McAfee SECURE sites help keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams
FacebookMyspaceTwitterYouTubeConstant ContactAirsoft Safety Foundation

Reviews - VFC AKS 74UN

Airsoft Extreme Review of the VFC AKS74UN DX

The VFC AKS74UN is the first general production electric gun from VFC, also known as GBTech. GBTech is a small but well-established airsoft company in Taiwan and they are renown for making extremely realistic (and extremely expensive) ultra-high quality airsoft reproduction parts and accessories. Many of their highly unique products are often copied by other Airsoft companies in Asia but with much less detailed authenticity and precision. Naturally, we were curious to see if their first effort at producing an AEG would live up to not only their reputation for authenticity in appearance and materials but also for reliability and durability befitting of such a genuine reproduction.

VFC is will be offering 2 models of the AKS74UN. The gun we are reviewing is a production sample of the DX model of VFC AKS74UN. The features of this gun, as offered by the manufacturer, are:

* Real Wood Handguard
* Each gun has its own Unique Serial Number (Marked on Lower Receiver, Receiver Cover, Upper Handguard Rear Cap, Bolt Handle )
* All Steel Construction with CED Coating
* Side Mount Plate for Mounting Optics
* 150Rds Double Stack Magazine
* Able to carry up to 12V stick type battery
* 7mm Bushing Gearbox
* EG1300 High Performance Motor

The other model, the AKS74UN STD will use plastic imitation wood grips and will not have unique serial numbers. We broke this review down like all of our other reviews for better reading.

Appearance

Previously, the closest you can get to an Airsoft version of this gun is to purchase the Guarder AKS74U steel kit. The suggested retail price for that kit alone was a whopping US$1050 (street price was about US$800-900) and you still had to assemble it onto a Tokyo Marui AK47S which had to be purchased separately. The overall look and feel of the VFC AKS74UN is almost identical to

The finish differences are barely noticeable and neither lack realism in appearance. The VFC AKS74UN has a slightly shinier finish to the metal than the Guarder kit and the wood is lighter and more reddish finish. The dimensions are identical and the weight is virtually the same with the VFC model being just a few ounces lighter than the assembled Guarder kit. Both models’ steel side folding stocks are extremely durable, fold just like the real thing, and lock on the metal body. The VFC pistol grip made of a nylon type ABS and has a nice checkered pattern to give it a nice feel. The gun comes with an orange AK-74 style magazine that holds about 130 BB’s.

The VFC AKS assembly is very similar to a Tokyo Marui AK in a Guarder Kit with only a few minor differences. If you are familiar with the Guarder Kit, you will have no problem with the feel and design of this gun. The one obvious difference is the actual fake bolt. Unlike the Tokyo Marui AK, the fake bolt can be pulled back like on the G&G RK104 or the real gun. The bad thing is that the bolt doesn’t like to stay on its rail when you’re manipulating it without a battery in the gun and it may fall into the empty battery cavity.

The selector lever is similar to the Guarder Kit and not like a Marui. There is no Phillips screw that holds it in place. The actual button screws into the receiver. The selector feels a bit mushy but as long as the screw is tightened it isn’t a problem to select any fire modes.

A very distinctive detail that is rather nice is the matching and unique serial number on the gun’s lower receiver, receiver cover, upper hand guard rear cap and bolt handle. This feature is exclusive to the DX model.

The gun has a built in side mounted AK scope mount for a Dragunov type scope.

The rear sights flip between two different settings shown in the pictures. On the real gun, one is for precision or long range shooting and the other is for close range shooting.

The hop up unit is located in the same familiar place as all other AK variants. The lever feels a bit flimsy and we could see it breaking if too much force is applied. The hop up unit and barrel free float in the receiver on a small plastic block and the barrel has a spring which forces the hop up unit into the gearbox for a proper air seal.

The fuse is totally different from any other AEG on the market (except Systema). It is a 25A automotive fuse rather than the normal 15A type fuses we have seen in the past.

Take Down

Removing the upper hand guards from the AK is different from other airsoft AK’s on the market. The receiver cover must be opened and a small retention pin retracts into the upper receiver to allow the upper hand guard to slide up and off the gun.

Once the upper handguard is removed, the lower hand guard can unlock and slide forward and off the gun. It is not necessary to remove the handguards to get into the gearbox or the barrel but, nonetheless, it is a neat feature.

Removing the gearbox is a very simple operation for this gun. The hop up unit and barrel do not need to be removed. Simply take the pistol grip off, the selector switch and remove the fake bolt and spring from the gun. The upper receiver cover doesn’t need to be removed either, it is spring loaded and pops open and will not fall down on your fingers. Push the hop up unit forward to allow the nozzle to clear the hop up chamber. Then lift the gearbox from the gun.

Performance

Out of the box, the prototype we received fired 340 fps with a 0.20g BB (using Toytec BB’s). With an 8.4v source it had a nice rate of fire of about 600-700 rounds per minute and draws 15-16 AMPS on full auto. The gun fires smoothly and sounds great. There are no whining gear sounds, or crunchy motor noises, just a nice clean report as the BB’s fire down range. The gun also feeds and performs great with all brands of AK hicaps and standards including the 130 round magazine that the gun comes with. The gun comes with an “EG1300” motor. EG1300 is a GB Tech designation only and in no way directly related to Tokyo Marui motor designations. In our test model, the motor wires were a bit loose and shook off during firing. It was easily fixed by crimping the connectors a bit tighter. I did not notice a difference in sound or rate of fire with this compared to TM motors. However, after extensive test firing of several thousand rounds, the motor started sounding funny as if it were going to die. We won’t know if this red flag was an exception unique to our test gun until the guns hit the market and are extensively used by their owners. We installed a CA 170% spring and the performance results were the same as if it was stock. Stock compression was decent and the gearbox was lubed pretty well with plenty of white lithium type grease.

The piston head is aluminum and has vented holes just like a Systema type piston head but is not as well-finished as a Systema piston head.

The gears seem like they are steel and are comparable in appearance to a Classic Army gearset.

The spring guide looks like a normal version 3 and it is made of a white type of plastic. Again, we will not know long term durability until it is tested extensively.

Here is a good look at the nozzle and cylinder head.

The top rib of the gearbox holds the wires in place.

The battery compartment is big enough to house a long 9,6v 1500mah NiCad Stick battery, the longest stick battery we carry! This gun will be able to hold plenty of juice for all day play and be able to handle reasonable power upgrades without battery capacity problems. Other 9.6v stick batteries fit no problem and would perform quite well in this gun. We would recommend using the 9.6v 1200 NiMH battery.

Conclusion

Overall, we found the VFC AKS74UN DX a very impressive gun for any manufacturer, much more from one that is new to the AEG game. It is perfect for those who are fans of the AK family of weapons, who seek an effective and high quality, compact, and easy to carry weapon, and for collectors. It offers incredible features and material quality previously unavailable from an out of box gun at a great price. Despite some minor concerns, the performance out of the box is more than acceptable. There are no mods needed with this gun unless you just want more power. Right out of the box is a maxed out version of the best little AK you can get your hands on. We were impressed enough with it that we acquired the entire US allotment of this gun from the manufacturer.
Copyright © 2013 ::: Airsoft Extreme :::.
Parse Time: 1.384 - Number of Queries: 135 - Query Time: 1.3019949221649