Best out of the box AK brand

[Stormbringer]

When I buy a car, I don't expect to upgrade the engine, the seats, the windshield, and the tires. I just want to buy a car and have it run a decent amount of time. I'm looking for the same thing in an AK brand. So what would be my best choice for an AK brand that I can just shoot thousands of rounds through and have as few issues as possible over the long run?

[Ratters]

Tokyo Marui if it's left stock and you don't mind a lower fps but excellent airseal, excellent accuracy and a proven hop design that patiently and accurately sends BB's to their intended targets

Not as structurally resistant to enthusiastic gaming use or abuse ie: don't run into a tree with one or fall on it trying to dive for cover because it won't be a twig you hear snapping

Don't over tighten things, don't use loctite because if it contacts plastic it's no bueno

Real Sword with exceptional QC and proof of airseal reliability with Chrono record from factory, CHICOM spec. Robust and built to perfection you can drive a truck over
Special tool sometimes required to disassemble by cantilever wrench for sight spring depression

LCT, marked improvement over earlier designs with progressive improvements to machining tolerances and improved manufacturing facilities and quality control and an exceptional finish that accurately replicates the Russian Federations Black paint

E&L typically needs airsel work out of the box, robust and built like a tank, blued finish, Compatible with most after market magazines and can use either a long or short type AK nozzle depending on the model, you can drive a truck over this one too either to test it's strength or vent anger and frustration because you reassembled it and forgot to install the hop nub
Special wrench tool also sometimes required for sight spring removal

Cyma Early ABS, later pot metal, current stamped and CNC machining. Compatible with Tokyo Marui spec parts and upgrades if needed TM clone

Aftermath/Kraken budget minded, entry level TM clone great as a backup or friendly loaner, light weight but reliable

[hinoobies]

Actually , many people do buy a car expecting to do just that .

[Stormbringer]

Real Sword - a bit on the pricey side for me, plus the availability seems to be an issue.

Tokyo Marui - I really don't like the idea of firing at reduced FPS

LCT - I read in some reviews that people complain about their motors. Does anyone have an opinion on their motors?

E&L - "typically needs airsel work out of the box" what does this mean?

CYMA - I've heard about the "pot metal" issues for things like sights. But are they reliable? That is, can I buy a stock gun and have it behave decently for me without the necessity for upgrades?

Aftermath/Kraken - Never even heard of these ones. I thought CYMA was for budged minded people.

[Ratters]

Real Sword are highly collectible now but also the die hard airsofters don't mind gaming them. The Druganov is the most sought after, the AK line and the Type 97/97B also very popular but the Type 97's have a smallish grip, the mag release is small and is easily depressed on gear while gaming so some switch them out for ambi releases from AR GBB's that seem to fit. magazine fitment on the Type 97's can be finicky but not so much with the AK lineup

The Type 97's also at times fire when inserting batteries but i can recall if this was because it interfered with the trigger bar

Gearboxes are excellent in RS and rarely need work

Whether you find a new one or a gamed one make sure you have plenty of pictures, look for rust, ask for a chrono test over ten shots for consistency

Tokyo Marui, although not as durable, you will hit whatever you aim at and sometimes the slow, methodical approach to winning a skirmish is better than a run up to the front and blast anything that moves approach and you will be impressed using a TM

TM's are also lighter, more manoeuvrable and have many many parts available from hundreds of manufacturers so they are a good option without a doubt

A stock TM will out perform many other stock AEG's GBBR's and GBB pistols out of the box and this is what makes TM products the top of the Airsoft food chain in many regards

Earlier stock TM aegs use nylon bushings, aluminum sector gears because they are built to comply with Japanese laws and designed to break if they are modified incorrectly

Properly modified TM AEG's will last a long time and the only risk at that point being structural strength because of the polymer construction

This has now changed with TM now making more metal AEG's and GBBR's

Their GBBR line are fantastic but pricey, many parts are available and extremely reliable and accurate go to guns providing you look after them well, keep them clean as you would a regular "need it to save your skin" weapon and the realism is what many players now want

GBLS (not mentioned earlier) is a Korean Line of enhanced, hybrid AEG that offers the best of both worlds. It merges AEG tech with mechanical and tactile feedback but are also the priciest of whats available currently. These are used by military and law enforcement with many enhanced features and modular capabilities which make it a leader in a class that currently has no other comparable competion

LCT motors are good, issues begin when you run 11.1 volt Lipos without mosfets. This creates a significant amount of heat and also rapidly chews up the motor brushes. The first thing to check would be the motor brushes and the condition of the commutator which the brushes contact.

Fine sanding of this commutator and new (slightly round-filed) brushes installed is the first step to trouble shooting a "bad" motor providing your also checking your trigger contacts, trigger switch, battery connections, fuse, shorts or wiring against the guns body and of course the condition of the battery itself

LCT are good, as I may have said earlier in another post the earlier LCT had some issues in consistency with machining tolerances and slight QC issues but this was very minor and their current products are excellent

In regards to motors and electrical this can apply to ALL aeg's not specifically LCT

E&L Gen 1, Meister ARMS, Specna Arms, Gen 2, PPS, typically have robust, durable builds but gearbox internals are not the best. Airseal issues are a common problem with them out of the box

Many people get into airsoft with the understanding that building a gun, rebuilding an airsoft mechbox, understanding the components and how they function together is part of the love/hate relationship that is Airsoft

You will weep, you will sweat, you will grind your teeth, you will bounce your head off the table and wail why why why but ONCE lol, once you learn and be patient and consult and study what it is you're doing you will create a gem that you've built or built with someone and it will be a tack driver on the field

