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Random Products - Tokyo Marui
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Tokyo Marui M16VN
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Tokyo Marui AK Beta Spestnaz
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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3
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30363
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Fri September 14, 2007
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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Average Rating
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100% of reviewers
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$236.67
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8.7
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supersize
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Description:
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Manufacturer: Tokyo Marui
Model: AK47 Beta Spetsnaz
Power: Electric
Motor: EG700
Battery Type: Large
Gun Length: 711 mm
Barrel Length: 230
Weight: 2750g
Magazine Capacity: 250 Rounds
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Author
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Cheesehead
Review Administrator
Registered: February 2004
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 2544
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Review Date: Wed March 1, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $240.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Weight, Size, Magazine capacity, Gearbox, Build quality
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Cons:
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Loose magazine latch pin, Not a real AK model
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AK Beta Spetsnaz Review
By Cheesehead
Introduction
The AK47 is among the world’s most recognizable firearms. Appearing in countless movies and T.V. shows, and regularly on the nightly news, it has become a symbol of power and might.
Being an owner of a real AK47, I fell in love with its look and feel; I knew that I would have to have an airsoft version so I could die a happy man.
After looking over Marui’s line of AKs, I settled for the more modern and compact AK Beta Spetsnaz.
The Marui Beta Spetsnaz next to a real AK47. Main differences are the receivers. While Marui uses a milled receiver, the "real" Beta Spetsnaz, the AKS74U, has a stamped receiver. The real AK here has a Galil style handguard.
The AKS74U is also chambered for the 5.45x39 round. Marui decided to stick with the 7.62x39 style magazines.
First Impressions
After removing the brown paper from the box and lifting off the cover, I was surprised by just how short the Spets really is. The gun is a mere 28 inches long, only 1¼ inches longer than an MP5A4.
The first thing anyone does when they get a new toy is to pick it up and examine it; I have proved to be no different. I picked it up by the pistol grip and was greeted by a rubbery feeling. Marui elected to cover the pistol grip, handguards, and stock with what seems to be a light rubber coating, similar to that on the cheek rest of the G3 SG1. This coating isn’t quite as noticeable on the stock and handguards as it is on the pistol grip. Personally, I would have preferred a checkered grip.
The AK Beta Spetsnaz weighs in at a healthy six pounds fully laden with a battery and full magazine. While not as much as its real steel cousin, the AKS74U, it’s only one pound lighter.
The Spetsnaz's weight can be contributed largely to the massive amount of metal Marui used in the guns construction. There’s more metal in this gun than there is in a Saturn! The following parts are all metal: The butt plate, rear sling mount, receiver cover, receiver tangs, receiver cover retainer button, trigger, trigger guard, magazine release, magazine, bolt and charging handle, mock gas piston, fire selector lever, rear sight, gas tube release lever, upper handguard retainers, front sight block, 14mm CCW threaded outer barrel, and Krinkov style flash hider, are all metal.
All this metal makes for one extremely solid gun. There is no creaking with the Spetsnaz, as plastic-on-plastic contact is rare, and all the parts fit snugly together.
The Spetsnaz also has some very well done trademarks on it. The receiver cover has the serial number “EP93726” stamped in it, the left side of the receiver has the serial number “EP93726M”, the proof mark of the Izhmash arms factory in Izhevsk, Russia, as well as a “>” proof mark stamped in the lower rear handguard retainer. The right side of the receiver has the fire select modes stamped on it: “AB” for Full Auto, and “OA” for Semi Auto. Further up on the right side are five other arsenal marks. There is also a “>” on this side of the lower rear handguard retainer.
Serial number stamped into the stamped steel receiver cover.
Serial number on the left side of the receiver. The arrow in the triangle is the Izhevsk/Izhmash Arsenal proof mark.
Various proof marks and stampings on the right side of the receiver.
Accoutrements
Also included in the Styrofoam-lined box: One 250 round short hi-cap, a cleaning/un-jamming rod, a pack of 200 Tokyo Marui .25g BBs, a front sight adjustment tool, a manual for the AK47 and AK47S, a more model specific manual for the AK Beta Spetsnaz, the generic Tokyo Marui safety sheet, and lastly, a muzzle plug designed for the G3 and M16 series of rifles that barely fits over the Krinkov style flash hider. If you are wondering where the loading rod is, there isn’t one, because the gun comes with a hi-cap magazine.
What you get.
