I originally posted this review on the Airsoft Sports New Zealand Forums,
HERE, but it is my intellectual property.
WE M4 CQB-R Review by Eightball.I should note, that this review is of a gun that had some minor work completed on it prior to delivery. I had an ASNZ club armourer install an RA-TECH NPAS Kit and check everything was working as it should - smooth action, hopup, trigger mech etc. He also removed some unneccessary parts (since we can only use it semi-auto in NZ anyway). I spent considerable time researching this rifle before purchase, particularly around maintaining it in good shooting order. I also found out where the potential trouble areas might be, and what I could do to minimise any problems I might have with a WE GBBR. This is my first GBBR, and I am unable to compare it to any other brands or even WE Models. Most of the useful operational information I've gained for this rifle I have posted in the Technical Discussion section of the ASNZ Forums.REAL STEEL HISTORY: (from Wikipedia)The M4 and M16 are not ideally suited for all missions, so it was proposed that the modularity of the M16 series would allow a user to replace the upper receiver of an existing weapon with one more suitable to the task. One of two proposed special mission receivers that were planned for inclusion into the SOPMOD Block II kit, the CQBR has taken off on its own. Like the proposed Special Purpose Receiver, the Close Quarters Battle Receiver has been more or less taken on by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (often referred to as NSWC-Crane or just "Crane") as its own project following the CQBR's removal from the SOPMOD program. Just as the Special Purpose Receiver morphed into the Special Purpose Rifle, and was type-classified as Mk 12 Mod 0/1, the complete CQBR-equipped carbine has been type-classified as the Mk 18 Mod 0.
The purpose of the CQBR remains to provide operators with a weapon of submachine gun size, but firing a rifle cartridge, for scenarios such as VIP protection, urban warfare, and other close quarters battle (CQB) situations. The CQBR is designed to provide improvement over previous AR-15/M16-type weapons in this category. The CQBR is usually issued as a complete weapon system, and not just an upper receiver. The CQBR was once only available to Naval Special Warfare units, but the Mk 18 Mod 0 has become general issue for Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) missions and, as of 2006, for NCIS agents deploying to active combat zones.[citation needed] The Mk 18 is also used by the Coast Guard's Tactical Law Enforcement Teams, Maritime Safety and Security Teams, and Maritime Security Response Team.
BASIC INFORMATION:The gun I am reviewing today is part of the WE line of Gas Blowback Rifles (GBBR). This review features the CQB-R variant of the WE AWSS M4 series, available from ASGC for $576 (NZD). The M4A1 variant is available for $549, and the M16A3 also for $576. All variants come with a WE M4 Gas Magazine, which holds 30bbs. I purchased the gun through ASGC, an Auckland company, who let me layby it and pay it off in installments. They were also generous enough to allow an ASA club armourer to take the gun and work on it, before they had it shipped to me. Their service was excellent, and I would recommend them to anyone in New Zealand. It's worth noting that this kind of arrangement will void the warranty for this product.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION/FIRST IMPRESSIONS:The box was plain brown cardboard with no labelling apart from a sticker on the lower right corner which stated "This Gun is Semi-Auto ONLY, to comply with NZ Law". The gun was snugly contained within the box, with solid corrugated cardboard supports. The box had been pre-opened (as I'd expected) so nothing was zip-tied, however the contents did not seem to have moved much, if at all. The box contained the gun, a magazine, and an M4 Tool (purchased separately for $19). To be honest, I don't care much for packaging apart from its ability to transport the contents safely and securely.
The only thing on the box!I was a little surprised that there wasn't an operators manual in the box, although with the research I had done previously, I already understood how the gun worked. I can't confirm whether there was a manual with the box originally, but there are plenty of resources, including exploded diagrams and part numbers, available online. The ASA armourer had also added an extra nozzle, and some of the removed parts in a separate bag within the box.
On removing the gun from the box, my first impression was wow, this is awesome. The gun seemed much heavier than any of the full metal M4s I'd held, and racking the bolt gave a really solid KACHANK.
