New Player - Reliable M4

[M110]

Yo! I havn't played at a site for a few years but looking to get back into it when all this shit blows over.. I'm looking for a reliable M4 as I remember the times I did play years ago the quality was crap and spent most of me and friends time trying to fix our guns when at a site. So basically any recommendations?

[Speedbird_666]

The issue is that there are so many solid M4's out there, that it's actually easier to compile a list of manufacturers/product lines to not buy. Also, you don't mention your budget.

 

So I will tell you a few of brands that I would personally avoid:

- VFC: look great externally but are made of cheese internally.

- Ares: Funky electronics (that will do 3rd burst) but are made of cheese internally.

- KWA: Apparently are reasonable guns, but proprietary parts can be a ball ache for upgrades.

- Krytac: See KWA

- SRC: Nasty

- Specna Edge**: Looks ok externally (and loads of rail/length choices), but are wank internally. Once re-shimmed, greased and a fair few parts switched out, will work ok until the gearbox shell breaks because...you guessed it... it's made of cheese.

 

Again, this is my personal avoid list - I'm sure the others will disagree.

 

**Note, my criticism of Specna is leveled only at the Edge Series. The 'Core' and  'One' series are supposed to be reasonably decent as they have (according to rumour) different OEMs.

 

 

[Shamal]

15 minutes ago, Speedbird_666 said:

The issue is that there are so many solid M4's out there, that it's actually easier to compile a list of manufacturers/product lines to not buy. Also, you don't mention your budget.

 

So I will tell you a few of brands that I would personally avoid:

- VFC: look great externally but are made of cheese internally.

- Ares: Funky electronics (that will do 3rd burst) but are made of cheese internally.

- KWA: Apparently are reasonable guns, but proprietary parts can be a ball ache for upgrades.

- Krytac: See KWA

- SRC: Nasty

- Specna Edge**: Looks ok externally (and loads of rail/length choices), but are wank internally. Once re-shimmed, greased and a fair few parts switched out, will work ok until the gearbox shell breaks because...you guessed it... it's made of cheese.

 

Again, this is my personal avoid list - I'm sure the others will disagree.

 

**Note, my criticism of Specna is leveled only at the Edge Series. The 'Core' and  'One' series are supposed to be reasonably decent as they have (according to rumour) different OEMs.

 

 

Yep you guessed it lol.

I have the specna arms se-05 and the ares 'honey badger'013

Both have served me well over years.only just replaced motor in 013. In my experience both perform well with no issues to speak of.

Saying that, I accept that I may have just been lucky.Everything has the potential to failure but the more you pay,the more it hurts. 👍🙂

Regards 

[Adolf Hamster]

budget would be handy.

 

tbh this sounds like a job for a cyma platinum or a g&g

[Guest Mr. No_Face]

A Good budget M4 series I'd recommend are the G&G combat machine series. CM raider or Other shorter platforms like the CM firehawk if you're playing close quarters. You can't really go wrong with these from my experience since they were pretty reliable and affordable. It's a safe option to get you back into the sport.

[Groot]

Mirroring what @Speedbird_666 has said.
If you avoid the bad options, you will be good with what is left. 
The propriety parts aren't a huge issue, as long as they are available. Just means you might have to wait longer for a repair, if they have to order them. 

I would look for one with a mosfet fitted. Not essential but something you will want if you plan to run Lipo's ( which you will ) 
Spend a little more upfront on one with a gucci rail and choose a style you really like. It's cheaper than having to physically mod it later to your personal taste.

I would also budget in another £60 or so to get a decent tech to look it over, out of the box. ( sounds silly but no its really not )

Get it perfectly shimmed, maybe short stroke the box and get the hop replaced with a maple leaf.

Then really, it doesn't matter what model/brand you get. Since you know it has been setup correctly, rather than the pot luck that it was done OK in China 
You will then end up with as reliable and accurate an AEG as is possible, in this hobby where everything WILL at some point go snap/ping and/or crack.

[M110]

Thanks for all the replys, looks like G&G are my best option. I think ill get this https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/g-and-g-armament-combat-machine-cm18-mod1-aeg-rifle?pv=2714

[Speedbird_666]

If you are going down the G&G Combat Machine route, these are better value for money in the sales - same gun internally, just different externals. 

 

https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/g-and-g-armament-combat-machine-cm16-r8-l?pv=5063

https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/g-and-g-armament-cm15-kr-apr-airsoft-aeg?pv=13331

 

Shame you weren't a couple days earlier, Patrolbase were selling Combat Machines for under £100.