In the Field
The first thing to do before a skirmish is to put in the battery. To do this, push down on the top of the butt plate, connect the tamiya connectors, and drop the battery into the stock, and put the butt plate back on. This is all fairly simple until you have to put the butt plate back on. An 8.4-volt battery barely fits, and you really have to mash the battery cover down to get it to close. Once that is done, you can put in your magazine, which winds like any other hi-cap, and select your fire mode. There are three positions on an AK selector switch: Safe, Full Automatic, and Semi Automatic. The Safe position places the fire select lever all the way up. Full Automatic is in the middle of the receiver at the notch marked “AB” and Semi Automatic is at the notched marked “OA”. The hop-up is easily adjusted; just pull back on the charging handle, and slide the little bar.
The fire selector lever. Top position is Safe, middle notch is Full Automatic, bottom notch is Semi Automatic.
To adjust the hop-up, pull back the charging handle, and slide the bar.
As with all Marui AEGs, this gun shoots around 265-270 feet per second with .25 gram BBs, and 270-280 with .20 gram BBs in its stock form. The rate of fire is around 14 shots per second. The combination of the version III gearbox and the EG700 is incredible. There is very little gear whine from the gun, and the BBs fire in a smooth, steady stream.
One of the best features of the Beta Spetsnaz is its size. You can run through the thickest of brush and not get tangled on anything. Thanks to the availability of the short hi-caps, it’s easy to go prone, as the gun is at a good height, and it’s magazine isn’t jammed into the ground.
The sights are somewhat crude; a fixed blade rear with an adjustable post front. The rear sight is in a special channel to keep it protected, just like it is on the AKS74U.
A view from the driver's seat.
As you may already know, the AK design is one of the most reliable designs there is, for airsoft and real steel. And the AK Beta Spetsnaz certainly lives up to this reputation. In one particular firefight a buddy of mine and I were pinned in a tower, I went through nearly 900 rounds with my 250 round hi-caps, the Spets eagerly gobbled up the BBs and rained them down on the attacking team without a single jam or mis-feed.
Something is Amiss
Unfortunately, all is not well in the land of the Beta Spetsnaz. There are a few minor things I have to complain about.
First and foremost on my list is the pin that holds the magazine release lever in place. On a real AK, this is a rivet, but Marui just put in a drift pin and hoped the spring tension would hold it in place. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. My pin seems to wander 1-1.5mm from one side to the other. While it can't fall out, its annoying.
Second is the flash hider. This thing wobbles from side to side, and up and down. It doesn’t wobble very far, but I would have expected better from Marui.
Third, and this is not a huge issue, but most of the screws are a little loose when you get the gun. Most of mine were able to take another half turn before being snug.
But the Beta Spets Looks Too Modern!
If you find yourself looking at the Spetsnaz and decide that it’s too modern, remember there are after market kits to remedy the problem.
Craft Apple Works make a full wood kit for the Spets, consisting of a full stock, pistol grip, and upper and lower handguards. The kit retails for about $140 USD at most overseas shops.
If you don’t like the look of the midget handguards, there is hope here as well! TGS and a few other companies make full metal front sets, which allow the use of a full-sized handguard, but retain the shortened appearance. One thing to note is that this does require the purchase of a new inner barrel, which you will have to cut down to the right length. And there is always the option to Dremel off the rail and patch the hole.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a whole lot of firepower in a small package, the Tokyo Marui AK Beta Spetsnaz is a serious contender. Its ability to accept 600 round hi-caps, and its reliable gearbox and motor combo, make for a great gun for CQB and woodland environments.
Pros:
· Small size
· Big and small magazines
· Large batteries
· Reliable internals
· Built like a rock
· More metal than a Saturn
· Lots of custom parts available
· Very nice trademarks
Cons
· Batteries barely fit
· Flash hider wobbles a little
· Magazine release lever pin wanders
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TehLlama
MacGyver
Registered: May 2004
Location: Albuquerque, NM, USA
Posts: 9701
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Review Date: Sat March 4, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $250.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Great Marui AK Design, Full Stock, Neat Magazine, Compensator
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Cons:
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Fake Design, Pesky Rail, no scope mounts
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Review by:
TehLlama
Tokyo Marui AK Beta Spetznaz
As most of you already know, this is a fictitious gun in the Marui line (along with the G3SAS, and to some extent, the MC-51, SR-16 M4, and M16VN)
Based on what would be either the AK-74 SU or Spetznaz Compact, this gun is a horse of a different color. Sporting a black/grey finish (differing from the fantastic mock wood of their AK series) and a full stock, this is clearly designed to be an airsoft weapon. The full stock is to accommodate a large battery, the EG700 is phenomenal at pumping out BBs, the short size (would be pretty bad recoil with a 7.62x39) is intentionally suited to CQB type games, the under-barrel rail is intended for accessory mounting (more on that later), the threaded barrel, and compensator are for mounting a full auto tracer, or a 14mm neg silencer (a nice touch), and the 250rd Shorty Hicap is clearly another get for airsofters. While I seen no practical value in making the mag shorter in this particular gun, I do very much appreciate having one for my SR-47 DMR (thanks Marui!).
