How tough are airsoft accessories?

[Kano383]

When searching for gun bits and pieces over the Net, I often find myself looking at a stock, handguard, or even flash hider, thinking "That seems to be a good deal...", until I realize that it's an airsoft accessory.

Perfect replicas of Magpul stocks and handguard, three-pronged flash hiders in 14x1 LH, M-lok aluminum handguards, fiber-optic Glock sights, bipods, slings, pistol grips, Picatinny rails, you name it.

Now, airsoft has come a long way from being just toys, and some players take it very seriously.

I wonder how good are some of these accessories? I'm sure that if players stick a copy of a Magpul stock on their AEG AK, they don't want it to break the first time they dive for cover... And a good AEG AK weighs the same as the real McCoy.

Did someone try to do a serious evaluation of these items?

 

[CapnMac]

Did someone try to do a serious evaluation of these items?

The airsoft folk do, to varying degrees of satisfactory. Much like gun parts reviews.
From my experience, the a/s stuff is designed around being less-expensive, and subject to less abuse than "real" firearms.
That being said, wood and metal and load-bearing polymers all have inherent strength, often well in excess of actual need.
Nobody much needs to test a walnut AK stock on an actual AK. Walnut will support around 6000# down the length of the grain.
Now, optics, mounts for lenses, that sort of thing, do require testing to see if they will survive various G forces and the like.
It's muddy waters.

 

[RougeLeader1]

It really depends on the exact part.
A lot of the airsoft-specific furniture is not made from the same grade of plastics as the real-deal. You can see this in the price.
A large cross section of the airsoft community has started to buy real firearm furniture, often Magpul due to the 'cool factor', for their primary arms. I did this with my VFC M4.

Rail systems are a bit different. My VFC was a collaboration effort with Daniels Defense. It had DD branded aluminum quad rails. Neat, and they would likely handle any form of civilian-spec deployment, but they were a far lighter design in terms of structure than a proper DD setup. Obviously don't take one of the plastic BS units, but I'd not be hesitant to adapt the light DD unit I had to an actual AR for civilian use.

Going down a set into optics themselves, run away. The 'real' players use proper firearm scopes/sights. I've never had one of the sporting airsoft brand units last more than two matches. Granted, I'm that idiot who would jump from house roof to house roof at the Wolcott village, but whatever. (I also found a bugle in the woods there and called in an impromptu banzi charge. Good times!)

Bipods... thats a mixed bag. Honestly I've not had wonderful experiences with the lower end 'real' bipods either, so it is what it is.

Last but not least are muzzle devices. These are NOT proper pressure-rated units. They are designed to look cool and that is about it. Do not ever put one on the end of your AR/AK. Some are built using decent metal. Others I know for a fact (after I broke them...) were cast or even sintered. For the relatively small price differences involved here, it isn't worthwhile.

 

[lysanderxiii]

Depends, some are sold as "airsoft" to avoid import restrictions. Some are sold as plastic toys for airsoft.

I would avoid them for real firearms for both of those reasons.

 

[AlexanderA]

Depends, some are sold as "airsoft" to avoid import restrictions.

Or, they are simply misclassified. Or, for one reason or another, they're slightly different from the "real" equivalents.

I'll give you an example. My favorite AR-15 grip is the "Stowaway II" made by Lone Star Ordnance. The company, and the product, are long defunct. You can only find these grips (for big bucks) on the secondary market. Yet, some years ago, by chance I found these on Numrich's website under Airsoft parts. (I bought just about all they had.) It turned out that the only difference was that the hole for the selector detent spring was not drilled. That was rectified with about 5 minutes' work.

 

[trackskippy]

Might depend on what it is. Some of the stocks and such might be OK, depending on what you're using them for and how.

My buddy bought what was supposed to be a "factory" HK claw mount back in the late 90's at a gun show. Only paid about $80, so it was a steal. It was a steal alright, it wouldn't hold zero on the gun, let alone R&R.

I had a "real one", and on comparison, the AS looked the part, but was missing key components that make them work, and very likely wasn't made of the right stuff, as the weight was different. Airsoft was just really starting to show up back then, and he had no idea when he saw it. The price should have been a red flag though. Real claw mounts at the time were going for around $350-400.

Ive had a couple of higher end (close to $200 ea.) and well made SIG P229 "gas guns", and while they worked well, "when" they were working, they didn't hold up well to even moderate use. The mags were a constant problem with seals, and the guns finally just crapped out with broken parts.

I also had a cheap electric MP5 version with an old, el cheapo BSA red dot on it, and it used to put 7-8 out of 10 into the 1" holes in the side of my burn barrel as 35 yards. It would consistently hit 12" plus trees at the side yard at 50 yards. Fun as it was, it didn't last real long either.

