A few weeks ago I bought a monster of a gun through SoGo, the Echo 1 HMG. Modeled after the Russian PKM (the predecessor to the current PKP), this beauty shares many features and build qualities of its real steel counterpart; including the weight. According to Echo 1, this gun is 1:1 scale in size and weight to the real thing (You can take this as a good thing or a bad thing, for me it is a good thing because I like the challenge). For those of you with a Russian loadout wishing to run an LMG other than the RPK, or anyone who just wants an obnoxiously large AEG, the Echo 1 HMG has got a place on your gun rack.
Externally, this thing is truly gorgeous. A nice matte black finish gives the metal parts (receiver, barrel, feed tray cover, bipod, front sight) an added bit of realism. The magazine is a shade of green, but other than that this thing is basically one sleek shade of black. Just like the real PKM, the polymer parts include the carry handle, pistol grip, and stock. Despite being plastic, they feel very solid. On the right side of the receiver the gun has the logo for Rifle Dynamics (a company located in Las Vegas which specializes in making Russian weapons). And to finish off the authenticity of this beast the gun appears to feed from right to left as opposed to vice-versa like most other LMGs. This means that if you manage to track down some dummy 7.62X54 rounds, they will be mounted on the right side. Along with the skeleton stock and the AK style sights (adjustable to 1500 meters), the gun features a solid metal bipod which can be folded up and locked into place with a clip attached to the base of one bipod leg.
Now onto the Magazine. It is battery powered and has two different feed settings. You can either choose to have the magazine on continuous winding mode, or auto-wind mode where the magazine only winds while the gun is being fired. The magazine itself is very sturdy, as it is made entirely of metal (probably aluminum). It seats on the gun in the same fashion as the real thing with it hooking onto the bottom of the receiver and clicking into place. Think of it kind of like a sideways AK magazine. While I have not sat down and counted how many BBS I can fit into it, I am fairly certain that it exceeds the 5000 rounds predicted by Echo 1. And even after that, there was still room enough for a battery compartment capable of holding a small type 9.6 or something slightly bigger. In my case I chose to run an 11.1 Lipo.
Internally the gun features a M249 style gearbox with a version 2 air nozzle and a plug similar to that found on an M60 gearbox. While I suspect that the internals are of A&K quality or slightly better, this is not necessarily a bad thing. It fires very smooth (at around 450 fps!) stock and has a definite *click* when the trigger is pulled, which in turn pushes on the electronic gearbox switch. Also installed is an adjustable MOSFET for adjusting the guns ROF (There is a small + and - button on the bottom of the outer barrel). It also comes with a MOSFET override for maximum ROF, just like the M60. The hop-up unit is similar to that of an M60 and has a 509mm stock brass barrel. I decided to switch to a Madbull 6.03 tightbore for improved accuracy but the stock performance is not bad. At 200 feet I was getting groupings of 3-4 feet in diameter and with the new barrel the groupings have shrunk to around 1.5 feet.
I know I'm making this gun sound too good to be true, so I'll finish off this review with some minor issues I've had. First off, the MOSFET does not adjust up or down very much. It is noticeable, but it only brings it up or down a few BBS per second. Next, if you want the classic wood furniture for this gun you will have to shell out another $100. This is not necessarily something wrong with the gun, I just would have liked if they had come out with one already sporting the wood furniture. Next, disassembly. It's not hard to get the gearbox out of the gun, but as Mickey will attest it is quite a process switching the inner barrel or hop-up. It is doable, but it would have been nice to be able to pull out the barrel assembly like on an M249.
Overall this gun is a very good buy, a little pricey at around $560, but this is nothing new in the world of LMG's. Not only are you paying for quality, your paying for a gun that weighs as much as two or three assault rifles combined!
Pros: Intimidating
Solid
Realistic Weight
Adjustable MOSFET
Full metal construction except on parts that are supposed to be polymer
Integrated metal bipod
Metal 5000 round autofeeding Box Magazine w/ housing for battery
Trademarks
Authentic Functions (Feed tray loads from right side)
M249 Gearbox with quick change spring system
Cons: HEAVY
MOSFET does not adjust very much
High Price (worth it, but still high)
Wood furniture is an extra $100
Not very modular (i.e. No RIS available as of now, now way of mounting optics)
Dummy rounds are proving impossible to find