Good Beginner/Intermediate gun that will last.

[JVacation]

Hello,

 

Had a look at the gun suggestion guides on here but they are quite old and out of date now.

 

I recently bought a Cyma AK CM040c but I as soon as I held it I knew it wasn't for me. The weight was fine and it was built very solid I must admit but something personal to me just felt "off".

 

What are some good go tos now? People keep recommending Specna Arms because they come with mosfets already, some people talk about G&G but I used one of the CM16 raiders as a rental 3 times. It felt nice and worked but it did lack range and accuracy. Do G&G do good guns which are a step above those?

 

I am open to all suggestions but unfortunately the long CYMA ak was just not for me.

 

Cheers!

[Lozart]

First question - what style of gun do you like the look of? If you prefer the ergonomics of an M4/M16 over an AK you have literally tons of choice.

 

G&G do a vast array of different guns on several different levels. There's the CM (Combat Machine) range which is their starter series, GC which is the intermediate level and Top Tech that is their high end. Some guns are only available in specific ranges, others are pretty ubiquitous. The thing to bear in mind is that a used and abused CM16 rental gun will not be as good as a brand new one on account of the mistreatment they get.

 

The better way to look at things is to set your budget and see what's available.

[JVacation]

Cheers. 

 

I am probably looking for something towards the m4 platform or similar now. I would say the budget is around £150-£250 which I believe its quite reasonable. 

 

Do you have any recommendations? 

[Lozart]

£150+ gets you into Specna Arms One series so I'd say something like this: https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/specna-arms-sa-b02-one-carbine-aeg?pv=16737 good solid gearbox, no fancy bits you don't really need and pretty decent out of the box. Also a good base to build on once you decide where you want to go with it. You should also have decent magazine compatibility too.

 

G&Gs in that price range are going to likely be Combat Machine models (not that that should put you off) so if metal bodies is on your check list then you may be disappointed. It does get you into the ARP9 if you want to be forever labelled a "speediboi" and start wearing lycra everywhere.

 

Cyma platinum series are very good if you can stretch your budget a little (or shop around for better prices) https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/cyma-cm-097b-platinum-edition

 

If you can get to a local store then get in there and try a few for size or ask nicely at your local site (don't forget though that plenty of guns you see on site may well not be standard). That way you'll avoid the buyers remorse you've already had a taste of. Don't rule out things like M14s, G36s and MP5s though but if you do consider them, bear in mind what mag pouches you'll need down the road.

 

 

 

And always remember that you can ask here for opinions on guns but every single one out there will have someone that knows a horror story about it. Especially if it's an Ares.

[JVacation]

3 minutes ago, Lozart said:

£150+ gets you into Specna Arms One series so I'd say something like this: https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/specna-arms-sa-b02-one-carbine-aeg?pv=16737 good solid gearbox, no fancy bits you don't really need and pretty decent out of the box. Also a good base to build on once you decide where you want to go with it. You should also have decent magazine compatibility too.

 

G&Gs in that price range are going to likely be Combat Machine models (not that that should put you off) so if metal bodies is on your check list then you may be disappointed. It does get you into the ARP9 if you want to be forever labelled a "speediboi" and start wearing lycra everywhere.

 

Cyma platinum series are very good if you can stretch your budget a little (or shop around for better prices) https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/cyma-cm-097b-platinum-edition

 

If you can get to a local store then get in there and try a few for size or ask nicely at your local site (don't forget though that plenty of guns you see on site may well not be standard). That way you'll avoid the buyers remorse you've already had a taste of. Don't rule out things like M14s, G36s and MP5s though but if you do consider them, bear in mind what mag pouches you'll need down the road.

 

 

 

And always remember that you can ask here for opinions on guns but every single one out there will have someone that knows a horror story about it. Especially if it's an Ares.

 

Cheers! Will have a look into them. Local stores are around an hours drive or so. It may be worth me hitting one and seeing what they have. There is one shop called onlyairsoft which is a part of the airsoft site I go to and I get 10% discount there that may be good but the shop is around 2 hours away!

[Lozart]

3 minutes ago, JVacation said:

 

Cheers! Will have a look into them. Local stores are around an hours drive or so. It may be worth me hitting one and seeing what they have. There is one shop called onlyairsoft which is a part of the airsoft site I go to and I get 10% discount there that may be good but the shop is around 2 hours away!

 

Remember that while it's best to handle a gun before you buy it, that doesn't mean you HAVE to buy it there and then. Plus if you find something you like then spot a second hand one online somewhere, at least you have a feel for it.

 

Have you got your UKARA yet?

[JVacation]

11 minutes ago, Lozart said:

Have you got your UKARA yet?

Yeah I got it this week. 

 

I think I will look into getting one that comes with a mosfet already and a quick change spring too to make things easier. 

 

I think I am going to have a look into the specna arms or G&G. Do you know any that I should stick away from and any that stand out from the rest? 

