Build or buy?

Derpnation · March 16th, 2015, 10:32

Hello, i've been in the community for a while now and one thing thats stuck with me over the years is if I should build my own gun from scratch rather than buying. I am good with the whole DIY thing.. Rebuilding or making is my thing. so to the question is it any cheaper to build your own m4? i've thought about just buying a gun and once its worn just upgrade the internals but to be completely honest it would be interesting to build a gun and to see the electrial components and gears. with a budget of 200-500 what do you recomend? just to clear things up I am 18 and hopefully will be getting av'ed in april

brock0 · March 16th, 2015, 10:34

Buy quality, then upgrade later.

$500 can get you a very good AEG, especially from the classifieds here once you're AV'd.

Scratch building your first gun is a recipe for disaster I think.

daishi · March 16th, 2015, 10:37

Buy one.

Building it will take a hell of a long time, trial and error and the fact that not one airsoft store will carry everything you need so shipping as well. Youll more then likely break a part or two ect.

If your budget was higher and you dont mind time and error, you could try building.

Derpnation · March 16th, 2015, 10:49

so lets just say I get something like a King Arms M4A1 or a WE M4A1 just like the base model are these easy to modify in terms of body,motor and gears? I'd perfer to buy something fresh.. I work with with electricity and fix small phones and gaming systems on the side and I am very picky and like to know exatly how it is and whats been done to it and how and when it comes to wires I am even pickier so to make it easier buying fresh would have to be the way I go

BioRage · March 16th, 2015, 11:04

IF you are good with electronic and such then you could very well build your own gun.

WE M4 are you referring to the GBBR?

Generally most M4's are a "Version 2" gear box, so they all are more or less the same gear box shell, you can transfer it into different bodies. Think of the shell as the heart, where as the gun is the body.

Generally what the community recommends, is you buy a nice body, thus being VFC. King Arms are also decent on the exterior, and classified more as a "budget friendly" gun.

If you want to build your own gear box you can look up "Lonex Gear box shell V2," but then you'd need a donor body. You have many options, just depends on your wallet

.

Hard choice.. but buying new is generally the path I would go 99% of the time, then when something breaks, I take it apart, examine what broke, and then go from there to see what I should do.

I also no nothing about AEG's

lurkingknight · March 16th, 2015, 11:19

don't build your own... none of the factory tolerances are equal to each other so your frankengun will not have pins line up or will have air seal or feeding issues. You'll spend more on shipping parts than you will a whole gun.

Find a gun you like the most and tweak it from there.

This isn't real ARs where shit lines up better and is cheaper to scratch build. It's made in china bullshit with "close enough" tolerances.

And by close enough, they come off the manufacturing line and the guy putting them in boxes looks at the part to see if it looks like the part it's supposed to be instead of actually assembling it or measuring it with any standard measuring device.

_Whiskey_ · March 16th, 2015, 11:54

Buy then upgrade later, you can find some great deals on the Classifieds once av'ed, I found my C7A2 on here and that was upgraded and was a great deal and a solid rifle

And as said buy others starting from scratch is risky as not all the parts are the same spec. It can be done but its a right royal pain to get everything correct.

RainyEyes · March 16th, 2015, 12:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derpnation

so lets just say I get something like a King Arms M4A1 or a WE M4A1 just like the base model are these easy to modify in terms of body,motor and gears? I'd perfer to buy something fresh.. I work with with electricity and fix small phones and gaming systems on the side and I am very picky and like to know exatly how it is

First step is to not try and be an expert on something you are not. Electrical components of phones and PC parts are completely different from AEG gearboxes. You will spend a sizeable fortune, if not your precious time, building and rebuilding if you do not know what you are doing, which results in something that breaks or needs to be replaced.

I assume you want something to game with, and not a wallhanger? If the former, do not build from scratch. Upgrade an existing or used one. Do some research before buying. This includes the company's background and the technical workings of the gearbox as well.

