PB Top Picks: Our Top 5 Beginner Airsoft AEGs for 2023
Our Top Beginner Airsoft Guns for 2023
We have visited this subject before, but for those interested, here is a list of our top 5 beginner platforms currently available on our website.
NUPROL Pioneer: Defender | Breacher | Defender Pre-Two Tone
The Nuprol Pioneer series is well established as one of the better options for a newcomer due to its robust, lightweight, and forward-thinking design.
The Pioneer is an M4/AR-15 style AEG with two variant options; the Defender, a CQBR style carbine with a 10.5-inch barrel and quad 20mm rail and the Breacher, which is similarly equipped but boasts a shorter 9.5-inch barrel and a sound amplifier pre-installed for an intimidating muzzle report.
Out of the box, the Pioneer series is very well equipped; boasting a 6.03 tight bore inner barrel for accuracy, a microswitch trigger for impressive trigger response, and a high torque motor to keep the reinforced gearbox running smoothly and quickly with superb long term reliability.
Being M4/AR-15 AEG platforms, both the Defender and the Breacher are compatible with M4/AR-15 AEG magazines which are always available in one form or another and offer a huge variety in style, capacity and price range.
The Pioneer series is also available in pre-two tone blue for those who don't have a membership with UKARA or a skirmish site and would prefer dyed injection moulded polymer over our two tone paint service.
As talented as our two tone painters are, the paint will wear off over time, especially with hard use. Pre-two tone Airsoft guns keep their factory finish throughout their lives and won't look scruffy after 6 months of getting stuck into skirmishing!
This variant of the CM.028 platform is known as the "Tactical AK" configuration and has been seen in the wild in the hands of Private Military Contractors operating around the world, benefitting from locally sourced ammo and spare parts.
CYMA CM.028U AK47 Tactical with Folding Stock
The CYMA CM.028 AK47 platform has been around for a good decade or so now, but no other AK platform has yet unseated it from its position as our favourite beginners AK AEG.
Construction-wise, the CM.028 is part metal part polymer, with all the key areas needed for strength being constructed from alloy or steel with the receiver and furniture being made from well-finished high density polymer.
The mix of polymer and metal gives you a taste of the real AK experience but without the extreme weight and heft that comes with a steel receiver!
This variant of the CM.028 platform is known as the "Tactical AK" configuration and has been seen in the wild in the hands of Private Military Contractors operating around the world, benefitting from locally sourced ammo and spare parts.
The CM.028U is adorned tip to butt with 20mm Picatinny rails, meaning unlike most AK platforms, mounting a red dot sight, tactical flashlight and vertical grip is as easy as it is on most M4 platforms, allowing you to keep pace with the AR fans in the arms race of Airsoft accessories!
The CM.028U is also equipped with a side folding stock, providing easy transportation in smaller gun bags and the ability to lock the stock to the right side of the AEG for improved manoeuvrability when things get up close and personal.
As with other AK AEGs, the CM.028U benefits from the superb AK slider style HOP-up adjuster for more stable shots at longer ranges and the version 3 gearbox which has more than its fair share of improvements when compared to the version 2 design used in most M4s.
Double Eagle UTR45 Submachine Gun AEG - FALCON EFCS - M917G | M917C
The Double Eagle UTR45 platform made our jaws drop when it first came in; the sheer number of features, pre-upgraded parts and lightweight yet solid build is a genuinely surprising combination, especially in this price range!
The UTR45 is constructed almost entirely from high density polymer other than the outer barrel, trim parts/controls and internals, making it ideal for a new skirmisher with a nimble and energetic playstyle.
The UTR45 has 14mm CCW male threading at the tip, meaning adding a tracer unit or suppressor is an abolsolute doddle if you want a more tactical look or a bit of glowing BB action to spice up your CQB gameplay.
The internal system of the UTR45 is a Version 2 gearbox with what is known as the FALCON EFCS MOSFET system installed. The FALCON makes the UTR45 one of the most advanced, if not the most advanced platform in its price range, offering programmable fire controls (burst mode, binary trigger etc.) and trigger sensitivity adjustment as well as battery protection and other advanced features which prolong the life of the internals and improve electrical efficiency.
