I Chih Shivan (ICS) L86A2 LSW * Very WIP - Skirmish Update 12/14*

[XavierMace]

ICS L86 LSW review by XavierMace
Discuss this review here.

Real Steel History (from world.guns.ru)

The L85 is a gas operated, magazine fed, selective fire rifle of bullpup layout. The L85 is fed using NATO-standard (STANAG) magazines, similar to M16 type magazines, with the standard capacity of 30 rounds. Early L85A1 steel magazines caused a lot of troubles, as well as a magazine housing itself, which had a thin walls that could be easily dented, thus blocking the magazine way. Both magazines and its housings were upgraded in the L85A2 configuration.

The standard sighting equipment is the 4X SUSAT (Sight Unit, Small Arms, Trilux) telescope, with illuminated reticle. The SUSAT is mounted on a quick-detachable mount at the top of the receiver, and features an emergency backup open sights at its top. The SUSAT allows for an accurate fire (mostly in single shots) out to 400-500 meters. For a second-line troops an alternative sighting system is available, that consists of the removable front post sight with high base and post protection "ears", and a detachable carrying handle with built-in diopter rear sight.

The L86A1 was initially designed as a Light Support Weapon with it's longer heavy barrel and the integrated bipod but is more commonly used as a marksman rifle due to it's greater accuracy.  It was upgraded with the A2 improvements at the same time as the L85A2.

Basic Information
The ICS L86A2 LSW is available from Airsplat.com for $399.95.  The package includes the L86A2, 2x 450rd High Capacity magazines, a 1000rd bottle of ICS .20g BB's, a color manual, an informational CD, and a cleaning rod.  At this time, as an added bonus for the holidays, you also get the M1913 top rail (part number ML-28) for free!

Product Description/First Impressions:
The gun comes in ICS's traditional colorful packaging with a picture of the gun on the front along with a listing of the models in that series.  Inside the box you will find everything stored securely in a felt (or similar) lined plastic tray.  If you happened to order yours when they were including the free rail, you will find it underneath the plastic tray.

The only thing you need to get started is a battery.  The gun comes wired with a Kyosho (aka mini) plug.  For both performance and ease of use, I would highly recommend replacing the plug with a Dean's connector right away.  If you have the optional M1913 top rail, you will need a screwdriver with both phillips (cross) and straight heads to remove the existing carry handle and an allen head to mount the new rail.

Externals
Externally, the gun is very solid, albeit a bit front heavy due to the longer barrel and the bipod.  The steel receiver has no flex to it at all and is effectively the same receiver as found on their original L85A1's.  The right side of the receiver is stamped with a serial number and trade marks.

The only difference on the receiver itself compared to the L85A1 is the shoulder brace on the rear and the rear mounted vertical grip.  The entire front end however, including the hand guard is different.  The hand guard is actually smaller than on the standard L85A1 and the battery installation process is also a bit different.  It takes a little getting used to, but it's actually quicker to change the battery on the LSW.  The hand guard is also stamped on the right side with: MG 5.56mm LIGHT SUPPORT L86A2

The outer barrel itself will house all but the longest of barrels.  Anything short of a PSG-1+ (650mm) should be fine.  Thanks to the bullpup design though, overall the gun doesn't feel that big.  The longer front end as well as the bipod does add a noticeable amount of weight to the gun however.  The bipod itself is quite solid although a bit unusual.

The bipod allows for both horizontal tilt (a bit more than I would like) and vertical elevation.  However, it also allows for rotation of the gun which is really nice for a support gun.  The bipod itself is very solid and should stand up to a beating .  The bipod locks into the lower part of the hand guard and is released by pulling a lever on the bottom.

Internals
<Complete breakdown of internal features, if applicable>

Power/Magazines
The L86A2 uses standard STANAG M4/M16 magazines.  I have not experienced feeding issues with any standard magazine.  Box mags may not fit well due to the bullpup design.  CMAG's will lock into place and feed but I find they are rather in the way.  Power wise, the gun holds a mini battery up in the hand guard.  Unfortunately due to the L86A2's smaller hand guard, compared to the L85, storing a large battery is not possible.  I would recommend using a LiPo battery however to take advantage of the smaller, lighter cells.  Firefox PEQ12 LiPo's fit perfectly in the gun.

Performance Characteristics:
<How does the gun perform, power, accuracy, etc>

Accessories/Modifications
ICS was kind enough to include their optional top rail with my gun which allows you to use other optics once you remove the iron sights.  I mounted an ACOG on mine which worked great.  Unfortunately I don't have an ELCAN or traditional SUSAT to mount on it, so I felt the ACOG was the best match.  Outside of that, there really isn't much else for the L85/L86 at this time.  Unfortunately due to the design of the barrel/support assembly, an aftermarket flash hider/barrel extension cannot be used.

Upgrades:
<How does the gun handle upgrades, what kind of upgrades can it take.  Optional section>

Skirmish Results
The gun was put through it's paces this weekend at a local game.  Armed with a Firefox 11.1v LiPo and a vest full of Star PMag's, the gun was ready to roll.  The gun performed admirably on the field and it's uniqueness caught a lot of attention.  I personally swapped the iron sights for the optics rail with an ACOG mounted on the top.  The 11.1v 1300mah LiPo lasted the whole game with plenty of juice left.  The gun was much more maneuverable than one would expect for a gun with it's barrel length.

Conclusion:
While the bullpup design is a very love/hate design, for anyone looking for a bullpup rifle the ICS L85 and L86 are serious contenders.  They are extremely solid guns both internally and externally.  The adjustable spring guide is a really nice feature both allowing you to adjust the FPS without replacing the spring or serving as a quick spring change feature.  The L86 has a very long inner barrel by AEG standards combined with a built in bipod and strong gearbox makes it a great base for both marksman rifles or support weapons.

End Notes:
Many thanks to ICS for providing the gun for review.  Thanks as well to continued support from AS-R's members as well as Airsplat.com.  As always, additional photos are available on my site at photos.xaviermace.com.

Written by XavierMace, 12/6/2009