Armory Sponsor
Posted: 11/19/2024 5:46:35 PM EDT
|
This might be a bit of a layered question but i’ll try to keep it to the point. In my unit i am now assigned as an M249 gunner. Regardless of how much i do or do not use it while on duty, I want to train as best i can in my off time. Priority one for me is lifting weights to build more upper body strength to carry the weight and ammo. Whenever possible i will disassemble and reassemble and perform dry drills until it’s muscle memory. I will clean and maintain it religiously. But i cant take it home and i cant afford a semi auto variant so that has me looking at airsoft. How realistic can i get with a saw variant and how similar will the cycle of operation be? Obviously not very but i figure it makes more sense than an AR with FRT. Anyone have any recommendations? |
|
I have lusted after an airsoft 249 for a long time. Everytime I get the money, I go hit the airsoft forums. They, almost to a man, hate them. For some reason, they do not function well. True to life, I think they don't fire from the mag well, and the gearboxes wear out quickly. If you buy one, I forget the name, but get the one with the most metal parts. I think... G&P? Lastly, even the high dollar all metal toy ones that... I forget. The Army has all these simulators that a unit can check out from IED's to spurting wounds. They had those M4 simulators, and... You have to baby them. You can't get kinetic with them. You bang it against a tree, or plop down with it, you are likely to tear it up. So, from that perspective, it has limited use. (I've had glock airsoft for a long time; I have to remind myself to rack it gently, or I'll be buying another one soon). It would look badass on your coffee table, and the latest ones take real steel accessories pretty well. If you find to the contrary, I would love to learn. My info is about 5 years dated. |
|
So having sent a few rounds down range with a SAW years ago at a machine gun shoot I can tell you that you may be disappointed in the airsoft versions. As for the closest to the real deal: probably the A&K versions (I had the MK46 all done up with a Polarstar HPA and flat hop, bullgear hop up unit, tight bore barrel etc...) The internal of the stock A&K 249s are not very good and for that matter the Classic Army made ones are junk. If you want to spend the money for something to practice with like clearing stoppages or something like that (that was just one example) you could always look on Hop up and see if anyone is selling a used or bone yard one. Oh and your a awesome OP being a SAW gunner is badass!! Much credit to you because I lugged the airsoft version around for several milsims and at near 50 years old I nearly had a hart attack! God bless you ! |
THIS IS THE WAY
|
I was blanking. The term I was looking for was TASC, a guard buddy says it's called TADS now. Check with your chain and see if they don't have a dummy you can have checked out that will let you break it into the major subassemblies, it just won't fire. He couldn't get a NSN or whatever the nomenclature is so you could just ask for it by name, but he said they had a bunch of stuff at his place, but it was near a mil base, so, your mileage may vary and all that. My airsoft buddies said there is not a simulator that can break down like the real steel. He says there are some pretty close ones for other us weapons systems though, but that's not helpful. Wonder if someone could 3d print one? |
|
Probably the VFC gas blowback one. Evike.com Just keep in mind most airsoft gas blowback rifles often have some flaws and require modding and adjustment out of the box, especially something as complex as an LMG. But I never looked much into the VFC so I don't know exactly. Daytonagun also makes/made gas blowback kits for electric SAWs that require an external air supply like a paintball gun. I had an AK and AR kit from them. They required a bit of tweaking to run right but were generally solid. When dealing with gas airsoft guns, and particularly rifles, you just have to accept that most of the time you're going to have to learn how to wrench on them. Few are truly GTG out of the box. Electric guns basically look like the real thing, and that's about as far as it goes. Shooting them feels more like running a sewing machine. |
Armory Sponsor