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1

Pre-Publication Peer Review / ICS G33 *WIP*

« on: April 06, 2013, 10:18:27 PM »

ICS G33 review by XavierMace
Discuss this review here.

The ICS G33 is a replica of the H&K G36C with a unique ICS flavor to it.  Will these changes improve the G36 design or degrade it and at what cost?  Let's find out.

Basic Information
The ICS G33 is the newest addition to ICS's lineup of AEG's.  The gun is clearly based on the H&K G36 with some aesthetic changes by ICS, most notably the stock and pistol grip.  ICS first did this on their MX-5 Pro series to mixed reviews, we'll see if the same happens here.  The gun is available from Airsplat.com in Black and Tan for the price of $249.99 which is in line with the majority of ICS's Proline offerings. 

With the gun you get one Thermold style M4 magazine, a small bag of ICS .20g BB's, a small manual, an instructions/catalog CD, and a cleaning rod.  The gun is packaged in a surprisingly small box with the gun sitting in a plastic tray to keep everything in place.

Product Description/First Impressions:
As somebody who has owned at least one of every single G36 on the market, I was immediately impressed with the quality and finish of the materials on the receiver.  The finish doesn't look quite as good as the older Classic Army G36's or Army Code receivers but it's leaps and bounds above Ares/Star/Umarex and JG/Echo1 G36's. 

Externals

The first change ICS made that we will be looking at is the mag well.  ICS designed the gun to take M4 magazines right out of the box, rather than G36 magazines.  The nice thing about that is it does a far better job of using M4 mags than the Private Parts (and similar) adapters out there but the downside is you can't use G36 mags with it at all if you already have some.  The mag release allows you to eject the magazine using either the lever on the bottom like a normal G36 or the button on the side like an M4.

Next up we have the selector switch.  As you can see, ICS decided to run a larger screw right through the top rather than a little screw on the side of the selector.  Initially I felt that give the selector a bit of a cheap look, like they couldn't be bothered to make it the "right" way.  However, I will say it's far an away the best G36 selector I've used.  It locks into position far more firmly than any of the other replicas and has no play at all.  It's up to you if you prefer function or form on that one, but I'm happy with the change.

Now we are to the pistol grip.  I'll be the first to admit, when I first saw the ICS MX-5 Pro with the ICS stylization, I wasn't impressed.  It looked tacky to me and didn't seem to give you anything in return.  While their changes to the MX-5 Pro's pistol grip didn't appeal to me visually, the rubber sleeve did feel a lot better.  On the G33 I think they tried to make the aesthetic changes a bit less drastic.  It's not a rubber sleeve however so you have no choice to use it.  I'm on the fence about the looks of the pistol grip, but I can't argue with the handling of it.  The grip feels slightly rubbery and gives you far greater grip when wet than the original design.  I'll take it over the regular G36 grip any day.  It also has a ventilated bottom motor plate.

Moving to the front of the gun, we come to the hand guard.  As you can see, once again ICS has made some changes to it.  I'm probably most on the fence about this change.  Looks wise, it does nothing for me.  However, it does make a very key change.  The bottom rail spans the full length of the hand guard and is one molded piece.  I've seen more than one G36 with a split hand guard but you don't have to worry about that here.  They've also added the rail to the top, so you are basically getting a G36c RIS unit (albeit polymer) at no additional cost.  That's certainly worth keeping in mind.

The changes continue with the top rail although these are much more slight.  As you can see they've added a little lip that extends down to the charging handle.  They've also slightly changed the sight design.  The fit and finish of the carry handle is again top notch however it's all polymer rather than metal.

Now we get to the most drastic change, the stock.  We've seen the stock before on the ICS MX-5 Pro's.  My complaint then was the stock simply didn't fit the gun.  That hasn't changed here.  ICS calls it the S.F.S. stock, which stands for Sniper Folding Stock.  Why would you want a sniper stock on a G36c?  On a full length G36, maybe, but it just looks out of place here.  Admittedly, that's just my opinion.  Some people like making snipers out of CQB guns.  That said, the stock itself is great.  It's adjustable for length and the cheek rest is adjustable as well.  Both adjustments lock fully in place when extended.  In addition, the stock has a mount for a QD sling attachment near the front as well (not included) and still folds to the side.  If the looks appeal to you, it's a far more versatile stock design.

Internals
*Coming Soon*

Power/Magazines
As with all G36's, the gun is wired to the front with a small Tamaya connector.  Like ICS's other recent models, the gun uses a small blade fuse rather the older tube fuses.  If you've looked at the G36's, you know battery space is minimal, and this is no different.  Personally, I would recommend wiring it for an external PEQ battery box.  Magazine wise, as previously mentioned is the major functional change.  The gun takes M4 magazines rather than G36 magazines.  Personally, I'm happy with that as there's very few good G36 mags out there.  Plus, G36 magazines are bulky.  To be fair, ICS has included a Thermold style magazine as they do with their M4's which is my least favorite style of M4 magazine.  Fortunately, there's no shortage of alternative magazines out there.  If you are a low cap guy, Airsplat has ICS's new 45rd C7 magazines for $15.99 each.  Personally, I default to my trusty MAG brand midcap magazines which fit perfectly with minimal amount of wobble.

Performance Characteristics:
Performance was probably the biggest shocker in my book.  I'm a long time ICS user and I'm used to pulling an ICS out of the box, chronoing it at 330fps or so and then going down to the CQB field to try it out.  So, imagine my surprise when I see this...

Yes, that's 397fps with a .25g Airsplat BIO BB.  That puts it above most national field limits on a gun designed for CQB usage.  I don't see the purpose in that, but the gun handles it with ease cranking out a healthy 1100rpm on a Firefox 11.1v 1300mah 20C LiPo battery.  Accuracy I am happy to report was better than expected at 30 yards.  From a standing, un-braced shooting position, it had no trouble putting all 10 rounds on target.

The hopup is ICS's own design, similar to their M4's.  Each adjustment firmly clicks into place ensuring your hopup stays adjusted like you want.  More importantly it provides a nice consistent hop.  It definitely performs better than their M4 hopups in that regards.

