I'll let this be my first post here. I'm also on ASR and Arnies, but I figured I'd also explore some of the other forums and offer my expertise here. I've been sniping for 12 years, and airsofting for 14, starting out with classics, and gradually swapping out my arsenal for newer guns.

This is a guide intended to forestall some of those "which gun" threads. I'll update this guide as new guns get released:

Table of Contents
--------------------------------------
Why not an AEG?
Spring section
Budget rifles
Super 9
UTG M324/DE M50
Well Warrior 1/UTG Mk96/BE L96
HFC USR-11
AGM MP001
Kart M40
JG BAR-10
WELL MB-02
High-end section
TM VSR-10 series
Maruzen APS-2 series
CA M24 SOCOM
SVD Dragunov
Specialty/Rare rifles
M82A1
WA2000
Gas section
HFC USR-11 GV
KJW M700 Series
Tanaka M700 Series
--------------------------

This thread is for comparing the various sniper rifles. I'll begin by giving the most comprehensive accounting of the various sniper rifle options out there, and compare their pros and cons. Comparisons will be grouped by price range--budget versus high-end, and by power--spring versus gas. I will briefly discuss why I think that sniper rifles should not be electric, and why I think that the proper domain of AEG's is as DMR's, not as SWS's.

Why not an AEG?

This topic is rather controversial, since the option of full-auto certainly seems attractive for a sniper in trouble. But I will always come down on the side of a bolt-action rifle for a number of different reasons.

1. Realism. In real steel, nothing can beat the inherent accuracy of a bolt-action rifle. While in airsoft, AEG's can come close, a bolt-action is still slightly more consistent and accurate, and if you're interested in realism, most sniper rifles ARE bolt-action.

2. Stealth. An AEG is a lot harder to silence, since you have to deal with the characteristic gearbox whining noise, as well as the muzzle noise. Stealth is very important to a sniper, so I prefer to stick with a quieter bolt-action rifle, with less mechanical parts to make noise.

3. Simplicity. A spring-powered bolt-action is much simpler, and easier to fix in the field when something goes wrong. This circumstance isn't very likely, but it's a much simpler gun, which also means there's less that CAN go wrong.

4. The Skill Factor. If you have the capacity for full-auto or rapid semi-auto, you'll be inclined to use it. That means you won't conserve ammunition, and you're more likely to get yourself into situations that require you to fend off large numbers of enemies with full-auto. Basically, those snipers that I've seen using AEG's tend to get themselves into trouble a lot more often. If you have limited ammunition, and low ROF, you're required to be a lot more cautious, and to rely on your skill, fieldcraft, and tactics, rather than your gun. And that, I think, is as it should be.

There are plenty more reasons supporting either side of the debate. But I come down on the side of bolt-action rifles, so I will not include an AEG section in this review.

Spring Section:

Spring powered bolt-action rifles are my weapon of choice for sniping. They are always reliable, regardless of the temperature (unlike gas rifles), and are simple and easy to fix or upgrade. Although spring rifles require more upper body strength to cock, they're the most popular type of rifle for a sniper, who relies on fieldcraft, skill, and tactics, rather than ROF and sheer numbers. There are several excellent options available for those wanting a spring sniper rifle (along with some not-so-excellent options).

Budget Rifles

There are several options out there for affordable spring sniper rifles. I will provide a brief mini-review on each rifle, and then compare them at the end, with my recommendations, depending on what you're looking for.

1. The Super 9/Tac 9, in all of its incarnations.



The Super 9 is probably the first rifle that beginner players encounter, since it's cheap, readily available on lower end retail sites and on eBay, which is virtually useless for getting airsoft guns, aside from a few select sellers like evike and ehobbyasia. The Super 9 is supposed to be one of the most powerful stock spring sniper rifles in the budget category, typically listed as shooting over 450 fps. Something to note--those fps measurements are with .12g bb's, which no experienced airsofter uses except in mines and grenades.

The Super 9 also has some interesting features. It doesn't have the usual type of magazine, but rather a stick magazine which holds something like 25 rounds, and a rotary magazine, which holds a small number of shells (6, I think), in which you insert the bb's. This feature is very cool if you like realism, since it will eject an empty shell when you cycle the action. The Super 9 also comes with a bunch of extras, such as iron sights, scope mount, scope, bipod, and sling. However, I do not recommend the Super 9 for anything, even backyard wars, for a number of different reasons.

The Super 9 and the other UHC sniper rifle series are universally known by the moniker "Craptastic 9," or some variation thereof, due to their relatively horrible performance. It is completely unreliable past 80 feet, which means even a low-end MPEG can outrange it in terms of effective distance (some people have had better experiences, but on average, they have a minimal effective range), and are virtually unupgradeable. That means no tightbore without heavy modification, no cylinder upgrades, no hopup upgrades, nothing.

The magazine system is also irritating, because the stick magazine is unrealistic and harder to load than other sniper rifle magazines, and the shells are easy to lose. More, the gun is very toy-like. The build quality is okay, but not great--mostly middle quality plastic, which doesn't have the greatest feel, and the bolt is designed poorly, so the bolt-pull is much stiffer than it should be.

