Buyers Guide Ii

Re: Write me an all encompassing answer to, "What should I buy for my 1st AEG?
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2006, 07:46:41 pm »

Guide to Help New AEG Buyers

The Question has floated around for a while, and has continued to be here in the people's minds that are new to the AEG experience.
You start off with the:
"What gun should I get? I have the money for an Electric one, and they shoot fully automatic."
And you create a topic in a forum filled with tons of people with tons of different kinds of ideas.
So what does that do?
That puts tension on people trying read your mind. Often, the suggestions and recommendations end up with different camps arguing and ranting about the pros and cons of different manufacturers and gun types. It all boils down to this:

"What Gun Should I Get?"

(And my answer: Is at the very bottom of the review, but if you look at it, you are eating desert before dinner.)
When you are in the market for an AEG, you need to know how they work first. There are several topics on this amazingly large messageboard on exacally how AEGs work. The many links are as follow:

GearBoxes Explained

A whole bunch of reviews That can help you if you are needing more explaining on certain things.


Radninja's Super Fast Explanation

To sum it all up in a fast paced version, An AEG's battery powered electric motor basically turns reduction gears to pull back a piston which compresses a spring. After the gears have pulled back the piston far enough, the gears release the piston and the spring pushes the piston into the air chamber to force all that air through a nozzle onto a six millimeter BB. That is how BBs are propelled out of your barrel. Wink

But the gearbox is more complex than what has just been stated. There are certain pieces in the gearbox that have different roles.
Also, you must remember that pressure is being applied to most objects in the gearbox each time you shoot your gun. (and when you leave it in your closet too…) So what your gun and it's gearbox is made up of affects your gun's life span and performance. Thus, AEGs have Metal internals which generally has better durability than plastic. Which is why the price of AEGs differ from other LPEGs that have lower FPS ratings and durability problems.


Personal Thoughts Of The First Time Buyer

You are now looking for a gun. After reading and understanding many articles about how they work you are puzzled. You think, "I want a gun, but I want one in my price range, the best one, and I like accuracy."
Of course, I don't think that there is a single person on this earth that tells themselves they don't want the best. So I have divided this Guide into several parts so that the reader can peruse the whole guide and be prepared to take on their first milestone in airsoft, getting the right gun.


AEG Buyer's Guide

When you are on the market for AEG's the first thing that you should do is notice all the models of AEGs that are out on the common market near you. (if you live outside the US, and there is a gun that only ships to the US, you probably can't get a hold of that gun.)

There are plenty of Airsofting websites and stores all over in your area. This is why, I believe, that Airsoft is popular, because anyone can get what they want, and enjoy it.

I will list some sites that I, and others of this site, find reliable. I have divided this part of the guide into two parts, The first part details what comes in your average AEG, with the next part being the actual AEGs on the market.
(This is so when you do look at some of the guns on the market, you, yourself, can compare each of them to others so you can compile a list of pros and cons on them.

This is basically an encyclopedia first, then I list guns that are on the market and you turn into an knowledgeable AEG owner.


You know what is inside an AEG? There is a gearbox, a barrel and hop-up for the BB to travel though, and something to power the motor, the battery pack. All these things factor in your decision of which type and brand of AEG you will purchase. Let's look at the components.

GearBoxes Explained

A whole bunch of reviews That can help you if you are needing more explaining on certain things.


Radninja's Super Fast Explaination

To sum it all up in a fast pasted version, An AEG basically Turns gears to pull back a piston connected to a spring. After the gears have pulled back the piston far enough, the gears 'let go' of the piston and the spring pushes the piston through its air chamber to force all that air onto a six millimeter BB. Thus is how they are coming out of your barrel. Wink

But the gearbox is more complex than what has just been stated. There are certain pieces in the gearbox that act to different roles.
Also, you must remember that pressure is being applied to most objects in the gearbox each time you shoot your gun. (and when you leave it in your closet too…) So what your gun and it's gearbox is made up of conflicts with your gun's life span. Thus, Metal has longer life than plastic. Which is why the price of AEGs differ from other LPEGs that have lower FPS ratings and durability problems.


