The Current Project (Or, how NOT to purchase your next rifle...)

• The Cautionary Tale bit...
• From the XM177E1 Colt Commando to the M933 Commando with RIS...
• Real Steel background...
• An Airsoft M933? You what?! (or: Making the best of a less than well-informed choice...)
• Update: 27^th March 2004
• Update: 30^th March 2004
• Update: 23^rd April 2004
• Update: 2^nd May 2004
• The dress-up parts decision (or, what the final external result may look like?)...
• In other words, it'll probably look something like this:
• The internal upgrades...
• So where's this project at the moment?
• A few notes on postage from Hong Kong.
• The almost finished final result...
• Body Problems...
• The G&P Mid-Cap Magazines, and how to get them going close to properly...
• Update: 25^rd April 2004
• Credits and thanks...
• On-Line reference works on the M933 carbine...
• On-Line reviews of the rifle and proposed after market components...
• Postscript: If you want an M933 of your own...
• Postscript Part 2: If you want an M933 of your own...
• Postscript Part 3: And now Classic Army has gotten in on the act...!

The Cautionary Tale bit...

Always, always, ALWAYS, do your research BEFORE parting with cash!

This is a longish article, for a reason. It's part cautionary tale, part diary of conversion, and part advice on the bits and bobs that are available for the M733. Anyhow. You'd think that, with all the advice that I've written regarding kit on this site, that I'd have done a little research before going out to buy a new rifle. Whoops. Not so. I relied on advice from the shop, and the money burning a hole in my pocket. WRONG!

Here's how I wound up with the M733: Note that I'd not performed any real or proper research when I went to Airsoft Armoury to buy a new rifle. I had a general specification for the rifle I'd get, which was:

• It should be an AEG, not a gas or spring rifle (naturally!)
• It should be shorter than my TM AUG military, even if the stock has to be folded or collapsed to be shorter.
• It should accept small batteries (the same type as the AUG).
• It should be upgradable internally and externally.

I mistakenly thought that would be anough, since I'd be there, in the shop, and be able to get a feel for whichever rifle I selected there and then. Not wise, in hindsight. Anyhow, there were four models that fit this specification:

• M4/M733
• MP5
• SIG 551
• G36K

Their M4s were out of stock, but they had everything else.

I'm not a huge fan of MP5s, and in any event, the spec was intended for a 'rifle' model, not an SMG, so the MP5 range was out of the question.

The SIGs are nice, but there isn't much you can do with them externally that I'm aware of - or at least, there wasn't at the time. I believe there may now be a RIS kit available, although I've yet to see one. Not that I've really looked that hard, to be honest.

The G36 magazines wouldn't properly fit in the assault vest I had at the time (SAAV). M16 mags obviously would!

They had M733s in stock, and I wanted to go away with a new rifle as, at the time, my AUG was in the Airsoft Dynamics workshop being fixed and serviced. So, I got the M733 with the load of bits and bobs noted below.

First moral. Do NOT allow your money to do the talking. Your brain should.

I found, after mounting the holosight on top of the carry handle, that it was way too high for my comfort, so got the idea of adding a flat-top receiver to it. The logical progression to this was to add RIS/SIR to it, and THAT is when I discovered the incompatibility problem, with RIS/SIR that the M733 has, compared to the M4/M16 rifles that are available and had the advice on metal bodies from Airsoft Dynamics (see below).

Second moral: Find out if there are compatibility issues that you need to be aware of. I thought that my years playing the game would suffice. They didn't.

Don't get me wrong.The guys at Airsoft Armoury are good, and if you ask the right questions, and have done your research, you won't go wrong. Unfortunately, I had neither done my research, nor asked the right questions, so more fool me. In any event, the M733 is a fine Airsoft model, and I really like it. This particular variant of the Tokyo Marui M16 does enjoy a somewhat better join between the barrel and the upper receiver, and therefore barrel wobble is significantly reduced. However, had I done any proper research, prior to visiting the shop, I would definately have gone for an M4 (despite the barrel bobble problems that many M4 owners experience), more than probably with RIS, and saved myself a hell of a lot of time, effort, and cash (both now and in the future). We live and learn, I guess. That, in minor part, is the reason for the article. To:

• Document the research,
• Warn others of the potential pitfalls inherent with the project, and
• For my own enjoyment, and that of others.

Oh, and don't think because of my own error in not doing research, that I've a bad taste in my mouth about Airsoft Armoury: I haven't. I will be shopping from Airsoft Armoury again. I'll just do my research, in future - Airsoft Armoury have, in my humble opinion, probably the best Airsoft shop with physical premises in the country. They know their subject matter (even if I didn't at the time!), and offer some of the best UK prices that I've seen.

Final and full Moral: Do your research BEFORE you go to the shop to buy the rifle!

