Jump to content

The CA, Star, TOP, M249's new compitition!


Recommended Posts

It's only three weeks old, and happened to be sold out fast on the only site I've seen it on so far. G+P's M249 Ranger model has hit the airsoft scene running, with some nice (and right out of the box) features. The standard for airsoft M249 configurations has been pretty non-selective with only three models out for all companies, the U.S. M249 MKII, Para (shortened) model, and European Minimi style SAW. I chose not to mention the new Hero arms MK46 as they stated they're only making 100 guns. With aftermarket accessories these can all be modified/upgraded to a certain look or performance, but at a high cost. G+P's new M249 is a lower cost, higher performance cross between anything and everything out there. All without compromising on the good stuff.

 

Any brand of SAW costs a good chunk of change to begin with, Star's being the lowest at $500 before shipping, all the way up to TOP's $1200 price tag. Star includes a very well designed auto-winding 2500rd box mag. Don't forget 5.56mm linked dummy rounds. $15 bucks for twelve. CA and TOP does not include a box mag, add $110+ shipping if you want more firepower than 300rds in a M16 type high cap mag for either brand. Want to add the Knight's Armament front RAS rail for a foregrip and laser/taclight and modern look? $110-$120+ shipping for G+P's RAS kit. Let's talk internal upgrades to 390-400fps. High speed/reinforced gears, M120 to M140 spring, bore up cylinder, cylinder head, reinforced piston, piston head, reinforced spring guide, better bushings, and rewiring all add up depending on what you need to get any brands velocity/ROF up that high. Add $150-$200 big ones. Total cost breakdown= Star $820-$850, CA $1250, TOP, over $1500!

 

Which brings us back to the G+P M249 Ranger. The gun comes OUT OF THE BOX with a very well detailed full metal body w/front and top RAS rails, dummy rounds, a 3000rd auto winding box mag and the gun fires at 390-400fps at about 950rpm. At about $830 retail price, who can ask for more?

 

Unusual looks is the first thing that came to mind. A MKII longer barrel assembly with a Para's collapsing stock is on the gun. A "Ranger" front grip completes the oddness of the gun's configuration. It truly was a "specialists" configuration, originally used in the early nineties by the 75th Ranger Regiment's battalions to have a SAW's firepower that could still fit in a regular M16/M4's jumpcase, plus the added benefit of a smaller weapon footprint for CQB/MOUT operations. The improvised front grip was taught to a Ranger armorer by members of Delta during Somalia in '93, and then passed on to the rest of the battalions. It is simply a 249 pistol grip attached to a block of aluminum which bolted into the left side of the weapon's front tripod/fixed gun mounts. This creates a comfortable grip that does not interfere with any of the bipod's movements, wether folded or deployed. This model existed before the PIP kit (Product Improvement Program) for the M249 was in place in the early 2000's.

 

The pros are all there with G+P's new gun. There are a few cons too. Pros first though.

 

Opening up the box revealed a beautifully detailed weapon, everything correct in color along with incredible FN Herstal trademarks. Everything's metal, most of it either steel or aluminum, reciever, feed tray cover, front and rear sights, carry handle, trigger, well, everything. Very little monkey metal. Nothing should ever break or bend unless you're an idiot who throws things around like a madman on crack. Pics show all the details, look for yourselves. They can be found here at http://www.gp-web.com/en/productspop.php?pid=1263 External accessories can be thrown right on the 20mm rails, whatever you want, plenty of room.

 

Internals look/feel/sound to be the same story quality-wise. I'm not cracking the gearbox for this very reason, I'll see how long it'll be until something needs to be replaced and update the review from there. I'm betting it won't be anytime soon. I shot 4000K rounds through the gun in my basement the first day alone. Shot 2000 rounds the next day. Had to stop shooting after that, my girlfriend and female roommate chewed me out for making too much noise. They don't understand that guns are supposed to be "Combat tested, Mother approved."

 

There is still absolutely NO whine from the gears, (precise shim job, good bushings) compression is consistent, (excellent fit of all cylinder related parts) and the gun runs very, very smooth. It ate a whole range of weights and quality levels of BB's. (a double handful of .12's, .20's and .25's, some expensive, some cheap and then all dumped in ammo box at the same time.) Used AE .20's for the rest of the time. Not a single jam or problem after 6000 rounds downrange! No B.S. here, I find it's still hard enough to believe for myself. I'll be taking it to the shop to get actual chrono readings, but it tore a hanging coke can target literally in half with just a two second burst.

