I was on a team that ran almost exclusively Real Swords (myself included), type 56's, 56-1's, 56-2's, & some LCT's. I can say from first hand experience, externally Real Sword>LCT full stop. I've never seen an "AK" that feels or looks as good as a RS (though I have yet to see an E&L in person). Not to take anything away from LCT of course, their reputation for having good externals is well deserved. As an aside, I would note that the under-folding stock of the type 56-1 could be considered a weak point; this problem isn't specific to RS however, it's inherent to the design of the under-folding stock.

I have a fair amount of time spent inside a RS type 56 (T2) gearbox. RS internals are quite good quality, easy to get a hold of, and are V3 compatible. The only thing proprietary is the shell itself (which is shorter as previously mentioned). There should be no issue with them out of the box, they perform very well in stock form, I've never witnessed one go down in game. I've seen a DSG set-up in a type 56-1 and a P* in a type 56. The only stock part that could use replacing is the spring guide, as with most guns it isn't a bearing spring guide; this will improve the longevity of your spring. A case could also be made for an aluminum double O-ring cylinder head but not 100% necessary as the compression with the stock parts is really quite good.

Is RS worth it?.. This question is entirely subjective. IMO, yes, because I value having top quality externals and true 1:1 scale. I don't claim to be a top gearbox wizard, but I do well know my way around internals. So, when I buy guns the main factor for me is external quality. Any entry level gun can be made to out shoot a stock high priced gun with only a hop-up modification. Certainly an LCT is not a bad buy, they make great guns, to me it just boils down to whether or not you're willing to pay more for nicer externals.

**edit: I would also recommend you look into E&L, I hear great things about them, Red Wolf has very good prices on them right now.

Real Sword. Mine is 6 years old and still going strong. Never failed yet. (knock on wood stock) I am hard on it but it has yet to let me down. Solid build in and out. I'd advise anyone looking for an ak variant to go with one.

Really appreciate all the feedback, guys. Great to hear from people who have owned/used these guns. In terms of performance, is it easy to upgrade a RS Type 56? That's kind of what I'm leaning towards. Any suggested part replacements?

It's no more difficult than an LCT or any other AK/V3.


Ball bearing spring guide and R-Hop or Flat-Hop it, maybe a new barrel. Beyond that, it depends if you want to change any characteristics of the gun, i.e. ROF or trigger response.

Standard stuff I would do to any AEG:
- Re-shim/re-lube (mine was shimmed pretty well from the factory)
- Correct AOE (this could potentially be more difficult in the shortened gearbox)
- If you're going to use an 11.1v lipo you're going to want a mosfet.
- Deans wire connectors

Aside from grip, how is real sword compatibility with real steel furniture/parts like stock, handguard, top cover, etc?

Compatible. But since the stock is just as good quality as the real steel, why bother?

The only thing I did on mine was change the bolt to an LCT one to have full travel.

Yes, absolutely.

We're done here. Go buy one.

Mount
 

Have any of you added a scope mount to your Realsword?

http://i59.tinypic.com/2ocia.png

:)

Good job OP!

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