From the XM177E1 Colt Commando to the M933 Commando with RIS...

XM177A1

M733

M933

Real Steel background...

The Colt Commando family of carbines grew out of the perceived need for a new compact M16 style of carbine for the US special operations forces, following the use of the XM177E1 and XM177E2 carbines, used in the Vietnam Conflict.

The XM177E1 was originally developed as an improvement to the then CAR-15 and M16 rifles. To shorten the rifle, new forestocks and buttstocks were developed (the new circular cross-section forestock being the predecessor to the forestock on the M16A2, with the collapsing rearstock being the forerunner to those used on later Colt Carbine models). The XM177E2 differed from the XM177E1, having a 3.8 cm longer barrel than the XM177E1, which helped reduce muzzle blast, and increase accuracy.

The M733 is the smallest and most compact version of the M16A2 rifle, developed to provide a reasonably compact, solid (in British terms, Squaddie-proof) weapon with compact dimensions allowing effective and speedy action.

Mechanically, the internal working parts are the same as the M16A2 rifle, and are thus largely interchangable. However, the carbine cannot be mounted with the M203 or M203A1 grenade launcher, due to its' short barrel length. It is, though, compatible with silencers from both GEMTEC and Knight's Armament.

The most recent version of the Commando carbine is the M933 (and M935, which has 3-round bust capability in place of the M933s full auto setting), which is based on the M4A1 carbine, with the carrying handle/rearsight assembly able to to be removed to expose a low profile M1913 Picatinny Rail Mount (similar to the RIS system - in fact, with identical dimentions). Like the M733, it accepts all M16 family magazines. Also like the M733, it cannot mount any form of Grenade launcher. However, it CAN mount a complete RIS system, so that other RIS accessories can be mounted on the carbine. Like the M733, the M933 is compatible with silencers from both GEMTEC and Knight's Armament.

An Airsoft M933? You what?!

Or: Making the best out of a less than well-informed choice...

Remembering the morals above, lets get into the detail of the problem. I have an M733, that has a different barrel/body design than the M4, the handguards are of a longer length than the M4, with the foresight a few millimetres further forward, making RIS kits difficult (if not impossible on the stock rifle) to install, and it's got a carry handle that makes sighting through a holosight mounted on it damned uncomfortable to sight through.

Not insurmountable snags, really. Just costly for me. And one hell of a learning process, to boot.

In theory, it's a piece of cake. You take the M733, replace the upper receiver with an upper receiver from an M4A1, and hey presto! An M933!

Since this was a poor choice, even if it is a nice rifle, I decided to make the best of it. I decided to make it an M933 with a difference: It'll have RIS rails, for all those almost mandatory bolt-on accessories!

But that's not all of it. I'm going to take this nice and slow, to allow time for any bugs to be worked out, while reducing my stress levels if something else fouls up!

Update: 27^th March 2004

OK, well, I've had a chance to look further into the nuts and bolts of this project, with the help of one of my SMAT team mates, Dan (a.k.a. Stumpy_Cat, on UKAN); it turns out, as suspected, that this project is going to be a whole lot more compicated than I first thought.

Given the advice of Airsoft Dynamics, I'm strongly considering binning the idea of using a full metal body. This is due in part to their informing me that there is potential for air loss through a mis-fitted body, and the risk of a shattered body through rough handling. According to Airsoft Dynamics, one knock in the wrong place, at the wrong angle, and you could land up with a broken metal body once installed. So, I'm probably going with the cheaper, and somewhat more flexible option of getting a Tokyo Marui M4 or M16A3 plastic upper receiver, so as to gain the upper receiver flat-top look.

Now, while the upper receiver can easily be replaced with a TM unit, the other snag is to do with the barrel itself. As you can see from the diagram below, the barrel assemblies of the TM M4A1 and M733 are of a slightly different designs. Since the RIS and SIR units for M16 carbine designs currently on the market only cater, primarily, for the M4A1 and M16A2 designs, not the M733, it clearly looks as if I'm going to have to get a replacement barrel and furniture end cap assembly (probably a Guarder Steel Handguard Cap for Marui M4A1, pictured to the left), plus some form of a barrel length conversion kit; the most likely is the Guarder M4A1 Commando (Model 933) Steel Outer Barrel (pictured to the right). This is going to significantly add to the cost of the project, damn it, but according to the review of the Guarder M933 Outer Steel Barrel on Arnies Airsoft, it'll be well worth it! Oh, and here's the link to the Guarder Intruder Shop page on the item!