 

Accuracy and ROF is the same as with any other precisely upgraded AEG using high grade BB's. All I can see is quality to the extreme and I know this gun will last a long, long time. Some simple stuff, a metal AUG hop up unit makes the gun VERY easy to adjust correctly. Most of us are familiar with the Version 2 gearbox the gun uses to make it go. Reinforced/preupgraded everything. I'm not getting into complete details as this will hopefully not be a gun someone buys without some harder-core airsoft experience, and someone who already knows what I'm talking about. Further follow through and Q and A will be handled based off of the questions asked by you guys as this post goes on.

 

Cons:

 

It's HEAVY! I ain't the 18-22 year old Ranger I used to be in the good old days. The same as always still goes for me, the sheer firepower and the "thrills of the kills" makes up for the sore muscles I feel at the end of the day. Get a dedicated machine gun sling, and don't leave home without it. At 18.5 lbs loaded with 3000 BB's, the recommended 8.4V 3300mah battery and an Aimpoint scope replica, it's not a gun for someone who won't want to prove themselves more than just a little in the field. Drops right in line with weight of a loaded RS SAW.

 

You would need to buy either a Para flash hider or a MKII stock to make the actual short or long version of a U.S. M249 SAW if that's what tickles your torpedo. G+P makes both parts. That may be the only other purchase with the gun's exterior you'd need to make outside of the normal cost for, say a red dot scope or laser/taclight combo that you'd put on any other gun.

 

Other than just that, it's a very impressive gun for the cash you spend, a couple hundred cheaper than the other DIY upgraded metal-bodied M249's out there, runs just even in cost with a similarly upgraded (and maybe unreliably maxed out) plastic-bodied Star. You have to do NOTHING to this gun out of the box but charge your battery and load it with BB's to make it harder than Chinese algebra to beat in the field. Truly a gun to have and to hold, G+P continues to change up the unusual type of gun airsoft program.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Replies 116
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Thanks for the review!

 

I shall be interested to hear how you get on in the next few weeks with your new pride and joy. Just out of interest, what kind of sling are you using?

 

Hey, thanks! Only time will tell as far as the performance keeping up. (as with any other gun) Right now an actual U.S. issue M60/M249 sling is on the gun, I'm used to the low slung, nicely padded design anyways. It's long enough to be able to fire the gun from the shoulder and also from the prone position. I wouldn't recommend a tactical 3-point sling type, it'll be uncomfortable as hell because of the weight distribution across your chest.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Looking good, excellent job with the review. :-D.

Got some questions for you:

#1 Where is the battery placed? Box Mag?

#2 If #2 is true, then the only way the gun can have a magazine is the G+P Box,no?

#3 I know you haven't tried to takedown the mech, but have you been able to remove the mech?

#4 How sturdy is the bipod?

#5 Any troubles with a microswitch/does it even use a microswitch?

#6 Can the ranged grip be folded up? removed?

#7 Could I slap a RS Mk1 or Mk2 stock on there?

#8 Does the charging handle work? Is it purely cosmetic?

#9 Is it possible for you to get to the barrel for ID?

 

Thanks!

Link to post
Share on other sites
Looking good, excellent job with the review. :-D.

Got some questions for you:

#1 Where is the battery placed? Box Mag?

#2 If #2 is true, then the only way the gun can have a magazine is the G+P Box,no?

#3 I know you haven't tried to takedown the mech, but have you been able to remove the mech?

#4 How sturdy is the bipod?

#5 Any troubles with a microswitch/does it even use a microswitch?

#6 Can the ranged grip be folded up? removed?

#7 Could I slap a RS Mk1 or Mk2 stock on there?

#8 Does the charging handle work? Is it purely cosmetic?

#9 Is it possible for you to get to the barrel for ID?

 

Thanks!

OK, some great questions and most probably apply to all you other readers too. I'll answer them the best I can, starting in numbered order.

