Airsoft newbie advice on Ares Amoeba AM-008 setup HELP

[Krusty]

Hi guys, I am new to airsoft and have bought myself my first gun. 
I have purchased an ARES Amoeba AM-008 and I am looking for some advice on what I need to get before I take it out for the first time. 
The gun didn’t turn up with a battery and looking online I think that a 

 Nuprol 2600mAh 11.1v LIPO Twin Stick - Mini Tamiya may be my best option.

i will also need to obtain a charger for this. 
I would like to know what I can use on this gun and will make a list below of stuff I would like to get but do not know what is compatible.

 

optic - red dot/holographic

foregrip

tracer

silencer

sling & hook 

spare mags

battery & charger 

flashlight 

 

sorry if this was a long winded post I am just lost and looking for advice on what I can do to maximise my new weapon. 
 

thankyou in advance 
 

Edited Wednesday at 21:03 by Krusty

[Cannonfodder]

Welcome 

 

I haven't personally owned that particular rif but according to this thread the 2600 may be too big 

 

As for a charger many will recommend the Imax B6 charger (although there have been fakes sold on ebay so make sure you buy from a reputable company). Avoid the nuprol chargers like the plague unless you like house fires.

 

With other accessories I'd recommend playing a few games with the gun to see what you actually need. It's all too easy to see loads of nice kit and think it's all essential only for it to be used once before being put away never to see the light of day again

 

Sights: Vector are highly recommended as they're top quality and come with a lifetime guarantee which even covers the glass being shot out. However these are expensive so be prepared to pay a premium for them. I've used the cheaper red dots with no problems but the dot won't be as crisp and clear. I'd also recommend getting some kind of lens protector. Also make sure you zero your sights, its surprising how many people don't do this and then wonder why they can't hit a thing.

 

Foregrip: these aren't load bearing in airsoft so get which ever one you like the look and feel of. I prefer the angled foregrips over vertical ones

 

Traser: anything by acetech. There are cheaper ones available but in my experience they don't light the bbs up as well. When buying traser ammo remember that many trasers only work with green bbs. It's also worth noting that a traser will add length to the rif making it harder to manoeuvre in tight spaces and that trasers work both ways.

 

Silencer: surpressors on AEGs generally do sod all and are usually used to cover a longer inner barrel.

 

Sling: I'd go for a 2 point sling as imo it gives the best compromise between keeping the rif secure to your body and it not bouncing around when you're not holding it. You might also need to get a qd sling mount as I can't see a mounting ring on the buffer tube.

 

Taclight: the nuprol nx600 offers a half decent taclight for a reasonable price. As with red dot sights its worth getting some sort of lens protector to stop it getting shot out as lights tend to attract fire.

 

Unfortunately there is no one bit of kit that'll help turn you into an airsoft god. I recommend, if possible, practicing 

[Krusty]

1 hour ago, Cannonfodder said:

Welcome 

 

I haven't personally owned that particular rif but according to this thread the 2600 may be too big 

 

As for a charger many will recommend the Imax B6 charger (although there have been fakes sold on ebay so make sure you buy from a reputable company). Avoid the nuprol chargers like the plague unless you like house fires.

 

With other accessories I'd recommend playing a few games with the gun to see what you actually need. It's all too easy to see loads of nice kit and think it's all essential only for it to be used once before being put away never to see the light of day again

 

Sights: Vector are highly recommended as they're top quality and come with a lifetime guarantee which even covers the glass being shot out. However these are expensive so be prepared to pay a premium for them. I've used the cheaper red dots with no problems but the dot won't be as crisp and clear. I'd also recommend getting some kind of lens protector. Also make sure you zero your sights, its surprising how many people don't do this and then wonder why they can't hit a thing.

 

Foregrip: these aren't load bearing in airsoft so get which ever one you like the look and feel of. I prefer the angled foregrips over vertical ones

 

Traser: anything by acetech. There are cheaper ones available but in my experience they don't light the bbs up as well. When buying traser ammo remember that many trasers only work with green bbs. It's also worth noting that a traser will add length to the rif making it harder to manoeuvre in tight spaces and that trasers work both ways.

