First Impressions

Well, I was really excited when getting this gun. I paid $100 for it, and a cheap 870 shotgun. I didn't care about the shotgun; I made a review for that here as well if you would like to check it out. Riot Shotgun Review.

I was impressed with the small size, and how easy it was to maneuver. I loved the expandable stock, but believe it or not, I usually kept it all the way back for aiming purposes. I later found out that un-extended stock made it much easier to aim, as well as maneuver. I was just too used to the big G3a3, to appreciate the small size.

Going off the first impressions topic, looking back on it, it didn't have much metal, and the metal it did have wasn't top quality metal you would find on an AEG. In general, this gun is overpriced. It should be just as much as the regular M16 springers (which I have used) because despite all advertisements, the only difference is the side. Yet I continue to see stores selling this gun for $40 more then the regular M16. The plastic wasn't anything special. But keep in mind; this is after I got an AEG. I was completely impressed when I was into springers.

Performance

Well I only had .12g bb's around the house when I first got it, so I decided to shoot them. (At the time not knowing much about bb weight importance) The XM-177's hop-up is set up for .2g bb's, and only .2g bb's. I found this out when I shot .12g bb's, and they literally went straight up. They were very inaccurate. The hop-up was just too strong for the light bb's.

When I finally bought some .2g bb's, I was quite impressed with the performance. Even though it probably wasn't $100 worth of performance. It shot accurately, and had a decent range. It's power and accuracy is closer to AEG's, then most AEG only owners would guess. But they still don't stand a chance against an AEG. They are just too slow in firing, and still aren't as powerful or accurate.

As for in battle's, it did fine. I could easily hit people who were easy targets, which is better then a lot of springers. I fell in love with the contracted stock, it made it very easy to aim with the full paintball mask, and very easy to maneuver. I really liked being able to move while hiding in cramped up places.

Conclusion

Well even though at the time, I loved this gun. It is way overpriced. Actually, most springers are, but this one is more so then others. I would say this gun is worth $65 and maybe even $60. I actually have seen it for sale for $65, and boy did that make me mad.

If you are looking for the best springer, get a Tokyo Marui Spring Rifle over this. I believe there is a retailer coming in which will provide these for a little over a $100, which is good compared to most XM-177 prices. If you want to get a cheap, decent gun. Get an M16-a2, M16-a1, or XM-177, but be very picky on how much you pay. Even contact the retailer to try to get them to lower the price, since you know how much it's worth. Believe it or not, it does work. Good luck on your gun buying.