 

[RougeLeader1]

and well made SIG P229 "gas guns"

I had the same experience with a 226. Loved the piece when it worked, but it would never work for more than a month. The mags would constantly lose their seal. I fixed a few by basically redesigning the O-ring interface and filing my own in, but that was it.

 

[ColoradoMinuteMan]

Like anything else it comes down to the reputation of individual manufactures and products. There is plenty of "firearm" accessory garbage. You'd have to narrow your question of quality and value down to specifics I'm afraid to get anything really helpful. I can buy a "legitimate" ratchet set at Harbor Freight or through a Snap On dealer. The fact that they are both tools doesn't put them on a level playing field. There are those who will tell you Schmidt & Bender or go home and others who tell you that anyone who buys more than a Vortex is wasting their money. This is the case with literally every hobby I've ever been involved with.

 

[silicosys4]

Some are better than others. I avoid them for the most part because, in my experience, a large amount of airsoft gear is substandard counterfeit Chinese knockoffs of genuine American products. I'd much rather pay the money to support American companies instead of rewarding thieving Chinese ripoff artists with my business.

 

[Yoda]

And then there was that pawn shop owner in Vegas who assured me that I could buy his Airsoft replica of an M-14 and easily convert it to a real gun...

 

[troy fairweather]

I see no problem using some stuff, so long it's not a safety hazard or your relying on it for your life. Some stuff could be good for trying something that is much more expensive for the real thing, like an acog, flip up sights or even a forgrip.

 

[Riomouse911]

I would pass on airsoft stuff on real guns, but that’s just me.

Stay safe.

 

[BCR#1]

I have a Condor brand chest rig that I use as my AUU rig for when the natives get restless.

Bill

 

[Kano383]

I've installed a lot of FAB Defense furniture on AKs (not on mine, except a pistol grip). That stuff is supposed to be the cat's meow for tactical operators... Not so. I managed to break pieces off the handguards, and I'm not hamfisted... Geez, my kid's Legos are un-friggin'-breakable, come on!

Nylon 6, which is the base for the high-grade gun polymer frames (including Glock) cost around $2,500 per ton, so I don't buy the story of "high prices justified by expensive materials", especially when it comes to a few ounces of foregrips, pistol grips, and stuff like that.

Next time I feel bored and I have 20 bucks lying around, I'll order a couple of items and check them from close up... I'll ask more details from the manufacturer before ordering, I found out that when you ask them, very often the Chinese makers are quite open about what materials they're using, and the actual quality of what they have on the shelves.

 

[Archie]

I cannot speak to the question as asked, but I know this without doubt: In the 1990s or so, the Customs agency (by then part of Homeland Security) found certain toy rifles - notably AR-15 replicas - and I think Airsoft brand were able to accept and fire a 'real' AR 15 upper. So the items were reclassified as a firearm. Airsoft then changed the product so the replacement was impossible, but I do not know the particulars.

I never did my own research on the subject, but I'm not sure the Airsoft lower would last very long. It does not contain any pressure (from the fired cartridge) but is subject to wear and stresses from the recoil. I would not like to be on the 'beta' testing team. (Live fire to see how well or long they do.)

The above witnesses seem to validate my opinion: "Good enough" to seem functional, but lacking wear resistance needed.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I read about those imported lowercase a airsoft rifles whose AR lower could be readily modified to accept an actual AR upper. I am not sure if they were Airsoft brand or more likely just a knockoff copy.

I have also seen Youtube videos using an Airsoft rifle replica gutted as a stock to house a Mossberg 702 barreled action. The Airsoft rifle replicas I have seen might make usable stocks, but I'd keep the original 702 stock JIC. As far as using Airsoft muzzle attachments (flash hider, muzzle brake) I suspect they are designed for airsoft rifle pressures much less than pressure generated by a .22 LR. Airsoft replicas look realistic but they are not real guns.

 

[hemiram]

I have some airsoft polymer sights on a couple of .22LR rifles and they have had no issues. We looked at them side by side with supposedly "fake" ones, and ones bought for a lot more money as an AR set of sights and saw little if any difference between all three of them.

 

[lsudave]

My thoughts on the matter- perhaps detachable "iron sights", if you can zero and they hold zero. If we're talking an AR in .223, then we're not talking massive recoil.

Stocks, I'd initially say stay away, but considering the quality/lack thereof you get with a bargain basement rifle or complete lower, you might be able to use it.

Optics other than iron sights, gonna assume you get what you pay for. If you're going to zap paper at 25 yds, probably not really a big deal. Muzzle devices, I'd say a definite NO.