The GBBR Thread

[Airsoft-Ed]

As of the new year, I've now been a gas rifle user for a year, since I bought my WE L85 as a late Christmas present to myself last year. I think I got it on the 4th... So my ikkle baby is a year and 4 days old *wipes away a single tear*

Anyway though, I'm going to be filming a review of it over the next few days. I did an unboxing video when I got it, with my first impressions and a firing test, so this is going to be a follow up review, with all my experiences, good and bad, of having it for a year.

A helpful approach to reviewing I think, how sick do you all get of seeing people "review" a gun when they've only just opened the box and not even used it in a game? 'Cos it royally pisses me off. Reviews should include hands on experience and be done after enough time for any faults to manifest so they can be mentioned. I'd expect ANY gun to be flawless out of the box, 'cos if it came with issues, of course it's shit... What do these reviewers think they're achieving?

I digress...

As well as reviewing the gun after a year of living with it, I thought I'd also talk a little more generally about using GBBRs, since a lot of people seem to be put off by them, or look upon them badly for any number of reasons - gas inconsistency, weather dependent performance, poor mag capacity, running costs etc etc.

So I was wondering if anyone would appreciate there being a topic to discuss gas rifles for those who are curious about them, considering getting one, or have them and want help getting them up and running after a part failure or something.

Maybe we could call it the GBBR thread or something?

To start with though, I just wanted to ask if anyone had any questions I could cover in the review?
They can be about GBBRs in general, or more specific to the WE L85.

Also, we might as well include photos because it makes the thread a bit more appealing if there's an aspect of flashy, showing-offy-ness, right? So let's see what GBBRs our community has, to try and provoke some discussion about them.

Here's my L85:

 

[Esoterick]

I'm glad you posted this as I've been on the verge of buying a GHK AKS-74U for a while now.

Probably the main thing I am curious to know is how long it took you to get used to the significantly lower capacity? Also how many magazines do you run with in total and do you play at a mix of sites? I've spoken to a couple of people that say they only use their GBBRs in CQB games but never got a chance to quiz them more than that.

 

[TheGrover]

Is the accuracy of a gbbr different than an AEG?

With the absence of a gearbox, are supressors functional on gbbrs?

Are gbbs easy to customise (internally ofc) compared to aegs?

-BUZZWORD- maintenance

Are there any brands which produce gbbrs which are significantly better or worse than their aegs?

Comparison between green gas and propane

[/wishlist]

In all seriousness, i think my next weapon will be a gbb primary. Possibly an smg or perhaps an AR, depending on what i find, what i like (and what Ed mentions in his review).

 

[AirsoftTed]

Is there a work around for the whole cold weather "supposedly" (I've no experience with them) rendering GBBR's useless?

Are they significantly louder/more realistic sounding compared to an AEG?

Weight wise, do they compare to a metal AEG counterpart? Obviously magazines will weigh more but the rifle itself.

I'd like to transition over to a GBBR m4 at some point or even have one for summer to compliment my G&P but I can't see it being financially viable.

 

[Airsoft_Mr B]

Is the accuracy of a gbbr different than an AEG?

With the absence of a gearbox, are supressors functional on gbbrs?

Are gbbs easy to customise (internally ofc) compared to aegs?

-BUZZWORD- maintenance

Are there any brands which produce gbbrs which are significantly better or worse than their aegs?

Comparison between green gas and propane

[/wishlist]

In all seriousness, i think my next weapon will be a gbb primary. Possibly an smg or perhaps an AR, depending on what i find, what i like (and what Ed mentions in his review).

Performance should be around the same, but range and power would decrease over time obviously as gas runs out. They will use the same kind of hop up chambers / inner barrel and so on, except the propulsion / power method is different.

There are definitely brands with better AEGs than GBBRs, I guess G&G could be an example. Their GBBs are terrible although not exactly a real one because it's more like a gas powered AEG gearbox.

WE are pretty new to making AEGs too but can't comment myself on whether electric or gas is better.

In terms of which manufacturers make the best GBBRs IMO it would be GHK, Tokyo Marui and KWA.

Green Gas vs Propane.