All in all, the Super 9 in its various incarnations is suitable only for casual skirmishes, and even then, there are better guns to get.

http://springer.airsoftretreat.com/articles/super9.htm
http://springer.airsoftretreat.com/reviews/super-9.htm

I should add that the Super X-9 is significantly better than the Super 9 or Super 9 Pro, and is capable of reasonably good performance (unlike the others, it is accurate past 100 feet, and can take upgrades, like spring and spring guide, and tightbore). However, even upgraded, it's still not capable of the longer range shots that most of the other rifles can make, especially because the hopup is so poor, and it is still very poorly constructed. While it can be a fairly decent rifle (unlike the others, which were basically trash) with enough work, it's still not much good in a larger skirmish. Thanks to Tippman2000 for reminding me that they actually did it almost right on their most recent version.

2. The UTG M324 Master Sniper/ DE M50.

<a href="http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=4971022" target="_blank"><img src="http://img1.putfile.com/thumb/3/7023232677.jpg" alt="Click to enlarge."></a>

The M324 is commonly called a VSR-10 clone, although it is actually more similar to an APS-2. However, it isn't actually a clone of either, having it's own internals. The M324 shoots about 350 fps stock with .2g bb's, and has a number of nice features.

The M324 comes in 3 colors--black, olive drab, and desert tan. The stock is nice and textured, with very little flex, although the look is somewhat spoiled by the various screw holes. The barrel and receiver are held into the stock by three screws of different sizes. Many people that break their guns do so by screwing the wrong screw into the wrong hole. The gun is not upgradeable with high-end aftermarket parts, but there are custom cylinders that allow power upgrades, various performance enhancing modifications, and a dbcustom 6.01mm tightbore available. Also in the plus column is the cheap and easy Leapers (UTG) customer service, which makes it very easy to replace broken parts of all kinds.

The M324 comes with scope mount, bipod, sling, extra magazine, and front accessory rail, which are all very nice touches. The sling is a very nice nylon sling, and is one of the better knockoff slings. In addition, the gun has a silent cylinder--it's about 80% quieter than most other spring sniper rifles, and with the addition of a foam-filled suppressor, is virtually silent. This feature is, for me, the biggest draw of the M324 aside from the Leapers customer service, since it allows for much more efficiency while sniping.

It does have some problems in stock form. First, the compression of the stock cylinder is very poor (although much better on the v.3's, which shoot about 400 fps stock), and requires a teflon tape modification to achieve its full potential. The cylinder is sealed, and cannot take upgrades, and the stock inner barrel is both aluminum (and hence lower quality than the brass barrels that come with most other guns), and enormous--a gaping 6.14 mm. This means that the M324 is not great in stock form. It is still capable of decent performance out to 100 feet, but is not effective past that. However, once upgraded with dbcustom tightbore and the teflon modification, it will shoot about 450 fps (perhaps closer to 470 fps with the v.3's), and will be effective out to about 180 feet.

Overall, this gun is great for backyard wars (probably the best budget sniper rifle for that purpose, due to the silent bolt), and is capable of competing with stock AEG's in the sniper role, or middle-range sniper rifles. Although it lacks the range of an upgraded high-end or some of the other more powerful budget rifles, the silent bolt, coupled with a suppressor, means that you can take shots from much closer in without giving away your position. In my opinion, that feature makes the M324 a force not easily dismissed, and all in all, an effective and affordable spring sniper rifle.

http://www.airsoftretreat.com/reviews/show...=104&cat=39
http://echo1og.american-forum.net/Site-Dis...TG-M324-t11.htm

3. The UTG Mk. 96/WELL Warrior 1 L96A1/BE L96A1.

<a href="http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=4971021" target="_blank"><img src="http://img1.putfile.com/thumb/3/7023232577.jpg" alt="Click to enlarge."></a>

These guns are all actually different guns, but I'm grouping them together due to their similar price, and the fact that their internals are essentially the same, with a few differences that I will cover here.

These clone L96A1 guns are the most powerful stock spring sniper rifles on the market, with the exception of the various SVD models. They shoot about 460 fps with .2's stock, and are also upgradeable (or downgradeable), since the cylinder can be opened. The various models differ in terms of build quality and extras. The UTG Mk96 comes with a bunch of extras, like all UTG guns, such as bipod, scope mount, sling, extra magazine, etcetera. The BE L96 has almost entirely plastic construction, including inner body construction, while the WELL Warrior 1 has metal construction for many of the parts, meaning it is more durable.

The major thing that should be mentioned about this gun is that the trigger box is made out of plastic (true for both the BE and the UTG/WELL). IMO, that was a very stupid thing to couple with a 500 fps spring, but these guns are probably not terribly reliable in stock form. Fortunately, the spring is very easy to cock, with a bolt-pull light enough that some have called the spring magical. That's a good sign that the construction is pretty solid. The gun performs reasonably well in stock form, with an effective range of about 150 feet, but the high fps exacerbates inaccuracy problems at longer range.

