Echo1 General Assault Tool (GAT) Airsoft AEG Sub Machine Gun

From the get-go, the most instantly striking feature of this Echo1 General Assault Tool AEG submachine gun is its incredible precision in CQB play. The lightweight construction helps a lot too.

Since the gun is pretty light (around 3.5 pounds), you can easily wield it with one hand.

Even better, get another one so you can duel-wield them and enjoy some John Woo style firing action!

FPS330 (with 0.20g BBs)
RangeUp to 200ft
Hop UpAdjustable
Action TypeSemi-auto and full-auto
Magazine Capacity250
PowerAEG Battery.
Ammo 0.20g – 0.28g BBs

Perfect for Indoor CQC

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It feels great to use this in an indoor arena that’s not too big.

That’s where you’ll be able to fully appreciate its phenomenal accuracy, especially when set in semi-auto.

The barrel may be super short, but boy oh boy, this baby can shoot surprisingly far.

How far you ask? About 200 feet (0.20g BBs), give or take. Pretty impressive, right?

Echo1 General Assault Tool Accuracy

Of course you shouldn’t expect first-rate accuracy at said distance.

As mentioned, the accuracy is remarkable in a tight indoor CQB skirmish, and in that kind of environment, your target is often less than 70 feet away, so aim and fire away.

But if you can’t hit a target within 70 feet with this AEG GAT submachine gun, then you might as well point it at your temple and squeeze the trigger.

Just kidding, don’t do that!

Choosing the right BB weight for this SMG. 0.20g, 0.25g or 0.28g?

To be fair, if your accuracy is off when firing under 50 feet due to the BBs curving upward, then the fault probably lies with the weight of the BBs.

Sure, using 0.20g BBs with this gun can help you achieve 300, maybe even 330 FPS, but the curving up issue is a major annoyance.

The obvious solution is to load the gun with heavier BBs like 0.25g or 0.28g. We recommend the latter if precision is a priority for you.

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Echo1 SMG Airsoft Rifle build quality

Like most well-constructed air soft guns, the build quality of this SMG is nice with the usual blend of metal and high impact reinforced polymer.

The one component that’s not so nice, however, is the bolt cover. Be warned, it’s horribly flimsy!

You’ll find that the gun’s upper receiver is composed of solid metal, while the lower receiver is built out of polymer plastic.

The gearbox is metal and same goes with the 250-round magazines (a spare magazine is included—yay!).

Problem is, when firing in full auto, you could let off maybe 30 rounds or so, and then you’ll need to go through the tedious process of winding it up to full click.

Winding between shots is a must or the magazine will fail to feed. So, in other words, expect plenty of winding when using this gun.

AEG stock 8.4v Ni-MH battery

The stock 8.4v Ni-MH battery that comes with the Echo1 General Assault Tool (GAT) airsoft gun is decent. Even powered by an 8.4v battery, the gun still shoots fairly rapidly.

A good number of users recommend a lipo battery to improve its performance. That’s not a bad idea, but the stock battery works just fine.

What is not fine, though, is that the battery is quite difficult to insert into the front grip, which is where the battery is supposed to be stored.

Eventually you’ll get used to it, but in the initial phase, the process of putting in the battery is sure to irritate.

Another downside is that some folks may not like the gun’s loudness.

Verdict

This gun could really use a little fine-tuning, but certainly worth checking out if you’re into submachine guns, and you’re willing to overlook its flaws which are not that significant.

8.8 Total Score
Awesome GAT Submachine Gun, perfect for CQBs.

Well built, well designed, quality Echo1 General Assault Tool - perfect for CQB play. Needs a bit of winding to keep going in play, pumps out BBs a decent 300+ FPS.

FPS
8.5
Magazine Capacity
9
Build Quality
9
PROS
  • Impressive accuracy, especially in CQB skirmish
  • Shoots remarkably far for an SMG
  • Compact and lightweight, suitable for one hand or duel-wield firing
  • Well-made build (not the bolt cover though)
  • Comes with two 250-round magazines
  • Rapid firing rate even when powered with just the stock battery
  • Lipo battery ready
CONS
  • With 0.20g BBs, shots tend to curve up even when fired at short to moderate range
  • Ridiculously flimsy bolt cover
  • Difficult to put in the battery into the front grip compartment
  • Too loud
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Timothy Hackett
Timothy Hackett

Tim has been playing airsoft since 1994. With over a thousand (no lie) airsoft games under his belt he has spent countless hours testing various airsoft guns and tactical gear. He's gotten hundreds (still no lie) of people into the airsoft hobby and is more than willing to spread the love of slinging 6mm plastic to any new player.

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