Next up: The SIR. I'd hoped to obtain an SIR unit for the finished rifle, but cost is looking prohibitive. In addition, looking at all the available information and photos on-line regarding the SIR, it looks very much as if the extended top rail leading over the flat-top receiver does not go all the way to the end of the flat top. On a plastic body flat-top receiver, I've formed the opinion that this causes a major weak-point for a heavily-laden set of SIR rails, and may therefore lead to a breakage of the upper receiver Therefore, for cost and reliability reasons, it looks very much like I'm going to have to look at an RIS unit. So, for simplicities sake, it looks like being a Tokyo Marui RIS kit, and some form of a combiner rail.

The RIS unit will fit as you'd expect, with the combiner rail mounting (a Freedom Art Sebine Rail Mount Base for SR16 / M4 RIS) on top of the upper receiver rails, and the top of the RIS rails, thus combining the two to form a reasonably robust combination that should resist most causes of barrel wobble. That's the theory, anyhow.

Update: 30^th March 2004

Timing is everything, sometimes. I just complete the update on the 27th, above, and a thread on Arnie's airsoft comes up, pointing me in a direction that may well prove cheaper - and just as efficient!

G&P M4 RAS Commando Kit With Silencer for TM M4A1. It seems that G&P produce a RIS kit that includes a reinforced barrel as well as a vertical foregrip (which I'd probably never use, anyway. They just don't seem comforable to use, to me). Redwolf Airsoft are the only ones out there that I can find who sell it, and their description for it reads: "Shortened Commando M4 conversion kit with compact 4 sided RIS front grip. Kit includes shortened barrel, front sight post, 3 rail covers, vertical foregrip - and both a flash-hider and a QD type silencer that you can quickly attach as required for stealth missions. Makes your M4 more suited for CQB situations with shorter turn-times. Adds heft and weight for greater realism. Price (USD): $235.00"

Looking at the photo of the parts included, the barrel length looks about right, too. Battery storage is obviously going to be impossible within the RIS module (look at the thickness of the barrel), but since I'll be getting an AN/PEQ2 battery box, this shouldn't be an issue!

Unfortunately, as I've already GOT a suppressor for my M733 (the ICS Knights M4QD long version), I guess I'll have a spare - of course, I could always flog one of them on to someone else, I guess, and get at least a little money back!

Now, rather than buy a seperate replacement Guarder M4A1 Commando (Model 933) Steel Outer Barrel and TM RIS system, it makes sense to get one package that does both jobs for the price of one, and $235 (roughly £128.30 at the time of writing), with the exchange rate as it is at the moment (£1 GBP = $US1.83161 at the time of writing), is a rather good idea - I can't see the exchange rate changing that much over the next few months either (Hell, at £1 = $1.50, it'll still be a good deal!), so the price should still be attractive once I've moved, and am in a position to get these bits and bobs.

Now, finance aspects: The Guarder M4A1 Commando (Model 933) Steel Outer Barrel costs US$90.00, the Marui RIS for the M4 costs $100.00, and the ICS M4QD Silencer (175mm) costs $58, for a total of $248. Remembering that the G&P M4 RAS Commando Kit With Silencer for TM M4A1 costs something like $235, this is a saving of roughly $11. Not much, but it comes in one package, rather than three, and makes things convenient, to say the least. Now, I can probably sell on the suppressor in the kit for a few bucks, so I'l bet back maybe $30 to $40 (perhaps £20 if I'm lucky), making a total ideal saving of perhaps £31 - which is well worth considering!

Update: 23^rd April 2004

Nuts. Turns out that the best-finished crane-style stock on the market, the Zenith offering, will apparently NOT take batteries. So. It's going to have to be the STAR Special Forces Crane Stock in OD Green, with or without the 9.6V 2000 Ni-CD Battery pack. Hmm. £47.38. I'll probably order the damn thing with its battery pack, and get a couple made up over here as well.

Update: 2^nd May 2004

Nuts again. The original idea for the combiner rail was to use a Sebine Rail Mount Base on top of the upper receiver rails, which would then be bolted in turn to the RIS top rail. I now find that this will not be possible, as the Sebine Rail canot be bolted to the RIS as well.

Instead, I've been recommended to use the Nitro.Vo Rail Sleeve 16 for M4 Series, at US$93 (thanks to nextmayor over at Arnie's Airsoft for the steer onto this item, by the way!)

It seems that it's been specifically designed to be able to both clamp over the rail on the top of a flat-top M16 style receiver, as well as to be screwed in plae onto the top rail of a RIS unit

So, the basic options thus far...

OK, with the above in mind, what can I do that's reasonably cheap, but effective?

I can go the whole hog, and get a load of seperate bits, that may cost a fair amount, or I can go for one package, that might do the job, and be a little cheaper.

