Just because an airsoft gun is cheap doesn’t mean you can’t turn it into a full-blown yeet cannon. In fact, in many ways, cheap airsoft guns represent better value than their more expensive counterparts.

Many cheap airsoft guns have upgradeable internals and can easily be modded to shoot faster, deliver greater power and higher rates of fire, more accuracy, and better overall performance. Some souped-up cheap AEGs can far outperform your expectations.

That’s not even to mention the personal enjoyment that many airsoft players get out of customizing their AEG builds. That’s as much a part of the hobby as competition is - at least to some.

So let’s take a look at some meaningful upgrades you can make to AEGs and why you should make them.

1. Add a vert grip

Most AEGs - cheap or otherwise - feature tropical handguards (in the likeness of an M16) or quad rail handguards, with either M-LOK, KeyMod, or Picatinny rails.

These offer tons of space for mounting attachments, but they’re not particularly ergonomic when it comes to handling the gun. Pic rails especially are unpleasant to handle without gloves, even though they offer a secure grip.

Take advantage of all that real estate for mounting attachments and make one of them a vertical grip, or a vert grip. One of these can be easily tacked onto the bottom of a quad rail on the handguard and can vastly improve the balance, handling, and control of the AEG.

Also, you can get a model that folds forward and out of the way when not in use, slimming down the overall profile of the airsoft gun.

2. Tack on an optic and a WML

Even though they’re not technically upgrades, shooting attachments like lights and optics function like them. They improve the experience of shooting an AEG.

Attach a weapon light to one of the sides of your AEG’s handguard so you can see in the darkness - vital for playing at night or in close-quarters engagements. They can also be used for general utility when detached from the AEG.

We recommend a red dot sight for most AEGs instead of a scope because most engagements will occur at ranges that are too close for scopes to be viable. Red dot sights let you keep an open sight picture for rapid target acquisition and accurate follow-up shots.

3. Install a MOSFET

A MOSFET, or a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor, is a highly practical upgrade to cheap airsoft guns that will improve your trigger response and extend trigger life by preventing the contacts from burning out.

Your AEG’s trigger is probably a basic model that works by pressing two contacts together, signaling the airsoft gun to fire. However, the high voltage from most AEG batteries will burn out the trigger contacts over time.

MOSFETs work by creating an indirect circuit that diverts the high voltage away from the trigger, supplying a much lower, safer voltage to the contacts. This protects the trigger contacts and results in crisper triggers and better performance.

4. Upgrade the motor (either high-speed or high-torque)

The stock motor in a cheap airsoft gun might be alright. It might even be good. But it won’t be great.

Many stock motors are made with ferrite magnets. Top-tier AEG motors are made with rare earth neodymium magnets that are several times stronger. What you want to do is update your motor either to a high-torque or a high-speed motor.

High-torque motors typically deliver more power, so if you’re trying to give your rifle’s FPS rating a boost, go with a high-torque motor.

On the other hand, high-speed motors are the option to go with if you want to up your AEG’s rate of fire. However, they don’t tend to last as long as high-torque motors.

5. Get a tight-bore barrel (stainless steel is best)

Many stock inner bore barrels are made from either brass or aluminum. These materials are alright, but not great because they wear down over time, and in the case of brass, can corrode. Even a small imperfection on the inner surface of an airsoft barrel can seriously disrupt accuracy.

Upgrade to a tight-bore barrel (such as a 6.03mm barrel for 6mm airsoft guns) which can give you a tiny boost in accuracy and potentially even in range. Opt for a stainless steel barrel, which is harder, more resistant to wear, and less likely to suffer corrosion. Some tight bore barrels actually create a small cushion of air around the BB as it exits the barrel, which can improve accuracy and range.

6. Upgrade to a flat hop-up nub and a new bucking

Your hop-up system puts backspin on the BB before it leaves the airsoft gun’s barrel, which improves accuracy and extends range via the Magnus effect.

Unfortunately, many stock hop-up parts are less than stellar. The system contains a part known as a nub; stock nubs are typically circular and don’t offer enough contact surface area with the BB.

Upgrading to a flat hop nub, which can easily be purchased and installed, will increase surface area contact with the BB, creating a more consistent flight.

It’s also a good idea to upgrade the hop-up buckings for greater consistency, range, and accuracy. You have two broad choices in hop-up buckings: hard and soft. The FPS rating of your AEG will determine which you should choose.

Generally, however, hard buckings are better for AEGs because they last longer and are designed for airsoft guns with higher FPS ratings. Soft buckings, which provide more hop, don’t last as long and are better with GBBs or even with less powerful airsoft spring pistols.

You could, however, experiment with buckings to see which gives your airsoft rifle the best performance.

7. Nice to have: external AEG furniture

In addition to these cheap airsoft gun upgrades, there are a number of external upgrades you can perform that are more or less cosmetic but can be used to personalize your AEG rifle.

For instance, you can get colored aluminum or plastic handguards, grips, stocks, triggers, and other attachments that add personality to your AEG. Most of these are added solely for the purpose of dropping some bling on your AEG, but in some instances, such as the addition of a new collapsible stock, they can be functional as well.

Bring Your Cheap Airsoft Gun to Us and We’ll Upgrade It for You

These are only some of the upgrades you can make to cheap electric guns. There are many other mods you can make to spring-powered airsoft sniper rifles, like more powerful springs, or to gas blowback pistols, such as new slides or recoil buffers.

Regardless of the type of airsoft gun you shoot, though, converting a cheap model into a quality airsoft gun is often just a matter of upgrading.

Here at MiR Tactical, we offer a wide range of airsoft services and personalization work. We offer services including but not limited to battery rewiring, gear shimming, spring and motor installations, tune-ups, and much more.

Get in touch with us and let us know what sort of performance boost you’d like to see from your AEG and we’ll let you know what you need to upgrade - we can even do it for you. Get in touch with us at 800-581-6620 for more information.