If you were following the trends in airsoft you have probably seen the rise in attention to short barrel rifles or SBR and sniper rifles.
Today we are going to focus on the SBR kind, especially the King Arms new rifle that targets CQB enthusiasts. When you need to have a nimble weapon platform to dominate the field King Arms SBR delivers on all accounts.
I have already made a short report about the rifle a while back and you can read it here. And thanks to King Arms I have got one in my possession about a fortnight ago.
First impressions of the gun were a bit mixed as I am not really used to have a gun this light in my arsenal. But more I handle it more it has grown on me.
The lightness comes from all polymer design. The only metal parts that you can find on the gun are: gearbox, hop up, inner barrel, barrel, trigger, fire selector, bolt catch, magazine catch, stock guide rods, receiver pins, charging handle and forward assist. Every other part is made from really durable nylon polymer. As the body is quite unique that means less possible modifications to the looks. Changing magazine release or trigger guard is not possible or there is not any aftermarket parts jet.
When you combine all that you get the feather light gun that weighs only 1.7kg. Awesome for prolonged games and ideal support weapon for sniper roles. And whit configurable pistol grip you can make it even more comfortable.
The magazine you receive with the gun is also made out of polymer and the only part of the package that annoyed me, but I will come to that shortly.
Let us start at the beginning. The AEG comes without the battery and charger and that is OK as you can decide what to run with. The battery I used was standard stick 11.1V LiPo and it went in the spacious buffer tube.
At first I was a bit sceptical because the buffer tube was standard length and having SBR with it slightly defeats the purpose of calling the gun short. But when hold to the shoulder all my doubts went away. The stock feels comfortable and the gun can be easily moved from shoulder to shoulder when clearing corners.
Trigger is a beauty and when running 11.1V responsive and crisp. You know when you will fire. Gun handled LiPo without any problems. It also has a mosfet mounted in the stock. That way your rifle will live longer 😀
Shooting the SBR was a pleasure. We also made a video with my teammates.
And as you can see our model was having lots and lots of fun.
And now to the only bad part of the package. The magazine you get is quite bad. Yes it feeds and everything, but it is plastic and slightly smaller than full metal counterpart so it wobbles when inserted. That leads to the next part, not so much of a problem but a short term nuisance.
When you use your existing full metal magazines their first insertion in the magwell is quite difficult at first but after a few times it will go easier, the inserted magazine also will not fall free when you press the magazine release, but you will have to jank it a bit to get it out. The metal magazines does not wobble when inserted, so that is a big plus in my book, as all the bbs are fed without a problem.
Is this gun worth my money. Absolutely YES. If you are searching for an AEG for your indoor CQB then go for it. It is affordable, lightweight and precise. Replace the magazine and you have a solid gun that will work for you everytime. How it handles in wooded environment I can’t say jet, but that will be answered in the next review.
This are my findings at this time. Next Thursday I will prepare for you a complete disassembly guide and some more videos of the gun in action as I am attending the CQB match this Sunday. Have fun you all.