M249 purchase

[coach]

Originally Posted by Amos

I have never seen a G&P V2 gearbox crack unless people were running them outside of standard operations (450 FPS at 20+ BB'sec in -10 weather)

G&P gearboxes are reinforced from the factory.

Adding Sorbo pads make them all that much better too. The STS is an option but unneeded. I've been running my 380fps v2 G&P for a while now and several times in sub zero weather with zero issues but with a few upgrades. ASCU, new spring, poly nozzle, modify piston and MASK/Sorbo piston and cylinder heads. So, well, yeah a bunch of changes over stock but still no crack.

[Danke]

Price has sure come down on the CA ones. Pick they right place and they're less that the A&Ks were a few years ago.

Never seen a G&P one pop up for sale but I guess anything is possible.

[Eeyore]

Originally Posted by TANKMAN

i have an echo 1 and its a rebranded a&k and works well. just te be clear, you'll go through a shit ton of bbs per game and its a bitch to carry for long games. the only thing i dont like is the hopup is never strong enough. they keep dropping. theres a redneck way which is to put speaker wire on the hopup nub and thag gives you the right amout of hop. a friend told me he did it with his mk 43 and it works beautifully now. mine is an m249 para. hope this helped

Hey Crunchmeister is not a redneck, he is a hillbilly!!!!

[ThunderCactus]

Originally Posted by L473ncy

But V2 gearboxes are inherently weak if they aren't reinforced and/or don't have a Shock Transfer System.

That said I wouldn't not go with one since you can always get a reinforced gearbox and/or STS which will fix the shell from cracking then just build up the gearbox properly with high quality parts and you'll have no problems from it.

G&P makes one of the toughest V2 shells on the market. I've heard of two or three breaking but never seen one break myself, and they're all running at 380-470fps here.
Add in an ARS sorbo head and your mechbox is just as indestructible as a PGC. The V2 mechbox just isn't a drawback anymore

Everyone knows that tm makes one of the weakest mechbox shells out there (they break at ~360 fps), and you can run 400fps with a sorbo head on them for over a year without it breaking.


So pros and cons
CA249
-PGC mechbox with quick change spring
-readily available
-can use M4 mags
-fairly light (only about 6.5kg)

-PGC mechbox isn't fully tm spec
-inferior hop chamber
-prone to all internal faults as a regular CA AEG
-I've never seen a CA box mag work for more than a few months (A&K has good box mags)
-weak materials, they break pretty easily


G&P249
-V2 mechbox 100% tm spec with 7mm bearings
-AUG hop chamber, really good design
-reliable centerline feed from box
-G&P stock internals are good as long as you shim the gears before use
-toughest 249 out there, just can't break this thing
-reinforced carry handle
-REAL STEEL box mags, I've fallen on my box mag 3 times and it hasn't broken
-can fit 9.6v large batt in box mag for para version

-no quick swap spring
-can't use M4 mags
-some would say it's heavy at 7.6kg
-gears need to be properly shimmed before use
-very hard to find

[Amos]

Originally Posted by ThunderCactus

-very hard to find

I'm fixing that right now

[kromtar]

thanks for all the info guys. I think I will go for the classic army. G and p would be ideal but they are a bit out of my price range and arent very readily available. Plus I dont like that it cant take m4 mags as back up.
My juggernaut setup will soon be complete!