Because I was after realism I decided to go with the latter option, and fork out for a metal barrel. Apparently there are 3 companies producing metal outer barrels for the M203 – GB-Tech, Zeke and most recently stepping into the arena are Guarder (I found this out the night before my barrel arrived – damn!!). Of the 3 only the GB-Tech and Guarder barrels are widely available (although the Guarder barrel is a limited edition). Of those 2 only GB-Tech have a SOPMOD style outerbarrel that is widely available. So as you have guessed I was left with no option but to buy the GB-Tech outer barrel. First a bit of background on the SOPMOD kit and barrel. SOPMOD stands for Special Operations Peculiar Modifications, and was a programme initiated by the US NSW (Naval Special Warfare) school and SOCOM (Special Operations COmmand) to provide a multi-function weapons platform based on the M4A1 assault carbine. The kit includes various sights, lasers and weapon lights but arguably the most important components are the KAC (Knights Armament Corporation) RIS and the Colt M203 PI (Product Improve). The Colt M203 PI is an improvement over the original M203 (who’s design is over 30 years old!) by offering new mounts for the M4, a lighter weight receiver, and a shorter outer barrel. This new M203 is slowly filtering its way into the Special Operation communities, and has been seen in photos from Afghanistan.
Well I opened up the box and found the barrel wrapped in a length of bubble wrap. That was it – nothing else, no instructions, no screws just the barrel and handgrip. I unwrapped it and gave it a close inspection; the barrel itself appears to be made out of aluminium, and the handgrip is made from a FRP (Fibre Reinforced Plastic), definitely not ABS.
The handgrip has a matt texture – much like the real M203 handgrip, but it’s an inconsistent grey colour, which for me is a little disappointing. The barrel appears to be anodised, and finished in a matt black.
The handgrip itself is usually screwed into the outerbarrel to keep it secure, and the GB-Tech barrel is no exception, but even without the screws in the handgrip was stuck fast on the barrel. Not in itself a bad thing – except the screw holes were not aligned. Internally the GB-Tech barrel has false rifling, which instead if twisting like proper rifling it is linear – straight as a Roman road. There is evidence in the barrel of pour moulding, as there is excess material at the end of the rifling.
So whilst I was impressed with the barrel, the handgrip was a bit of a letdown. Fitting It was possibly the easiest upgrade I have ever performed. It’s more or less a straight swap – remove the plastic barrel, remove a few screws, add a few screws to the metal barrel and slide it on. To remove the plastic barrel you have to grip the M203 barrel as though you are going to load a shell, and depress the un-locking latch. Once opened you have to push down the retention latch at the very front of the M203’s receiver and pull the barrel off the receiver.
Once the plastic barrel has been removed you will need to remove the screws holding the handgrip on (3 in total), the pins holding the guide rail on the top of the barrel (and the rail) and the shell retention tabs. You then need to put the parts you removed from the original into the GB-Tech barrel. Once that’s done its simply a case of sliding the completed outer barrel into the SP receiver.
It’s fairly straight forward, and I didn’t need files, a Dremel or pliers to get the job done – a refreshing change. Testing Once completed the barrel fitted perfectly, it lined up as the original did. The M203’s barrel is black – compared to the receiver’s grey which is an interesting contrast, just like the original. I have not been able to test the new barrel with a grenade shell because I don’t own one, but since it’s a 1:1 match to the Sun Projects barrel in terms in internal dimensions I don’t envisage using a shell to be a problem. The front end of the M4 is heavier than before, but only slightly and the added weight makes no discernable difference to the weapons balance – its still very front heavy.
Is it worth £70? No, the internal mould lines show that its not as precise as other manufacturers kit. The handgrip looks very poor in my opinion; the colour is off, although the texture is great. Another problem with it is that in order to fit some of the screws you need to move it along the barrel – and as it does so it marks the barrel. The rifling looks good; it’s just too bad it’s straight! I am a tad gutted that I did not have the foresight to realise that Guarder would be releasing a SOCOM version of their barrel after they released the full length one. One interesting general note, Classic Army, Zeke, GB-Tech – all different brands, but their products are all identical; made by the same manufacturer in Hong Kong, just sold under different brands by different distributors. If you are building a SOPMOD M4 and have cash to throw around then buy this upgrade. If you own a Sun projects M203 its worth considering because it’s a lot more durable and robust than the ABS barrel. by Permian
Comment on this review in the forums Last modified: Wednesday, May 9, 2001 9:37 AM copyright 2001 ArniesAirsoft
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