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Electric airsoft guns are nothing like what they used to be. The rising demand for a fast trigger response has led to a renaissance of out-the-box AEG performance as more and more rifles come pre-equipped with advanced electronic trigger systems. Performance that was once only achievable by a seasoned technician is now the standard most stock airsoft guns are held to. Leading the charge in this modernization effort is none other than GATE, who’s optical trigger systems have found their way into a multitude of stock rifle brands over the years. Their revolutionary design that uses light to regulate the movement of mechanical parts was the technology breakthrough the hobby needed to propel itself into a new age. Its eight years of relevance have more than proven its effectiveness as an option, leading to most major brands involving themselves in some sort of collaboration with GATE.

Though GATE leads the pack in electronic trigger unit relevance, many other brands are trying their hand at offering an equally competitive alternative. The one for today’s spotlight holds a very special place in my heart, as it’s my typical go to for the good majority of my personal rifle builds. I’ve always had gripes about a full “optical” trigger system, as light sensors can lose their effectiveness when exposed to grease or dust. My very first ASTER equipped rifle suddenly broke down after around 15000 shots due to dust buildup on the trigger sensor, which then lead to me attempting my first “repair” job. Long story short, working on an AEG gearbox is tricky. Though the sensors were cleaned, I never truly got the rifle fully functional again (keep track of your gear shims to avoid my same fate!). I couldn’t argue with how smoothly the rifle performed when it worked though. If only there was a way to make contactless internal switches without using light…

Needless to say, when the Perun Hybrids dropped I was beyond ecstatic. My call had been answered. Let’s dive right into what makes these GATE competitors so awesome!

The Brilliance of the Perun Hybrid!

Though the Hybrid is Perun’s current flagship electronic trigger unit, it wasn’t their first entry into the market. They initially offered a full optical system intended to be a more economic alternative to the prominent GATE ASTER, but its lack of comparative programmability dropped it out of popular favor. There was no programming app for the Perun and the few rudimentary trigger-input programming options paled in comparison to GATE's. In order to bring something new to the table, Perun had to mix things up a bit. Optical trigger units were popular by this point in time, but no company had truly cracked the issue of outdoor element resistance yet.

Light can easily be obstructed by debris. But, there is a certain force that will operate irrespective of what comes between it and its sensor: Magnetism. To combat the issue of sensor unreliability, Perun conceived a new design that includes a modification to your stock trigger. By placing a magnet on the trigger that interacts with the circuit board, positive trigger readings could be made regardless of how much dust, grease, or light interfered with the system. Trigger position could also still be read by detecting magnetic strength, allowing for just as much sensitivity adjustment as an ordinary light operated system. Since the accessory magnet is a clip-on piece, any standard V2 trigger can operate with the Perun Hybrid. Pairing it with the mechanical adjustability of an aftermarket trigger (such as the MAXX) opens up windows for ludicrously sensitive trigger response setups that offer a more consistent and positive response no matter the external variables. The epithet “Hybrid” comes from its use of optical sensors for the gear movement. Though I’ve highly praised the Perun for its magnetic sensors, I believe an optical sensor still makes sense for the gears, as having a strong magnet on your ideally smooth spinning steel gears isn’t ideal for maximum efficiency. Utilizing the ideal sensor types in conjunction, Perun has created one of the most secure electronic systems without functional compromise.

Hearing the complaints about the previous optical system’s poor programmability, Perun both expanded the amount of settings and greatly improved variable adjustment effectiveness. Though I personally never used their original optical system, my colleagues who did complained that they could never quite set the active braking system low enough to substantially mitigate motor heat. Small bugs like that have thankfully been properly cleaned up. Perun committed themselves to creating a programmable electronic trigger that didn’t need any additional app to function, so they aimed to ensure their device’s trigger programmability wouldn’t feel inferior to their competitors' wider breadth of options. Pulled straight from Perun’s website, here’s a few of the most important things configurable by trigger input.

