ECHO1 VIKTOR VS S&T BIZON
I heard that this rifle it better… I heard it is just a rebrand and the same but they charge you more money…
OK no more guessing and “forum facts” that most of the times are not true and never checked. This will be a parts for parts review of the Echo1 Viktor and the S&T Bizon. Some players have said they are the same gun even though one is plastic and the other one is metal. Either due to lack of information or unwilling to research but this should give the answers and pictures for proof.
The boxes both come with the rifle and some of the needed items.
The S&T package will come with the rifle, mag, bb loader, front sight key, 150 bbs and China/English manual.
The Echo1 package will come with the rifle, mag, sight key, stock pin, 8.4v stick battery, wall charger, 30 day warranty card and unjamming rod. This is the online manual on the Echo1USA website.
Ok lets take a look on the outside of the rifles. Both look and feel great out of the box.
The S&T is using a metal body that is made out of a decent steel and weighs in around 6 pounds. On the side you will see the scope mount for an aftermarket optic. The S&T has the TM inspired trigger tag and no other markings while the Echo1 has several stickers and markings on the rifle. The Echo1 does not have the scope mount and has the body made out of a sturdy polymer. It only weighs around 3.5 pounds but it is not flimsy.
The right sides of the rifles are just about the same. They both have metal charging handles to expose the hop up units and both have metal sling loops on the stocks.
The Echo1 Viktor has the folding stock option with the magazine attached. The S&T Bizon has a shorter pin and not able to latch when the magazine is attached. And even with the magazine it will not lock in place due to the off angle unless the stock was manufactured incorrectly.
The pin looks like it will attach but when the parts are lined up they will not fit together as intended. I was able to lift up and flex the stock to make it latch but I had to use my foot and both hands to undo it. It is not like the G36 or UMP stock that latches and can be opened with decent pressure, this was way off.
The Viktor has the folding stock and locks in place and can be opened again with just one hand. Unsure why the stocks are different and one works and the other does not.
Now the magazines. The S&T uses a 160 round midcap which feeds decent with a lipo and no skipping and the Echo1 version uses a hicap that holds around 1000 rounds. It uses a plunger system to compress the BBs into the feeding system and to keep the rattle noise very low. Check out another look at the magazine here. It is like the TM P90 hicap to open and use. Both mags are good in their own way and this is a tough call of which is better.
When you take off the dust cover you can see the standard V3 gearboxes in both rifles. You will notice the differences like the stock locking pins, in line fuse and hop up units.
Looking at the underside of the rifles you can clearly see the different build designs. Both are using the trunion pin and set screw design.
The bodies are built quite well. The metal S&T is thick and sturdy and so is the Echo1 body even though it is plastic in construction. Also both use a metal latch for the stock; that button you press to fold it.
Barrel time and now we get into the meat of the review. The top Bizon uses a metal AK hop up unit with a black bucking and a 247mm barrel. The outer barrel is a pot metal with the front sight pinned in place. The Viktor uses a plastic AK hop up unit with the MadBull Airsoft bucking installed. If you zoom in you can see the new ‘MB’ on the bucking to prevent counterfeits but that is for another blog. The Viktor’s barrel is 229mm long and the outer barrel is pot metal as well and has a bit more support than the other. The front sight is pinned as well.
The heart of the rifles are the gearboxes. Both rifles use the standard version 3 gearbox so you can upgrade later on if you like to tinker. The version 3 gearbox is the best for doing upgrades. Take note of the Echo1 gearbox and the parts. You will see the 8mm steel ball bearings that are great for any upgrades. The gearbox shell is labeled with the Echo1 logo as well as the motor. The S&T gearbox uses a 7mm steel bushing and a blank shell. Time to open them up.
But first let me take a picture of the Echo1 gearbox and radius cut to the cylinder window. This technique will keep the front from cracking after years of use. Most players will do this themselves but since this is already completed for the player it is cool and time saving. The Bizon does not have this but could be if needed.
The guts! The Bizon is using some good parts and generous helping of grease to ensure a smooth operation. The Bizon uses a metal bearing spring guide and a M120 spring to shoot around 415~ fps. The gears are made out of steel and there are some shims and seem pretty good. When closing the gearbox up and just checking the gears and their shim job I was able to get one cycle and this is due to the solid bushings and the thick grease. The motor will be able to turn them but this will eat up some power. The Viktor gearbox is using a different gearset that are made out of steel as well. The gears had lite grease and a few shims and the shim job test was able to get two cycles since they have the 8mm ball bearings. The ball bearings will help your rate of fire and reduce friction like the bushing have. The Viktor uses a solid metal spring guide, no bearings like the Bizon but still has the spacing to boost the fps a tad. The spring is like a M110 and you get around 380 fps.
The AoE’s are decent and for a stock rifle both ok. For the tech’s out there they will want to change this but for the average player this will be fine for some time. The Viktor has larger delyaer on the sector gear combined with the cut tappet plate for a better feeding and loading on full auto when using a lipo. The Bizon has decent delayer peg and better than other high end rifles
The pistons are solid and use a ported piston head. The piston head for the Echo1 piston uses a bearing plate set like most aftermarket sets and the S&T uses a pot metal spacer as the CYMA factory uses. The piston racks both showed a little wear with a little range time and seem to be doing just fine. The Echo1 piston is a little more beefy in the build and the second tooth is cut down for the AoE. Both of the pistons are good but if you use poor quality bbs they will fail just like any other piston. Make sure you use good bbs like MadBull or Echo1 BBs; we use them and no problems.
This was an odd find. Unsure if it causes any issues but took a picture. The Bizon ASN (airseal nozzle) does not go all the way down the to cylinder head due to the re inforced nubs on the front for pushing the bbs into the hop up unit.
In a blog with words it is hard to show the tolerances and airseal of the cylinder and head but this should do the trick. The S&T was loose and in my hand was able to get some slow leaks while the Echo1 was tighter and had a better seal. Both use a single Oring.
The gearboxes are both good in their own ways. This one has this or that and the other has that so it is a tough call on saying which on is better. It will come down to what you are going to do with it. Upgrade right away or use it out of the box? Out of the box the Viktor is ready with the 8mm bearings, MadBull bucking, slightly better gear and piston combo and other little parts.
I want a full metal gun because it will be solid just like the real gun right? Well the Bizon by S&T needs some more work. The outer barrel is able to wiggle to the left or right while pinned and screwed in place. The picture is able to show how it slants to the side while the Viktor is straight.
Not making this up! I am able to slide printing paper in between the outer barrel and body trunion while it is held in place by the horizontal pin and the small 1.5mm allen grub screw on the bottom. For this to be fixed the outer barrel needs to be a tad bit bigger and if you buy this you will need to glue in a ring of paper as a shim and good to go. With the hand guard installed there still is the wiggle. The Viktor does not have the wiggle like this due to the barrel design and the snug fit of the parts.
Well that is what both guns are like inside and out. Now the tough call is to decide which one you get. Both are are priced just about the same but offer different things and build qualities.
If you are handy and skilled the S&T Bizon might be what you want and it will be good after you tune it and you can get it from WGC Shop for $156. The Echo1 Viktor is the better deal and ready to go out of the box and you can get it for $169 on the Echo1 site.
I can’t force you to buy either one but I hope this helps you know what you are getting into on your next purchase. Check out our review of the Echo1 Viktor here.
Written by Brian Holt
Instagram – Yelp – Flickr – Facebook – Videos – Blog – Twitter know what you think!
