UTG AK Beta Spetsnaz
by Moondog
The UTG AK Beta Spetsnaz, made by China's Double-Eagle (DE), is a clone of the Tokyo Marui (TM) AK Beta Spetsnaz. Significantly, the Beta is one of the rare TM designed AEG's that isn't a replica of a real world weapon. It is only loosely based on the AK74U that is in a turn a shortened AK74.
REAL STEEL
While there is no real steel AK Beta, lets discuss the weapons it is loosely based on. The AK74 is a 5.45x39mm version of the legendary AK47, introduced in 1974. The AK74U (Ukorochenniy) is a compact variant issued to Special Forces (Spetsnaz), airborne, and armored crews. Its barrel has been shortened severely requiring a special flash hider with a cylindrical expansion chamber to allow the exhaust gas to expand to an adequate pressure to drive the shortened gas piston tube.
The AK Beta is an imagining of what an AK47 (7.62mm x 39mm) would look like, similarly shortened and modified a'la the AK74U, tacticalized for Spetsnaz CQB use. Unlike an AK74U, the Beta has an AK47's solid stock, an even shorter barrel and RIS hand guard. But unlike an AK47, it has a shorter dust cover with tri-RIS rail screwed onto it. In reality, the dust cover is too loose to mount any accurate optics, which is why scope rails on real AK's are mounted to the side of the main body of the receiver.
AK Beta Spetznaz (top); AK74U (bottom)
UTG and DE
Under The Gun (UTG) is the tactical/airsoft brand of the hunting/optics company Leapers and were one of the first US companies to import airsoft guns to the US. Double Eagle (DE) is a Chinese manufacturer of low-mid range AEG guns.
PACKAGE
The UTG Beta comes with two plastic AK hi-cap mags, speed loader, cheap nylon sling, dumb wall charger and a 1100mAh 8.4v large type battery. The DE version comes with only 1 magazine and without the dust-cover tri-RIS.
EXTERNALS
The UTG Beta is a plastic bodied receiver, tri-rail RIS and 'furniture'. Metal parts are the receiver, trigger guard, leaf sight, and flash-hider. The grip and hardguard have a rubberized coating. Unlike the TM Beta, this 'clone' has a leaf rear sight (like a full sized AK) and oddly, the receiver has the round base for a non-existent folding stock.
The full stock accommodates a smallish 8.4v large type battery (larger 9.6v large batteries will not fit without serious modification.) and an enlarged fuse case that houses a spare fuse.
The plastic AK47 mags fed a little inconsistently and had smaller loading doors than TM/JG mags.
INTERNALS
The DE has a standard AK style Version 3 gearbox with 6mm nylon bushings.
This is the first AEG I'd seen utilizing clear plastic internal parts: air nozzle, tappet plate and trigger box. After about 6 months and 15,000rnds of use, the gears and internal parts seemed in good condition. I cleaned out the excessive grease, checked the compression (good). The piston and spring are a copy of the TM. The wiring appears to be 18g and cheap. The overall parts look inexpensive and just a step up from LPEG quality.
PERFORMANCE
Stock FPS was around 290fps with .20g BB's out of the box, settling down to 279fps after about 5000rnds. The bolt pulls back to reveal a TM compatible hop-up which performs adequately to help propel a .20g BB more than 100ft. Accuracy with torso sized targets at 75ft is more than satisfactory for outdoor field use. It's ROF with 9.6v is more than fast enough for CQB use and suppressive fire.
Unlike most AK's, the UTG Beta has a Romanian style selector setup with the switch going from top to bottom: safe, semi, full-auto.
MODIFICATIONS
There is a small rail in the bottom of the handguard ideal for adding a foregrip. But larger foregrips can get in the way of quick mag changes. The tri-rail is bolted onto the top of the dustcover is plastic but strong enough to hold a red-dot, tactical light and battery box.
I accidentally dropped my AK beta 4ft onto a concrete floor, causing the stock mounting block to cleanly break from the rest of the pot-metal frame (under the ABS body). Lacking a stock, I chose to create a custom battery box/tube which I mounted to the left tri-rail.
CONCLUSION
UTG was one of the first AEG's available in the US that was priced under $200. At 290fps its equal to a stock Tokyo Marui. Its size, range and overall performance makes it ideal for CQB but adequate for field use. I bought it primarily for CQB and as a loaner AEG and in that role it's high mag capacity and high ROF was ideal for indoor fields and for newbs.
Unfortunately UTG appears to have stopped production of the Beta Spetsnaz sometime in late 2006. They can still be found at some 3rd tier airsoft retailers and sporting goods stores but the major retailers have been out-of-stock of them for some time.
Currently the only AK Betas that are readily available are the Tokyo Marui or the JG.