 

#1. Battery is in the box mag. In theory you could place a mini or customized nun chuck type battery in the front of the gun underneath the barrel and then reroute the wiring, but it'd be a hell of a tight fit. One other thing, a large battery with a high-end mah will run this gun for a long, long time. A day's worth of skirmishing, easy. I'd actually have to see how long a mini/600mah would last. Probably would need two or three of those for one day's worth of shooting.

 

#2. G+P's gun unfortunately will not feed from any magazines like a RS, TOP or CA does. Ironically, a M16 type mag will fit just fine in the mag well but the hop up unit is set an inch too far back to line up with the mag's feed lips. The feed system is also unlike Star's M249 as the BB's are fed directly into the bottom of the reciever and then into the vertically set AUG hop up unit. Looks like we are stuck with the box mags.

 

#3. I have not removed the mechbox yet due to the gun's VERY tight internal tolerances, and I'd like to keep them that way for as long as I can. I will say this, mechbox removal appears to be a little more simple than any other basic Version 2 removal, the gun's outer/inner barrel and hop up get removed first, the grip removed and then the box can just be pulled right out. Nothing weird in the way to cause undue problems with this process, no selector switch gears to line up or little parts to be lost.

 

#4. The bipod is rock solid, reason being, tight tolerances with no room where the steel tabs join with the bipod legs. As a Star M249 Para owner, I know the bipod tabs wore down quickly, that part was made of aluminum with little gaps, allowing too much movement and wear and tear. My gun's bipod is generally always deployed, the paint hasn't even scratched yet from any movement. It'll stay solid.

 

#5. The ammo box uses an external switch similar to a laser sight's remote pad. Mine is routed into the mag well, under the hop up and through the shell ejection port, a dot of super glue attaches it to the ammo box again in front of the right side of the trigger guard. You can barely tell its there that way. All I have to do is point my trigger finger, I hit the switch. The box has definitely been reliable. No problems so far, but I still like the Star's "no touch, me no have to think" internal microswitch system better.

 

#6. The Ranger grip is mounted off to the left side and to the rear of the bipod mount. It bolts right to the front vehicle or tripod mount and does not fold. It can be easily removed by just unscrewing the bolt, as I did with my gun. Using that style of grip is old school for me, it's now replaced with a RS Knight's Armament M4 foregrip on the supplied RAS as our servicemen would use in Iraq/Afganistan today.

 

#7. I have no sure answer to give ya as far as putting a RS stock on this gun. It's no longer simply a matter of running down to the arms room to snag my old issue weapon for a bit, LOL! I can give you some things to research, however. I know G+P's stocks are compatible with both Star's and TOP's guns. If you can find a review where someone used a RS stock on either one of those brands, I know it'll work. Also, unless you already have a RS stock, the aftermarket G+P MKII stock is only about $50, and you dont have to modify it at all to run up to a 12V 3300mah battery out of it either. Might be a better choice. G+P is offering a full length/fixed stock M249 version called the "Marine" but it lacks the front RAS set in favor of regular handguards. It has apparently not been released to retail companies as of yet.

 

#8. The charging handle does work. It serves absolutely no other function other than getting the fun sound out of it, if that's what tickles your torpedo. Pull it back, let it slam forward all you want. Nice sound, made of steel, durable like the rest of the gun. Good times.

 

#9. Ah, the barrel. Can't ID the brand. It is brass, highly polished internally and externally and has a excellent crown job done to the muzzle, so I know its not a Systema or a TM factory barrel. While I don't have a micrometer handy, I can tell you it fed some pretty poopy .12g BB's without any of them hanging up in the barrel, so it may not be a tightbore. Shot groups were still within an inch at ten yards with AE high grade .20's, provided you can squeeze off only one shot per pull of the trigger on a 950rpm gun that has only full-auto functioning. My slow fire shooting ended up with about 75% single rounds and the other 25% being double taps. The gun still shot accurately enough for me to not feel the need to replace the barrel, as I have in some of my other guns.

 

I did forget to mention a possible con in my original post. THIS GUN HAS NO OPERATIONAL SAFETY! You pull the trigger at all, off it goes. That's not a problem for me, remember the scene in Black Hawk Down? The one where the Capt. Steele asks the Delta operator in the chow line why he doesn't have his safety on with a hot weapon? The shooter holds up his trigger finger with a annoyed look on his face and says, "THIS is my safety". That's fine by me, if your finger ain't on the trigger, it ain't gonna shoot. But it may not be fine with you when your friends go to pick up your gun and proceed to accidently blast the holy hell out of either your girlfriend's or cat's *albatross* with it on full auto, at close range. BB's may stay in the feed tubes after you think it's completely unloaded, so BE CAREFUL! Your girlfriend or cat won't sleep with you for a LONG time afterwards, so take that seriously.

