Hello readers, this is Matt Meraz with Fox Airsoft again, and today I'm here to answer the question of "What is a Proline gun?" and why is it so much more expensive than a Sportline gun? The simplest answer is that in a Proline gun, you pay for a lot of the external fit and finish, higher quality control, and nicer internal fit and finish on an upgraded rifle versus a Sportline gun. If the gun replicates a real firearm model, you might also see some licensed trademarks. Most Sportline guns will be made of a polymer construction on their body, whereas a Proline gun will have the same metal construction as the real counterpart of a given rifle.
If the real gun is mostly polymer, though, a Proline version will feature a dense nylon fiber, and a Sportline edition of the same gun would be merely ABS plastic, which is weaker and has a cheaper appearance and feel. We use metal as a loose term when discussing metal content in an airsoft gun. There are different grades of metal. Proline guns typically use a high grade of aluminum that's very strong and will hold up to a lot of abuse. Cheaper guns advertised as full metal will often use lower-grade cast pot metal, which certainly adds weight (in some cases more than realistic), but these metal grades are often weak and can still break. So just because something is metal, does not make it Proline just by that.
Now, the other things you'll notice in a Proline gun are that you will typically have a great fit and finish for how the gun is built, and often they come with realistic trademarks. You will typically have other external features like flip-up battle sights, a more advanced rail system, a nicer stock, etc. Many of these things just make the rifle feel more complete and like a real rifle.
Click to check out the ASG CZ 805 Bren
So, when I first started playing, I had a composite gun. The gun held up fine; I was not too abusive on it, so the gun lasted me and did not break because I was reasonable with how I handled it. But when I touched the gun and felt the plastic body, I later wanted something that felt a little bit nicer. And so then it was at that point I moved up into a Proline gun, and I loved it. It's something I would never go back from.
For performance, you might be surprised that both types of guns shoot very similarly in a Proline versus the Sportline rifle. However, with a Proline rifle, they typically shoot a little bit crisper. They will have subtle performance or component upgrades, resulting in these guns shooting more accurately and with a better response and cycling than a less expensive gun. They might also have some electronic fire control units built in. So you're going to get a little bit better performance out of them compared to the Sportline rifle, but at the end of the day, they will both shoot airsoft bbs, and a Sportline gun can shoot at the same velocities as a Proline gun, and once the BB leaves the barrel you won't see much of a difference outside of accuracy.
Click to check out the Umarex H&K G36C Elite
So you're paying for those extra features, and that's where the price discrepancy comes from. You typically get what you pay for, like anything you see when purchasing it. So if you see a gun advertised, it's full metal, and it's 80 bucks, I would be wary of that. These guns will use the lowest grades of metal that will break just the same as polymer if you are not careful with it, and their quality of workmanship or lack thereof will usually show.
Click to see the Elite Force VFC VR16 Rifle lineup
Now, the internal life cycle of a Proline gun is going to be about the same as that of a Sportline rifle. That means your internals are going to produce wear and tear over time. We recommend or typically see about 25,000 rounds or more before you have a maintenance interval. So, the additional money that you're spending on the gun is to stay the same. Whether you're on the Sportline or the Proline rifle, that will be a factor. To put a gun's lifespan in simpler terms, A gun costing 3 times as much will not last 3 times as long, but the ride going through the gun's life cycle will be much smoother.
I'm often asked if I should start with the Proline or Sportline guns. Well, the first question you want to ask yourself is, what is your budget? What can you afford? And then, do you want something that's going to feel solid in your hands? Because that's where your extra money is going towards. It's for that feeling. In terms of operation, however, it will remain very similar to the Sportline rifle.
Another question people ask is, why don't these guns come with anything, like a battery and a charger? By the point you buy a Proline gun, you probably already own an Airsoft gun and might already have a battery and a charger. So that's something that the manufacturers are not adding additional costs for you to purchase. The other reason is that people at that level typically use two different types of batteries. They either use a lithium polymer or a nickel metal hydride, depending on what you want as a consumer and how you want to set up your gun. Beginner guns may sometimes come with a standard battery and charger, but those are just the bare minimal items and are not performance-oriented.
Click to see MORE Proline airsoft guns
If you're teetering between a Sportline and a Proline rifle right now, just ask yourself, what do you want? If you want to be playing Airsoft for a long time and want the feel of something very rigid with a high-quality fit and finish, absolutely go with the Proline rifle. You're not going to be disappointed, and you're going to have a lot of fun with that gun for years to come.