[Starbuck]

Cyma Platinum. Done. 

[EDcase]

I'd suggest to look into the Specna Arms Edge series.

[Speedbird_666]

9 minutes ago, EDcase said:

I'd suggest to look into the Specna Arms Edge series.

 

For a first gun? Seriously? With all their QC issues? Yeh, good luck with that.

 

 

[EDcase]

Really?

 

Maybe things have changed but mine is great and several people here were very happy with theirs too.

[Adolf Hamster]

1 minute ago, EDcase said:

Really?

 

Maybe things have changed but mine is great and several people here were very happy with theirs too.

 

afaik the general story seems to be they changed gearbox suppliers and their qc dropped off a cliff not too long ago (i wanna say last year)

[Speedbird_666]

11 minutes ago, EDcase said:

Really?

 

Maybe things have changed but mine is great and several people here were very happy with theirs too.

 

Yeh.

 

I wouldn't trust one as a main/only/first gun. I've got one and I've had to replace a good few internals (Cylinder, Piston Head, Semi Cutoff Lever, Bearings, motor/grip). This was just to get it working to an acceptable standard. There were also no shims or grease on the gears out of the box.  I fully expect the GB shell to die at some point - it's the thinnest/lightest/most poorly made I've come across.

 

I would easily recommend any of the newer CYMA guns over the Edge series.

[Lozart]

41 minutes ago, EDcase said:

Really?

 

Maybe things have changed but mine is great and several people here were very happy with theirs too.

 

Depends when you bought it, the first batch were shite but new ones have been sorted out much better.

[Shamal]

1 hour ago, Speedbird_666 said:

 

For a first gun? Seriously? With all their QC issues? Yeh, good luck with that.

 

 

I love mine. No rattles,sounds nice,shoots great'n'straight and is right up there on power.👍🙂

Regards 

Sa-e05

[Speedbird_666]

1 hour ago, Shamal said:

I love mine. No rattles,sounds nice,shoots great'n'straight and is right up there on power.👍🙂

Regards 

Sa-e05

 

Cool. But i get the impression there are a lot of 'Friday afternoons' in the Specna Edge factory.

 

 

[Shamal]

32 minutes ago, Speedbird_666 said:

 

Cool. But i get the impression there are a lot of 'Friday afternoons' in the Specna Edge factory.

 

 

I hope mine was made on a wednesday! Lol 🙂👍

Regards 

[EDcase]

Well then I consider myself very lucky since mine is one of my best performing AEG's 

 

Then I recommend JG as they seem to have risen up in quality over the last couple of years.

[M110]

I did think in the last 10 years since I played a reputable brand would of emmerged but seems airsoft still has the pot luck on QC/reliability it use to have, the closest seems to be G&G

[Adolf Hamster]

12 minutes ago, M110 said:

I did think in the last 10 years since I played a reputable brand would of emmerged but seems airsoft still has the pot luck on QC/reliability it use to have, the closest seems to be G&G

 

There's still pot luck at all points of the price ladder, but the current budget crop are pretty damn good for the price they are.

 

58 minutes ago, EDcase said:

Then I recommend JG as they seem to have risen up in quality over the last couple of years.

 

Cant speak for their m4 lines but their ak's that i've worked on have shot far far better than their pricetag says they should.

[Skara]

Wouldn't go with G&Gs.

Old technology when it comes to gearbox shells, bushings material and hop units, even the newer rotary ones have zero airseal.

I'd take a look at the Specna Core range. Internally they are nothing special (shit ferrite motors and bad air seal, same as G&G btw) but they are a great base to build onto.

8mm STEEL (yes G&G, steel, not brass, you mongs) bushings, QD gearbox, decent rotary hop unit and an okay 6.03 brass (again G&G, decent brass, not shit tinfoil, fucking wankers) barrel.

Zero proprietary parts which is a super big plus and a price tag that is VERY affordable.

 

Okay the polymer doesn't feel as nice as the G&G one, but that's it.

[benno996]

Echo the above really..

 

My Specna is 10x better than any of my old G&Gs that for some stupid reason I used to rave about in my previous airsoft 'life'.

 

Seriously impressed by it given the price point, handled 4 different Specnas now in the last few months prior to biting the bullet and getting back into airsoft properly, all of them seem built well with pretty much no rattling. 

 

Not the best out there, but for a starting gun with fairly decent internals (mosfet, tbb etc), Specna pisses all over G&G...and then some.