2022/23 sub-£200 AEG brands to buy

[ibo7]

I've just read through a few threads regarding "which budget gun to buy" and "is x brand good?", I'd love to hear what brands people are very happy to recommend in today's market. 

Since I got into Airsoft a few years ago, I've seen quite a few newer brands come on the market like Lancer Tactical, Raven, Nuprol, Special Arms, Double Bell etc but which of these are actually well made and decent AEGs?

CYMA seem to be the brand that has been reliable yet affordable over the years and it still seems that way, so let's hear your thoughts!

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

View attachment 103445

(Double Eagle... that's what I'm getting at there... yeah)

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

I picked up a CYMA metal bodied Ak74SU a couple of months ago for less than £200.    I would go CYMA AK/M14.  

I'll leave the M4 recommendations to others.   

 

[JinxDuh]

Avoid lancer tactical for sure.

Cyma AK's are amazing for their price point, I can only assume their other platforms are the same. I know for a fact their M16A1 is great.

If you're looking at the M4 platform, the E&C MK18 is also a really good entry budget rifle from what I've heard. Same for the arcturus M4 series. 

Specna Arms also are a great budget friendly company, recently picked up their edge 2.0 HK416 when PB had their tanuary sale and I'm in love with it (Although it's over your budget they do offer cheaper ones with less upgrades)

Double eagle M9 series of M4's are also meant to be really good, never had one or seen one personally but based on reviews seem good. Plus the optical MOSFETs installed will help the longevity of said rifle.

If the budget can be stretched slightly, Cyma platinum is a worthy investment imo.

 

[Impulse]

Cyma for AKs, M14s and MP5s. Every Cyma M14 or MP5 I've owned has been a real workhorse of a gun over the years, and I've recommended many Cyma MP5s to friends and they all love them.

 

[snuff]

I'd opt for the Cyma M4 "Platinum" range,mosfet ( although that failed),fair Rof and even feels nice.Most manufacturers have upped their game and the cheapo mass produced plasteek models are gone.

 

[Krisz]

On what platform? Not every brand is equally good on everything.

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

On what platform? Not every brand is equally good on everything.

This is true.  Sometimes even the same platform varies... a tad...

View attachment 103458          View attachment 103459

I'm undecided on the one on the left, the right one is great though 

 

[ibo7]

On what platform? Not every brand is equally good on everything.

That is very true but I imagine a bad brand is a likely bad/inferior on most things, such as build quality or internal components.

 

[Krisz]

That is very true but I imagine a bad brand is a likely bad/inferior on most things, such as build quality or internal components.

To be fair most of the brands are sound. Specna and Arcturus make very good M4's. Cyma is famous about AK's and MP5's. And ofc the oldschool M14. Marui makes very reliable workhorses etc.

For 200 pound I would buy a Double Eagle M90 variant because internally you can't beat that gun in that price range. Or a Saigo Defense Ronin if you're into PDW style guns.

If you're not worried about warranty just have a look at classifieds on this forum. Plenty of good guns are out there and you can be even cheeky and get a good deal. ?

 

[MrTea]

I keep seeing the "£200 RIF for a first gun" on places like Reddit etc. and I always give the options of;

• Specna Arms RRA SA-E02 EDGE (£140) - X-ASR MOSFET, full metal receiver
  
• Specna Arms RRA SA-E03 EDGE (£160) - Same as above, just longer barrel
  
• Specna Arms SA-C23 (£140) - X-ASR MOSFET, polymer receiver, m-lok handguard
  

Cheaper than their budget which leaves cash for batteries and charger or mags.

 

[Speedbird_666]

I keep seeing the "£200 RIF for a first gun" on places like Reddit etc. and I always give the options of;

• Specna Arms RRA SA-E02 EDGE (£140) - X-ASR MOSFET, full metal receiver
  
• Specna Arms RRA SA-E03 EDGE (£160) - Same as above, just longer barrel
  
• Specna Arms SA-C23 (£140) - X-ASR MOSFET, polymer receiver, m-lok handguard
  

Cheaper than their budget which leaves cash for batteries and charger or mags.

Core - possibly, Edge - no.

The X-ASR mosfet is wank. The moment you use anything other than the stock motor it stops functioning properly. The one in the Specna Edge I had was consigned to the bin. And as for the 'full metal receiver', well, they are shit too - wafer thin, weaker than most of my polymer guns, and the factory paint is a joke. Then there's the 'not made of cheese, honest' Orion Gearbox - which I binned off for an E&C unit that was 50% heavier. I gave the Orion shell away on here to another user after the front-end jettisoned itself on theirs.