OK, price first. Assuming an exchange rate (as at today, 1st April 2004) of 1 US$ = 0.538376 GB£, then tabulating the various prices of products from both UK and Hong Kong sources, we get the following (which actually shows some interesting results, at least for me). Note that all HK prices quoted in US Dollars have beeen converted to GB Pounds):

Considered dress-up parts versus on-line retailer prices	Airsoft Dynamics	Fire Support Shop	Airsoft Armoury	Zero One Airsoft	Redwolf Airsoft (Hong Kong)	Wargamers Club (Hong Kong)	War 4 Toys Int’l (Hong Kong)	UN Company (Hong Kong)
ANGS AN/PEQ 2 Battery Pack						£50.07		£43.61
Crane Stock Style Batteries Case w/ Tube and 9.6v 2400mah Battery (Black)			£139.99			£85.61
First Nitro Rail Sleeve for M4 RIS / SR16 (This top rail scope and accessory mount is fitted along with a heat shield to the top portion of your RIS foregrip on the M4 or SR16. Heat shield is ported and serves as a platform to create a rail bridge between the front foregrip and the receiver top rail).					£59.77	£50.07
Freedom Art Sebine Rail Mount Base for SR16 / M4 RIS						£43.08
TC (TC-PEQ-K) AN/PEG-2 Battery Case (For 9.6V 1200mAh - 1700mAh battery use, fit for 21mm rail)							£26.92
G&P PEQ-2 Battery Case with 8.4v3000mah Battery (includes internal 8.4V 3000mah NiMh battery (non-removable), fits onto standard 21mm RIS rail. Laser not included and case is NOT designed to take a laser)						£36.08		£31.23
G&P PEQ-2 Battery Case with 9.6v3000mah Battery (includes internal 9.6V 3000mah NiMh battery (non-removable), fits onto standard 21mm RIS rail. Laser not included and case is NOT designed to take a laser)					£36.61	£38.23		£32.30
G&P M4 RAS Commando Kit With Silencer for TM M4A1					£126.53			£126.52
Guarder M4A1 Commando (Model 933) Steel Outer Barrel	£80.00	£80.00			£47.92	£48.46	£48.46	£45.76
ICS MA-15 Battery Pack (AN/PEQ2 replica, fits into standard 21mm rail and can load up to 1700mAh 12V battery)						£24.23	£24.23	£24.23
ICS LE Tactical Stock for M16 Series						£28.54	£28.54
ICS Selective Integrated Rail (SIR) System					£95.84	£95.84		£95.84
Laylax LE Tactical Stock (Black)	£75.00
Marui M4 RIS set				£135.00		£53.84	£52.77	£53.84
Mosquito Molds RIS for M4A1 (Fits 9.6V 600mAh Battery)					£95.84	£54.38
Samurai Selective Integrated Rail System					£102.30		£95.84
Smokey's TAC/PEQ-2 Battery Box (Can use 6V flashlight & 9.6V large type battery).							£37.69
STAR Crane Stock (OD, no batteries)							£37.69
STAR Special Forces Crane Stock with 9.6V 2000 Ni-CD Battery (OD)						£47.38
TCD AN/PEQ 2 Battery Pack						£26.92
Zenith Special Force Crane Stock (OD, no batteries)					£37.15	£37.69	£37.69	£37.69

The dress-up parts decision (or, what the final external result may look like?)...

I've learned my lesson. Research, research, RESEARCH!

So. Based in no small part on the research of others, and in the costs involved, I'm opting for the list below, all to be procured from Wargamers Club due (1) to their prices, and (2) through the recommendation of a few people whose opinions I respect.

This will be the only time that I will have purchased from a source outside the UK Airsoft market and, as mentioned above, is based on a somewhat less-than-wise purchase decision, that I have no wish to compound by paying more for these items than I absolutely have to. Remember, this is advice from good sources, who HAVE done their research.

• Guarder M4A1 Commando (Model 933) Steel Outer Barrel
• Marui M4 RIS set
• Nitro.Vo Rail Sleeve 16 for M4 Series
• STAR Special Forces Crane Stock with 9.6V 2000 Ni-CD Battery (OD)

The decision has also been based on the following criteria: That I can mount my holosight on the top rail of the RIS, without obstruction. That weight on the RIS will be kept to a minimum, and should, with the Sebine rail that I've looked at, help spread the stress along the entire length of the upper receiver's flat-top rails (since the sebine rail clamps on top of it rather effectively). The AN/PEQ2 battery box is out, as it would (a) add weight (almost half a kilo) to the RIS, and thus the barrel/body join, and in any event, would get in the way of the holosight, which should mount on the top of the RIS (so as to gain the proper 'sight picture' when using it correctly). Instead, the holosight will mount about two-thirds the way along the sebine rail. I just had to find another way of adding the batteries to power the internal upgrades. This appears to be a form of Crane stock, which can accept higher capacity batteries within the body of the stock (remember, a collapsing stock was one of the specifications I listed above). More on this, below.

