A Series of (potentially) Stupid Questions

[JustMark]

Hey,

So I'm still very new to this but so far I've very much enjoyed playing and the support from this forum.  I've booked myself in for a couple more games and unless something dramatic happens and I change my mind I'll be able to buy myself a RIF early next year.  I want a tactical/contractor look AK (yeah heretic here) or maybe the Vityaz but there's so much information and quite a few options that it's a bit bewildering to be honest.  Some of this is a bit long-term thinking.  I don't want to waste my money  but i'm not going to be a cheapskate about it if it's worth spending more. 

i; how important is a MOSFET really?  It protects the trigger contacts right so is it only necessary with higher voltage batteries?

ii; is it worth it to get a built in ETU?  I suspect not for a beginner as I won't know much different?

iii; it seems that the general consensus is that no matter what AEG you buy you will have to upgrade/fix it at some point so is it best to get one that has good availability of parts and upgrades?

iv; is it therefore better to simply buy a steel CYMA or an LCT and prepare to buy improved internals or is it ever worth it to simply buy something that seems upgraded out of the box like the Arcturus AK12 Perun https://www.taiwangun.com/assault-rifle-aeg/at-ak12-pe-2-burst-mode-ready-arcturus-2 .  Since I wouldn't know what improvements to buy over time it's hard to calculate the 'value'.

v; how difficult is upgrading an AK RIF going to be?

Cheers dudes

 

[Skara]

Hello,

1) Depending on which flavour of MOSFET/FCU you buy, it does much more than simply prolonging the trigger contacts life. Most notable features are cycle detection and active brake, they make sure the gearbox stops its cycle in the same spot every time and mitigates lockups; More "high end" units will have precocking, binary fire, adjustable levels on both AB/Precocking, adjustable trigger sensitivity, but these functions are mostly for hardcore CQB use

2) Generally, yes, except for ARES guns, they're shit and their EFCS is equally as bad, avoid. Depends on where you play though, if you only play at woodland sites in full auto, an FCU isn't strictly necessary but still nice to have, even if you're a beginner;

3) Definitely, avoid shady stuff like KWA, Ares, weird shaped guns with non standard gearboxes (Cyma SVD and VFC MP7 come to mind). Every gun will break at some point, tolerances and quality of parts matter but it's still a question of "when", not "if";

4) "upgraded out of the box" doesn't really make any sense. Parts that the manufacturer installs in the factory, even if fancy, don't count as "upgrades". Also most "upgrades" are shit anyway because bad quality - bad installation - bad QC so you may end up replacing them anyway. To answer your specific question, a VFC based Cyma AK will be an inexpensive gun that you can upgrade (for real) later on. I'd also stay clear of anything with a barrel length greater than 10/12" since this parameter matters sod all in airsoft, in some cases a longer inner barrel gives nothing but troubles;

5) it's just as easy as your average M4, once you accept the fact that AK magazines are shit (regardless of the brand) and won't feed on high RPM builds.. don't ask how I know . Externals are heavier and generally require a hammer + dremel combo to properly fit, but look infinitely better than the average instagram operator M4.

 

[JustMark]

Thanks @Skara that's most helpful.  I wasn't sure how to explain 'upgraded from the box' in a more clear way to be honest, just 'better' didn't really work.  Maybe I should have gone with "bells and whistles included"

 

[Impulse]

Take everything I say with a pinch of salt; AEGs aren't really my thing and I prefer gas guns.

1. I've never used a MOSFET in any AEG I've owned, so I wouldn't say they're necessary. They're nice for sure, and I'll be shoving a WARFET into my m14 and considering some sort of MOSFET for the SR-25 as well, but they aren't a necessity.

2. For me it wouldn't be a deal breaker. Can always get one later on if needed.

3. Yes. Good aftermarket part support is needed. You don't need to get something with a V2/V3 gearbox, though they have the most parts availability. It's why I love the TM/Cyma m14s and hate the G&G ones; you can get loads of parts for a TM / Cyma v7 gearbox, but G&G do weird proprietary things.

4. I used to be all about getting expensive that just works well out of the box (TM guns, especially their NGRS stuff), but now I'm very much a Cyma shill instead. You can get a steel/wood Cyma AK for under £200 and it'll work well enough out of the box, maybe just swap out the hop rubber and nub at first. Then you can save up for some sort of nasty internals over time and the stock ones will generally stand up to general use. Upgrades are far better if you (or a reliable tech if you're like me and gearboxes are literal kryptonite) do them yourself; "out of the box" upgrades are usually kinda crap and cost more than you'd pay to get them done yourself.

5. AKs are fairly easy to upgrade. V3 gearboxes are the 2nd most common after V2s

 

[Skara]

Thanks @Skara that's most helpful.  I wasn't sure how to explain 'upgraded from the box' in a more clear way to be honest, just 'better' didn't really work.  Maybe I should have gone with "bells and whistles included"

Oh, wasn't taking a punt at you, but rather at those retailers/manufacturers who state it on their websites just to increase sales.

 

[JustMark]

OK, sounds like a steel bodied CYMA for me then!  Thanks @Impulse 

No worries @Skara, glad I asked because some of those guns look very tempting to spend an extra bit of cash on to get a few extras!