[Zack The Ripper]

It really depends on a few things.

Certain brands use proprietary parts which sometimes are a bit better, but compatibility and pricing are usually a problem.

It also depends on what kind of platform you are going with, whether it be an M4/M16, AK series, SMG, or other models like SCARs, Bullpup style, etc. These all have their own pros and cons ranging from battery space to compatibility with other parts and accessories.

I've always liked M4 platforms because you can find many decent stock M4 models with solid externals and decent internals that you easily upgrade. AKs are on the same level IMO as there is alot of part interchangeability between brands. SCARs are generally made with solid internals and out of the box generally need very little, if anything, done to them. However, to my knowledge there are some spec differences between brands that may limit certain parts being usable in one model whereas it may not be usable in another. This is just an example. Personally for me, G&G makes great guns for out-of-the-box play, and all of their rifles have great external quality. I have held and played around with several different models and they are all very solid, even the ones comprised of polymer bodies, which is rare to find. I personally own a G7G SCAR-L, and the only thing done to it is the hop-up rubber was replaced with a brand new G7G rubber, has a tight bore barrel, and has the connectors changed to deans. Polymer lower and an aluminum upper; this thing has been tossed and dropped more times than I'd care to remember, and after a year of play and probably 20k+ BBs through it the only thing that has ever broken inside it was the tiny little trigger spring, which simply required replacing and $2.00 for the spring itself. The thing is a laser. Total for the base model is $460 I believe.

If you want a lower end gun to upgrade very inexpensively, CYMA's AK are all beasts out of the box and require as little as a shim job, TBB if you want it and maybe a different hop-up if you're super picky, however my CYMA AK was a laser as well and the only things done to it was I downgraded the spring because it shot hot, changed it to deans, and had the gear box shimmed. Tight groups and a veeery long distance. Total for that one was $230.

This is a good comparison because both guns have about the same range and grouping size, same RoF, and overall the same performance, yet there is a 50% difference in price. Because the SCAR is a less common build and contains full FN Herschel trades, it costs more, but performs very similarly to a slightly upgraded CYMA AK. It's a tricky pick, and again, goes back to what platform you would want to use, and if you are willing to put $50 into it to fine tune things.