 

Any other questions, just shoot. I'll be posting some pics soon, just to explain visually what we're talking about. Happy hunting!

Link to post
Share on other sites

An update, now up to 10,000 BB's downrange and still absolutely NO problems! Due to sheer curiosity and also a reader's request, I took out the barrel and removed the mechbox. As said before I thought it would be easier than other guns, (a TM SIG 552 comes to mind :angry: ) and it was easier by far :P . Unscrew a set screw right next to the RS's barrel change lever and pull the barrel and hop up unit right out. Open the bottom cover for the pistol grip and remove the heat sink, unscrew the grip, then unscrew a allen screw right in front of the trigger guard and pull out the mech. Can't get too much easier for this type of mechbox and set up.

 

I still didn't open the mechbox, (and won't because I have no reason to) but what I do see: 7mm ball bearing bushings, a VERY clean cylinder and mechbox exterior, a reinforced blue polycarbonate piston and what looks to be a very heavy duty metal spring guide. A metal airseal nozzle caps off the business end of the mech. All torerances are super tight, with excellent quailty control on this gun. The motor is something to speak about as well, it is G+P custom high speed 1300 motor. Looks to be better quality than a TM and it runs the gun at a high ROF while still not having to overwork itself pushing a heavier spring.

 

I shoot this thing almost everyday, but there won't be a skirmish in my area for quite a while due to a foot of snow on the ground. I'm really looking forward to nailing some poor bastards with this gun, but no one I know wants to play "Arctic Warrior", LOL! I'll update again as soon as I can do some longer range shooting.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hot Damn!

If this thing really holds up well, it may become a new weapon for me to pickup next year. I have been wanting a CA SAW for a while now as in my personal opinion they are much better than a STAR and I have wanted full metal goodness.

 

Great to hear that the barrel and mechbox come out so easily.

 

Please keep us up to date, I for one am very interested in seeing how far this goes. :D

Link to post
Share on other sites

Definitely some advantages cost-wise to a CA M249, as stated in the opening post. You aren't forced to buy a box mag separately from the gun if you want one, it comes with the front RAS, also the railed feed tray cover and of course it's shooting at 80 FPS faster out of the box. CA's base gun price is still more than G+P's retail price.

 

I've read more than a few posts on CA's reliability problems, I know the G+P is a new gun and only time will tell how good or bad it really is. However, it's still going to save you a damn big chunk of change in the end unless something absolutely catastrophic happens.

 

G+P's customer service is absolutely top notch, with fast replies and no problems with getting help or parts you may need. I had a problem with a battery from them, it was replaced in a week, all the way from Hong Kong. CA reportedly has not been quite as good in that department, with NO reply from them until heavily pressured and QA issues with some of their other guns (and their own 249) being marketed before having all the bugs ironed out. This'll probably start a flame war with someone out there, but I read what I read. Any of my guns has had to be taken out of service for upgrading or replacement parts before 10,000rds have been fired, wether it be a TM all the way down to the new Chinese guns on the market. I hate every minute of the process of taking anything apart and putting it back together. So I'm pretty happy so far with my G+P, looks to be a very good investment.

 

Hopefully someone else out there will give us a sitrep if they have/get one of these, I'd love to hear about what you think.

Link to post
Share on other sites

rant on: flamesuit on:

rebuttal:

I seriously don't think you can comment on the internals of the gun based on "whine" alone, considering you haven't opened up the mech box. Also, did you even chrono the aeg, or are you basing everything off the website.

 

Secondly, G&P may undercut CA's price, and have a fully decked out outer shell, but many people will never want to have a version2 gearbox in a SAW, that gearbox has big flaws regardless of what body its put into. Your gun is no different than any other aeg w/ version2 mech box (armalite, mp5, etc) Also, a cam249 mk1 w/ boxmag starts at the same price as the G&P. I bought mine for about 850 w/ boxmag.

