Airsoft Polarstar, SMP, Daytona Vs. AEG And GBB: What Reviews Don’t Tell You Besides A Price And Performance Comparison

When making comparisons on an airsoft Polarstar or SMP versus a standard AEG (Air Electric Gun) or GBB (Gas Blow-Back), most reviews simply focus on price and performance measures like FPS (Feet Per Second) and ROF (Rate Of Fire). But there are more considerations to make when doing a comparison of the different types of airsoft guns.

In a related report by the Inquisitr, some police departments are treating airsoft guns like a public menace since it’s possible for a cop to accidentally shoot someone carrying a lookalike gun. Cops are not the only people threatened by the airsoft gun. There have been instances where teens have been suspended for using an airsoft gun in their own backyard, and an airsoft-themed homecoming party was frowned upon mightily.

Airsoft Polarstar Price

As anyone into airsoft knows, the Polarstar is certainly not an entry level gun. Including magazines, building your own gun can cost around $1,100 to $1,300, and even a used Polarstar gun can easily cost around $700 to $900. The second option is to go with a Wolverine SMP (Single Moving Part) HPA setup, which is cheaper and performs very similar to Polarstar brand HPA guns. Fans of the AR series can also drop in a Polarstar Fusion Engine into the receiver, or you can buy a premade M4 style gun for $650 on up. There’s also Daytona HPA conversion kits, but finding a Daytona kit might be a problem since they’re fairly rare, but they also are a bit cheaper than Polarstar.

Then there is the HPA (High Pressure Air) tank, which is not a measly cost on its own. There are really only two ways to go about it, and both are expensive. You can purchase a brand new regular metal HPA tank for about $50 to $70, but then you need a high-end air regulator for around $150 to $200 in order to bring the output pressure down to usable levels. The other option is purchasing an expensive carbon fiber tank with a built-in regulator, which makes the air lines relatively cheap.

Either way, you can expect to spend at least $200 on just the tank setup alone. At the same price point as a smaller carbon fiber tank, you can buy a metal HPA tank and regulator that has a larger capacity (measured in cubic inches of air multiplied by the PSI rating). But a carbon fiber tank will be physically smaller and lighter, which can affect your physical performance on the field over time. If money is no problem, then the larger carbon fiber tanks are definitely the way to go.

Polarstar Price Vs AEG And GBB

The entry cost for a Polarstar may be steep, but over time it can pay for itself. How many times have you had your GBB or AEG airsoft gun fall apart on the field? Personally, I have two AEGs that are in the shop for repair. Maintenance costs and repairs can add quickly for an AEG or GBB, while typically the biggest issue with a Polarstar is air leaks in the connectors and hoses.

The biggest danger is damaging the HPA tank. If you have a single scratch or ding, then any self-respecting shop will refuse to fill it. You also have to keep in mind the HPA tanks have a limited lifespan. Refill shops will look at the certification label on the tank, and re-certifying costs money. After so many years, the HPA tank is considered unusable and you will have to purchase a new one. This is why purchasing used HPA tanks is usually a bad idea unless it has plenty of years left.

You might assume the AEG wins easily when it comes to recharging costs over time. After all, it’s only the electric cost of the battery compared to constantly refilling air, and the cost of green gas for a GBB can be $7 per small tank. There is a workaround, though. Many airsoft and dive shops charge around $3 to $4 per HPA tank fill, and purchasing your own fill station and high compression air compressor can quickly become thousands of dollars. But you can also find a good used scuba diving tank with the appropriate connectors for under $100. This scuba tank can fill your HPA tank over 10 times, and dive shops will fill the scuba tank for under $10.

Polarstar Performance Vs AEG And GBB

A high-end AEG or GBB can potentially compete with a Polarstar or SMP on FPS alone, but getting the extremely high Polarstar ROF is asking a lot. The Polarstar also tends to shoot a certain performance level exactly, whereas other guns may vary dramatically from shot to shot.

That’s not to say Polarstar and SMP airsoft guns win automatically. A player’s performance consists of multiple factors, not just the quality of their gun. Even when using a MOLLE tank carrier, the air lines and tank can be quite cumbersome on the field. Unless your air line is extra long, you can’t even simply set down your gun quickly. Sliding or rolling into position risks damaging the HPA tank, and air lines can become entangled in bushes and other objects.

Anyone who uses a Polarstar or SMP gun also tends to stick out in the crowd. The guns make a very distinct sound in comparison to other models, so anyone wishing to target you specifically can easily find you even if many people are firing at the same time.

Players with GBB airsoft guns also face other hurdles. The gas-based magazines typically do not carry as many BBs, meaning you will have to reload a lot more in comparison to other players. The downtime is also further enhanced in-between games. GBB players are typically the last to be ready since loading up the GBB magazines takes quite a bit of time.

Lastly, performance can also be related to military simulation. As far as this writer knows, there is not a Polarstar blowback option, which leaves you with two options for simulating recoil. There is, of course, the GBB blowback guns, but there’s also the mechanically-driven Daytona guns, which can run off of CO2 in addition to HPA.