G&G M4 ASG Pump Shotgun

Once upon a time, and not so very long ago, all airsoft replicas were ‘springers’, namely replicas that worked purely on the power of a spring action; one cocking action would give you one shot, then repeat. These days, of course, even the newest arrival to airsoft can avail themselves of Automatic Electric Guns, or Gas Blowback rifles or pistols. That is not in any way to say the days of the humble springer are over, though, as numerous manufacturers offer some superb bolt action ‘sniper’ rifles and some truly grin-inspiring pump action shotguns! You may well ask that, with all the semi- and full-auto options out there, why you could possibly want a shotgun, and the answer to my mind is a very simple one. By their very nature airsoft replicas are complex pieces of engineering and it’s not at all unusual to have them break down on you. When you visit a site you’ll often see the more seasoned players with at least a couple of rifles and pistols; that’s not because they’re showing off, but that they understand that one of their guns may ‘go down’ during the course of the day and they have no desire to go home to an early bath if they do.

Never Mind The Weather

Spring guns are generally considered the easiest and most reliable airsoft guns because they don’t rely on external power sources. The AGM spring shotgun can fire in any weather conditions, making it perfect for playing on the usual cold and wet mornings we encounter even during the summer months in the UK!

A spring action shotgun is easy and cheap to add to your collection too; the AGM that I’m talking about here can be had for around the 25 quid mark, so it’s not going to break the bank! You may think that a simple pump action is not going to hold much sway against a full auto AEG, but I’d say think again. The AGM kicks out a respectable but site-friendly 300fps+ on a .20g BB, and given that it has an effective integrated slide hop-up and a reinforced metal barrel it is actually pretty insanely accurate out to a good distance, even with the (extremely) rudimentary sights it has as standard. The pump action is good and solid, each BB loaded with a pleasant ‘clack, clack’. The safety catch on the top of the shotgun is purely decorative, but there is a functioning one that is secreted to the rear left of the trigger guard.

Bargain Back-up!

For such a budget replica the AGM is actually very solidly put together too; yes, it’s plastic throughout, but the quality of the plastic means that you’re not going to break it easily or any time soon. Mine has actually been with me for over five years now and is still going strong. I’ve used it in games for a bit of fun and I’ve also loaned it to friends when their own guns have broken down; at £25 if they break it I’m not going to really lose any sleep.

Conclusion

The AGM is really a replica of the Mossberg 590 ‘Special Purpose’ shotgun that’s available from Mossberg & Sons in the real world, and with the metal heat shield over the top of the barrel it looks great. It looks like the real thing, has a 15 round magazine, shoots straight as a die, and it costs less than most site fees for the day!

If you need an effective backup that ticks both the accuracy and safety boxes, then I’d say take a look at the AGM M300, either full stock or with pistol grip. You’ll find them easily online but mine came courtesy of www.airsoftworld.net

Notes on Airsoft and the Law

As a new airsofter you are no doubt finding out all about the rules and regulations which govern us as players. In a nutshell you will need an exemption from the VCR Act of 2006 to legally own a Realistic Imitation Firearm (RIF). This means having a Defence in Law for owning such a replica, and the best way of gaining this is to be a member of an insured airsoft site and meeting the Home Office requirement of playing three times in more than two months there.

Making a purchase is then far easier if you have registered your site membership on the United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association (UKARA) system as it means the sale of a RIF can take place without the retailer needing to contact the site to verify your membership, which means there is no delay in getting your new replica whilst waiting for a site owner to reply. Before you try to buy a RIF please visit the excellent Q&A page on the UKARA website to find out what you need to do to become a legally registered player in the UK. http:// www.ukara.org.uk/questions.php