Zack The Ripper · March 16th, 2015, 12:44

Buy a VFC M4 and wait until something breaks. Then, overhaul it. King Arms is a great budget brand and starting point, but in all honesty the stock quality is sub-par, internally and externally. I personally had a WE M4A1 AEG for a year and it was an alright rifle, but the quality was even worse than the King Arms design, mainly for tech work as it has the TM style spring tension release function when you flip the selector to safe. That mixed with sub-par internal and external quality makes it low on my list of worth while platforms.

VFC makes the best AEG rifles across the board, mainly M4/AR platforms are what stand out, but overall VFC has the best factory made quality products. They cost more than other rifles for a reason.

They have the most part compatibility, best stock parts (generally speaking), and their body parts are rock solid for an AEG.

Nearly every AEG PTW killer is based off of a VFC platform. They simply are the best. Buy one. You can leave it as it is and it will run very well, or you can upgrade it into a monster.

Danke · March 16th, 2015, 12:49

It's not "impossible" to build your own gun once you're in the know.

Some of the small key parts are impossible to find so you'll need to be ready for that; others like the actual body are just hard to find.

Your best bet is to start out with a quality AEG that you can use and upgrade at a later date and then in tandem start building your own custom. You'll have the working model as a benchmark on hand.

pestobanana · March 16th, 2015, 12:58

Just buy a VFC and upgrade it when it breaks as some have already said.

Scratch building is fun, but it is expensive and very few people are experienced enough to benefit from it.

Only do a scratch build if

1. You are experienced with gun building
-you know what's compatible and what isn't
-you know what part brands work well together
-you are familiar with the parts you plan on using
-you know how to troubleshoot problems and fix them
2. You have the build thoroughly planned out
-you know what external parts you want to use an you know they are compatible
-you know what your performance goals are an how to achieve those goals
-again, you are familiar with the parts you are using
3. Budget is not an issue
-building a gun is always more expensive than buying one, even if you plan on changing almost everything and gutting the gearbox

Derpnation · March 16th, 2015, 13:54

Awesome so I will deffinatly buy a VFC when I can! and I'll go from there!! thanks for the advice! I was under the impression from years ago that WE was the way to go for a base gun to build off of but I am very very glad you guys have told me otherwise!! last thing I need to do is waste money right now!!

Oh just to clear somthing up I don't want you guys thinking I just think I'm good with eletronic components just because I work on pcs and phones on the side

my main work is electricial so I am pretty confident when it comes to most electrical components

Its my job so I have to know what I'm doing other wise where I work people end up dead! one other thing Since I live in NB and not much goes on here I've been planning a trip for sometime to go to ontario so if I did what field would you guys recomend I go to? I wouldnt be able to go to more than one because I wouldnt be there for very long I'd be a week or two there and then back home. I won't be able to jump into airsoft right away but I can dip my toes into it right now as I have most of the gear I need now and having different hobbies on the go doesnt help but with that being said I do have lots of time to tinker so I imagine I'll do some searching and for a 2nd gun start to build something only reason why is because I feel like if I'm not making something or fixing something im wasting my time.Thank you very much for the input guys!!

pestobanana · March 16th, 2015, 14:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derpnation

Awesome so I will deffinatly buy a VFC when I can! and I'll go from there!! thanks for the advice! I was under the impression from years ago that WE was the way to go for a base gun to build off of but I am very very glad you guys have told me otherwise!! last thing I need to do is waste money right now!!

Oh just to clear somthing up I don't want you guys thinking I just think I'm good with eletronic components just because I work on pcs and phones on the side

my main work is electricial so I am pretty confident when it comes to most electrical components

Its my job so I have to know what I'm doing other wise where I work people end up dead! one other thing Since I live in NB and not much goes on here I've been planning a trip for sometime to go to ontario so if I did what field would you guys recomend I go to? I wouldnt be able to go to more than one because I wouldnt be there for very long I'd be a week or two there and then back home. I won't be able to jump into airsoft right away but I can dip my toes into it right now as I have most of the gear I need now and having different hobbies on the go doesnt help but with that being said I do have lots of time to tinker so I imagine I'll do some searching and for a 2nd gun start to build something only reason why is because I feel like if I'm not making something or fixing something im wasting my time.Thank you very much for the input guys!!