The magazine options for the gun are immense, the Star 30rd, Marui and CA 70rd, the G&P 150rds (47-74 styled), 550rd (Diablo, ICS?, others), the huge Marui and G&G 600rd, and that's not even including the dual, box, and drum mag options.
Anyway, that's all stuff I knew before I got my Spetz, and knowing that, it seemed like an awesome gun.
Here's the box, one of the better looking boxes in the airsoft world, I must say. Elegant design, yet the color makes it stand out. Who cares… the good stuff it inside.
…and here's the gun, though I seem to have lost my original picture of the gun in the box, here it is with a vertical foregrip installed, no mag.
First Impressions:
When I first yanked it out of the box, I was thinking cute. Having owned primarily a TM M16A2/M203, this thing felt short. I was extremely impressed with the sturdiness of the receiver, and the finish quality on it. No wonder Marui AKs are revered so much. Upon attaching the compensator, and placing a NiCD battery in the stock, this gun at last felt complete: short (or compact as you may like), but a very powerful little package.
The trades are sparse, but extremely well executed, and I guess realistic. Of course, it has the TOKYO MARUI MADE IN JAPAN and the ASGK logo, but the rest is unidentifiable to me, thus I will assume Russian.
Picking it up, I noticed the nagging sensation with my left hand: there's an underbarrel rail. It's a bit uncomfortable to grip, and is obviously intended to have something on it. While this doesn't feel the greatest, I would actually have to recommend keeping it like that, or getting a forward folding grip.
The underbarrel rail is the only thing that didn't seem quite sturdy enough, especially with a vertical grip attached. It's plastic, and at first I thought that was the problem, but once again Marui's plastic wizardy was in effect. It turns out that the mounts for the foreend grip piece just don't grab it tight enough. A shame, as this is the only significant detractor from the ambiance of the gun.
The sights are an interesting one: while I don't know what AK sights look like, these pose a fascinating enough problem: while the sights you're supposed to use are intuitive, with a pistol type back, and simple post up front, the extra bars and such are pretty vague on use. While the manual assists as best it can in broken English, if only tells you how to use the bottom accuracy sights. No big loss, it's just a it confusing at first.
One of the first things I inspected was the button on the back of the receiver: it turns out this nice, (although a wee bit light) metal piece is the upper receiver, and also hides the AK47-S battery compartment. I guess this is a nice accidental touch, but our friends at Marui have a small length of wiring exposed, in case you want to slap on a nifty folding stock of some kind.
The selector switch threw me for a loop the first time (not understanding Russian), until I realized that S-A-S memory device DID apply to airsoft, and that the switch went from Safe on top, to Auto in the middle, to Semi on bottom. While I can't fault Marui for this, I think this is possibly the only idiotic think Mr. Kalashnikov did with his rifle. In any case, the selector switch works nicely, never jams (as all my Marui armalites do on semi-rarely, but it's a nuisance).
The bolt of course doesn't' reciprocate, but has just enough metal to make it fun to open, and let slam shut. It also exposes the hopup, which has a ridiculously intuitive slider, and has pretty easy access. The nub holds in place fine, and ranges from 0 hopup, to enough for about a .28g BB. Although keeping the bolt back isn't easy, it's still far easier than any Marui I've owned (besides a FAMAS), and can be done in the heat of battle. The return spring guide looks like it may get a bit sketchy, but it works just fine, and I have no complaints after a lot of use.
The compensator is an especially nice production: it's 14mm neg threaded, and my favorite feature, there's a spring loaded nub that locks into a groove on the compensator: basically, when you get the compensator screwed all the way on, it sticks out and keeps it from spinning. It's really easy to do, doesn't require the tiny hex key, and keeps the compensator very sharp looking (vs. the dorky looking M4/M16s with practically sideways flash hiders unless you mod it (mine) or use the little bitty hex screw)
The 250rd mag seems a little dinky, while I appreciate Marui including a hicap with the gun to begin with, and the notion of a shorter mag, the high quality, excellent function, and versatility of the shorty hicap were lost on me until I got my SR-47, and turned it into a DMR. At first, I assumed there isn't much use for a short mag on this gun, you won't be going prone with it that much (it's really for CQB), though the resale value of the 250rds accounts for that. In short, if you're going to keep the gun as is, sell the Spetz mag, and get a Marui 600rd, or an AK74 Hicap (I'd recommend the black ones).
