Echo 1 M249 vs Classic Army M249?
 

I am wanting to purchase a M249 but cant decide between Echo 1 or Classic Army? What i want to know is:
1). Which is more relaible?
2). Which is easier to fix if it breaks?
3). Can the Classic Army M249 be equipped which a collapisble stock?
4).Which is easier to upgrade?
I want it to look like a C9A2 LMG, so long barrel, collapsible stock, railed fed tray. What do you guys recommend?

They are the same design, the echo 1 (rebrand a&k) is a clone of the CA. The CA should be higher quality externally/internally but everything else is the same

So your saying i should get a classic army M249?

I wouldn't say the CA is more reliable. I have bought three different CA products and they are all poorly assembled. I don't why people say CA is high quality, internal CA quality is terrible.

It seems that CA uses screws are extra soft steel and strip easily. All my three CA guns, more that 50% of the screws are stripped. May be the same guy doing all the assembling?

On my CA M24, the hop up unit holes are off center so the cylinder nozzle binds big time. The factory assembler should have seen this and fixed it before shipping it out. Also black metal surfaces have a lot of touch up paint to cover up scratches from lousy handling during assembly.
Also the magazine was broken when I received it and that email is also no replied to either.

On the other hand the M28 from echo1 although proprietary M24 like design, is much better and is still working great. I had a question about it and sent off a question to Echo1 USA, and got a reply next day. :)

The CA M24 right now is sitting in a closet. I have sent an email to CA in Hong Kong directly regarding my defective hop unit and yet to get a reply back for months now.:(

I would go with the Echo1 M249 knowing that you will get service from them.

I did say it should be, not that it is. Many will argue either way. Personally, I prefer the a&k/echo1 due to simply being much cheaper while staying pretty much equal in quality.

also, only issues I ever had with my a&k was being to mod the hopup and once breaking the nozzle when I inserted the barrel. Both issues appear/can appear on the CA.

If I had to say any 249 I'd go with the G&P but seeing as thats not what your asking go with Classic Army with a A&K box mag.

A few years ago it would have been A&K Now with prices so low it's hard to pick that over a Classic Army.

I would differ in the magazine though. I find the Classic Army nutsack to be ideal.

believe echo 1 para is not available do to legal issues. just a side note.

Sounds like you got a lemon.
I picked up a CA M24 and out of the box it is rocking! Finish is great, everything lines up and magazines where fine out of the box (aside from the flimsy top piece everyone talks about - easily fixed).

Yes, my luck, three CA lemons in a row. Jackpot, I won't be buying any more CA's

People talk about the flimsy magazine top because it is flimsy.
My magazines for the M28 and VSR10 feed flawless.

I also don't have that issue with the M28 and VSR10 bolt not able to fully close on the last shot unlike a CA M24 have. Just don't know why the CA M24 being APS2 went with a proprietary hop up unit that force you to adjust it by taking out the magazine.

I've have two Echo 1 and A&K M249s and they are horrible... Have to fix them after every game. I have over different 20 guns and by far these have the worst reliability..

My buddies have CA M249 and they have no issues..

Wait and save some money, but CA.. enough said.
M249 MK46 SPW has the collapsible stock

Friend of mine has the A&K and it is top notch. Zero issues. Like most airsoft guns, it's a hit or miss.

One of my teammates runs an A&K Mk46...and he runs that fucker hard. Has a metal piston in it, other than that, no changes, still going strong. it's probably seen ~10k rounds so far.

i've had my CA M249 para for about 3 years now and i've never had a problem with it. this season alone i've probably put 5000+ rounds through her and not one problem. Mind you, I do only run 85 round E-mags (made for the Scar-L) because I enjoy the reloading. I own an echo 1 Scar-L and it works great but I really don't know about the echo 1 version of the M249.