The Pig is Here

Monday 12/05/11 my new gun arrived... the A&K MK43 Mod 0.  It will undergo a Mod 1 conversion - just a railed foregrip and maybe I'll add a top rail.  Right now I just put on a STAR MK43 Mod 1 flash suppressor and Spartan 14mm CCW to CW adapter.  I'll have a review up soon, hopefully over the weekend.

I didn't even have time to fire it yet so here is a very basic preview of the externals.

Likes

• Full metal barrel & locker set, bi-pod, sights, receiver, and top feed tray
• Surprisingly sturdy plastic parts
• I love the design of the M60.  Quick detach barrel with no tools, included bi-pod, flip up front sight, fold down carrying handle, trigger guard comes off like on Armalites, very easy to get to the mechbox (4 steps, no screws)
• Quick spring change feature
• Good weight at 16 pounds with the empty mag and dummy cartridges installed 
• 3500 round auto winding mag
• Adjustable ROF via the knob underneath the flash hider, adjusts from 12-20 RPS according to specs (I'll test this out over the weekend)
• Came with a 9.6v 1200mAh Ni-MH battery and 300mAh trickle charger (which I'll have to use for the review)
• Has two sling mounts
• Flash hider wasn't glued on

Dislikes

• Wobbly barrel (side movement)
• Wobbly bi-pod
• Carrying handle doesn't feel very rigid
• Wobbly magazine
• No rubber cheek resk
• Exposed wires around magazine area (one for magazine current, one for the battery)
• Inconvenient magazine securing method (two straps around the magazine tray)
• Battery compartment - stuff the included 1200mAh mini type battery or a PEQ-2/PEQ-15 type inside the mag pouch
• Came with all plastic, all orange birdcage flash hider (but I knew this because of ASGI pics)
• No trademarks - better than fake 6mm BB AEG trademarks though, so I'm actually somewhat thankful of this after coming from an ICS M4

I really wish they used an AK style V3 mechbox like Inokatsu instead of the M249 style.  This way there would be a ton of battery space in the stock like on the Inokatsu (Turnigy 11.1v 3600mAh Li-Po would fit with ease) and the battery wire would be hidden.  I am a bit weary of the electrical components on this gun (microswitch, MOSFET, adjustable ROF) but we'll see how well this works out.  I dislike how the magazine is secured - the feed tray should have tracks on the sides, and the mag should clamp onto these and slide down into place.  Oh well, I like it a lot so far just because the MK43 is my favorite gun.  Can't wait to see how it performs.