[Lozart]

4 minutes ago, JVacation said:

Yeah I got it this week. 

 

I think I will look into getting one that comes with a mosfet already and a quick change spring too to make things easier. 

 

I think I am going to have a look into the specna arms or G&G. Do you know any that I should stick away from and any that stand out from the rest? 

 

You're unlikely to get a built in mosfet on a G&G at that price. All the Specna's come with some form of QC spring but be aware that any labelled as SAEC mena you will still have to get the gearbox out to change it. The Core range are plastic, the Edge range (particularly the Edge 2.0 guns) are better but be aware that early units had some serious issues with the Orion Gearbox. Most of those have been sorted now but worth bearing in mind. The Specna ONE series is still worth consideration even without a mosfet though. At the price point you're considering the mosfet will be basic at best (I believe the SA guns have the Gate X-ASR which is a cut down version of the standard Gate Nano ASR) so don't put too much weight on that as a decider. For example, this: https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/specna-arms-rock-river-arms-sa-e15-edge-carbine?pv=10287 would not be as good as this https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/specna-arms-sa-b02-one-carbine-aeg?pv=16737 with one of these fitted https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/gate-nanoasr-3rd-gen-advanced-solid-state-relay-mosfet

 

As for the G&G range, as I mentioned you'll be in CM territory unless you can stretch your budget so they're literally the same gearbox with different bits on the outside*. Pick the one you like the look of.

 

*except the ARP9, they're different.

 

[Sneaky]

I would advise using a rental and speak to other players on the day.  We are a friendly bunch of people and are happy to show off our toys. Try before you buy….now you have your UKARA!

[Oneshotscott]

buy this -> https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/g-and-g-armament-combat-machine-cm16-r8-l  (I just used this shop as example, I'm not biased on retailers)

 

fit this -> https://www.bztactical.co.uk/asg-madbull-black-python-v2-6-03-aeg-inner-barrel-229mm-8037  (again, I just used this shop as example, I'm not biased on retailers)

 

It may not have a Mosfet or be full metal but you will not be disappointed with its performance per £.  I can only speak from my experiences and my r8-l still works as well as it did on day one (5+ yrs ago).  I reckon its the best beginner/intermediate gun that bridges that gap before you go into the more advanced/expensive options..

 

Take the advice offered by the other members as they all equate to a tonne of knowledge and experience and whatever you decide to go for, have fun.

[GAMBLE]

Hi @JVacation! 👋

Shame about the AK, I’m looking to get one in my collection, interested in selling it? (If it is this one in the pic.)🤪

Good luck finding the right one for you to start with? 🔫🤞👍

💷GAMBLE💷

[JVacation]

Just now, GAMBLE said:

Hi @JVacation! 👋

Shame about the AK, I’m looking to get one in my collection, interested in selling it? (If it is this one in the pic.)🤪

Good luck finding the right one for you to start with? 🔫🤞👍

💷GAMBLE💷

I already sold it today! Going to a good home of a AK Collection!

6 minutes ago, Oneshotscott said:

buy this -> https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/g-and-g-armament-combat-machine-cm16-r8-l  (I just used this shop as example, I'm not biased on retailers)

 

fit this -> https://www.bztactical.co.uk/asg-madbull-black-python-v2-6-03-aeg-inner-barrel-229mm-8037  (again, I just used this shop as example, I'm not biased on retailers)

 

It may not have a Mosfet or be full metal but you will not be disappointed with its performance per £.  I can only speak from my experiences and my r8-l still works as well as it did on day one (5+ yrs ago).  I reckon its the best beginner/intermediate gun that bridges that gap before you go into the more advanced/expensive options..

 

Take the advice offered by the other members as they all equate to a tonne of knowledge and experience and whatever you decide to go for, have fun.

 

I did see this one today, I take it is a good solid gun which has a good range and reliable accuracy? What does the barrel upgrade do?

[GAMBLE]

Fair enough, was worth a shot. 👍

💷GAMBLE💷

[Lozart]

5 minutes ago, JVacation said:

I did see this one today, I take it is a good solid gun which has a good range and reliable accuracy? What does the barrel upgrade do?

 

It's a G&G Combat Machine. They're a very popular model but DON'T buy that barrel. They are notorious for being overpriced and the black coating wears away. Get this one instead which is cheaper and better https://www.ak2m4.co.uk/internal-parts/inner-barrels/zci-inner-barrel-229mm (plus the store is run by one of our members @ak2m4).

 

To be fair though, you don't actually NEED to upgrade it straight away. Use whatever you get for a while before you decide what needs changing.

[Rogerborg]

29 minutes ago, Lozart said:

but be aware that early units had some serious issues with the Orion Gearbox. Most of those have been sorted now but worth bearing in mind.

