree that if you're gonna trigger's broom an aeg, might as well start with a cheaper platform.
however the exception to that is when the base platform offers something that isn't really plausible for a cheaper gat, in the tm recoils case it's the other features such as, well, the recoil, that make it a desirable starter (whether or not you care about recoil is a different matter)
same as how an e&l ak sure as shit looks a lot prettier and has stronger external components than a cyma. which if you have my crippling addiction to blued steel is something worth paying for.
i completely agree with this
*looks at his desk covered in unskirmished e&l guts and aftermarket parts*
do as i say not as i do