Star M249 Para Examined...

[staticzero]

Well here it is, the highly anticipated, hotly debated, humungous lump of BB hose, the Star M249! Star's M249s are way cheaper than any other M249 on the market and they offer some compelling features, but are they worth the cost? Sure you may save ~$570 or more versus a CA249, but what's the catch? And what about performance anyway? Plus, will their new plastic gearbox even hold up? All these things and more shall be considered, so stick around!

 

First, lets examine what you get with the Star M249 series. Of course there's the gun itself, available in both Para and MkII form. The gun is mostly plastic, weighing in around 3300g (7.28lbs). The Para has a collapsible stock where as the MkII has a full stock. The Para also has a shorter barrel (345mm) compared to the MkII (455mm). The Para probably has a lower volume cylinder than the MkII to correspond to the shorter barrel, but I have not been able to confirm that so far.

 

Both guns share a few interesting features. For starters, both guns come with a 2500 round auto-winding box mag, which also houses up to a 9.6v large type battery (as well as the two AA batteries needed to run the winding mechanism). The box mag has a unique connector which has separate tubes for the BBs and for the wiring. The connector has four individual contacts which connect the electrical components to the gun. When the trigger is pulled, both the winding mechanism and the gearbox are activated.

 

A few other features they share include an easy to remove transparent polycarbonate gearbox, a nice carrying case, a button on the gearbox to release the anti-reversal lever, a quick spring change feature, and a folding telescoping bipod.

 

Lets consider the gearbox for a moment. Star plans on offering three variants of the box, yellow, clear, and red. The gun comes standard with the clear gearbox, which is equipped with metal bushings, steel gears, and a '100%' spring. It's designed to use an 8.4v battery. The clear gearbox is good for ~328 FPS out of the box in my case, but according to some sources, it should produce as much as 350FPS.

 

The yellow gearbox is a weaker configuration meant for CQB which includes a 75% spring and polycarbonate bushings. It's designed to use a 7.2v battery.

 

The red gearbox is theoretically setup for 400+ FPS operation with a 190% spring, improved piston head and o-ring, high speed bearings, and an improved motor. It's designed for a 9.6v battery.

 

All three are made from the same transparent polycarbonate, and all three feature the quick spring change feature, as well as the anti-reversal latch release button.

 

The spare gearbox line has yet to be released.

 

The gun does have some metal parts whcih include the bipod, the flash hider, the barrel, the carry handle except for the grip, various pins and screws, and some of the components of the para stock. There's probably more, but I haven't tracked it all down yet. I'll try to come up with a more comprehensive list later on.

 

There are some things I feel are missing from the gun. For example, the rear sight is not adjustable, it's one piece of plastic. The cocking handle does not move at all. Another thing I wasn't that happy about is that the trigger is plastic. While I don't expect it will break any time soon (it's quite beefy), it's one of the few things I would expect to be metal that you actually touch on the gun regularly. Also of note, the hop up requires an allen key to adjust, but one is conspicuously absent. The manual is nice, but very simple. You can view the individual pages of it on Star's website if you're interested.

 

The one thing that really bugs me though is that there's no way to use standard AR mags in the gun. Even if you could relocate the battery somewhere, the mag well just isn't designed for it. The hole is too small for starters, the feed tube looks like it wouldn't fit properly, and there isn't a working mag release (it's molded plastic). While I'd probably not use this feature when skirmishing very often, I think it looks cool and would have liked to have had the option.

 

Despite being plastic, the whole thing feels quite solid, though of course light. It is at least a pound or so heavier than my other AEGs (all with mags out no batteries no accessories). There really isn't any flex unless you try to torque the gun laterally, or otherwise go looking for it. Some parts such as the heat shield are made from a softer, more flexible plastic. This probably isn't a bad idea as these parts might otherwise be at risk of failure should they take a significant impact. There are various cosmetic imperfections around the gun, which I will illustrate in the future.

 

I chronoed my Para last night at AEX Santa Clara using their radar chrono. I found it shot a wide range, between 320 and 330 FPS. I suspect that the compression may not be as good as it could be, perhaps the piston head o-ring needs replacing, or maybe the cylinder needs some lube. I'll be taking a look at this later on. Perhaps this gearbox would produce ~350FPS with these things fixed, if applicable (UK users may want to keep this in mind for sake of staying inside the limt and all).

