Star M249 (UPDATE)
 

Instead of bring up the the 2 month old STAR M249 topic I decided to start a new one

The instruction manual for the M249 is up and from the plans the battery is in the boxmag and the wiring is run parallel to the BB feeding tube.

Price will run at: $645 US with "2500Rd Synchronicity Box MAG"

The weight maybe mislabeled but both the MKII & Para weigh in at 3.3Kgs and thats light compaired to the CA M249s which weigh twice as much but STAR used zinc alloy instead of steel.

Manual For M249 MKII:
Page 1: http://www.starairsoft.com/Large/SAA_M249_MK2_7A_LL.jpg
Page 2: http://www.starairsoft.com/Large/SAA_M249_MK2_7B_LL.jpg
Page 3: http://www.starairsoft.com/Large/SAA_M249_MK2_7C_LL.jpg
Page 4: http://www.starairsoft.com/Large/SAA_M249_MK2_7D_LL.jpg
Page 5: http://www.starairsoft.com/Large/SAA_M249_MK2_7E_LL.jpg
Page 6: http://www.starairsoft.com/Large/SAA_M249_MK2_7F_LL.jpg
Source: http://starairsoft.com/S_AEG_03.htm

Manual For M249 PARA:
Page 1: http://www.starairsoft.com/Large/SAA_M249_MK2_2A_LL.jpg
Page 2: http://www.starairsoft.com/Large/SAA_M249_MK2_2B_LL.jpg
Page 3: http://www.starairsoft.com/Large/SAA_M249_MK2_2C_LL.jpg
Page 4: http://www.starairsoft.com/Large/SAA_M249_MK2_2D_LL.jpg
Page 5: http://www.starairsoft.com/Large/SAA_M249_MK2_2E_LL.jpg
Page 6: http://www.starairsoft.com/Large/SAA_M249_MK2_2F_LL.jpg
Source: http://starairsoft.com/S_AEG_04.htm

I do believe STAR can't spell INTERIOR

Clear Gearbox: Stock Low-Mid 300s?
Red Gearbox: Max FPS 400?
Yellow Gearbox: CQB Mid-High FPS in the 200s?

-_-
 

Hopefully there won't be any problems with the gun at version 1 like CA.

i hope they turn out good.

what kind of strength have zinc alloy compaired to steal, or alluminum. its nice to have a full metal gun, but if it's weaker then plasitic then hmm.

*looks at the price*
*thinks of what L85A2 might cost*
*cries*

At that price, I would definately consider it. A LMG under $1000 is pretty good. Hopefully quality is decent.

yeah toobad it'll probably pass the 1K mark by the time it gets here, but what's the price compare to the CA in US$?

Well, here's some food for thought.

The MSRP from STAR on their web site for the UMP is $385 USD.

http://starairsoft.com/List.htm

WGC sells the STAR UMP (pre-order) for $280 USD. War 4 has the same price, as well as Boom Arms.

So that would be about 73% of MSRP. One could extrapolate that WGC will sell it for around the same ratio, so around $470 USD???

In addition, Aqua was able to get the UMP for 42,000 Yen, so that comes reasonably close to the $385 MSRP.

This reasoning doesn't always work though. Maybe the $385 MSRP is an error, as it's not on the actual product page. Also, Echigoya International jacked the price of the UMP to $500 US. About a 30% increase from the MSRP. They also sell the STAR M14 for $800, a 12% increase on the MSRP of $712.

In the end, I'm optimistic that it will be within 30% of the MSRP + the markups from the Canadian retailers.

if the stated weight of 3.3kg is correct...well, my interest stops right there! regardless of price.

Pussy

That's half the weight of the real one. (7.1 kg... not including ammo)

we can do a group order of UTG cement blocks to up the weight...

Exactly, it only weighs half.

I'd want my gun to be a hand-cannon :-)

I dont think they meant Interior Mechbox. I think they mean Inferior mech as in one for CQB. Actually nvm interior could mean that too i guess.

well a US retailer has it for $598
http://www.evike.com/Merchant2/merch...y_Code=PRESALE

so i'm guessing close to 1k when its in canada

Evike.. they're the same ones that are painting a TM AK gold and selling it for $500, don't go by their prices for your estimate

You cam weigh down the MKII by puting some lead weights in the stock and some more in the handguard and just in the handguard for the PARA but thats only if there is room to do that.

