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Education / Training Everblast M87LA tactical airsoft shotgun

Everblast M87LA tactical airsoft shotgun

by B.B. Pelletier

For those on a tight budget, this gun will get you into the game. Being a springer, the Everblast 87LA is affordable, but this one has a difference. It’s a pump gun that lets you shoot as fast as you can work the handle!

NOT a shotgun!
Although they call this a shotgun, it really isn’t. It shoots a single 0.12-gram BB per pull of the trigger and it has adjustable Hop Up like any other combat long gun. It’s made for single-shot accuracy. Think of it as a fast-firing rifle that can double as a street broom in a pinch. Though the gun cocks and fires with each pump of the hand grip and pull of the trigger, if the trigger is held down, it fires every time the grip goes forward. That dramatically increases the rate of fire.

Three different guns
Actually there are three guns in the 87 family. There’s a CQB Special Ops version with a six-position adjustable stock, a conventionally stocked law enforcement version and an Everblast 87SA gun with no butt. The Spec Ops is more powerful than the other two and has the buttstock that’s needed for long-range accuracy. The LA seems more useful than the SA. For room-to-room fighting, the shorter gun would maneuver best of all. The short gun shoots slowest, but other than that and the stocks, the three are pretty much the same.

Sights and optical aids
A Picatinny tri-rail comes with each model to accept dot sights, tactical flashlights, lasers and more. You will need to mount some kind of sight because the gun comes with none. All accessories have to mount to Picatinny rail mounting systems (Weaver mounts will work, too).

Adjustable Hop Up
This is the feature you need for best accuracy. Hop Up puts the backspin on the BB, making it fly straighter farther. The adjustment feature lets you tune the gun to the specific ammo being used, and that means you can be more accurate at longer ranges. While adjustable Hop Up is common on high-end gas and electric guns, it’s not so common on springers – certainly not on springers selling for less than $40! That’s why I say this inexpensive gun gets you in the game. It has the power and the accuracy of an AEG costing four times as much, so you don’t have to borrow or rent any longer.

Functioning
I found the last two BBs in every magazine were duds in the guns I tested. One would leave the magazine but not feed into the barrel and the other one stayed in the mag. But I only tested the 20-shot mags. Leapers has just come out with a high-capacity mag that may have better feeding, and even if it doesn’t, you’ll still have a lot more shots in each mag.

Solid feel and heft
You don’t expect a solid feel in an airsoft gun for under $40 – especially not a long gun. But every member of the 87 family feels heavy and rugged. Yes, there’s a lot of plastic, and I doubt the gun is a rugged as a metal-bodied AEG, but it looks tougher than the price would indicate. So, maybe this is a gun to get you started. If you like skirmishing, you have time to save up for a higher-end gun. If that’s your plan, you can buy your optics with an eye to using them on the next gun!

The Everblast M87 guns are worth your consideration.

author avatar
Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier)
Tom Gaylord, also known as B.B. Pelletier, provides expert insights to airgunners all over the world on behalf of Pyramyd AIR. He has earned the title The Godfather of Airguns™ for his contributions to the industry, spending many years with AirForce Airguns and starting magazines dedicated to the sport such as Airgun Illustrated.

14 thoughts on “Everblast M87LA tactical airsoft shotgun”

  1. Things to note:

    *Some people report the weights coming loose. These can simply be re-glued or epoxied back in along with any additional weights you want.

    *Its a high powered springer so standard .20 gram BBs are recommended instead of the usual .12 lightweights.

    *The last two rounds can be reportedly loaded by pumping the gun while its upside down.

    Mixed reports about how long these things last, especially if you hold down the trigger and pump the cocking handle.

  2. The butt on the CQB is about 6-8 inches collapsed so it probably isn’t going to be a problem for your kid. Its also very easy to cock (its possible to cock the shotgun with one hand terminator style). Just be sure to teach your kid not to fire it at animals, windows and people without eye protection.

    Soda cans and balloons make great targets because they explode when hit. If you get biodegradeable BBs then you won’t even need a pellet trap but make sure you have something to act as a backstop. Have fun 🙂

  3. I have a question about leaving an airgun out side, now bare with me I don’t mean all the time. The army has taught me to leave my weapon out side the tent in subzero temperatures. It prevents rust causing condensation when you won’t have it inside long enough to completely warm it up, dry and oil it. I have done this with my firearms at the hunting camp for years, even overnight. I sighted them in cold so I keep them cold. I was wondering if there was any extra concerns with a spring powered air rifle.

    Ed

  4. I am new to this…i have an Exlectrolux, Crossman NighStalker, Hurricane pistol, Benjamin pistol, Crossman pistol and sever others…none of them impresses me. Am I in the lon g leauge”
    oh not to mention three Walther ppk’s which all failed.

  5. I just bought one of these based on your recommendation. I was reading about this gun online and several comments were made about lubricating the gun. My question (I don’t have it yet, so no manual) is how and with what do you lubricate an airsoft gun and specifically this one?

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