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2009 Inokatsu M4 "Superversion"


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The pictures in this review are huge; it may take some time to load.

 

2009 Inokatsu M4 "Superversion"

 

Background:

 

Yes it's finally here! It was late July when I first heard of Inokatsu's second attempt at the GBB market and to be honest, I didn't think much of the announcement. By most standards, the original 2008 version was a failure; the negative reports far outnumbered the positive ones. Despite this, I decided to keep an eye on the 2009 Inokatsu. I soon found out that the 2009 M4 was entirely different from its earlier relative. With the promo pictures alone, Inokatsu had shown how determined they were to make the most realistic airsoft M4 bar none. At this point I knew I had to have one; I pre-ordered it from Redwolf as soon as I could. It was here that things started to get weird. Redwolf posted a YouTube video saying that Inokatsu was redesigning the entire bolt carrier group in the 2009 M4. This was weird because RA-Tech, the other company stocking the '09 SOPMODs, was already shipping them out. It was not long after this that 'clone' Inokatsu BCG's began flooding the market. To be honest, I thought the whole "redesigning the BCG" business was total *suitcase* but once again, Inokatsu surprised me. Inokatsu posted a series of pictures on their website renaming their '09 M4 the "Supervesion" and showcasing a redesigned "Super Bolt." And here we are today…

 

Initial Impressions:

 

The Inokatsu came in a very Marui-esqe box. The box was actually much smaller than I expected it to be. This is because there was no foam around the gun, just cardboard. On the top side there is only one layer of cardboard between the gun and the outside. Don't worry though, my gun arrived with no apparent damage; the cardboard really kept the gun in place (it was a bit hard to get out to tell you the truth.)

 

On the side of the box a Cyber Gun sticker proudly proclaims that the gun inside is indeed licensed. Below the sticker Inokatsu stamped the same serial number found on the gun. Whenever I see something like that I instantly think quality. On the back, the gun's full exploded diagram has been printed with matching a parts and price list. This made me VERY happy because it will make getting replacement parts 100% easier. (If I ever need to, that is. ;) )

 

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Opening the box I was blown away. The gun looked truly amazing. The horrible shiny black body of the '08 version was gone and the near perfectly anodized '09 version replaced it. The barrel looked darker than the '08 but it still retained the ever so lovely steel tone. Everything about this gun screams realism.

 

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Moving on, four KAC style rail panels came in a thick sealed plastic bag below the gun. As you can see above there is a cut about for a magazine if anyone wants to use the box as a semi-permanent case. (It's cardboard, it won't last forever.) An extremely small slip of paper showing the basic operation of the gun was the only 'manual' included.

 

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Further Examination:

 

The second I finished drooling over my new blaster I had it on my workbench completely stripped down. The first thing that jumped out at me was the finish. On the body, the finish is almost jet black. It has a very slight sheen showing that it is indeed anodized. The body almost has a 'creamy' look to it, especially compared to the Prime which has a much more grainy texture. The trades appear to be etched/engraved rather than stamped but still look fantastic. This is because the trades appear to be made up of tons of tiny dots. They are almost too small to see (I couldn't get a picture.) The trades aren't exceptionally deep but they are miles better the '08 version and definitely look like the real deal. Rail marks are engraved into the receiver prior to anodizing. In the right light the receiver has a slight blue tone.

 

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You can almost see the "dots" I was talking about in this picture:

 

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Having owned the Prime receiver, I have to say I prefer the Inokatsu. You just can't beat a forged receiver. The Inokatsu receiver is dotted with tiny imperfections that can only be attained through forging. To me they really add to the realism. Real firearms aren't 'perfect' as the Prime bodies seem to suggest.

 

Once you are inside the receiver, you realize you are really getting the best of both worlds with the Inokatsu. The entire inside is beautifully machined.

 

Moving on from the receiver, I was blown away by the finish of the steel parts. Previously steel parts were either light grey or black. Inokatsu seems to have really hit the nail on the head as far as finish goes because they have captured the dark grey almost brown look that I love. :D

 

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The plastic was held to the same standard of the rest of the gun (a very high one.) The stock feels quite sturdy with very little wobble and looks great. It has a sort of white 'film' that sets it apart from other stocks. To be honest, I am not sure why Inokatsu added the "LMT" marking on the stock lever. A little research will show that LMT does indeed make LE stocks, but I couldn't find out if any ever found their way onto military rifles.

 

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Edited by -=OGGY=-
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Further Examination Continued:

 

The pistol grip really isn't too special. Then again it really doesn't need to be, it looks nice. I was a bit surprised to find a hole drilled in the top of the pistol grip for the selector detent and spring. This is weird because on a WA system guns (including the INO) the selector detent and spring are located inside the body. I guess it just adds to the realism.