 

I also fired probably around 600-1000 BBs while I was there, in bursts and one really long continuous blast. The gun fed properly the whole time, and the ROF only started dropping when my teeny little 600mAh NiCad started to run out (hey, it's the only decently powerful 8.4v pack I have at the moment ). I haven't gotten to fire it outside yet, so I can't comment on range or the effectiveness of the hop up mechanism. Look for updates on this in the future.

 

Okay, enough blabbing. On to the pictures!

 

The gun, the mag. Battlecry not included.

 

Front set. See the light gray part of the heat shield running along the barrel? That's made of the flexible plastic I mentioned.

 

A close up of the bipod hinge mechanism and surrounding parts.

 

The front sight. It's rather rough around the edges on close inspection.

 

The flash hider. Yes, it is metal.

 

Another close up of the front set components.

 

The bipod feet. The whole bipod is metal.

 

The feed tray area and mag well. Note the mag release is molded plastic and does not function.

 

Trigger and grip area. Don't let the flash fool you in these pics, it's not that shiny!

 

Here is the main body. It has a rather nice matte finish. The two screws you can see in this picture need to be removed to get the gearbox out of the gun.

Edited November 4, 2005 by staticzero

[staticzero]

Here is the top of the barrel area showing the heat shield and the carry handle in the folded flat position.

 

The heat shield, and the carry handle raised.

 

The heat shield removed. It's just held on by clips.

 

Here we see the arm of the carry handle and the hinge of the feed cover.

 

Rear sight.

 

Rear sight from behind.

 

Right side of the gun. Note the cocking handle does not move.

 

The mag well and box mag attachment point. Note the pins for the power. The large pins are for the gearbox, the short pins are for the box mag.

 

Para stock collapsed.

 

Extended.

[staticzero]

Then just rotate and flip up the shoulder piece.

 

The gun with the stock extended. The stock is quite solid, even though a lot of it is plastic. Note the bars of the stock and the shoulder piece are metal, as well as a few other small parts.

 

The bipod in play.

 

Feed cover closed.

 

Feed cover open.

 

Flip that gray bit down if you want to put in a belt of dummy rounds (I haven't tried it yet myself). This is another part that's made of the flexible material.

 

Here is the anti-reversal lever release button. Just press it to decompress the spring.

 

To get the gearbox out or just swap springs, you must remove at least the top stock retaining pin. Just unscrew the knob from this side and pull the pin out. Yes I know the safety is off. Shh!

 

For the sake of providing the info, I'll remove the bottom pin too, freeing the stock completely. You don't have to do this if you don't want to, but it makes the gun more manageable. Just remove the cotter pin and push the pin out.

 

The stock will pull away.

[staticzero]

Here is the end of the stock, and the pins in the background.

 

Here you can see the spring guide retainer (the black round bit at the back of the gearbox) and the lock (at the top of the gearbox).

 

As I mentioned earlier, you need to remove the two screws on the left side of the body if you want to take out the gearbox. After that, just push the gearbox as far back as it will go.

 

Pushing it back all the way will get the nozzle clear of the hop up unit, allowing the front of the gearbox to pivot up.

 

Just lift the gearbox up...

 

... And out. Disconnect the mini Tamiya connector to get it free of the gun.

 

Here is the empty body.

 

The gearbox.

 

The gears have a healthy amount of grease on the axles, which I managed to smear around apparenty. You can see the anti-reversal lever release button here, as well as the spur gear poking out the bottom.

 

The motor. It's unlabeled.

Edited November 4, 2005 by staticzero

[staticzero]

The front of the gearbox.

 

The gears.

 

The gears again. They look pretty strong, and well made.

 

Plenty of grease on them.

 

The anti-reversal lever and bevel gear.

 

Switch.

 

Switch depressed.

 

The main spring can be seen through the body. Note that is a Guarder spring I put in there, not the stock one. The stock one is not an irregular pitch spring.

 

The spring retention mechanism.

 

To swap springs, start by pushing in on the black round part in back. Then just pull the catch up...

[staticzero]

...And the spring guide comes right out. Be mindful of the negative wire, it can get in the way.

 

The spring guide is just a normal v3 guide with a retainer that attaches to it.

 

Top: Guarder SP100, Bottom: Stock Star Spring

 

The screws don't thread into the plastic, there are nuts set in hexagonal slots. There shouldn't be any risk to the gearbox if you have to open it up at all.

