M249 Blowout - CA vs STAR vs TOP

[lt_poncho]

We should be so fortunate to be able to compare 3 different M249's on the market today...(Lest we not compare them all to the ASAHI M249)

I'm unsure as to if anyone has aquired a STAR M249 - the review on ARNIES was interesting in the least - giving some good insight as to initial expectations.
The one thing I liked about the STAR M249 was the use of a common TM style barrel. The big question is whaddup wit dat PLASTIC mechabox? I like the slick spring change feature, but over time - how will it fare?

CA seems to be the top (get it) contender, putting mechabox reliability into a solid 249 frame. A quick piston changeout seems to get rid of the ghost in the machine, but hey - this is CA - they get their customers to do their QA testing for them thru their purchases. How many versions of the truth will we see this time? Only took them 4-5 times to get the M4 right...christ...

TOP has all been topped in this department - no one seems to want to spend 600$ on upgrade parts just to keep it competitive to your 300$ MP5 - i'll admit folded over gears and the bellows systems might look cool - but even RC cars of the 80's are better built then those internals. Kudos to them for hitting the market first, and putting out so many M60 models. With having seen so many go down around me - it's hard to want to buy one above and beyond the LCF.

Purpose of this thread? I'd like to hear more 249 stories - opinions and views. How many base their want to get a 249 on the fact that they want an area effect weapon that would outshoot a well modded M16? Or is it all about carrying around the 249 for the LCF? (Oh noes - teh 249! Were teh done forz! Wait...it doesn't seem to be working...)

Ive always been of the opinion that if you have a SAW - it better act like a SAW. Performance is huge in my perspective - reason I would choose ASAHI and push 100 PSI on a LRB out of that bitch and landscape 200 ft infront of me...

[Blastyman]

To me its performance for any SAW. My .50 call shoots about 420.

I plan on making My FN Mag shoot at least that too.

[Skruface]

Originally Posted by Blastyman

To me its performance for any SAW. My .50 call shoots about 420.

I plan on making My FN Mag shoot at least that too.

*raises eyebrow*

DO tell. :twisted:

Anyways, I don't think that the polycarbonate mechbox (yeah, the same stuff that the ballistic goggles we use to keep out eyes safe at games) is a bad idea. It's incredibly resilient, and the STAR mechbox is pretty thick at all the stress points. It's unfortunate that the STAR M249 has so many drawbacks vis a vis realism (can't use M4 mags, rear sight not adjustable, tons of plastic, cocking handle doesn't move). Then again, it's half the price of the others, too, and no doubt a full-metal kit will be an upgrade option in the near future.

A teammate used to own a fully-kitted out M249 with every possible upgrade. It ran the owner about $2500 to put together. I imagine the STAR version will be about 2/3 of that with upgraded externals, but you'll get the quick-strip internals as a bonus.

I'd like to see someone (with a pile of disposable income) do a head-to-head shootout of both stock and upgraded models.

Apoc on our team got the CA M249 and its been a blast.
gun(fully upgraded)+2 box mags+metal feed rail for around $1500
after excessive use, its still going well, chewed a piston or two but other then that, its fine. enough that 1-2 more CA M249s will be comming our way.

though, ravens TOP M249 para shoots nice too, and the sound, its fantastic. But Im sure the cost was incredible to build a gun like that.

Myself, I looking forward to seeing how the plastic internals of the star work.

btw, i cant seem to locate the star review on arnies, got a link?

edit: nvm, found the link for the review http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forum...7&hl=STAR+M249



looks like some thickass polycarbonate!

and even at that, give it a year or two and someones sure to make a metal mechbox

[Eddie]

The nice thing about the STAR M249 is if in the long run the gearbox does break it can be easily replaced.

[aftica]

well, fwiw, that guy who did the review on the star m249? man, that was an excellent piece of work.
the above review confirmed my suspicions though: that the star version of the m249 is a pos. plastic, plastic, plastic... i mean, isn't airsoft about ''realism''? that gun weighs less than my M4. might be a cheap conversation piece at best.

the top m249...i hear it is o.k., AFTER you spend a pant load of money on the internals, and a few bucks on metal upgrades too.

the ca version (which i own) is the best by far, and not outrageously expensive either... i like it so much, that i am considering the ca m249 para also. but that is another story...i need help, i know!
the build quality on this gun is superb. the paint and finish are top notch, good looking and very tough. if it does come to any issues with the internals, well, like ANY of these three m249's ... you fix it and move on. i have not had any probs with the internals (yet).
again...the internals on any of these three guns, can be fixed if need be. the look and feel of the ca version can not be beat. period.

[vondnik]

Ok here I go....

I owned a top m60e4. The thing was upgraded to max. Nothing was left of the original internals. The final cost was indeed stagering. But bear in mind that it's a limited edition ( 1000 made...). Performance wise it up there with my other upgraded aeg.. a hair under the RPK in it's glory days ( before I cracked the mechbox that is). It's an ease to work within and after over 50 bags of BB's I have yet to regrease the thing let alone clean her out...Piston is still in good shape.

Ravens M249 was built by me. The thing has the basic Top required upgrades and a few house mods. I did not have time to test it out on the field as I only built the gun for someone else. Both previous owner had nothing but excellent reviews for the gun and from what I hear Raven is also please with it. Final cost of parts and the gun can in around 2.3kish.

The Crappy army m249......... well considering the TWO NEW IN BOX NON WORKING ON ARRIVAL I have in the shop at the moment you can guess what i think of them. It's all metal ... woppy dooooo... make them work everytime out of the box firts... then add metal. Not that I expect anything better from CA... an other POS on the lot like 90% of their production.

The star m249 is interesting. I never tought I of all people would catch myself saying this but a lighter gun is appealing to me..( after 3 year of 10 and over guns) Imust be getting old or something.... The easy swapped mechobx idea is interesting. As i have worked with plastic that can put most steel to shame I'm curious to see how the thing will survive to the field beatings... I know my top can take just about any pounding I can give her.. an'ta wait to see one as the same mechbox desing is most probably going to appear in the L85 series...

In the long run I would still buy a TOP angs gun over anything out there at the moment as I know they work and know how to make them perform and survive the hard use of the SAW. I must be the wirdo as I swap metal for plastic parts when ever I can... metal aftermarket parts only add headakes... and when I snap a plastic body it's a cheap replacement.. when I snap a metal body ( as easy if not easyer than a plastic body) the cost is always murder an on top thei are a bitch to find...Like this CA ( dhu) G3 metal body I got that came with a 1/8 curve... Good thing I have access to a 50 ton cnc hydrolic press at work to make the damn thing strait... sihs...

[zero delay]

I can't be certain but it appears to me that both CA and Star may have replicated the PGC mechbox design. My teammate swapped one for the stock Top internals in his Para, and I was present for almost the entire process. Those two mechboxes in the most recent releases definately have the same configuration, with the motor laying horizontally at the rear of the mechbox. If it's necessary to have a metal mechbox the PGC looked to be a billet item machined out of a solid block of aluminum, pretty much going to withstand any sane amounts of abuse, but is also expensive @ $250 USD, CA has the M249 mechboxes listed in their replacement parts, that is another possibility for owners who feel more secure using a metal mechbox.

[Blastyman]

Already been one metal gearbox release for the STAR and I think more are on the way

http://www.airsoft-war4.com/details.php?pid=3086


Maybe a good gearbox for project guns