Fortunately, this gun is upgradeable. I do not suggest leaving this gun in stock form, but rather to replace the stock trigger with an APS-2 trigger assembly or an APS-2 L96 zero trigger assembly. The hopup and inner barrel should also be replaced, and eventually you may want to replace parts in the cylinder as well. Since the gun is fully upgradeable with aftermarket parts, it's a great platform for building a fully upgraded sniper rifle, but probably shouldn't be left in stock form. I would suggest this rifle as an option for those wanting an upgraded sniper rifle, capable of competing with the best rifles, but would probably not rely on it in its stock form. The UTG and WELL versions are also probably better deals, as they have stronger internals than the BE version.

4. The USR-11.

<a href="http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=4971023" target="_blank"><img src="http://img1.putfile.com/thumb/3/7023232647.jpg" alt="Click to enlarge."></a>

The USR-11 is a fairly venerable VSR-10 clone. And that's right, it is a full clone of the VSR-10, compatible with all of the aftermarket parts. It's got a solid build, and is quite durable, although not as durable as an actual VSR-10. The cylinder can be opened and upgraded by drilling out some pins, and that will increase the FPS from a fairly low stock fps to a more respectable 350+ fps. It can be upgraded with teflon mod and tightbore to approach 430 fps with .2's, without any internal upgrades.

Basically, the USR-11 is the option for those who want an upgraded VSR-10, but don't want to pay as much for the starting platform. It can take all the aftermarket upgrades, comes with iron sights, but no scope mount, and also has a gas cylinder available, although there is very little information on the gas version. All in all, the USR-11 is always a good choice if you want to upgrade, but not the best choice if you want a competitive rifle in stock form.

Helpful thread: http://www.airsoftretreat.com/forums/index.php?topic=12470.0

5. The AGM MP001 Sharp Shooter (sometimes called the JG MP001).

<a href="http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=4971028" target="_blank"><img src="http://img1.putfile.com/thumb/3/7023242260.jpg" alt="Click to enlarge."></a>

The MP001 is one of the most recent clone rifles out of China. Visually identical to the VSR-10, it is nevertheless not a true clone, and is not upgradeable. The only upgrade it can take is a dbcustom or madbull tightbore. However, it makes up for the lack of upgradeability with truly superb performance with a small amount of easy modification, and its ability to take a number of replacement parts from other guns with slight modification.

The MP001 comes in three colors--faux wood, olive drab, and matte black. The stock is well-made, and has some of the best fake wood available, which was a surprise. Almost all of the rest of the gun is metal. It shoots 400 fps stock, but with teflon mod, tightbore, and a few other performance-enhancing modifications, can get up to 470 fps on average, and 491 fps if you do a really good job.

Stock performance is very good, but not spectacular, with a 170-190 foot effective range, but post modification, this gun is easily capable of 250+ foot shots, which makes it competitive with all but the very best rifles. It does have a very wide inner barrel, at least 6.1mm, but it is made out of brass, and is surprisingly accurate. It is also the cheapest rifle on the market, so if you're willing to take a little time learning about the internals of your gun and working on it (you'll have to spend no more than 5 dollars on upgrade parts), you'll have a very competitive rifle. There is a ton of information available on this rifle on ASR (I'll get links up in a while), and I know this gun inside and out, so if anything goes wrong, I can almost always give you a quick and easy fix. All in all, I recommend this rifle for almost any type of player--beginner or expert, casual war or full skirmish.

http://www.airsoftretreat.com/reviews/show...=114&cat=77

6. Kart M40.



There is very little information available so far on this gun, so I will update as I learn more. Internals seem to be loosely based on the VSR-10, but not an actual clone. It doesn't have magazine compatibility, and finish is rather poor. It is probably not upgradeable, but may still be comparable in performance to the MP001 with modifications.

http://www.airsoftretreat.com/forums/index.php?topic=29767.0

7. JG BAR-10.



The Jing Gong (Golden Bow) BAR-10 is the latest bolt-action sniper rifle (BASR) out of China. It is a full VSR-10 clone, and is definitely the all-around best budget rifle available. The cylinder is openable, and does not require pins to be drilled out, and it has the best finish of any of the budget rifles. The stock is durable ABS plastic with a rubbery finish that's absurdly comfortable to hold, it's a bit heavier than the MP001 or USR-11, and is well balanced. It also has a slightly different bolt-handle that's a bit more comfortable and sturdy-feeling than the VSR-10 handle, and (aside from the safety switch) is made from strong, durable materials. The only issue is that the magazine release is liable to pop out when you remove the barrel assembly from the stock, so you should put some tape over the release button before you take it out to prevent it from popping out. Be sure not to lose the spring.

