However, it was not an anonymous company. East Crane is know to airsoft players for a long time as a manufacturer with an established reputation. Taiwangun, however, did not want to sell what other sellers had on offer. The effect of their first contact was to determine what replica was to be produced and what could be done with components tailored specifically for this particular replica.
The history of Taiwangun.com's cooperation with this manufacturer began with an idea for a new East Crane EC-909 model. People familiar with military topics should be perfectly acquainted with this design. It is a replica of one of the most famous sniper rifles in the world, used by many armies and a whole lot of special units. The original currently replaces the venerable SR25 in the arsenal of the GROM Special Unit.
From the moment a pre-production unit landed at Taiwangun, it appeared not only in a very interesting promotional video, but was also exhibited many times during various shows of weapons and equipment of the GROM Special Unit. The quality of the materials used and the accuracy of reproducing the original make it a replica written with a capital R.
A full metal construction based on an AR-10 is a guarantee of high ergonomics and excellent modularity. The trigger and receiver are made of aluminum, while the SF-type stock, with adjustable in 6 positions, and the pistol grip are made of extremely durable polymer. The free-float handguard with a quick detachment system (QD) allows to disassemble it without the use of specialized tools. The 16.1-inch long grip itself is equipped with a 22mm top rail with a zero degree inclination. Combined with a Picatinny rail on the lower receiver, it provides adequate space for accessories such as iarsoft red dot sights, scopes, bipods or front grips.
The most important part that distinguish the EC-909 from its direct competition on the airsoft market are the use of the highest quality internal parts. It has V2 long type gearbox with a quick spring replacement system compliant with the TM standard. It houses steel gears mounted on 8mm ball bearings, a long type 0 cylinder and a piston with metal teeth for increased durability. Additionally, by modifying the fire selector plate, the replica fires only in single fire mode, just like the original. Cable protection is provided by a Mosfet that adjusts the current in the replica. Finally, it is worth mentioning the barrel with a diameter of 6.04 mm and the reinforced polymer rotary hop-up chamber. All of these parts result in fantastic operation of the EC-909 straight out of the box. At the same time, thanks to the use of parts in common market standards, it is possible to modify the replica to further improve its performance.
An additional result of cooperation between Taiwangun.com and East Crane in the creation of the EC-909 was the appearance of three other completely new replicas in the store's offer. The EC-202 in a version with or without a programmable Mosfet, the EC-901 in two color variants - black and tan, and the EC-903, also in two color variants - black and tan.
Each of these replicas, created in cooperation with Taiwangun.com, is characterized by the highest attention to replicating the original, extremely high quality of materials used in production, and the most accurate fit. However, the real strenght of the new East Crane replicas lies in the details - in this case, the mechanisms inside the replicas. Moreover, the East Crane products in question are still very reasonably priced, which means that they can immediately shift the pradigm the growing market of airsoft replicas in Europe.
