Wanted: Airsoft or other M-16

[Tractorhunter]

Looking for a realistic Vietnam era M-16 to mount in my M151A2. Anyone have one or what model should I be looking at? Would like the metal one. Thanks, TH

[retiredpara]

Often at local mil surplus stores you can find the old "Rubber Ducks" that the military had. These were typically produced locally by TASC, Training Aid Support Centers. You would want the early version types, either M16 or M16A1. They were made to replicate the weight and weight distribution of the real deal.They are made from a high strength plastic resin, and some real parts, but they are not firearms. You can sometimes find them listed on gunbroker.com, or armslist.com. I see them sell for right around 100 bucks, though some want more. Make sure the magazine didnt get cut off.

[m3a1]

Airsoft is absolutely the way to go if you want the looks. And you get to have the fun of plinking'. The only downside is you'll have to keep an eye on it when everything is on display.

Also, when selecting an Airsoft, what they might be offering as "full metal" may refer to the gearbox inside or, it may refer to the construction of the piece. This is a question worth asking up front before money changes hands. But today, even a plastic-bodied Airsoft has a realistic black-gun look that far surpasses rubber ducks. Where plastic falls far short of the mark is when they try to replicate the wood bits.

I'm by no means an Airsoft expert but I'm a huge consumer of Airsoft products and everything I have is absolutely indistinguishable from the real weapon and I won't be drawn into a debate here of the worthiness of having orange tips on Airsoft guns.

Retailers also often offer "boneyard items" that don't work but, beware! - you may be buying an item with pieces missing that makes it unsuitable for display so again, find out exactly what you're buying.

Lastly, like guys in the MV hobby, Airsofters are continually upgrading to bigger, better stuff. Thus, they sell their old stuff through Craigslist and eBay and the like and there are some really terrific deals to be had through those venues, particularly if you aren't worried about whether or not you're buying an airsoft gun with problems on the inside.

Cheers!

[m3a1]

Annnnd….

I was reviewing some older posts about some of the lads employing crew-served Airsoft for their displays and the issues they had with securing their Airsoft to real gun mounts.

Specialty stores that deal in fasteners DO offer security fasteners (think the kind of hardware you'd see in the stalls of the men's room) - these are the ones that require a special tool to unfasten. They can be employed to replace the pins and can be quite unobtrusive.

What a great hobby! It's everything, from soup to nuts!

Cheers!

[LTDan]

Another option...

http://replicas.hardscrabblefarm.com/