 

Thirdly, in the vfc hkm4 post you posted that it costs 200 dollars to upgrade the CA to G&P's performance. You are aware that is an exaggeration, (unless you plan on upgraded everything to systema). The Ca takes easy to find parts, and 400 fps is only a spring change away. A version 2 gearbox in your gun is no different than any other version 2 gearbox.

 

Btw, G&P has decent service, its far from excellent or "top notch". If yoru gun breaks, they'll tell you how to fix it, and thats basically it (I.e. G&P armalite series). Neither CA or G&P are known for excellent service on their aeg's. Replacing your battery is fairly common practice, but fixing broken aeg's?? There is only one company that I know of that will do that for you, and it aint Ca or G&P.

 

Basically, I don't know how you can compare the CA to the G&P when you don't own a CA in the first place. If you had both in front of you and did a proper review of both, then you will have more credibility. To say you've handled a CA in the past, isn't enough to compare and contrast between the two companies. To say your aeg is aluminum and steel, allows you to say everyone elses aegs are made of monkey metal (which you mentioned in the VFC thread). I've never seen anyone thrash a CA or TOP m249 shell on regular skirmishing (besides the bipod tabs).

 

Notice, i'm not slamming the g&p m249 because I don't own one, nor have I ever seen one, and therefore, I cannot comment on it. i'm slamming you because this really isnt a review, sure you did a thorough job in reviewing the external quality, but the internals, comparo w/ CA is only your opinion, because you haven't opened up your gearbox, nor did you have a CA in front of you, yet you were able to draw a conclusion that because your aeg looks good, that it will perform good??

 

Give me a honest review a year from now after you've put through 70000 bb's through it. Saying it rocks a few weeks after released, and because it has a nice body, and a shiny inner barrel is being overly optimistic.

 

I'm not looking for a rebuttal or response, this is my personal rant. After browsing the VFC review to read about the HK, I came upon your response on how you slammed the VFC m4, and used this review as proof of your credibility, so I went to check out your own review, and after reading your long review and all the responses, I came to my own conclusion, I could have read any g&p m249 description from any of the retailers out there, and come up with the same conclusions that you came up with. At least show us some pictures of stuff, or write about something that isn't already a part of the description of the gun.

 

rant off:

 

P.s. sorry for all the run on sentences, its hard to eat spigetti w/ chopsticks and type legibly.

Edited by mrblah
Link to post
Share on other sites

Uh, I don't quite know what to think at the moment concerning mrblah, and his last post. I just recieved a +1 for reputation from you AFTER you challenge my credibility? Kinda backwards, but OK. I do have to say this though, not expecting a reply on a cross exam like yours is like kicking a guy in the nuts and then not expecting him to kick your *albatross* for it. Probably isn't wise, +1 for reputation or not.

 

As for my credibility in the airsoft world, I'm now forced to defend that too. I have 14 years of experience with airsoft guns, my first gun was a Daisy Softair Model 13. Look that one up for a piece of history, cause I bet you were still playing with Matchbox cars or Lego's back then. I have been shooting since I was five years old, anything from squirtguns to MK19 grenade launchers at everything from paper to people. A full 25 years of experience behind many types of triggers might have something to do with my knowledge of weapons, even if I don't take them apart. I also have the Net, which allows me to look at G+P's site and see what they say what parts they have in their gun. I can then go to several other sites and research those parts. THAT'S how I knew what parts were in my gun!

 

And I proved right. Absolutely right, down to the letter on what parts I said were in my gun. And more, actually. How do I know this now? I cracked the gearbox on the gun, just for you. While I won't go into the details again because I posted them already, I did find out that the gearbox shell was heavily reinforced as well as the internal parts. So pucker up, Buttercup. The rest of what you said, I can hardly give a flying fart through a rollin donut about. The review was about the G+P 249 anyways, not about a CA 249 or any other gun for that matter.

