First off-Appearance + Externals


Picture of Box





What I found funny, is that is the star mag, not the VFC one. Apparently they are ashamed of theirs.



I got the VFC AKSU Std version from depot53, and was amazed when I opened the box, the sexiness that is the VFC AKSU lay inside, stock folded. The Inside of the box is nice, it is a Styrofoam cut-out with cardboard on top of it to make it look nicer, and to make sure Styrofoam doesn't go everywhere when you take your gun out like it does with most other guns.



Gun with stock unfolded:





The imitation wood is somewhat impressive. It has some good weight to it, and doesn't look THAT bad. It would look decent with a little sanding weathering, but at first it just takes away from the beauty of the gun. It is one of the things I recommend you replace, either with real steel AK wood, or the cheaper solution that I used, buy the VFC wood on WGC for $50.



Another thing that isn't very nice to look at is the VFC "bakelite" AK74 magazine. It is just pure orange, and is really disgusting. I don't use bakelite's in the gun anymore, but if you really love them you can buy some G&P ones(they look nicer) or you could go all the way and buy real bakelite mags and mod them to fit airsoft. I originally put a silencer and a PK-AV red dot on my VFC AKSU, but that is rather expensive, and really not worth it. The silencer makes the gun much too long, and the PK-AV was great for quick aiming but it wasn't worth the $160 I paid for it, so I sold my silencer and PK-AV and now the gun is back to its original state.



Gun with silencer and wood





Don't really like the look that much like that, and the gun is too long.

The gun is steel, and pretty much unbreakable. One truly beautiful piece. Just the externals of the VFC AKSU is worth purchasing the gun. It is very solid. The steel is a little bit shiny for some people's taste, but I think it looks fine as is. If you dislike the shine of the receiver then you can blue it, and wear it in certain places to give it that true AK look.



Performance


The VFC AKSU also excells in performance. On my stock AKSU, I run a 10.8v large battery and have yet to have problems. I get about 22 RPS on a full charge. It consistently chroney's at about 340 FPS with .20 gram BB's, so to me that means no need to upgrade. You pay for great externals and internals, and that is what you get. I have heard of people running 12v's on their AKSU without modification, but I would rather not push my luck. Some of the parts look like questionable plastic(including the bushings!) but they have held up so far.



The hop-up is mediocre at best, one of those things VFC didn't get right on their first try. Luckily, that is an easy replacement. I haven't replaced mine because I find it good enough, but then again I am not seeking accuracy with the gun, so if you are looking to hit someone accurately from 150 feet, keep dreamin.



The drawback to having a short, compact gun is the short barrel it comes with. I am not sure on the exact length, but it is definitely not a barrel designed for accuracy. It does what it is designed for.



CONCERNS


I do however, have a couple complaints. In VFC's quest to make tons of battery space, they had to design a really strange bolt, and mine actually fell out one game, causing me to get shot when trying to pick up the 3 pieces. Pictures of the bolt when I have an opportunity to steal my sisters digital camera again, cant really explain without pictures. They also designed a hop up unit that is supposed to stay in place via a spring loaded mechanism, pics of that soon also. A problem a lot of people have is that the hop up unit comes out of its original position and the spring fails to get it back into correct place. The VFC FREEEEEEEE SP1 kit fixes that. Here is a video of it, it also includes a bolt fix to keep the bolt in place, but mine was crushed in the shipping so mine doesn't work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA0sJUylvRw



The only other thing I dislike is the rail. It is a dumb rail, and if you have a mount like the one with the PK-AV red dot, you need to use a spacer and its really a hassle to get on there. I also am not a fan of stick batteries, so I use a large.



Conclusion:


Although this gun is quite expensive, at around $400, it is well worth it for the amazing customer service VFC offers(sent me the SP1 kit, rail spacer, and some super cool stickers for free) Think about it, an all steel gun, rock solid internals, limited problems which VFC will fix for free. There is no match for the VFC AKSU if you are looking to use it in situations it is meant for. Again, if you are looking into a long range, accurate weapon, it is not for you. If you are looking for a high ROF, solid, great gun for most situations, then the VFC AKSU is for you.