Worst gun I have ever owned - and I've had a lot of guns over the years. I would never recommend one for a new player.

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

The DE M904 is becoming a staple ... not just here, but my local site is running these as rentals, and the tech confirms they're running well alongside the collection of older G&G Raiders (the Raiders are also a reliable and often recommended starter gun, but they're now seriously overpriced given their totally basic feature set)

https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/double-eagle-m904g-honey-badger-w-fire-control-system-edition
£150 leaves you cash left over for extra mags and ammo and gear.   (£190-230 gets you metal receivers and hand guards, if you want to stretch)

I would recommend you pick up one super-cheap off the classifieds, but I've seen one Double Eagle get sold in all the time I've been here.  Which means people are buying them and are happy to keep them.  The 904 is polymer-bodied so won't be your Bestest Gnu Evaaaaah, but when you move on to something pricier it'll make a super-reliable backup / loaner.  (That's what my 906 is supposed to be, given my ever-growing collection, but it's still my go-to gun)

Having said all that... 
MP5's are inherently super-cool, and decent ones will be good for CQB and woodland - if you want to skip the M4 style for now - I'd go there.  An MP5 is still on my shopping list

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

The DE M904 is becoming a staple ... not just here, but my local site is running these as rentals, and the tech confirms they're running well alongside the collection of older G&G Raiders (the Raiders are also a reliable and often recommended starter gun, but they're now seriously overpriced given their totally basic feature set)

The reason that I didn't mention M4s is that my first rif was a Raider.   I've never needed another M4 in all the time that I've played.  

To throw a leftfield into the arena, the Snow Wolf K98 is my most fun gun to use.  It's by far the most satisfying.  I imagine that as an only rifle it might send one mad though.  

It depends a lot on what games you attend.  If WWI themed events are on the list, an M4 is not best option.  

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

The reason that I didn't mention M4s is that my first rif was a Raider.   I've never needed another M4 in all the time that I've played.

Yeah I know what you're getting at... The M4 platform is... how can I put it....

Well I've been in IT for 35 years, and back when I first started out there was a saying "nobody gets fired for buying IBM", indicating that sometimes the safe choice is a good one. It won't get you sacked (but there's a tacit admission it might not get you promoted either)  It's a saying that mostly came from IBM salesmen of course

The M4 / AR platform is ergonomically very sound, you can argue it's a super-safe choice, but personally I really like the handling.  Tactical / speed reloads are satisfying when the mag drops out... STANAG mags fit nicely in their pouches... All the controls fall nicely to hand... And of course the after market parts are hugely plentiful. 

The downside is every bugger has one.  Or three or four.  95% of the guns at a site might be M4 / M16, so where's the fun in that, you might think.  If you do think like that, buy something different ?.  

The OP will probably end up with at least one M4 in their collection at some point, they're too ubiquitous to avoid, so it could be the first one.  It's hard to go 'properly wrong' with one.

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

We had the same with Toshiba in the oil industry.  Their laptops were indestructible compared with everyone else's.  But by God did they cost!  They also did programmes for valve operation so you could buy a complete package - at a price.  Given our location it was  a square deal though.  You IT bods rarely fancied Lagos.

Thing is...  that G&G M4 is my back up rif still.  AND I've lent it out a fair few times to mates with less reliable gnus.  Same goes for my CYMA AK underfolder too though.  Many a kid has dropped that muzzle first on something hard.  Then Mrs TPH monopolized it every game.  Then I hurt my back and used it instead of my RPK.  The Raider is in better cosmetic nick, but the CYMA been very badly treated.  I've fucked over badly holding it thrice.  Pre-Brexit the Raider was £130 (Zero One), the CYMA £78 (Taiwan Gun) if memory serves.  No clue what they cost now though.

 

[ibo7]

Core - possibly, Edge - no.

The X-ASR mosfet is wank. The moment you use anything other than the stock motor it stops functioning properly. The one in the Specna Edge I had was consigned to the bin. And as for the 'full metal receiver', well, they are shit too - wafer thin, weaker than most of my polymer guns, and the factory paint is a joke. Then there's the 'not made of cheese, honest' Orion Gearbox - which I binned off for an E&C unit that was 50% heavier. I gave the Orion shell away on here to another user after the front-end jettisoned itself on theirs.

Worst gun I have ever owned - and I've had a lot of guns over the years. I would never recommend one for a new player.

Perfect case and point of how one says "Specna Arms are brilliant" then another says they're "wank"?

