What M249

[DJ]

I just checked ASONW, and ASGI, I did not know of "AEX", so I'll check them out...

Airsoft Extreme out of California, link on home page of AP, I really like doing business with these people, they treat me right. ASONW & AEX are the two best in my opinion.

[Ash]

I will have to agree about the stock box mag, I had issues with mine getting some debris in it. I ended up buying two Mag brand nut sack mags, because I like to shoot a lot. However there are some cool mods you can do with the stock box mag to allow you to put a battery in it, which is helpful for a para or MKI. If you can find some one to to it, you can also wire the box mag to wind everything you pull the trigger which pretty kick ace.

[DJ]

I will have to agree about the stock box mag, I had issues with mine getting some debris in it. I ended up buying two Mag brand nut sack mags, because I like to shoot a lot. However there are some cool mods you can do with the stock box mag to allow you to put a battery in it, which is helpful for a para or MKI. If you can find some one to to it, you can also wire the box mag to wind everything you pull the trigger which pretty kick ace.

Both of our guns are rewired by AEX to run the mag off of the main battery, it works well, but the debris issue is still a pain. The stinkin staples off of bb bags have a annoying habit of getting into the mag.

[Ash]

I will have to agree about the stock box mag, I had issues with mine getting some debris in it. I ended up buying two Mag brand nut sack mags, because I like to shoot a lot. However there are some cool mods you can do with the stock box mag to allow you to put a battery in it, which is helpful for a para or MKI. If you can find some one to to it, you can also wire the box mag to wind everything you pull the trigger which pretty kick ace.

Both of our guns are rewired by AEX to run the mag off of the main battery, it works well, but the debris issue is still a pain. The stinkin staples off of bb bags have a annoying habit of getting into the mag.

Nice I was looking into to those mods from AEX when I was first looking in to M249 but decided to go local. I am a fan of AEX though, I usally shop there if I can't find what I want locally.

Yeah the big box mags are easier to fill, but DJ and man others have stated if any non bb's get in there it can cause real problems. I had a piece of bb bottle jam mine. I was able to take it apart and fix it, but I wouldn't recommend that for everyone.

[league 4]

Well, I've meant to ask, but didn't care enough. How are G&Ps? I know they use V2 gearboxes, which some consider a downer, but still?

The best M249's on the market stock IMO. The PGC hopup design on the other is really bad and hard to get working right without modification, since the nub is vertical instead of horizontal. I got my TOP M249 with a PGC hopup/gearbox shooting better than any other gun I've ever shot practically by using a custom nub, but that was only for a day, and I couldn't get it working as well after about a week. The V2 GB in the G&P M249 is only a problem if you're running a really strong spring, and there are easy replacements for V2 GB's and there are stronger ones than G&P out there like the Modify Torus ones if replacement's needed. The best part of the G&P M249's IMO are the hopup's (VERY similar to AUG's), and the amazing trademarks on the gun and box mag. The only flaws with them really is they're really heavy, heavier than other brands, no quick change spring, and no safety.

[Black Fox]

mos0321recon

Here's my 2 cents.

I would recommend the CA M249. If you look in the add section, there always seem to be a lot more A&K M249 for sale than CA. To me, I interpret this as owners of CA M249 are much more satisfied with their guns.

I've also been able to compare a CA & A&K side by side and you can definitely see that CA is a better quality gun.

Also, it's a heavy gun. So you better start masturbating a lot to build up your cardio and the muscles in your arm so you can carry that bad boy. While your at it. Invest in a wide padded sling such as a Vickers SAW sling. A good padded sling will greatly reduce your fatigue.

Another thing that I would recommend is that you don't stick a big battery in your box mag to power your gun. If your box mag goes down so does your gun. I prefer to keep the battery in the gun so that I can switch to another box mag or Hi-Cap mag should it crap out on you for any reason.

On the subject of box mags. Nut sacks allow you to hold and maneuver the gun more easily because of it's smaller size. It's also a little bit more lighter because of it's smaller size. Pharaoh 6 gave an excellent review between the CA and MAG versions. Personally I like the auto winding versions. However, I have not used the CA nut sack so I can't speak about it's reliability. I do have the A&K large box mag with the sound activated auto winder and it works very well.

One other thing to consider is the amount of BBs that you are carrying in your box mag. Remember, the more you carry the heavier your gun will be. If I know I will be doing a long patrol, I will put only 1,500 BBs max to reduce weight. In 90% of your engagements, a single fire fight will finish before you need to reload (Unless you have Hi-Speed gears). But if I know that I will be in a defensive position, then I usually fill up.

Last, before you go buy one. See if you can borrow one first before you buy. Lugging a SAW around is not for everyone. You're usually slower and not as maneuverable as everyone else. And the weight gets to some people after a while. But when the shit hits the fan in a target rich environment. You're usually the one with the biggest grin on your face. If you can't borrow one. Maybe an A&K M249 might be a better choice to start with. If you really like it after a while, then I would upgrade to a CA.

Here is my M249 as it has evolved.

Original Configuration
Mk-46 MOD-0


First Upgrade
M249 Mk-46 MOD-1


Current Configuration
M249 Mk-46 MOD-2

[Jeep]

http://www.airsoftpacific.com/viewtopic ... light=jeep

This old post is a good overview, included is a mini review on several replica including M249s with links to other post with even more information.