CA33E (HK33) - ArniesAirsoft

Author

Phoenix

wish I was in NZ...

Registered: September 2004
Location: ATL, Georgia, USA
Posts: 1,707

Review Date: 5/9/05

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: �180.00 | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	full metal contruction, good weight, great balance, availibility of parts
Cons:	poor hopup, poor hicaps, some custom work required for mounting scopes

First Impression: When I first recieved this gun as a graduation present over a year ago I was estatic. Picking it up out of the box was a dream as it lacked the creaking and wobbling issues that had plagued my TM M16A2. Holding this gun it feels very solid, and the balance is excellent, making it feel like an extension of your arms. Included with the gun was a manual, a CA catalog, 330 round hicap magazine, and unjamming rod.

In the Field: I found this gun to be a very good field gun. It has just enough weight to make it feel real but not tire you out. I also liked that it came with a hicap as at the time no other magazines were available.

Another great thing about this (and other CA guns) they come in stock around 328 fps, which is great for the UK as you don't have to upgrade the spring . I'll cover my mods later.

For a stock gun it performed very well, and was one of my best games ever.

Problems: I have run into several problems with this gun, none of which were expensive to fix. On the hicaps, the design of the door isn't too good, and thus broke easily. Luckily the locaps are only 11$ each, so I bought a ton of those. My other problem is that the metal on the gun, while heft, and solid, if abused will break, due to the design of the gun (copied from TM's g3 series). I was running down a hill, tripped, and landed on the gun, snapping it in half where the barrel and body meet. Sounds bad right? Not really, a replacement body from WGC was 40 USD. I was back in the game in no time. The hopup also presented some issues. It is best to just go ahead and replace the entire hopup with systema parts. Works like a dream now. The final problem is the mounting. CA's bodies differ from the G3 and MP5 bodies, so any scope mount you want to use may need modification to fit properly.

My Mods: I have added a hurricane scope mount to my gun (requiring modification) and replaced the hopup. It was now time to add a stronger spring. Following the advice of some, I purchased only the spring. The screws on the version 2 gearbox are all phillips head, no need for odd starheaded screw drivers here. In and out it took less than 20 minutes with the help of my cousin to install the spring, this beign the first time I have ever opened a gearbox and his second. I have used the gun in many games since, and have had now problems related to this, even still using a 8.4v 3000 mAh battery.

Things to Note:
- Gearbox handles upgrades very well
- Shares many external parts with the MP5 and G3 series
- Shares internal parts (CA M15 gearbox, hopup) with M16 series guns
- Replacement parts cheap and easy to get
- perfect for people who love the looks of the SG1, but detest the size

Conclusion: Althought it has had bumps on along the way, I definatly recommend this gun (no gun is perfect anyways). It looks and feels great, and there are a large number of upgrade options available.

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Georgia's Original Fleckwhore

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Interested in the following stuff to buy:
Flecktarn bits, HPA rig for KJW/Tanaka M700!![/b][/size]

Herr_Heckler

Registered: August 2005
Posts: 46

Review Date: 16/11/05

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: �165.00 | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	G3 length inner barrel, M4 length, solid build, lovely metal body, metal bushing and spring guide, unique
Cons:	Poor mag cover design, weak gearbox, rusting parts, poor hop up design, no trades, non-standard mount, poor trigger switch

Prologue: This review was actually written at the start of 2004 and progressed up until I sold the gun in 2005. It's a rather longwinded affair so I'm just putting a snippet here with the rest accessible thru a link to my site. It basically relates the relationship I had with this unique AEG from it's humble stock beginnings up until it's evolution to a sniping kit. I hope you'll find it an enjoyable and informative read.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v399/clone69/CA33e/CA33_box_01.jpg

INTRODUCTION

Classic Army has been around airsoft for quite some time now and has released a number of products and parts. With the exception of the M24 sniper bolt action spring rifle most of it's longarm and SMG lineup has followed the models popularized by other manufacturers such as Tokyo Marui. In order to distinguish themselves CA has resorted to using more metal exterior parts and reinforced interior components. Early models did not exactly garner praises from their owners and feedbacks have ranged from disappointment to downright hostility towards the workings of their AEG's. Likewise, fit and finish did not match the standard of the time being set by Marui and the likes. Not exactly a promising scenario when one is thinking of purchasing any CA product.

