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Bought a V93, how’d I do? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 3/28/2026 7:30:04 PM EDT
[Last Edit: lilMAC25][Edited]
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Spent $1k. 1- 40 rd mag. I assume it’s a Maylasian parts kit home built on a Vector flat. Has a Kali Bullet Button (which I will replace soon), and a P&W Flashhider thingy.   All the Maylasian parts kits I’m seeing are over $1k… so I feel like I did alright. |
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I've got a couple vectors. Both of mine are factory built. They have buffered carriers. The 40rd mags are usually the cheap ones. But check if yours is steel. Most are aluminum. I do have one of the 40s that's steel. Apparently thats rare and worth a bit of coin. Check your handguard, too. See if its got the airsoft logo or if its real. I think mine were about $1200-1400 each. I wouldn't feel bad paying $1k as long as they work right. 
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Originally Posted By Phillbilly: What brand rec? 1k seems a good deal as long as it runs. Says Vector. I had a LONG drive to pick it up so I probably won’t shoot it till next week. I’ll check the mag. Feels aluminum. Handguard appears to be real deal. Are there any HK smiths who do “cheap” paddle mag conversions anymore? |
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Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Are there any HK smiths who do “cheap” paddle mag conversions anymore? Yours feels a little less like a deal now that you mention that. Both of my vectors had the paddle. I do see a sling attachment on the side of your handguard. Thats a good sign. Usually the airsoft ones don't have the metal sling attachment. Just a flat spot where it should be. |
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Originally Posted By giantpune: Yours feels a little less like a deal now that you mention that. Both of my vectors had the paddle. I do see a sling attachment on the side of your handguard. Thats a good sign. Usually the airsoft ones don't have the metal sling attachment. Just a flat spot where it should be. Originally Posted By giantpune: Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Are there any HK smiths who do “cheap” paddle mag conversions anymore? Yours feels a little less like a deal now that you mention that. Both of my vectors had the paddle. I do see a sling attachment on the side of your handguard. Thats a good sign. Usually the airsoft ones don't have the metal sling attachment. Just a flat spot where it should be. It’s (old laws) Kali compliant at best. I’m pretty sure I can convert the bullet button myself. That leaves me with mag release button until I am willing to pay for (or muddle through DIY) paddle conversion. |
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Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Yeah, that’s why I said it MIGHT be a parts gun. It has serial number up top tho. If it was sold as a bare receiver, it would have been serialized. Same as when PSA sells a stripped lower. FWIW, the factory vectors were parts kit guns, too. Just checked one of mine. The bolt, carrier, and locking piece all have faint serial numbers on them. They are a matching set and do not match the serial on the top of the receiver. |
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Originally Posted By giantpune: If it was sold as a bare receiver, it would have been serialized. Same as when PSA sells a stripped lower. FWIW, the factory vectors were parts kit guns, too. Just checked one of mine. The bolt, carrier, and locking piece all have faint serial numbers on them. They are a matching set and do not match the serial on the top of the receiver. Originally Posted By giantpune: Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Yeah, that’s why I said it MIGHT be a parts gun. It has serial number up top tho. If it was sold as a bare receiver, it would have been serialized. Same as when PSA sells a stripped lower. FWIW, the factory vectors were parts kit guns, too. Just checked one of mine. The bolt, carrier, and locking piece all have faint serial numbers on them. They are a matching set and do not match the serial on the top of the receiver. Same. Actually, the bolt and the locking piece have very clear serial #s and the (F marked) BC has a faint one. All 3 match though. They are different than the serial # on the receiver. It IS a buffered carrier. Does this mean I can drop a full size MP5 B&T plastic stock onto the 33? |
