armoury
SA-E21 PDW EDGE™ CARBINE
the likes of Daniel
Defense promise great
things for the future!
NEW AND GOOD
TO GO
Now that’s all very well
and good, but you may well
ask
how all of that relates to the SA-E21
EDGE AEG model that I received for
evaluation from Specna Arms? What I
will tell you is that this is the first model
from them I have had to try that features
their
own take on the “PDW” sliding stock, so
I’ll address that first.
Although I saw the Specna Arms design a little while
back now, this is the first time that I’ve had the finished
product mounted on an AEG and I have to say that they’ve
done a tremendous job. Whilst a “PDW Stock” can only be
SO different, this one is very neat and functions very well
indeed and when it is compressed it is neat, tidy and mates
with the battery compartment and receivers perfectly, in
fact you’d be hard-pressed to slide a fag paper between the
joins!
When open - and there are three positions for this - the
stock is as solid as a fixed version and although the polymer
pad is small for me (all PDW pads are small for me!), it’s a
great shape which means you can shoulder the little carbine
well. The release of the sliding stock is also very neat in that
you have a “paddle” to the left but with a button on the
right that will also activate the release; a small thing but
well-thought out and efficiently achieved!
This new addition is nothing less than I’d expect, as the
EDGE is a line of AEGs that combines an array of solutions
and technologies hard to find in others on the market,
most certainly at the price. It is
a series
that stresses great craftsmanship and
care for
all external parts. Every element of the
EDGE
series, not just this E21, has been made
and
fitted with the utmost care in every detail
and the
body even features a Nano Coating that
prevents
scratches. The body also bears Specna Arms markings as
well as an individual serial number.
The stunning looking E21 that I received in Specna’s
new “Half Bronze” colour scheme is one of the
shortest of their ARs, a true PDW length at just
570mm with the stock compressed (660mm with
the stock fully open) and it’s fitted with a 150mm
M-LOK free-float rail. This rail is only two slots long
but is just big enough to fit the included foregrip and
additional accessories if you want them, plus there are QD
sling points at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. The top of the E21 has a
continuous top rail from front to back and comes with flip-
up BUIS of Specna’s own design, which are very functional
and easy to use. There’s also a QD pistol grip that provides
easy and rapid access to the motor without having to use
tools.
Internally we’ve now become quite blasé about the
quality that Specna Arms offer as standard and this little
carbine features a factory-fitted MOSFET X-ASR module
from GATE. This high-quality MOSFET looks after the
internal components, improves the trigger reaction and
extends the lifetime of the electronics and the battery. It will
also help you diagnose basic malfunctions inside the AEG
- and there’s even a neat little “crib card” included in the
package to help you troubleshoot on the go!
The E21 has a short 6.03mm precision inner barrel that
helps with accuracy; the barrel works in tandem with a new
type of a rotary hop chamber that allows for very precise
and “set once” adjustment. The E21 also features the
ESA Quick Spring Change System, so it’s simple to quickly
change the power to field conditions without having to
access a workshop or a set of special tools. All you need
to do is remove the stock assembly to gain access to the
spring, so that it can be removed without having to pull out
or disassemble the gearbox and Specna even throw in an
extra M90 spring if full-time CQB is your preferred medium!
At the beating heart of the E21 is the ORION gearbox,
“WHILST A “PDW STOCK” CAN ONLY BE SO DIFFERENT, THIS ONE IS VERY NEAT AND
FUNCTIONS VERY WELL INDEED AND WHEN IT IS COMPRESSED IT IS NEAT, TIDY AND
MATES WITH THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT AND RECEIVERS PERFECTLY, IN FACT
YOU’D BE HARD-PRESSED TO SLIDE A FAG PAPER BETWEEN THE JOINS!”
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