Stock performance is superb, matched only by the AtoZ and KA SVD's and the UTG L96A1, all of which have 450+ fps stock springs and tightbore barrels. This gun shoots about 390 fps stock, but with 5 minutes of work and a little electrical tape, it can be modified to shoot over 500 fps stock (shorten the airbrake and electrical tape the cylinder head nozzle). With it's superior performance and the fact that it has better finish than any other budget rifle (and comparable finish to high-end rifles), this gun is clearly the best budget spring sniper rifle you can buy. It comes in two forms, the non-scoped version with iron sights, and the scoped version, with a scope mount and JG scope (some reports indicate a Tasco, others suggest it's a JG scope that isn't great. Pricing runs in between 90 and 160 shipped. It is also a JG gun, so QC is likely to be very good.

http://groups.google.com/group/asgar/web/s...s--new-releases

8. MB02



The second sniper rifle by WELL is a GSPEC look-alike, but appears not to be a 100% clone. It is rumored to use the same system as the MP001, which means the trigger mech is likely compatible (although not adjustable, most likely), and the cylinder is sealed, so it cannot take upgrade springs. The finish is fairly good, and the fake wood looks very good. They are advertised as chronoing at 400 fps, although it appears that they are shooting closer to 350 fps, on average. Magazine feeding is reported to be shaky, but decent, and accuracy and power are fairly good. Pricing is close to the MP001, making this another reasonably good budget alternative, although it's probably not the best choice for a serious sniper. At this point we don't have any final word in on compatibility of internals.

This concludes the budget spring sniper rifle section.

High-end

If you want upgradeability, reliability, and a great upgrading platform for building the ultimate SWS, chances are that you will go with a high-end rifle. There are a number of excellent choices available. I haven't gone too much in depth on these guns because there is a ton of information available, and each of these guns is a good choice. You can't go wrong, no matter what you pick, so it really comes down to preference in looks and feel. Here are some of the more popular guns. Review links from the "Looking for a Sniper Rifle Review" sticky on ASR.

1. Tokyo Marui VSR-10 line.



The VSR-10 includes three different models: The Pro-Sniper--the first variation, which may be distinguished externally by its iron sights and longer barrel than the GSPEC, and lack of weights like the Real Shock; the Real-Shock, which is essentially like the Pro-Sniper except with weights to provide more authentic recoil (and the model that the USR-11 is based off of); and the GSPEC, the most recent and updated model, which has a shorter barrel, no iron sights, but comes with scope mount and silencer. At any rate, they all take the same upgrade parts, so I'll group them together here.

The VSR-10 is one of the most popular rifles for building an upgraded SWS. It is based loosely off of the Remington M700, but doesn't actually completely resemble any real steel rifle. The VSR-10 shoots 275 fps with .2's stock, so in today's day and age, it really must be upgraded for most play in the US. There are a multitude of places to buy upgrade parts from, and they are all usually readily available. Build construction is very good, although the VSR-10 tends to be a bit lighter than other high-end models (the GSPEC weighs about 2kg), which gives it a bit of a toylike feel. Price range runs around 160-200 USD, with GSPEC's usually being more expensive.

The major draws to the VSR-10 series are their reliability, the ready availability of aftermarket parts, the hopup (which is one of the best on the market), and, in the case of the GSPEC, the functional suppressor, which makes the GSPEC one of the quietest rifles on the market. The VSR-10 also tends to be the cheapest alternative for a high-end rifle, which has made it also one of the most popular. All in all, the upgraded VSR-10 is a formidable airsoft SWS, and is always a good choice.

PS:
http://snowman.ascuk.net/vsr10.htm
http://64.124.25.51/vsr10.htm

GSPEC:
http://www.airsoftcommunity.co.uk/forums/I...25705&st=20
http://www.airsoftretreat.com/forums/topic...?TOPIC_ID=47852

2. The Maruzen APS-2.



The APS-2 has 5 versions--the Original Version, Sniper Version, EX, Type 96, and the rarer MkII Sporter version. Again, the internals are essentially the same, although the L96 has it's own upgrade parts. These guns are heavier than the VSR-10 series, usually around 2.9kg, and shoot about 285 fps stock. Price range runs about 240-350, with the OV and SV being the cheapest, and the EX being the most expensive (aside from maybe the Sporter.

The APS-2 is one of the most popular rifles to fully trick out, and is usually the base for custom retail rifles. It is very reliable, has very solid build, and also has a multitude of aftermarket parts available--probably more than any other rifle. Although it typically is more expensive than the VSR-10 series, it's also one of the best options available for an upgradeable sniper rifle. If you're thinking about getting one of these, go for it. You won't be disappointed.

SV:
http://www.airsoftcore.com/reviews-54.html
http://www.airsoftplayers.com/aps2/aps2_1.asp
http://www.floridaairsoft.com/reviews/aps2sv/
L96A1:
http://www.airsoftcommunity.co.uk/forums/index.php?
showtopic=19093&pid=243245&st=0#entry243245 - post #3
http://www.floridaairsoft.com/reviews/type96/
Mk2 Sporter:
www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/reviewpost/showproduct.php/product/80

3. The Classic Army M24 SOCOM.



The CA M24 is also a very popular rifle, although they aren't as common as the previous two rifles. It is based off of the M24 SWS, and is finished VERY well. It's one of the most solidly built rifles, weighing in at 3.6kg, and shoots 280 fps stock. There are two versions, the military, which has a fluted barrel, and the civilian, which doesn't. It comes with swing swivel mounts and integrated scope mounts, and of course the signature adjustable stock. The CA M24 also is a fairly pricy rifle, usually costing around 300 USD.