 

I believe the early ones were fine, then they changed OEM and went to cheese, and they've sorted them again.  The SA-E02 Edge that I bought recently was fine inside the gearbox, well finished, decently shimmed (it did need a lot of them, but it had them) and even carefully greased.  The air seal wasn't perfect, but it was pretty good.

 

Good rotary hop unit with an interesting nub, heavy brass barrel, wired to Deans (yay!) and the mosfet is basic but means that you're pre-wired up to switch to a Warfet or similar later if you want.

 

I don't like the quick-open pistol grip base, it's more of a bug than a feature, and the M933 Fudd handguard wasn't perfectly moulded or secure (bit of tape sorted that, won't be a problem on the railed guns), but otherwise I'm having trouble finding things to complain about.  The quick change spring can be done without splitting the gun or removing the gearbox, although you need a loooong screwdriver to get to the securing bolt and it's quite fiddly to refit.

[Lozart]

Just now, Rogerborg said:

 

I believe the early ones were fine, then they changed OEM and went to cheese, and they've sorted them again. 

 

The early Specnas which later got rebranded as the "One Series" were OEM'd by E&C. They were great (mine is still going strong after 5 years of reasonably heavy use). It was the introduction of a new OEM for the Core and Edge series with the introduction of the Orion gearbox that let them down. Early models of THOSE were problematic but as you say, they listened to the issues being raised and went out and fixed them. I'm still not convinced they're as good as the E&C gearboxes but they're as good as pretty much anything else in that price range.

[EDcase]

You're better off looking for something you like the look of and then finding the best one to buy.

 

JG might also be worth looking at.

The ones I have perform above the expected price/performance ratio.

[Fatboy40]

This is admittedly a little biased from me but how about...

 

https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/double-eagle-m904e-fire-control-system-edition?pv=15411

 

... which for the price I'm totally blown away by and love using. Plus points...

 

# Programmable (to a small degree) optical MOSFET included, you can setup a hair trigger and the three shot / burst auto is good as well.

# The gearbox shell has been radiused so will last a little longer.

# It has a quick change spring.

[Rogerborg]

3 hours ago, EDcase said:

JG might also be worth looking at.

 

Good shout.  I bought a JG G36C as a cheap backup but it actually gets the most regular use out of anything I have.

 

Good robust plastic, folds down nicely for CQB, the stock rotary hop works well, and with a ZCI barrel and maple leaf rubber it's nice and consistent.  I've never even had the gearbox open, the shimming sounds decent enough.  I was lucky enough to get one of the models with an adjustable spring guide, which is a brilliant idea, allowing tuning it from about 1J to 1.2J at the turn of a screw.

 

Downsides are the two-part V3 trigger which wants a confident pull (see also AKs and MP5Ks) and the not overly generous battery space in the C handguard.  I managed to lock it up up a couple of times and popped the fuse once before I scooshed some silicone oil into the gearbox, rewired it with thick wire and Deans (from the trigger tabs outside the gearbox) and dropped in a Big Dragon M140 motor and now it's decently snappy and bursty.  With a magwell adaptor you can run M4/Stanag mags in it, so I can chop and change between the G36, chopped down M4 or stretched out M4 DMR without scrabbling around for different mags.

 

Worth a look.

[JVacation]

Thank you for all your inputs. I will take them on board. Definitely going to do some more research into the G&G and Specna arms. Cyma are great but I feel their strengths are in the AKs, not sure what their m4s are like. 

 

Thing is at the moment I want a gun that is going to last, be reliable and perform to a perfectly reasonable level. 

 

It's going to be my first gun which will be used and abused and I feel like the suggestions everyone provided could be that one. 

 

Thank you all. 

[Rogerborg]

The great thing is that there are few bad choices at the moment from the decent (non "BBgunz") dealers.

 

It's a shame that you didn't get on with your CM040c, and I would caution that most AEGs feel and perform pretty much the same, or within a small tweaking distance of each other.  I mean, a plastic bodied MP5K and an M14 have radically different balance, ergonomics and muzzle sound, but at the end of the day they both just puff, spin and point, and the BB doesn't care what the gun it came out of looks and feels like.

 

Unless you go for an electric blowback, I wouldn't expect anything radically different to your AK, so it really is a case of going for whatever gives you the biggest tingle, even if that's something utterly degenerate like a P90.

[EDcase]

Just stay away from Nuprol

[Oneshotscott]

1 hour ago, EDcase said:

Just stay away from Nuprol

Don't want to go off topic too much but have nuprol recently done something wrong? Yeah, alot of their stuff is a bit Chad valley and I'd avoid their guns. 

[Stevobeavo]

Another vote for the double eagle 904. Shoots and built much better than my Specna arms E07

[Fatboy40]

A recent video that you may find useful (with potential naughty words as it is "you know who")...

 

https://youtu.be/0CDqyk2vUiw

 

... which does help in knowing any brands to steer clear of.