Post by triggs (FAH) on Aug 20, 2010 19:27:10 GMT -5
This is a VERY quick overview of the various types and brands of the numerous Accuracy International variants available, I will be attempting to keep it up-to-date if possible.
The most common form of the Accuracy International is the L96A1, but there are also the larger AW .338 variants available.
AGM L96A1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = Maruzen Type96 Clone
Price: $80 - $100
FPS: 450 - 500
Mags: Proprietary AGM L96 low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- Cheap starter bolt action sniper rifle
- Consistent spring powered bolt action
Con’s:
- Low quality internals that break very quickly with the stock FPS
- Low quality externals that also break easily with little use
- While it is a Maruzen Type96 clone, key parts are proprietary so upgrades are limited
- Unrealistic magazine and magwell location in comparison to the real L96
The AGM L96 is a cheap starter sniper rifle, and that’s where it ends. The low quality internals break or wear out quickly, and replacements cannot always be bought. Stock accuracy is abysmal with a maximum range of around 100ft, well within the range of a stock AEG.
ARES AW .338 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = Original Design
Price: $550 - $600
FPS: 450 - 550
Mags: Proprietary ARES AW .338 gas low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- One of two companies to actually produce the big-brother to the L96
- Bolt pull is slighter than a spring based rifle due to the use of a gas bolt
Con’s:
- ARES quality is questionable, with many of their products using proprietary parts and early failure due to low quality parts
- Gas based systems fluctuate with the weather conditions, and will not function well in colder weather
ARES manufactures a rare version of the L96, unfortunately the price is extremely high, and out-of-the-box like most sniper rifles the accuracy is no better than most stock AEG’s which puts the user at an extreme disadvantage. Coupled with ARES quality, makes the rifle an expensive wall hanger and not a skirmish ready replica.
Double Eagle (DE) L96A1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = Maruzen Type96 Clone
Price: $120 - $140
FPS: 430 - 460
Mags: Unknown (possibly Warrior 1/WELL L96 low-cap mags)
Pro’s:
- None
- Consistent spring powered bolt action
Con’s:
- Unknown manufacture and compatibility, this rifle is most likely a Warrior 1/WELL L96 copy but it is unknown
Double Eagle is not known for quality airsoft replicas. The L96 is a new product and relatively cheap, but not as cheap as some. If it is indeed a WELL L96 clone or rebrand internal upgrades exist, but stock the rifle will most likely have a maximum range of around 100ft, which like most is well within AEG’s stock ranges.
G&G L96A1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = Original Design
Price: $360 - $400
FPS: 480 - 550
Mags: Proprietary G&G L96 low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- G&G quality is well known, this is the first gas rifle and first BASR G&G has offered
- Readily available replacement parts from G&G Original Equipment Manufacture
Con’s:
- New to the market so there can be many issues with upgrades and quality
- Unknown what level of upgrade compatibility
G&G is generally a quality airsoft manufacture. The L96 is their first step in another area beside AEG’s. Unfortunately it hasn’t been available long, so upgrades may not be compatible, and the base rifle quality is questionable.
Maruzen L96A1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = Original Design
Price: $350 - $390
FPS: 280 - 300
Mags: Maruzen APS Type96 low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- The original Type96, with plenty of upgrades available
- Quality internals that will last an extremely long period of time
- Consistent spring powered bolt action
Con’s:
- No longer in production and extremely difficult to find
Maruzen originally designed the Type96 (L96) and the stock quality is second only to the rare Tanaka L96. Unfortunately the rifle has been out of production for some time and is extremely hard to find. Fortunately upgrades abound, but are also difficult to locates, especially within the US.
Tanaka L96A1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = Original Design
Price: $140 - $160
FPS: 500 - 600
Mags: Proprietary Tanaka M700 AICS (L96) low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- The best of the best, the legendary Tanaka M700 AICS also known as the L96
- Japanese quality
- Hard shooting and accurate gas based bolt action
- Early models had the Power Control System (PCS) bolt which allowed for adjustable FPS
Con’s:
- Nearly impossible to find in the US
- Out of production for some time, replacement parts are hard to find in-stock
The Tanaka M700 AICS has been out of production and is nearly
impossible to find, especially with the rare PCS bolt. However, it is extremely high quality and reliable with the gas based bolt. Unfortunately replacement and upgrade parts are nearly impossible to find.