 

Silencer: surpressors on AEGs generally do sod all and are usually used to cover a longer inner barrel.

 

Sling: I'd go for a 2 point sling as imo it gives the best compromise between keeping the rif secure to your body and it not bouncing around when you're not holding it. You might also need to get a qd sling mount as I can't see a mounting ring on the buffer tube.

 

Taclight: the nuprol nx600 offers a half decent taclight for a reasonable price. As with red dot sights its worth getting some sort of lens protector to stop it getting shot out as lights tend to attract fire.

 

Unfortunately there is no one bit of kit that'll help turn you into an airsoft god. I recommend, if possible, practicing 

Thank you so much for your reply. And taking time out of your day to help me out. 
 

In conclusion, and please correct me if I am wrong. 
 

battery - better not to go for butterfly and just get a 11.1v stick 1300mah

 

Tracer- ACETECH with green BB’s (I have seen online that the barrel is counter clockwise thread would this make it harder to find a tracer to suit) 

 

Silencer- don’t bother putting one on. 
 

taclight- nuprol nx600 

 

sling- 2 point with QD mount. 
 

foregrip- my personal preference (are these universal as long as there is suitable rail mount?) 

 

optic- vector if affordable or cheap red dot sight, but worth getting lenses protector. 
( I do not know how to zero a sight is this an easy task? ) 
 

Charger-  B6 charger from reputable source 

[Lozart]

1 hour ago, Krusty said:

Thank you so much for your reply. And taking time out of your day to help me out. 
 

In conclusion, and please correct me if I am wrong. 
 

battery - better not to go for butterfly and just get a 11.1v stick 1300mah

 

Tracer- ACETECH with green BB’s (I have seen online that the barrel is counter clockwise thread would this make it harder to find a tracer to suit) 

 

Silencer- don’t bother putting one on. 
 

taclight- nuprol nx600 

 

sling- 2 point with QD mount. 
 

foregrip- my personal preference (are these universal as long as there is suitable rail mount?) 

 

optic- vector if affordable or cheap red dot sight, but worth getting lenses protector. 
( I do not know how to zero a sight is this an easy task? ) 
 

Charger-  B6 charger from reputable source 

 

Pretty spot on but I'd add - don't buy Nuprol batteries, look at Turnigy, Vapex or Giant Power https://www.componentshop.co.uk/batteries/airsoft/li-po-packs.html

 

Tracer - standard threading on almost all brands of airsoft barrels is 14mm Counter Clockwise (left hand thread) so pretty much all the things that screw onto airsoft barrels are 14mm CCW too.

 

Foregrip - as far as rail attachments go, make sure the one you get is RIS compatible (or mentions "picatinny" or "Weaver" or 22mm rail) and you'll be fine. M-Lok, Keymod et al don't fit the rail you have. As for having one or not, use the gun, work out how you feel comfortable holding it and go from there. Lots of people buy foregrips and end up holding the magwell most of the time AND THAT'S FINE TOO!

 

Optics - I think we may be confusing Vortex with Vector here. Vortex optics definitely cover having the glass shot out and they don't care how. Vector Optics ARE very good and generally cost less than Vortex (I have several), and they do have a decent lifetime warranty but I'm not sure if they have usage caveats. That said, buy a lens protector and it won't be a problem anyway.

 

If you're unsure about ANY of it, ask here first - you'll get loads of opinions, granted but better than buying a turd and then getting roasted for it!

 

[Krusty]

23 minutes ago, Lozart said:

 

Pretty spot on but I'd add - don't buy Nuprol batteries, look at Turnigy, Vapex or Giant Power https://www.componentshop.co.uk/batteries/airsoft/li-po-packs.html

 

Tracer - standard threading on almost all brands of airsoft barrels is 14mm Counter Clockwise (left hand thread) so pretty much all the things that screw onto airsoft barrels are 14mm CCW too.

 

Foregrip - as far as rail attachments go, make sure the one you get is RIS compatible (or mentions "picatinny" or "Weaver" or 22mm rail) and you'll be fine. M-Lok, Keymod et al don't fit the rail you have. As for having one or not, use the gun, work out how you feel comfortable holding it and go from there. Lots of people buy foregrips and end up holding the magwell most of the time AND THAT'S FINE TOO!

