Real life comparison between AEGs and GBBRs

[RedK]

Hi folks,
Despite the fact that I read this forum for already couple of days almost without any breaks I still don't get real understanding about real life differences between AEGs and GBBRs such as:
- Is there any difference in the range between AEGs and GBBRs out of the box?
- How bad GBBRs are affected by cold weather?
- Is there any solid reason to prefer AEG over GBBR? Or vice versa?
More questions may follow 8O

[ShelledPants]

A well tuned AEG will perform better than a well tuned GBBR.

AEG's will have a longer enagagement range (accuracy on target at range), and more consistent follow up shots.

GBBR's do not perform well at all below 10'C. Cool down rapidly affects both cyclic rate of fire, and gas consumption. Mags will often fail and "dump" their contents in colder weather.

GBBR's have benefits of operating closer to the real thing, they have recoil, and have near instantaneous firing (no need for the AEG wind up of the piston to fire).

In short, AEG's fire faster, shoot further, and are more accurate.

GBBRs are excellent training tools, have much faster engagement speeds, and are far more fun to shoot. But they lack a lot when it comes to actually hitting anything outside of 150 feet accurately.

[RedK]

Thank you ShelledPants for such fast response . What about AEG with EBB? Do they more fun to shoot then just AEG or it doesn't really matter? Is there any game with the specific requirements about type of weapon allowed? I mean, such as AEG only or GBBR only?

[ShelledPants]

AEG with EBB gives no perceived recoil. The ebb is often just a piece of sheet metal that makes the bolt look like it's moving... It often stresses the gearbox unnecessarily. *And also makes the AEG whine more, in my opinion.

I have never seen a game where it is GBBR only. No host would put those limitations in place without a dedicated group of players as it limits the player base too greatly.

There are often games where there are pistols only or shotguns and pistols matches... It's a game to remove auto fire and long range engagements.

[Drake]

In my experience, a well tuned GBBR will perform at least as well tuned AEG.

Range and accuracy depend on a LOT of variables; I've seen some gas pistols outrange AEGs. Knowing the platform you use (AEG or gas) and understanding how to upgrade it is vital in this respect: just picking one over the other, alone, won't do much for you.

All airsoft guns experience issues in cold weather: on GBBRs gas cool down when firing and lack of heat to evaporate the gas can be an issue. Co2 and MAPP/MAP-Pro help combat this issue.

For AEGs, certain types of mechboxes (notoriously upgraded V2s) are prone to breaking in the cold; batteries tend to drain a lot faster and underperform in cold weather as well, with some smaller batteries dying in a surprisingly short time (rendinging AEGs which can only fit those battery sizes almost useless). I've frequently seen players go through several guns in a day during winter games, with a third a more ending up being out due to their guns being down. The hopup rubbers on both AEGs and GBBs tend to harden up in the cold which adversely affects their performance.

GBBRs require more frequent maintenance, but are much simpler to maintain and have very few components: barring your gun getting run over by a car or something, the only things that can break is something in the trigger group, the bolt carrier group or a mag will leak. A spare bolt can be swapped in in less than a minute; on my WEs I can change out the trigger pack in 2-3 minutes. A leaky mag, toss it aside and deal with it later -- your other mags still work.

If anything goes wrong with your AEG mechbox, you'd better have a spare gun with you.

Also some AEGs let you swap springs quickly, but most do not. On a GBBR with an NPAS you can adjust the FPS fairly easily, so you don't need seperate CQB and outdoor guns.

I prefer GBBRs because they're simpler, more realistic, provide a much quicker trigger response (and ability to properly double tap), no battery issues, easier maintenance; I haven't found any difference in range/accuracy (really comes down to upgrades and tuning either way); GBBRs are water/adverse weather -friendly; it's possible to build a very compact and low profile GBBR carbine since you don't have to worry about wiring and batteries.

[lurkingknight]

EBB isn't blowback... it's a reciprocating motion that's generated by leeching some sort of mechanical movement from the geartrain.

Basically the bolt is drawn back on the piston back stroke and released to be pushed back by a separate spring. It makes a clacking noise but does not contribute anything to recoil.


AEG vs GBBR is a preference on play style there's no game that will restrict you on choice. While you can underload AEG mags to real capacity, the GBBRs provide a bit more feedback when they shoot. There's an inherent giggle factor when you shoot a GBBR vs an AEG.

[MultipleParadox]

There is also the Maintenance aspect to take in consideration; They're both different beast in that regard

In the end, it all boils down to personal preference though, IMHO.

AEGs require much less frequent maintenance, and once tuned correctly it can last a considerable amount of time without you having to fiddle with it. Getting it tuned properly is where it hurts I though

GBBRs are closer to real steel when it comes to maintenance; It's a good habit to clean them after a game, re-grease them before (or some variation of this). Most GBBRs have pot metal (Usually Zinc Aluminium, as with many AEGs as well but they suffer less stress) parts that under stress will be likely to break, so you have to eventually replace a few parts. People usually replace them with Steel equivalent. Once done, they should last a very good time, unless you don't take proper care in maintaining your gun.

