Buying my first AEG - Brand Questions

[Stealthsaurus]

So my friends and I are about to get into airsoft, and have saved up enough to get some reasonably priced gear and the necessities (good boots, proper eye protection, etc.) but when it comes to AEGs, we are completely oblivious.

So far, we have narrowed down our selection to a couple choices, and was just hoping for some feedback for our first purchase, so experienced airsoft players can guide us on the path to a solid first platform.

AEG #1 - JG AK47-S Plastic Body Version with rail

This one has us the most interested, as the AK platform + the rail system means we can have a variety of attachments, and the folding stock is good for CQC.

AEG #2 - Echo1 RED STAR AK RIS (PLASTIC BODY)

Similar to the first, but with the fixed stock.

Any other AEGs that can be bought within Canada, that you fine folk would recommend would be very much appreciated.

thanks!

[Chillyrabbit]

CQB in general has under sub 50 ft engagement distances which typically require you to have guns that chrono under 350 FPS with .20 g bb's so both of these shoot too hot right off the bat unless you want to spring swap them to fire under 350 FPS.

In general these would seem to be good guns for a starter player to get: no frill guns that while they might not be top of the line they have a proven track record of not dying instantly or within 2 weeks

[cetane]

Get one with a metal body. Well worth the extra 30-50. Gonna cost you 100 or so later on

[Stealthsaurus]

Thanks for the feedback so far. any idea of lifetime of these kinds of guns? Obviously battery upgrades and future maintenance will be learnt. But out of the box, have a rough idea of this manufacturer's track record for durability?

[Kozzie]

The main difference between those two guns is the stock, I would get the full stock if i had to chose between those two. Airsoft under-fold AK stocks are usually quite flimsy, easily broken and are generally terrible to cheek.

I'm going to agree with cetane and say you're much better off spending a little extra now for a metal bodied gun.

It's difficult to predict with any accuracy the longevity of either of those guns. So much depends on the use, also less expensive guns tend to have a higher lemon rate. In my experience the Echo 1 would be the better choice for durability though you'll probably find people who will argue either way based on their own experiences. The good news is AK's have a V3 gearbox which are "easier" to work on than most.

[L473ncy]

Well they're both mid quality guns. But JG has gotten a lot better these days than they were back in 2008-ish. Either will serve you well, I think the E1 Red Star series is a rebranded CYMA with some value added stuff added from E1. JG AK's aren't the greatest though, CYMA AK's are better IMO.

You can get lemons and cherries though but I'd say without fucking with it they should last out of the box at least 3 seasons worth of use if you're not an idiot with it and try to use it as a crowbar or battering ram or hold down the trigger for long periods of time. Think of it this way, how long will your Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla last if you drive it off road, rally race, redline all the time and are a general hooligan on the streets (ie. holding down the trigger until the battery is done then changing batteries and doing it again and using the gun as a battering ram and crowbar) vs. driving regularly within it's designed specs and take it in for servicing when it needs it (ie. shooting short bursts, not using an 11.1V lipo without a FET, not dunking it in water and putting it away wet, not using it as a crow bar or battering ram, etc.).

Definitely get the metal body version though.

Also, if you can spend ~$100 more, definitely look at the metal body King Arms M4 (if you don't care about model of gun). There are some issues with it out of the box that may arise (namely the cutoff lever that seems to wear down quite quickly and issues with the piston's teeth also wearing out) but they're solid guns if you just use them out of the box and replace the weak parts when they break and then they'll last you a long time (again if you don't abuse it).

Also Kozzie is right, V3 is easier to work on and also slighly more resistant to abuse and beefed up (ie. the V2 gearbox cracking problem which arises from too much shock so you need to chamfer the corners of the gearbox to distribute the force)

[SuperCriollo]

If you want a good small AK the Cyma AK74U is hard to beat. Stamped steel body and real wood for very little money.

[lurkingknight]

life span of any gun can be questionable... metal ones can last long.. or if they're shitty casts the pot metal can just snap, just as easily as plastic.

Some plastic guns (nylon fiber) can be stronger than some metal guns... all in what you choose.

No gun will likely survive you falling onto it... they'd all likely snap in half... usually at the stock hinge/mount.

Other things that can go horribly wrong are screw holes stripping threads or screws snapping off inside, though screw snapping off is not the end of the world you can drill and retap... a receiver shattering is end of the line. How often does that happen? pretty rarely.

In terms of mechanical bits... you want to aim for the most TM compatible so you get the most available parts on the market if things go wrong, like gearbox shells, gears, hop up units etc... all the guts are interchangable with new stuff, as long as the receivers and shell are made to the proper standard. Things just drop in with minimal work.

