You known them: the airsoft guns that as soon as you see them, they’re instantly recognizable. The type that stand our from the crowd of keymod and MLOK M4s, and are truly unique. Today I want to talk about five airsoft guns that stand out from the rest, and tell you why I feel that way about them. We’ll also take a look at the brands that currently offer them for sale!
This article is a companion piece to a video on The BB Warrior YouTube channel, which you can view here!
#1 MK18
I know what you’re probably thinking: “How is an M4 a iconic rifle?” you say as you move your mouse to close this tab, but hear me out! The MK18 is an iconic rifle because it’s the quintessential U.S. Special Forces rifle. SEALs, Rangers, MARSOC and more units use this rifle, and it’s the perfect rifle if you’re going for the “cool guy in multicam” look.
What makes the MK18 different from a standard M4 is the Daniel Defense RIS II rail system. If you already own an M4, a few companies make just the rail which can be installed on your current rifle. If you’re looking for a full rifle, you’re in luck because so many companies make them. The rifle pictured above is made by VFC, with “pre-Avalon” internals. They’re currently offered by Elite Force/VFC’s Avalon series, EMG, GHK, BOLT, Tokyo Marui, Echo 1, and I’m sure there’s even more brands that I missed. The MK18 is a great platform to build off of, and can be customized to your heart’s desire.
#2 Tokyo Marui MK23/Novritsch SSX23
What makes this gun truly iconic it’s silent nature. If you’ve ever heard one of these airsoft guns before, you know that the loudest part of it firing is the hammer dropping. This makes it a perfect sidearm for snipers or anyone looking to be sneaky while playing, and they have an incredible range too. It’s based off the H&K MK23 pistol, and comes with replicas of it’s original LAM kit (the large box looking thing hanging off the gun) and suppressor from Knight’s Armaments’ Company. This pistol was developed for U.S. Special Forces in the 1990’s, but is popular to this day with airsoft snipers because of its non blowback design.
For a very long time, you could only find the Tokyo Marui or Y&P brand MK23s but they were hard to obtain in the United States. Often times, players would buy them from overseas retailers and import them into the U.S. to have this silent pistol. In 2019, Novritsch introduced the SSX-23 pistol; a copy of the Tokyo Marui MK23 with improvements made. There is also a line of modular accessories that could be added to the pistol like optics and suppressors. This has made the MK23 a much more common gun to see on the airsoft field, and gives players some options to customize their pistol.
#3 CZ Scorpion EVO
The EVO has been a best seller for ASG since they released it years ago. In 2018 they upgraded the design of the gearbox to make it stronger and work with more aftermarket parts. The Scorpion EVO has an iconic design that is unique to other airsoft guns on the market. In the last few years we haven’t seen many new sub machine guns enter the market, but the ASG Scorpion EVO fills this role perfectly. It’s also impressive that ASG has made an airsoft gun with a (somewhat) proprietary design and magazines that can only be used with the EVO, but it is still incredibly popular. Typically I’ve noticed players don’t like airsoft guns that don’t use standard parts, but ASG has had a winner on their hands with the EVO so far.
ASG is the only company that offers a Scorpion EVO, but they have a lot of options. They offer a version powered by the Wolverine Airsoft Inferno HPA Engine, a carbine version of the EVO, and have them in many different color offerings. For players looking to customize their Scorpion EVO, many real parts are compatible with the gun, like handguards and stocks. The gun offers multiple shooting options, including a 3-round burst option which isn’t too often in airsoft. For players concerned about FPS, it also has a quick change spring system.
#4 Kriss Vector
Similar to the Scorpion EVO, the Kriss Vector is a unique sub machinegun platform that look the market by storm when it released. Designed around the .45 ACP cartridge, the vector has a unique “Super V” recoil system and a folding stock which makes the platform very short and easy to control. Originally, the Vector was offered by KWA as a GBBR which was known for it’s great kick and consistency. KWA has always been good at making SMGs, their MP7 and MP9 replicas are a great example as well but the KWA Vector has unfortunately been discontinued.
Today, Krytac offers the Vector as an AEG only with no public plans for a GBB version of the Vector. Krytac makes great airsoft guns, which means that you don’t have to worry about upgrading their Vector. That’s a good thing considering that to get AEG internals into the unique body of the Vector they had to make a completely custom gearbox assembly.
Honorable Mention: Glocks
Today’s honorable mention goes to Glocks, which have had an interesting history in airsoft. For the longest time airsoft Glock replicas were not sold in the U.S. due to trademark laws. Obviously, if you were Glock you wouldn’t want a company making money off your design without getting something for yourself in return. This meant that Glock replicas were only sold by overseas stores, and you’d have to import them into the U.S. like the Tokyo Marui MK23 mentioned earlier in the article.
This changed in 2018 when Umarex announced they had reached a licensing agreement with Glock to produce 1:1 replicas of their pistols. I still remember the day this was announced because it was a bombshell announcement. You can currently find a wide variety of Glock replicas at different price points, but this is what made me not want to include them on this last. Nothing looks like a Glock, but I feel like they lost what made them unique once they were easy to obtain.
#5 Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa
The Hi-Capa is at the top of the list because there’s nothing like it in airsoft. No other airsoft gun has been so widely adopted and embraced like the Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa. Speedsofters all over the world praise the Hi-Capa for what it’s capable of, and all of the modifications you can do to the platform. The Hi-Capa may be recognizabe, but no two are the same. There is such a large community of people and companies making parts, mods and other chnages to the platform that you can make it anything you want.
One modification to the Hi-Capa platform I find incredible is adaptors that allow you to use M4 midcap magazines and a HPA line so you don’t have to worry about green gas or CO2. This gives you a huge advantage over other pistol users and I just think they’re super cool. The Hi-Capa is made by a ton of brands like KJW, WE Tech, JAG, and more but the Tokyo Marui is seen as the best. Most aftermarket parts are made to the TM Spec, so if you plan on upgrading I would recommend a Toyko Marui.
I hope you enjoyed today’s list of iconic airsoft guns, but do you think I missed something? Let me know on Facebook!
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