Initial Impressions of the TM SOPMOD M4 AEG

[AnakChan]

OMG, I've picked up the receiver no more than 2 hrs ago and you guys have already found the pix and posted it up here ;-)!? What I can say is that the lower is -very- well CNCed, very light (aluminium!?), and just very well finished overall. I've not tried swapping my receivers yet so can't comment on fit. However I did see a model hanging on the rack and so guess no fitment issues - having said that, the model is probably Echigoya's CNCed buffer tube, & (soon to be released) upper receiver too so naturally no fit issues there.

 

I've further had my lower receiver customised by someone else to put on the Magpul logo, etc. So all up, my lower receiver is somewhat quite a bit more expensive than the Laylax version even. In addition I got the following info from Echigoya :-

 

1) the lower receivers won't be exported and will be for Japan only. i.e. for overseas customers, your option is still only the Laylax ones. Note, Echigoya may (or may not) change their stance on this in the future

2) all the receivers you see in the pix, are already sold .

3) don't bother asking Echigoya to custom a registered trademark on the lower receiver. They naturally don't want to feel the wrath of Magpul. I haven't asked if they were willing to do some personalised (non-trademarked) logo.

4) upper receivers in the Vltor MUR style should be coming up soon - presumably for local Japanese market too

 

On a separate note, about the enhanced SURUS, if you guys are waiting for that, you may have to wait a lot longer. They've had durability issues with the prototype (the one I put on video last month). So don't expect that to be released anytime soon. So for now, the only available 3rd party recoil is still only the SURUS - of which has been performing very well in the past 2 games I've played.

[zaimon]

Hey anakchan. could you buy 1 more lower receiver to echigoya and sell it to me? damn. so wanted the lower cause the thread of my sopmod starts to loose. please post the picture after you engrave the receiver. i wanted to see how does it look like. i have already email direct the ARS if they have extras lying in thier table. now waiting for their response

Edited November 23, 2011 by zaimon

[Richard Y]

Thats a shame about the enhanced surus i was waiting for that it sounded interesting..

 

I may well order the surus then and stock tube. Just to give it ago.

[Richard Y]

Any ETA? The last time I emailed them, they said that it's way too early to even give an estimated date.

 

It still is too early i reckon, but the that was while he was prototyping the v3. Once the v3 is done and in production. The whole point of none retail sales is to free up time which believe me it takes ages packing up orders. Hes waiting for v3 production prototypes now, once they are done there will be a proper shipment. Then im sure he will do the new v2 sopmod version, if you look on the website hes never removed the new v2 option, its simply a mater of time.

[AnakChan]

Here's pix of my receiver :-

 

 

 

I can talk to them to see if they're making more blank lower receivers. You'll have to find someone else to do any custom work for you though.

[zaimon]

Jesus Christ! , im salivating now.. what engraver did you use laser engraver or rotary type? i would say it is very beautiful.

 

 

by the way., did you paint the whole thing after engraving? seems the color is very fine.

Edited November 23, 2011 by zaimon

[AnakChan]

Needed to get it before the paint and have it engraved by a friend, then bring back to Echigoya for the repaint. To be honest though, no idea what my friend used.

[weekenny]

AnakChan any pictures of your M4? I'm wanting to fit the DD 9" rail to mine and looking for inspiration. Also did the Madbull barrel nut fit the Marui ok?

[AnakChan]

Wow, really digging back into history here. I think I used the regular Madbull barrel nut (rather than the limited edition one for GBB's). Here's some old posts I made of my evolving Sopmod with pix of the DD 9" :-

 

Overall DD with old Sopmod stock :-

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/158786-initial-impressions-of-the-tm-sopmod-m4-aeg/page__st__100__p__2013059&do=findComment&comment=2013059

 

DD shim on the lower screws to make sure the ring is flush, and outer barrel custom to make room for the Extreme Fire's SW-AB-Long FET :-

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/158786-initial-impressions-of-the-tm-sopmod-m4-aeg/page__st__480__p__2298963&do=findComment&comment=2298963

 

7.4V nun-chuck lipo battery fit into the DD 9" :-

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/158786-initial-impressions-of-the-tm-sopmod-m4-aeg/page__st__520__p__2308380&do=findComment&comment=2308380

 

Since then though, there's been a few minor external changes...e.g. last month I had a UBR fitted onto it and I guess later this week I'll have the Magpul lower receiver put on (or wait for the upper Vltor then do the whole thing in one hit). But in the "Pictures of you in the field or at a game" thread, I had a pix of me with my Sopmod in the field...you can sorta make out the UBR. I may as well put the pix up here too :-

 

Edited November 23, 2011 by AnakChan

[weekenny]

Thanks mate. Looks great.

