L85

[Alis_volat_propriis]

Doing some research into buying my first gun and i really want a L85A2, does any body have any experience with this gun, if so could you tell me good good and bad brands, whether its a good starter gun and a general review on the gun.

 

Regards

Jack

[Grounded_Pilot]

ICS are regarded as making the best performing SA80 series.

 

However, I have heard nothing but good reviews on the ARES SA80 series. From owning both an ARES and an ICS, I preferred my ARES. However the ICS is better when it comes to upgrades!

 

Take a look at this thread: http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/?showtopic=11239

 

Makes to avoid: Army Armaments (AA or just ARMY), and be cautious of G&G. They often have faults.

[Hubert]

ARES make the best looking one. ICS make the most reliable one. G&G - somewhere in between, kind of the jack of all trades, but master of none.

 

ARES - it's 100% accurate to the real thing. However it's only the really, really, really OCD and anal people who will notice that your ICS or G&G's plastic parts are a slightly different tone of olive-drab compared to the real thing*.

ICS's L85 have a matt black finish to the metal work, unlike the real and ARES L85s which have a satin finish.

 

Reliability - the ARES is a monster to open up, and I wouldn't recommend it as a starter gun. If something goes wrong (and its ARES, so it probably will), opening it up to fix the problem is a nightmare.

 

ICS - easy to open up and work on. A few minor design flaws (the hop isn't the most accurate compared to other AEGs), but easy to remedy (using 0.25 ammunition counter-acts the hop-up). I haven't had to open my L85 carbine up, nor do I intend to until it really breaks.

 

G&G have gotten a lot of bad press in the past, but their recent updated L85 series is actually ok. They have at least tried to iron out some of the flaws from their original design (the blow-back mechanism will break, rather than the entire gear box). I'd only buy one if it was NIB, and you knew whether it was a post-2010 version. On the plus, G&G have incredible customer service (you can order new parts direct from them).

Army Armaments- having owned one, I never want to see them again - but, some people have managed to get their to work flawlessly

 

Are they good starter guns?

What is your budget? What do you plan to do? All of these cost upwards of £315.

The ICS comes with 2 hi-caps, ammunition and cleaning rod however it, like the G&G and ARES, does not come with a battery and charger - so you'll be looking at upwards of £360 at a minimum.

 

 

 

 

*Even then, having handled several real L85s and an LSW through my very brief time in UOTC, I'd like to point out that none of them had the so called 'real' colour on them...