Visit Siege Airsoft (biggest indoor field in Canada), Toronto Airsoft, and Airsoft Depot. They're all literally 5 minutes from eachother.

naminator · March 16th, 2015, 14:56

Pestobanana is the man to listen too. Get a high external quality gun, VFC, Real Sword (if you are going for the AK look) to name two. Figure out what gun you want first, maybe a specific theme or style of M4 (or other gun) then buy the gun that has the best externals that fit your build.

Then you can work on upgrading it, either preventative maintenance wise or as things break.

chaz · March 16th, 2015, 20:38

bunch of vfc fanboys

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March 16th, 2015, 10:32	#1
Derpnation Trader rating Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: The NB Wilderness	Build or buy? Hello, i've been in the community for a while now and one thing thats stuck with me over the years is if I should build my own gun from scratch rather than buying. I am good with the whole DIY thing.. Rebuilding or making is my thing. so to the question is it any cheaper to build your own m4? i've thought about just buying a gun and once its worn just upgrade the internals but to be completely honest it would be interesting to build a gun and to see the electrial components and gears. with a budget of 200-500 what do you recomend? just to clear things up I am 18 and hopefully will be getting av'ed in april

March 16th, 2015, 11:19	#6
lurkingknight "bb bukakke" KING! Trader rating Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Ottawa	don't build your own... none of the factory tolerances are equal to each other so your frankengun will not have pins line up or will have air seal or feeding issues. You'll spend more on shipping parts than you will a whole gun. Find a gun you like the most and tweak it from there. This isn't real ARs where shit lines up better and is cheaper to scratch build. It's made in china bullshit with "close enough" tolerances. And by close enough, they come off the manufacturing line and the guy putting them in boxes looks at the part to see if it looks like the part it's supposed to be instead of actually assembling it or measuring it with any standard measuring device. __________________ I futz with V2s, V3s and V6s. I could be wrong... but probably, most likely not, as far as I know.

March 16th, 2015, 11:54	#7
_Whiskey_ Trader rating Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Cambridge	Buy then upgrade later, you can find some great deals on the Classifieds once av'ed, I found my C7A2 on here and that was upgraded and was a great deal and a solid rifle And as said buy others starting from scratch is risky as not all the parts are the same spec. It can be done but its a right royal pain to get everything correct. Last edited by _Whiskey_; March 16th, 2015 at 11:57..

March 16th, 2015, 10:34	#2
brock0 Trader rating Join Date: May 2013	Buy quality, then upgrade later. $500 can get you a very good AEG, especially from the classifieds here once you're AV'd. Scratch building your first gun is a recipe for disaster I think.

March 16th, 2015, 10:49	#4
Derpnation Trader rating Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: The NB Wilderness	so lets just say I get something like a King Arms M4A1 or a WE M4A1 just like the base model are these easy to modify in terms of body,motor and gears? I'd perfer to buy something fresh.. I work with with electricity and fix small phones and gaming systems on the side and I am very picky and like to know exatly how it is and whats been done to it and how and when it comes to wires I am even pickier so to make it easier buying fresh would have to be the way I go

March 16th, 2015, 11:04	#5
BioRage Trader rating Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Toronto	IF you are good with electronic and such then you could very well build your own gun. WE M4 are you referring to the GBBR? Generally most M4's are a "Version 2" gear box, so they all are more or less the same gear box shell, you can transfer it into different bodies. Think of the shell as the heart, where as the gun is the body. Generally what the community recommends, is you buy a nice body, thus being VFC. King Arms are also decent on the exterior, and classified more as a "budget friendly" gun. If you want to build your own gear box you can look up "Lonex Gear box shell V2," but then you'd need a donor body. You have many options, just depends on your wallet . Hard choice.. but buying new is generally the path I would go 99% of the time, then when something breaks, I take it apart, examine what broke, and then go from there to see what I should do. I also no nothing about AEG's