 

All I did was compare the prices of similar guns and possible upgrade costs comparatively. No internals comparison, no nothing. I don't have to have the guns in my hands to do that, what, are they going to whisper in my ear what they cost? Work on your reading comprehension so that you dont overread into things people write, and THEN you can flame someone. I'll be posting the pics I took as proof as soon as I can find a way to do so, I'm not as good with computers as I am with guns. If you'd like to debate further on either the finer or off topic points of your flamejob, feel free to do so, by all means. I can back up anything I wrote in my posts, I'm well known for saying what I mean and meaning what I say in the circles I've traveled in. All I have to do now is post the pics. Gettin on it.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I was being a bit harsh, hence why I gave you the rep point in the first place. Think of my post as constructive criticism, and nothing more. I realize not everyone is a professional reviewer or a trained classical writer, and my critique may have been better suited in a classroom than on a discussion board.

 

Sorry, I've been TA'ing for a intro to college writing class, and earlier in the day, my own research papers were getting graded. So basically, my professors raped my papers, and I raped the students papers....I probably was in that mindset at that time.

Link to post
Share on other sites

You know what's cool about these sites? I don't have to have a college degree in writing/literature to be able to write a review. Your rant wasn't what I call "constructive criticism". Constructive criticism is done at the very least, POLITELY. It instead was a downright slam, nothing constructive. I'm sorry you had a bad day with or in your class, but you're not my TA. You don't have a degree yet either. That would be like me claiming I'm a member of the 75th Ranger Regt. when I'm only in my first week of Ranger Indoctrination Program. When a class there starts with 136 guys and only finishes with 32 in three weeks, two more weeks is a LOOONG time left to go. I still finished in the top ten out of those 32. I still wasn't a Ranger until the class was over. Top ten or no. Reach your goal before you can speak with any authority, TA or no. You don't reserve a right to slam me, especially without being able to back anything up. Having a bad day is not a viable excuse.

 

My well intentioned advice: If you can look ahead a little before you rant and say, "Yeah, I've been having a bad day and so maybe I shouldn't do this to this guy", that is when you have learned a vital self-discipline concept. I didn't learn that in any college. I learned that in Kindergarten. I also learned how to say "I'm sorry" there too. In those words and meaning it. Learning from my mistakes, all the way.

 

I'll accept a full-out apology with no problem. Not a half assed one. I think you know you messed up, so I won't keep going on about it. Just let live and learn, that's all I hope you do.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well before you two go to war i have to point out that the information given & questions asked,answers given.Have given me more information than i had before so it doesn't matter if you call it a review or a matter of opinion this thread has/is useful to me.I like Stars price for their 249 but after lugging a CA249 all over the British countryside{i wasn't a support weapon carrier in the Brit army}i think i'd prefer a metal body.If i got the cash together i'd seriously consider the G&P model when out shopping.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Many thanks for this infos ! I'm actually looking for a M249 model but have problem to choose the good one.

I've already had a M249 Mk2 STAR model that was not enought robust for my use. I resoled it. Knowing that G&P makes some good products, Classic Army stay in my mind as a good way to have a SAW "use", but your review show me that another way is possible.

I have just one technical question about this : how and where connects the connector of battery between ammo-box and AEG. I know that it uses the T-Shape connector, but never found a picture that show it exactly. Does that hold well ?

I'm waiting your future pictures from it !

 

Ps : sorry for my English, I'm still french ;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Unfortunately I still can't get the pics up on here. From what I heard the site is still having problems. The T-connector and wiring from the ammo box is routed through the "emergency" M16 magazine well directly below the feed lips for the ammo belt. It holds together well at the connection and provides less resistance than a Tamiya connector. You cant see the connections at all once the dummy belt is loaded, which is why you couldnt see it in the pics. Hope that helps a bit.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
Is there any way to fit a para-length barrel to the G&P?

Hey! Sorry it took so long to get back, the site was having a problem. To answer your question: Yes, a Para length barrel may be fitted to the gun using G+P's aftermarket Para barrel, along with a AK length inner barrel. G+P's Para barrel is the only one that can be used, due to the outer barrel having 14+ threads instead of the most commonly found 14- threads on most airsoft guns.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Hey! Sorry it took so long to get back, the site was having a problem. To answer your question: Yes, a Para length barrel may be fitted to the gun using G+P's aftermarket Para barrel, along with a AK length inner barrel. G+P's Para barrel is the only one that can be used, due to the outer barrel having 14+ threads instead of the most commonly found 14- threads on most airsoft guns.

 

Are you sure it's AK-length? I thought it was M4-length (363mm).