Personal Thoughts Of The First Time Buyer

You are now looking for a gun. After reading and understanding many articles about how they work you are puzzled. You think, "I want a gun, but I want one in my price range, the best one, and I like accurate."
Of course, I don't think that there is a single person on this earth that tells themselves they don't want the best. So I have divided this Guide into several parts so that the reader, which is you by the way, can read the whole guide and be prepared to take on their first milestone in airsoft, getting the right gun.


AEG Buyer's Guide

When you are on the market for AEG's the first thing that you should do is notice all the models of AEGs that are out on the common market near you. (if you live outside the US, and there is a gun that only ships to the US, you probably can't get a hold of that gun.)

There are plenty of Airsofting websites and stores all over in your area. This is why, I believe, that Airsoft is popular, because anyone can get what they want, and enjoy it.

I will list some sites that I, and others of this site, find reliable. I have divided this part of the guide into two parts, The first is telling about what comes in your average AEG, and the next being the actuall AEGs on the market.
(This is so when you do look at some of the guns on the market, you, in yourself, can compare each of them to each other so you can explore knowledge on them.

This is basically an encyclopedia first, then I list guns that are on the market and you turn into an average player.


You know what is inside an AEG. There is a gearbox, a barrel for the BB to travel though, and something to power the motor, the battery pack. All these things play factors to which type and brand of AEG you will purchase. Let's look at the componets.

Style:
-Who wants a gun that they don't like? That would be just plain stupid. There are two different Barriers that I use to split AEGs into catagories;

1. Standard and Bull Pup.

-Standard.
—Have you ever seen any war movies lately? Or have you play videogames with 'regular' firearms in it? If you have, can you remember what each gun looks like? There are differnet looks, but mostly they are all the same. Standard relates to where the magazine feeds the bullets into the gun. In the standard case, you feed the bullets into the gun in front of your trigger. This allows easy loading and unloading, and provides the user to see the magazine and possibly hold onto it for a better grip.

Bull Pup
An interesting design that has the magazine placed into the stock of the gun, or behind the trigger mechanism. This makes for a longer barrel, without extending the actual length of the gun. (think about taking a gun in you mind, and pushing all the internals back into the stock.)
Naturally you have a better shot, without the need for a longer gun.
-"Huh?"
Makes for easier movement in the close range combat. And to test it, I was going to make a movie of two people, one with an average AEG with the same barrel length of the AUG or FAMAS and have them navagate through the same urban/woodland corners and tightspots to see which gun survives. But I would rather not be kicked off the site for having a gun destroyed…
*Common Sense Should Be Used Here*

Next is length. This is important. You would rather be caught dead than to be found carrying a gun about a yard long into a close quarters game. But you wouldn't carry a little tiny gun into a woodland area. There would be almost no way to get the enemy. Length matters. Remember that when you are looking at the selection.
-Woodland = Medium to Long range, depends on how much vegatation is in your area.
-Desert = I would go Medium to Long range, prefering Long range due to the 'flat' landscape that the wind makes off of the sand.
-Urban = Close range all the way. It is super hard to fit an M4 through a building. I am not saying it can't be done, but it is very difficult.
-Snow = Just about the same as desert. Unless you live in canada where there could be snow and trees. So it is all your pick.
All above depends on one question.
"How far will my enemy be when I am needing get him out?"

Gearbox:
-There are several different kinds of gearboxes available, but unfortunatly you get what's in the gun when you purchase it. There isn't a huge difference between the different versions, it is just the parts that you can upgrade and use with them that are different. (although some versions can take more pain than others.)

Version One
—TM FA-MAS

Version Two
-Mostly all MP-5's it is the average gearbox for 'normal' AEGs.

Version Three
-The current Gearbox. Used in larger AEG's: AK's, G36's, ect.