I do want to mention that the CA M24 has a reputation for being a bit finicky, mostly because the hopup requires a good amount of adjustment to work properly, and because the hopup also is easy to knock, so that you have to keep adjusting it. You can solve this problem primarily by replacing the adjustment pin, which is the smallest piece in the gun, with a small piece of wire, and by also replacing the pin. You can also dial it in to a specific range, and then use some clear nail polish to keep the hopup fixed.

It also has a very stiff trigger pull when you put in high-power upgrades, so you'll definitely want a zero trigger system to cut down on the stiffness of the trigger pull. However, you can also sand and lube the sears, and that does a lot to cut down on the heavy weight trigger pull.

There are still a good amount of upgrade parts available for the CA M24, although it is harder to find upgrade parts than it is for the previously mentioned rifles. This rifle is a great project gun, because it does take some work, but once you get it up and running, it's easily one of the best SWS platforms, and is one of the best feeling and looking rifles on the market, IMO. If you want realism, the CA M24 doesn't feel like a toy at all--it's a great replica of a great rifle.

http://www.airsoftretreat.com/m24.asp
http://www.planetairsoft.net/review-m24.htm

4. The SVD Dragunov (Atoz/KA/KM)



For those of you looking for Soviet weaponry, look no farther. The legendary SVD has been reproduced in full metal/wood, with excellent out-of-the-box performance. The KA usually has faux wood instead of real wood, although some models do come in full wood (although that may have been because of owner modification). The internals are great, with solid full-metal goodness. The SVD is the most powerful stock rifle on the market, shooting almost 500 fps stock, and also has the enviable addition of a stock tightbore, which means NO upgradeability necessary. It is listed as taking AEG upgrade springs, which do fit, but don't really give power upgrades, unless you use a spacer, since the AEG springs are too short. Shortyusa does apparently have an upgrade spring available, however.

It does, however, weigh less than the M24, weighing in at only 2.7kg. Another problem is that the gun is HUGE, with 590mm inner barrel, and is just beastly long. This means that it's not really terribly useable in skirmishes because it's a real pain to camouflage. In my experience, it sticks out like a sore thumb. Still, I can't fault its performance. The hopup is excellent, and it shoots very well. Also, it's one of the best sounding rifles on the market, with a really intimidating metallic Ka-CHUNK noise when you cock it. It's a good buy, but not the most skirmishable gun. It does cost around 500 dollars, with the cheapest one being at www.gunnerairsoft.com (about 420 shipped), but it's one of very few options available if you want an SVD. The TM and JG SVD conversions look terrible, the G&P is hard to find, and the PDI is even harder. Although this gun lacks semi-auto like the others, since it's manual spring cocking, it's still one of the best options for those wanting an SVD. Basically, you should only get this gun if you really must have an SVD.

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/reviewpost/.../cat/all/page/1
http://www.unconventional-airsoft.com/info...ion/atozsvd.php

There are a number of other good options available, but I don't have any experience with them, and they aren't as popular, so I haven't included information about them. I'll update this post with the best posts about the other rifles, however.

This concludes the spring rifle section.

Specialty/rare rifles

1. The M82A1.



If you want an anti-vehicle rifle, and you have the spare cash, you can shell out about 1200 USD for an M82A1. This rifle shoots 8mm plastic ammunition, which is the largest airsoft bb, and fires at a reasonable 400 fps on average. Not much to say about this rifle, since I don't have much experience with it, except to say that it's really cool, and if you have the expendable income to get one, you'll be envied everywhere you go.

The are a couple different M82's in production, including the Smokey's Gunworks spring-powered version, and a VFC gas-powered version. Here some information about the Smokey Barrett M82A1, compliments of Falcon_Maximus from Arnies:

The Smokey Barrett M82A1 is a Full Metal Gun that is no longer produced. It is a Spring Rifle (so no semi-auto like the real steel version, unfortunately) which uses 8mm BB's that are fed in Brass .50 BMG Shells (the Shells are automaticaly ejected after the Shot). It has a stock power of 1.04 Joules (about 400 fps) but can be upgraded with APS-2 Springs up to SPR380 (but you need a spacer though).

The Gun is acually 9 cm longer than the real steel model (which seems to be because of the barrel). It produces a recoil that is comparable to a .30 caliber semi-automatic rifle, which is a very cool feature. The hopup is adjustable. It is handmade in Japan, and costs about $2740 at WGC and weighs 7.1 kg.

2. The WA2000.

Yes, that's right, Geneth and Asahi have both made replicas of the WA2000, made famous as Weber's rifle in Rainbow Six. It's a gorgeous weapon, made from full metal and wood, and weighing in at a hefty 5.2kg. It shoots at about 285 fps, has a 25 round capacity, and is basically one of the most gorgeous looking rifles out there. It's hard to find, and typically sells for about 1500 USD. If you get one, I'll hate you forever (just kidding), since it's such a rare gun to see on the field. I do really want one, so I thought I'd mention it. But you won't find much information about it.