 

Finally there is the front set. This is really one of the nicest parts of the gun. The barrel is absolutely stunning. The color is perfect is the machine marks are just lovely. The barrel marking are definatley stamped. The forged front sight is one of my favorite parts. It just looks so real. Unfortunately RedWolf did a pretty *suitcasey* job with the orange. Firstly the way they masked it left some of the actual barrel exposed, and to make things worse there was some slight (and very faint) overspray. Most of this was taken care of with the super secret solution but there is still some orange on the flash hider and there are some VERY faint traces of paint on the barrel. Of course I, being a perfectionist, can still notice it, but most other people wouldn't see it even if I showed them. Of course this has nothing to do with Inokatsu but it is still a bit of a disappointment.

 

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The RAS also looks excellent. It appears to be CNC'ed since all the corners are very crisp. The markings are deep and visible. I wish I could get some pics of the inside but the slip ring is so damn tight! This is probably a good thing since it makes the RAS very tight fitting but it is a bit of a pain to get off. I will get you guys pics of the inside once I get a slip ring tool. While on the topic of the RAS, we come to the single biggest disappointment of the whole rife; the rail panels.

 

At first glance they appear fine; the texture isn't prefect but the trades are nice. The problem comes when you attempt to install them…they don't fit. They will never fit in stock form. I had to break out my dremel and grind a chunk of plastic off of each side of the panels to get them to fit. Sure they are just accessories but that really shouldn't happen with a $900 gun.

 

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Internals:

 

I just want to mention now, before the Inokatsu arrived I bought a steel replacement firing block for it, so that is the one you see in the pics. The Inokatsu one was just like all other firing blocks.

 

On the inside of the gun, the story stays the same as far as quality. Everything in the lower is steel. (Except for the firing block and 'selector block'.) The hammer and trigger assemblies appear very nice. There are visible machine marks on almost everything but not in a way that it detracts from the look of the gun. Everything fits PERFECTLY in the lower receiver. I guess that is one of the perks of buying a complete gun rather than building one.

 

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Edited by -=OGGY=-
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Internals Continued:

 

I like that on the selector, Inokatsu not only made the circular indents for the selector detent pin but also made a ‘track’ for the pin to travel in between positions. This keeps the selector in place while switching positing and while doing just about anything.

 

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The stock bolt stop assembly came with a spring positioned under the bolt stop rather than in the WA position. All the springs are nice and fit perfectly. (The opposite of what I found in my ’08 set; the springs looked stretched to the right size.)

 

(Remember, the black firing block shown is not a stock part.)

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The buffer is extremely light. Unfortunately I don’t have a 100% buffer spring to compare to the Inokatsu spring, but I have the length measurement so maybe someone can compare the length to their WA 100% spring. At the rear of the buffer tube there is a removable spacer that appears to be made of aluminum. The buffer tube itself is very nice.

 

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The buffer spring is 12 1/8" or 32cm:

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The spacer that sits at the end of the buffer tube:

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Moving to the upper receiver, I encounter the new "Super Bolt". It looks pretty nice. I never really liked how the Inokatsu bolt carrier had lines from machining on them, but the carrier still looks nice. Unfortunately, the bolt carrier is not as dark as it appeared in the promo pictures. The walls of the carrier are much thinner than the original ’09 version. Inside the rear of the carrier there is a removable weight. When left installed, the gun should have excellent recoil. When removed, the gun should have much more skirmishible performance with better ROF and gas efficiency. The bigger surprise of the carrier is that the nozzle is locked in via the WA type locking plate. The locking plate appears to be aluminum. Initially, I was a bit disappointed since the original ’09 style locking mechanism was much sturdier. Then I realized that if a manufacturer ditches their own design, it must be pretty flawed. Of course the carrier and gas key are steel.

 

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The 'NPS':

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Edited by -=OGGY=-
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Internals Continued:

 

The nozzle itself has a nice finish. The machining looks excellent. It appears to be anodized. The color is a bit light. Inokatsu was obviously going for a steel color for the nozzle but as I said, it came out a bit too light. Unfortunately, this is where I see a few problems. The gun must have been test fired at some point by either RedWolf or by Inokatsu themselves. I can tell because the nozzle is starting to wear. I think most of the wear is normal from use but near the top of the nozzle two sharp corners of the bolt carrier are digging into the nozzle. This shouldn't be a problem to fix, simply dremel the corners to be a bit less sharp. The nozzle is one piece, so no removable nozzle tip. The nozzle O-ring isn't too tight but it provides an Ok amount of resistance when the nozzle is pulled out.

 

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The barrel extension is steel and has a silver finish. I don't know why, but I feel like it has a slightly different look than other barrel extensions (i.e. Prime). The hop-up looks Ok. There is a small channel on the slip to aid in feeding the BB. Unfortunately, the only way to adjust the hop is to fully strip the front of the gun and to turn a small screw on the top of the unit. The Hop-Up rubber is slightly translucent light yellow. (It may be white and a bit oily.) The barrel is brass and extends all the way to the tip of the outer barrel.