Major dress-up parts

The Guarder steel outer barrel is so that I can actually mount a Marui RIS kit; I've also been informed that it's a doddle to install (even for a technically challenged bod like me). I decided against the G&P M4 RAS Commando Kit With Silencer, as (a) I've already got a silencer, and (b) the M933 steel barrel plus the Marui RIS kit comes out cheaper than the G&P RAS Commando Kit.

RIS rail covers, different stocks, and a 'tactical' look...

One of the nice things about the M16 series of rifles is the absolute abundance of third party after-market products and parts that are available for them. Now, a tactical rifle is one that is - at least in part - easy to camouflage. Normally, this is performed by means of scrim, hessian, and other fabrics, etcetera. however, to make this an even easier process, if the rifle has different colours (Olive Drab green, black, brown, and so on), camouflaging the rifle becomes a doddle. With RIS rails, there are covers available that help this process, as they're coloured! Likewise, the Crane Stock also comes in a few different colours, and I'm going for one of those as well (that it will hold the batteries to power the internal upgrades noted below is an added bonus, as far as I'm concerned). Examples are included in the list below:

• It'll have an M4 Flat-top upper receiver installed, to replace the existing M16A2 style upper receiver.
• 
  The Tokyo Marui RIS unit for the M4. The central element to the modifications, obviously!
• 
  Nitro.Vo Rail Sleeve 16 for M4 Series
  This will clamp the RIS to the upper flat-top receiver, then screw firmly into the top rail on the RIS, and relieve both stress between the barrel and upper receiver join, and help reduce the incidence of the dreaded 'M16 barrel wobble syndrome'.
• 
  Guarder Rail Cover (11Rib, OD).
• 
  STAR Special Forces Crane Stock with 9.6V 2000 Ni-CD Battery (OD)
  Remember that on the tactical/camouflage front, I'm looking for OD colours. The LE tactical stock only comes in black, and in any event doesn't house batteries, so it would have been a Zenith Special Forces Crane Stock in OD green, but I'm now informed that they cannot take battery packs to power AEGs. So, I'm going to have to go for the STAR version, with or without its' battery pack. In any event, I can get the batteries from a UK source (even if it costs a bit more, I still prefer to get gear from UK sources).
• 
  It'll be equipped with a red-dot holo-sight (already secured through Airsoft Armoury).
• It'll be fitted with a tac-light on the RIS.
• 
  It'll be able to be fitted with an ICS Knights QD suppressor (I know they call it a silencer, but it's really a suppressor, OK? - and I've already got that, too!).
• 
  ICS Stand Alone Flip-up Sight (and it's probably the best of ones that are on the market at the time of writing)
• 
  GRS Steel Flip-Up Front Sight for M16 / M4 Series (or something similar that does the same thing)
• 
  GB-Tech QD Sling Swivel
• 
  Just Metal Rear Sling Adapter for M4A1 / RIS / XM177
• It will, finally, ROCK!

In other words, it'll probably look something like this:

M933 with RIS

The internal upgrades...

I had already decided, whatever rifle I bought, that the rifle would be substantiall upgraded internally, and that such internal upgrades would be performed by a UK-based technician (as yet unchosen).

The specifications for this were laid down before I got the rifle, and are unchanged. They are:

Rationalé: To increase the muzzle enrgy to the generally recognised UK site limit, increase ROF, reliability, and to reduce, where possible, gear box noise.

This resulted, once the M733 was bought, in the following: To uprate muzzle energy to 320fps (not a jot more), and at the same time increase ROF. Either a A RIS-mounted high-capacity battery pack will be side-mounted on the fore-grip, or a stock containing a battery will be retro-fitted, to provide the additional power this may require.

Currently I have the following in mind, having discussed the specs with three well-known customisation houses in the UK.

• Super High Speed FTK for an M4, one complete package.
• Laylax Prometheus EG Barrel M1A1/M733 300mm
• First Strike Chamber (enhancement hop unit parts) and a sleeve.

The research on this is ongoing, and may change. I'll change this section of the article, if something else comes up that changes the intended internal replacement/upgrade components noted above.

In any event, for the internal upgrades I'm probably looking at something like £200 or so. Once I'm in a position to afford the parts and work for all of the above, the project will move forward (in other words, it's waiting on my moving home northwards).

Over the next few months, I'll slowly get the cash together to replace the upper and lower receivers with the once that I need. I'll then have the rifle upgraded internally as mentioned above, and then the job will almost be complete. I reckon it'll be around June, maybe July 2004, before the rifle is completely finished, so this is very much a work in progress - I'll keep you posted!

To be continued shortly...

So where's this project at the moment?