 

Optics - I think we may be confusing Vortex with Vector here. Vortex optics definitely cover having the glass shot out and they don't care how. Vector Optics ARE very good and generally cost less than Vortex (I have several), and they do have a decent lifetime warranty but I'm not sure if they have usage caveats. That said, buy a lens protector and it won't be a problem anyway.

 

If you're unsure about ANY of it, ask here first - you'll get loads of opinions, granted but better than buying a turd and then getting roasted for it!

 

Hi lozart,

thankyou for your input really appreciate the advice. 
 One thing that I haven’t asked is about spare magazines, and a bb loader. 
the gun only comes with the 1 magazine which is designed to match the gun. I believe that most M4 magazines are interchangeable but I have no idea what is worth getting and how many. 
I will mainly be playing CQB however I would like to play outdoors from time to time too. 
 

I will look into the batteries that you have recommended thankyou. 

[Cannonfodder]

2 hours ago, Krusty said:

Tracer- ACETECH with green BB’s (I have seen online that the barrel is counter clockwise thread would this make it harder to find a tracer to suit) 

 

As lozart posted  the majority of airsoft muzzle devices use 14mm CCW threads so it'll screen straight on

 

2 hours ago, Krusty said:

Silencer- don’t bother putting one on. 
 

It's entirely up to you. If you want one for the looks then go for it (if we're honest airsoft is at least 50% a fashion show😁)

 

2 hours ago, Krusty said:

taclight- nuprol nx600 

That's the one l use and haven't had any problems with it. Others are available on Ebay and amazon but being cheap copies the quality control can be very hit and miss. 

 

1 hour ago, Lozart said:

Optics - I think we may be confusing Vortex with Vector here.

Correct. I probably should've had my morning coffee first

 

43 minutes ago, Krusty said:

One thing that I haven’t asked is about spare magazines, and a bb loader. 

I'm assuming the mag that came with the gun is a high cap (a door on top to pour bbs in and a winding wheel on the bottom), if so this will hold roughly 300 bbs. If it works fine then get more of those as, in theory, all M4 mags are the same there are often very small differences between manufacturers which can cause feeding problems. Unfortunately it's one of those things where what works for one gun may not in another and the only way to know for sure is to experiment.

 

As for the type of magazine they each have their own advantages and disadvantages. High caps as the name suggests hold more bbs but need to be wound up to feed and might struggle to feed consistently in high rate of fire guns. They can also suffer from rattling when you move around  but tbh I only find this a problem if they're almost empty or you're bouncing around like an ADHD kid on their 3rd can of monster. Mid caps don't rattle or need winding and can feed better on high rof guns but only usually hold 100 to 150 bbs. Low caps are like mid caps but tend to hold 30 to 50 bbs. Mid and low caps will also need a speed loader. All of these would do the job, it just depends on how much you want to spend

https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/airsoft-speed-loaders

 

[Skara]

At the cost of sounding like a dickhead..

 

Who recommended you that piece of junk?

 

Btw, the thread is 14mm CLOCKWISE, because Ares, so 99.99% of airsoft muzzle devices will NOT fit.

Edited Thursday at 15:00 by Skara

[Cannonfodder]

5 hours ago, Krusty said:

I do not know how to zero a sight is this an easy task?

Yes. There should be what look like 2 screws on the side which click when turned. One moves the point of aim up and down while the other moves it left and right. Fire and adjust accordingly till the point of aim and point of impact line up

[Rogerborg]

18 minutes ago, Skara said:

Btw, the thread is 14mm CLOCKWISE, because Ares, so 99.99% of airsoft muzzle devices will NOT fit.

 

Damn, good spot.  Ares, just why? 😕  Reddit, I'd assume.  (Reddit, just why?)

[ButcherBill]

If it's your first rif, my advice is listen to those who have added their insights & possibly take a breath & wait for those items to appear in the classifieds, it could well save you a lot of £££.

 

My own insight is you may well find that you don't like using a tracer, or a suppressor, or a fore grip etc...