Version Six (…….) Version six is differnet from the others by having a differnet trigger pull. Most of these guns' triggers are located far away from the gearbox, so the creators had to figure out a way to access the trigger to the gearbox without major hassle.
-All guns that have a version six gearbox have different body structures than typical AEGs. This includes the P90, PSG-1, and the AUG.
*GearBoxes Explained.*

Motor:
-For Most AEGs the standard motor is a EG700. It can pull back the stock spring. (the one that comes in the gun) and possiblly all the way to ~350fps, after that, you should be in the market for getting a tougher motor. Like a 1000, or 2000.
-About motors and such. Visit the Review forum of ASR: "Motors Explained" by CheeseHead

Battery Pack:
There are two things that describe batteries. The voltage and MaH. Remember, size only matters to the extint of how long your battery will last. You can have a small battery producing a full 12volts of electricity, but it won't last for long untill you have to recharge it.

Voltage - how much electricity the battery produces. This is important. You cannot pull a m170 spring with a 8.4v battery.

MaH - how long it will last. Or the storage space of the battery.

Batteries Explained.

With a battery you should buy a charger. The most common charger is the Trikle charger. It is like the charger for your childhood remotecontrol car. It plugs into the wall, and you have to wait, and wait, and wait untill the battery gets warm. I despise these chargers…It is easy to overcharge your batteries.
Smart chargers, they charge the battery a little faster than the trickle charger, but you have to tell the charger what kind of battery you are using, but it automatically shuts off when your battery is finished charging. Genius.

Hop-Up:
-Different brands of AEGs use differnet Hop-Up systems. So far, TM (tokyo marui) has the best on the market.
*for those completly new to airsoft and have no clue on what I am talking about, this is not a child show, or an education video. This is what puts the backspin on each BB so it will increase its distance. (I have stated the word Hop-Up in public and have been sanction many times… :-/ )

Barrel Type:
Since all airsoft guns use the power of air to propel BBs, each leak, or gap will affect the range and accuracy of your gun. There are differnet barrels you can buy, and obtain through a gun. The tighter Each barrel gets, the less air leakage you'll have, thus, the faster your BB will go.
*remember, since you are shooting BB's that range in diameter from 6mm to 5.9mm, you can't have a barrel too close to 6mm in diameter or you risk jamming your gun. A 6.03 barrel should be tight enough, any further and you're basically stabbing your wallet.

Pistols
-I will add another column for the EBB pistols. They have grown since they have been introduced into the airsoft community.
—All basically feed their magazines into the hand grip of the pistol, all normally have blowback, and about half of them have the selection between automatic and semi automatic.



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Now that you have familiarized yourself with the slang of AEGs, you can now look at the AEGs on the market.

*I would like to thank Airsoft Atlanta for my Pictures and their excellent service.*

The three big brands that are in the AEG world are:

Classic Army - Strong on M4s and MP5s
Tokyo Marui - Good variety and quality
ICS - Strong on the M4s and MP5s

There are others, but most of them haven't had as much impact as these have.

Classic Army and ICS make metal bodies where Tokyo marui is more into quality. (not saying CA and ICS isn't. It just isn't their strong point.)


Broken down to:
A. Long range
I. M4s
II. AKs
III. G36s
IV. MP-5s
V. WWII replica's
VI. Other


Remember it isn't hard to Modify different versions of these rifles to have the shoot further/faster, or look different.


I. M4s (this includes M15, M16, ect.)
There are a bunch of differnet types of M4s, it all depends on how you like the look of it. Stock and handle is mostly what differs. TM's M4 has a stock power of ~280fps. ICS's and CA's are preupgraded and shoot at about 330fps.
And you can buy bunches of upgrade kits that can give you faster and highly accurate shots.
Remember, this guns averages better accuracy due to it has more room for a longer barrel.