 

[C-Diddy]

I've bought a couple of sub-£200 guns for my lad; Cyma AKS-74U and a Specna Arms E-03 Edge. 

The Cyma is pretty deadly, although the trigger guard and mag catch housing sheared off after two games. It's still seriously impressive for the price.

So far, the Specna is great for him; decent range, can lift .28s from stock and pisses all over his mate's Ares. The only thing annoying me about it is the MOSFET, as the connectors keep pulling apart. Apart from that, so far, so good.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

In my experience which is exclusively sub-£200 budget gnus as that's my budget - I'd say that any of the big names will serve any beginner perfectly well, and most are available under £150.

-CYMA - A good safe bet, they just work and seem to last really well. The CM513 is brilliant, mock suppressor and tons of RIS space. Their AKs are legendary and highly recommended. CM048 is next on my want list. Probably the best choice here.

-JG - Another safe bet, again they just work. Provides "different" platforms like MP5s, M14s, G3s, G36s etc.

-Specna - Their Core series is decent, Edge IMO should be avoided, everyone knows someone who's had an Edge that's had the complicated electronics or notorious Orion gearbox poo itself at an awkward moment and ruining a skirmish day. Would pick a CYMA or LT instead but that's just me.

-Double Eagle - The Honey Badger series has gained a real cult following for lots of features often seen on Gnus double their price - I haven't tried one but lots of fans out there, seeing them appear regularly and everyone has nothing but praise.

-Lancer Tactical - Controversial opinion, but I'd recommend them for beginners, lots of features for the money and imternals seem decent. The plastic they use for construction feels more sturdy than most other manufacturers at this price point. I have the M933 Gen 2. It's great cheap thrills, a real hoot, best 100 quid I spent in airsoft!

-G&G - Have a good rep, excellent quality but their prices seem to have inflated considerably over the past couple of years. Overpriced for what they are IMHO but otherwise a safe bet for something that will just work.

Couple of points to make for beginner AEGs:-

-Don't get too hung up on metal bodies - yes its "more realistic" but a) it makes it heavier and b) the metal used in many airsoft guns, especially at this price point, tends to be pretty shit. Plus plastic doesn't rust...

-Forget "upgrades". Most AEGs are decent out of the box and only require routine maintenance to keep them working nicely. Parts only really need replacing if they get worn out/broken, like hop rubbers, barrels, motors etc. Focus on getting your game good, your aim, your fitness and your tactics and being part of a team. Those are the important things. Fancy high-end pieces or "uPgRaDeD" frankensteins, i.e. the airsoft equivalent of a tarted-up Vauxhall Nova (and just as unreliable, unless done by someone who knows what they are up to), do not make you a better player.

-Snipers, DMRs etc. seem "cool" (and they are to an extent), however its a different way of playing and requires a lot of patience, practice and investment to get right - something that most beginners don't have. Learn the basics first. Learn about communication, team tactics, getting fit, learn your site and the different attack points, defensive points, ways to move, bits you can camp in etc. Once you learn the game you can then look at the different roles within a team and look at things like being a marksman etc.

The most important point in all of this however is something that many miss - HAVE FUN!

Eezer G

 

[TheFull9]

Perfect case and point of how one says "Specna Arms are brilliant" then another says they're "wank"?

Yep, always been the way.  Problem is in this budget range you don't get as much consistency in the manufacturing or QC/QA checks.

"The death of one man is a tragedy.  The death of millions is a statistic."

The turnover of airsoft players is too regular for it to become common knowledge that anyone's individual experience of a given brand is, not to be harsh, but essentially worthless (until aggregated).  If someone's had dozens of items from a brand over a few years and looked at them closely and compared to others.. it's slightly more relevant, but still nothing concrete.  I've seen people get insanely unlucky multiple times with proven and objectively quality brands and 1-2 actually have multiple Ares guns that lasted years of heavy play.

Posting "my experience with X item bought at Y time" is fine and you add it to the pile for others to read and do with as they see fit.  Someone like Luke at NA is maybe one rare example of an individual who sees probably hundreds of guns a year and has done for years and can say "Z brand is likely to be decent for ABC reasons" with some amount of credence, but everyone else - 99% chance you're not sufficiently qualified to make such a statement.  Even if you've been playing very regularly for 20 years and travelling all over, you might glean a bit of an inkling but brands and models come and go very rapidly, quality levels rise and fall in the space of months some time.  Constantly aggregating the necessary data points in short enough a time isn't really feasible for the vast majority.