Here's a brief description of the Asahi WA2000, which is one of the most rare airsoft guns ever, also compliments of Falcon_Maximus:

It is modeled after the famous German Walther WA2000 Precision shooters rifle (so it's something like the father of the PSG-1). The rifle went out of production in the 1980's because it was too expensive and nobody bought one, although it was the most accurate rifle ever produced! It was released in 1993 and came in 2 versions, standard and deluxe.

Only 250 Asahis WA2000 were produced, making it an extremely rare, and difficult to find gun. 125 of them were the Standard Version, and 125 of them were the Deluxe Version which came with a silencer and a fluted barrel.

It uses an "electro-pneumatic gearbox" and features an effective range of about nearly 100 yards. Some users have claimed headshots at 80-90 yards with upgraded versions! It shoots 410fps with 0.43g BB's (that would be 600fps with 0.2g BB's!) The gun uses a external Gas-Tank as most Classic guns do!

It is no longer being built (the productions stopped YEARS ago!) and if you want to get one, talk to SniperX at www.classicairsoft.net is the best way to go. Cost runs about $2500, making this one of the most expensive airsoft sniper rifles.

Link to the Geneth version:

http://www.redwolfairsoft.com/redwolf/airs...il?prodID=10961

Gas section

This section is in progress, but if you have information about this that you'd like to have included, I'll edit in the best response. Thanks!

1. HFC USR-11 gas version.

Very little is known about the gas version of the HFC USR-11. It costs about the same as the spring version, averaging around 120-130 before shipping. This rifle is essentially the same as the spring version, but it has a gas bolt. That means that it looks the same as a VSR-10 Pro-Sniper, although the build quality isn't quite as good, and it is still compatible with VSR-10 upgrade parts, such as barrel, hopup, and magazines, although you obviously can't replace the cylinder and trigger assembly with VSR-10 parts. Well, you could, but then it would just be a normal USR-11.

The rifle shoots somewhere around 400-450 fps with .2's in stock form, and is reasonably accurate, with an effective range of probably about 160+ feet. Gas is stored in the bolt, not in the magazines, so you can use whatever spring magazines you want. You fill the bolt the same way you would fill a pistol magazine. The gun is reportedly quite accurate, and is the cheapest gas sniper rifle option. Owners have reported a few issues, including poor stock finish, poor standard barrel, tight fitting magazine well, and poor standard magazine, but overall, it seems to offer good bang for a very cheap price (for an airsoft gas rifle).

http://www.airsoftcommunity.co.uk/reviews/...duct/43/cat/all

2. KJW M700 Series.

There are a couple versions of the KJW M700, the regular version and the takedown version. Cost generally runs about 200 USD, and it's reportedly a very good rifle. The takedown version is reported to have gas leak issues, so it's not recommended, but the M700 series, which are clones of the Tanaka M700, are hard-hitters, shooting around 450 fps with green gas.

3. Tanaka M700. (Mini-review by Joker8Baller, with additions from The Crimson Falcon)

Tanaka is probably the biggest heavy-weight when it comes to gas guns. They're well known for their reliability, build quality, and performance, although they're also pricier than their HFC and KJW alternatives. The Tanaka M700 typically costs at least 300 dollars, with an average of around 350 shipped.

The M700 line includes several variants:

M700 Police Model
M700 Police Model Camoflague Version
M700 Takedown Version
M700 Light Tactical Rifle
M40A1
M40A1 Woodland camouflage version
M40A1 fake wood stock
M24 SWS
M24 SWS Fluted Barrel
AICS Green/ Black/ Tan

It performs nicely, with a varying FPS from the low 400's to the high 500's, and even to the low 600's on a nice warm day in California. The Tanaka M700 currently comes in 2 main versions. Pre-ban, and banned. The banned versions come with a flow restrictor limiting the FPS the bb is shot at, because of a new Japanese law. However, this version comes with a fixed PCS valve, as the pre-ban do not.

Tanaka has an "export" version, where no flow restrictor shall be put on, and the PCS bolt shall also be added on.

It shoots about 250 feet accurately with .34bb's, with the PCS almost fully open, but about 1/5th closed. Max tested range is about 300 feet, perhaps a tad more. Performs well, with an easy adjustable hop-up that is located just in front of the built-in scope mount.

Build quality is great. It's on par with the CA M24 spring rifle, and kills every AEG I've handled. It's got a nice heavy weight to it, and it feels like a rock.

The main problem right now is the lack of a replacement hop-up, and the null manufacturing of the Best gun kit... Many people have had trouble after a while with the hop-up, and no such replacement exists. Hopefully the new export versions will have replacement hop-ups, but for now, upgradeability is limited. This is probably one of the only drawbacks to an otherwise superior gun.

This post has been edited by The Crimson Falcon: Aug 20 2007, 03:51 PM

STICKY IT! Just an addition the BAR 10 scope that comes with the scoped version is very good and nice!

