Post by YankeeDiv26 on Oct 20, 2007 11:26:42 GMT -5
The story
When I first saw Air-Sharp's (killbucket's) .30 cal. hit the market as a completed gun, I knew I had to have it. That's all there really is to it.
First Impressions
Mine arrived about 2 1/2 weeks after I ordered it, probably due to the numerous orders killbucket must keep up on a daily basis. Everything was in perfect condition and tightly bubble-wrapped and packed in packign peanuts. It was partially assembled due to its large size, and within about 15 minutes of well directed assembling, mine was up and firing.
Performance
The .30 cal's all use AGM M14's as their base gun, so they're performance is exactly the same as an AGM M14. Link to a review on the AGM M14 listed below.
www.airsoftretreat.com/reviews/showcat.php?cat=69
Build Quality and Materials
Since building an airsoft .30 caliber mg out of full metal components would be too heavy (over 30 pounds for the gun alone!) and expensive for many airsofters to justify, Air-Sharp (killbucket)'s guns are completely out of abs and pvc. Don't get confused by the connection between "all plastic" and "piece of crap", because the .30 cal comes nowhere near a hunk of junk. The build design is very solid and just by looking at it, you can tell somebody but a great deal of time into making it structurally sound. Also, the gun doesn't scream ABS and PVC, it's much like the plastic components used on TM guns, the parts look very good and much like they're metal, eventhough they're plastic. Some of the esthetic accesory's and small detials aren't there or are fabricated to a limited extent, but nevertheless look well (charging handle, sights ect.)
Pro's
- Solid construction, strong enough for its generally static role
-one of my favorite aspects of this gun is its NO TOOL dissasembly! I have literally taken the gun apart, swapped gearboxes, put it back together, and fired. This all took place in a few minutes during the middle of a 24 hour tactical, in poor weather conditions.
- It has a 3000rd "ammo-drive" magazine system that fits into a .30 caliber ammo can.
- really feels like you're behind something that's laying the plastic down range, not some aeg thats just spitting out bb's.
-FUN! mostly to shoot. Also, you dont feel like you've carried a toddler on your shoulder after a day of playing (I've done a tactical with a real .30 caliber, it doesn't take long before you start cursing why steel is so heavy. And I'm a big guy!)
-all around good gun, and the fun factor cannot be said enough. I'm someone who's shot their fair share of airsoft guns, this one's by far the most fun.
-rarity and custom factor. Gets TONS of attention, very popular (if not the unoficial favorite weapon) at event's I've been at.
-variety. The gun currently is avalable with a "water cooled" style barrel and an "air cooled style of barrel", along with either a "pistol grip" or a "spade grip"
Con's
- PVC and ABS construction. It's definitely not weak, but it's not as durable as steel. Then again, the goal was never to create an all metal weapon. It's just very impractical on both ends.
- "tactically impractical". In a modern airsoft situation, it's not portable enough too keep up with the "hi-cap mentality". In my opinion thats not necessarily a fault of the gun, just a fault of typical hi-cap aeg style of play.
-Innacuracy's. The gun isn't a carbon copy if it's real steel counterpart, it does have some differences. The biggest being its current tripod design, the tripod design is more structurily sound, but not the same as the version seen on a real steel 1919a4 (.30 cal)
Conclusion
I actually got more than I expected from this gun, despite my high expectations for it. It looks a lot better in person than in pictures imo, and even the paint isn't flat but textured. It's not heavy, but thats not a bad thing with its real steel counterpart being so hefty. I love the AGM M14's as base guns (I own 3!) and am always pleased with their performance. The gun is fun too shoot, and makes gameplay more challenging, as well as making you feel as if you're actually playing a role, not just "a guy with a gun". Extra touches like an appropiate .30 caliber ammo can and 200 linked rounds add tons to the realism and look (at least on mine). All in all, i'm very pleased with this gun. It's not the current model offered now, but imo it has a much more realistic design and role. Besides... how can you not love a .30 caliber machine gun.
