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Reviews
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Date of last review
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1
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6111
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12/4/09
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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Average Rating
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100% of reviewers
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£20.00
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5.0
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Pissin' people off one post at a time
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Ranger_Captain
Pissin' people off one post at a time
Registered: July 2005
Location: West Point, New York
Posts: 1,229
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Review Date: 12/4/09
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: £20.00
| Rating: 5
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Positive aspects of the product (pros):
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Able to take a big battery, ICS’s laser unit, Strong build, Easy Mounting/Dismounting
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Cons:
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Not even close to milspec, Can block front sight when mounted on top on M-Type, Tougher and more awkward to change batteries, Few details
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ICS AN PEQ-2
Introduction
Boxes, sleeves, pouches, fake mags, and tape; all ways to secure a battery that won’t fit somewhere else on the gun. While that later 4 are effective, a nice battery box appeals more to the nature of an airsofter, providing both a replica of a commonly used device on real guns and at the same time allow for concealment of a common device that would otherwise be rather unsightly externally on the gun.
With the rise of LiPoly batteries it one may think the days of the non-mil spec, HUGE PEQ-2 made by ICS would go the way of the dodo bird, this isn’t a piece of kit that one should quickly look right past.
Real Steel History
Manufactured by Insight Technologies, the AN/PEQ-2 was developed as part of the SOPMOD kit to provide a viable visible and IR laser.
The AN/PEQ-2 has two infrared laser emitters—one narrow beam used for aiming the rifle, and one wide beam used for illuminating targets, like a flashlight. The beams can only be seen through night vision goggles. Each beam can be zeroed independently, and the illuminator's radius is adjustable.
Currently the PEQ-2 is still being issued to troops although there have been various updates and new model that are slowly phasing out the older models.
First Impressions
I bought this PEQ-2 because I switched one of my two M15A4 Carbines to RIS carbines and I refused to get a battery bag to hold the battery out the back or get a Crane stock (I hate them :P ) so I went for (at the time) what was the only real battery box capable of holding a really decent sized battery (mine holds a “mini” 4400 mAh 9.6v).
Buying it in person at Hot Spot Airsoft I mounted it right on the designated rifle and took it home. When I bought it the box came as a package deal with the ICS laser module which I latter found to be a nice addition.
Additionally it came with 2 hex keys for mounting and for adjusting the laser, extra O-Rings, an optional… plug, I guess you could call it? For when you don’t want to mount the laser plus the MP5 standalone laser housing.
Appearance
Well this is where a lot of people get turned off by the ICS PEQ-2, it’s not milspec. In fact it’s VERY far from being mispec or even a good replica. For one it’s BIG. Much bigger than the real PEQ-2 and two it has some details, but they’re not nearly as well recreated in this as they are on other manufacture’s versions.
Don’t let that turn you off though. There are some advantages to having this somewhat oversized battery box. For one I found it easy to switch my M15A4 to use a larger type battery since I’ve been able to fit a 9.6v “mini” 3200 with ease inside the box. The same battery doesn’t fit in either the handguards of an M4 or even the stock of an M16.
However this is where the niceness of the looks ends and the bothers begins. First of all if you’re a true milsimer this will definitely be bad juju for you. Aside from being almost half again bigger than the real unit, it also lacks any details to make it a true “replica” of a PEQ-4. In reality I think it’s most fair to call this battery box just that, a battery box, with minor details to make it somewhat appear to be a PEQ-4. Really the nicest thing about it is the ICS laser unit it comes with but this again causes rage for the milsimer as it protrudes far out from the front of the unit.
Because of this I will give it two look grades: one from a milsimer’s point of view, the other from a general “I need a box to hold battery” “bare minimum” point of view.
MilSim Look Grade: 2/10
General Look Grade: 5/10
Feel/Aesthetic
As mentioned these are pretty limited. On the top of the unit there is the non-functional selector switch which on the real version selects which light setting one wishes to use.
That’s about it though. There are no other markings on this unit other than that. Not even an ICS marking or anything.
If you include it, the laser is the only other Aesthetic on this unit, which personally I find to actually be a very nice laser. Very long range and is able to be very finely tuned for great zeroing. About my only complaint with the laser unit is that it only uses a pressure switch which can get irritating to hold on after awhile, although it does prevent wasted battery use.
Moving on to feel, I found that when compared to other battery boxes; CA’s, DBoys, VFC, and G&P’s, I actually liked the feel of the plastic used by the ICS the best. It’s definitely strong and will take quite a hit.
The mount consists of a restraining system with two flathead screws used to tighten it on. Some users complain about this being weak but given that it’s actually molded to the box means it shouldn’t snap off without something catastrophic happening (and then the box is hardly what you should be worried about :P ).
Feel Grade: 8/10
Aesthetics: 2/10
Use
Well here’s where it comes down to, is this thing useful? Well it is and it isn’t. It will hold a large battery on a RIS gun. However where you mount it will affect how effectively you can engage targets. Due to the fact it is so much larger than a normal PEQ-4 if you mount it on the top rail it does block or at least limit your ability to line up a shot with the front sight post (on a standard M series front and rear sight post).
On other guns this isn’t such an issue (I used it on an MP5 once with no problem) but again I would always advise side mounting.
A note I would like to say, and maybe someone with a better understanding can explain this but it seems once you zero the laser it doesn’t matter what side you mount the box on, the dot never changes position. I found that useful since it allows me to be lazy with how I mount it and moving it from gun to gun.
One changes batteries by “unscrewing” the three (or four, pending if you mount the laser or not) points on the corners of the box and then lifting the top portion off. Personally I dislike this as it makes changes long and somewhat awkward to do in the field (you need to keep track of the screws and top and makes mounting the laser a bit of a try). I like the boxes that open from the rear but that’s just a personal feeling of mine.
Thus as far as use goes I would say it does the bare bones work of being a battery box but due to its design it can be very self-limiting if not mounted properly.
Use Grade: 5/10
Conclusion
Pros:
Able to take a big battery
ICS’s laser unit
Strong build
Easy Mounting/Dismounting
Cons:
Not even close to milspec
Can block front sight when mounted on top on M-Type
Tougher and more awkward to change batteries
Few details
Thus overall I would grade this box as 5/10, 50% because it does the bare minimum of being a box to story the battery in. If that’s all your looking for than this is a good way to go due to the box’s strong build, but if you’re trying to get a PEQ that really looks like something this probably isn’t your best choice.
Credits:
http://www.hotspotairsoft.com/catalog/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/PEQ-2
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Never argue with a gun, it may argue back...
United States Corps of Cadets, USMA
Cadet, United States Army
2012 "For More Than Ourselves"
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Registered: July 2005
Location: West Point, New York