Very first AEG - help me decide which one please!

[Exostenza]

Alright, I have to preface this with the fact that I have done a reasonable amount of research and although I clearly know next to nothing compared to you guys, I think I have figured out where I stand and what I want. I have made the decision that even though I have the money to buy better guns I know it is the smartest decision to not go balls to the wall and buy top tier guns when I really don't know how much I will be playing. I have a few buddies that did that and they play very irregularly and I don't want to be that guy.

That brings me to the decision of buying a mid tier gun and since I have the skills I know I could do whatever upgrades to the gun(s) if I want later on. I have been reading about mid tier guns and it seems that CYMA/JG are pretty darn decent quality as of now which brought me to ECHO1 who takes their guns and upgrades a couple minor things and makes sure they are good to go and sells them for a slight markup - I am pretty sure (still open minded though, so pipe up please) that I want to start with an ECHO1 gun.

I am currently thinking about these guns to use mostly if not always in the field around the Calgary area and do not want a really big gun as I am 5'6 and would like to be able to move and aim with ease and obviously accuracy is a factor although I know it won't be the best in this tier of guns and I am ok with that I just don't want a really bad gun.

Here are the guns (all ECHO1) which are on pretty crazy sale right now:

SOF 2/3 (probably 2 as it has a smaller barrel, SOF1 is too small) - $260
MTC 2 - $225
OCW - $245
MRF-MX - $268
Red Star RIS Full Metal - $215
Red Star VMG-74 - $210

Not a big deal as I might just want a second gun down the line anyways. Any input is MUCH appreciated and I am looking to order very soon as I would like to get a few games in with my buddies before it gets too cold/snowed in (although I am sure we are going to play throughout the winter). Also I would really appreciate any advice on BBs, gear, accessories for guns etc... I have money, but want to keep this on the cheaper side until I know how much I want to dive into it.

Thanks everyone and I am excited to become part of the community. :tup:

One last thing: I have a solid decade on the minimum age so if I should get verified for better deals let me know please. I am completely fine buying online however.

[Chillyrabbit]

Being age verified opens a lot more doors and pretty good deals in the classified sections so why not? only take like 10-15 minutes of your time if you live near an AV rep.

Good eye protection probably most important, if you feel uncomfortable wearing them playing airsoft will suck. Since you have to wear them when you play.

[Exostenza]

Of course I will be wearing face/ear/throat/hand protection. I wouldn't even consider playing without at least that.

Thanks for looking out though... no opinions on the guns?

[coach]

Have you physically held and shouldered any of those? Done a mag change? Fired it? For people to suggest which to get is going to be drawing on their personal opinions and not really help you find one that will fit/work for you.

[ccyg8774]

Originally Posted by Exostenza

Thanks for looking out though... no opinions on the guns?

Selecting an airsoft gun highly depends on personal preference... Which is hard for someone else to do it for you.
Others can give you opinions about a brand, a line of product, compares same guns from different brands, but when selecting several different guns from a same brand (similar quality) that is mostly on yourself.

[Exostenza]

Originally Posted by ccyg8774

Selecting an airsoft gun highly depends on personal preference... Which is hard for someone else to do it for you.
Others can give you opinions about a brand, a line of product, compares same guns from different brands, but when selecting several different guns from a same brand (similar quality) that is mostly on yourself.

Agreed, but some seasoned people would have knowledge that I don't. For instance knowing that a particular company or model is bad or a better understanding of internals/externals etc... would really help me out. It is obvious from the guns I've selected what I would like to shoot, so any direction from there would be great. Or even just some great recommendations that I could check out that I may have either looked over or completely missed.

I am heavily leaning to the Red Star OCW right now, but still really like the SOF 2/3. The only problem is that I cannot find very many accuracy tests online which is kind of crappy. I'd like the gun to be reasonably accurate.

[ccyg8774]

Originally Posted by Exostenza

For instance knowing that a particular company or model is bad or a better understanding of internals/externals etc...

True but such case of a model having a specific problem is uncommon, and if that happens, it is generally easy to find info about that.

Accuracy of airsoft guns have very little to do with the gun type, but have more to do with the making (brand and product line), maintenance, aftermarket upgrading and BBs.

[JLiang]

For me, there are two things that factor into an AEG.