TSD L96A1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = AGM Rebrand
Price: $140 - $160
FPS: 450 - 500
Mags: Proprietary AGM L96 low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- Same as AGM
Con’s:
- Same as AGM
TSD is one of the few rebrand companies, and simply rebrands the AGM sniper rifle. The pro’s are the same as are the con’s. Like the AGM, the TSD has extremely low accuracy out of the box, and upgrades are somewhat limited.
UTG L96A1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = WELL Rebrand
Price: $140 - $160
FPS: 450 - 500
Mags: Proprietary WELL L96 low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- Same as WELL
Con’s:
- Same as WELL
UTG is one of the few rebrand companies, and simply rebrands the WELL sniper rifle. The pro’s are the same as are the con’s. Like the WELL, the UTG has extremely low accuracy out of the box, but unlike the TSD, the UTG/WELL/Warrior 1 is fully upgradable with Maruzen Type96 upgrades
WELL/Warrior 1 L96A/G22/AW .338 1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = Maruzen Type96 Clone
Price: $140 - $300
FPS: 450 - 500
Mags: Various proprietary WELL L96 low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- Many L96 variants including the larger AW .338 version, as well as an odd variant known as the G22
- Both gas and spring versions of the 3 models available
- The L96/G22 spring are 100% upgradable with Maruzen Type96 internals
Con’s:
- Well internal quality is questionable with the spring based systems have early failures due to cheap internals
- The L96/G22 use a mix of Type96 and APS2 internals and requires experience and research to install or purchase
WELL is not a brand known for quality, their original line of L96’s are known to be particularly low quality. The G22 is a newer addition and is about the same internally. The AW .338 is much newer addition and long term quality is unknown, but initial reviews have been positive (like most reviews are). The gas based rifles may or may not be of a higher quality. However even with all of this, the stock accuracy is abysmal with a max range of somewhere around 130ft, like most stock sniper rifles, well within any stock AEG’s range. Unlike most however, the WELL/Warrior 1/UTG makes for a decent starting point.
The most common form of the Accuracy International is the L96A1, but there are also the larger AW .338 variants available.
AGM L96A1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = Maruzen Type96 Clone
Price: $80 - $100
FPS: 450 - 500
Mags: Proprietary AGM L96 low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- Cheap starter bolt action sniper rifle
- Consistent spring powered bolt action
Con’s:
- Low quality internals that break very quickly with the stock FPS
- Low quality externals that also break easily with little use
- While it is a Maruzen Type96 clone, key parts are proprietary so upgrades are limited
- Unrealistic magazine and magwell location in comparison to the real L96
The AGM L96 is a cheap starter sniper rifle, and that’s where it ends. The low quality internals break or wear out quickly, and replacements cannot always be bought. Stock accuracy is abysmal with a maximum range of around 100ft, well within the range of a stock AEG.
ARES AW .338 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = Original Design
Price: $550 - $600
FPS: 450 - 550
Mags: Proprietary ARES AW .338 gas low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- One of two companies to actually produce the big-brother to the L96
- Bolt pull is slighter than a spring based rifle due to the use of a gas bolt
Con’s:
- ARES quality is questionable, with many of their products using proprietary parts and early failure due to low quality parts
- Gas based systems fluctuate with the weather conditions, and will not function well in colder weather
ARES manufactures a rare version of the L96, unfortunately the price is extremely high, and out-of-the-box like most sniper rifles the accuracy is no better than most stock AEG’s which puts the user at an extreme disadvantage. Coupled with ARES quality, makes the rifle an expensive wall hanger and not a skirmish ready replica.
Double Eagle (DE) L96A1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = Maruzen Type96 Clone
Price: $120 - $140
FPS: 430 - 460
Mags: Unknown (possibly Warrior 1/WELL L96 low-cap mags)
Pro’s:
- None
- Consistent spring powered bolt action
Con’s:
- Unknown manufacture and compatibility, this rifle is most likely a Warrior 1/WELL L96 copy but it is unknown
Double Eagle is not known for quality airsoft replicas. The L96 is a new product and relatively cheap, but not as cheap as some. If it is indeed a WELL L96 clone or rebrand internal upgrades exist, but stock the rifle will most likely have a maximum range of around 100ft, which like most is well within AEG’s stock ranges.