Accessories/Modifications
If you're like me and prefer the looks of the classic G36, you've probably been waiting for this section.  The bad news is you can tell right off the bat that you cannot replace the stock with a traditional G36 stock.  The back portion of the gun is designed completely differently.  If for some reason you prefer to use G36 magazines, you will be disappointed to know that you cannot swap out the magwell for a standard G36 magwell.  The top portion of the magwell is cut differently than the standard G36 magwell.  However, it mounts in exactly the same manner as a standard G36 magwell, so if you are willing to do some dremel work, you may be able to make it work.

I am thrilled to report that the hand guard and carry handle are 100% TM compatible.  While the screws are a little different, all screw/pin holes match up properly.  You can use TM compatible hand guards with the factory ICS pin or an aftermarket pin.  If you are swapping out the carry handle, you may have to use the screws for that carry handle.  The outer barrel assembly appears to be a TM compatible design as well, but I will confirm later.  Fortunately it is metal rather than the plastic you find on Echo1/JG G36's.  It also doesn't exhibit any of the wobble I've seen on other G36's of that design.

Upgrades:
As stated previously, you can't swap out the stock so you don't have any options there.  But the other body components are TM compatible so you've got options there.  I pulled off the externals from my CA based MG36 setup which I think much better fit the looks of the SFS folding stock.  In fact I might even go so far as to say I prefer the looks of the SFS stock on this setup.

All the rails on the gun are too spec and presented zero issues mounting any of my existing accessories.  The magwell fits

*Internal Upgrades Info Coming Soon*

Skirmish Results
*Coming Soon*

Conclusion:
The looks of the gun seem to be a love/hate sort of thing.  The changes are certainly functional and really do benefit the gun overall.  Some people just want the classic looks.  I have to question the spring choice given the size of the gun, but it certainly has no issues running with it.  At $80 less than the KWA, I have no qualms calling this the best overall G36 on the market.  It doesn't have some of the features of the similarily priced Ares G36's but it's a much better build quality.  The Echo1/JG and Ares Sportline models are certainly cheaper but don't tough the finish of the ICS.  If you were looking at getting a magwell adapter and/or RIS anyways, that makes it almost a steal.  The only downside is at this time, ICS doesn't offer standard or K length variants so if you want the longer gun you'll have to make your own.

End Notes:
Many thanks to Airsplat for their continuing support!

Written by XavierMace, 4/6/13

2

Airsoft News / G&G Contests

« on: August 11, 2012, 09:38:19 PM »

Hey guys, G&G sent me some info about two contests they are running.  One video contest and one photo contest both with some legit prizes.

Video Contest
Best G&G Commercial Award 
US$ 10,000 cash prize, 1 free round trip for an economic class flight to Nurnberg, Germany, 1 free night stay at a hotel to be designated by G&G Armament, 1 day VIP visit to G&G Booth at international trade show “ 2013 IWA & Outdoor Classics ” for the award ceremony ( 2013, Mar. 9TH , winning team must assign 1 representative to participate).

Best Video Award                   - US$ 5,000 cash prize
Best Creative Video Award            - US$ 5,000 cash prize
Nominated Masterpiece Award (7 places)    Each will win 6 G&G AEGs

Note：Prizes in this contest do not include tax, final amount may be varied due to different taxation in different country

Contest Period 
Application Time    Starting Now ~ 2012.12.12 ( 12:00 p.m.)
Voting Deadline     2012.12.27 (5:00 p.m.)
Announcement Date  2013.1.7 (12:00 p.m.)
Prize Delivery      2013.2.4
Above time periods based on GMT +8:00 Taipei time
The winning entries will be announced on guay2.com site by G&G armament.

Voting Method 
Internal Voting (70%) Vote by G&G personnel, global G&G distributors and internationally well-known media specialists.
Online Voting (30%)   Vote by (likes) from YouTube Channel.

Photo Prizes 
Gold Prize            Any 3 pieces of G&G Airsoft guns
Silver Prize           Any 2 pieces of G&G Airsoft guns
Bronze Prize          Any 1 piece of G&G Airsoft guns
Creative Prize        USD$1,000

Selected & Special Award   One CM16 R8-L
 * Team Prize
    
If the photo prize is won by a team and not by an individual, 6 extra pieces will be added to the original prize (6 pieces of two models). The winning team will be listed in a 2013 catalog. Terms and conditions for team submission: In order to qualify for team submission, each team must provide a link to the team website or blog and at least one team picture with team logo and G&G products.

Contest Period   Starting Now ~ 2012.10.01
Voting Period    2012.10.02 (10:00 a.m.) ~ 2012.10.18 (5:00 p.m.)
Announcement  2012.10.15
Prize Delivery   2012.11.9

Above time periods are all based on GMT+8 Taipei time

Rules and other additional information is on G&G's website, check it out.

http://guay2.com/show_yourself/index.html
 
http://guay2.com/vidcontest/index.html

3

Review & Article Discussion / AEG: G&G TR4-18 (HK416)

« on: July 06, 2012, 08:33:53 PM »

Discussion for the review found here.

4

Pre-Publication Peer Review / G&G TR4-18 Light (HK416 CQB) Review *WIP*

« on: April 28, 2012, 02:12:29 PM »

G&G TR4-18 Light review by XavierMace
Discuss this review here.

Real Steel History from wikipedia
The HK416 uses a proprietary gas system derived from the HK G36, replacing the direct impingement gas system used by the standard M16/M4. The HK G36 gas system was in turn derived from the AR-18 assault rifle designed in 1963. The HK system uses a short-stroke piston driving an operating rod to force the bolt carrier to the rear. This design prevents combustion gases from entering the weapon's interior, a shortcoming with direct impingement systems. The reduction in heat and fouling of the bolt carrier group increases the reliability of the weapon and extends the interval between stoppages. It also reduces operator cleaning time and stress on critical components. According to H&K "experience that Heckler & Koch gained during its highly successful 'midlife improvement programme' for the British Army SA80 assault rifle, have now borne fruit in the HK416".

