Ak 74 Un Ghk Vs We?

[emilianoksa]

This is a question for which the answer might seem obvious.

However it doesn't appear to be quite as simple as saying GHK, no contest.

GHK guns are no less trouble free than other gbbrs, and parts might not be so easy to source. I understand that straight from the get go you have to tamper with the magazine lips or something. And their mags are horrifically expensive. Yes they are the best looking of all AKs but that comes at a hefty price.

I believe Luke from Negative Airsoft has recommended WE for gbbrs because they are cheap, work well enough from new and are as accurate as any other gbbr.  Parts are widely available and he recommends replacing when they go with WE replacements. I know there are people who don't like RA tech steel parts because they are not always easy to fit and encourage you to buy other RA tech parts to work with them.

I looked at a website recently that sells both guns. The WE is only about £120 less than the GHK.  And you can buy the WE with upgraded parts that take it up to the same price as a GHK - over in some cases. Why would anyone do this if the GHK is so good?

I am an occasional user who doesn't make any of his guns work hard, and the cheaper WE with WE replacement parts when components fail seems like the way to go. Coul anybone tell me if the WE receiver made of pressed steel like the GHK, or just pot metal? Either way it wouldn't be a deal breaker.

Just for your information, If I were looking for an M4 I would not choose either of these brands. I would go for a TM MWS. It would be a no brainer for me.     But I am not excited about the forthcoming TM AK gbbr. I am sure it performs brilliantly, but I have seen one and it was too clean and tidy for an AK. I know all airsoft guns are toys, but the TM one really looks like a toy. 

 

[alxndrhll]

I don’t speak from experience, but I think the larger point of consideration is more the overall cost of choosing a platform versus the cost of the RIFs themselves when it comes to GBBRs.

Cost and availability of spares/replacements/upgrade parts will always be a consideration either way but mags are ultimately baked into your start up cost.

Having looked into a few AK based GBBRs (primarily looking at 105s and 74SUs) it seems many would still recommend swapping out the hop unit on GHKs as they’re a weak point of the stock system.

Either way once you throw in mags the overall initial price difference is likely enough to at least pause for thought on the route to take. A big benefit of GHKs (externals aside) is the ability to DH mod the mags, which despite the benefits does make already expensive mags even more expensive.

TLDR - I suspect the only way you’d see the true price difference would be to price up your ‘end game’ shopping lists and compare from there. I suspect you’ll struggled to land on a fair price comparison until you’ve established that.

P.S. Despite doing a heap a research in the past I don’t have an answer to the receiver question, but I imagine someone will.

 

[Captain Darling]

It's hard to say, I have never touched a WE GBBR, but their reputation put me off GBBR's for about 10 years.  I do own a GHK AK74, and it's been a bit of a pain.  I had to reassemble it when supplied new by Defcon, as the top cover kept coming off - this was due to the outer barrel not been screwed in enough.  It is OK to work on, and the steel and wood on it is nice.  I have Devilhunter modded the mags, and they are solid.  I think GHK mags are more expensive than WE ones because they are just made better.  The AK74 ones hold about 50 bb's.

Accuracy wise, it is grossly less consistent than my TM MWS, even though I have installed and fettled a Maple Leaf hop, hot shot bucking and 370mm Crazy Jet barrel.  I have bitten the bullet and ordered a TNT APS-X barrel/hop set up from JK Army, I'll see how that fares.

I think the MWS sets a high bar, and the M4 platform is much nicer to shoot and work on.  The AK feels like a 70/80 year old design that was designed in a Russian shed, whilst the Armalite seems to have aged much better, especially when you slap on a decent stock, grip and rail.  AK's are still great for that OPFOR look, but whilst the CO2 GHK mags are better and hold more bb's, and the guns weight about the same, I'm picking up the MWS more often when I shoot. 

And where have you seen a TM AK?  Do you mean on video?  AFAIK it could be years before they release it, but I'd bet money I'd be an effective product. 

And the TM doesn't have to look toy like, it's pretty easy to weather AK's, there's a few ways.

