Best Aftermarket M4 Receiver?

[JS101]

Hey chaps.

 

Its possible that I might want to change the receiver on my Specna M4 build.

 

the stock one is Daniel Defense licensed which is nice but I’m not sure what the metal work is but it feels pretty flimsy and is quite light too.

 

im aware that one cannot assume cross compatibility but If I was looking for a really good quality sturdy receiver set, where would I look?

 

cheers!

 

 

[Shamal]

7 minutes ago, JS101 said:

Hey chaps.

 

Its possible that I might want to change the receiver on my Specna M4 build.

 

the stock one is Daniel Defense licensed which is nice but I’m not sure what the metal work is but it feels pretty flimsy and is quite light too.

 

im aware that one cannot assume cross compatibility but If I was looking for a really good quality sturdy receiver set, where would I look?

 

cheers!

 

 

What are you planning on doing with it that you need it sturdy and heavy.

Aluminium is light but also very strong. It holds conservatory roofs up! Lol. 

Regards  

[Speedbird_666]

10 hours ago, Shamal said:

What are you planning on doing with it that you need it sturdy and heavy.

Aluminium is light but also very strong. It holds conservatory roofs up! Lol. 

Regards  

 

Almost all Airsoft M4 receivers generally only contain about 4% Aluminium. Most are made from a Zinc alloy called Zamak-4 as it's easy (and cheap) to cast.

 

Specna Edge bodies are very light - the Edge I have is lighter than my plastic-bodied guns of similar size. It implies that they either are thinner and have less material in places for structure, use a lesser grade of casting  material, or a combination of both.

 

On their sales blurb they say this:

 

The only steel on the gun will be the body pins, dust cover, screws etc. The receiver, rail, outer barrel and buffer tube are likely to be Zinc Alloy.

 

So to OPs question.

 

Pretty much any Airsoft M4 receiver, unless explicitly stated, will be likely made of the same or similar materials to the Specna although the quality obviously varies between manufacturers. G&P, Guarder and Madbull sell aftermarket receivers, and they will likely be stronger and nicer than the Specna. If you look to vendors in Asia, you can pick up other manufacturers offerings such as King Arms.

 

But if you really want strong and sturdy, then RetroArms produce a receiver milled from a solid block of 7075 Aluminium. It's eye-wateringly expensive, It'll set you back far more than what the gun cost itself and then some.

 

I would just use the stock receiver until it breaks, it's not worth spending 60-70% of the gun's value on replacing the receiver if the original is unbroken. For what It would cost to replace the receiver, you could buy a lower-end Specna Core as a backup gun to keep in your kitbag should your main gun go down.

 

 

 

 

[Lozart]

12 hours ago, JS101 said:

Hey chaps.

 

Its possible that I might want to change the receiver on my Specna M4 build.

 

the stock one is Daniel Defense licensed which is nice but I’m not sure what the metal work is but it feels pretty flimsy and is quite light too.

 

im aware that one cannot assume cross compatibility but If I was looking for a really good quality sturdy receiver set, where would I look?

 

cheers!

 

 

 

You'll be looking at around £300 for the lower and about another £250 for the upper for CNC billet receivers. The other problem you'll have is that very few companies make them for standard AEGs, they mostly cater for the GBB and PTW markets so none of your internals will fit. You could look at Retro Arms as I believe they do an AEG receiver set but then you'll still have compatibility issues because...Retro Arms.

 

Weirdly, a lot of the plastic receivers out there are sturdier than the cheap cast alloy ones but if you want one that won't break the bank and should  fit your Specna internals then take a look at the E&C sets (from @ak2m4 when he gets them in stock) as they are pretty good. I have a couple of builds with them on and they've been rock solid.

[AK47frizzle]

Most g&p stuff is pretty nice. I've had a madbull noveske gen 3 receiver for 4 years now and it's still in excellent shape after so many skirmishes. Also have the madbull noveske rail for 8 years now and barely has any marks somehow.

[Iceni]

9 hours ago, Speedbird_666 said:

Almost all Airsoft M4 receivers generally only contain about 4% Aluminium. Most are made from a Zinc alloy called Zamak-4 as it's easy (and cheap) to cast.

There are a few oddballs that were cast in magnesium, G&G did a few models back in the day. It's lighter than regular castings and a bit tougher. You still get the same sloppy fit between upper and lower with them!

https://www.airsoftgi.com/product/Discontinued-GG-USMC-Metal-Body-for-M4-M16-2936/

 

My GR300 is magnesium, It bubbles if you put a drop of vinegar on bare metal.

[JS101]

Thanks guys, this is all helpful stuff.

 

I have a madbull rail and it doesnt "quite" fit the receiver - but its perfectly firm and unless you are completely OCD about straight lines (I am, I once took a spirit level over our house and convinced myself it was going to fall down!) its not noticeable.

 

As Speedbird says - probably play till break and go from there.

[Shamal]

41 minutes ago, JS101 said:

Thanks guys, this is all helpful stuff.

 

I have a madbull rail and it doesnt "quite" fit the receiver - but its perfectly firm and unless you are completely OCD about straight lines (I am, I once took a spirit level over our house and convinced myself it was going to fall down!) its not noticeable.