They're the same. Green Gas is Propane + silicone oil!

If you're using a GBBR as your primary you will definitely want to consider propane since it's a lot cheaper, but you'll need to remember to add a few drops of silicone oil every so often (not sure how many magazines exactly, dependant on the gun)

 

[Mack]

Is the accuracy of a gbbr different than an AEG? I thought my WE Scar Shot like a laser and it was completely bog standard

With the absence of a gearbox, are supressors functional on gbbrs? Cant say, never tried

Are gbbs easy to customise (internally ofc) compared to aegs? Pretty Easy, Easier than an AEG I think. Pretty daunting at first but plenty of guides around

-BUZZWORD- maintenance,

Are there any brands which produce gbbrs which are significantly better or worse than their aegs? Cant say, only ever owned a WE Scar GBB

Comparison between green gas and propane, Propane is Green gas without the added silicon

[/wishlist]

In all seriousness, i think my next weapon will be a gbb primary. Possibly an smg or perhaps an AR, depending on what i find, what i like (and what Ed mentions in his review).

 

[jcheeseright]

Performance should be around the same, but range and power would decrease over time obviously as gas runs out. They will use the same kind of hop up chambers / inner barrel and so on, except the propulsion / power method is different.

There are definitely brands with better AEGs than GBBRs, I guess G&G could be an example. Their GBBs are terrible although not exactly a real one because it's more like a gas powered AEG gearbox.

WE are pretty new to making AEGs too but can't comment myself on whether electric or gas is better.

In terms of which manufacturers make the best GBBRs IMO it would be GHK, Tokyo Marui and KWA.

Green Gas vs Propane.

They're the same. Green Gas is Propane + silicone oil!

If you're using a GBBR as your primary you will definitely want to consider propane since it's a lot cheaper, but you'll need to remember to add a few drops of silicone oil every so often (not sure how many magazines exactly, dependant on the gun)

Having used and maintained a few gas guns for knocking on 2 years I'd say about 80% of that is complete rubbish.

Sorry, not sorry.

 

[Airsoft_Mr B]

Is there a work around for the whole cold weather "supposedly" (I've no experience with them) rendering GBBR's useless?

Are they significantly louder/more realistic sounding compared to an AEG?

Weight wise, do they compare to a metal AEG counterpart? Obviously magazines will weigh more but the rifle itself.

I'd like to transition over to a GBBR m4 at some point or even have one for summer to compliment my G&P but I can't see it being financially viable.

1) Keeping them in pockets - I've also heard people have used handwarmers and stuck them in pouches with their mags, but they're yet another (if small) expense to consider for a disposable / consumable item.

I would say polymer magazines are more reliable although I can't think of any polymer GBBR mags aside from the G5. There's also GBB PMAGs but IIRC they are not so reliable for some reason from what I've heard myself.

I suppose they would still function decently and perform okay to a certain extent. I know my Glock will get through a couple of mags or even up to 2 and a half but this is just after it's taken out of it's case. I'd say it could still manage a full mag in the cold at a skirmish so a rifle would too. Sorry I can't give a better answer but I hope it helps a bit.

2) I'd say they are, depends on which one though because as with pistols some models sound different. For example the TM 5-7 I've heard is really loud. Also a KX3 / KFH replica will work more effectively than on an AEG to change the sound even more (I've used one on my Glock) To answer one of the previous questions the same applies for suppressors, assuming of course you do actually buy a somewhat functional one (with foam or baffles) as opposed to a pure mock one which are hollow inside.

I'll stop replying since I don't even have a GBBR :\ Don't want to cause more confusion instead

 

[Airsoft_Mr B]

Having used and maintained a few gas guns for knocking on 2 years I'd say about 80% of that is complete rubbish.

Sorry, not sorry.

Fair enough

Which bit specifically or you mean it was all wrong?

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

[No message]

 

[dapprman]

Here's some of my thoughts - as another GBBR owner/wielder/fan.

I clean mine after every day of play - really just a habit I've developed, but it will help in the long run. TBH it's simple and quick, plus it's not like having to service the motor on an AEG every so often or replacing a worn out piston. GBBRs are easy to work on - which is a good thing if you're me.