Basic Information
The G&G TR4-18 Light is part of G&G's GT Advanced series of weapons featuring an 8mm gearbox with pneumatic blowback.  The "Light" denotes that this is the shorter 10.5" barrel model.  The gun is also available with a standard 14.5" barrel.  The gun is available at many US retailers for around $400.

Product Description/First Impressions:
The gun comes in packaging common to most G&G guns which means a nice black box with a holographic sticker showing what model the box contains.  Inside the box you find a nice hard styrofoam tray holding the gun and magazine securely in place.  In addition to the gun you will also find a 450 round high capacity magazine, screwdriver, cleaning rod, catalog, and a exceptionally nice full color manual.  I want to stress how nice the manual is simply because it's so non-typical in airsoft guns.  A job well done by G&G on the packaging across the board.

Externals
As this is part of G&G's flagship line, the expectation is the gun should have top notch externals.  Trademarks are always a bit of debate.  Some people have to have them, some people don't care.  In this particular case, the gun has G&G's trademarks along with color HK style selector markings.  The gun does not have an abundance of markings which personally is more important to me than trademarks.

The gun comes with a collapsible Sopmod stock, or crane stock as it's more commonly called in airsoft, that holds the battery for the gun.  This particular model allows you to install the battery from the back.  The plastic of the stock is quite nice with minimal seam lines.  Fully collapsed the stock sits flush up against the rear of the gun.

The rear battery cap is held in place via a hook on the top of the butt plate and two clips on the bottom of the butt plate.  This keeps the assembly secure but still allows you to replace the battery without tools or removing the entire stock.  The butt plate is rubber and makes the stock reasonably comfortable to shoulder.

Rather than a standard M16 or Tango Down style grip like you normally see on HK416 style guns, the gun has a G&G Ergo grip.  The grip has a bit of a rubberized feel to it and wraps up the back of the gun.  Personally I find it to be one of the most comfortable grips on the market.

Internals
Internally, at the core is a V2 gearbox as with all TM compatible M4 AEG's.  However there's some differences in the TR4-18's case, some more obvious than others.  Most obvious is the pnuematic blow back system on top of the gearbox.  The smaller changes you see on this side of the gearbox is the non standard selector plate due to the functional right side selector indicator.  I say indicator because it's not an ambidextrous selector switch, but the piece that's normally just a cap is actually functional on this gun.  It's a nice little touch.

Flipping the gearbox over, we once again see non standard components due to the selector design.  It's obviously a proprietary design, but since none of these components are under stress, you really shouldn't have to worry about them breaking.  Also worth noting is the front corners of the opening for the cylinder are radiused.  Normally that's something you would have to do by hand but G&G has done it for you.  Another nice touch that makes the gearbox stand out.

The motor is probably the least note worthy part of the internals.  That's not saying it's bad, there's just no markings or distinguishing features on it.  As with all other M4's, it's a long type motor, so it can be replaced with one of your choosing if you so desire.  Personally, I usually swap out the stock motors for a higher torque one but that's just personal preference.  The motor itself is well made and assembled equally as well.

Once you get to the inside of the gearbox, it looks a lot more familiar to anyone who's worked on an M4 before.  The gears are stamped "G&G" and are equally as well made as the rest of the gun.  They have a bit more grease than what is probably necessary but by no means an unreasonable amount.  The trigger assembly is a standard M4 trigger assembly as found in pretty much all M4 AEG's.  The springs for the trigger assembly do seem a bit stronger than normal which is by no means a bad thing as it give you a much more positive trigger response.

The piston is a black full polycarb piston with the first tooth removed from the factory and solid full length rails.  The piston head is of the ported aluminum variety.  Nothing out of the norm here.  Both items are once again well made with no visible defects of any kind.

The cylinder looks like your normal unported brass cylinder save for the port at the top for the pneumatic blowback system.  Traditionally you would expect to see a full ported cylinder on a gun with this barrel length, but my assumption is it needs the extra volume for the blowback. Once again, no defects or flaws of any sort were visible on the item.

The hopup chamber and barrel provided a slight surprise.  The hopup chamber is a standard 1 piece type but is plastic rather than metal.  Given that this is not a wear component, it really shouldn't matter, it was just a bit unexpected.  The barrel is your standard copper variety stock barrel.

Power/Magazines
The gun uses standard M4 style magazines and includes one metal 450 round high capacity magazine.  The included magazine fed flawlessly and will allow you to get out onto the field and start playing.  Power wise, the gun is designed to use a crane stock (non Sub-C cell) battery.  Alternatively buffer tube and some tri-cell LiPo batteries will also fit.  The gun comes wired with a small type Tamaya plug.

Performance Characteristics:
The guns performance was tested using .25g Elite Force Bio BB's.  These are a relatively newer BB on the market and I wanted to see how they performed.  The gun chrono'd at 330fps with the aforementioned .25g BB's at 980rpm using an 11.1v 1200mah 20C LiPo. 

Accuracy wise, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  The G&G M4 hopup is plastic, one piece, TM compatible chamber and the gun has a relatively short barrel.  As the above picture shows the gun hit 12/12 shots from 30 yards (90 feet) from a standing, unbraced position.  The gun seemed to have a small habit of sending the occasional flyer off to the right, but they could be caused by the BB's.  The hopup did have to be turned up a bit to properly hop the .25g BB's.

Accessories/Modifications
As the gun has no shortage of rail space, accessory wise you have no shortage of options.  Any rail mounted accessory will work fine.  The gun will also take standard M4 compatible stocks and pistol grips.  However, the gun already has G&G's nice ergo grip which is quite comfortable so it's unlikely you will want to change it out.  The stock does hold the battery so you are somewhat limited in options there.  The gun already includes a sling plate so there's no need to purchase one of those.

Upgrades:
Externally the gun has no shortage of rail space for adding on accessories of your choosing.  The design of the gun does make it a little more restrictive on aftermarket upgrades than most M4's, however it's already a non-standard M4 design so there's no reason to make it look more like an M4.  The pistol grip could be replaced with any regular M4 motor grip.  However, as mentioned before, I personally find the grip exceptionally comfortable so I don't see many people doing that.  You can replace the stock with any normal M4 stock.  Just keep in mind it's your battery storage, so you'll need a stock capable of holding a battery. 