Right at the beginning. As I said above, I visited Airsoft Armoury a few months ago, and parted with something like £600-odd of my hard-earned saved up cash (which took something like a year to do, by the way). I've got the M733, four mid-cap G&G 130-round magazines (in addition to the supplied low-cap mag that comes with the rifle), two higher-capacity 1000 Ah 8.4 mini-size batteries (so as to fit into the existing forestock compartment), the Knights QD supperssor, and Angel holo-sight, a B-Square hollow scope-mount (fits to the carrying handle of the existing plastic body of the rifle), and that's about it. Oh, and I got (mail order) a Guarder 3-point tactical green sling, along with about 10,000 rounds of ICS 0.2 gram 6mm bio-degradable ammunition, from Zero One Airsoft, too.

I've divided this project into stages, for ease of reference. The list is below, and appropriately noted.

1. Assessment and specification of parts - Mostly Done.
2. TM M733 procurement - Done.
3. Dress-up parts procurement - Mostly done.
1. M4A1 upper flat-top receiver - Full M4A1 plastic body procured through a freind who got a full metal body.
2. Guarder M4A1 Commando (Model 933) Steel Outer Barrel - Parts procured from War Gamers Club.
3. Marui M4 RIS set - Parts procured from War Gamers Club.
4. Third-party (OD Green) rail covers - Currently specifying just which type/size of OD rail cover I require. Will procure from WGC.
5. Nitro.Vo Rail Sleeve 16 for M4 Series - Procured from Fire Support Shop.
6. STAR Special Forces Crane Stock with 9.6V 3000mAh NiMh Battery (OD) - Parts procured from War Gamers Club.
4. Fitting of dress-up parts - Done.
5. Procurement of internal upgrade components - Procured from Airsoft Dynamics.
6. Fitting of internal upgrade components - Done.

The Prometeus internal parts, and the TN 6.04 tight-bore barrel (click for a larger photo):

The replacement outer barrel, flip-up front sight, stock, and battery:

A few notes on postage from Hong Kong.

Following up no less than two screw-ups on the trot from Parcel Force in the UK, I can no longer recommend them to anyone. Do NOT use EMS SpeedPost, from HK suppliers, as the UK agent is Parcel FARCE. Use either UPS of DHL as the couriers. They may cost a little more, but it's better than having three missed deliveries, one abortive depot call, and a package stuck in their damned 'International Hub' for wel over 48 hours. DO NOT USE PARCEL FORCE.

The almost finished final result...

Well, pictures tell a thousand words, so here are a few photos...!

OK, here you can see the main changes: the OD colour Crane Stock, RIS rails, top rail, folding sights, and a possible optical sight (that one belongs to a Dan, the team armourer, looks good, eh?), and a 5000 round box magazine... hmm... I see more money being spent - that one belongs, again, to Dan!

Same again, but a better view of the way the sights fold out of the way to provide an unobstructed veiw through the optics...

and again, you can see the optics being used to great effect without the sights in the way - an added bonus of the stock, aside from the increased battery capacity it provides, is the ease of getting into the aim - it provides a positive cheek rest, unlike the tubular design of the original collapsible stock.

You can see the difference with iron sights raised and lowered in these two photos; the iron sights would get in the way of the optices, obviously! Also, you can see what I mean (above) about the cheek piece rest - much more comfortable!

The stock has yet to be fully fitted to the body of the rifle, and we're looking for a pair of polarized subminiature connectors for this, as the cables really get in the way inside the stock tube when using the original connectors; this is proving to be a little bit of a headache, but we've identified a possible solution; more when we've figured out a permenant solution!

Body Problems...

OK, well last Sunday (28^th November 2004), I, along with Dan, went down to Combat South Woodland, with the full intention of playing my first game with my new rifle. Low and behold, before I'd even unloaded everything from the boot (American: Trunk) of my car, CRACK. I'd hefted the rifle by the stock tube, as I lifted another heavy bag on the ground. Bugger, thinks I, I've damaged something. So, I looked at the rifle carefully, and discovered it was a damn sight more serious. I'd completely cracked both the plastic retention lugs on the uper receiver, as well as cracking the lower body between the rear body retention pin holes and the join with the upper body casing. To say that I was dismayed is an understatement. I was livid with myself.

I suspect the reason for the crack, in any case, is the amount of forward weight/mass I'd attached. In addition to the metal outer barrel and RIS, the other wek I'd also bough the Mosquito Moulds QD Short M203 MOSCART grenade launcher for the rifle (for those "oh, hell, mag out and bad guys close!" moments ...er... that's the polite version by the way); as a result, the rifle was getting somewwhat heavy on the front. Hefting it in the way that I did - suddenly, by the stock tube, was probably the final stress straw the doby required to crack on me. So it did, dammit.

