Airsoft Action 04 - Xmas 2011 | Page 54

To get to the hop adjuster you simply pull back the charging handle, which pops open the ejection port cover and pulls back the imitation bolt to allow easy access. When finished with hop adjustment, simply hit the bolt release catch on the left-hand side of the receiver. The 7in Daniel Defence Omega rail system is well fitted and solid as can be with any AR, with only the slightest wobble. With rails on four sides you can quickly and easily adapt your rifle for mission (game) specifics. A normal front sight and M4 side sling swivel are located in front of the rail, and this version uses the standard length M4A1 16in outer barrel. A steel flash hider sits on a 14mm clockwise thread. The Magpul MOE six-position telescopic stock means that no matter your size there will be a comfortable position for you. It also makes it a versatile rifle suitable for most situations a game can throw at you and finishes the gun off nicely, in keeping with the modern ergonomic look. You have to pop off the stock so you can get to the battery terminals. This weapon is designed to take and run on a 7 LiPo .4v battery that sits inside the stock tube. Also included in the box is a 120-round mid-cap magazine. 054 Xmas 2011 Take aim After getting into the box, getting my hands on it and getting to know it I was itching to give this rifle a good test. To be honest I was expecting something special – and I wasn’t disappointed. With the stock set and mags loaded I headed off to the proving ground. Despite its full-metal construction the RWL Stag Daniel Defence M4 SOCOM is not so heavy it becomes a hindrance. It would be a very nimble rifle in CQB scenarios, although this would obviously change as you bolted more accessories onto it. I was using a few different brands of magazines, none of which caused any feed issues. With 0.20g BBs it was achieving good accuracy and hitting torso-sized targets at around 120ft. Its decent rate of fire means it will appeal to full-on skirmish players as well as the MilSim and FilmSim community. With the hop on I was getting results between 295-310fps. That’s not bad straight out of the box with only a handful of midcap mags put through it. With the hop off it was doing 315-330fps. Conclusion This rifle is aimed at possibly the hardestto-please sect or of the airsoft market (mid-level) and is up against some stiff competition from established brands. But thanks to its very competitive price I believe it holds its own well against these other brands. My hat’s off to the guys at Redwolf for coming up with the idea of mix ‘n’ match licences to develop one very good-looking and functional rifle. If you were thinking of going for an M4/M16 variant anyway, and fancy a rifle up to the task of multi-roles, this certainly represents great value. n SPECIFICATIONS Limited edition Weight: 3,028g Build: Metal receiver/RAS/outer barrel Length: 790mm stock retracted 870mm stock extended Hop-up: Adjustable Battery: 7.4v LiPo Velocity: 295-310fps (hop on) 315-330fps (hop off) Mag capacity: 120 BBs Price: Around £160 Manufactured by RWL; Available from Redwolf Airsoft: 01684 273052, www.redwolfairsoft.com