That is one of the best threads I've seen on ASF. BUT we do not allow the discussion of backyard airsoft. Xoxide2 your sig is too big.

This post has been edited by choffman10: Aug 20 2007, 03:25 PM

How about editing it to "casual" play?

Yeah, that would be much better.

Edited out backyard mention, and added the rest of the guide, which for some reason disappeared. I've got more pics, but I don't think this forum supports lots of pics, so I'll leave those out unless they get requested.

Very nice rifle guide. Personally, I would sticky it.

Everyone note that this is his 6th post on the forum. Newbies, if you want a sticky, this is the kind of quality you got to shoot for.

Great job Crimson.

Very nice thread, it was needed long ago, thank you

You're welcome. To be fair to the other newbies on ASF, this is hardly my 6th post ever. I'm a review admin on ASR, an admin for Echo 1 Owner's Group, and I also run Airsoft Sniper Guides and Reviews. I'm also reasonably active on Arnies Airsoft as well. Expect to see a lot of reviews, mini-reviews, and guides from me, and very little else. I'll keep updating this one as I get more information. I'll be adding more updates to the WELL MB01, MB02, and MB03, and will also be adding in the AGM L96 when I learn more about that gun. Not much information out there.

Lol. I figured you were active on other forums. I'm just not on asr enough to recognize names.

I think this guide is long overdue of being stickied. I, as an owner of a UTG L96, slightly disagree with your review of this rifle. I'm planning a near-full replacement of the parts (trigger, inner barrel, cylinder, piston, and hop-up) so I am not disputing that it is not a high-end rifle out of the box. But I think you downplayed how effective it can be with that amazing spring. If you are the only sniper on the field, then this rifle literally has no competition (assuming you know anything about shooting of course).
I have had experience with the Tanaka M700s and the SVDs, they both outclass the UTG (as expected) but not by as much as most people think. For the same price they paid for their rifles, I can get mine plus some upgrades that push the limits of what airsoft guns can be capable of. But like I said before, you MUST know what you're doing with ranged shooting in order to work this rifle properly. With a hop-up and barrel replacement, this rifle can easily be placed in the big leagues (not to mention at a budget price).
This rifle reminds me of the Mazda Miata. It is stripped-down, cheap, lacking in overall features, but for the same price as a Corvette you can have the Miata and pack it full of parts that will give a Corvette a run for its money (but I'm a Corvette fan at heart).

Well, thanks for the good words. It's only been up for less than 12 hours, so if that's long overdue for a sticky, then I appreciate it, although it IS stickied on ASR, Arnies, and Echo 1 Owner's Group...

I hear what you're saying about the WELL MB01, and I agree that it can be very effective, especially if you're the only sniper on the field. But it has a number of major failing points that suggest to me that it doesn't deserve to be called the best clone rifle out of the box, or anything like that. First, build quality. It's just not up to par, and it's a lot less durable than you might think. Second, hopup. The hopup isn't nearly as good as the BAR-10, for instance. Ditto the MB02, and probably the MB03. It's just not capable of the 300 foot performance that I expect out of a decent rifle. The stock tightbore is a nice touch, but the tolerances on it are just terrible. It's still pretty accurate, but the fact that it's the rifle that I end up upgrading for people the most, as well as my own testing with the guns, suggest that it's just not as amazing as people initially think. With it's spring (which isn't as long as you might think, it just has a long action, which maximizes compression from a weaker spring), it's capable of maybe 200-250 foot effectiveness. But, so is a modded MP001, and a BAR-10 with a few minor mods can hit out to 300 feet. Anyways, that's just my opinion. It's still a great rifle, and one that I recommend without hesitation over any other ACM rifle except the BAR-10. But I also don't want to give it TOO much credit.

I know the UTG is a rebranded Warrior 1, but I thought that its finish was a grade higher than the WELL (along with its overall internal quality).

Nope, not in my experience. I've seen and upgraded both. They're exactly the same gun. Well, to be fair, the UTG is a v.2 Warrior 1, and is better than the v.1 MB01, but most of the ones that are available these days under the WELL name are identical to the UTG, from what I've seen. I've also seen a pretty wide variety of build qualities, since WELL doesn't have the best QC.

I think I also got pretty lucky getting a gun with a decent hop-up and not rough edges or anything. Only problems it has given me is the barrel did not want to screw on once. I mean, I'm not the going to be the little MPEG Newbie of the sniper forum and go around claiming my UTG can roll with the big dogs, but I just thought your review did not really give it enough credit. Like I said in my review of the rifle: it is not a good rifle out of the box, instead it is a cheap platform for someone to learn how to upgrade a rifle.

Yea, it's a superb upgrade platform. I'm looking forward to getting more information on the AGM L96 also; if it's VSR compatible, I could put another BAR-10 into the L96 chassis :)

That'd be sick.

After I'm finished beefing up this L96, I'm looking into buying an APS-2 and doing a full chop-job to make it resemble the modular design of either the FN Precision rifle or the CheyTac M200.
I'm looking at getting rid of the stock, fitting a pistol grip and collapsible stock, floating the barrel on an under-mounted RIS-equipped platform, replacing the outer and inner barrels, and obviously putting some upgrades in it to make its performance match its looks.