So. I'd HAD to get a metal body. So, lacking the new OD green one that Guarder are planning to release (remember, I *like* tactical colours!), I opted for the HurricanE HKM4D metal body, with the added attraction that it comes with a metal hop-up unit as well; I got this from Wolf Armouries, by the way, who HAVE become a lot price friendlier in recent months. I guesstimate the difference in getting the metal body from Hong Kong as maybe a tenner less than what I paid at Wolf, given shipping costs, and that every shipment for me from Hong Kong has been hit by Customs and Excise, dammit. So, a tenner on top isn't much to worry about, really.

At the same time, I bought some OD Green rail covers (Most EVERYONE has been out of stock - even certain Hong Kong sources - for a while now, and Wolf happened to have them in stock when I visited, so I grabbed 'em!). These will be fitted tommorrow, and photos are coming shortly.

The G&P Mid-Cap Magazines, and how to get them going close to properly...

G&P produce several damned handy Airsoft accessories. One of these is a mid-capacity M16 magazine. This is similar to the standard magazines that come with AEGs (Automatic Electric Airsoft Guns), but with twice the capacity or so of the standard mags. unlike high-capacity magazines, there is no clockwork winder mechanism in them; they're spring-loaded, like standard mags.

OK, well, as noted above, I bought four of these magazines for the rifle. Well, there's a problem that you need to be aware of. Right out of the box, they don't feed at all well. I had huge problems in the first game I played using them, so much so that I took myself off the game, to fix the problem. I was aided in this by another player - whose name I've completely forgotten (sorry, mate! Contact me, and I'll set that straight!) - who lent me the use of his battery-powered magazine loader to fix the problem.

Here's the trick: Load and unload the G&P mid-caps three or four times using the auto-loader, with a little silicon spray at the feed lips each time. It'll loosen up the mechanism so as to alow the magazines to feed rounds properly. My guess? The tolerances for the mags at construction are a tad too tight. Still, I'd rather have too tight, than too loose, and see ammo spurt from the mags before I'm ready to use them in the rifle!

Oh, and yeah, I DID get a few eliminations using the rifle, too!

Update: 25^rd April 2004

Anyhow, why did I re-title this bit 'close to properly'? Simple. The damn things are still acting up. Now, I've heard a few things about these magazines of late, some of which that feels right, as well. Now, these magazines are double stack magazines. This means that the rounds are alternately stacked left and right, along the path of the feed line inside the body of the magazine, unlike standard Marui (and similar) magazines, where rounds go in on top of each other, in a single stack. Herein lies the problem. The magazine follower in some magazines seems to stick. In others apparently, the insides of the magazine (when opened up) have 'flash' protruding into the feed line. 'Flash' is left-over plastic from the injection moulding process, that really and truley should not be present. So, it seeems as if some problerms are creeping through Quality Control at G&P.

Anyhow, following ALL FOUR of my G&P mags failing during the each of the first few games at Elite Urban today (25th April 2004), and stating rather loudly (having just thrown teddy out of the pram, and launching my dummy at, and probably through, the nearest Oak tree) that I intended to launch my 4 G&P midcaps into orbit, I'd decided, with a calmer head, to open the damned things up, and find out just why the bloody things are jamming all the time. I'll post results, and (if possible) suggested fixes here in due course.

Credits and thanks to...

• nmcabecadas - a forum moderator over at Arnie's Airsoft, with excessivly thorough knowledge of upgrading and modifying all manner of Airsoft rifles!
• Snake101st - A forum member over at Arnie's Airsoft, with good input for this project!
• sniperbait - A forum member over at Arnie's Airsoft, who sourced a good supplier for custom batteries (http://www.strikalite.co.uk/) for Airsoft models in the UK!
• Dan (Stumpy_Cat on UKAN) - One of the team members of SMAT (the Slow Methodical Airsoft Team), who's modified more Airsoft M16 series rifles than I can shake a stick at!
• nextmayor - a regular forum user over at Arnie's Airsoft, who directed me towards the Nitro.Vo Rail Sleeve 16 for M4 Series, on Arnie's Airsoft.

On-Line reference works on the M933 carbine...

• http://www.colt.com/mil/M4Com.asp
• http://www.thesupplybunker.net/weapons/us_assault_rifles.htm
• SpecialOperations.com - A short history of the M4
• The thread on Arnie's Airsoft forums (Technical Discussion) where I floated the idea, and found some pretty good answers!
• Regarding the Nitro.Vo Rail Sleeve 16 for M4 Series, on Arnie's Airsoft

On-Line reviews of the rifle and proposed after market components...