Link to post
Share on other sites

Adrummer: I did quote the wrong barrel length by accident, an M4 vs. AK barrel is the right one. You would lose some velocity after shortnening the barrel down a little over five inches, dropping your FPS to around 350-360. Not a big loss. Links to Redwolf airsoft and Guns and Guys sites for G+P's Para barrel About 35.00 without shipping for both sites.

 

Redwolf: http://www.redwolfairsoft.com/redwolf/airs...il?prodID=19590

 

Guns and Guys: http://www.gunsnguys.com/ishop/Contents/Sh...asp?ProdID=3621

Link to post
Share on other sites

SKIRMISH REPORT!!!

 

Finally got to take the gun out to a skirmish. I was a bit worried as the high for the day was 36 degrees, but after wrapping the battery into a heated packet used to put into your gloves and using some silicone oil on the rubber parts, the gun worked perfect. I had one issue with a BB stuck in the feed tube, but a quick shake and rewinding the magazine cleared it.

 

I had a hell of a day with this gun in a very good way. The gun came home covered in mud as I play in a swampy area that wasn't quite frozen anymore after about noon. That didn't slow it down, neither did the smaller saplings and reeds that have deflected some of my BB's while trying to shoot at a target with my other guns. This thing is a weedwhacker for sure. It cut through any branches smaller than a half inch diameter with ease, resulting in a lot of longer distance kills that the OPFOR couldn't quite return because of the underbrush. Same with the open areas, 150-170 ft shots were no problem at all. A lot of OPFOR rounds hit the ground way in front of me while I was still shooting flat and nailing them. Putting rounds consistently into 12 inch square windows at 100ft in small plywood buildings was really pissing the OPFOR off if they stuck their heads up to look after two or three adjustment rounds.

 

Gave the 249 a more lengthy chorno test as well, fifty rounds later the average was a very consistent 388 with variances from 386 to 389, even with the colder weather.

 

I was also impressed with the gun's exterior finish holding up after eight hours worth of skirmishing. Most of my guns have had a bit of finish wear after rubbing up against my ammo pouches when the gun is slung, but not the case with the G+P, even with it riding on the sling all day due to it's weight and pushing through brush.

 

My Star M249 had been to a few cold weather games with similar temperatures and would stop firing after every five rounds. I have heard a few complaints about that happening to other Star owners during cold weather, but my G+P never even hiccuped from it. It's a good feeling to know you aren't going to have to ready your backup AEG to make it through the day and then have to mess with your primary to get it working again as soon as you get home.

 

Took the gun home to clean it up and decided to see what the internals looked like after 21,000 rds downrange. The motor pinion gear is showing a little rounding off on the teeth but a quick adjustment should prevent more wear. Absolutely nothing else in the mechbox is wearing down at all, even after some very long bursts that were fired during the skirmish. I would have expected a little wear on the piston teeth and brightening of the gear teeth edges at this point, but it wasn't there.

 

All in all, the gun has been nothing but a trouble free pleasure to own. None of my other guns at similar costs that I bought can come close to this one yet for both quality and reliability. Count on buying more BB's though, even the most disciplined player may rip off more rounds than they normally do just by getting more reach out of this gun. It's just that much more fun to shoot.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Ranger Stubbs: I'm glad to hear that your gun is performing so well. I do have a couple last questions for you, though.

 

1. The links you sent me were for the G&P Para flashhider, not the outer barrel. I'm confizzled. :P

2. Where can I buy extra box mags? Also, how easy is it to perform a "field reload" with a bb bag (read: dump bb bag into open box mag).

3. Are there any other batteries that use T-connectors? I'm not a fan of G&P batteries, to be honest.

4. Where can I find a charger and discharger for the T-connector batteries? My Google-fu is a bit lax at the moment.

Link to post
Share on other sites

A few answers to your questions. The Para flashider is all you need. The flash hiders are threaded off of the front of the foresight/gas block to accept either the MKII or Para barrels, as with any other companies' SAW. No need to replace a whole barrel assembly, just the flash hider and inner barrel for either version.

