which company makes a decent l22a1 (short sa80)?

goblin59

Not to sure if i put this in the right section.

http://world.guns.ru/userfiles/images/assault/as22/sa80-l22a1.jpg
I currently help a full length SA80 in a shop and i loved the feel, but my eyes are drawn to the shorter version as im more of a CQB person.

http://shop.ehobbyasia.com/ares-l85a2-afv-airsoft-aeg.html


I know ARES make one, but I'v heard stories of most things by ares being hit and miss in terms of if its high quality or just a expensive and fairly inefficient paper weight (which is even more useless for me as im fairly certain my laptop isn't going to blow away and i stopped using paper a while ago)
Does anyone have experience with these or advice?

NakedDex

Ares/Star are the only ones making it. I've been coveting one on and off for about two years now and just never bothered getting it. It is incredibly short, the pictures don't do it justice.

I haven't heard anything about the internals on this, but the newest production Ares stuff is actually fairly reliable. I do still hear mixed stories though, which leads me to believe some of the older production runs are still on the market for models that, perhaps, wouldn't sell too quickly (this being a prime example).

Regardless, if you want one, you're pretty much stuck on Ares only. If you go for a regular L85A1/A2, you have a slightly wider choice, and even the Carbine has two manufacturers now. Plus WE has their GBB version on the way.

Rooky1

I owned a Star L85a2 for about 3 years, and for 2 years it was my main AEG.
I bought it from Fire-Support. They recommend several upgrades for it, a TM motor, new bearings, TM piston and head, etc.
I bought all these upgrades to fit myself if the AEG failed.

As I said I used this as my main AEG for 2 years and never had to do anything to it.
The only thing I added was a Madbull Black Python II tightbore and Guarder clear hop rubber and nub.

It didn't need these upgrades.

I heard horror stories about the gearboxes breaking, but personally I never had any issues at all with it.
My best mate in the UK bought one at the same time and gamed with it every weekend for nearly 2 years, again with no problems at all.

I would totally recommend one. You won't be disappointed.:D

I just wish I hadn't sold mine:(

Decoy

Aren't G&G meant to be releasing an L85 AFV?

http://www.blackscorpions.co.uk/index.php?id=107&rid=202

Firekitten

but its not out yet :P and im not a fan of the g&g sa80 range... the gearbox has the same failings as the army line, fine without the main, pretty 'feature' the blowback...


The ares stories you heard rocky, were the original star sa80s, with plastic gearboxes, Ares since splitting to go it alone, have swapped to metal. Tbh, they are pretty damn nice.

Gorgeous guns out of the box, and very good hard shooters, and the real weight too. And unlike g&g, they have the correct 19mm dovetail sight rail, not a 20mm m1913 rail. (Ris to you heathens) Star/Ares has the finish perfect... sexy sexy guns, with just the right combination of looks and function. I'm buying one myself soon. Deffinately recomend them.

Plus, to the op: all the 'omg ares sux' thing, came from a few vocal people with badly quality controled Tar-21s.... some of those work great too... Not heard any crying about the sa80s frankly, a few gearboxes went, but that was a bad idea being plastic.... tbh they are a well reputed make.

Rooky1

Just to say the plastic gearbox in mine and my best mates Star SA80 never once gave any problems at all. And these were very well used and abused AEG's.:)

damagegt

I dont know about the internals of this but Iv recently been working on the internals of the ares ppsh and what a terrible terrible design.So many basic parts completly backwards,quick change change spring my eye!Dont get me wrong ,it works but its just horrible to work with.

Firekitten

aye, ive known ones never have a fault, but all the reported 'horror stories' I was saying, were in star ones, not ares, due to that factor. Not that it caused the problems.

damagegt

Now it work perfectly but I took some work and its just such a backwards design.They made evrything so hard to get at.Anyway enough about my rant.

NakedDex

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but I have intentions on amassing the entire L85 range produced by Ares. Mainly as wall hangers, because there's no other sane reason to have them all, but also because the three variants I want are only produced by Ares; the AFV, the LSW and the A2 with UGL.

I've had the privilege of having a go with the latter and, while a weighty beast, was a cracking rifle.

goblin59

Thanks for the quick responses, I might wait till the G&G one comes out a bit and see what the pricing difference will be compared to the ares, but at least now i wont be as worried about wether my aeg will fail on me.

Hopfully WE think about doing a gbb version

Firekitten

ffs, Stop listening to the drama llamas and g&g bummers that exist here Goblin.... Ares arent that bad. G&G are not the gods of all things...

The sa80s are grand... ive never personally heard a story of them breaking down... from others sure, but never anyone i know had one go down. However, the g&g and thier botched blowback design, and weird piston size, have MANY reported failings.... how about them apples?

goblin59

Firekitten wrote: »

ffs, Stop listening to the drama llamas and g&g bummers that exist here Goblin.... Ares arent that bad. G&G are not the gods of all things...

The sa80s are grand... ive never personally heard a story of them breaking down... from others sure, but never anyone i know had one go down. However, the g&g and thier botched blowback design, and weird piston size, have MANY reported failings.... how about them apples?

Ok, to be honest I'v only had experience with VFC, socom gear and JG.
I was going on the reviews i heard about the ARES ppsh and some of their tavors which iv hear 50/50 on reliability.
and then i also know loads of people who have the GR15 who have given it great reviews.
But im in london atm and i know theres a shop near by that has the ares sa80 l22a1 in so im going to try and stop in and give it a try. I do like the idea of the fine tune system on the sping in the gearbox.

Firekitten

Wolf Armories.... heh, they're alright, they have the carbine for £309? iirc. Not a bad place, but watch out, some of the shop assistants are a bit daft.

Tbh, its a sureal case, g&g had a horrific reputation at first, for years, they got better, but are by no means awesome, as ares, and star, had a great one, and havent really dipped, but it seems Ireland got a bad batch of tavors, and the ppsh is overengineered. Tbh, most ares products are. But they last when you get a good one. The sa80 is a star design proven, but the swap to a medal gb improved its longevity. After years playing this game, if i had to pick an sa80, the Ares would be and IS number one (im buying one soon) and the g&g would be last.