Matrix / S&T Stamped Steel AK Airsoft AEG Rifle w/ G3 Electronic Trigger QD Spring Gearbox (Model: AIMS-90 / Real Wood)

"Picked this gun up used from a guy who needed some cash quick. I honestly say I was genuinely surprised at the performance!

Pros:
Extreme firepower and suppression.
A lot of upgrade potential.

Cons: None

In closing, This is a great gun, you should buy it!

"Love it, would recommend it. It is everything you can expect from a budget price tag Airsoft AK47 AEG if you are on the market for one.

"I Have owned this gun for 2 months now and love how it performs, the trigger response, and the look and feel! Overall a great AEG rifle!

"Bought the 104 variant for my son as an upgrade to his first rifle. He’s run it through 2 full days of games and had zero issues. It shoots straight and hits pretty hard, range is good too. Trigger is very responsive and feeds perfectly with our Lancer mags. Painted finish is a bit weak and it scratches easier than my Cyma. Has a good weight and feel to it due to the stamped receiver and mostly metal parts. One thing that pleased me was there is minimal wobble in the magwell and mags seat tightly with a slight side to side movement. Stock locks up well in both positions. It will fit an 11.1 Titan stick no problem. It’s a good starter gun especially when on sale.

Pros
Responsive trigger with very short pull
Good weight
All metal
Tight fitting parts
Acceptable accuracy

Cons
Metal finish scratches easily

"I have the ak105 model. The trigger is the most responsive I've ever felt on an ak thanks to the etu. Mag compatibility is hit/miss. Mine doesn't like either plastic or metal 7.62 CYMA mags, but is fine with a metal cyma 5.45; of what I've tested, LCT, E&L, and bluebox mags seem the best fit.

Pistol grip has a little bit of creekiness to it; nothing terrible, just off putting. The plastic folding stock has around 1/8 inch of side to side wobble, and seems like a weak point. QD spring is truly quick; you can swap the spring without any disassembly. Replica is equipped with a mini tamiya connector, and battery space is what you'd expect of a top-wired ak.

While there are quite a few steel parts on this replica, they are noticably lighter weight than what you might find on an E&L. Side by side, it feels like a toy in comparison, albeit a very good performing one. On the other hand, a plastic or even aluminum Marui-style ak feels like a toy compared to this S&T, so it truly is a mid-range AK in terms of overall quality and satisfaction. Out of the box velocity was 390, so plenty skirmishable.

I bought this because I wanted to see how the etu was, and was tired of getting wobbly ak front sight blocks. The etu functions nicely as expected, and the fsb feels more solid than competitors. I have concerns about how the stock will hold up (course, Ive seen plenty of CYMA folders break too), but otherwise I'm quite pleased for the price point I got mine at (on sale).

"What I got: full-metal AK74MN with polymer stock, pistol grip, and handguard

Pros:
- ~$200 (discounted price tax) for a full metal AK with an upgraded trigger is a very competitive price
- Full metal hop-up unit and gearbox
- Quick-change spring system is def a plus as most other AK systems lack this feature or ask for a much higher price
- Trigger is very snappy and extremely short pull, just be careful with accidental discharges when the AEG is not in safety
- Accurate straight out of the box even in long-range shooting, and the hop-up holds the position really well with heavier bbs
- Very small orange tip for removing, or can remove the entire flash hider like real AKs (some heating required)

Cons:
- Small space for batteries - only works with long-stick cylindrical batteries, Titan stick-type 3000 mAh or any other small-stick lipos. Need a tap to close the fake bolt after adjusting the hop-up when a battery is fitted
- Folding stock and cleaning rod are a bit wobbly but acceptable
- Hi-cap magazine came with the AEG is very cheaply made - feels lighter than mid-cap as well
- Doesn't come with an airsoft cleaning rod (the under-barrel one is cosmetic only)
- Very hard to adjust windage as it didn't come with a tool for it, but if you use an optic like me, it's not a problem
- (for my particular model) the mag release fell off 10 minutes after I received the item, so I could figure out that this model didn't use the same mag release spring as LCTs or real AKs. A bit disappointed but Evike fixed it without any charges, so no problem on my side.

Comments:
- When is in stock condition, it shoots at ~ 330 FPS and 1.48J w/ 0.28g bbs and ~12 rps with a 7.4v lipo (extremely hot, damp weather during the chrono). Perfect for indoors, but a full-size AK is not ideal when every other player has short PDWs, SMGs, and pistols; not so powerful for outdoors, but getting a stronger spring, bucking, or barrel upgrade should fix the issue and turning it into a great DMR
- Black paint scratches easily (as mentioned in other reviews), but AK with wear looks better imo
- Feels heavy on hands after adding an AK side rail with an LPVO, so I recommend swapping a railed dust cover instead of adding a side rail for attachments
- I have no intention to add any other attachment except an optic, so cannot say if those after-market handguards can fit into this AEG; the same goes for 11.1v lipo too - I have no intention of using it, but I don't think this AEG has fitted a mosfet to accommodate higher voltage at 11.1v
- All those gaps on the AEG make me worried if I want to use it in damp or rainy conditions

Verdict:
As an AK-style AEG from a lesser-known brand, S&T AK is not as good as Arcturus or LCT AKs but gives brands like Lancer Tactical or Cyma a head-on challenge. For around $200 with a quick-change spring and short-pull trigger, this AK can be a great project gun to tinker with upgrades, but it is also suitable for most beginner or intermediate players who don't want to bust their wallets for a dependable, full-metal AEG. However, the quality control over this model is a bit questionable due to my personal experience, so only time will tell if I can still hold this current rating for this AEG in the future.

"The Good:
Out of the box, overall build quality feels very good. Not LCT or E&L level, but at least on par with CYMA. Performance was roughly 1.3J with .32s, good consistency and range. Trigger felt very snappy on a 7.4 lipo. Trigger pull is really short, which was a pleasant surprise. The spring is easily changeable without any disassembly of the gun whatsoever, which was a major selling point for me.

The Bad:
The mosfet burned out in the middle of the second round of play. Let the magic smoke out (7.4, semi only). Doesn't hurt my feelings as I bought the gun on an Epic Deals sale with intentions of using it as a builder, but still dissapointing. Additionally, the paint isn't particularly durable, and it's not 100% compatible with CYMA parts. As such, be prepared to make minor modifications to get CYMA rails/handguards to fit.

Overall, solid build, surprisingly decent performance, but the G3 electronic trigger didn't last long for me. Your mileage may vary.