Jing Gong Airsoft Guns

Chinese brands get a bad rep in the airsoft world. They are known for being unreliable, ugly, low-performance, and just plain bad. However, a couple of manufacturers have managed to get it together and put out a high-quality product at the low, low price we expect from Chinese brands.

The top of the Chinese runners is Jing Gong. Jing Gong, which apparently translates to Golden Bow, has broken the mold by making airsoft guns that actually work for as low as $100. Many of their guns are rebranded by a company called Echo 1, and together these two companies put out essentially the best entry-level AEGs available.

Jing Gong is a fairly mysterious company. They don't have a website, they don't brand any of their products, and they don't send any company information with anything. Before 2006 they weren't well known in the airsoft world and today they suddenly control a respectable portion of the market.

Much of this has to do with another airsoft company, Echo 1. Echo 1 essentially buys guns from other companies, adds a 30 day warranty, sometimes downgrades the springs, brands them Echo 1, puts them in a new box, and sells them. Though Echo 1 rebrands guns from a few different companies now, most of their models are Jing Gongs.

Which one to buy is up to the consumer. Echo 1 guns usually cost $20-$30 more. But they also have a warranty, something that is virtually unknown in airsoft due to there not being any US manufacturers. They perform quality control as well and you are less likely to get a lemon from Echo 1. They also downgrade the springs in some models, which means they shoot at a slightly lower FPS. However, many Jing Gong AEGs have plastic spring guides and can't really handle the springs JG puts in them, so the downgrade dramatically adds to the life span of the gun. Sometimes Echo 1 adds metal bushings as well, which is good.

Guns from Jing Gong and Echo 1 are not of the highest quality by any means. What they are is extremely good value for money. They work, are reliable, have metal gearboxes, are upgradeable, shoot at high FPS and overall make a great gun. And they can usually be purchased for about half of what a Japanese or Taiwanese manufacturer would be selling the model for.

Many Jing Gong and Echo 1 guns now sport full metal bodies, and some of the AK's have real wood furniture. A lot of these can still be purchased for around $150, which is a truly astounding deal for a reliable AEG with full metal body.

One Jing Gong rifle that really stands out is the Dragon. The Dragon is probably the most unique airsoft rifle ever made. Known variously as the Dragon, STAR Dragon, S.T.A.R. Dragon, and Thunder Maul, nobody seems to know what this rifle is called. Nobody seems to be sure which Japanese anime it was based on either.

The STAR Dragon Thunder Maul 3002 1/2 (as I've taken to calling it) is really just an M4 carbine. However, it's been covered in plastic pieces that make it look like something carried by RoboCop. The outward appearance of the gun is completely changed and may inspire the user to make laser shooting noises while firing it. It is actually extremely comfortable to hold, as it has a strangely ergonomic front grip and a rubberized cheek rest so plush you might fall asleep on it. It comes with a short M4 mag like the ones used on Vietnam-style rifles, but can fit any M4 mag. The grip features a little shelf to rest the user's thumb on. It's comfortable, but means that lefties can't use it comfortably.

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