Debating between M4 Variant or HK family (mainly G36) and others

[iKliiu]

Another good candidate for G36s is the ARES one. It has blowback, a quick change spring feature and official HK licensing.

[Ninja_En_Short]

Wowowowow !
On ARES a few things to know : full of specific parts, blowback is just a piece of metal going back and forth, hop up and barrel assembly are specific, soon the GB takes an angle because there is no support on the top of the GB to keep it straight like on other brands plus a few common lemons.

NOT a G36 for starters even if the most georgeous out there.

[Debrief]

G36 Rundown

CA - Best Internals/Externals
TM - Poor Externals/Good Internals
JG - Poor Externals/Internals (The odd JG is a tank)
v3 SRC - Arguably a cansoft CA, Optic is not Mil-Spec
ARES - New system, Good Externals, can't comment on internals.

[MultipleParadox]

Alright, so no Ares for me thanks
Was wondering about APS? I know it also have the gimmicky EBB "feature" but are they any good? Can't seem to find much info on these either...

Also, let's stop talk about the G36 and focus on M4/416 please

Thanks guys, I'm repeating myself but I want to make sure you know I appreciate your effort

MP

[coach]

what kind of AR do you want? rails and a crap load of externals? or a basic plane jane "I can shoot at you" AEG? do you plan to upgrade a bnib gun? does it have to be brand spanking new or is used ok?

for a little bit more than $5-600, you could very easily build one through parts in the classifieds and online site supporting vendors.

I wish I had gone the way of building from scratch. it might seem to be a huge task but it's not impossible with a little help. both my mp5 and m4 have very little left of the original guns. everything either was broken, broke, or I just didn't like it so I upgraded it. actually, I think the only original gun part for both of them is the mp5 full stock.

[MultipleParadox]

Coachster:

I want something versatile, so that at one point I won't go "oh shit, this accessory looks great, but won't fit mine" (Ok I know it'll probably be inevitable at some point, but you know, reduce the chances/frequency it happens). So yes, basically I want rails to customize depending on the situation. Plus, I like the look of rails as opposed to a plain hand guard.

Brand new vs used: I don't mind if it's used, but needs to be in a good working condition. I don't mind a few wear and tear.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I understood from many posts that it might be a better idea to buy used (from reliable seller of course) with a few upgrades or that it's proven to be working, than buying new and having to mod/upgrade a few things *before* it works. Also buying used would allow me to save a few bucks, so I'd rather go that way.

As for building from scratch, not for now. There's too many factor I don't know about yet, I wouldn't feel secure about this yet.

MP

[horto]

When I started I bought used guns and upgraded/repaired them. As a noob it was a big of an (expensive) nightmare. Now that a lot of my friends are getting into the sport, I adamantly recommend that they learn from my 'mistakes' and buy a brand new gun as their first. From there, if they want, they can try upgrading it or build/buy a project gun.

This approach reduces the monetary impact and frustration that may turn them off of the sport prematurely.

New, quality AEGs such as VFCs tend to work right out of the box with minimal fuss.

$0.02

[L473ncy]

Buy used from a reputable gundoc or someone you know takes care of their stuff (ie. if a player has a history of guns that turn up DOA then you should probably avoid dealing with them).

First gun I bought was used and it performed well. You should consider both new and used but again with the qualifier; owned by a reputable gundoc or a player that takes good care of their stuff (I'm not saying they baby it on the field but it wouldn't be too much to ask for simple regular maintenance like cleaning the barrel, making sure it's dry before storing it (if it rained on gameday or got wet in some other way), and wiping dust/dirt off the exterior to keep the externals nice and clean).

Finally, if you want versatile then go with AR15 style rifles, they have the most accessories available from different stocks and front ends to cool accessories like BUIS (Back Up Iron Sight) and all that. Granted there are some accessories that are universal (like the BUIS, flash hiders, and optics) but by far the AR15 platform has the most accessories out there.