 

The front of the gearbox illustrating the wall thickness of the gearbox. It looks quite strong.

 

A different angle of the front.

 

The feed and wiring connector. Again, the larger contacts are for the gearbox, the smaller ones are for the mag.

 

The feed tube is the top one in this pic, the bottom is the wiring. They're just springs, rather clever idea (that star didn't come up with BTW).

 

The fill door open. Not the fastest way to fill the mag...

 

The mag side cover is held on by a post like this on each side.

[staticzero]

Inside the mag. Yes, that's a 9.6v large type pack in there. The BBs fill the top area of teh box. If you open the side with it full you'll have a mess on your hands!

 

The battery removed.

 

The battery just slides in.

 

No problem.

 

At all.

 

Here you can see that an AR mag isn't going to fit for a number of reasons.

 

The mag attached.

 

To connect the feed tube and power by plugging this in.

 

I find it's better to push the left (front) side in first, and then the right. If the box mag doesn't wind or the gun doesn't fire, you may need to check this connection.

Edited November 4, 2005 by staticzero

[staticzero]

The gun with the mag fitted.

 

The gun in the case. I expect the MkII case must be larger?

 

The latches look pretty tough.

 

So does the handle. There's a spot for your name or a label here.

 

The hinge looks good too.

 

The marking on the face.

 

You can find larger versions of these pics here.

 

That should get you started. I'm going to hold my conclusions and any major editorializing until after I get to use the gun a bit. Plus there are still a few areas that need to be checked out (ROF and range especially) or addressed. So far so good though! I'll be skirmishing it next weekend, but I'm sure I'll have some things to add before then. And as always, if you have any specific questions, need any elaboration, or have any requests, just let me know!

Edited November 4, 2005 by staticzero

[First to Die]

Let me know how well it performs, i'm still skeptical about the gearboxes. If this ones good then i have high hopes for the L85s.

I always wanted a minimi so post up a skirmish report pls id like to know how it goes

cheers

Matt

[Crandall]

Another great review! I hope to get one of these, seems like it's a great gun!

[cadetrichards]

good review mate

[ryn1523]

Does the quick change barrel really work, or is it just for show?

[staticzero]

Does the quick change barrel really work, or is it just for show?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't think it does. If it does, I don't know how to work it! This is somthing I mean to examine later when I take a closer look at the hop up unit.

[systema]

Very nice, static!

[Hissing_Sid]

Must admit, it seems as though Star have kept the price low by making the exterior of the gun rather "cheap & nasty". Fingers crossed that the internals are properly made.

Despite the impressive way it looks I reckon I'd be disappointed to own one of these cos there just wouldn't be enough stuff to "twiddle with".

 

If only airsoft was a bit more organised, this looks like it'd make a great SAW hire-gun for sites.

 

The trigger is a great example of what I'm talking about. It has a REALLY sharp internal corner at the top and I gotta say that I'd be concerned that it might break if you pulled the trigger really hard (if you were surprised, for example).

 

Anyway, great review and pic's, as usual.

[ryn1523]

If it is like the real steel version, you should be able to just cam the lever that is just forward of the feed tray and then pull the barrel forward, up and out.

I am ready to take the plunge on the Para, overall are your early impressions good? Do you feel it is worth the $$ so far?

[airsoftgi]

Hey, nice review. Might if you post it at the Airsoft GI forum? =) Here is the link:

http://www.bbsdepot.com/forum/

[staticzero]

Must admit, it seems as though Star have kept the price low by making the exterior of the gun rather "cheap & nasty". Fingers crossed that the internals are properly made.

Despite the impressive way it looks I reckon I'd be disappointed to own one of these cos there just wouldn't be enough stuff to "twiddle with".

 

If only airsoft was a bit more organised, this looks like it'd make a great SAW hire-gun for sites.

 

The trigger is a great example of what I'm talking about. It has a REALLY sharp internal corner at the top and I gotta say that I'd be concerned that it might break if you pulled the trigger really hard (if you were surprised, for example).

 

Anyway, great review and pic's, as usual.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, the body is pretty rough around the edges. The internals look much more refined, in comparison. We'll see how they hold up over time. Despite the complexity of the thing, which no doubt runs up cost, I'm sure the margin on it is still huge.