Medium to long range

Price:
TM: ~$300
CA: ~$350-$400
ICS: ~$300-$400

M16 With full stock

M15 Telescopic stock

Full Stock


II. AK's
They're basically the weapon of choice for most players. They offer almost the same performance that the M4s do, but with an amazing amount of ammo capacity. CA makes a version of the AK, ICS hasn't touched them, and Tokyo marui made three different versions.
It will run you at about ~$300 for

They are amazing for their barrel length, ammo count, and their well known name.

FPS:
CAs : 300fps
TM ; 280fps

Standard AK-47…You may have seen these on the news. Wink

AK-47 collapsing stock

AK47 SB
Like a snubby AK, good for close combat.


III. G36
A gun that is what I see as an AK and an M4 with a different look. Note the carrying handle doubles as a scope. Nifty. Good for long range and mid for that matter.
CA: $320 ~320fps
TMs G36c: $300. ~280fps

G36 standard

G36K Just a bit smaller. (length wise)

G36c It is the G36 for close combat


IV. MP-5
There are a few different versions on the MP-5. There is a close-range version, Medium range version, and a SD5 version. The SD version normally has a longer barrel hidden inside the carrying handle and extends out past through the silencer. Most of the MP-5's come out of the box at about ~270fps

Short Range to medium range

MP-5 A4

MP-5 A5 ——notice the only difference between some of these is their stock/retractable stock form.

MP-5K ——The PDW is the same thing, just with a stock.

MP-5 SD6

MP-5 SD5

http://www.airsoftatlanta.com/images/mp7_jpg.jpg

The MP-7, just tooo big for the boards.


V. WWII Replicas.
You have a couple different ones out there. TM makes the Thompson. And there is an MP40 out that is full metal.

Thompson. Realistic to the max. It will cost you ~$325 and can shoot close to 280fps.

MP40
300fps
~$400-$600 (depends on who sells it)


VI. Other
There are quite a few here, mostly made my TM, they are unique machines. Stats are with each.

TM AUG
$300
~280fps

TM FAMAS
$250
~280fps
Good for long range. You can snug it under your arm and fire like the tommy gun for close range, and Medium range it is like a heavy machine gun. It also has the highest rate of fire.

PSG-1
$450-$500
280fps
Is made to upgrade as far as you want it.
Doesn't have full automatic
The only electric Sniper (yes this means Extreme long range. Those shots that you have to think about)

Sig552
Designed for close to medium range. Just another form of a standard rifle.
280fps
$250
TM

Made for airsofters that need a decent firing gun, but have limited space and weight requirements. This is compact. It is basically a rectangle that fires like a normal AEG. Limited to close-range, you could use it into medium range. You hold it by placing it at your side and 'carry' it as you shoot. You can put it up to your shoulder, but I think that it is uncomfortable.
280fps
$300

G3 SAS
Basically they took an MP-5 and a G36, increased its mag size, and buffed up on some of its parts. It is a variant of the G3.
$260
280fps

http://www.airsoftatlanta.com/images/umpa_jpg.jpg
G&G UMG
320 fps
$300
Looks like your normal SMG, It has a very solid feel to it. The mags carry an extreme amount of ammo. It is your average SMG AEG. Resembles the Sig552 eh?

G3 SG1
$280
Fps: 280
Looks like the PSG-1 combined with the G3. The airsof community needed a gun that has both long range and Further out.

http://www.airsoftatlanta.com/images/marui_m14_jpg.jpg
TM M14
$400….
FPS: 280
An electric rifle that could easily be turned into a sharpshooting machine. Looks like a war replica too.

Also remember that it isn't hard to get hi-cap magazines or mid, or low for you AEG if you think you won't have enough ammo.

High-Cap Mag = Mag that holds a reservoir of BBs then you have a knob that 'winds' the BBs into the mag well. Allows you to carry a bunch of BBs to the field without extra equipment.