Internally the gun is pretty solid out of the box.  Personally, my only changes would be a higher torque motor and converting the gun to Dean's connectors for the battery.  That said, the gun performs quite well out of the box, so I would recommend largely leaving it as is.

Skirmish Results
The gun performed admirably on the field with no failures of any kind.  It's small enough to run around the local CQB field but still has enough accuracy for outdoor games.  It's a very well balanced platform.

Conclusion:
The TR4-18 is a very solid product from G&G and should serve you well for quite some time.  The gun has a lot of nice little features that at first glance you might not notice but the more you handle the weapon, the more it stands out.  I look forward to seeing more releases like this from G&G in the future.

End Notes:
Many thanks to G&G and 101 Tech USA for providing this gun for review.  Your support is greatly appreciated.

Written by XavierMace, 04/28/2012

5

The Arcade / Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion

« on: March 01, 2012, 05:19:02 PM »

Preorder was just processed and beta is live.  There goes my free time.  Who else is going to play?

6

Pre-Publication Peer Review / Crosman Bushmaster Carbon 15 *WIP*

« on: January 25, 2012, 06:40:10 PM »

Crosman Bushmaster Carbon 15 review by XavierMace
Discuss this review here.

Real Steel History
The Bushmaster Carbon 15 is based on the traditional AR-15 design, but is built with a polymer molded receiver rather than the normal aluminum receiver.  The Bushmaster Carbon 15 was initially released as a .223 pistol model but is now available in carbine lengths as well and is available chamber in 9mm in addition to .223.

Basic Information
The Bushmaster Carbon 15 is distributed by Crosman and available from Evike.com for $220.00. While it is not noted in any of the packaging or manual, this gun is in fact manufactured by ICS but packaging and branding is a bit different than what you normally get with an ICS M4.  This is ICS's first model featuring Bushmaster's Airsoft trademarks and the gun has several notable features we will be looking at that set it apart from existing models.  I am stressing the fact it's an ICS due to some differences between ICS M4's and the majority of the other M4 AEG's on the market as well as to prevent the automatic assumption that it's a low quality replica due to the Crosman name.  If you want more details about ICS M4's, please check out my ICS M4 guide for more details.  I would highly recommend anyone considering this as your first gun read through that guide first.

Product Description/First Impressions:
As stated above, this gun is in fact an ICS although you would be hard pressed to tell at first glance.  Unlike ICS's other offerings which are licensed through Cybergun and TeamSD, no where on the packaging does it mention ICS.  The gun includes a battery and charger, which is also a first for an ICS product.  The charger is your typical trickle wall charger, but the battery is one of EP Ni-Mh batteries that ICS normally sells separately.  The gun includes one ICS 330rd Thermold style high capacity magazines, as found in ICS's other M4 offerings and a cleaning rod.  However, it does not include a bottle of ICS BB's which are normally included nor the Promotional CD.  The manual is also not a standard ICS manual and doesn't 100% match the gun.

The loss of the BB's is unfortunate, but is more than off set by the inclusion of a wall charger and a decent battery.  This makes it a much better package for a new player and helps justify the higher price when compared to ICS's traditional Sportline offerings.

Externals
The gun features a polymer lower receiver with ICS's 2012 model year improvements.  This means you are getting ICS's absolute latest hardware, however it does cause some additional compatibility issues as will be discussed below.  The gun has a 6 position LE collapsible stock and a polymer RIS hand guard.  This makes for a very light gun without sacrificing a lot of durability.  As mentioned above, it features Bushmaster's Airsoft trademarks on the left side of the receiver and your standard Safe-Semi-Auto selector settings.

On the opposite side, you have Crossman's safety warnings as well as the dust cover that opens to allow access to the hopup adjustment.  The trademarks and warnings are all printed on the receiver in a gray color rather than the white you normally see which causes them to not stand out as much as normal.  Since they are printed on however, painting the gun will destroy the trademarks, but this is normal for any Sportline.

The hand guard is the first unique piece that's specific to this Carbon 15.  It's a polymer RIS unit with an integrated flip up sight but still holds the battery for the gun.  The hand guard is held on by a single push pin but is supported by the barrel lug and a support piece on the front of the barrel.  Despite not being screwed into the gun at all, the hand guard is very solid with minimal movement.  The gun includes a QD sling mount which is attached to the side of the RIS but could be mounted on any of the rails.

Rather than your traditional sight post and carry handle or rail mounted sights, this gun has flip up sights integrated into the top rail of the gun.  The front sight is part of the hand guard and the rear sight is built into the receiver.  This gives the gun a very clean look when the sights are folded down, however you do lose the adjustment features you normally get on the standard sights.

While not adjustable, the sights are still designed to mimic your traditional M4 iron sights with the rear sight being a peep hole sight and the front sight being a post sight.  Since the sights are part of the gun rather than bolt on accessories, there's really no way for them to be off center or out of adjustment.   They do not have any sort of push button locking system, but have more than enough friction to keep them in the position you place them.

The gun ships with the battery installed in the hand guard as well as plugged in.  To get to the battery, you simply push the front pin out of the gun and slide the hand guard off over the barrel.  The front support piece also has a holster of sorts to hold the battery in place to make it easier to install.  As with all of ICS's recent offerings, the gun uses a standard automotive fuse.

Internals
<Coming Soon>

Power/Magazines
The stock battery is an 8.4v 1200mah Ni-Mh battery but the cell configuration is not a standard configuration.  Personally, after converting the gun to Dean's connectors I used a 7.4v 900mah 25C LiPo.  This gives you more than enough free space in the hand guard for a MOSFET should you be so inclined.  The gun includes one standard 330 round ICS Thermold style high capacity magazine, however the gun will accept any normal M4 magazine.

Performance Characteristics:
Performance wise, I wasn't expecting the greatest given it's short barrel length and cheap feeling stock inner barrel.  Accuracy testing was done from my normal 90' and there was a low wind coming from behind me.  However I was using the local CQB field's house .20g BB's which are not the greatest of quality since this gun will be setup for CQB.  With that said, the gun was still able to hit the target all 12 shots from 90' which is perfectly acceptable for a CQB weapon in my book.  It wasn't fantastic groupings, but given the conditions (shooting unsupported, wind moving the target, cheaper BB's) it's not terrible.