• Zenith Crane Stock (from Airsoft.nu)
• Zenith Crane Stock and TacGrip Pistol Grip (from Airsoft Retreat)
• Tokyo Marui M733 (from Airsoft Retreat)
• Guarder M4A1 Commando (Model 933) Steel Outer Barrel, by Permian (from Arnies Airsoft)
• Guarder M4A1 Commando (Model 933) Steel Outer Barrel (from BlackRain).
  NOTE: Black Rain is now defunct. This review is via the Internet Archive, and most of the images don't work. The text is fine, though).

Postscript: If you want an M933 of your own...

Do *not* go down the route I'm going. Instead, all you need do is get hold of one of the TM M4A1's that come with the RIS as standard. This will reduce your initial outlay by quite a margin, as the rifle will come set up for all those bolt-on bits that you might want to stick on, without you having to go and get an add-on RIS unit.

Next up, you've four choices. The main ones are: Do you go for the the RO933/M933 look, or do you go for an M4 'Shorty' look? Further to this, do you go for the expensive options, or the cheaper alternatives?

Choice One

For the M4 'Shorty' look, get one of these, for (at the time of writing) US$41.50.

Problem is that they're out of stock right now according to WGC, but they'll probably have them back in stock before long. As I said, all you'll need to get in addition is the 300mm short inner barrel after that, but it *should* do the job nicely for you. You'll still have the problem of barrel wobble, but an option on this is to get hold of a Nitro.Vo Rail Sleeve 16 for M4 Series (at the time of writing, US$93 at WGC) to bolt over the upper receiver and top Pictinny rail of the RIS, which will cure most of that anyhow, by making the whole RIS unit-to-upper receiver join more rock solid.

Choice Two (a)

Next, if you've decided on the RO933/M933 look, you have three choices. The limited modification choice, and the 'all-in', nothing spared, look.

The cheapest method to get the classic RO933/M933 look is to do buy a TM M733, and replace the upper M733 receiver with one from a TM M4A1. Finding a supplier able to get hold of these without the lower receiver included (which you don't need) is tricky, as this part is - to say the least - rare on the spare parts market, so choose a good, reliable supplier. I'm sourcing my upper receiver from Airsoft Dynamics, at an estimated GB£25 (final quote when they've successfully got hold of it for me. Shouldn't be to much more, I think). The 'classic' look is exactly that. All you need is the upper receiver replacement. You might like to get hold of an M4 carry handle as well, but for me that's not going to happen, as I don't need it. Note that you will NOT be able to mount any form of RIS unit to replace the handguards, with this modification.

Choice Three

The slightly more expensive alternative is to go for the 'all-in' look. Again, you should buy a Tokyo Marui M4A1 with RIS, but this time replace the entire outer barrel with the Guarder M4A1 Commando (Model 933) Steel Outer Barrel. This WILL cure most of the the barrel wobble problem, whilst allowing you to get the shorter outer barrel look for the M933. Next, all you need do is get the 300mm inner barrel to replace the supplied longer inner barrel, and presto, your own M933!

Choice Four

If you've already got an M733, then you replace the upper receiver as mentioned in choice two, above. This gives you the M933 look. To add RIS to it, however, you'll need replacement barrel and end-cap parts. If you want, while I'm thinking on this subject, to get your parts through British retailers, the only on I could find with all these parts listed on their web site were Airsoft Dynamics. These are listed below, for your convenience:

• 
  Laylax Real Hard Outer Barrel M4/SR16 Short (£70.00)
  This is if you want to shorten the barrel relatively easily; I'm still researching this part, and will give more details soon.
• 
  Guarder M4A1 Commando (M933) Reinforced Steel Outer Barrel (£80.00)
  Remember: This is if you want your M733 to be able to mount RIS rails.
• 
  Guarder Steel Handguard Cap for TM M4A1 (£12.00)
  You may well need this as well, if you've an M733. The RIS may not fit properly otherwise!

This should, all things being easier than my route, sort out a nice M4 'shorty' or an M933 for you!

Postscript Part 2: If you want an M933 of your own...

Tokyo Marui appear to have seen what's on this site (or at least, this is what I'm telling myself!), and thay've issued a pre-release promo photo of their next M16-style rifle - it's called the "M4 Series S-System"! (Image courtesy of Arnies Airsoft, and through there, courtesy of Endoshoji Japan.)

Yep: a fully top-rail, Selective Interface Rail equipped M4 rifle, with an LE Tactical stock. OK, you can also get this (when it's released in mid-December 2004), to attain similar resaults to mine, in the external parts area; however, you'll still have an M4-length barrel, not an M933 one, but have a look over at Arnies Airsoft for more info!

Postscript Part 2: And now Classic Army has gotten in on the act...!

And, to add to the above, a damn near direct copy of my rifle (No flip-up front sight or full-length top rail) is to be produced by Classic Army (Disgruntled HUMPH!): Here's the news post from Arnie's Airsoft:

Enjoy!

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