tm m4a1 vs ca m15 a4

[tjfast55]

Im very undecided on both these guns, ive ownded a ca sd6 before, absolutly loved it but I'd like to get a "bigger" gun this time, but cant decided between these two guns, other then the ca being lighter, fully metal and a little more money, I can't tell the difference (im leaning towards the ca) Any sugestions??


cheers!
Travis.

[The Acer]

tm = plastic body, excellent internals
ca = metal body, crappy internals, (from what people have said)
ics = metal body, decent internals

feel free to correct me if im wrong

[MestHead]

I'm pretty sure the CA's have decent internals but do not last as long and you are better off replacing some parts with better ones when you first get it.

[tjfast55]

I was really hoping nobody would bring up ics due to the price, dont get me wrong Im all for you get what you pay for, but thats alittle up there considering im going to be doing some big upgrades...anywho the tm bodies, how durable are they? im a big 220lb 6ft guy and throw myself around..used to play paintball for a few years and rocked an A-5 if that helps anyone??? Didnt break that at all.

[SHaKaL]

Didnt have any problems with my CA G36k and my CA33e but only had problems with my CA25 and CA SCAR. I guess it depend on the models you buy. Let just say my next gun wont be a CA...

[immortalundead]

id say go with the ca then, if your that rough with it, im pretty rough with mine, it feels so solid. people also always state that the internals suck, but so far, they have lasted nicely, and ive been playing only games during the winter, no problems so far.

[tjfast55]

I did have a hop up problem with my ca... hm, this is very insightful thanks guys

[The Saint]

It's cheaper to get a CA and start with a metal gun that *may* need a hopup bucking ($10) or piston ($20) replaced, than to get a TM and start with a plastic gun that definitely require a metal receiver ($90) AND metal bushings ($15).

[tjfast55]

That is also very true, I should get the old mastercard out of my hands before I due somthing I wont regret...

[Crunchmeister]

I had a TM M4A1 and have a CA M15A4 rifle. Externally speaking, the CA is miles ahead of the TM IMO, and not just for the metal body. The external details are superior, and it's a much stronger build.

Internally, I'd also say the CA is ahead of the TM. The mechbox is much stronger, it comes with metal bushings, and has a higher velocity out of the box. CA gears are also of much higher quality than stock TM.

I hear people claiming that the compression system in CA can wear out quickly. I put about 20 000 rounds through my rifle, and the only part that showed the slightest amount of wear was my tappet plate which was starting to wear where the nub on the sector gear connects with it. Otherwise, the guide, piston & head, cylinder head, and nozzle were all in what I would consider pristine condition. I replaced all the parts with new Systema parts to increase performance and durability, but IMO, there was no real reason to replace the stock parts. I also reolaced the hopup rubber with Systema, but I don't think that was necessary. I don't see a different with the new rubber.

As for TM, people do seem to have good luck with them. Mine had a snack on its own gears after 10 000 rounds. I replaced the gears and bushings and put in a slightly stronger spring (one the gun should have easily been able to handle) and I cracked my mechbox 200 rounds later.

In light of my experience, I'm avoiding TM completely now. I've even gone so far as to strip all the TM parts off my C8 and replace them with much better CA parts instead.

[ThunderCactus]

If your not rough on guns, buy the TM, the stock internals last a long time.
If you want a metal body, buy the CA, all you need to replace inside is the piston and tappet plate. And the mechbox shell IS stronger than the TM shell, which means you can bump up the fps. And they have good quality gears.
Don't buy an ICS gun, from my experience they're not compatible with most other company's parts. And they've been known to be 'demon' guns, as in it develops a problem that never goes away.

[The Acer]

Originally Posted by ThunderCactus

Don't buy an ICS gun, from my experience they're not compatible with most other company's parts. And they've been known to be 'demon' guns, as in it develops a problem that never goes away.

ive had this problem too with a metal spr front from dboys, but i heard that this was a problem with an older version which i had and the new version didnt have this problem

also the gearbox with ics is split, and hard to find replacement and (i'm not a 100% on this but) you have to have an ics gearbox there are no upgraded gearboxes
as for part internals, 100% compatible

as for the hand grip, not sure if u can change that, but no one is that picky about the hand grip

everything else should be fine for upgrade,
but i could be wrong on that one

[Rumpel Felt]

TM fanboyism really costs new poeple a lot of money.

Even IF, and I say IF, CA's internals were crap you'd still be much better off buying one because the build is far, FAR better than TM's cheasy plastic. Not that it's not worthy, but if you're gonna buy a gun that looks exactly like a real one, why would you tolerate a plasticy toy feel??

But this isn't the case. CA's internals are at least a worthy as TM's if not more so. I've owned I believe 5 CA guns now, and all were amazing and never fucked me over once. They felt way better, shot harder, felt sturdier and were a far better value than anything TM. TM is a rip off.

I've held my buddy's TM M4 and tried it out. It felt alright, but was still disoppointing. Then I got a CA M15 A4 Carbine (which I just sold)....and wow, the differences just don't stop. And they're all 100% positive. "Cept maybe the non-automatic opening dust cover. But that is actually annoying anyway because if you want to cock it to feel special, you'd have to close it again on the TM, not so with the CA.

[Omi-san]

IMHO, unless you get a TM S-System, there is no good reason to buy a Tokyo Marui M4/M16 AEG. There are simply too many better options out there.

.And they're all 100% positive. "Cept maybe the non-automatic opening dust cover. But that is actually annoying anyway because if you want to cock it to feel special, you'd have to close it again on the TM, not so with the CA.

The dust cover doesn't automatically close on the real steel. You can't blame TM for that one.

[Crunchmeister]

Originally Posted by Rumpel Felt

TM fanboyism really costs new poeple a lot of money.

Yup. Advice from TM fanboys is why I got the TM. And it turned out to be junk.

Originally Posted by m102404

Couple of guys already nailed it. If I had to start from scratch, knowing what I know now...

I'd buy the CA M15, reshim it, swap a couple of cheap parts and never look back... ... TM's value for a well put together plastic M4 has dropped quite a bit with the flood of "clones". Many of the recent clones are great value for your $

Man, ain't that the true. I bought my first 'real' AEG from azn_trixta07, and it was a TM M4. He STRONGLY recommended that instead I buy a cheaper JG he had, telling me the JG's quality and reliability was right up there with TM. I made a few posts in the forum, and had everyone telling me how JG was crap, get TM since they're reliable, last a long time, etc...

When I first got it, I was pretty impressed with it. However, about a week later, I received my M15 rifle from A&A, and it was really hard looking at my TM the same way again... Then shortly thereafter, the TM ate its gears, and that was the end of that.

Now that I have more experience with airsoft, I can guarantee that unless it's a superb deal for really cheap AEG, I will ALWAYS choose a JG over a TM if looking for a cheaper plastic gun. I have 2 JG guns, and IMO, they're superior to the TM. They're reliable, shoot great, and hit hard right out of the box. Yeah, the batteries are shitty, but I'm not gonna complain for the price. Batteries are fairly cheap, and with the money I saved over the TM, I'm still laughing.