Chrono results were especially surprising.  ICS M4's are not known for having the greatest of air seals.  However, with the cheap BB's, the gun chrono'd a very consistent 346.5-349.1 fps according to the XCoretech chronograph.  That puts it a little above some CQB field limits but that's a VERY good consistency for a completely stock, untouched gun.

Accessories/Modifications
As this is an ICS M4, aftermarket receivers are not an option.  In addition, non ICS stocks will need some slight filing to use.  But both of those options are standard issues on ICS M4's.  This particular model however brings another issue.  Due to the design of the Bushmaster RIS/Receiver, it has a raised top rail similar to HK416's.  Therefore aftermarket front ends will not line up with the receiver.  You could technically still mount them however.

The rails themselves are cut to spec and I mounted a variety of accessories and optics perfectly fine.  I even mounted a G&P Elcan to the top which is an exceptionally heavy optic.  I would be slightly concerned about long term issues doing that because of it's weight but it mounted completely securely.

Internally, it's identical to all current model ICS M4 Sportlines.  That means replacing the hopup chamber would require filing to a new chamber.  The anti-reversal latch is technically proprietary (meaning non standard) however it can be replaced with a standard latch.  You will however lose the spring decompression feature if you do that.  It does not have the weak bright white piston that last years Sportlines were shipping with which means it's a bit more ready out or the box than the Sportline's carried at most retailers.

Upgrades:
Externally, you are pretty much stuck with what you get as mentioned above other than replacing the stock.  Personally, I mounted an ICS pistol sling mount on it and installed a Warhead Uzi mag conversion and called it good.  Internally it will take pretty much any V2 gearbox parts with the exceptions mentioned above.  The gun would definitely benefit from a tightbore barrel and good bucking, so I installed a Prometheus 6.03 tightbore and a PDI W-hold bucking which has been my preferred combo of late.

Skirmish Results
<Coming Soon>

Conclusion:
"New" M4's are getting to be a rarity these days, even more so for ICS.  However, they've managed to release a completely (or as close as you can get) new M4 with good out of the box performance, decent accessories bundle, and a decent price.  I would like to see the price drop a little But considering this is the most non-standard M4 ICS offers, it's price is justifiable.  If you are just wanting a solid, ready to go M4 that stands out a little this is a pretty good gun to start with.  If you want a gun you can tinker with and customize it's looks you may want to go with a standard ICS M4, Evike offers them for $190 here.

End Notes:
Many thanks to Evike for providing this gun for review and for Airsoft Retreat's readers for their continued support.  As normal, more pictures are available at photos.xaviermace.com.

Written by XavierMace, 01/25/2012

7

AEG Discussion II / A&K MK43 Upgrade Compatibility

« on: December 05, 2011, 04:29:36 AM »

Alright, a few quick questions for you guys.

1.  Are any of the existing MK43 RIS units compatible without modifications?
2.  Is it a regular M249 gearbox or what kind of compatibility issues does it have?

I'm looking for info from people who have actually worked on one.  I see no shortage of people recommending normal AEG upgrades but none of said advice appears to be coming from owners and I've been told there's some odd issues with the gun (proprietary shaft length on the motor).

8

Pre-Publication Peer Review / ICS M3 Grease Gun (Prerelease)

« on: November 22, 2011, 01:58:12 PM »

ICS M3 Grease Gun review by XavierMace
Discuss this review here.

Real Steel History
The M3 was an American .45-caliber submachine gun adopted for U.S. Army service on 12 December 1942, as the United States Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M3. The M3 was designed as a more cost-effective alternative to the Thompson, optimized for mass production. The M3 was commonly referred to as the "Grease Gun" or simply "the Greaser", owing to its visual similarity to the mechanic's tool.

Intended as a replacement for the .45-caliber Thompson series of sub machine guns, the M3 and its improved successor, the M3A1 began to replace the Thompson in first-line service in late 1944 and early 1945. Due to delays caused by production issues and approved specification changes, the M3/M3A1 saw relatively little combat use in World War II.

Basic Information
This review is of a pre-release sample provided by ICS.  Therefore, no retail packaging was included and the retail version may have some changes done to it.  However, ICS's packaging and included accessories are pretty much standardized across their product lines.  Therefore, expect the retail version to include the gun, 1 high capacity mag, cleaning rod, 1k bottle of .20g BB's, manual, and media CD.  The gun is currently available for pre-order from most major retailers for around $180. 

Product Description/First Impressions:
The gun was not shipped in retail packaging, so there's nothing to comment on in that regards.  However, upon picking up the gun I found it was a bit larger than I was expecting and quite a bit heavier.  Unfortunately I was unable to find a real M3 for comparison or even a good set of dimensions to use.  But, from what I can tell based on pictures it seems pretty accurate.

Externals
The gun is pretty much entirely metal save for the pistol grip and the shroud behind the mock charging handle.  The plastic pistol grip is checkered just like the real one which gives it a decent grip.  The grip is effectively part of the receiver so there's no play/wobble at all nor would it be practical to replace it.  The grip does not house a motor therefore it should be the same size as a real M3 unlike most pistol gripped AEG's.

The gun has a basic functional dust cover.  There's no spring mechanism or anything for it, but because of the way it wraps around the top of the receiver it will stay open or closed most of the time.  The dust cover is metal just like everything else on the gun, but if the gun is going to be slung in a position to get banged around a lot you may want to secure it.

The stock is a simple 2 position collapsible tube stock.  The stock is all one piece, and can be extended or collapsed by pushing the button on the right side of the gun.  The fact it's a once piece metal stock combined with a larger contact area with the receiver (compared to say an MP5) makes for a VERY solid stock.  The stock is fairly heavy however and can be removed by simply pressing in the button a bit further and pulling on the stock.  There's enough friction and travel distance to make accidentally pulling it out nearly impossible.

The charging handle on the gun serves two purposes on this gun.  Firstly, it pulls back the mock bolt to allow you to adjust the hopup.  It doesn't have a mechanical locking mechanism, but the design has enough friction that it will stay open if you pull it all of the way back.  Secondly, it engages the anti-reversal latch to function as a spring release.  Since this gun has no semi auto functionality, these is a welcome feature.