This post has been edited by Enzo_Guy: Aug 23 2007, 12:33 AM

is there a reason it hasn't been stickied? this is alot nicer than other stuff in the stickies

I don't know, do you have to ask for it to be stickied? I'll be updating in a month or so to add in the WELL MB03 also. If anyone wants to submit guides for the Kart guns or the MB02, or anything else I'm missing, please feel free. This guide has had a number of other contributors to help me with some of the guns I don;t know well, especially gas guns.

Here's a new addition:

9. AGM MP002 L96.



The AGM L96 is AGM's second foray into the spring sniper rifle market. It's basically the MP001 with a longer cylinder in an L96 AW stock, much like the AICS. It's very cheap, costing typically 80-100 dollars, and chronos in at around 440 fps with .2g bb's. The trigger mech is a VSR-10 clone, and fits VSR-10 aftermarket sears. The cylinder is an APS-2 Type 96 clone, and is longer than the MP001 cylinder. The hopup and barrel are identical to the MP001 In other words, the hopup isn't upgradeable, and it only fits dbcustom, EdGI, or modified Madbull barrels. Stock accuracy isn't very good, as it has a wide inner barrel. The finish is pretty good, but not as good as the WELL MB01. Heft is very good, as it has weights glued into the stock. The major advantage to this rifle is that it's cheap, has very good stock power for a very light bolt-pull, and is a solid gun if you install a tightbore. The U-hop is a major drawback, as is the APS-10/96 style upgradeability (VSR-10 trigger/APS96 cylinder). It's a good budget rifle, and would make a good starter sniper rifle, but I would recommend the WELL over this gun for budget owners seeking a more competitive gun.

Review: http://groups.google.com/group/asgar/web/s...s--new-releases

omg that cylinder is MASSIVE

hmm this rifles have low fps...
I have a Gamo shadow 640 (640fps)

This post has been edited by Cro_Hit: Nov 2 2007, 01:04 AM

So.... I have a .308 that brings in at around 2700 fps... with a 180 grain bullet.

Hey Crimson Falcon,
I saw your post on airsoftretreat about your nice BAR 10,
I have been deciding btween the BAR 10 and an L96 such a WELL L96
I am looking for FPS around 500 and priced below 200 with possible upgrades if the gun is cheaper than 200.
any advice?
thanks

Mr. Crimson Falcon;
You said: "...(the AW 338) which has amazingly good detailing, and looks great, although performance is reportedly not as good as a Tanaka rifle. "
Can you expand on the performance part of that statement? I only know what I have read (on ASCUK, AAUK, etc.) but it seems that the opinions (I have seen, and they maybe owner biased) are that "out of the box" the AW is superior in accuracy at least (aesthetically I prefer the AICS--for now). There have been some reports of minor probs (bipod, monopod, maybe scope) but that is probably to be expected.
Thanks for any comments.

This post has been edited by DJsnipe: Nov 11 2007, 09:09 PM

BAR-10 is more accurate due to better hopup. Send me a PM with any specific questions you might have.

As far as the AW 338 goes, I don't own one personally, I just base that statement on a few reports I've seen that suggest that it is a bit disappointing in terms of accuracy. These statements are just based on second-hand reports, and are by no means guaranteed. I wouldn't let that stop you from getting one; I still want one.

Shoot less than a Tanaka, have less accuracy too, not aftermarket parts (at least not at this time).

I play a game with my M40 (a tanaka M700 series, no matter M24/M700/M40....) and I owned the AW in all aspects except the external look.

We play with the same gas in the same conditions and with the same bb. Honestly star didn't woth the money.

im pretty sure the STAR AW 338 is compatible with aftermarket M700 parts... at least thats what I read...

Very nice! This helped me out bigtime. I ordered a UTG L96 from AirsoftGI, in the new ACU pattern. Shoots good stock, and I do intend to install upgrades! thanks again.

Where does sun project go on this page?

Just an addition to the MP001- The trigger sear starts to wear out around 4,500 shots, and will be non-existent by 5,000 shots. I've had this happen to 3 MP001s, so I know its not just mine.

However, after all is said and done, I'd keep buying them. Best $60 you can spend on a sniper rifle.

...although, spend $40 more, and you can get a JG bar 10

Really nice! I like how you put little pics of the guns!

I have a question about the MP001, I looked through the dumb questions zone (because I know you know What im going to say next) my gun is slam firing, Ive taken it apart, I put it back together, it worked for about 4 shots, (better that before) I know it has something to do with the piston sear, or something. Im somewhat new to airsoft, especially over 100 dollar guns ( I got mine from shorty, it came with a scope so it wasnt 50 dollars, which ruined my budget) I really need to fix this thing cause I cant afford to buy a new gun, or parts. If some one would help, I would GREATLY appreciate it. btw, It wore out after about 500-700 rounds!

Isn't this the buying guide from TCF's sniper guide?

did you happen to look at the name of the thread starter?

Please do not bring up old posts. If you have a question, make your own thread.