 

I must admit that having checked out a CA249 before, I was a bit disappointed with it out of the box (err, case, I suppose). It obviously very different in terms of feel compared to the CA, and there are certain 'oh that's nice' type features missing such as the ability to use AR mags and the QC barrel. There are also the 'WTF why is this like this' things like the non-adjustable sight (bah, I'll just install a rail and use my AimPoint anyway). Anyway I was a bit let down at first. However, after fiddling with it a bit and actually using it, I perked right back up. Despite it's mostly plastic build, it still feels solid and satisfying. And it's really fun to use!

 

If it is like the real steel version, you should be able to just cam the lever that is just forward of the feed tray and then pull the barrel forward, up and out.

I am ready to take the plunge on the Para, overall are your early impressions good? Do you feel it is worth the $$ so far?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, I don't think it does it then. The release lever seems to be free floating, it doesn't really contact anything.

 

Ehhh.... I'm still not ready to say it's worth the price tag, I think it's a judgement call you'll have to make for yourself. My feeling right now is it should be perhaps $200 less that it is for what you get. This is of course totally subjective. But then, I feel similarly about the other SAWs out there. Even though they're metal and have a few different or better features, I still think they're overpriced. And it's certainly true you can get a lot more for the money with a different type gun. Frankly any well tuned AEG with a hicap or a boxmag can fill the role. But if you want a SAW (and lest face it, that's got to be why anyone would ever consider this thing) and don't want to spend a grand or more, I think this is a good way to go. It does have some things the others don't have, and I do believe that it will hold up to use, but only time will tell on that. As I mentioned above, my earliest impression was less good. But now having used it, I'm satisfied with it, and I think I'll continue to be happy with it. We'll see, of course.

 

I'll be looking into the 'value issue' more in the future, after I get the chance to sit down with a CA249 and really compare them.

 

Hey, nice review.  Might if you post it at the Airsoft GI forum? =)  Here is the link:

http://www.bbsdepot.com/forum/

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Go right ahead. And thanks for asking, BTW.

Edited November 5, 2005 by staticzero

[crazy4beat]

Thank you for your great review! I desperately waited for information about 249.

[WarMonger]

great review static, thank you, i cant wait for mine to get here.

 

one question though, how is the rate of fire with a stronger spring and a 9.6v ??

[Tunershark]

Yet another great review, May i ask why That Front Peice near the Barrel and front sight is painted tan while the rest of the gun is grey/black?

[staticzero]

great review static, thank you, i cant wait for mine to get here.

 

one question though, how is the rate of fire with a stronger spring and a 9.6v ??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The ROF was already pretty aggressive sounding with the stock spring and 8.4v mini battery. I haven't really tried it for more than a second with the 9.6v pack, but it was obviously even faster. The spring I put in for the sake of it, just to try out the mechanism. I plan on putting in a stronger one than that (which I can't get into here because of the limit). I'm not really going to use the 9.6v pack until then as I prefer to not go through pistons like water. I think an 8.4v should be plenty for most people anyway. Proper ROF data to come soon, so stay tuned.

 

Yet another great review, May i ask why That Front Peice near the Barrel and front sight is painted tan while the rest of the gun is grey/black?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's not really tan in person, more a really light grey. Anyway that's how the real one is in some cases, that's all I know. http://world.guns.ru/machine/mg17-e.htm

Edited November 5, 2005 by staticzero

[Tunershark]

ah ok it looks Tan in the photos,

[davedawg123]

As always, very good review and pics.

 

Just curious, what do you think makes this AEG worth the $200 extra compared to a full metal AEG? Asthetics alone or any extra features?

[staticzero]

As always, very good review and pics.

 

Just curious, what do you think makes this AEG worth the $200 extra compared to a full metal AEG? Asthetics alone or any extra features?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'd pretty much have to say because it's a SAW. It does have some other nice features though, as you can see. The box mag is worth quite a bit, obviously. If you compare it to an electric C-mag or other types of ultra high capacity drum mags for other types of AEG, you'll find they often go for $100-200 and don't even hold as much in some cases. They certainly aren't going activated by the trigger without work. And certainly the quick change spring is nice to have. I really do think it's up to the individual to decide if it's worth it for them though. Myself, I'm not prepared to say it's worth it quite yet. I need more time with it first.

Edited November 5, 2005 by staticzero