Until I had the vertical foregrip installed, I assumed Marui was just trying something that might work. Only after installation of a vertical foregrip did I learn the necessity of Marui making the mag shorter: the full size ones just collide with the foregrip, whereas the 250rd just doesn't extent out as far. A seemingly dumb quirk, I still really like the longer AK mags anyway, and the AK74 styled ones don't look like they'd have the problem to the same extent.
Anyway, that's enough staring at it.
Firing Impressions:
All I had left to do was to load the mag, insert the battery, and get the whole SAS thing straight. I did figure out the selector, which was fine. Loading the 250rd mag was a breeze, I dare say the AK mags from Marui are the best out there, just flip the door open, pour in, and turn wheel. Somehow, the wheel feels a bit dyslexic, but that took about 3 seconds of getting used to before it was habit.
Then came the battery. I have to unscrew the stock butt plate? Then I have to pull another ting out of the way? Then I have to shove the battery in this itty-bitty stock, and try and reconnect the wires? Then I have to screw it all back together?
I must say, it's a damn good thing this gun holds 1700mAh batteries, otherwise I'd be using the Stick kind with an empty full stock. Sure, I guess this is the price you pay for having all-day shooting, but I think Marui could have do a wee bit better on the length, spacing, and using more of the stock's room. Also, a recessed spot where they could have used a hands screw would have been 30x more convenient, as I a unwilling to carry many tools into a skirmish. Still, I really appreciate having the full stock, as that's what makes this gun very appealing.
Well, after figuring that out, I took it for a spin. I took one shot, which was agonizingly slow, and the gun gave out for the second one. WTF? Oh, right, I need to charge the battery. Now you see why the stock difficulties first struck me as so harrowing.
Anyway, with a fully charger battery, I took it to my backyard, and tried a tentative burst in auto (thinking I was on semi). 6 BBs poured forth and left concise little dents on my rusty old shed. While this doesn't quite put out the ROF of my FAMAS, it's damn close, and the trigger response is phenomenal. Two more burst of auto, and 4 shots on semi. This was almost as much fun as firing my first AEG. Again, massive kudos to Marui.
Before the novelty of spraying BBs got old, I lined up on my favorite old target, and metal 2.5x4” (wider than it is tall) bunny. Two shots on semi, and I realized I needed to aim first. After carefully lining up the sights, the next three shots were dead on from 15yds. On auto, about 2/3rds of them were on target. Needed to tweak the hopup, and needed to use heavier BBs. I continued to spray off the last of the .2g I had in the hicap (again, a complete blast to fire, the EG700 is sooo nice) .
Loaded it back up with the Marui .25g BBs, and took about 10 to dial in the hopup. I really like the consistency of the Ver3 hopups, (as seen in friend's AUG, and SG-1).
I went back to about 90ft, went prone, and started to take aim. 8/10 Shots replied with a metallic ping, the others seem to have missed. I tried again at 150 (yes, I have a huge backyard) and only hit about 3/10. I did 3 sets of 10, and got 3, 4, and 2 consecutively. I wish I had good targets around then, but the groupings were very circular, so no systematic flaws in the firing of the gun.
I went back up to about 75ft, and on full auto, registered about 5 pings with a 7 shot burst, and 12 (I think) from a 15. The second shot of each seemed to be a bit low, but all the rest were dead on.
In short, it can hit the broad side of a barn, but don't ask much beyond that. It's good for a chest shot out to 50yds, and that's about it. That using .25g BBs, the .2g aren't as accurate as that. Then again, I'm spoiled by my 20” M16/SR15 barrels, and this is a very compact gun.
Just for fun, I removed the magazine, and tried to hit it in rapid fire. From offhand, after loading the magazine, the small size of the Spetz won me over, as I was able to lay plastic on target with minimal aiming time. The mag loading is remarkable quick, although it takes some practice to grab the lever with the thick magazine.
Still, for having such a ridiculously short barrel, the Spetz still puts BBs roughly where you want them, and in any short-midrange encounter, the ROF and mag capacity will win over single-shot accuracy. In CQB, it's more than accurate enough, and the Spetz was never intended as a marksman rifle.
Further Notes:
After a few days of intermittent plinking, I decided to dress it up a bit.
The beauty, and the bane of all AK type guns, is that there's not may really good, cheap ways to put optics and accessories on the guns. While this makes a realistic looking package cheaper, and more streamlined, the optics choices are noticeably limited.
