@L473ncy: The bodies for Systema guns near the bottom of the list seems to be of better quality than the ones near the top that are for Maruis, but they are all made by G&P, which makes Airsoft aftermarket parts. Is G&P an exception, then? Are they high quality enough to match the real steel counterpart? My question still stands...Why would a PTW owner choose one of these G&P versions over a real steel one? Because it's cheaper? Are the bone stock bodies of PTWs better than the G&P aftermarkets? If yes, then owners are sacrificing quality and fitment for cosmetic effect?
@Kengel: I see what you are saying about bone stock PTWs having already awesome performance and reliability. But I am mostly talking about externals; mere cosmetic upgrades. These have no direct effect on performance. Seems to me that if the bone stock externals are 100% identical in dimensions and weight to real steel counterparts, people buy real steel upgrades for the sole purpose of getting different looks for their guns. But when people start buying inferior (still assuming G&P is lower quality) airsoft externals, I get confused.
So if people can't afford a "real steel makeover", they go for an airsoft one...which is exactly what owners of other AEGs do anyway. So both groups end up with the exact same build quality and "feel". PTW owners start to feel that parts are looser and the original superior "feel" of the bone stock PTWs are gone. The only clear difference is that the PTW still shoots further, more accurate, and is more reliable.
So I guess this is where I get the confusion from...I see pictures of pimped up PTWs, and people commenting on the gorgeousness as well as the awesome "feel" of those pimped up PTWs. It makes sense if all of those accessories are real steel, but if they are inferior airsoft afermarket accessories, that "feel" would have been long gone.
I won't be able to attend the Penticton game, but I will start looking out for PTW owners near my local games, and see if I can try them out. I have no doubt they'll be awesome, but I figure that if I am going to get a PTW, I will have to upgrade the cosmetics. I'm sorry, the vanilla look is just too damn depressing and boring. I need to know if it's worth it. If I've no money to afford a real steel upgrade, I'd have to live with a downgrade to barrel wobble, loss of weight, and inferior overall "feel" if I want a good looking gun.
Sorry for the long post