 

As Speedbird says - probably play till break and go from there.

Haha spirit levels are just a second opinion. Let your eyes be your guide 👀

Regards 

[ak2m4]

18 hours ago, JS101 said:

I have a madbull rail and it doesnt "quite" fit the receiver - but its perfectly firm and unless you are completely OCD about straight lines (I am, I once took a spirit level over our house and convinced myself it was going to fall down!) its not noticeable.

 

You'll drive yourself nuts with that OCD and Airsoft lol....

 

The E&C receivers are certainly the best priced out there that come with nice engraved trades but they are super hard sometimes to get hold off.   Of course no telling if the Madbull rail does exactly the same thing.  If you're near me (Kent) then you're welcome to try it when I have some in stock - or you can send me the rail and I'll try it for you etc.  

[Speedbird_666]

5 minutes ago, ak2m4 said:

 

You'll drive yourself nuts with that OCD and Airsoft lol....

 

The E&C receivers are certainly the best priced out there that come with nice engraved trades but they are super hard sometimes to get hold off.   Of course no telling if the Madbull rail does exactly the same thing.  If you're near me (Kent) then you're welcome to try it when I have some in stock - or you can send me the rail and I'll try it for you etc.  

 

I don't suppose there any E&C Gearboxes coming into stock soon?

[ak2m4]

15 minutes ago, Speedbird_666 said:

 

I don't suppose there any E&C Gearboxes coming into stock soon?

 

I have around 50 arriving on a boat from China late April / May.  In the past I used to get gear like this flown out via FedEx or UPS (dodged a bullet there), but now it's almost impossible to get Airsoft components like gearboxes and receivers sent via air.  Boat takes around 6 weeks I've been told.  Price of shipping has gone through the roof though!  I was shocked when told.  Boat arrives in Felixstowe so I'll need to collect from there or arrange pickup.  It's a learning curve for me.  

[PopRocket123]

I love the G&P receiver. My dad and I both have fully custom builds built off of them. The fit and finish is great, they're seriously solid and mine actually had a threaded insert in the rear of the lower receiver to adjust the gearbox alignment. Only problem with them is the barrel nut threads are beefier than most AEGs so a lot of Airsoft rails won't fit without modification. 

[SheriffHD]

4 hours ago, PopRocket123 said:

 Only problem with them is the barrel nut threads are beefier than most AEGs so a lot of Airsoft rails won't fit without modification. 

 

My god! this so much....I got a G&P receiver for my first scratch build and foudn out the hard way the thread was off. but I will say the metal the body is made off held up to alot of torque I was putting on it to make my Nuprol barrel nut fit. 

Considering you can pick up G&P receivers for as little as £60 if you find the right person they are well worth it. Id love to try another build with a E&C one to see what the differences are.

[Piman]

From my experience of building with 3 different G&P receivers they are OK. They are made better than most OEM receivers but are still expensive for what they are if you buy at retail and they do have their issues. As mentioned the barrel nut threads are a pain unless you use a G&P rail (However they do have some nice rails to go with their receivers). The ejection port dust covers do not close and the painted finish is average.

 

The E&C are very nice for the money. I would say they are just as nice as the G&P receivers for less than half the cost and are a better fit for most other parts.  It also comes with a lot of extras that the G&Ps don't (charging handle, mag & bolt release and fire selector). That makes it really good value vs G&P. I have this one and I really like it:

https://www.begadi.com/e-c-m4-receiver-modern-schwarz.html?___store=en&___from_store=de

 

Used with the E&C gearbox you will also get the locking bolt cover. 

 

 

[Danno46]

On 23/03/2021 at 13:55, ak2m4 said:

 

I have around 50 arriving on a boat from China late April / May.  In the past I used to get gear like this flown out via FedEx or UPS (dodged a bullet there), but now it's almost impossible to get Airsoft components like gearboxes and receivers sent via air.  Boat takes around 6 weeks I've been told.  Price of shipping has gone through the roof though!  I was shocked when told.  Boat arrives in Felixstowe so I'll need to collect from there or arrange pickup.  It's a learning curve for me.  

Unless the ships stuck in Suez! 

[cropzy]

G&P are the best one's I have found. On my second G&P and my lord its amazing.

[TheFull9]

@Speedbird_666's first post is by far the most important and relevant info.

[Hatchet]

Are there any decent polymer/FRP ones?

 

Or to branch out, best polymer body generally? Silverback SRS is great, anything similar for AEGS (not GBBs otherwise that Aug is meant to be pretty good)?

[ak2m4]

4 hours ago, Hatchet said:

Are there any decent polymer/FRP ones?

 

Or to branch out, best polymer body generally? Silverback SRS is great, anything similar for AEGS (not GBBs otherwise that Aug is meant to be pretty good)?

 

You can buy a SLR M4 polymer receiver on aliexpress for around £40, it's pretty decent, designed for gel blasters but can be modified for airsoft.  I've also got a couple of the battlearms receivers still left over but these required a fair bit of modification.  keep meaning to get around to putting them together