 

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The fake gas tube extends all the way through the receiver and makes contact with the gas key just like the real deal.

 

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The charging handle is nicely made.

 

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Shooting:

 

Unfortunately, I won't be able to do a shooting test for you guys at this time. This is mostly because the weather has been *fruitcage-ing* cold lately that trying to fire it outside would be a waste of gas. I could fire it inside but I don't want propane everywhere and I decided to wait until the weather gets nicer to buy a mag, that way I can use the $120 dollars a mag would cost to buy other stuff.

 

I can promise you guys that the second the weather warms up around here I will do a full shooting test for you guys.

 

Pros & Cons:

 

Pros:

-Unrivaled realism; seriously, move over Systema!

-Only the best in terms of materials; steel, more steel, aluminum, and lovely plastics.

-The best manufacturing processes available; forging, CNC.

 

Cons:

-Cost; holy *suitcase*!

-Hop-Up is really a steaming pile; even if it works, who wants to spend hours striping and reassembly your upper to get it adjusted properly.

-Internals untested as of right now; they appear solid but the only way to know is to test them. (Which I can't do right now.)

-Rail panels are simply awful

-No mag

-No BUIS; not even a carry handle

 

Conclusion:

 

As you can see, there are definitely more cons than there are pros. That being said, I still 100% recommend the Inokatsu. The thing is, it is not for everyone.

 

In my mind I see two types of people buying this. The first type would be people with ridiculously deep pockets. This thing is going to cost a pretty penny, there is no doubt about that. Once you get a mag and BUIS, you would easily be over $1K; add in a new Hop-Up and the cost really starts adding up. Most people are going to want an optic and the typical 'accessories' so really there is no way to avoid spending a *fruitcage* load on this thing.

 

The other type of person I see buying this would be the realism junky. Notice I only used three pros for the amazing realism, materials, and manufacturing processes. If I wanted to, I could have easily made 50. Each and every inch of this gun is covered with priceless details that make this gun the single most realistic airsoft M4 both in function and in appearance. In my mind, the PTW doesn't come close. This is the category I fall into, I wanted the most realistic airsoft gun on the market bar none and that is EXACTLY what I got.

 

To conclude, if you want the single most realistic airsoft M4, you've found it. Just don't expect to pay the sticker price and then be done. This thing is going to need a fair amount of extra cash to get it where you want it.

Edited by -=OGGY=-
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Additional Pictures & Info:

 

Inside the chamber:

 

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The numbered upper receiver:

 

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Thread adaptor for the barrel. This can be switched with the current one. I believe it is CCW thread:

 

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Just to let everyone know, I will be following up this review periodically. Firstly, I will let you know what stuff fits and what doesn't. I will update with pics of the Hop-Up unit and of the inside of the RAS once I get the proper tools. Eventually I will do a shooting test.

 

If anyone has ANY questions or REQUESTS for pictures, just post in this thread.

 

-OGGY

Edited by -=OGGY=-
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While the "finish" on the receiver is nice the actual CNC machining is deplorable.

 

Inokatsu needs to fire their machinist via execution.

 

Those mold seams are a travesty for a gun that costs as much as that thing does.

 

They tout such an amazing attention to detail and cannot even do away with flash?

 

What a joke. I dont know why people spend their money on garbage like this and accept it as being "ok".

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Those mold seams are a travesty for a gun that costs as much as that thing does.

 

I also noticed this. I mean the rest of it looks quite nice, but why they would ignore such a glaring imperfection is beyond me.

 

Otherwise, I hope it shoots great! After all, that's what's most important.

Edited by slu
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Nice :) I saw this on Redwolf. How does it compare to the G&P's body? Big difference?

base on the finish I see in picture I would rate the metal body as followed:

AGM -crappiest

G&P/ WOC Series

Inokatsu

Prime/ Bomber Custom

 

For the realism, ino will win over prime as prime is CNC where as ino is forge. AR-15 receivers are forged AFAIK with the exception in MUR-1 by VLTOR

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base on the finish I see in picture I would rate the metal body as followed:

AGM -crappiest

G&P/ WOC Series

Inokatsu

Prime/ Bomber Custom

 

For the realism, ino will win over prime as prime is CNC where as ino is forge. AR-15 receivers are forged AFAIK with the exception in MUR-1 by VLTOR

 

Yes, there are billet receivers out there but they are still machined.

 

Regardless of whether or not these receivers are forged the final machining process is just plain lazy. I dont know about you guys but im really getting tired of paying for ######, especially ###### that (naturally) is advertised as being "the best" and "awesomest" of them all!

 

Get your ###### together inokatsu.

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Yes, there are billet receivers out there but they are still machined.