When I first saw Air-Sharp's (killbucket's) .30 cal. hit the market as a completed gun, I knew I had to have it. That's all there really is to it.
First Impressions
Mine arrived about 2 1/2 weeks after I ordered it, probably due to the numerous orders killbucket must keep up on a daily basis. Everything was in perfect condition and tightly bubble-wrapped and packed in packign peanuts. It was partially assembled due to its large size, and within about 15 minutes of well directed assembling, mine was up and firing.
Performance
The .30 cal's all use AGM M14's as their base gun, so they're performance is exactly the same as an AGM M14. Link to a review on the AGM M14 listed below.
www.airsoftretreat.com/reviews/showcat.php?cat=69
Build Quality and Materials
Since building an airsoft .30 caliber mg out of full metal components would be too heavy (over 30 pounds for the gun alone!) and expensive for many airsofters to justify, Air-Sharp (killbucket)'s guns are completely out of abs and pvc. Don't get confused by the connection between "all plastic" and "piece of crap", because the .30 cal comes nowhere near a hunk of junk. The build design is very solid and just by looking at it, you can tell somebody but a great deal of time into making it structurally sound. Also, the gun doesn't scream ABS and PVC, it's much like the plastic components used on TM guns, the parts look very good and much like they're metal, eventhough they're plastic. Some of the esthetic accesory's and small detials aren't there or are fabricated to a limited extent, but nevertheless look well (charging handle, sights ect.)
Pro's
- Solid construction, strong enough for its generally static role
-one of my favorite aspects of this gun is its NO TOOL dissasembly! I have literally taken the gun apart, swapped gearboxes, put it back together, and fired. This all took place in a few minutes during the middle of a 24 hour tactical, in poor weather conditions.
- It has a 3000rd "ammo-drive" magazine system that fits into a .30 caliber ammo can.
- really feels like you're behind something that's laying the plastic down range, not some aeg thats just spitting out bb's.
-FUN! mostly to shoot. Also, you dont feel like you've carried a toddler on your shoulder after a day of playing (I've done a tactical with a real .30 caliber, it doesn't take long before you start cursing why steel is so heavy. And I'm a big guy!)
-all around good gun, and the fun factor cannot be said enough. I'm someone who's shot their fair share of airsoft guns, this one's by far the most fun.
-rarity and custom factor. Gets TONS of attention, very popular (if not the unoficial favorite weapon) at event's I've been at.
-variety. The gun currently is avalable with a "water cooled" style barrel and an "air cooled style of barrel", along with either a "pistol grip" or a "spade grip"
Con's
- PVC and ABS construction. It's definitely not weak, but it's not as durable as steel. Then again, the goal was never to create an all metal weapon. It's just very impractical on both ends.
- "tactically impractical". In a modern airsoft situation, it's not portable enough too keep up with the "hi-cap mentality". In my opinion thats not necessarily a fault of the gun, just a fault of typical hi-cap aeg style of play.
-Innacuracy's. The gun isn't a carbon copy if it's real steel counterpart, it does have some differences. The biggest being its current tripod design, the tripod design is more structurily sound, but not the same as the version seen on a real steel 1919a4 (.30 cal)
Conclusion
I actually got more than I expected from this gun, despite my high expectations for it. It looks a lot better in person than in pictures imo, and even the paint isn't flat but textured. It's not heavy, but thats not a bad thing with its real steel counterpart being so hefty. I love the AGM M14's as base guns (I own 3!) and am always pleased with their performance. The gun is fun too shoot, and makes gameplay more challenging, as well as making you feel as if you're actually playing a role, not just "a guy with a gun". Extra touches like an appropiate .30 caliber ammo can and 200 linked rounds add tons to the realism and look (at least on mine). All in all, i'm very pleased with this gun. It's not the current model offered now, but imo it has a much more realistic design and role. Besides... how can you not love a .30 caliber machine gun.