However, recently CA seems to have turned a corner. First off, the M16 series that used to be a favorite whipping horse has drawn praise for it's solidity, ruggedness and excellent licensed trademerks. It's workings have also been finessed to the point that owners complain less and upgrade more. When in the past owners decried having one, the resurgence has actually seen CA's being preordered from shops and owner's selling off their Marui's in favor of a mostly metal and lighter CA.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v399/clone69/CA33e/CA33_M4_01.jpg

The latest attempt by CA to further it's presence in the airsoft market comes in the form of the CA33E modeled after the Heckler and Koch HK33 5.56 rifle. This time CA chose to lead instead of follow the pack by introducing a model that non of the leading airsoft manufacturers currently has in their lineup. Just as H&k had two different markets in mind with the G3 and the 33, CA is not going after the Marui G3 crowd but rather the M4 crowd that want to differentiate themselves and are not to keen on getting AK's or AUG's.

The obvious question on potential buyer's minds would be if it took CA quite a bit of time to improve the M16 line what then can be expected of a totally new model? One that none of the more established manufacturers has modelled and debugged. Will it be a redux of the M16 lineup or has CA pulled off a major coup in the Airsoft arena?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v399/clone69/CA33e/CA33_scoped_01.jpg

This review will try to give a general idea of how well (or poorly) CA has implemented an excellent flanking strategy against the likes of Tokyo Marui and ICS. It will cover the aesthetics of the CA33, it's operation, field worthiness and upgradability. Unfortunately, durability may not be fully covered as this will only truly come out after some time and abuse however some factors may be sighted that either favor or detract from the potential of the CA33 in that respect. It will also try to look at the gun from various aspects of airsofting specifically players, collectors and do-it-yourselfers.

The review will not try to SELL you the product but it will hopefully give you enough information to make up your own mind. Personally I just look forward to relating to you my own experiences...if it'll be "hell on earth" or a "marriage made in heaven". I sincerely hope it'll be the latter.

MORE

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v399/clone69/CA33e/CA33_bipod_01.jpg

The_One_Free_Man

Registered: January 2006
Location: Peterborough, East Anglia
Posts: 236

Review Date: 31/5/06

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: �240.00 | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Very long, 300 fps out the box (in UK), 90% metal
Cons:	Very long, bad repuation for quality control, fiddly hop-up

This review is likely to be changed in a weeks time when I actually do a proper skirmish with the gun.

I'm going to use the same logic with my previous review on the TM shorty. If I see something I don't like, I won't hesitate to mention it.

I was hesitant as to whether I should buy the CA33E over other guns but I was tired of same-old so-so carbines and M series rifles. I wanted something full-metal or near as damn it. I found the CA33E. Aesthetically it seemed (speaking from before I bought it) very robust and rugged. Upon receiving it yesterday my inital thoughts did not change.

Right out of the box it is as solid as it looks. You really have to feel it to believe it. It feels like one complete piece of metal as opposed to different components pieced together.
I would say anyone not over something like 5.9 foot is going to struggle skirmishing with this gun! It is long and heavy. I haven't actually got a ruler or anything at hand but when I do I'l post it in this review.

2.8 kilograms, a fair weight for any airsoft gun. I can't imagine darting around in a skirmish with this, more like jogging accompanied by the occasional slogging. Its weight and size combined don't really make it the long distance runner's gun.

I was skeptical about the sight but upon using it I'v found it to be quite an effective oddity. Its similar to a hole-and-post sight and adjustable to 4 sights, this being the back end sight. The purpose of this is simply to find a hole suited to the user that comfortably lines up with the post at the barrel end. Quite weird, I'v never used anything like it but it does work.

I'v found the hole-and-post sight makes target aquisition quite slow. I personally find myself making rough target aquisitions simply by judging with the barrel end.

Magazine insertion is fiddly at first but not really an issue.
The cocking latch acts as a door to the hop-up, the hop-up requires alot of messing around to find its "sweet spot", I was fart-arsing around in my garden twiddling with the thing trying to hit estimate its good point. Sort of reminded of when you are trying to tune a guitar and you keep going sharp or flat of the getting it just right.

Thats all I can say now it being only a day old. When I skirmish with it properly I'd have a better grasp of it and update this review and possibly add a couple photos.

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