The Classic Army M15 as we see it now in it's latest incarnation, the M15, is the result of several permutations of this AEG from Yick Fung. The original CA Colt M4 series hit the shelves around mid-June 2002, at which time we published an honest review of one of the first batch (written by Comega). I had the chance to use and fire the original version 1 ClassicArmy M4a1, and true it was a heavy full metal item, but as out the box rifles went, truth be told it was not exactly desirable. The gearbox sounded distinctly painful when fired, and running on standard batteries the gearbox had a habit of locking up (it really needed a >=9.6V high mAh to crank it). Numerous problems surfaced over the coming months after it's release, with major issues highlighted such as:
Over the coming releases several improvements were made:
So what's new to the v4 ArmaLite series? Well CA teamed up with ArmaLite Inc. in the US, and ActionSportGames A/S in Denmark (http://softgun.dk/).
The main improvements surround the power output, and the external build quality. The plastic parts are made from a much more durable fiber reinforced polymer, that is much less likely to shatter or crack, the bodies have been severely improved, this time featuring original decals, and the gearboxes have been fixed up. It transpires that a spacer/shim fitted to the spring guide in the pre v4 CA ArmaLite was responsible for the gearbox failures as it placed considerable strain on the gears, and led to catastrophic failure when the slightest problem occurred.
The official list is given as (ref news article):
To say that the v4 rifle is an upgrade is really complete rot, the v4 is miles ahead from the previous versions, it's like saying that humans are an 'upgrade' from monkeys, there's really just such a huge gap between them, sure they look similar, but they don't act or perform in the same way. The effort placed into the v4's production positively shines. The new ArmaLite Airsoft rifles were first shown in the US at the Shot Show in Orlando on 13-16 February 2003. ArmaLite had them on their booth where they drew a lot of good attention and were met with a great success. I'll try to leave off making direct comparisons between this AEG and the TM M733, as I'm putting that into a separate review. Please note that in some shots you may see what look like scratches and marks in the receiver if you look closely. These weren't on the M15 when it arrived, but after being dragged around with me for a skirmish, and generally 'used' is aquired a set of scratches on the front ring, receiver and flashhider on the LHS (the side facing me when I hold it). That isn't CA's fault, it's just that I was testing the M15 in the frield for this review. Out the box Well the word "wow" comes to mind. To put the looks into one simple phrase this is, put simply, the best stock/standard AEG I have ever seen out the box. The realistic markings are amazing, the plastics look great and generally speaking I can't think of anything that either gives it away as an Airsoft piece, or could be improved upon.
The box itself is getting somewhat similar to TM's own, even with a mock TM style 'hopup' logo. Of course there's CA's new logo on the box, and ArmaLite's own logo emblazed on the front. A nicer touch with the new CA boxes is that it has the right picture/label on the top of the box, rather than a generic logo of some sort. Hey it's the small things in life that matter. :) Grabbing this piece out the box and swinging it around, it just doesn't feel like it was made by the same company as the first CA M4a1 I saw. It just feels stronger, more rigid, and simply put better constructed from better materials. In the box you'll find the AEG itself, a cleaning rod, sight adjustment tool, and a hicap magazine (and a heap of paperwork).
This can really be split into three sections: Metal parts: Unlike my older CA MP5, there's no horrible pot metal (aka monkey metal) anywhere to be found. The castings on the carry handle aren't exactly wonderful, but I'm sure the real thing isn't too hot in that area either,
Detailed parts: The sights are very robustly built, with all the correct lettering. The markings are laser engraved in white down the side of the receiver. Features: The M15 tactical carbine features a one piece metal barrel, all metal parts, a tougher foregrip, engraved receiver, removable carry handle, comes with a hicap magazine in the box, reinforced stock and features better wiring. The fire select switch is much improved over previous versions, it's a nice tight fit, and clicks into place very nicely. The marker on the other side of the receiver does not turn with the selector (like the real steel does) as there's no way to put a connector through the gearbox at that point.
Under the front sight you'll find a small allen key threaded bolt, if the front sight becomes loose, that one will need tightening. The foregrips as I have mentioned are of a texture and build that is very pleasing.. it's difficult to say more. The ring that you must slide back to remove the foregrip halves is more than a little amazing. Unlike some TM models, and the older CA models where the slightest knock or gentle breeze would leave them dropping to the ground, the new CA ring is held on by a spring that need hands of steel to move.
This isn't so much of a problem for people with the tactical carbine version, but anyone looking to hide a battery inside the foregrip (such as on the M4a1 clone) may wish to look into seeking out the real M4/16 foregrip tool, which allows you to easily slide back the ring to remove the grips. I found that it is possible to push the ring down by hand and remove the grips, but it takes a certain 'nack'. Place the stock on a flat surface at your feet with the barrel pointing vertically upwards, stand over the rifle and then place both hands around the ring. Using your bodyweight carefully press down on the ring and remove the grips. Refitting is simply done in the same way. The rear sights are fitted into the carry handle. There are two backsight holes available, one larger and one smaller. The larger hole allows more light through, and easier snap shots to be taken, in short the larger hole is more tactical whereas the smaller hole affords a more accurate shot.