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Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Same. Actually, the bolt and the locking piece have very clear serial #s and the (F marked) BC has a faint one. All 3 match though. They are different than the serial # on the receiver. It IS a buffered carrier. Does this mean I can drop a full size MP5 B&T plastic stock onto the 33? The more we learn about yours, the more it seems like it might not be a bubba home build. What's it look like where the paddle is supposed to be? Does it look like there was one and somebody removed it when they did the bullet button nonsense? Your muzzle device does seem like its a cali-ism, too. Factory had a flash hider. If you have the buffered carrier, that is supposed to allow you to use any of the stocks, no matter if they have a buffer in them or not. The 53 in the photo above came like that from a previous owner. I'm not entirely sure about the stock. Its similar to the B&T, but its a mirror image, folding to the other side. Inside, it has the transparent rubber bumper in it. Its holding up fine from however much the previous guy shot it, and then all the rounds I put through it. My 93 has a buffer in the stock and the carrier. It doesn't hurt anything running 2 buffers like that. |
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Hard to tell from the pictures. Is it a real flash hider with those slits cut all the way through to its bore? Or are their just for show? It also look a bit odd in its finish. It looks like its got the same thick, shiny paint as the receiver and barrel. And is that a paint drip or a pin-and-weld spot on the rim of it? What's the bottom of the receiver look like there the paddle would go? Thats kind of what I was after. Does it look like there used to be a paddle there and it was taken off when they put on the bullet button? The paddle would have left telltale marks in the paint from use. |
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Originally Posted By giantpune: Hard to tell from the pictures. Is it a real flash hider with those slits cut all the way through to its bore? Or are their just for show? It also look a bit odd in its finish. It looks like its got the same thick, shiny paint as the receiver and barrel. And is that a paint drip or a pin-and-weld spot on the rim of it? What's the bottom of the receiver look like there the paddle would go? Thats kind of what I was after. Does it look like there used to be a paddle there and it was taken off when they put on the bullet button? The paddle would have left telltale marks in the paint from use. None of that. Doesn’t look like it had that at all. At first glance I thought the slits on the muzzle device went through, but they don’t. Fake flash hider. |
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GhillieBear says “home built on a Turkish flat marked “Vector”, based on rails that weren’t well stamped. Not likely to take an A3 stock.” (Not what I was planning anyways). Otherwise, he says it should be good to go. Likely built off early import Malaysian HK33 Parts kit. Fake Flash hider likely welded because barrel under 16”. Worst comes to worst, I could always use it for parts and have Ghillie rebuild it as it should be. |
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Originally Posted By lilMAC25: So… what’s the consensus, can I use the B&T folding stock on this (it has a buffered carrier)? With a buffered carrier you can use whatever stock you want. Plus for what you paid if it runs anything else within reason can be fixed. You might get lucky my C93 took an A3 stock without issues. Considering a real HK is like $4k to start it scratches the itch. Check bolt gap. Buy some new magazines the aluminum 40’s that came with mine were toast. AC Unity makes quality windowed plastic mags, that are inexpensive. |
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Originally Posted By Totenpfeifer: With a buffered carrier you can use whatever stock you want. Plus for what you paid if it runs anything else within reason can be fixed. You might get lucky my C93 took an A3 stock without issues. Considering a real HK is like $4k to start it scratches the itch. Check bolt gap. Buy some new magazines the aluminum 40’s that came with mine were toast. AC Unity makes quality windowed plastic mags, that are inexpensive. That’s good to hear about the ACUnitys. I was wondering. I’ll probably buy 2 MKE translucents for the look and a handful of ACUnity. |
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Originally Posted By lilMAC25: GhillieBear says “home built on a Turkish flat marked “Vector”, based on rails that weren’t well stamped. Not likely to take an A3 stock.” (Not what I was planning anyways). Otherwise, he says it should be good to go. Likely built off early import Malaysian HK33 Parts kit. Fake Flash hider likely welded because barrel under 16”. Worst comes to worst, I could always use it for parts and have Ghillie rebuild it as it should be. I dont know if I agree with that. One of mine is marked exactly like yours is and I know it to be a factory vector gun. They moved around a bit. Their guns have different cities engraved on them and used different fonts. My V-53 has the same engravings as yours, and it was sold with vector's ugly pin-and-weld fake can on it. That V-53 accepts the folding stock fine. I just tested it with what I assume is a real HK stock that came from a LEO machine gun as well as a brand new virgin MKE stock (straight out of the bubble wrap) that atlantic's been selling. Everything fit fine. The virgin stock was a tad tight up at the round part around the top. The rails were fine. Both stocks collapsed and extended like they're supposed to.  