EXTERNALS:The WE M4 CQB-R is almost all metal, except for the Pistol grip and LE stock which are polymer. The M4 CQB-R includes a KAC style RIS instead of the basic polymer handguards so is able to take rail mounted accessories right away. The gun comes with a carry handle, mounted on the upper receiver, which I removed and replaced with a G&P Fixed rear sight, WilcoX style Scope mount and Reddot. Both secured firmly and easily with no movement or wobble. I also mounted a VFG to the bottom rail of the RIS without difficulty and zero movement. The standard Flash Hider is mounted with a CCW thread, so finding a suitable silencer shouldn't be a problem.
Yay for RIS!There are Colt trades on the lower receiver, which are crisp and relatively deep. The surface finish over the rifle was a little variable, with what looked like oxidation evident on the front RIS (perhaps just from long storage, prior to my purchase), and some minor 'glittering' on the lower receiver. Buffing with a Microfibre cloth tidied it up (watch the RIS edges, they're sharp and can catch). In my opinion, if you want a display piece, this is probably not the gun you want. If you want something you can feel confident playing with, and that looks like it's a "working" gun.. this could be a good fit.
Some surface variation is there. The direct camera flash is highlighting it alot.I held the pistol grip one-handed and shook the gun, to see what movement there was. There was zero play between the upper and lower receiver. The only rattles and movement came from the sling mount on the front sight post, and the LE Stock. I removed the stock and used three strips of electrical tape inside it to pad out the gap between stock and tube. Now there's no rattle from the stock. I'll be removing the front sling mount anyway, since I'm using a single point sling. The balance of the gun was excellent. It didn't feel front heavy like many of the full metal AEG M4s that I had held.
The selector felt responsive. Its movement was definite and it clicked into place without any slack play. The magazine catch seemed quite stiff, but I prefer that to sloppy. With the magazine inserted there was almost zero play - a very snug fit. There was a small amount of lateral play in the bolt release, but I've read that a very small shim can help here. It's not enough to really bother me at this point. The trigger has quite a stiff, but short pull. The whole trigger mechanism feels significantly less sluggish than an AEG trigger. The pistol grip is not as wide as an AEG M4 pistol grip, since it doesn't need to hold a motor. It was comfortable to hold.
INTERNALS:The takedown on the WE M4 CQB-R is like the real steel. First ensure that the bolt is forward. Remove the magazine. From the left side, push the rear receiver pin through the body of the lower receiver, which is held in place with a detent, and flip the upper receiver up and forward. From here you can access a small spring loaded detent to remove the buffer tube and recoil spring. You can also remove the charging handle and bolt assembly through the rear of the upper receiver.
Almost completely field stripped (buffer spring not removed)With the bolt assembly and charging handle removed you get a clear view down the bore of the inner barrel.
Inner BarrelThe trigger mechanism is also exposed in the lower receiver, showing the hammer. When cocked, the trigger releases the hammer against a pin assembly which triggers a valve on the magazine, releasing gas for the shot and recoiling the bolt backwards against the buffer spring, tripping the hammer back again for the next shot. On its return it chambers another bb ready to fire again.
Trigger AssemblyPOWER/MAGAZINE:As mentioned earlier I had an RA-TECH NPAS installed, which has an adjustable nozzle. Adjusting the NPAS will allow you to tweak how much gas is used to propel the bb, and what FPS the gun shoots at. The stock FPS on these GBBRs is usually too high for general field use within NZ, sitting around the 500FPS mark. It's definitely not suitable for CQB stock. In this case I've adjusted the NPAS to reduce fps so that the rifle falls within the field limits we have in place at our club. The RA-TECH NPAS is a breeze to adjust, using a small tool inserted into the nozzle. Obviously you need to field strip the rifle before doing this, but its something that can be done easily as I mentioned above.
The magazine is quite heavy, and almost a centimeter taller than an AEG M4 Magazine. The magazine will hold 30 bbs, and enough gas for about 60+ shots (It's summer here at the moment, so this will vary based on temperature, and how cold the magazine is). One thing to note, if your magazine is fully loaded with bbs - ie the magazine spring is fully compressed, you need to ensure your bolt is locked back when you insert the magazine, otherwise you could damage the loading nozzle on the magazine. With no play in the magazine spring, you can't push the loaded magazine far enough into the mag well for it to lock into place. Once the magazine is locked into place, you can trip the bolt release and a bb will be loaded and you're ready to fire.