March 16th, 2015, 12:44	#9
Zack The Ripper Trader rating Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: CFB Shilo, MB	Buy a VFC M4 and wait until something breaks. Then, overhaul it. King Arms is a great budget brand and starting point, but in all honesty the stock quality is sub-par, internally and externally. I personally had a WE M4A1 AEG for a year and it was an alright rifle, but the quality was even worse than the King Arms design, mainly for tech work as it has the TM style spring tension release function when you flip the selector to safe. That mixed with sub-par internal and external quality makes it low on my list of worth while platforms. VFC makes the best AEG rifles across the board, mainly M4/AR platforms are what stand out, but overall VFC has the best factory made quality products. They cost more than other rifles for a reason. They have the most part compatibility, best stock parts (generally speaking), and their body parts are rock solid for an AEG. Nearly every AEG PTW killer is based off of a VFC platform. They simply are the best. Buy one. You can leave it as it is and it will run very well, or you can upgrade it into a monster. __________________ Guardians of Asgaard Last edited by Zack The Ripper; March 16th, 2015 at 12:46..

March 16th, 2015, 12:49	#10
Danke Prancercise Guru Trader rating Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Danger Zone	It's not "impossible" to build your own gun once you're in the know. Some of the small key parts are impossible to find so you'll need to be ready for that; others like the actual body are just hard to find. Your best bet is to start out with a quality AEG that you can use and upgrade at a later date and then in tandem start building your own custom. You'll have the working model as a benchmark on hand. __________________ Airsoft, where nothing is hurt but feelings.

March 16th, 2015, 12:58	#11
pestobanana Squid Porn Superstar, I love the tentacles! Trader rating Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Richmond Hill and Waterloo, Ontario	Just buy a VFC and upgrade it when it breaks as some have already said. Scratch building is fun, but it is expensive and very few people are experienced enough to benefit from it. Only do a scratch build if 1. You are experienced with gun building -you know what's compatible and what isn't -you know what part brands work well together -you are familiar with the parts you plan on using -you know how to troubleshoot problems and fix them 2. You have the build thoroughly planned out -you know what external parts you want to use an you know they are compatible -you know what your performance goals are an how to achieve those goals -again, you are familiar with the parts you are using 3. Budget is not an issue -building a gun is always more expensive than buying one, even if you plan on changing almost everything and gutting the gearbox

March 16th, 2015, 13:54	#12
Derpnation Trader rating Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: The NB Wilderness	Awesome so I will deffinatly buy a VFC when I can! and I'll go from there!! thanks for the advice! I was under the impression from years ago that WE was the way to go for a base gun to build off of but I am very very glad you guys have told me otherwise!! last thing I need to do is waste money right now!! Oh just to clear somthing up I don't want you guys thinking I just think I'm good with eletronic components just because I work on pcs and phones on the side my main work is electricial so I am pretty confident when it comes to most electrical components Its my job so I have to know what I'm doing other wise where I work people end up dead! one other thing Since I live in NB and not much goes on here I've been planning a trip for sometime to go to ontario so if I did what field would you guys recomend I go to? I wouldnt be able to go to more than one because I wouldnt be there for very long I'd be a week or two there and then back home. I won't be able to jump into airsoft right away but I can dip my toes into it right now as I have most of the gear I need now and having different hobbies on the go doesnt help but with that being said I do have lots of time to tinker so I imagine I'll do some searching and for a 2nd gun start to build something only reason why is because I feel like if I'm not making something or fixing something im wasting my time.Thank you very much for the input guys!!

March 16th, 2015, 20:38	#15
chaz Trader rating Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ajax	bunch of vfc fanboys

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