And this is what makes Airsoft special to a lot of people

There is beauty in owning a fresh out the box item that sits in a box or hangs on a wall but there is also beauty in running with a gun that you know is going to function smoothly and pick off targets one by one while your watching your buddies six, ultimately winning the day with a weapon you never need to open again, your go to arsenal = no headaches, no stress and just reliable fun

CYMA, in my experience have been a QC roller coaster ride but my experience has been limited

Earlier CYMA were polymer and they were a formidable competitor against TM polymer guns, once they switched to "metal" they had issues with bodies cracking, screw threads easily stripping and more heavy than they seemed they should be and the gearboxes typically needed work regarding shimming, airseal upgrades, etc

A lot of people like their AK line because (I believe) some were made by VFC and the bodies were strong and well designed. This info can be researched and you will find the model numbers of these versions which people love and swear by

Worth mentioning are Echo 1, this is a US based company that really has some hidden gems. They tend to be polymer but they perform well for a budget priced

[DAVESAGE]

I have 2 cymas, one stock and one not. I find that the stock cyma is decent enough performance wise for beginners but you're going to want to upgrade the internals down the road, if you go the LCT route you're getting better quality internals and definitely better quality external ruggedness and finishes, you're still going to want to upgrade down the road probably. So you really just have to ask yourself do I want a cheap AK that I'm going to run and then probably just keep as a loaner/back up gun, or buy something pricey and keep it as your main gun

[Drakker]

The main complaint with LCT motors is that they are not the most amazing ultimate super high torque motors. LCT motors are decent, fairly average, ok torque, ok speed. On 7.4v they are a bit sluggish, but on 11.1v they are absolutely fine. Some people nowadays want 150$ motors in every stock gun, its just not going to happen.

[Stormbringer]

I just want to post a special thanks to Ratters for his detailed answer above. Everybody else had helpful answers as well, but Ratters basically wrote a novel.

[Davidmith000]

Originally Posted by Ratters

Tokyo Marui if it's left stock and you don't mind a lower fps but excellent airseal, excellent accuracy and a proven hop design that patiently and accurately sends BB's to their intended targets

Not as structurally resistant to enthusiastic gaming use or abuse ie: don't run into a tree with one or fall on it trying to dive for cover because it won't be a twig you hear snapping

Don't over tighten things, don't use loctite because if it contacts plastic it's no bueno

Real Sword with exceptional QC and proof of airseal reliability with Chrono record from factory, CHICOM spec. Robust and built to perfection you can drive a truck over
Special tool sometimes required to disassemble by cantilever wrench for sight spring depression

LCT, marked improvement over earlier designs with progressive improvements to machining tolerances and improved manufacturing facilities and quality control and an exceptional finish that accurately replicates the Russian Federations Black paint

E&L typically needs airsel work out of the box, robust and built like a tank, blued finish, Compatible with most after market magazines and can use either a long or short type AK nozzle depending on the model, you can drive a truck over this one too either to test it's strength or vent anger and frustration because you reassembled it and forgot to install the hop nub
Special wrench tool also sometimes required for sight spring removal

Cyma Early ABS, later pot metal, current stamped and CNC machining. Compatible with Tokyo Marui spec parts and upgrades if needed TM clone

Aftermath/Kraken budget minded, entry level TM clone great as a backup or friendly loaner, light weight but reliable

Thank you for the information. Keep spreading the knowledge .
I am looking forward to your other posts. I have one question related to this.
Should we consider a return policy
while buying the new car? How much important they are?
Thank you in advance.

[Ratters]

Thanks folks, I appreciate the kudos

All the best to you all over the holidays

[Stormbringer]

After everyone's advice I ended up going with the LCT. I found a Boxing Day deal from a retailer in Quebec and ended up with a brand new LCT LCKS74 for $399 CAD. I don't think I'll ever find that sort of deal again. It's an absolute beauty and I can't wait to get it out to the field.

[Drakker]

That's a really great deal, welcome to the club! If you plan to use a 11.1v lipo you might want to add a mosfet to protect your trigger contacts, otherwise, it's all good stock and will last a long time. This thing will work very well with 0.30-0.32g BBs and should have no problem lifting them. You can go heavier, but I personally haven't seen much of a difference over 0.32g.

For the mosfet, something like this is easy to install and pretty cheap:
http://www.airsoftparts.ca/store2/in...oducts_id=2872

But as I said, if you will not use 11.1v lipos, you don't need that. It's going to be fine on 7.4v lipos and 8.4v or 9.6v nimh.

[Curo]

Originally Posted by Stormbringer

After everyone's advice I ended up going with the LCT. I found a Boxing Day deal from a retailer in Quebec and ended up with a brand new LCT LCKS74 for $399 CAD. I don't think I'll ever find that sort of deal again. It's an absolute beauty and I can't wait to get it out to the field.

welcome to the club, fellow AK user! maybe ill see you around, im local aswell!

[Stormbringer]

Originally Posted by Drakker

If you plan to use a 11.1v lipo you might want to add a mosfet to protect your trigger contacts, otherwise, it's all good stock and will last a long time.

For the mosfet, something like this is easy to install and pretty cheap:
http://www.airsoftparts.ca/store2/in...oducts_id=2872

I will be using 11.1 Lipos--they are actually what is recommended by LCT for this model. So I will be getting a MOSFET. Thanks for the advice on an easy to install one.

[Drakker]

Hmmm, if LCT recommends them now they might have improved their contacts in newer models. If you don't smell burnt copper when you use it for a while, you'll be fine without a mosfet then.