Perun Hybrid Key Features:

• Adjustable trigger sensitivity – The trigger can be set to 5 sensitivity levels, ranging from very short pull needed to fire a shot, to a very long one. No modification to the trigger or the gearbox is needed and the trigger sensitivity change is possible even in the field.


• Independently programmed firing modes - Program the firing modes any way you like, setting safe, semi, burst or auto on both selector positions.


• Active brake - active brake stops the motor after each shot preventing spring compression or in case of replicas with high rate of fire, overspin (double shot problem).


• Precocking - Fast trigger response can be a matter of victory or defeat, especially in CQB situations. With precocking enabled, piston will remain in rear position after each shot with the spring already compressed, ensuring that next shot will be fired immediately after you pull the trigger. To release the spring after using precocking, pull the trigger and hold it for 2 seconds, after which a second shot will be fired, this time with no precocking and fully braked.


• 2-stage trigger – Light trigger pull results with a single shot or burst, while a deeper pull will cause a burst or fully automatic fire. Following modes are available: semi – burst, semi – auto and burst – auto.


• Binary trigger - Allows for easy double shots in semi-automatic setting. After enabling this mode, if semi-automatic fire is set, shots will be fired not only when the trigger is pulled, but also when it is released.


• Rate of fire reduction - Reduce the rate of fire in automatic or burst fire to save ammo or make the replica shoot in a more realistic fashion.


• DMR mode - Introduces intervals between semiautomatic shots to comply with DMR rules on some fields.


• Low battery voltage alarm - Dedicated for Li-Po and Li-Ion batteries. Should the battery voltage fall to a dangerously low level, user will be notified by short sound signals that are repeated every minute. This may also be freely switched on and off.


• DSG – a sector gear detection mode specially prepared to work with dual sector gears.


• Diagnostic system - Constantly monitors the replica and the mosfet itself. In case of any problems, immediately lets you know what it might be, making troubleshooting much easier.


• Electronic fuse - Will save your replica and battery in case of a major malfunction. It will automatically disconnect the battery when a short circuit or blocked motor is detected.

The Perun Hybrid won’t have 6 different ways to adjust rate of fire like the Gate TITAN does. It also doesn’t feature a live rifle status system for your smartwatch or multiple user profiles for saving setting sets. Instead, it simply features the settings that actually matter. This is a no-nonsense electronic trigger unit that gives you a reasonable range of adjustment on all the things you might want to change with none of the obscure luxurious fluff that you’ll most likely never use at an economical price point. I like that.

I also really like this little thingamajig they made for the Perun:



For those who like sending as many BBs down range at their opponent as possible, a contactless trigger sensor system is an effective option. The downside? You’ll be missing the characteristic trigger break a real-steel trigger would have. If you’re anything like me and enjoy having a bit more tactility to your trigger feel, the Perun Clicker is the device for you. The Clicker sits atop your Perun circuit board and adds a second stage to your trigger pull. Pull the trigger and you’ll feel a mechanical wall. Continue your pull and the shot will be fired, much alike its real steel two-stage counterpart. This device won’t be for everyone, but it’s awesome that the option is there for those of us that reminisce over a realistic feel. (They’re especially cool with electric recoil systems!)

The Perun and GATE products are respectively unique and each have their own sets of pros and cons. GATE admittedly does have an edge in terms of features offered, but for those like me that prefer to keep it simple, the Perun is all you’ll need. I’ll always be one to stress the advantages of a magnetic sensor trigger system, but there are plenty of airsofters out there who’ve had perfect luck with GATE’s regular old light actuated systems. I’m likely the exception when it comes to the amount of hiccups I’ve had with my GATE electronic systems, but I can still concede how effective they can be when setup cleanly. The best electronic trigger unit for you will be the one that suits your needs and concerns best! Curious about getting one of these installed into your rifle but aren’t too sure about opening up a gearbox? Contact our tech department at [email protected] for inquiries about our professional technician service!