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What's your thoughts on AEA airguns? Are they hype or legit?
- Thread starter Pelletgal
- Start date
I was just searching forums for AEA build quality/longevity. There doesn't seem to be much info on the topic. Maybe no news is good news. I've read some negative reviews on "affordable" models and better reviews on models like the terminator. I know they can hit hard & function out of the box but I'd like to know more about the life expectancy, common issues, and experiences dealing with the dealers/manufacturer. I pre-ordered the S45 from Bin-Tac and will have to see how it goes.
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I can only speak for the .45 Challenger pup. I have well over 3000 bought and casted slugs through it. Not 1 mishap yet. Its big and heavy. But it’s been a real solid shooter.
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One thing he has right about the AEA being good for big animals., is it makes a great club! At 16+ pounds on my .45 pup, I might not be able to stop one with a slug, but I sure as heck could club it to death. do you remember saying this Quad82? lol
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I would've bought one months ago but I don't like the fact the semi-auto is short and the Varmint is a lot longer. I wish the the semi-auto was a bolt-action (or non-semi-auto). It would've been perfect for pigeon blasting. I'm very weary of semi-auto pcp's.
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Mine’s legit (HP carbine in .25). About 400 hundred pellets through it and no problems yet. It wasn’t overly accurate out of the box, but it’s gotten consistently better as the barrel breaks in. I swapped out the factory bottle for a 580cc CF one. I’m getting about 90 good shots per fill now.
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They're fun...but I haven't kept one for more than 2-3 months.
If you're used to high end air guns, you'll find yourself wanting more out of it. If you're expecting FX/Daystate/RAW accuracy/fit and finish, you'll be disappointed without putting a bunch of money into it. If you don't like heavy triggers, you won't be a fan (4-5lbs give/take on the semi's and non adjustable).
I like their bolt actions, but my two semi's had identical issues that developed--random burst fire due to wear on the trigger parts. One shattered a magazine as well.
Just my 2cents.
If you're used to high end air guns, you'll find yourself wanting more out of it. If you're expecting FX/Daystate/RAW accuracy/fit and finish, you'll be disappointed without putting a bunch of money into it. If you don't like heavy triggers, you won't be a fan (4-5lbs give/take on the semi's and non adjustable).
I like their bolt actions, but my two semi's had identical issues that developed--random burst fire due to wear on the trigger parts. One shattered a magazine as well.
Just my 2cents.
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Better off old school Career 707. Lever action near as fast as semi-auto, iron sights with peep rear if ya want them, prolly the best barrel ever, dial in fps with a wheel from sound barrier to pesting pigeons in a soft roof barn .
Some guys think it's ugly. I don't agree mine is the one with gold receiver. Gaugy/Yes/I like it/IMO AND BIG huge reservoir. Give it to a novice and he will be hooked, as I was. User friendly, Linear never jam magazine. Never sell kit! Lever action is soooooo fast/fun,fun,fun!
Bought mine in 1995. Sure new stuff is nice BUT consider old school that has survived the test of time. It all about hitting your POA and having fun doing it. That a Career 707.
Some guys think it's ugly. I don't agree mine is the one with gold receiver. Gaugy/Yes/I like it/IMO AND BIG huge reservoir. Give it to a novice and he will be hooked, as I was. User friendly, Linear never jam magazine. Never sell kit! Lever action is soooooo fast/fun,fun,fun!
Bought mine in 1995. Sure new stuff is nice BUT consider old school that has survived the test of time. It all about hitting your POA and having fun doing it. That a Career 707.
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I bought a first gen terminator that had 2 glitches. 1) the detent that held the safety inn place was too shallow so the safety would move each time the gun was shot. I drilled the detent a bit larger, problem solved. 2) There’s a brass piece in the valve that broke. The weird thing is the gun still functioned perfectly. I told the dealer(Bin) about it and he immediately sent me a STEEL replacement.
Glitches are expected with most first gen airguns. Besides those 2 glitches, the gun has been rock solid. High end quality?? Absolutely not. But then again I didn’t pay a high end price tag for it. What is high end about AEA is their customer service, when dealing with Bin(main distributor of AEA).
@DonC is right about the career 707. I own one in .22 and 9mm both tuned by Will Piatt. I love the western look with the lever action. Fun gun! If you can find one buy it
Glitches are expected with most first gen airguns. Besides those 2 glitches, the gun has been rock solid. High end quality?? Absolutely not. But then again I didn’t pay a high end price tag for it. What is high end about AEA is their customer service, when dealing with Bin(main distributor of AEA).
@DonC is right about the career 707. I own one in .22 and 9mm both tuned by Will Piatt. I love the western look with the lever action. Fun gun! If you can find one buy it
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@legionair and @donc I actually looked up the Career 707 after reading that post. It looks solid, but could use a few tweaks to tighten up some weak points like the probe’s o-ring or some sort of issue with the lever. One person said they smoothed out the rifling in the breech to prevent the o-ring from being worn out prematurely. I read a review mentioning something about the transfer port, but most reviews were very positive. Thanks for bringing it up.
