Experience and opinions

[edblackadder]

Hi all,

Sorry if I am retreading old ground but I was looking for a bit of advice. I'm approaching the point of upgrading my two-tone CYMA cm.516 to a true RIF and I've reached a bit of an impasse. I have a short list of three guns and would like to tap into the experience that this fine forum has to guide me.

My criteria are.

• Budget ~£150
  
• M4 platform (I'm already invested in mags etc)
  
• Upper rail (I'm useless with iron sights and use an Eotech clone)
  
• Better range/acccuracy out the box than the cm.516
  
• UK seller and buy new
  

My short list and my thoughts

1) G&G CM16 Raider-L https://swasairsoft.co.uk/airsoft-guns/gg-combat-machine-aeg-cm16-raider-l-2

Pros - Cheapest of the short-list, proven and recommended starter gun by the wise head's of this forum, I've used and liked the carbine as a rental at a recent CQB site we visited on my friend's stag do, should be able to use my existing batteries and mags

Cons - Will need a riser for the sight so that will push price up a bit, fiddlier hop adjustment

2) G&G Raider 2.0 https://swasairsoft.co.uk/airsoft-guns/gg-combat-machine-aeg-raider-20-2

Pros - Update of above, rotary-style hop up looks easier to adjust, length may be more manoeuvrable, like using the 1st gen carbine as I say above, should be able to use my existing batteries and mags

Cons - Not sure if the internals are much different other than the hop up for the price difference.

3) Specna Arms Core M4 (proobably https://swasairsoft.co.uk/airsoft-guns/specna-arms-sa-c09-core-m4a1-2 on aesthetics of maybe https://swasairsoft.co.uk/airsoft-guns/specna-arms-sa-c011-core-m4a1-black-aeg-2)

Pros - Spoken of very highly here and reading around elsewhere, rotary style hop up, looks damn cool in floating rail version

Cons - Most expensive on list, no sling points, less sure my existing batteries will work

I will confess to leaning to 2 or 3 but that might just be the lure of the new.

I'm also looking for budget mid cap mag options. I probably have room in my budget after this to either change my MiMH batteries for LiPOs or LiFEs OR get some mid caps and honestly the latter sounds more fun. I'm probably looking at about £40-50 budget inc speed loader for this bit, struggling to find anything that will be delivered by the bank holiday weekend (want them for the airsoft festival at Ground Zero new gun or no new gun).

Thanks guys.

 

[E21A]

You won’t go wrong with any cm16, but worth noting if they the ETU/MOSFET combo on them you will need 11.1 lipos for them to work reliably 

 

[Prisce]

If you look at RoE Airsoft the CM16 raider is currently £90 on sale.... could make the difference in your choices?

 

[edblackadder]

If you look at RoE Airsoft the CM16 raider is currently £90 on sale.... could make the difference in your choices?

I looked and tempting but it's the short version and I am looking for a slightly longer RIF. 

Edit: But it probably is a more sensible choice, does anyone know what the range is like out of the box compared to the cheap Cyma M4s and the Raider-L?

 

[Prisce]

I have a raider, it’s a very very good gun for the price, and I was shocked with the range you can get from it. If you want it abit longer, there’s always a silencer or tracer...

 

[edblackadder]

I have a raider, it’s a very very good gun for the price, and I was shocked with the range you can get from it. If you want it abit longer, there’s always a silencer or tracer...

Hah you've talked the sense into me and I've gone for it. Leaves me a bit of budget to play with around accessories.

 

[emilianoksa]

I have a raider, it’s a very very good gun for the price, and I was shocked with the range you can get from it. If you want it abit longer, there’s always a silencer or tracer...

Aren't there several longer barrelled versions of the basic cm16 for the same price or not much more than the Raider?

They won't improve range though, so why not stick with the shorter one which is also good for close quarter stuff.

 

[edblackadder]

Aren't there several longer barrelled versions of the basic cm16 for the same price or not much more than the Raider?

They won't improve range though, so why not stick with the shorter one which is also good for close quarter stuff.

There are including the one I linked above but the raised on sale is significantly cheaper for the same gun.

The length for me is a 90% aesthetic and 10% ergonomic but not so much a good deal isn't a good deal. Plus as suggested I could add a suppressor if I wanted. The little CYMA I have is pretty spot on for CQB as it goes, right FPS and nice short barrel.

 

[Rogerborg]

<Heresy> Any airsoft gun with the same FPS, and the ability to over-spin the heaviest BB you're likely to use, will shoot a BB the same distance as any other.</Heresy>

However, based on one example each of a CM.516 versus a G&G Raider L that I've tried, the Raider will do it more consistently, with a tighter grouping, a faster trigger response, a smoother action (even though my CYMA was shimmed spot on), and it just feels so much nicer in the hand, being made of a denser, sturdier polymer.

I'm not one for jumping on bandwagons, but there's a reason that they're highly recommended.