 

Regardless of whether or not these receivers are forged the final machining process is just plain lazy. I dont know about you guys but im really getting tired of paying for ######, especially ###### that (naturally) is advertised as being "the best" and "awesomest" of them all!

 

Get your ###### together inokatsu.

 

You're entitiled to your opinion, but I disagree. The mold seam you are throwing a fit about is really not that big of a problem. To be perfectly honest, it doesn't bother me at all.

 

If it really bothers you, don't buy it. There is really no need to come in here and complain.

 

-OGGY

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You're entitiled to your opinion, but I disagree. The mold seam you are throwing a fit about is really not that big of a problem. To be perfectly honest, it doesn't bother me at all.

 

If it really bothers you, don't buy it. There is really no need to come in here and complain.

 

-OGGY

 

 

Greate write-up! Thanks for doing this. I was seriously considering this as a X-mas present to myself this year but decided to go with a (much cheaper) KJW Beretta replica. I'm mainly getting into Airsoft for the replicas and realism so its good to know how the Ino fairs in that department. I didn't realize this gun doesn't come with a carry handle *or* BUIS. For $900 that seems a little lame (not to mention no mag)!

 

Would you say that the problems with the rails & hop-up would be a *requirement* or simply necessary for a performance purist? In other words, will they "do" for an amateur/semi-regular skirmisher?

 

Thanks again for the great write-up and awesome pics!

 

- Eric

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Greate write-up! Thanks for doing this. I was seriously considering this as a X-mas present to myself this year but decided to go with a (much cheaper) KJW Beretta replica. I'm mainly getting into Airsoft for the replicas and realism so its good to know how the Ino fairs in that department. I didn't realize this gun doesn't come with a carry handle *or* BUIS. For $900 that seems a little lame (not to mention no mag)!

 

Would you say that the problems with the rails & hop-up would be a *requirement* or simply necessary for a performance purist? In other words, will they "do" for an amateur/semi-regular skirmisher?

 

Thanks again for the great write-up and awesome pics!

 

- Eric

 

The hop-up is a deal breaker for any skirmisher. In order to adjust your shots' trajectory, you need to full strip the front end and take out the barrel. Too much tools needed and it will be a pain on the field.

 

The rail panels are the problem. The rails are fine, they're machined nicely so they won't scrape your hands like other sharp ones. You can hold it by the RIS or get cheap rail panels.

 

Just get a new hop-up chamber and your set! lolz :D don't forget a mag!

 

-Luis

 

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So...To make this gun skirmishable (if you exclude the mag and the extra accessories) you just need a better hop up unit?

 

 

And hows the recoil? Needs more to feel like the real M4?

 

Can't answer the first part, but the recoil is pretty nice. Heavier than a G&P, but still less than an AR-15. (real guns generate FAR more energy than the Inokatsu)

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same as Ino 2009 ver yes, NOT the same as the Ino superversion

 

As kull said, the JDT BCG is identical to the Inokatsu BCG from the 2009 Enhanced Version. It is my understanding that the Enhanced Version is no longer sold, and the Super Version is being sold instead. The Super Version has a BCG that is completley different form the JDT. The only difference between the Enhanced Version and the Super Version is the BCG design.

 

So...To make this gun skirmishable (if you exclude the mag and the extra accessories) you just need a better hop up unit?

 

 

And hows the recoil? Needs more to feel like the real M4?

 

As tinydata said, the recoil should be amazing (I say should becasue I haven't fired it yet.) Have a look at Redwolf 'reveiw' of the gun on YouTube (I put reveiw in quotes becasue they are a retailer who wants to sell products, but they do have some great shot of the recoil.)

 

About skirmishability, as of right now I couldn't tell you. Everything look soild (including the BCG), but things could still go wrong. Hopefully I can get my hands on a mag soon and run some shooting tests for you guys.

 

-OGGY

Edited by -=OGGY=-
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Yeah...but you're sort of missing the point. The Inokatsu, while built to perform and dish out punishment, also has THE NICEST externals on a stock M4 to date. It is also supported by a LOAD of aftermarket support unlike the KJW.

 

Now that my rant is done :P I'M SO JEALOUS

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Nice gun oggy. Hopefully you can build it up without any problems as well. I've been keeping an eye on the Ino "super version" for a while now but not because I wanted to get one. Mainly wanted to see what they improved on since their original "AWESOMEST ULTIMATUM GUNZ". Glad to see you like it so far. I still won't personally buy anything Inokatsu but I know you've been trying to get your hands on a "perfect" gbb for a while now. Everyone's view of a perfect gbb is different so don't worry about what other people say when it comes to how much you spent or when they nitpick about features. Heck, MY perfect gbb that I love to death is a plastic bodied WA. So long as YOU love your gun I think that's what matters. Don't forget to report back with some vids or something of it shooting!

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