 

I say this because they do get advertised fairly regularly for multiple reasons.

 

I've found I like the 'looks' of all the accessories you've listed but I don't like lugging the extra weight, or longer barrel, a sling can get in the way, or how a tracer lights you up in the middle of a game where sneakyness is worth it's weight in camo.

 

Yes, you'll need a/some batteries & a good charger.

You would be better spending your £££ on mags, bb's & something to carry them.

DON'T FORGET comfy boots & good eye/face protection (far more important than looking uber cool).

[Krusty]

1 hour ago, Rogerborg said:

 

Damn, good spot.  Ares, just why? 😕  Reddit, I'd assume.  (Reddit, just why?)

Thankyou!!!! Saved me buying the wrong thing lol. I just remember watching a YouTube video and hearing him say somthing along the lines of being careful when getting barrel accessories 

 

1 hour ago, Cannonfodder said:

Yes. There should be what look like 2 screws on the side which click when turned. One moves the point of aim up and down while the other moves it left and right. Fire and adjust accordingly till the point of aim and point of impact line up

Really appreciate you. Glad I came to this forum site. Can see my spending a lot of time on here as I start to get more involved with airsoft 

2 hours ago, Skara said:

At the cost of sounding like a dickhead..

 

Who recommended you that piece of junk?

 

Btw, the thread is 14mm CLOCKWISE, because Ares, so 99.99% of airsoft muzzle devices will NOT fit.

It wasn’t necessarily recommended to me directly, but when I researched based on my price range I preferred this one I have read reviews and watch videos on it and love the look of it too.

 

what makes you say it is a piece of junk? 
 

48 minutes ago, ButcherBill said:

If it's your first rif, my advice is listen to those who have added their insights & possibly take a breath & wait for those items to appear in the classifieds, it could well save you a lot of £££.

 

My own insight is you may well find that you don't like using a tracer, or a suppressor, or a fore grip etc...

 

I say this because they do get advertised fairly regularly for multiple reasons.

 

I've found I like the 'looks' of all the accessories you've listed but I don't like lugging the extra weight, or longer barrel, a sling can get in the way, or how a tracer lights you up in the middle of a game where sneakyness is worth it's weight in camo.

 

Yes, you'll need a/some batteries & a good charger.

You would be better spending your £££ on mags, bb's & something to carry them.

DON'T FORGET comfy boots & good eye/face protection (far more important than looking uber cool).

Yes I think my first purchase is obviously going to need to be 2 x batteries, a charger, some bb’s, speed loader and 1 - 2 spare mags.

 

i may run the gun without any attachments at first then see what other people are using when I’m at a site.

 

one of my friends is also moving to Australia and said he would give me some of his m4 goodies before he leaves so will see what he has to offer. 
 

thankyou for your input, I really do appreciate your advice 

[Skara]

18 minutes ago, Krusty said:

what makes you say it is a piece of junk? 
 

The whole rifle.

 

It's polymer but it's super heavy, threads are inverted (as said above), the receiver is proprietary so you cannot fit aftermarket gearbox shells (and in no time you wish you had bought a different gun). Pistol grip fucks the motor angle. God forbid you want to install some "octarms" parts, wildly off spec even for Ares stuff..

 

Internals are abysmal, zero air seal to begin with, gearbox is proprietary and poorly made (very thin at the front, where it usually cracks), bushings are made of aluminium (yes, aluminium, they last very little), compression set is bad, especially the piston, it loves to crack at the rear, gears aren't good and due to how the etu controls the cycle (via a magnet) you have very limited options for upgrades, ETU is trash tier, proprietary to the gearbox and has the tendency to fry itself plus if you set battery protection to 11.1v it won't recognise 7.4v batteries anymore, nozzle and tappet plate are bad, plate will probably snap the fin within 2 months of use.

Hop rubber is paper thin, doesn't lift anything past a 0.2 and it will most likely rip apart within 3 mags.

 

Sauce: i had two Ares M4s.

 

Edit: I'm sorry, but it had to be done, probably if you asked before buying we could have warned you.

Edited Thursday at 17:16 by Skara

[Krusty]

7 minutes ago, Skara said:

The whole rifle.