G&G L96A1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = Original Design
Price: $360 - $400
FPS: 480 - 550
Mags: Proprietary G&G L96 low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- G&G quality is well known, this is the first gas rifle and first BASR G&G has offered
- Readily available replacement parts from G&G Original Equipment Manufacture
Con’s:
- New to the market so there can be many issues with upgrades and quality
- Unknown what level of upgrade compatibility
G&G is generally a quality airsoft manufacture. The L96 is their first step in another area beside AEG’s. Unfortunately it hasn’t been available long, so upgrades may not be compatible, and the base rifle quality is questionable.
Maruzen L96A1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = Original Design
Price: $350 - $390
FPS: 280 - 300
Mags: Maruzen APS Type96 low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- The original Type96, with plenty of upgrades available
- Quality internals that will last an extremely long period of time
- Consistent spring powered bolt action
Con’s:
- No longer in production and extremely difficult to find
Maruzen originally designed the Type96 (L96) and the stock quality is second only to the rare Tanaka L96. Unfortunately the rifle has been out of production for some time and is extremely hard to find. Fortunately upgrades abound, but are also difficult to locates, especially within the US.
Tanaka L96A1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = Original Design
Price: $140 - $160
FPS: 500 - 600
Mags: Proprietary Tanaka M700 AICS (L96) low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- The best of the best, the legendary Tanaka M700 AICS also known as the L96
- Japanese quality
- Hard shooting and accurate gas based bolt action
- Early models had the Power Control System (PCS) bolt which allowed for adjustable FPS
Con’s:
- Nearly impossible to find in the US
- Out of production for some time, replacement parts are hard to find in-stock
The Tanaka M700 AICS has been out of production and is nearly
impossible to find, especially with the rare PCS bolt. However, it is extremely high quality and reliable with the gas based bolt. Unfortunately replacement and upgrade parts are nearly impossible to find.
TSD L96A1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = AGM Rebrand
Price: $140 - $160
FPS: 450 - 500
Mags: Proprietary AGM L96 low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- Same as AGM
Con’s:
- Same as AGM
TSD is one of the few rebrand companies, and simply rebrands the AGM sniper rifle. The pro’s are the same as are the con’s. Like the AGM, the TSD has extremely low accuracy out of the box, and upgrades are somewhat limited.
UTG L96A1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = WELL Rebrand
Price: $140 - $160
FPS: 450 - 500
Mags: Proprietary WELL L96 low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- Same as WELL
Con’s:
- Same as WELL
UTG is one of the few rebrand companies, and simply rebrands the WELL sniper rifle. The pro’s are the same as are the con’s. Like the WELL, the UTG has extremely low accuracy out of the box, but unlike the TSD, the UTG/WELL/Warrior 1 is fully upgradable with Maruzen Type96 upgrades
WELL/Warrior 1 L96A/G22/AW .338 1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle (BASR) = Maruzen Type96 Clone
Price: $140 - $300
FPS: 450 - 500
Mags: Various proprietary WELL L96 low-cap mag
Pro’s:
- Many L96 variants including the larger AW .338 version, as well as an odd variant known as the G22
- Both gas and spring versions of the 3 models available
- The L96/G22 spring are 100% upgradable with Maruzen Type96 internals
Con’s:
- Well internal quality is questionable with the spring based systems have early failures due to cheap internals
- The L96/G22 use a mix of Type96 and APS2 internals and requires experience and research to install or purchase
WELL is not a brand known for quality, their original line of L96’s are known to be particularly low quality. The G22 is a newer addition and is about the same internally. The AW .338 is much newer addition and long term quality is unknown, but initial reviews have been positive (like most reviews are). The gas based rifles may or may not be of a higher quality. However even with all of this, the stock accuracy is abysmal with a max range of somewhere around 130ft, like most stock sniper rifles, well within any stock AEG’s range. Unlike most however, the WELL/Warrior 1/UTG makes for a decent starting point.