Mid-Cap Mag = Mag that is a tube of BBs that is pushed through the mag by a spring to be fed into the hop up chamber. These kinds of mags can hold up to about two to three times the amount that low caps hold (or realistic)

Low-Cap Mag = Also known as realistic mags. These mags hold the same amount as the real deal holds. It basically teaches you how to conserve your ammo, or learn how to change mags faster. Self-explainatory.

-Pistols-

Classic UZI
280fps
$219
You can't go through a gang game or video without seeing some kind of automatic hand gun. It is handy for people who want backyard madness, but still like performance. All close-range. Although it would be funny to get a kill at medium range….

All the Glocks.
There are soo many. Most of them fire the full 280fps and cost about the same as the UZI if not more. They have semi-automatic or full automatic to fit your needs.

If you have actually read this whole guide and then said: "Oh, I don't have that kind of money for and AEG, don't fret, there is a simple solution. There are guns in your price range that you can have and they will perform up to TMs and other high end AEGs. AMAZING! Really.

UTG
AIM
JG

UTG has made some remarkable AEGs lately. They have taken the market of Medium Priced AEGs. "Why are they so cheap when preform like TMs?"
Well, they may preform like TMs, but they don't have the same quality as the well known TMs. It is well worth it if you don't have the cash, but some people can't let down on the fact that UTG may be getting the goods on this market.

You can upgrade these guys, but once said, they may not take it for long since durabilty won't last more than a while.

UTG MP-5
$99.00
250fps
And is fully compatable with all TM, CA, and ICS material because it is basically cloned with lower quality.

UTG AK-47 Warhawk.
$140
280fps
Fully compatable with TM, CA, and ICS stuff because it is basically cloned with lower quality.

AIM has made a couple of M4s that preform like stock CAs, but fail to be fully upgradable. Durability stands low.
AIM M4
$150
320fps
Can take TM upgrades.

Jin Gong has created a series of MP-5s. Although I haven't found much information on them yet, I would assume they are like UTG's MP-5. They cost $99, and are probably in the same boat as UTG's. Durability stands unknown.

So after you have seen most of the AEGs in Airsoft, how many questions have I answered?

Q: "Which Gun Should I Get?"

A: Think…Review the Guide if you have head trama while thinking. This should help you decide for yourself so we can help with the second step. Maintaining your gun, modifying it, ect…

Search these sites for most of the guns seen on here.
www.evike.com --Has a lot of the med/high end AEGs
www.shorty.com --Big UTG retailer
www.airsoftatlanta.com - Has most of the stuff mentioned
www.airsplat.com - Have a few M4s

Any thing that I left out, please PM me.

A big thanks to all that helped edit and review this guide! I greatly appreciate you guys. RLB, SgtWiltan, and others. Thanks to all the sites for information too.

THIS IS REALLY OLD, BUT MIGHT BE WORTH INCLUDING SOMEHOW — i wrote this a while back

Strip from it whatever is neccessary — it's not formatted well for this, and lacks the awesome images of radninja's — but I think a fair bit of the content is applicable.

It's a year old, so the info (particularly on G&P stuff) isn't even accurate with me.

Where to start….. First things first, how much money do you want to spend? If your price range is under $150, then you should not even be thinking AEG. A gas gun or a springer is more suited to you, as not only do you need to buy the gun, but some essentials with it.

First things first: how much money do you have? How much money do you have to spend on this ‘airsoft’ nonsense? How much of this money is going to go towards you gun? Sadly, this is the most important and limiting question.

New or used? Want that shiny ‘new gun’ feel, or are you content to buy a used one, and burn the money you’ve saved on mags, BBs, accessories, or your girlfriend (oops, that should have gone under accessories)?

Upgraded or stock (or stock upgraded)? Are you content to hurl plastic at a lowly 275fps, or are you inspired by desire from the gods that your gun must shoot 400fps or more, so that you can reach out and Really touch someone? Or are you happy with 330fps, and not having to go into the mechbox yourself to do so?