 

It's polymer but it's super heavy, threads are inverted (as said above), the receiver is proprietary so you cannot fit aftermarket gearbox shells (and in no time you wish you had bought a different gun). Pistol grip fucks the motor angle. God forbid you want to install some "octarms" parts, wildly off spec even for Ares stuff..

 

Internals are abysmal, zero air seal to begin with, gearbox is proprietary and poorly made (very thin at the front, where it usually cracks), bushings are made of aluminium (yes, aluminium, they last very little), compression set is bad, especially the piston, it loves to crack at the rear, gears aren't good and due to how the etu controls the cycle (via a magnet) you have very limited options for upgrades, ETU is trash tier, proprietary to the gearbox and has the tendency to fry itself, nozzle and tappet plate are bad, plate will probably snap the fin within 2 months of use.

Hop rubber is paper thin, doesn't lift anything past a 0.2 and it will most likely rip apart within 3 mags.

 

Sauce: i had two Ares M4s.

Damn, way to kill my excitement 🤣 

 

guess it will just have to do as my starter rifle then hopefully be able to gain some more experience in the field of what is good and what isn’t and take more time and consideration when purchasing my second rifle. 
I am hoping that it doesn’t break, though if it does then I would only have myself to blame for not researching enough before purchasing. 

[Skara]

Oh yes, by all means use it as a starter and feel free to bash it around!

 

Unfortunately it's not a matter of IF, but a matter of WHEN it will break (just like everything in Airsoft tbf), so when it happens try and have some disposable cash available for something that can be upgraded down the road.

Remember to ask around for advice, even to people on the field.

This applies to guns and gear too!

[Cannonfodder]

Quote

 

1 hour ago, Krusty said:

It wasn’t necessarily recommended to me directly, but when I researched based on my price range I preferred this one I have read reviews and watch videos on it and love the look of it too.

I'm guessing those reviews were on YouTube and reddit. Unfortunately many so called reviews there are more like paid promotions or done by shops who aren't going to say they're crap

[Galvatron]

Adding to what Skara said, the proprietary ecosystem and dubious quality control are the biggest problems with Ares' AEGs so when they eventually do break, you'll be in trouble sourcing replacements.

 

There are thread adapters that allow you to fit the female CCW end on the male CCW end while attaching the female end of the adapter to the male CW thread barrel. Bullseye Country Sport could probably help you out.

 

I have a cheap Ares PDW in my collection and I bought it knowing what I was letting myself in for if something failed. I'm definitely one of the lucky few whose Ares AEG hasn't shat itself on me in the past couple of years I've had it.

 

 

[Rogerborg]

 

[Krusty]

7 hours ago, Galvatron said:

Adding to what Skara said, the proprietary ecosystem and dubious quality control are the biggest problems with Ares' AEGs so when they eventually do break, you'll be in trouble sourcing replacements.

 

There are thread adapters that allow you to fit the female CCW end on the male CCW end while attaching the female end of the adapter to the male CW thread barrel. Bullseye Country Sport could probably help you out.

 

I have a cheap Ares PDW in my collection and I bought it knowing what I was letting myself in for if something failed. I'm definitely one of the lucky few whose Ares AEG hasn't shat itself on me in the past couple of years I've had it.

 

 

Let’s just hope it lasts me a few year untill while I get used to the airsoft scene and figure out what’s a good option to go for next 

[TheFull9]

A few years? I mean it depends how often you play and how much you shoot (plus gun care, mags, bb quality etc etc), and maybe you'll get lucky, but if you play fairly often then the odds aren't good I'm afraid. In fact if you've only just got the gun, I'd try and return it.

[Cannonfodder]

12 hours ago, Krusty said:

Let’s just hope it lasts me a few year untill while I get used to the airsoft scene and figure out what’s a good option to go for next 

If you're anything like everyone else here you'll be looking at more guns alot sooner than in a couple of years 😁

[Rogerborg]

1 hour ago, Cannonfodder said:

If you're anything like everyone else here you'll be looking at more guns alot sooner than in a couple of weeks. 😁

 

Fixed that for you.