Gas wise - I use propane during the day, but between games replace it with green gas or maintenance green gas so the seals remain lubed. When sorting you don;t need to keep the mags full gas wise.

Mag quantity - I have 6 for my GHK G5. I did contemplate getting another two, but rarely finish the 5th except with long heavy play. Th exception is warm up type games in the open - one of the sites I play effective have 4 back to back games, so I use an AEG for those.

One thing people who are moving to GBBRs need to be aware of is, unlike with an AEG, changing barrel length will change the power. The longer the gas can expand in the barrel the more power you get - so reduce the barrel size and you'll get a drop in FPS. Increasing mine by 4" (using the GHK G5 carbine kit) increased my fps by ~25-30 with 0.20g pellets. There is a limit to the increase - if the barrel is long enough for the released gas to completely expand then the pellet will reach maximum velocity before exiting the barrel - not sure how long ti would need to be though, I suspect far too long to be usable.

@Airsoft-Ed - When you do your review I'd suggest covering basic maintenance - i.e. how to get the bolt carrier out and what the bits are - as that can differ from GBBR to GBBR.

edit - oh and forgot to add - while cold weather can reduce the effectiveness of a GBBR, come summer they can run hot ...

 

[Josh95]

What would you say, is the best GBB AK47 on the market, that isnt silly money

 

[dapprman]

What would you say, is the best GBB AK47 on the market, that isnt silly money

Probably cause a lot of debate, but if new I'd go for a GHK - I believe their early ones could be a little iffy, but they've built up a great reputation since then.

 

[AirsoftTed]

Cheers for the answers Ed and Mr B.

One more whilst I remember - Who is a good retailer for GBBRs? I know a lot of places stock them, but is there a place with better prices/customer service/variety for people to look at ? I remember you (Ed) having a bad customer service experience with the place you bought your l85 from I believe.

 

[M_P]

Cheers for the answers Ed and Mr B.

One more whilst I remember - Who is a good retailer for GBBRs? I know a lot of places stock them, but is there a place with better prices/customer service/variety for people to look at ? I remember you (Ed) having a bad customer service experience with the place you bought your l85 from I believe.

I use milspec but Ed doesn't after having issues with the guy who runs it. Assuming Eds story is true (and he has no reason to lie, and I think we all agree he's a good guy) then I think his reason not to use milspec is fair game.
I'd recommend them as I've not personally had issues.

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

I don't not recommend them, they have decent stock and they are a gas specialist, he just acted like a total dick to me personally and I'm not going to forgive him for it unless he does first and starts selling to me again.

Milspec Solutions and Tactical Quartermaster are probably the best places for gas gun stuff.

Mark at TQM is great, he's sourced me a handful of parts and he's very good at quoting accurate shipping times and prices.

One thing to be aware of is that when buying parts for GBBRs there is more often than not a waiting time involved whilst the shop orders it in for you, as there isn't high enough demand on a regular enough basis for it to be cost effective for shops to hold stock in parts they can't easily move.

 

[AirsoftTed]

TQM is about a 45 minute drive from me so that's great, I've driven past there on my way back from skirmishing and had no idea they sold RIF's. Thanks again Ed!

 

[EvilMonkee]

As far as AKs go - GHK is the only choice really, the standard WE offering isn't upto much OOTB and requires upgrading. For roughly the same price a GHK will run beautifully out of the box. Best gun I ever bought

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

TQM is about a 45 minute drive from me so that's great, I've driven past there on my way back from skirmishing and had no idea they sold RIF's. Thanks again Ed!

I don't know if they have RIFs in-house, as on the website it says you'll have to contact them for info regarding pretty much all of them so they can order one in for you.

But they're still very good on customer satisfaction, I've been using them for all the things Milspec do since Iain banished me like a douche because he jumped to conclusions about a misunderstanding and blocked me from contacting him about it to explain my side.

He also told the ex-chair of UKAPU to literally "Fuck off" over the phone because he rang from a mobile with a bad line... So it sounds like the guy has temper issues or something.

 

[M_P]

If this is a general gbbr thread, are we good to put up pictures of our own?