1. Feel/Appearance. I'm extremely picky when it comes to rifles (I loathe all things AR), so being able to see the rifle on all sides and actually go into a storefront and hold it, shoulder it, wave it around (controlled, mind you), etc. is a huge plus. For times when that simply isn't an option, I research things like ergo, function placements (IE. Selectors, Releases, Grip Molds, etc.), and the like.

2. Loadout. Not so important early on, but once you settle in on a specific group you're going to try to impersonate, then you will definitely want a rifle used by said military group. However, since you said you'd rather not go too heads-in-deep right off the bat, this point is probably moot.

All in all, what it really comes down to, in my honest opinion, should be function over form. Find features you want/need (ambi selectors/mag release, STANAG-compatibility, Battery Capacity, Stock Features; like swing, underswing, retract, extend, etc; and a wide plethora of other options), then find a rifle that fits your mandate, make sure you think it looks pretty, and then narrow it down by researching different manufacturers, the ups and downs of all of them, compatibility/proprietary parts, and everything.

For me, intrinsic and in-depth research is key, along with getting a feel for the weapons platform.

[Kozzie]

If you're looking for reviews/opinions from owners you're best off searching for them.

First lets get this out of the way... Re: MTC 2.... WTF ewww gross kill it with fire. Thats not a gun it's an unwanted bastard child from a drunken drug fuelled orgy at the armoury. NO!..NO!

There's no real "best gun" there, all guns made by the same manufacturer will generally have the same quality build unless they have different quality lines. What you want to do is find the gun that's best for you. What you should be doing IMO is looking at what platform you want i.e. ak, m4, g36 etc. Consider the fire selector, the mag shape and how they change, ergonomics which feels better to shoulder, type of gearbox, what kind of battery you can fit in it etc. Then go from there. Get something that looks good to you that way you'll be excited to use it and it won't go to waste. MTC?...NO!!!!

As your first gun you're probably best off to avoid the less common platforms i.e. the MTC 2(NO!) & SOF 2/3. It will be harder to find parts, mags etc as well as info re upgrades and repairs since you plan on doing them yourself.

The OWC and the two Red Stars are all ak's. They have a V3 gearbox which is stronger and easier to work on that the V2 gearbox in the MRF. They will all have the same quality internals so the main difference is in the externals. The OWC has a shorter barrel, the VMG has a folding stock. It all really comes down to personal preference and aesthetics.

The MRF being an M4 will have the most available for it in terms of upgrades and accessories as it's by far the most common platform in airsoft.

[ccyg8774]

Isn't MTC just a G36 with magazine and stock adapters and RIS?

[Kozzie]

Originally Posted by ccyg8774

isn't mtc just a g36 with magazine and stock adapters and ris?

mtc?... No!....no!!!!!!

[ccyg8774]

Originally Posted by Kozzie

mtc?... No!....no!!!!!!

http://echo1usa.com/x/guns/modular-t...carbine/mtc-2/
This?

[lurkingknight]

there are no advantages to running a stanag mag in a g36 aside from reusing m4 mags you already have or saving money on pouches because you don't want to pay more for g36 pouches.

A g36 hopup and barrel group are annoying as hell to deal with, just ask john from airsoftstore... and me cause I've dealt with hopup issues all year long trying to get it to work.

if you want to run m4 mags, get an m4. air seal issues are very easy to fix on m4s.

Beyond that, the choice is up to you, if you like the goofy bastardized look of the mtc lineup, then by all means, it's what you like.

The prices you have listed are not bad, I know what vendor you are looking at and pricing is pretty good from them for a few lines. If I were to choose to buy an echo1 though, it would be more along the lines of the SOF lineup.

If you want a g36 because you want a g36, then look at the JG one.. E1 MTCs are just JG guns with the converted bits.

If you want an E1 AK, look at the CYMAs... that's who makes them.

E1 just rebrands guns and gets the licenses to brand some guns like the SOF series. Do a bit more digging and you could get the exact same gun that E1 sells for less if you find out the OEM for that model, the only difference being a few things like engraved trades and more markup.

[JLiang]

Originally Posted by Kozzie

mtc?... No!....no!!!!!!

It gets worse.

http://echo1usa.com/x/licensed-produ...ise-arms/sof1/

Only God can help us now.

http://echo1usa.com/x/guns/special-o...-branch/sob-1/

[lurkingknight]

what's wrong with the sof1? it's a FAL OSW... sure EA does not make an OSW but at least it's a gun that exists.