Some brands are oddball no matter what you do with them... their parts are sort of TM spec but just slightly off so that when you replace it, shit doesn't work quite right.

Since you're looking at AKs someone with extensive AK knowledge can help you, since not all guns of any one brand are awesome, there's always a gun someone else makes that's slightly better than the other.

If you want affordable metal AK, then look at CYMA. It'll likely last longer than you want to keep it as long as you don't use it as a pry bar. They are nicely TM compatible, lots of parts fit and lots of parts are available. It's nicely priced so that if you do break it externally, you can walk away from it or salvage what's good and sell the bits off to fund your next gun.

[coach]

First off. Remove links to guns in first post.

Second, for AK's I highly recommend LCT's.

[Stealthsaurus]

Originally Posted by coach

First off. Remove links to guns in first post.

Second, for AK's I highly recommend LCT's.

Sorry, removed. And looking into some. Look nice.

[L473ncy]

Originally Posted by Stealthsaurus

Sorry, removed. And looking into some. Look nice.

Oh yeah... LCT. There's a company out in BC that does them at very nice prices but internet sales aren't a big thing for them and they tend to focus more on walk in/local traffic than having a big online presence (and there's some discussion about negative experiences with them online due to not having a dedicated online guy but great service if you walk in).

[Kuro_Neko]

First off, I'd suggest you get age verified. That way you can look at guns in our retailer and classifieds section which will usually offer better prices then random sites on the internet, and be more reliable as well.

Second, if you could state exactly what your budget is for a gun we could probably advise you better.

AK variants are some of the most common types out there, alongside the M4/M16 line and the MP-5 series. Everyone makes an AK of some variant. All the usual names: JG, G&G, G&P, TM, CA. In addition to those, for AKs there are two more to consider, at opposite ends of the spectrum, they are: at the low end, the Aftermath Kraken, a bare bones bargain basement model that is very cheap and at the same time pretty decent for the price tag; on the flip side is the high end Real Sword, which is basically *the* AK to have if you're serious about AKs (at least if you're not a Russian purist, since Real Sword technically makes Type 56's) but you'll be paying a fair bit for that quality.

[ccyg8774]

Starting with AK is a good idea, one of the most common gun types, and parts or upgrade will be easy to find.
You can take a look at the CYMA AKs and Cybergun AKs (Basically, still CYMA AKs). CYMA makes the best low end AKs.
I am not going to repeat about the metal bodies... I would get a metal body one consider the price difference is not that big.

[Kingsix]

Originally Posted by Stealthsaurus

So my friends and I are about to get into airsoft, and have saved up enough to get some reasonably priced gear and the necessities (good boots, proper eye protection, etc.) but when it comes to AEGs, we are completely oblivious.

So far, we have narrowed down our selection to a couple choices, and was just hoping for some feedback for our first purchase, so experienced airsoft players can guide us on the path to a solid first platform.

AEG #1 - JG AK47-S Plastic Body Version with rail

This one has us the most interested, as the AK platform + the rail system means we can have a variety of attachments, and the folding stock is good for CQC.

AEG #2 - Echo1 RED STAR AK RIS (PLASTIC BODY)

Similar to the first, but with the fixed stock.

Any other AEGs that can be bought within Canada, that you fine folk would recommend would be very much appreciated.

thanks!

AEG #1 do not get anything with a underfolding stock of TM design it is not newbie friendly and easy to break. It should have stayed on a Mp40 and not moved onto the Kalashnikov platform.
VFC style AKMS stock is fine though.

AEG#2 Go full metal or go home

Pro tip don't rack the bolt it'll crack the receiver. Loctite the external screws.
CYMA would be recommended as they are a better clone of the Original TM AK-47.

[Dmitry]

If you want to buy AK... Please! Never buy Cyberpute (pardon, Cybergun)
CYMA is good brand, BUT only version CM.040( ,C,D,B and CM.048 , B) and NEVER buy CM.047 because its CM.037 (plastic boolsheat)

For example.
I like AK105 (with mug 5.45) or AK104 (with mug 7.62), or AK74S (with mug 5.45) or AK103 (with mug 7.62)

So, i should buy CYMA AK CM.040D or AK CM.040C 200 dol. in airsofttoronto or AKCM.048 for 250 dol.
But he shoots 425 FPS... It is not good for CQB(((( HopUp rubber Guarder (3 dollars and free shipping in Ebay), spring SHS100 for CQB or SHS110 for outdoor (8 dollars and free shipping in Ebay, Nozzle Element for AK (airsoftpeak, 8 dollars, free shipping)

And you are happy))))
4 photos for you.

AK105


AK104


AK74S


AK103