Truth is, this AEG was completed quite long ago but it was never in a position to sport a review. The case was still open, few non-essential bits missing etc. Now that everything is in place, there can be one. Since this wasn't an RTS(Ready To Shoot) deal, a build log will be the way to go. Maybe this will help someone in upgrading theirs. Sadly not many WIP pics were taken.
This is how it'd look in factory box but nop, i didn't get it like this.
This is how i got it.
The AKS74 replica brand is JG (Jing Gong) which is in a category that includes Dboys & CYMA. But only 50% of the parts above belong to JG. Dytac, Dboys, Cyma, SHS & Element make up the rest. Reason, customs kept it so i had to buy matching parts & upgrades.
The novice i was then ended up carelessly opening and breaking a perfectly good gearbox. Yep, i managed to break a reinforced V3 JG gearbox right where it's not supposed to break. Damage: stripped gear, cracked shell, broken trigger. More import. All this helped me learn considering I've since opened it countless more times. This is how it look closed & open.
Upgrades:
Stock spring guide is plastic & it broke. Replaced with a CYMA steel spare with bearing. Gearset is mix of JG & SHS, both are considered quality. Stock M110 spring is changed to irregular pitch Dream Army M130 with a custom tophat because these JGs are hybrid clones of TM & VFC patterns so stock cylinder head bits won't fit into standard springs.
Magwell:
Air compression mods inside gearbox include heat stretched O-ring & teflon wrapped cylinder head. 60% moly paste for all metal parts & green slime silicone grease for all rubber/plastic parts. No oils used anywhere inside. This is the same scheme for my airguns, fundamentals being similar to airsoft. Inner barrel is Dytac 455mm 6.01mm tightbore which has its pros & cons compared to 6.05ish stock part. Hopup chamber is metal CYMA which is awaiting a bucking mod. Stock motor is a weak ferrite unit which was changed to SHS high torque with neo magnets. An Active Braking MOSFET by Gate is used for better trigger response. The spring, motor & MOSFET upgrades along with some internal mods helped fix a misfeed issue due to overspin. The 16AWG wiring is modular.
Steel parts: Receiver, folding stock, top cover, gas tube, muzzle adapter, body pins, vital internals
Polymer: Pistol grip, magazine, handguards
Rest is potmetal
A slight difference in design tolerance between JG & Dboys stocks screwed up the folding stock mount, which is now fixed with some mods.
A siderail on barrel is provided for flashlight. Mag is high cap. Battery is 9.6v 1500mah, can also use 2s lipo. AOE corrected & shimmed, helps with longevity & trigger response. Optics is an Aimpoint T1 replica red dot w/ custom mount.
Stock folded:
Shooting
Blowback is VFC style.
Pros:
Shoots hard, guessing 450+ fps with .25g BB given the M130 spring
1:1 scale @3+kg weighs almost as much as an unloaded real steel AK.
Accuracy @50m isn't bad given the tightbore+not so great current bucking.
Folding stock, handles better.
Cons:
Potmetal bits at vital load bearing areas. Bad design.
Front heavy
A bit too long for CQB even with stock folded. Not designed for CQB anyway.
I've no idea how good or bad this model is out of the box, but it responds well to upgrades. Go for these budget brands if not averse to fiddling with them.
....: )