Common or scarce? Are you looking to be just another shmoe with a specops M4A1 SOPMOD (which can be cool, because magazines are share-able) or would you rather have an exotic, bizarre looking foreign gun like the AUG, P90, UZI, or FAMAS? That’s all up to you.

A humble suggestion on my part would be to check out this website
http://world.guns.ru
and when you find a gun you’d really rather light your pants on fire than not have, then it’s an AEG you’ll be happy with. No electric gun is perfect, so you’ll want a gun that suits your tastes as well as style of play, and for some reason, a gun you love just shoots better.

Addon aftermarket parts? Does your gun need to light up like a Christmas tree, put on a laser show, or have a minimum of three optical devices at any given time? Or are you content using iron sights and have a very streamlined gun profile? My only useful comment is there’s a number of accessories built for the Picatinny style (modified weaver) accessory rails, so having them on a gun is a plus.

Terminology:
For those of you why don’t know, hopup is the backspin added to BBs in all modern AEGs that allows them to travel in a flatter trajectory.
Battery capacity refers to the physical size of the battery you can place in an AEG, which is directly related to the total number of shots you can fire.
FPS = feet per second, the muzzle velocity of the BB. Also factors into how far it will fly, and also BBs moving faster tend to be less accurate (hence why snipers use heavier BBs)

What do I need to get:

1) A gun. Duh

2) BBs. Guns come with literally a 15 second supply of them: you’ll need more. Here’s where I hop on my dilapidated soap box and emphasize how important it is to buy good BBs. Crappy BBs aren’t as round, or consistent, and tend to jam up, wobble, and otherwise damage internal parts of your AEG. This is not good. To boot, they usually suffer form horrendous accuracy, so If you’re going to spend about $200 for a new AEG, why not spend the extra $0.0008 per BB and be able to hit the broad side of a barn, and not break your new, sexy AEG. Duh

3) Battery. If your gun takes small batteries (700mAh or lower) then you’ll want to buy two of them. Anything over 1700mAh should last you all day (unless you’ve ridiculously upgraded your gun, and/or use it like a hose) but a spare never hurts.
Most important decision is to get NiCD or NiMH batteries. More on this later (I prefer NiMH, as do most airsofters) and if all else fails, this is a forum.

4) Charger. You can get a cheap one, but I’d suggest getting a smart charger of some kind: it’s easier and safer to have something with auto-cutoff, especially when fast charging. Also, if you are using NiCd batteis, you’ll need a Discharger. The better chargers (e.g. Super Brain 959) will also have these, as well as other neat stuff. If you’re no good at cooking, I’d suggest one of these, because burning up a battery is costly, especially before a big game.

5) Eyewear. Paintball mask is highly recommended, but I can’t emphasize enough how hazardous it is to have 6mm Plastic projectiles moving around at 150mph, so wear these at all times. Plastic bounces, and anybody who has seen A Christmas Story knows how that works. Just make sure it doesn’t have any holes 5mm across or bigger.

Highly recommends: I’d highly recommend getting some spare magazines: if you use a huge hicap, I’d suggest getting a spare locap for just in case, if you don’t lke winding, but like shooting in volume I’d highly recommend the G&P madcap magazines, or, if you like realistic firing, get lots of locaps. Having to refill magazines all the time is lame, and frequently I see/hear of people at skirmishes who spent ALL their money on an AEG, and forgot about spare mags.

BDUs. You’ll want to look professional, and also have some camo. Honestly people, the only thing worse than wearing jeans and a T shirt is wearing a bright orange jumpsuit. If you like getting shot at, opposition will be happy to oblige.

Gear. Gloves, kneepads, PASGT to name a few. It also is nice to have an Assault vest, and in NM, a hydration pack goes a long way.

So, add up all these prices, and factor that into your budget, then start deciding what gun to get by use.

Type of Gun.

