Shaydee

Nice one! Been thinking about grabbing one for a while and they've always been out of stock 😄

Agreed with Skara, take and test both, shouldn't take you too long to swap them out in the morning/lunchtime, etc.

Just bring a backup incase they both misfeed or you can't be arsed changing them around 😄

I've ordered real steel and repros over the past few years with no issues. My current go to for repro would be 5ku stuff from WGCshop, if you're not in a hurry just use land shipping and you'll have it in about a month (I ordered some bits during the height of covid last year and it was ~a month for one package and a few weeks for another). For real steel I ordered off of ivantactical last year and just some rando ebay store beforehand, again no issues bar customs checking the ebay package, but all reached me with no issues like ordering anything else. Mileage may vary now with brexit being brexit though I guess, though I'd imagine the checks in place would be the same.

Well, can't worry about losing something you don't have in the first place I guess 😄

Is it epoxied in or some nonsense?

I've just been using cheapo condor open top (the ones with the bungee cord retention) on my belt setup. Outdoor in pissing it down rain, brambles, mud, all sorts and have been working fine for me the past few years. That's including me swapping them out with a budget taiwangun pistol mag pouch for my VSR mags pretty much every game. Not really something that would fit the 'look' though I imagine 😄

Cheers lads. Will have a nose at some more reviews to see but from what I've viewed it seems serviceable. If that's all the major issues then it should work be alright, I've deffo seen worse in the airsoft world! I mainly want one to quench my Battlefield thirst 😄

Yeah I'm thinking sod it, late Christmas pressie to myself! 😄

You may very well find that adding hop increases the energy output instead of lowering it.

Just call it a work out 😄

I grabbed a cheap one from taiwangun a few months back, goes for about half a turn on my LCT and Cyma and then nada. Did come with an adapter though.

Glad it wasn't worse! But yeah this is why you don't mess about with eye pro even target shooting, I won't necessarily worry about full seal but I'll still stick on my sawfly's or something 😄

There is always the possibility you got a lemon, airsoft QC is more than subpar after all - might be worth a shout to the retailer if you can be arsed? And much like Skara has said, I've seen worse on guns more than twice the price >.< I'd guess it's a lot easier to mould plastic than it is to machine metal as well.

I've heard enough about lemons from both sides to be fair, only ever purchased/used LCTs but had a go with E&Ls and they've both been great. I think the best bet is to lean to whatevers cheapest and that tends to be E&L now that Nuprol have price hiked the LCTs, fire support is no longer my go to for 'premium' AK shopping like it has been 😐

 

Can't you just unscrew the hop and push it forward? I'm pretty sure I can do that with my 74u to get at the gearbox without removing the outer barrel, etc.

Oh totally, I've got my share of repro kit - just had a repro X300 show up from aliexpress

The multicam sea part is too true, I like having some different stuff. It never really pleased my eye and there's sooooo much of it, whatever floats boats though I guess.

@Adolf Hamster, they get some bad rep as they started labelling things as legit and sending out repros from what I can remember, I've certainly had no issues myself. You can get a lot of stuff cheaper from resellers is why I don't go to recommend them for anything other than smaller bits and bobs, though I do like the old add to basket, paypal, done style of shopping!

I forgot the backpack I use with my HPA'd M4 a few games before lockdown and had to use my partisan to hold the tank - a whole other level of heresy Like you say though it's airsoft and they're a perfectly valid combo, especially for running around in the woods comfortably. Hell it's the reason I stepped up to a more expensive version, because I was satisfied with how the entry level stuff worked and wanted to go even more russkie. It'll end up being the death of my wallet though with the advent of my wanting a VSS and an issued leafy suit - airsoft is a wonderful but cursed hobby when you have no self control on spending

In comparison to the older generations they're a bit stiffer material wise and the stitching ,etc, isn't as good - it's a 500D sort of nylon-y stuff, as an entry level Russian getup I don't see it as that bad to be honest, though there's certainly better (I spent a bit too much and moved to a partisan harness soon after). I had no issues when I used my newgen at Berget for a long weekend and other game days, a lot of others have no qualms with them either. I think a lot of the 'bad rep' (if you can call it that), comes from people getting a newer gen smersh and a cheapo grey shop gorka and going 'Hey look, I'm FSB now' or 'Check me out I'm Kapkan' and the hardcore guys getting all riled up - typical internet stuff really.

 

The newer generations aren't really used (they've seen some use in Syria and the like at least from a few reference images I've seen) and they've been overtaken by a lot of other rigs (TT MK2 copies, the 6SH) - though there's a boat load of different kit that has been used by different Russian units over the years.

I'd recommend one of the SSO Partizan or Sumrak suits personally. I've had a Partisan-M for just shy of 4 years and that's held up well walking through scrub and numerous washes, depending on what the climate is like around you they're also relatively light so not bad in the summer and you can always pack extra layers for warmth if needed in winter time - the M has autumn/summer patterns which are reversible as well   If you want 'typical' russian patterns that are recognised you'll be looking at SS-Leto, Berezka and SPECTRE in suit form. Gorkas are great also (I have a demiseason suit in blumentarn) but they are mountain suits and can get reaaaal hot dependent on weather conditions.

Oh and have a look for a reseller on one of the facebook groups, usually they can get you the new SSO stuff cheaper than grey shop will sell it. I've got a newer gen smersh hanging around that I've been meaning to sell if that'd take your fancy - not sure what postage would be like though.

Yeah those pages are pretty good for that sort of info Shame red-alliance is down at the moment as there's quite a bit on there. They've got an entire thread dedicated to the development history of SSO/SPOSN (the guys who made the smersh and partisan harnesses).

Lots of good info/reference images on the first group, others are pretty good also.

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/526447614230865

https://www.facebook.com/groups/342974125862243/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/600502416823142/

http://www.red-alliance.net/ is also handy but it appears to be down at the moment.

Few reference galleries I have saved off also.
 

Some FSB stuff
https://imgur.com/a/8Poih

https://imgur.com/a/uVzVZUm

 

45th VDV promo/training stuff

https://www.vitalykuzmin.net/Military/45thORP/

 

Edit: plenty of resellers on those pages as well offering legit kit and mostly lower prices than the generic grey-shop offerings. Majority of stuff on grey-shop is newer gen and not really used anyways.