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Originally Posted By giantpune: I dont know if I agree with that. One of mine is marked exactly like yours is and I know it to be a factory vector gun. They moved around a bit. Their guns have different cities engraved on them and used different fonts. My V-53 has the same engravings as yours, and it was sold with vector's ugly pin-and-weld fake can on it. That V-53 accepts the folding stock fine. I just tested it with what I assume is a real HK stock that came from a LEO machine gun as well as a brand new virgin MKE stock (straight out of the bubble wrap) that atlantic's been selling. Everything fit fine. The virgin stock was a tad tight up at the round part around the top. The rails were fine. Both stocks collapsed and extended like they're supposed to. https://iili.io/BIXGfUv.png https://iili.io/BIXGa5l.png Originally Posted By giantpune: Originally Posted By lilMAC25: GhillieBear says “home built on a Turkish flat marked “Vector”, based on rails that weren’t well stamped. Not likely to take an A3 stock.” (Not what I was planning anyways). Otherwise, he says it should be good to go. Likely built off early import Malaysian HK33 Parts kit. Fake Flash hider likely welded because barrel under 16”. Worst comes to worst, I could always use it for parts and have Ghillie rebuild it as it should be. I dont know if I agree with that. One of mine is marked exactly like yours is and I know it to be a factory vector gun. They moved around a bit. Their guns have different cities engraved on them and used different fonts. My V-53 has the same engravings as yours, and it was sold with vector's ugly pin-and-weld fake can on it. That V-53 accepts the folding stock fine. I just tested it with what I assume is a real HK stock that came from a LEO machine gun as well as a brand new virgin MKE stock (straight out of the bubble wrap) that atlantic's been selling. Everything fit fine. The virgin stock was a tad tight up at the round part around the top. The rails were fine. Both stocks collapsed and extended like they're supposed to. https://iili.io/BIXGfUv.png https://iili.io/BIXGa5l.png I missed out on a Magpul MAG1250 for $70+Shipping by mere minutes the other day.  Originally posted by ghilliebear2000 (over at HKPRO.com) Turkish flat rounded rails Vector marking variant from special weapons was sold as a receiver either built by other manufacturer or was built by the individual Was most likely built by using a demilled Malaysian kit and the barrel had to have the flash hider welded on due to the barrel was not proper length to 16 in this was a common practice by people who were building them at home and vector. These receivers did not get through the proper stamping for the rails and more rounded instead of square this made it difficult to use A3 stocks other than that it's probably a pretty solid gun just need some TLC Should also have a buffered carrier and if the original owner built the gun it probably would have a Uso lower. Honestly, I’d be thrilled for it to be a factory gun, but he isn’t wrong about the rails. They certainly look more rounded than the other two (also Todd Bailey guns) HK clones that I have (MP5K Special weapons and MP5 Cohaire Arms). Neither of them are perfect by a long shot, but the rails are more square. Unfortunately still haven’t been able to get to the range with it. Maybe Sat morning. Originally Posted By osprey21: As I understand it Vector built the V93's using two different flats. The first run were built on MKE flats, when those ran out, Special Weapons flats were used. Unless I misunderstood him, this is a Turkish flat (which I assume is MKE?), but it’s also somehow associated with TB. |
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Took it out to the range today and it runs. Now, the Bad/Good news! Bad news: The reason I got a deal on it is because the Cali bullet button is a jury rigged piece of fecal matter. Good news: I got a good deal on it and I’m sending it to GhillieBear this coming week anyways and I’m 87% sure he will have zero issue installing a paddle mag release. |
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Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Unless I misunderstood him, this is a Turkish flat (which I assume is MKE?), but it’s also somehow associated with TB. |
Now with more political fatigue.
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Originally Posted By osprey21: Yes MKE is the Turkish company that supplied the early flats and TB supplied them various parts. Originally Posted By osprey21: Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Unless I misunderstood him, this is a Turkish flat (which I assume is MKE?), but it’s also somehow associated with TB. Ghillie says that Bailey toured MKE factory and paid someone to sneak out around 70 flats. Took them back to US and copied them. Dude led an ADVENTUROUS life! |
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Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Ghillie says that Bailey toured MKE factory and paid someone to sneak out around 70 flats. Took them back to US and copied them. Dude led an ADVENTUROUS life! |
Now with more political fatigue.
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Originally Posted By osprey21: Don't doubt that for a second, can't trust a Turk, and Toad is a rat of the highest order. Originally Posted By osprey21: Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Ghillie says that Bailey toured MKE factory and paid someone to sneak out around 70 flats. Took them back to US and copied them. Dude led an ADVENTUROUS life! He’s still alive? |
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Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Man, I thought he’d have passed a long time ago… Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Originally Posted By osprey21: Originally Posted By lilMAC25: He’s still alive? Man, I thought he’d have passed a long time ago…  |
Now with more political fatigue.