 

Got a 6mm thick lipo coming so I can see how long it lasts. Got fed up with Lipos on my PDW not lasting a day but I'll see how the Socom lasts (higher mah and no tracer drain).

[Richard Y]

sean your some kind of superstar in the photo

 

I did some battery tests the other day you wouldnt believe how much a airsoft motor drains an airsoft battery even with no load,

 

4amp draw with no load thats 4000mah ever hour with no load on the motor, so a 1200mah nun chuck in the RIS is good for maybe 18 min of constant use.

 

I know airsoft isnt as simple as that as we only fire a few shots ever few minuits, its just at the time we where discusing nimh drain in sopmod packs and as usual no work was being done in the workshop but lots of airsoft discusion was had

 

By the way we came up with a solution for sopmod packs, 0.1a charge on a imax charger with the max time limit set to off.

 

After a few hours you can risk maybe going too 1.0amp max but any high and you risk cell damage.

Edited November 23, 2011 by Richard Y

[weekenny]

I'm hopeful I'll get a day at CQB from a 7.4v 1450mAh 20C lipo.

 

At the moment my 7.4v 2200mAh 35C lasts more than 2 days.

 

Mind you if its easy to get in and out of the DD rail I'll grab a spare.

 

[AnakChan]

That's one of my greatest pain points of the DD AR 15 lite rail. It's a PITA to dismantle and and reassemble. In addition with the thick AWG wires and the size of my Extreme Fire SW-Long AB FET, I have to insert/install the outer barrel, barrel shims, barrel lock, etc. in a particular order for it to assemble correctly. I've got the procedure laid out already but still a PITA.

[Richard Y]

well i ordered a dd ris recently for my dmr sopmod conversion thing so im looking forward to installing it

[weekenny]

I have a DD mk18 RIS II on my KJW GBBR so installing isn't an issue, it'll be how easy the lipo goes in.

[akiraspeedstar]

I have a madbull dd mk18 rail on my gun, fit great with 5 shims (also yes the madbull barrel nut fit perfectly fine). Though space wise, I believe it has more space than the lite, plus you can remove the bottom rail. So I'm unsure how well the batteries will fit in there.

 

Anak - really disappointed that we can't get the lower receiver, I hope they at least release the upper.

[weekenny]

5 shims on the small bolts? Do these come with the Madbull rail?

 

I'll check the lite vs mk18 internal room once I get the lite.

 

[Banshee_Will]

I habe a DD ris II 9.5 on my sopmod I just followed the instructions which came with the rail and Voilà!

 

EDIT: To add the pretty picture.

 

This is mine right after I attacked it with krylon. It looks a bit different in its current evolution but I don't have any recent pictures.

 

Edited November 23, 2011 by Banshee_Will

[TheFull9]

Another rail question has anyone had any luck fitting a King Arms CASV Rail to a SOCOM?

 

Simple answer - Yep.

 

[TK4235]

I really gotta do something with my SOCOM! It's simply boring! The standard Marui hand grips are cack (to coin an expression).... so to make it a CQB type weapon what rail do ya guys recommend?

[TK4235]

Anak, mmmm you need to start an export business for those lower receivers...

Looks the business though, very professional engraving and paint finish.... superb...

[weekenny]

Rail wise the DD lite is a good option plenty of rail room and fit up as tight as you like. Also like the name suggests its light.

 

Casv is a nice option for a bigger battery but its quite heavy.

 

Was going to keep mine looking plain but that was never going to happen lol.

[Megalomaniac]

What battery are you running in the dd lite rail and how easy is it to swap? Torn between a DD lite, CASV, or cut my barrel for a mid length or rifle length MOE.

[TheFull9]

King Arms have discontinued the CASV, so might be a tad tricky to get hold of. That, and yes, even without any rail sections bolted on it's heavier than a lot of modern designs of quad-rail FF handguard.

 

I really like my King Arms MRF, having something where you can remove the bottom rail is very very handy, so if you're going madbull then I'd advise plumping for a DD design which has that feature... just not the Omega, mine's badly off spec.

 

Overall of course, for total practicality, the MOE handguards are a winner.

[weekenny]

I've a 7.4v 1450mah 20C coming and a lite rail once its here I'll know how easy it is to get it in.

 

Also I'll measure it against the mk18 rail that I have, it has the removable bottom section but I think that will mean its smaller inside so the battery may not go.