Designated Marksman/sniper rifle, full size main battle rifle, tactical carbine, carbine, subcompact AR, SMG, PDW

If you happen to be 6’6”, you might look stupid toting a bun with a 8” barrel, but a 4’7” guy would look about as dumb lugging a PSG-1 RAS w/ silencer. Keep in mind your own size, and tolerance for gun size. Some people like cute, maneuverable guns, while I’m a long range, long gun addict. Decide on your style.

Practicality:
In exclusively outdoor encounters, using anything smaller than an AR carbine, your range of accurate fire is capped at around 60ft: the longer rifles will own you.

In CQB, any gun longer than 20” (above tactical carbine) us pretty unwieldy. Smaller is better here, and if you happen to have a beastly sized rifle, I’d suggest popping out your sidearm.

Mixed: this is the no-mans land, where long rifles don’t work inside, and short guns can’t get in shots as effectively. This is the domain of long barrel retractable stock guns, as well as tactical carbines (AUG, FAMAS, L85 included). While any gun is useful in these scenarios, mid-length guns are the most versatile.

If your gun doesn’t ‘fit’ in one of these categories, don’t fear. In squad combat, you can find yourself a role that better fits your gun and playing style.

Brands:

First, of course is Tokyo Marui. The Japanese firm that first came up with the AEG concept, and is still the leader in airsoft gun design. These guns are characterized by rock solid reliability, moderate stock FPS, and plastic receivers. It is illegal to make/own a gun in Japan that has a metal receiver, so TM does its best using plastic, with varied success. IF yo're looking to buy a used gun, TM are the best bet: if left stock I've seen guns go through 8+ owners in the classifieds, and still be enjoyed by all. They are name brand for a reason, and have the widest selection of guns available.

Classic Army, CA, had put out some pretty terrible AEGs in the past, but they’re growing out of that, especially with their new M15A4 series of AEG. Characterized by attractive, black metal bodied AEGs which are copied Marui designs (but somewhat improved). Usually arriving with stock upgrades (though literaure says practically every internal part is upgraded and/or reinforced, i doubt that) these will shoot over 300fps out of the box, and perform pretty stoutly. Small issues regarding the hpup units, bodies, cylinders, and hicap mags still seem to plague an otherise excellent design. (Again, a marui copy, no surprise here: refined twice). The new M15A4CQB is a very intruguing design, and for CQB, it looks like an amazingly good piece. Also of note are the HK33 and CA36 designs, both of which seem very intirgueing, but are somewhat rare on this side of the big pond.

ICS/AE Are another brand of AEGs, often with metal bodies, and in the case of Airosft Elite, usually farily upgraded. Though thier M4 sries recieves knocks for poor gearbox and mostly for a limited motor, these are still a good alternative if you must have a full metal AEG, and are going to gut the garbox anyway. The strong suit of these are teh AE MP5 series, v3.5 and higher. Only complaint is the tappet plates, but otherwise these are pretty stellar, high perfomance smg aegs, at a great price

G&G, G&P. Though I don't have much personal experience witth these, both of these companies make aftermaket AEG parts, of high quality, so I'd expect their whole AEGs to be very nice firing and show pieces. Some of the coolest AEGs are premade Mk11Mod0 (SR25s), SPRs, and the new readimag GR16A4 (though my favorite is the GR16A5)

Custom Guns: If you have dough, and you feel the ned for something that looks great and shoot great, welcome here. Almsot any airsoft shop of decent size markets custom guns, ranging from absolutely tricked out SV 1911s, to proper reach out and tough gas SVDs, to tricked out mostrosities with more weight in picatinny adn accessories than the original gun. Still, some great examples are the all CA built SR15 kits, a TM AUG turned into a Phantom sniper, or the classic vulcan minigun. Whatever suits your taste, these are made to impress. But, plz do bring napkins to a skrimish if you've got one of these, I'm not so good at wiping drool off my chin.

Basically, don't spend under $200 to get a complete AEG, as you'll need 1 (2) battery, a charger, at least 5000BBs to start with, on top of other gear expenses (minimum PB mask, BDUs, on up to radios, optics ALICE pack gear, the whole enchilada)

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