The hopup wheel is large and very easy to adjust while shouldering the gun.  It especially easy if you are left handed since the charging handle is on the right side as well.

The mag release button is on the left side of the gun and is also very large.  It has a little shroud around it so accidental mag releases shouldn't happen too often.  The release appears to primarily been designed for use when firing the gun right handed but can be done left handed if you have large enough hands.  The serial numbers are unique and as common with ICS's contain the year of production (11) followed by the guns place in line off the production run.  As the serial number notates, this is the first gun off the line.

Internals
Getting to the gearbox in the gun is a fairly easy process, but not one to be done in the field.  The manual for the gun does describe (roughly) how to take the gun apart down to the gearbox.  One item it does not make 100% clear is that you have to push the front of the trigger guard back towards the trigger until it comes loose.  This will take a fairly substantial amount of force.  As you can see, the gearbox shell is proprietary but since the gun comes with 8mm bushings there's really no expectation of needing to replace it.

The trigger on the gun as you can see is pretty simple albeit a bit different than normal.  One nice thing about having the trigger behind the gearbox is that there's almost no wiring and it's all external which means working on the gearbox very simple.  The gun has one issue however, which I'm assuming is in the trigger assembly.  The gun simply stops firing after a short burst of shots.  ICS has advised me that this issue is fixed on the ones being sent out to retailers.

Other than the layout, the inside of the gearbox will be very familiar to anyone who's worked on an ICS M4 before.  The gears, spring, cylinder, cylinder head, piston head, piston, nozzle, and spring guide are all the same as you can in a current model ICS M4 or MX-5 Pro.  The only exception is the anti-reversal latch which is proprietary due to the external spring release.  The black bar on the bottom is what runs to the charging handle to allow for the spring release.  The other oddity I noticed (and probably only because I've work on a LOT of ICS guns) is that it appears to have been lubricated with a different grease than normal as well as being a bit over greased.  It wasn't enough to cause an issue by any means but it was a bit unexpected for an ICS.  As with most of their guns however, it requires very little shimming.  By very little, I mean the gun had a single shim on the back side of the spur gear.

The gun as you can see has a short Turbo 3000 motor rather than the newer Infinite motor found on their M4 Sportlines which is nice considering the price of the gun.  The motor combined with the normal stock ICS spring (~330fps) give the gun a pleasing rate of fire.  The motor height is adjusted using a hex screw, however, it's not really accessible with the gun assembled.  The height adjustment screw is secured with a small amount of Locktite like solution.

Power/Magazines
The gun includes a 480 round high capacity magazine.  Size wise, off hand, I would say the magazine is about the same size as a Thompson but I don't have one available at the moment to be sure.  The magazine is loaded by opening the small door on the top of the magazine and pouring in BB's.  Power wise, the gun uses a less common battery.  ICS refers to it as a "3-2-3" battery indicating the cell configuration.  The battery is listed as part number MC-144 on their website.  The battery compartment is pretty limited but some stock tube LiPo's may fit with a little effort.  The Firefox stock tube LiPo's I have are just a hair too long, although I might be able to "convince" it to fit.

Performance Characteristics:
The gun chrono'd at 323-332 fps out of the box using an 11.1v 1300mah 20C LiPo battery.  However, do to the above mentioned firing issue, I was not able to get a true ROF number off the chrono.  I would guess it would be around 1200rpm based on the above battery and my experience with the internal components.

Accessories/Modifications
At this time there are no accessories or modification available specifically for the gun.  If you don't want to run a LiPo battery, I would recommend just picking up the above referenced ICS factory battery for the gun (MC-144).  ICS uses Sanyo cells in their batteries which don't have the highest discharge rate but last forever.  If you do want to run a LiPo, I would recommend picking up one of the small packs designed for Blade CX RC helo's.  They are pretty low capacity (900mah) but will fit in the gun with no effort.

Upgrades:
There's no dedicated upgrade parts for the gun yet.  However, since all the major gearbox components are shared with their existing gun this means most internal parts designed for V2 gearboxes will work in the gun.  The stock barrel is a bit of an odd length as it doesn't match any barrel length I currently have.  I neglected to take an exact measurement, but I would guess it's around 205mm.  It's shorter than a 247mm Sig 552 barrel and longer than a 190mm M4 pistol barrel.

Skirmish Results
As of this time, I cannot provide skirmish results as the firing issue prevents the gun from being used on the field.

Conclusion:
Other than the firing issue, which let me stress again ICS says is fixed on the retail models, the gun is VERY solid.  It's almost entirely V2 compatible internals so you can upgrade it to your hearts desire, it's a very sturdy design inside and out.  The battery compartment is a bit limited, but that's unavoidable due to the form factor of the gun.  The only way around that would have been to put the battery in the magazine (which is what Ares did) and personally I HATE that idea.  The battery compartment is accessible with a quick twist of the cap on the back so you can easily change batteries mid-game if needed.

End Notes:
Many thanks to ICS for graciously providing a pre-release sample of the gun for review!

Written by XavierMace, 11/22/2011

9

Airsoft News / New AK's from LCT

« on: November 02, 2011, 11:24:18 AM »

LCT sent us a bit of information about some new products they have coming out.





First off they have some new AK's with CNC'd receivers.  The gun no longer requires tools to remove the hand guard.



The new receivers will be available both as an upgrade kit and as a complete gun.



Secondly, they have some new inner barrels.  The barrels are available in lengths of 610mm, 435mm, 365mm, and 270mm.  The barrels are ø6.02±0.01mm.

10

Basic Training <--- YOUR FIRST POSTS HERE / New Guy FAQ/Guide Directory *Read Me*

« on: October 06, 2011, 08:58:27 AM »

Here is a list of threads that many people, especially players new to the sport will find useful.  Please take the time to look through these threads before asking a question on the subject.  You will save yourself and everyone else time by doing so.

AEG Upgrade Guide
ICS M4 Guide
Gas Gun Maintenance
Replacement parts available from hardware stores
Airsoft Battery Guide

These build threads aren't written as a guide in and of itself, but looking through them can often give you an idea what you should be looking for.