This gives the UTR45 a very snappy semi-automatic trigger response and also boosts the rate of fire; the perfect partner for an aggressive playstyle!
The UTR45 comes in two flavours: the ACR stock equipped M917G and the brace stock equipped M917C. The M917G stock setup has more adjustment options, with length of pull adjustment and an adjustable cheek riser built right in.
The M917C has a lighter skeletonised brace-style stock with a large battery compartment inside the butt plate, making it our choice for a UTR45 AEG platform that you can run all day on a single battery.
Both stock configurations fold to the side, meaning you can make the already compact UTR45 platform even smaller for use up close and more convenient transportation and storage.
Jing Gong G608-2 AR36K AEG
The AR36 platform is used at skirmish sites across the country as their primary rental platform, and this comes as no surprise if you are familiar with the solid yet lightweight construction of these beasts.
The Jing Gong G608-2 is a close replica of the real steel AR36K and offers a mid-length 12.5-inch outer barrel and side folding stock, making it as comfortable dealing damage out to long range as it is turning and burning with the SMGs in the tight confines of a CQB site.
Externally, the G608-2 boasts 14mm CCW threads at the tip of the barrel, meaning you can add a tracer unit or suppressor if you want a more tactical look or to scare the living daylights out of your foes with a barrage of glowing BBs. The handguard is equipped with a 20mm Picatinny rail on the bottom so you can add your preferred vertical or angled grip and a tactical flashlight for CQB navigation and distraction.
The sides of the handguard are also equipped with threaded holes so you can add additional rails if needed. Up top we have a nice long 20mm Picatinny rail with built in aperture iron sights, giving you the option to go old-school with irons or add an optical sight of your choice.
Being constructed almost entirely from high density polymer just like the real thing, the G608-2 has practically no weak points in its externals thanks to its real steel lineage making the most of space-age polymer with a rock solid, forward-thinking design.
The outer barrel is, of course, constructed from alloy to provide a strong backbone for the platform and keep the inner barrel straight, and the internal parts are a mix of steel, alloy and polymer to provide strength where needed. As with the AK AEG, the AR36 platform uses the Version 3 gearbox type which is stronger than a standard Version 2 and allows for far easier motor height adjustment and is reinforced in all the key places.
King Arms PDW 9mm SBR AEG: Short | Long
The King Arms PDW 9mm platform is a reliable M4/AR-15 based platform which feeds from more compact SMG-5 AEG magazines and comes with the brand pedigree of one of Airsoft's oldest and most reputable brands; King Arms of Taiwan.
King Arms have really packed a lot of features into this compact AEG including a basic MOSFET to improve trigger response and maximise electrical efficiency, a tightbore barrel to improve accuracy and an upgraded gearbox with a focus on smooth running, featuring 7mm ball bearing bushings which reduce friction and give the AEG a smooth sound and an above average rate of fire.
On the outside, the King Arms PDW is constructed primarily from high density polymer with key components such as the stock adjustment bars, body pins and outer barrel being constructed from alloys and steel to provide strength without overburdening the user with needless weight.
The polymer is strong and feels good in the hands with its matt finish and should also resist scratches better than metal which is often paint finished and vulnerable to a bump or scrape exposing bare metal.
While the King Arms PDW has a PDW style stock, this particular stock has plenty of room inside for an M4/AR-15 buffer tube battery thanks to King Arms' considerate design, so you won't need to make do with a tiny battery and compromise on all-day performance.
The standard M4/AR-15 stick type LiPo batteries will fit in nicely (we recommend 7.4V 1300mAh LiPo stick batteries for this gun) and you still have the awesome looks of the PDW stock, its built-in sling point and ample length of pull adjustment!
And there you have it! Our top beginner AEGs for 2023. We hope this has helped you make that all-important first buying choice and avoid the common buying errors new players can make.
Just because it looks cool doesn't mean it is any good, but you have our word that if you rock up to a skirmish with one of these AEGs in your hands it will serve you well and there will be no unforeseen challenges or overly complex and overwhelming features which are hard to master.
If you found what you need, great news! If you are not convinced and are still searching for your perfect AEG Airsoft rifle, you can check out our assault rifle selection via the button below! For some clues as to what to look for, you can check out our Choosing your First AEG article too!