 

[Adolf Hamster]

i have a bit of a theory about the WE stuff.

i think their reputation for being bad/having issues comes primarily from their AR variants with 2 key areas, firstly the longer bolt travel with a relatively slender tube means the end is more prone to wobble if the fit/finish isn't there leading to smashed bolt heads, and the AR trigger group lends itself to having a lot of cast (read: pot metal) parts which wear out easily.

however whilst this has garnered them a reputation for wearing out/breaking, i'm not sure it'd be as bad on an ak. one of the things i noticed about the dragonuv trigger group (which afaik should be relatively similar in concept to the ak) is because the parts are more condusive to using bent strips of steel that's what they've used which suggests it'll wear better. likewise the fatter bolt with a shorter stroke lends itself better to not wiggling out of alignment and smashing itself.

of course overall the quality won't be the same as the ghk, but then that's why the ghk is more expensive, especially externally which is why i suspect the default answer leans more towards ghk because if you're gonna be spending a lot of money to go gbbr then you might as well go the extra mile.

 

[emilianoksa]

Thanks very much to you all for the detailed replies.

I agree with Captain Darling about AKs vs M4s. I belong to a generation that probably has a special fondness for the AK platform. I love the way they look and once owned two LCT AK aegs. I also had a G&G metal M4 which didn't rock my boat in the looks department like the AKs.

However, I have to admit that when it came to ergonomics the M4 was a much better platform. AKs aren't really very comfortable to wield and fire. M4s are much easier to carry and manoeuvre. When it came to using them I found myself picking up the M4 more often than the AK. When it came to looking at them, I looked at the AKs more often.?

I think if I ever considered shelling out five hundred quid or more on a GHK AK, I might just change my mind on the platform at the last minute and go for a TM MWS instead.     

 

[Wo1f]

There’s a vast difference between old GHK’s and new ones in terms of quality. If you venture on the GHk Facebook pages it’s full of people complaining about weak/ poorly machined receivers these days. Mostly on the AR’s but even the AK’s. Externally it will still be superior to the WE in terms of looks and general reliability.
 

Neither are very accurate out of the box. The GHk takes AEG buckings and barrels with a plastic hop. The WE is VSR’esque barrel. It’s a shorter window basically. Both guns could do with work in that department.  
 

the main thing you need to ask yourself is what you want to use it for. If you’re skirmishing, get neither and buy an MWS. Because that’ll actually hit the person you’re aiming at 50m away. If you’re plinking in the garden, you need to decide if the extra cost of the GHK is worth it for the equally MEH performance but the more realistic externals. 
 

 

[emilianoksa]

Good points Wolf.

Since I have never had a gbbr before and will use the gun more for plinking than anything else, perhaps I should just reduce my outlay by getting a WE G36c or a Scar L.

Have heard bad things about the G36c mags though. The cheap, fragile, plastic base plates that is.

 

[Wo1f]

Good points Wolf.

Since I have never had a gbbr before and will use the gun more for plinking than anything else, perhaps I should just reduce my outlay by getting a WE G36c or a Scar L.

Have heard bad things about the G36c mags though. The cheap, fragile, plastic base plates that is.

G36c is brilliant. I just sold mine to a mate otherwise I’d lend it to you. Most WE trigger boxes aren’t the best, but they’re reasonable cheap. If you want a Scar, I’d definitely go for the scar H over the L. The H mags make it very gas efficient. Sounds brilliant too. I sold mine yesterday as I’m looking for a mk20 ssr to replace it to go with my PSG-1 as DMR’s 

 

[EvilMonkee]

I have zero clue what GHK AKs you lot are using or what you have done to them but mine has been superb from the moment I got it.  Yes, the auto sear needs replaced cos it will break, but beyond that mine is hitting 60m no problems, it out ranges my stock MWS. 

You don't need to mod maglips, that just causes jams.  Jams are usually the result of bad quality BBs or the guide tabs on the nozzle being damaged, shave them off and all is fine again.  In fact, mine hasn't had guide tabs for the majority of time I have ran it and its still chugging along.

The Maple Leaf chamber is really good but needs careful installation.

There are a few niggles with them but generally they come through people not knowing what they are doing.  The mags are excellent and in 3+ years of owning mine I have not had a single leak.  

Parts issue? Rubbish - readily available from Samoon or Milspec and magazine rebuild kits from Lees Precision.  The only part that really needs replaced is the auto sear for a steel one. 

They are much much much better than WE AKs.  Sorry, as much as I like Negative Airsoft he is just plain wrong on this occasion. 

If you want a someone to talk you through GHK AKs PM me as I am very good with them

 

[emilianoksa]

Thanks for the kind offer..

 

[occidio]

TM AK47
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