Airsoft Action 07 - Mar 2012 | Page 14

the right hand side there is a little script and also a unique serial number for each weapon. The upper receiver is a standard M4 flat top type with Weaver rail. The rear sight is a Magpul PTS flip-up Mbus. If you have previously owned a G&P M4 type rifle then you may remember that the ejection port dust cover never clipped in. Well that hasn’t changed – but is it going to cause an issue during game play? Personally I can’t think that it ever would. The hop adjustor is located in the usual place, in the ejection port. To get to it simply pull back the charging lever. The RIS system is real-steel Ergo Z-rail two-piece system. On its own it’s worth around £110! There is absolutely no wobble or movement in it whatsoever –so you can rest assured that if you bolt on all your accessories it ain’t going anywhere. The only let down, for me, is the very front end. You’ve got this really great ‘Gucci’ rifle, but it’s finished off with a standard front foresight, front sling mount and M16A2 flash hider. I know this still allows for personalisation but given all the other stuff on the rifle it wouldn’t have taken much to have fitted a cut-down gas block with an Mbus flip-up front sight and an aggressive-style flash hider to finish it off. For me, on the aesthetics side, that’s the difference between a good rifle and a great rifle. . The CQB is set to take a LiPo battery in the stock tube. To fit one can be a bit fiddly the first few times, especially when it’s -5°C! First pop off the MOE stock then unscrew the end cap on the stock tube to access to the wiring. Again, if you have owned a G&P AEG before, especially a model with a crane stock, then you won’t be surprised to learn that the CQB is set up with a deans connector. The CQB comes with a Magpul PTS 120-round mid-cap magazine. M4 MOE Mid Length Carbine The Mid Length Carbine is something a little different. I am sure that there will be those of you that really like it and those of you who don’t. The receiver and stock are the same as on the CQB version, although it is not wired up to the rear end this time. The Mid Length Carbine, as the name suggests, is longer than the CQB; when put up alongside a standard M4A1 is only a flash-hider shorter. The thing I like here is that there is very little outer barrel on show, and in that respect it’s the same set-up as the CQB. All the extra length is covered by a longer MOE handguard. Fitting the battery is much simpler and faff free too! In much the same way as fitting a battery into a standard M4A1, 014 March 2012 simply pull back on the delta ring/collar and pull down on the bottom handguard. This then pops off and exposes a mini Tamiya type connector. In the box is a small foregrip that fits into the bottom of the MOE handguard with the aid of a small clip that fits on the inside of the hand grip itself, something I really like about this rifle. It helps with the looks and makes it easier to manoeuvre in tight surroundings. Overall, and like the CQB, it’s a well-constructed and solid AEG. On test With batteries fitted and a load of various brands of mid-cap mags bombed up, off I went to put these two through their paces. As they were brand new my first objective was to bed them in, so after a quick squirt of silicone and turning the hops on just a little, I started banging some rounds through them (well, any excuse to get out and light up some targets!) First the CQB… What an amazing rate of fire on just a 7.4v LiPo! On full-auto all I could see was a continuous stream of Blaster Devil .2s as they thwacked into a metal Figure 11 target. Flicking the selector to semi, which is a precise movement with an audible click, I started to double-tap. The trigger response was really good and didn’t give any indication of not keeping up with my rapid-fire fingers. After 12 mags I thought it was time to chrono this little beast. With the hop off it was achieving a reading between 349-360fps. When I set the hop properly for a 0.20g this dropped down to between 329-340fps, with a regular 337fps reading. I set a couple of targets up at 100ft and 120ft and BBs were bouncing off both. For such a short-barrelled weapon I thought that a fantastic achievement. Carrying out much the same tests with the MOE Mid-Length I was achieving the same results, although with the longer barrel there was less in-flight deviation. Chrono readings with the hop on were between 324-337fps. Summary I have always liked G&P rifles, having owned a fair few over the years. It’s good to see that the build quality is still right up there. The CQB, apart from my personal gripe about the front foresight and flash hider, is a cracking little gun. With its rate of fire, fps, accuracy and real-steel Ergo Z-rail system it’s it a great all-rounder. The MOE Mid Length will be suited to a slightly different gamer, someone who wants all the performance without all the fuss – a sort of ‘airsoft Bentley owner’! By contrast the CQB is definitely more for your ‘soupedup Skyline’ driver. Did I like them? Well, yes – but then I was always going to! Which version did I prefer? Not sure – but saying that I would like to own a Bentley, whack on some 22in wheels, give it a bright orange paint job, tune the nuts out of it and mount a huge spoiler on the boot! Would I own one? No – but that’s purely because I don’t think they will be on retailers’ shelves long enough to get one considering they’re this good and limited editions to boot! Mind you, you could win the CQB in this very issue of this very magazine (I wonder if Nige will let me enter…?). ■ WIN! WIN! FOR YOUR EXCLUSIVE CHANCE TO WIN A G&P/MAGPUL M4 MOE CQB FLICK TO PAGE 66! SPECIFICATIONS G&P/Magpul M4 CQB Weight: 2,860g Length: 680mm (stock collapsed) 770mm (stock extended) Construction: Metal receiver, rail system, outer barrel; ABS stock, pistol grip Inner barrel length: 10.5in Gearbox: Version 2, 8mm Bearings Motor: G&P M120 High Speed Battery: Li-Po in the stock tube (Deans connector) Power: 324-340fps (hop on) Price: G&P Magpul M4 Mid Length Weight: 3,250g Length: 720mm (stock collapsed) 800mm (stock extended) Inner barrel length: 11.5in Battery: LiPo/NiMh front handguard Price: Huge thanks to Edgar Brothers for supplying guns for review. Both variants of the limited edition M4 MOE are distributed by Edgar Bro’s – find your nearest retailer at www.edgarbrothers.com