Recommend me a really cheap SMG with upgrade potential

[Lollingsgrad]

I had a lot of fun upgrading my awful CYMA P90 to actually be a really good performer. I'm keen for a new project; do you know of any SMG/AEPs with good upgrade potential that're really cheap (<£100)?

 

[Samurai]

Mp5

 

[Lollingsgrad]

Mp5

I do like the MP5K, are they all the same inside?

 

[Rogerborg]

What upgrades are you thinking of?

I can't speak to others like the CYMA, but the Galaxy MP5K has a V3 gearbox, just with a longer trigger - and the lonnng trigger pull is one thing I would like to sort.  Metal hop units are available. The stock one wants the hop adjustment arm cable tied down to stop it gradually slipping over the day.  AEG barrels and hop rubbers fit.  Wiring to Deans and fitting a lipo is de rigueur.

It's a giggle of a platform, great for CQB and surprisingly usable at longer range as well shooting at ~315fps.  By far the best value airsoft toy on which I've wasted my money.  Recommended at the price.

 

[Lollingsgrad]

What upgrades are you thinking of?

Nothing mind blowing, standard stuff like shimming, fixing up compression, getting a good barrel/hop set up, rewiring with mosfet. Maybe try something dumb I've read about like short stroking with a heavy spring or using a dual sector for silly ROF. Just get some more experience working on internals really. I find the simple mechanics and electronics involved in an AEG really satisfying and like how you can take it out to a field and benefit at the end of it.

I've only ever worked on the P90 but I actually want to use that, this one I want to try stuff and not have to care if the gearbox detonates. Ideally the thing would be second hand and broken to start with so I can get it cheap since it'll soon be in that state anyway.

MP5K sounds pretty perfect since I want to know how to deal with a V3 and I'm not ready to destroy my LCT yet. I've also spotted one for £82 delivered which is pretty tempting.

 

[Rogerborg]

It's kind of hard to say no at that price, isn't it?

 

[Lollingsgrad]

It's kind of hard to say no at that price, isn't it?

Nearly impossible as my bank balance will attest. Have you tried any of the hicaps with it? I'm allergic to midcaps. I've heard the regular hicaps are abysmal but what about those double-stackers with the dummy rounds?

 

[Rogerborg]

I bought a couple of CYMA hi-caps with it which fed fine, although I didn't get much use out of them.  At the time, there was a drought of reasonably priced MP5 mid caps in Europe, but I've since bought a pile of them.  The issue with the "high" caps is that they only hold about 200 BBs and necessarily have a small spring, so you do a lot of winding in return for just 2x the capacity of a mid cap.

I haven't tried the double-stacks, but I'd note that they probably have the same inherent issue with needing a lot of winding.

Electric drum mag it, you know it makes sense.

 

[tasum]

MP5K sounds pretty perfect since I want to know how to deal with a V3 and I'm not ready to destroy my LCT yet. I've also spotted one for £82 delivered which is pretty tempting.

Hi there, where did you see it at £82?

 

[Lollingsgrad]

Hi there, where did you see it at £82?

ASPUK

 

[tasum]

Does this have a stock? Where does the battery go? Sorry for the questions, but very interested lol

 

[Lollingsgrad]

Does this have a stock?

Nope! Just a sling loop on the back.

Where does the battery go?

In the tube at the top of the receiver.

Sorry for the questions, but very interested lol

I'll defer to @Rogerborg or other owners for the details but I found this video review very informative.

 

[Rogerborg]

That's a fair review.  It's a cheap gun, don't expect miracles.  Mine has a sloppy fire selector, for example, unlike the one being reviewed, plus the issues listed above.  The trigger was also a little sticky and didn't always return from that lonnnnng pull in semi.  A squirt of silicone spray sorted that.

But all that said, it is cheap, it works surprisingly well out of the box, and unlike something AEP based like a Scorpion, MP7, or Mac-10, it has a full sized V3 gearbox.  Reviews from the olden days pointed out the narrow battery tube, but that's not really a consideration now that we're living in the delicious lithium flavoured future.

 

[Lollingsgrad]

Ugh ASPUK emailed me to say it wasn't actually in stock and would I like to wait. This is going to be Extreme Airsoft all over again...

 

[Rogerborg]

This is going to be $FAR_TOO_MANY_AIRSOFT_RETAILERS all over again...

Urgh.  Sorry to hear that.

 

[Lollingsgrad]

Urgh.  Sorry to hear that.

Should've learnt my lesson really. At least in airsoft whilst buy cheap buy twice applies you generally get refunded for the first one... because they never sent it.

 

[Rogerborg]

At least in airsoft whilst buy cheap buy twice applies you generally get refunded for the first one... because they never sent it.

That needs a funny, insightful AND sad rating.

 

[Lollingsgrad]

I got a vague estimate of 3-4 weeks and decided that I just didn't have the patience. In their defence I got a refund same day although I did dog them a bit for it. Still a bit sensitive having been burnt by lackadaisical customer service from other airsoft retailers.

The only other people who sold the Galaxy MP5K were Defcon airsoft for ~£20 more which made it a slightly less appealing. It was much cheaper from Poland but I'm still too nervous to test the legislation regarding importing RIFs. Soooo... I did the only logical thing and spent double on the Ares Amoeba CCC.

I have, like, so many quality justifications for this and none of them involve my impulse control 

None 

 

[Rogerborg]

I did the only logical thing and spent double on the Ares Amoeba CCC

Hah, nice one.  Makes sense, you've got those big M4 mags, and an ETU would be great -  the trigger pull on the Galaxy is the one significant downside.

 

[Druid799]

 It was much cheaper from Poland but I'm still too nervous to test the legislation regarding importing RIFs. Soooo... I did the only logical thing and spent double 

Mate there’s absolutely nothing to worry about (yet , pre-Brexit) I’ve genuinly lost count of how many guns I’ve bought from gunfire & Taiwan gun over the past two yrs (due to shifts and the ability to receive parcels I’m the team ‘gun runner’ !?) and as long as they’ve had your UKARA No there’s nothing at all to concerned about .?