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I have had the HP SS Plus in 22 for a few months now and after a quick trigger job that was easy and greatly reduced the pull, I am very happy with it.
It is more accurate than I anticipated and I only like accurate guns.
I have had only 1 jam and that was when I reduced to power to minimum. The semi auto function is pretty fun for plinking.
It is not a FX or Daystate, but it is not priced so either. I would not hesitate to buy another one.
It is more accurate than I anticipated and I only like accurate guns.
I have had only 1 jam and that was when I reduced to power to minimum. The semi auto function is pretty fun for plinking.
It is not a FX or Daystate, but it is not priced so either. I would not hesitate to buy another one.
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I have 2000 rds through my 25 Backpacker. Bought it around Thanksgiving. As stated above the gun is more accurate than I anticipated. I have some hanging golf balls at 50 yds and they are easily hit. I've had two jams both due to broken springs in the magazines. Gun has had several screws come loose including the barrel. After tightening they have remained snug. I would recommend going over the gun after first few rounds and then again after a tin. Trigger is at 2.75 lb and over all very happy with my purchase. If purchased again I would go for the carbine. Stock is much more rigid.
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I’ve heard that AEA was correcting issues that cropped up last year. Personally I’d give them a year to iron out issues and make upgrades/improvements. They show promise. But I’m not convinced yet.
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@ezana4ce I never knew about those problems. Probably because they were fixed when Will Piatt tuned them. Well built, adjustable power, and very accurate rifles that have stood the test of time.
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I disagree on standing the test of time, as they have pushed out a dozen models in just under a year. What happens when you need parts for a model they are no longer pushing? Why do they flood the market with so many half baked models?
I bought their AEA HPBP Semi Auto .25 cal for $850 new soon after it was released. Now, you'd be hard pressed to find the gun for sale because of how many issues they had with it. It was supposed to do +70 foot pounds energy out of the box, but I barely got over 50 fpe. Then they said, that's because it doesn't have the strong spring, and as soon as they are available, we'll ship them out to you. Guess what? I never got it
.But you know what I did get? I got an $850 gun that had the heaviest airgun trigger pull on earth at 7.5 pounds, would destroy magazines after the first shot, and had a trigger guard built into the frame that would loosen up and nearly fall off with the least provocation.
You want to buy an airgun that the manufacturer stands behind it, or do you want an airgun with just a distributor warranty?
Just get a Benjamin, have your manufacturers 5 year warranty, and be done with it!
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@estarkey7 I was referring to the Career 707, a Korean made air rifle. AEA are Chinese made to my understanding. My point was that although the Careers have a reputation as solid airguns overall, I read reviews where owners discussed some flaws and areas that some owners and airgun smiths improved upon using their own ingenuity.
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I see that I read this entirely wrong! That's what happens when posting too late at night! I didn't even realize the part I was referring to was from your post, nevertheless a completely different gun!
When I look at the airgun market, I believe that it's split into four sections for the following demographics:
- The shooter who wants to do plinking and target shooting for fun. They will shoot their guns 3-7 times per month, or as funds allow. Price range is $50-350.
- The casual shooter that wants to do pest control and opportunistic hunting. They shoot when they have a pest to dispatch or see a rabbit for the pot. Price range is $150-250.
- The feature and power seeker on a budget. They will hunt and do pest control with their airguns often, want the power to handle bigger quarry or features like semi auto to improve the shooting experience. They shoot during hunting season primarily. Price range is $400-800.
- Shooters who desire airgun superiority. They hunt, pest control and target shoot. The finest accuracy is must. Customization and tweaking are first class citizens, supplied to the users directly from the manufacturer. They shoot often, a few times a week at minimum. This category includes airgun technical wonders like Daystate, EdGun, and Huben; Eastern European wonders like AGT and Kalibrgun; and the customization king, FX Airguns. Price range is $1300-$3500.
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I believe AEA falls in the third category. They create a product that functions 80-85% of the time, produces the power these budget shooters seek, and flood the market with a quantity of models that is unsustainable. Unfortunately, this demographic is growing. Every time I see another YouTube video on someone shooting through a car door or how these cheap, high powered airguns can be used for self defense, I cringe. I was surprised to see respected shooters review these guns, but the facts are people want to be able to hunt without spending a few mortgage payments.
Utah Airguns now carries AEA, and I highly recommend anyone considering purchasing one to do so from them, as at least you have the support of a major distributor if you have problems.
AEA even marketed their HPBP gun as an alternative half the price of a Wildcat at one time. But the true answer about AEA guns is, if you buy them like they are a kit gun, your expectations will be more in check to what you may receive, especially if you fit into my 4th category demographic.
Again, forgive my botched post, but my opinion of the AEA brand still stands.
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