Every airsoft player I know of wants a Systema PTW, but not everyone can afford a PTW. Just getting one PTW will already get you several AEGs, plus a full tactical gear loadout. In these tough times, maintaining the airsoft hobby is already hard, how much more being able to afford PTW? Thankfully, there are already complete PTW-alternatives and will not cost you over a thousand dollars just to get one.

Celcius Techology CTW

The first PTW-alternative, though it took some time for this to market. It's also very much close to the Systema PTW design. Whilst it's more affordable than a complete PTW, it's at the price range of the Challenge Kits of around US$700.00.

G&D DTW

Some people we talked to say that this is a direct rip-off of the Systema PTW as some of the gearbox shells actually bear the Systema logo. Either the manufacturer was able to get a mold of the System gearbox somewhere or actually did some reverse engineering on an actual PTW gearbox by doing the precise measurements. Some of the issues encountered are in the magwell area where magazine is a little bit loose inside rather than have a snug fit. Price is at the US$300 mark making it to the most affordable "PTW-alike" AEG.

A&K PTW

This is said to be about to hit the market and we expect this to be almost the somewhere at the price of  the G&D DTW so not much information save for these videos.

All of these PTWs are said to have some degree of compatibility with the Systema PTW or with each other and you will  have to search the forums of what can be swapped with what brand.

We don't know if Systema Engineering has a worldwide patent to the PTW design since it they do, they could have already acted on enforcing their intellectual property against the "copies." If they cannot enforce their ownership on the PTW technology, then it will open the PTW segment, which it formerly has a monopoly, even further wide open as Mainland China manufacturers will try to provide their own "PTW" offering. With A&K already getting in, following Celcius Technology and G&D, what would stop Jing Gong and DBoys (and plus other manufacturers with M4/AR product lines) from following?

In terms of Cylinder use, the next alternative is the WE Katana System which also is getting some good attention from airsoft players but in terms of rivaling the Systema ECU is ICS in their MX-Pro Series, but which is basically an MP5 line, so this is more competition to the Systema MP5/TW5 line.

Most Systema users would swear to be loyal Systema users, and some wouldn't even want to get caught using either the CTW or DTW. But for those who want something close to a Systema without breaking the bank, the three mentioned PTW alternatives might just meet their needs and budgets. It's just a question if they'd rather ignore the intellectual property violations these companies may have committed in making their PTW offerings or not.