How are A&K airsoft guns?
 

Are they good guns or just cheapos?

i haven't heard anything about them. i vaguely remember hearing (it might have been about A&K) that they were shit. if you are on a budget, get a JG, or even better, an ECHO-1. if you have more money, get a TM or CA, but plan on replacing the piston head and hopup rubber right away.

I heard the A&K M14 loses semi-auto real fast. Go over to Arnies Airsoft or Airsoft Retreat for reviews on China guns. Only recently have china guns in Canada reached a quality that justifies the price, so you won't find many reviews of them here.

The 249 I keep hearing about being really good for the price of a standard AEG.

yeah I believe their 249 is good.

Their 249 is crap, The body is on par with STAR M249s, the only upside to it from the STAR 249 is that the A&K boasts the same gearbox shell as the CA249.
The metal it's constructed from is about as reliable as TM plastic.

Why would I need to replace the piston head and hop-up rubber not long after getting a TM or a CA?

I could confirm, A&K is good quality for is price!! Have sold a few of them... And every time I was amaze for is quality!

no, only on a CA, and that is because those parts on a CA are known to fail rather frequently. TM is generally known for good to go outta the box with a less likely chance of getting a lemon than CA brand guns.