 

Getting an extra box mag is completely impractical for a bunch of reasons unless you wanted to go from the included 200rd box to an accessory 100rd cloth pouch for the sake of realism, which G+P does not offer as of yet. That would also require buying extra batteries or switching your only battery into your extra box mag in the field, as the box mag also contains the battery with little or no space in the actual gun to rewire another battery into. It'd get very expensive fast to purchase box mags at 110 bucks a pop and then batteries at 30 dollars each just to look cool, but it's up to you. Not to mention carrying an even heavier loadout along with a weapon that already weighs almost 20 lbs by itself.

 

Bear in mind you have 3000rds ready for firing in your magazine, meaning I only reloaded ONCE during eight hours of skirmishing and that was during a break in the game. You may be quite a bit more trigger happy than I am, but it'd still be kinda hard to get all 3000 BB's gone in 30 min. worth of skirmishing. I know some people who have the money to burn on BB's to do just that, but I could never afford it. Plus, I hit my targets much more often than they do. The "Ready, Fire, Aim" concept that most airsofters/paintballers use never really hit home with me. It's supposed to be the other way around for the last two words from what I've been taught. But to each their own.

 

The autowinding box mags are also not meant to be changed out like a regular AEG mag or a RS M249's belt. Wiring into the gun for both the battery and autowinding feature would have to be disconnected, the box removed and then everything reattached/reconnected. The new magazine would still need winding.

 

The initial winding of the magazine requires pushing about 30 BB's up through a four inch feed tube and then into the gun before the mag's internal flat spring even starts to wind. It's a fifteen second process for the first time reloading the gun, but follow up winding to continue firing can be done in three to five seconds on average with one touch of a finger. That beats the hell out of the amount of time spent hand winding a regular rifle's hi-cap mag. The gun will fire about 250-275 rounds constantly before having to be rewound. The box mag is rarely taken off of my gun, even for storage when I'm not playing to protect from wear and tear on the wiring. No other need to remove it anyways.

 

The mag is easily loaded by either a hinged lid in the top of the box with an included funnel (without it if you're careful) or taking off the side cover and just dumping the BB's right in. More ammo can be added in much less than a quarter of the time used to switch out the entire box. As long as you don't run yourself completely out of ammo, you won't have to completely rewind either. Just dump more BB's in and go. Simple and nothing much at all to mess with.

 

The T connector in the 249 only connects the gun to the box mag. A large Tamiya connector (standard on the large type batteries needed to run the gun) connects the mag to the battery on down the line. Nothing weird or uncommon is needed to run this gun right out of the box.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Your answer was exceedingly helpful. Thank you. But, I must clarify a couple points...

 

A few answers to your questions. The Para flashider is all you need. The flash hiders are threaded off of the front of the foresight/gas block to accept either the MKII or Para barrels, as with any other companies' SAW. No need to replace a whole barrel assembly, just the flash hider and inner barrel for either version.

 

This is excellent news. I plan on getting a 14mm+ Mk1-style flashhider, as I prefer that look. Thank you for the help. :)

 

Getting an extra box mag is completely impractical for a bunch of reasons

 

The main reason that I want an extra box mag is in case of a malfunction with the box mag in the gun. It's always good to have a backup, especially when the SAW gunner performs such a vital role within a fireteam. Call it insurance or a security blanket, whatever; I call it a good idea. ;)

 

You may be quite a bit more trigger happy than I am, but it'd still be kinda hard to get all 3000 BB's gone in 30 min. worth of skirmishing.

 

Oh, I'm intent on beating Screaming Weasel's record of 70k rounds in one weekend...

 

Not quite. I aim, then fire, just as I would with the real steel. While I don't have any military experience and limited real steel experience, I consider that plain ol' common sense.

 

The mag is easily loaded by either a hinged lid in the top of the box with an included funnel (without it if you're careful) or taking off the side cover and just dumping the BB's right in. More ammo can be added in much less than a quarter of the time used to switch out the entire box. As long as you don't run yourself completely out of ammo, you won't have to completely rewind either. Just dump more BB's in and go. Simple and nothing much at all to mess with.

 

That information is very helpful. Thank you.

 

The T connector in the 249 only connects the gun to the box mag. A large Tamiya connector (standard on the large type batteries needed to run the gun) connects the mag to the battery on down the line. Nothing weird or uncommon is needed to run this gun right out of the box.

 

It sounds like my battery woes were unfounded. Good deal.

 

Thanks for your help! :D

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and the use of session cookies.