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Originally Posted By osprey21: As in murdered ? Originally Posted By osprey21: Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Originally Posted By osprey21: Originally Posted By lilMAC25: He’s still alive? Man, I thought he’d have passed a long time ago…  I wasn’t going there…. I was more thinking he has to be OLD by now! I have 3 TB products and they all run. So it’s hard for me to complain. |
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Originally Posted By ThePitbullofLove: My V93 is marked thusly https://media.fotki.com/2vV8GH3qxHEa4.jpg Originally Posted By ThePitbullofLove: My V93 is marked thusly https://media.fotki.com/2vV8GH3qxHEa4.jpg Yeah, I think Vector existed in multiple places in Utah due to various business moves and issues. https://www.hkpro.com/threads/vector-v93-serial-numbers.151492/ ozinsc 7 posts · Joined 2012 #7 · Jan 7, 2013 Resurrecting an old thread as I am wondering the same thing. Have two Vector rifles, UO22X and UA018X. I emailed Vector to find out more this morning. ozinsc 7 posts · Joined 2012 #9 · Jan 8, 2013 Well got a reply from Vector Arms,quite surprising on two counts. Hello, The information for these are as follows: First rifle serial number is UAO186 and the receiver is marked: Vector Arms CSS Bntfl UT V-93 cal 223 This V-93 Rifle was shipped from us on 1/3/2012 it is still under warranty. Second rifle is UO228 Receiver is marked: Vector Arms V-93 cal 223 NSL UT This V-93 receiver was shipped from us 10/14/2003. Looks as if it was shipped as a receiver only. It is not covered under warranty. So,the rifle that looks new and is unfired is not a factory rifle and the receiver is almost ten years old and the one that looks used is still under warranty. My serial number is UA011X marked Vector Arms CSS Bntfl UT V-93 cal 223 I expect that means mine a factory Vector V93. |
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Well…. Jeff is convinced it was NOT a factory rifle. Homebuild and it needed a bit more love than I hoped it would. Bolt gap is .13, so I bought some +6 rollers to get me closer to spec (.20ish). That said, it doesn’t need a tear down and rebuild, so it isn’t nearly as bad as it COULD have been. |
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Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Some day, I might buy a flat, barrel, and a trunnion, then ship it and my V93 to Ghillie and have him build it for me. Quoted me right around $1400 (plus barrel, trunnion, and flat), but it isn't in the $$ cards right now. |
In memory of my son Sean James, born 6/25/97. Died 9/16/13.
We will be reunited in heaven.
We will be reunited in heaven.
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Originally Posted By firedog51d: Do you mind saying how much he charges to do the paddle mag release? Originally Posted By firedog51d: Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Some day, I might buy a flat, barrel, and a trunnion, then ship it and my V93 to Ghillie and have him build it for me. Quoted me right around $1400 (plus barrel, trunnion, and flat), but it isn't in the $$ cards right now. $125 for the work, parts supplied by me (via RTG and APEX). Shipping separate. Also, he only takes shipments from FFL which increases cost. |
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Originally Posted By lilMAC25: $125 for the work, parts supplied by me (via RTG and APEX). Shipping separate. Also, he only takes shipments from FFL which increases cost. Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Originally Posted By firedog51d: Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Some day, I might buy a flat, barrel, and a trunnion, then ship it and my V93 to Ghillie and have him build it for me. Quoted me right around $1400 (plus barrel, trunnion, and flat), but it isn't in the $$ cards right now. $125 for the work, parts supplied by me (via RTG and APEX). Shipping separate. Also, he only takes shipments from FFL which increases cost. |
In memory of my son Sean James, born 6/25/97. Died 9/16/13.
We will be reunited in heaven.
We will be reunited in heaven.
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Originally Posted By firedog51d: Thanks! Originally Posted By firedog51d: Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Originally Posted By firedog51d: Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Some day, I might buy a flat, barrel, and a trunnion, then ship it and my V93 to Ghillie and have him build it for me. Quoted me right around $1400 (plus barrel, trunnion, and flat), but it isn't in the $$ cards right now. $125 for the work, parts supplied by me (via RTG and APEX). Shipping separate. Also, he only takes shipments from FFL which increases cost. Any time |
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Originally Posted By cherenkov: Paddle mag release is worth it. I have C93 rifle and pistol, I added the non-wiggle paddle to each - What a massive improvement! I did mine as a DIY, but still worth it to pay for it if you can't easily do it yourself. You will be glad when its done. Yeah, not something I have a clue how to do. The gun needed more (better) welding on the trunnion, general straightening of the receiver and a bit of other work. |
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Originally Posted By lilMAC25: Well, I was fully intending to Rhodie poop paint this gun…. Now I’m slightly considering doing a home version of Flectarn… Anyone have any suggestions? Go for flecktarn and use a sponge to do it. Super easy to get good results. |
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Bought a V93, how’d I do? (Page 1 of 2)
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