The grip externally looks pretty much like any other M4/16 grip that I've used, although the CA version features a heat sink style grip plate. I've not managed to get the motor so hot that it needed the heatsink myself, but I'm sure on higher voltage batteries and hotter days it may well come into play.
The motor tightening bolt is large and easy enough to get to. There's no need to touch this unless you upgrade things internally (which is unlikely to do), but again, it's nice having an overspec'd adjuster, as the TM allen key bolts are a bit too easy to accidentally undo and loose.
Functionality - so what do all these levers and things do? Dust cover - The dust cover hides access to the hopup unit adjuster. It's held closed by a magnet, and to flip it down, you just flick it with the corner of a nail. The cover is spring loaded and will stay open until it's moved back into position for the magnet to hold it.
Cocking handle - the cocking handle does move, but it's just for show, pulling the handle back doesn't do anything, but it does make a nice sound when you let go and it springs backl into place.
Mag catch - the mag catch does of course work, as does the fire select switch and trigger. Performance So how strong is the M15? Well I've taken the piece out with me, and the AEG had as much of a tough time as I did (believe me it took me 48hrs to recover from the last game). I didn't abuse it, but I gave it a very thorough test, and I can find no problem with it so far. Now onto this new metal body I mean, how strong is it? Well you can actually clamp the flashhider to a table and suspend the entire body of the rifle (with battery and mag in it) horizontally - as in free floating in mid air. Now that's impressive! If you did that with my stock TM SG1 you'd be a very unhappy bunny with the rather bent and buckled results. Gearbox innards: I can't really strip the model that I have here for review, as it will invalidate my long term tests of the piece, but I do know what is in them from my discussions with Henrik ( of ActionSportGames A/S - http://softgun.dk/ ), and from information from CA. The older model that I tried out a year ago sounded terrible when you pulled the trigger. Strangling cats viciously would have been nicer. The reason for this was simple, there was too much strain on the gears and not enough grease. This has completely changed with the new gearbox setup, it sounds wonderful and truly purrs. The gearbox features highspeed gears and an EG1000 motor, the gearing is basically a copy of the Systema standard ratio flat gear set, and there's also a bore-up cylinder, reinforced spring guide and one of those new yellow pistons in the box too. Lets not forget the reinforced tappet plate, reinforced hopup and metal loading nozzle. It's worth noting that all the gearbox screws have philips heads, which makes any gearbox work a whole lot easier! Bearing in mind that a few years back I had to pay around £120 for a Systema FTK (and the ensuing exercise to fit the thing), getting an AEG prebuilt to the same spec is somewhat of a luxury. I also note that the wiring has been improved, and the loom is now made from a much nicer fatter and more flexible wire set. The previous incarnations featured much more brittle wiring, which although got the job done, just seemed "too cheap".
Take down: So how do you field strip this sucker? Well it's not too hard, and the manual, which is all in English (handily, and also shows you CA's target audience), details exactly what you need to know. Firstly use a good screwdriver.. not a leatherman or multitool. You want a nice flat bladed thin screwdriver that fits the bolts screwed into the receiver pins. Firstly undo the rear bolt, now with something like a punch (or anything that won't damage the threads) tap out the pin itself. When you've done this carefully lever the upper receiver away from the lower. Be gentle and apply a steady pressure, and you'll find that the top receiver swings upwards and away, hinged on the front receiver pin. The motion is tight, as the metal receiver tabs slide over the gearbox.
Now two things will most probably drop out of the receiver as you do this. One is the 'orrible shiny cover that the dust cover sticks to to close. The other item is the bolt release button on the LHS next to the "ArmaLite" lettering. So don't do this over grass or you'll be hunting for the parts for weeks.
Mags: Okay, well here's a selection of mags from the cupboard. From the left we have the following magazines: G&P midcap, TM lowcap, CA HIcap, TM Hicap
Manual: Here it is scanned in all it's glory. Click on a thumbnail for a larger image (pages are in order).
Niggles: So what is there to complain about? Truth be told.. not a great deal
Conclusion: Well the CA ArmaLites had a really bad rep a year ago, and this new rifle is just a whole new beast. There's nothing really wrong with it, apart from a few minor niggles. Not only does it perform well out the box, but it represents huge value for money. The decals are nicely printed, and for our US brethren as the logos are 'approved'/licensed there should be no problem importing these pieces with the logos intact.
In short... I don't think I really want to go out onto the field with a different rifle ever again. The only minor niggle is that as the rifle is pre-upgraded to 1J, it isn't quite as user-friendly to use it for CQB/indoor use against living targets. External
Links: Site links: TBA Comment on this review in the forums Last modified: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 6:26 PM Copyright 2003 ArniesAirsoft
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