Most GBBRs can be fitted with an NPAS or similar device, which allows you to change the gas output, thus the velocity of your projectile. This way, you can use the same gun at different fields limit. Some AEGs have a gearbox with "quick change" springs, which permits the same, but they are a bit rarer, I think.

Magazines:
AEG magazines range from 30 to 3-500 rounds in capacity, and cost from a few bucks to a few tens of $ each. They're just a shell with a spring that push the BBs upwards.

GBBRs magazines also serves as gas tank. The reservoir taking most of the space, mags are limited to "Real Cap" (same capacity of their real firearm equivalent) or close to (30-40 rounds). They are much more expansive because of this, ranging from 30$ to 60$ for the typical magazines. Having less rounds, you have to buy more of them too. Some of the most popular brands tends to develop gas leaks, so mags needs to be cared for too when issues of this kind arrives.

I've played airsoft for 2 seasons only now, and had both kind at the same time. I now decided to trade my AEG for a GBBR, as I prefer these for many reasons. Someone else would probably tell you a completely different story. If you can loan one and the other a few games for you to try, you'll get a better idea of what you might prefer; but you'd need to actually "play" *in* the gun to really understand the diff in my opinion

[Danke]

What's "best" will also hinge on the group you play with. Lots of people will say new players should shy away from gas because of the higher price and different style of play.

If the group is all running gas rifles and you are a seasoned player you'll find yourself pretty happy. We see new guys turn up where we are running the KJW gas rifles and they do well also so it is not impossible to start with one.

A lot of people laid the groundwork on gas rifles so the how too's on here are as good as any mechbox fixing thread. Plus prices are downright affordable for what you get.

The catch is the group you play with though. If its' all AEGs and a lot of suppressing fire and high cap mag dumps you will find it's tough to stand your ground. You will have to adapt your style of play.

If you're new then developing your skills to counter the AEGs will be tougher. Not impossible but for some people the curve is so steep this stops being fun.

[Styrak]

ShelledPants, lurkingknight, everyone:

The better EBB systems like G&G's Toptech uses pneumatic blowback, which doesn't affect the mechbox or cycling of the gun.
Air from the cylinder is redirected up to the bolt mechanism, then returns back to the cylinder and out the nozzle as pressure lowers at the end of the cycle.

[ILLusion]

Originally Posted by ShelledPants

AEG with EBB gives no perceived recoil. The ebb is often just a piece of sheet metal that makes the bolt look like it's moving... It often stresses the gearbox unnecessarily. *And also makes the AEG whine more, in my opinion.

I do not agree with this statement. The Tokyo Marui "Real Shock" series gives a considerably felt recoil experience that matches some gas blowback setups. It's definitely harder kicking than a KSC MP7. The impact is also not applied to the gearbox, so concerns of durability are moot. Whine is also not an issue, in my experience with this series of guns. However, given the very high prices of these systems landed in Canada, they are rare to find, but are a bit of a treat to use. They are a good compromise between the operational realism of GBBR (which PTW's severely lack), and the performance characteristics of an AEG.

The G&G EBB series (not TopTech), on the other hand... experience all the concerns you're talking about. There is a significant difference between the two systems.

Given, neither will match the experience of a GBBR rocking CO2 and pushing a heavy weight steel bolt.

Unfortunately, there is no PERFECT system out there. You just need to understand and accept the limitations of the system you choose, and how to take care of it to keep it fully operational.

[ShelledPants]

Originally Posted by ILLusion

I do not agree with this statement. The Tokyo Marui "Real Shock" series gives a considerably felt recoil experience that matches GBBR's using light weight bolts. It's definitely harder kicking than a KSC MP7. The impact is also not applied to the gearbox, so concerns of durability are moot. Whine is also not an issue, in my experience with this series of guns.

The G&G EBB series, on the other hand... experience everything you're talking about. There is a significant difference between the two systems.

Given, neither will match the experience of a GBBR rocking CO2 and pushing a heavy weight steel bolt.

This is completely true, I did not think to include the Tokyo Marui real shock series, I have used them and they do have a considerable amount of kick.

They are also rare as hens teeth. I think I've seen 2 in person in 5 years.

[ILLusion]

Plus, the fact that they're a real bitch to modify - most people don't want to go near them at all, especially to bring it above stock Marui levels.

[Brian McIlmoyle]

Real life comparison,

GBBR- bang bang -- Giggle

AEG-- merrrzip merrzip -- meh

[m102404]

It's winter. Get an AEG with the best externals as you can afford. Play for a bit and try/see other types at various games...then re-evaluate.

[MultipleParadox]

Originally Posted by Brian McIlmoyle

Real life comparison,

GBBR- bang bang -- Giggle

AEG-- merrrzip merrzip -- meh

I think I just found my new Signature :P