Good choice about the not building from scratch thing. I've intensively studied other peoples mods and instructions on how to do things and still don't feel 100% confident in taking on such a project (I think I'll just take a base gun and do some mods to build up my experience more before building from scratch).

PS: If you want versatility you could get an ICS. I believe there are like 3 or 4 parts that are proprietary and aren't compatible with regular gearboxes but if you pickup an extra upper you can take advantage of the "split mechbox" design and have 2 upper receiver setups, one for CQB and another for outdoor field play. (Also note that upper receivers on the AR15 platform are fine for import, only the lower is prohib so pickup 2 ICS uppers and have fun).

[Donster]

Originally Posted by MultipleParadox

Alright, so no Ares for me thanks
Was wondering about APS? I know it also have the gimmicky EBB "feature" but are they any good? Can't seem to find much info on these either...

Also, let's stop talk about the G36 and focus on M4/416 please

Thanks guys, I'm repeating myself but I want to make sure you know I appreciate your effort

MP

there is nothing to talk about. VFC makes a great (if not the best) M4 out there. Performance aside, its got rocking, full metal externals. There are a number of retailers that you can purchase that from for a decent price too. Though decent is subjective and depends on your budget.

The only TM worth getting, IMHO, is their M4 SOCOM or whatever its called. Has a cool recoil feature and is full metal.

Still, go with VFC. If you want a 416, then you should ONLY look at VFC. No other company comes close to touching that gun.

I know there are a few for sale in the classifieds right now. Kinda pricey though. Expect to pay $800+ for the gun.

[MultipleParadox]

Ok so it confirms what I was starting to think about VFC :P

Question though, I just stumbled on this @ Wargame Parts. What's the deal? Umarex? Still stated as manuf'd by VFC but is it the same thing than buying a VFC branded AEG?

About ICS Split Gearbox, isn't there any chance that this features turns out to be a problem? I mean, won't it cause strain where it wouldn't with a normal gearbox, or is it as reliable as any other? :/

Thanks

MP

[Donster]

Originally Posted by MultipleParadox

Ok so it confirms what I was starting to think about VFC :P

Question though, I just stumbled on this @ Wargame Parts. What's the deal? Umarex? Still stated as manuf'd by VFC but is it the same thing than buying a VFC branded AEG?

About ICS Split Gearbox, isn't there any chance that this features turns out to be a problem? I mean, won't it cause strain where it wouldn't with a normal gearbox, or is it as reliable as any other? :/

Thanks

MP

VFC used to use H&K trademarks. They stopped making their VFC line for a bit because of trademark infringement. Umarex owns the H&K trademarks. They outsourced the gun to VFC, who basically makes the 416 for them. For all intents and purposes, it is a VFC 416. They have full trades because Umarex permits them to do so.

I cant comment on the ICS stuff. But again, there is no point. Just get a VFC.

If you dont want to drop the money on a VFC, get a G&P.

King Arms is also good, but they are pricy.

If it were up to me (re: if i still played airsoft) i would get a VFC 416, or a VFC M4 SOCOM

[teck]

Umarex holds the copy right license for HK replica guns worldwide.
Its a love-hate relationship with ICS guns. You love them because you can change the fps and modify the gear box very easily, but on the other hand you have to get specific metal bodies for them. I don't know about reliability because iv'e never owned one. The ARES M4 is awesome too!

[MultipleParadox]

Aaaahhh makes a lot of senses
So I guess the 416 VFC is going to be it :P
520$ seems a fair price for a brand new one ain't it? What do you guys think?
Not in stock however (but I'm not ready to buy just yet), if you know of any retailer that would have this, let me know

MP

[KNIVEZS]

that gun cost around $400 USD
so for the price of $520 , it's very reasonable and shipping is already included
i just ordered one it should be here in a couple of days

[Donster]

Where did you guys find a VFC 416 for $520!?