But, there wast he under-barrel rail, and I was going to make use of it. So, I picked up my 6V flashlight, an NC Star Foregrip, a nice G&P foregrip, and my Marui Knight Pro Silencer. After trying the flashlight (as depicted in the box art) I decided that it hung down too far, was too hard to switch, there wasn't a very handy place to put a remote pressure switch, and most it was ugly. Just plain ugly.
I would have considerd a lighted foregrip (after all, it would suit this very, very well) but the rail is just too friggin short. It extends out from the foregrip (seems kind of odd the way the do it, since I basically obscures the back half of the rail for accessory mounting. Aesthetically this works better, but functionally it kinda sucks).
Next, I put on the G&P vertical grip. Mine has all the snazzy, counterintuitive KAC markings, but who cares? It's a fictitious gun anyway, right? More to the point, the gun was very comfortable, and almost too maneuverable for my taste. No bit loss there, but with the silencer on it, I discovered the balance to be juuust right. Then I tried loading up a G&P 150rd, then a Marui 70rd. They just didn't go on without a hassle. The grip was a little bit too long, so I decided: forget it.
Next I tried the shorter NC Star Vertical foregrip: and without the adjustable wheel on bottom, I was able to add/remove the AK [30rd Real Steel] mags. It still wasn't all that easy, but it was a lot more practical. Still, I decided the foregrip looked doofy so far forward on the gun.
That's when it occurred to me: I need a silencer. I immediately cannibalized it off my M4A1, and since Marui was awesome enough to have the compensator be a 14mm neg, it fit right on. This is when I decided the gun was sexy. With a 600rd mag, the NC Star foregrip and the viciously effective Marui pro silencer, This thing was a sight to behold, and very comfortable to hold, the slighty back-heaviness form the full stock and short length, is immediately resolved, and the overall package looks extremely nice.
Also, the stock screws suck. I don't consider this major, but make sure they stay in. It would be bad if the stock fell off, though the three are fairly redundant.
If they do fall out, any hardware store has the correct metric size, but they do suck. I replaced all mine with Stainless steel ones, and I'd recommend everybody do the same
Final Impressions:
While my final package is an extremely nice one, with the longer mag, vertical grip and of course, the elegant Marui Knight's Pro Silencer (it seriously looks better on the Spetz than on the M4A1), It still didn't suit my needs as well as I had hoped.
For what they were doing, Marui succeeded completely: a compact AK with huge battery life, that looks very nice and lives up to the stratospheric standards of Tokyo Marui AEGs.
I would have liked a more real, version, or a better rail system. Though the aftermarket ones are nice, that adds a lot of cost.
I really wish Marui would come out with some more AKs, especially the AK74-SU, since they wouldn't be substantially different from the AK47-S.
Still, altogether this is a fine airsoft gun, and if you're intending to use a short carbine, with lots of great looks, great battery life, and want Marui durability, this is the gun. Period.
Pros:
It's a Marui AK: shoots great, lasts forever
Battery capacity: Full stock is awesome
Short: for CQB, this is the perfect lenth
Looks: Excellent black and grey finish. Phenomenal with the Marui silencer
All the Marui details: improved compensator, bolt, and quality selector
Cons:
It's Fake
Short barrel means the mid-long range accuracy blows
Poor underbarrel rail
Pain-in-the-ass stock
Vertical Foregrip + 70/150/600rd Mag = no worky
Looks: 8.5/10
Feel: 8.5
Performance: 8.5/10
Durability: 10/10
Versatility: 8/10
Overall: 8.75/10
Any questions, comments, complaints, or fart jokes may be sent to:
TehLlama
dcappel@gmail.com
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Veritech Squad
Registered: November 2006
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Posts: 724
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Review Date: Fri September 14, 2007
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $220.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Rubber Grip, Compact, Metal, Marui's Quality
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Cons:
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Nonexistent Rifle, Accuracy
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I had bought mine from somebody on a local forum, used.
Chrono- Around 285-290. It fires at about 14 rps.
Accuracy- It honestly could be a bit better. Get the hopup dialed in, and it will perform fine for short to mid ranges. Anything past 150 feet and you're just spraying and praying. At 150, you should be going for chest shots, as that's about all you'll get.
Build- It's a Tokyo Marui, so it is very high quality. The metal on the reciever is very nice. Marked on the gun is the ASGK Logo, along with Marui's Trade.
All in all, it is a very nice rifle. Get the hopup dialed in perfectly, and you'll have an excellent gun. Hopup seems to be very important with this gun. A tightbore may be a good idea, especially if you were to have it extend into a silencer.
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