The WE Katana and ICS metal receiver guns are both around $360. Both have plus and minuses. All of which I weighed. Sight unseen, the ICS seemed a better choice, for the fact that Evike is running the plain jane M4 Katana for $220 and RAS version for $240, while the ICS M4 is $200 to $210 depending on your code. However, if I were to get me an M4, I wanted a WE Raptor (over $400) or an ICS CXP16L, if you could find either of them outside of eHobbyAsia. At this point I decided to pick up a CXP15 for $160 and throw on a hundred bucks in mods. The plan was to use my 363mm TBB I have hanging around, get a barrel extension, and some internals, including an extra top receiver.
Through an odd twist of fate, Eli happen to buy an ICS CXP16L, and not like it after using it for a couple hours at SASCO. So, he sold to me.
The pros:
- The few polymer parts aside, this is a solid metal gun. The receiver is solid and body pins are the best design out of all five or six M4's I have owned. Removing the rear pin breaks open the upper and lower receiver, exactly like a real AR. The upper gearbox slides out like an AR's bolt carrier assembly. This makes it easier and quicker to modify the gun's characteristics. You can switch out entire upper gearboxes, if you have spares.
- The RAS is great, solid, lots of space, the H&K 416 style. Not saying 416 exactly, just 416ish.
- The hop up, although proprietary, is superior to any hop up I have seen for a v2 gearbox. I really, really like it. Oddly though, when I took it apart, there was no nub. It still had enough bite to work with just the arm, though. More on that later.
- I can't say I will never take the lower gearbox out, but I can say that I wont have to, unless it breaks.
- The upper gearbox is completely upgradable with the exception of the nozzle. There are forums out there that say that you can shave a TM compatible down to get it to work. The nozzle has a good enough seal for now, so I wont mess with it.
- The gearbox "Pre-cocks" itself on the first trigger pull. Not a big thing for me, but some people may love it.
- The "Forward Assist" releases the spring tension.
- The mock suppressor gives you the ability to install a longer inner barrel. Up to around 470mm. So and AK length is good for it. Also, if you want to have your cake and it it too, get a second hop up. Have one on a 455mm on one and a 300mm on the other.
- Sights are Magpul like. Very nice and removable if you want to use the top rail for optics.
- The crane stock is deep and caverness. It reminds me of a girl I knew in Spain nearly 25 years ago. But that is another story. Lets just say, its enormous. I can put two of my 7.4v 25c 1300mah, AK stick batteries, with a bridge connector in it, along with the Burst Wizard Mosfet I just ordered today, without any issues. I have never seen a crane stock so big.
Now, for the cons that I have found so far...
- At the chronograph, it was 330fps with .25s. I changed that a bit, so far. More later.
- Although the whole gun is metal, the trunnions that hold the RAS on, are polymer. It seems solid though, and Its likely just so that the RAS is QD. Although, it would only matter if the gun was front wired, but its not.
- There is no front sling mount. Eli added a QD sling swivel mount.
- The flash suppressor is plastic. Eli replaced it.
- The QD barrel extension is wobbly.
- The Hop up is proprietary.
- The Air Nozzle is proprietary, but works with the M4/M16 and the MX5 guns. No O-Ring but a good seal. Guess I need to stock up on them just in case.
- Although I haven't had it out yet, I will bet that the Spring Guide is plastic, and the Piston, Piston Head, and Cylinder Head are all "Cheap Chinese." More on this later.
- Short, Plastic?, barrel. It doesn't shoot poorly, but if it is plastic and not some space age tungsten carbide, its going to warp real quick. If I didn't have a plan for upgrading the inner barrel, I would be pissed.
Modifications:
- Eli added a front sling swivel and a metal flash hider.
- I have several barrels laying around so I pulled the plasticy barrel. I put in a 363mm 6.03 stainless tight bore after cleaning it. I ordered a 450mm 6.03 TBB today as well. When I pulled the barrel from the hop up I discovered that there was no nub. I live an breath MadBull blue so I dropped on a "recycled" (though I keep several new ones, I have used ones about) bucking and used one of the horde of nubs I have. This increased the fps to 370 (consistently 369 to 371, mind you).
Immediate Future Mods:
- 450mm TBB, ordered. $17 from ASGI with discounts.
- Duel 7.4v 15c 1200mah batteries, bridged to double the mili amps to 2400mah. Ordered 6 Monday, only $45 from HobbyKing.
- Burst Wizard King Kong 2. About $35 from ASGI at 14% off. $10-15 cheaper than factory direct.
- I have all I need except the actual upper gearbox shell ($20), air nozzle ($10), and spring guide ($10) to make several new uppers. Evike right now has the real expensive ones on sale for $52 shipped. They are CNC aluminum everything except the plastic nozzle and tappet plate. Smokin deal.
I will keep you posted on the ICS odyssey.