What is your experience with VFC M4's?
 

I'm thinking of getting the M4 ES Recon by VFC and I was wondering what your past experience with VFC was.

Is it a reliable brand?

Built solid?

Internals that provide results for a long time?

Etc...Etc

So what can you tell me about them or suggest?

http://i44.tinypic.com/29kte9y.png

Yes yes yes.

It's a great brand. The only problems I have ever seen was on one gun (out of many) where the motor connector was loose and slipped out and the gun stopped firing. Easily fixed by bending the connector back so that it sat tight on the motor leads. I've seen pistons on occasion strip. I think some hop up buckings are bad but it may have just been part of a bad batch (and really it's like a $5 part and easily installed, all you have to do is take the upper off and install a new bucking).

Other than that I can't think of anything bad that will break.

Solid externals, solid internals, and reliable as hell.

If G&P would fix their gear posts and up their quality control a bit they'd be good competition for VFC.

Otherwise whether it's stock or an upgrade platform, VFC is the way to go these days

I have gone through a few of the so-so brands like G&G, g&P, bETA PROJECT on various platforms. I used to buy a gun, not like how it would perform, or not like how "solid" it was and sell it. I got around to buying a VFC m4. I dont really like M4's for there looks, but since then i havent sold it yet. Got it stolen, then ended up buying the same gun since i like the performance and reliability so much. Getting an extra upper receiver built so i can use my m4 for 2 different styles of games.

I am now dead set on VFC as a brand. Sure if i had the retarded amount of funds that some of the folks out there have, i would venture in the PTW world, but i dont, and im a plug and play type of guy.

I would say VFC is in the top for sure in the price range it is.

Thanks for the input guys. There seems to be little to no negatives about VFC so I guess i'll take your guys word and go ahead and get the Recon! I'll make a new thread once i've used the gun at least once with my thoughts on it.

Last M4 was a Classic Army and it was mehhh....

Love my Socom Gear Noveske to death (made by vfc). Sadly I cant comment on the gearbox reliability, since I changed everything inside with upgrade parts lol

VFC externals are amazing. Internalls are alright.

My only gripe with VFC is their stock transparent piston that usually fails when using an 11.1v lipo. This is a very small gripe considering everything else (I usually even salvage the stock piston head putting it on a lonex piston.

That's probably what it is.... Thinking about it whenever I see a stripped VFC piston I'm pretty sure the users held the trigger down for long bursts of fire and/or were using 11.1's. Don't think I've ever seen a 7.4V user have those kinds of problems unless they were abusing the gun.

I have a 10.8, Do you see that causing issue?

I'm suprised nobody mentioned the self shimming gears... I for one leave them in. Never had one break and they seem to be decent quality albeit alittle louder than the standard gear. I'm all about economy.

Over time, yes.
Everything has a service life. Polycarbonate is a poor material choice for a piston.

Then can anybody recommend and link a good piston I could replace the stock one with?

SHS 14 tooth

You should buy the gun and use it first.

But the current popular choices are SHS and Lonex.

+1

My VFC builds are always based on economical performance and reliability, using as many of the stock parts as possible. I will leave my formula below for future reference.

With VFC you are usually lucky and get a nice neo motor as stock. Assuming you do the only things I do to VFC guns are as follows:

+ Lonex piston (put the stock VFC head on it) - shave off last tooth and a half.
+ Sorbo pad to correct AOE
+ Swap bucking for a PDI-WHOLD
+ Cheap reliable MERF mosfet
+ Re-wire with milspec tefflon and add deans
+ 11.1v lipo

Pretty cheap and economical build, and Stealth sells all the parts.