Sniper Rifle build thread
AEP Build Thread

If you have any threads on ASR that you think should be added, feel free to PM them to me.

11

The Arcade / Post your gaming rig!

« on: September 07, 2011, 07:00:21 AM »

Since we got a fair share of gamers on here, I don't know why we don't already have a thread like this.....



XM's Behemoth
48" Toshiba 120hz HDTV LCD
Intel Core i7 920 @ 3.8Ghz
Asus P6T6WS Revo Motherboard
12Gb Gskill DDR3 1600
2x OCZ Vertex 2 60Gb SSD (Raid-0)
3x Samsung 1TB HDD (Raid-5)
2x Galaxy GTX460 2Gb
Silverstone Strider 1000w P/S
Mountain Mods U2 UFO Case
Klipsch Promedia 5.1 Speakers
Razer Lycosa Keyboard
Razer Naga Mouse
Logitech G13 Keypad

XM's Guest PC
24" Dell 2407wfp LCD
Intel C2Q 6600 @ 3.6Ghz
8Gb OCZ DDR2 1033
2x Seagate 500Gb HDD (Raid-0)
2x EGA GTX 260 Core  216 OC
Silverstone Strider 800w P/S
Silverstone Temjin TJ06 Case
Saitek Eclipse II Keyboard
Logitech G5 Mouse

I've also got one more spare system, 3 servers, a PS3, a laptop, a Galaxy Tab, and a Partridge in a pear tree.

12

Review & Article Discussion / GBB: KWA USP Tactical & USP Compact (NS2)

« on: August 09, 2011, 12:43:10 AM »

Discussion for the review of both guns found here.

13

The NCO Club / You know you live in the desert when....

« on: July 06, 2011, 02:03:00 AM »

You walk out side and see this:



Yes, that's sand/dust not smoke.  They had to shut down air traffic and driving was "interesting" to say the least.

14

The Arcade / AS-R Battlefield 2 Server

« on: July 04, 2011, 02:50:55 AM »

IP Address: 72.208.103.153

Version Info:
Battlefield 2 1.51
Hard Justice Mod 1.3
Hard Justice Map Pack 1

Alright, I decided I can't wait until October to get my proper Battlefield/Karkand fix and now that Minecraft is running on my other box, I can start up my BF2 server again.  As stated above, the server is running the Hard Justice 1.3 mod which respecs most of the classes and adds new vehicles.  The server is running in coop mode which means there are bots on the server to help keep things interesting.  You should be able to join the game as of now but I haven't had a chance to test it externally.  See you on the battlefield.

15

Gun Modifications/Parts/Accessories / Tokyo Marui Five-seveN with Guarder Slide and Frame

« on: April 29, 2011, 04:00:14 AM »

So, my brother just picked up a new toy and some how I ended up doing all the work in.  I got everything moved over and the gun works great but with one catch.  If I put any sort of flash hider/barrel extension on the front the slide lock does not engage when the gun is empty.  It works fine if there's nothing mounted to the barrel but even adding a G&G SS-80 to the front causes the slide lock not to engage when you fire the last round.  It WILL still engage when you manually pull the slide back.  Does anyone else here have one and does yours do the same thing?

Eye candy:







TM on top, FN on bottom.  I have to give Guarder credit, they got REALLY close on all the trades. 

16

The Arcade / AS-R Minecraft Server

« on: April 14, 2011, 04:47:21 AM »

Edit:  Server is no longer active.

OP's:  XavierMace, Booligan


Rules:  Don't destroy any user placed cobble stone.  One, because you'll find a lot of it is blocking water or lava or both.  Two, because I'll kill you if you do.  Other than that, have fun.

Member List:

Forum Name		In Game Name
XavierMace		XavierMace
Booligan		Booligan
Rankross1		Rankross
Silent Wolfe		Dr_Insomnia
Apotheosis		Apotheosis72
MG42Madness		ivotedforbush
sackbagjr		waknitz
kep5258		kpp
PiMan		Piman31415

Server Details:
New Hope
Dual 3.2Ghz Quad Core Processor
4Gb DDR3 1066 RAM
300Gb SATA 6G Hard Drive
Intel Pro/1000 NIC
Ubuntu Server 11.10 x64

Donate:
Running a server has costs.  Help keep the server running by donating to the cause.  Just one more brick.

17

Retail Stores / Any recent experience with www.airsoftpanda.com?

« on: March 10, 2011, 04:16:00 AM »

The only thread we've got on them is from 2009 so I'm looking to see if anyone has been doing business with them since then.

18

General Airsoft Discussion / A warning about Bioval .27's

« on: March 08, 2011, 11:32:01 PM »

I promised to post a different picture ages ago and never did but the issue just came up again locally so I've got fresh pictures.  I've stated before that I strongly recommend AGAINST Bioval .27 BB's in field guns as they are dangerous.  People insist they aren't despite the fact the whole reason they are using them is because of their ballistic properties.  So, for anyone who denies there's any concerns, I present you with the window of my friends Deuce after a recent game:







The first response I usually get when I mention this concern is "oh, their guns must have been shooting hot".  First off, the field limits for the game in question was 375fps with .25's.  Secondly, see that sticker up in the corner in the first picture?  That was a shot done at the shop after the fact as a test.  Muzzle velocity of that shot with the Bioval's?  286fps.  Yes, 286fps.  If you want to use these in a target gun, great.  But don't be bringing them to your fields, especially if your gun shoots hot.

19

EBB/Mini-Electric/LPEG/AEP / AEP owners unite!

« on: March 03, 2011, 03:35:20 AM »

It has come to my attention that AEP's simply don't get the love they deserve.  I've currently got 6 AEP's after sending 2 to Booligan and I've noticed that at least around my part of town, most people don't even know what they are, or how awesome they can be when upgraded.  So, this is a thread to show off your upgraded/modified AEP's and post any related upgrade guides.  I'll start off.