You can expect the Star M249 to cost about $1200ish.

$1200ish? Damn, that's a lot of money. If only there was a Canadian distributor for STAR airsoft, who could get these (and other STAR airsoft products) in for us, for say... oh I dunno... $730ish??

$1200 is more realistic due to shipping and customs and dealer markup. $730 is a pipe dream. $900 would be nice but still...

Found a video from Guarder's website showing the installation of Star's plastic gearbox into the M249.

http://www.starairsoft.com/Video/M249A.wmv

Congrats, but it was already on the Star site for a long while.

Oops, I nevered visited Star's website, was browsing through Guarders website and found this which might be of interest to some.

I guess this could be good for the people who haven't seen the video yet.

^^
 

The M249 Para and SAW version is out at www.airsoftgi.com :p
I wanna get it hahaha

they sold out of the para in the uk already and they only can out yesterday and they are almost out of the SAW as well.

Someone buy one and post a review

they've now completely sold out in the uk ..apparentely they got put on the website this morning and sold out of both versions by this afternoon...
to be truthfull we are all pretty eager for a review on these..as soon as i get one or even get a sniff at a review i'll post a link here for it..
also were pretty eager to get the first sa80's from star also

there is a review on http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forum...howtopic=37077

http://www.ukasc.net/pics/starmag1.jpg

new mags from star

Wow. I dunno if I like the fact that it has it's own "special" connector for the feed tube and battery connection....

Why not? On the box mag you already have one tube for the BB's anyhow why not have a specific one for the power.

ON my m249 I would of loved that. I had small connectors I had to undo all the time. This would be a lot more convenient.

Link of Fake bullets hides them anyhow.

Because it precludes you from using anything but the Star box mag. I guess for most people that was deemed to be plenty, but I plan on stuffing my LBV full of M16 mags so I'm glad the CA has the option. In fact, the CA249 comes standard with a 300-round M16 hicap rather than the box mag.

Another point to consider is the proprietary connection system provides another potential failure point. With a Tamiya, Deans, or Power Pole connector you can replace it easily should it fail. Can't do that with contact pads.

CA M249 is made out of a lot of pot metal (zinc alloy stuff) and isn't infallible. Watch out for the body hinge that the top cover attaches to. I repaired a broken off tab last night, works like a charm.

I am sure anybody who wants to change the connection you can if you wanted. And yeah if you want to use Armalite mags your hooped.

though I never do anyhow.

well on canadian airsoft they have the m249 para coming in soon for 799.00 canadian,so thats a pretty good deal I think if the thing is of decent quality. http://www.canadianairsoft.ca/ViewItem.php?ItemID=254

it arrived today and i got to play around with it a bit and learn the ins and outs of it. quite a neat unit.

Do they have plans on getting just the regular SAW model? If so, will it run for the same price?

i have no idea. e-mail them and see. oh yeah i forgot to add that it comes with a solid red plastic flashider as well as a black flashider.

And an M16 mag in a M249 would last what 10 seconds. Prepare to reeeeload

Sustained fire? Much less than 10 ;-)

Well consider this. A real m249 shoots about 12 shots a sec with a Belt. Now supposedly it will fire even at a higher ROF using a 30 RD mag since it doesn't have to use energy to feed the belt.

How much faster? I don't know. Lets just says 14 shots a sec. so a 30 rd mag in a m249 fired in one burst should take oh 2.1 seconds. LOL

Airsoft ofcourse will be different but many times in Airsoft guns ROF are even made higher. But ofcourse you have over double the rounds being 68. But even still 68 rounds would last a matter of seconds on full auto. :-)

But anyhow I just ordered that M249 so I will have it next week. Let ya guys know about it more then.

But there is already a great Thread on Arnies about it.

http://www.canadianairsoft.ca/ViewItem.php?ItemID=254

If you don't mind waiting a Bit talk to Grim Fandango

I think he might be bringing some in.