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!
FPS | 330 (with 0.20g BBs) |
Range | Up to 200ft |
Hop Up | Adjustable |
Action Type | Semi-auto and full-auto |
Magazine Capacity | 250 |
Power | AEG Battery. |
Ammo | 0.20g – 0.28g BBs |
Perfect for Indoor CQC
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.
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.