Glock 18c Pandasaurus Edition *WIP* (top)
I'm working on sanding and polishing the slide and barrel and can't actually install the slide until I get that stupid allen wrench.  Once it's complete, I'll post up chrono numbers.  Should be somewhere around 315-330fps @ 20rps.  Those of you who have played with me and Panda on Combat Arms should get the reference.  Parts list:

Cyma .030 Base Gun
Laylax FTK
Laylax Metal Bushings
Laylax Power Spring
Laylax 6.03 Extended Tightbore
KM Head Soft Bucking
Laylax mock silencer Adapter
Spartan Delta Force Barrel Extension
Shooter Design Cobra Slide (Silver)
Shooter Design Scope Rail
King Arms Aimpoint w/L mount
7.4v 900mah LiPo battery internal

Glock 18c Desert Edition (bottom)
I broke the stock tappet plate on this one so I re-sealed the gun while I had it apart and installed a new bucking as accuracy was subpar.  Now I just need to chrono it again but before replacing the parts it was chronoing at 280fps @ 25rps.

Cyma .030 Base Gun
Laylax FTK
Laylax Metal Bushings
PDI 6.01 Tightbore
KM Head Soft Bucking
Shooter Design Cobra Slide (Black)
7.4v 900mah LiPo battery internal
Streamlight TLR-1



MP7A1 MOD
The gun currently uses the Well R4-4 receiver which is actually pot metal instead of plastic which I initially did because it felt better that Well's plastic version.  However, I decided I miss my old TM MP7, so I'm in the process of reacquiring it at which point the upgrades will be moved into it.  Last chrono, 325fps @ 17rps.  Even with the metal body, it's VERY quiet.  My last trip to the local CQB place, I had 3 people comment that they couldn't even hear it from ~15 feet away.  When I move it into the TM body, I'm going to investigate trying to fit some Dynamat inside to further decrease the sound.

Well R4-4 Base Gun
Laylax FTK
Laylax Power Spring
Laylax 6.03 Tightbore
Laylax Metal bushings
Laylax Dampener piston/cylinder head
7.4v 900mah LiPo battery internal
Laylax Sling Adapter
VFC MP7 QD Barrel Extension
Aimpoint T1 Micro (Clone)
Condor 1pt Sling



This DE M92 is my next project once the second Glock is complete.  For this gun, my goal is to make it as silent as possible.  So far it's stock other than the brown paint job and rubberized grips.  I'm going to be posting full upgrade guides for the guns, as I finish them.  So what do you guys have?

20

The Screening Room / In Plain Sight

« on: February 24, 2011, 07:36:03 PM »

Anyone else watched this?  I was bored at work so I started watching it on Netflix and found myself to really enjoy it.

21

Custom Gun Works / What is this section for?

« on: February 20, 2011, 10:50:34 PM »

In an effort to better recognize the people with true manufacturing skills we are creating this section.  This section is ONLY for projects where you are actually manufacturing your own parts or modifying existing parts with machinery.  This is not the section for guns that have accessories on them from retail stores.  Good examples of items that belong in this section would be Candyman's hand built guns or Noobie's custom trigger boxes.

Forum rules about muzzle attached devices that decrease the sound of the gun are still against the forum rules in any section, including this one.

22

Site News / All rise for the more honorable Sparky D

« on: February 20, 2011, 09:31:42 PM »

We decided that aznriptide859 isn't old enough to be left alone, so we brought on a baby sitter for him.  Join in and welcome him aboard.

23

EBB/Mini-Electric/LPEG/AEP / Allen wrench for G18c AEP Selector

« on: February 20, 2011, 07:10:32 PM »

Well, I USED to have an allen wrench that fit this but it apparently wandered off after the last time I used it.  Does anyone know a place to get an allen wrench of that size.  I do not know the exact size, lets go with microscopic to be safe.  I just know I have 30+ Allen wrenches and none are small enough for this.

24

The Arcade / Magicka

« on: February 15, 2011, 11:36:09 AM »

If you are a fan of RPG's, Satire, Norse Mythology, or just good old fashioned COOP fun then would HIGHLY recommend you check this game out.  At $10 on Steam, there's no reason not to.  Panda and I picked it up tonight and played for about 7 hours straight.  It looks like it might be a little bit on the short side (not really, considering it's price) but the game had us laughing the entire time we were playing.  It's got some small rendering glitches (rubber banding and what not) here and there but nothing preventing you from moving on.  As a hack and slash RPG, it manages to end up being pleasantly different than the existing games are the market and as a parody/satire game, they hit everything from Monty Python to 300 to Star Wars.  The game is seriously a riot to play.  I'm sure I'll be playing more later, after I've gotten some sleep so if anyone has it or picks it up and wants to play, hit me up.

25

Retail Stores / Beware of 9Battousai

« on: February 10, 2011, 10:28:02 PM »

It pains me to have to post this as I know he's done custom work for other people on here who had no issues, but at this point I have no other recourse.  Let me first off say, I delayed sending the items in question several times so I had no problem with the first few delays.  However, it's past that point now.  So, let me give you the full story.

I am the owner of an out of production PDI Bushmaster style conversion kit for M4 AEG's.  The kit was $250 when it was new and the somewhat similar models still available are about the same price.  The outer barrel included with those kits is far and away the best outer barrel on the market for M4 AEG's.  Since that is out of production and PDI never sold the barrels separate, I contacted 9Battousai to see about getting a similar barrel made and some modifications performed on my existing barrel.  It was decided that I would ship a whole upper to him to ensure proper fitment since it was going on an ICS.  So after multiple delays on my parts, I sent the upper to him which included a bare ICS upper receiver, a Madbull JP (Long) handguard, and the aforementioned PDI outer barrel. 

He confirmed via PM on October 10th that he had received the parts from me.  He gave me multiple ETA's which were missed, but I told him I didn't really have an issue with that since I took my time sending to him.  However, the last update I received from him via PM was on December 17th and he said the work should be done late December or earlier January.  I have not received any update since then and my request for an update via PM has not been responded too.  He has not logged into the forums in over a month and the email address he provided is no longer a valid email address.  I am going to try to dig up a phone number for him, but beyond that I have no other way to contact him.  If any of you who have had work done by him in the past have his number, I would appreciate it if you could PM it to me.