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS:After filling the magazine with bbs and propane I went outside during a gap in the rain, and fired off a few rounds. I racked the bolt, which sounded great, and then let go a few rounds... OMG It was awesome! I'd already fired another clubmate's WE SCAR a couple of times so I kind of knew what to expect, but something about the snap, recoil, and kathock of the bolt returning was just heavenly. I had a huge grin on my face as I fired through the magazine. Unlike an AEG there is a small amount of recoil, not much, but enough to make the experience much more impressive than an AEG. I also loved the trigger response from the rifle. I was used to a tiny lag between initially squeezing the trigger on an AEG, a whine, and then the bb being fired. There was none of that with this gun. Squeeze, snap, kachunk, Squeeze, snap, kachunk. It's hard to describe, but damn I loved it.
Racking the BoltUsing propane, and with the adjustible NPAS in place, I've reduced the fierce velocity to fieldable levels. It still packs a punch, and with 0.25bbs flight seems quite stable. As recommended by the armourer that worked on the gun, I use almost no lubrication in the propane, and just a tiny amount of silicon oil on the NPAS rod for smooth operation over about half a day of shooting.
I don't really have the space at the moment for long range testing, but shooting over 20 meters, I could easily hit a head-sized target consistantly. I will have some better results after a full skirmish with the gun. The few shots I did manage to test over greater distances showed the the hopup is quite aggressive. I would assume that using some heavier weight bbs - 0.28gm or 0.3gm should assist with long range accuracy a bit. I'm also considering trying one of the Stinger Hopup assemblies from RA-TECH as they seem to be getting good impressions. I am aware that many people have had to wear-in their hops and after a few thousand rounds they settle down more. We'll see how things are after a few skirmish outings.
One thing I should note: whilst the bolt should lock back when the magazine is empty, I've found this process is somewhat unreliable. Two areas can affect this, one being the bolt lock catch on the magazines, and the other can be the lateral movement of the bolt release. Until I've had more testing, and have tried some of the suggested fixes, this is probably one area of dissappointment for me, initially. It does not however affect the usability of the gun, although it might be a minor inconvenience for reloads, and mag use efficiency. Bear in mind, I've only put a few hundred rounds through the gun, in sporadic instances.
UPGRADES:Obviously the first upgrade I would recommend for anyone using this gun in New Zealand, is an RA-TECH NPAS. Out of the box, these guns have a reputation for pretty hot FPS. This needs to be tamed. You can get tightbore barrels, and aftermarket hopup, and various CNC milled replacement parts.
After market support for the WE GBBRs is pretty limited at the moment, with the majority of accessory-makers supporting the WA GBBR system. various forums and threads make mention of parts compatibility. I would suggest connecting with other WE GBBR users and comparing notes to find out what fits and what doesn't as far as aftermarket parts/accessories are concerned.
CONCLUSION:A solid and impressive milsim weapon system. I'm extremely happy with my purchase, but would definitely suggest working with an experienced GBBR person to ensure you have a reliable platform to use. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get an operations manual, and that the bolt lock doesn't seem to be working reliably, but other than that, I really love this gun. I would suggest keeping maintenance and gun care high on your priorities with this gun. I can't really conclude this review until I've put the gun through its skirmish paces, but I can't wait to let it loose. My wife keeps laughing because every now and then I show up in the lounge with it and target zombies on the TV while she's playing Resident Evil with the WII.
CREDITS:I'd specifically like to thank Aidan for the advice, help, and work he's done on my rifle, as well as Ramon for introducing us, and responding to my numerous questions. I'd also like to thank those other GBBR experts in ASNZ that helped me get the gun I wanted and feel confident in using it. Without you guys I may have found GBBRs quite a difficult challenge, and had a very different experience using them. I also need to credit all those users on various other forums like
http://gasguns.info and
http://arniesairsoft.co.uk. Also, Judy and Karl at
http://www.asgc.co.nz who have been very helpful, patient and offered excellent service. Also, thanks to
http://www.ratech.com.tw for the aftermarket parts - particularly the NPAS.
Cheers all,
8
