Which Mp5 AEG CA,ICS, orTM

[Petawg]

I'm currently looking for a mp5. I've read on the web that ca and ics mp5s have problems. Is this true? I was looking at sd5's.

[R.A.T.M._JLD]

They all have there problems but for your money TM is a good way to start out.

[Kid]

If metal means anything at all... then go ICS. From CanadianAirsoft.ca

[thorvald]

Every gun has problems... every gun is perfect... remember that old saying about a**holes and opinions? Everyone has one... same goes for airsoft guns.

However, I own both TM and ICS MP5s (quite a number now actually). It depends on what you want to do with it:

1. Show piece - I'd say TM
2. Game Gun - I'd say ICS

- Remember that TM have plasic bodies but great trademarks.
- ICS have metal bodies but almost no trademarks.

Inside they are both the same (except for the supposed "loud" ICS motor which I've never really noticed myself). V2 Mechbox etc. My only complaint was the ICS mag that comes with it, it's a high cap (don't use em personally) and it doesn't lock in the mag well 100% like the TM does. TM mags in the ICS work perfectly though.

After owning both, I'd only buy ICS or AE since for the same price you get more metal parts (especially the body. Also you can get the older selector switch with ICS (A2/A3) instead of that horrible (IMHO) ambidextrous Navy model selector (the old A2/A3 is MUCH larger and hence easier to manipulate in the heat of "battle").

CA I have no experience with at all unfortunately (no one seems to import them around here).

[Rumpel Felt]

If you're looking for a smart buy, I'd suggest not buying a TM gun.

I wonder why people don't realize how much of a rip off it is for a TM gun. You get everything in it's lowest form and it does what it is supposed too. But then 90% of people, it seems, will throw on all these upgrades and metal parts and eventually blow over a thousand dollars out the window and be proud of it. I don't understand when you can just buy a full metal/ usually even upgraded gun out of the box. I'll use what I just did as an example. I got a CA (hard as hell to get alot of the time for some damn reason) MP5 which we all know is full metal. But that's not even it. The mechbox shell is upgraded, this one came with a metal spring guide, all CA guns have metal bushings, I got the A3 lower reciever which I love, a hicap (hate them but there's a couple bucks back to me), two types of flash hiders and to top it all off, the sexy Surefire foregrip. Probably even more but I can't think of it now. I paid $100 more for than I would for a TM MP5 and they only make an A4. With all the "extra" stuff I got I just saved myself like 500 bucks. And all I have to do if i want more power is put in a $30 dollar spring and I'm good.

Now for all of you who think CA guns are crap, that is pure BULLSHIT and you know nothing of their NEWER generation of guns. Everything is either par with TM or far beyond. Nothing is crappy. The wiring is not at all shitty. I know this for sure because I dropped a large battery out the back and it hung by the wires causing no damage what so ever. These DO come with a fuse by the way. The motor is good and you get a high rate of fire with just an 8.4 volt battery.

TM guns are fine if you want the most watered down version of a gun, but CA is where it's at if you want that realistic feel and a more hardcore experience. It's a shame retailers only keep the same lame old TM plastic guns in stock when guns as beautiful as these exist.

[mcguyver]

c.a. is a little hard to get here as their u.s. distributor won't sell to canada, so canadian retailers have to go to asia for them. some guys don't bring them in at all, coupled with the few retailers in canada who actually stock guns means few c.a.'s. the airsoft elite ics mp5's all come with the usual ics features as full metal body, etc. plus internal upgrades as well. most of the ones i've seen have been in the 350fps area with really no need to upgrade anything. and they sell for the same money as a tm. everyone seems to think that tm is the best reliability, the best value, etc. that's just wrong. maybe 5 years ago when c.a. guns were crap, ics was new, everyone went with tm because they worked and there was no serious challengers. i've seen many times more tm guns break than ics or c.a. and ther are more ics guns in my area than any thing else. the ics motor does have trouble with bigger loads, so if you want to run a 425fps gun, ditch their motor. but for a stock gun or a mildly upgraded one, they work just fine. why would you pay for a plastic bodied gun with the lowest quality of internals when for the same money or less you could get an ics. it's like the guy who buys a shevy cavalier and dumps $50,000 into it to make a pimp-street-racer. he could have bought a porsche for that money and in the end all he has is a cavalier. tm's are such a waste of money to almost be comical. and the funny thing is i have 4 of them (but lot's from other makers too).

[DEA]

Well, we choose not to really sell CA, however we sell tons of TM and ICS. So based on the view from a retailers, I would say ICS is the way to go over the TM. As mentioned above, you do get the metal body. As far as reliability goes, personally from what I have seen, TM is no better than ICS at all. I would put an ICS up against a TM anyday.

[nic_s]

This is all very interesting, I didn't know that anything even compared to Marui in terms of reliability.

[Spitfire]

CA or ICS ;-)

[Greylocks]

Before doing all the research about what gun to buy, get your age verified and check the rules at the places where you can play.

[Rumpel Felt]

Originally Posted by nic_s

This is all very interesting, I didn't know that anything even compared to Marui in terms of reliability.

If you've already gone with TM, you should have read around first. There is about 6 reviews praising the MP5 I have as the best gun the reviewer ever owned or the gun being an installment to their collection forever.

In terms of what you get for your money, CA blows everything to shreds yet for some reason it isn't catching on in Canada yet. I think this is due to those who speak the word of TM automatically without thinking about.... well, reality. Most people arn't going to be happy with a plastic gun (or would rather have gone metal in the first place but thought there was no alternative) or with the level of power they get for a stock gun. So if you have a TM, you replace everything(and I hear it is just about everything) and call it a beaut and still proudly call it a TM. Doesn't make much sense to me when you can just buy everything you want out of the box, plus even more accesories for only $100 bucks more.

For those who are still under the impression CA crap, let it be said now: CA IS NOT CRAP, IT IS THE BEST DEAL YOU WILL FIND ON AN MP5 AND PROBABLY ANY OTHER GUN THEY MAKE.

I think the "CA bashing thread" should be removed from the FAQ because it offers no useful information on TODAYS CA MP5's. It probably ends up making people waste money by buying the TM and upgrading.

I wish retailers would start keeping CA, ICS and G&P regularly in stock.

[mcguyver]

ics is easy to get as you can get them from the u.s. or asia and they are plentiful. g&p and c.a. usually have to come direct from asia and they are not as plentiful. i think in this business retailers look for a good supply line, as well as price and ease of importation. if i was importing i'd rather bring guns in from the u.s., but that's just me. also if folks aren't demanding them, retailers won't bring them in. i own guns from c.a., tm, ics, g&p, systema and utg and have no bitches about any of them. currently the only guns i've seen that suffer from issues as an entire brand is g&g. they may turn themselves around though in time, but i haven't seen it yet. but i totally agree with rumpel felt here. buy a full metal, upgraded gun and avoid tm, unless you really need an odd-ball model like a sig552 or aug.

[thorvald]

Now what I'd really like is for someone to come out with a slim forearm kit. Carrot had one but it doesn't seem to be sold any more.

Sigh....

[made Man]

There are dozens of reviews on each of those guns. Cant people make up their own damn minds for a change?

[Swoo]

Just get the tried and true, a TM.