Initial Impressions of ICS CQB-R

[Groz]

I picked up the ICS M4 CQB-R from Airsoft GI some time ago while it was on sale for just $60 more than the Sportline model. While on R&R, I got to play with it a bit and figured I'd post my initial impressions of the gun.

Externals

• Overall, the gun looks impressive. Color is right for an AR.
• Metal body is good and has little to no receiver rattle.
• Crane stock doesn't look like a "real" crane stock. Not an issue for me, but not right if you're trying for an impression.
• The gun can only use one specific battery. This can be a pain, but is used so that the stock can collapse fully without crimping wires. Changing the battery also requires the removal of two screws, which will be a pain in the field. Bring a Gerber.
• RIS has some play to it, as if the spring in the delta ring isn't strong enough. I use a rail-mounted QD sling adaptor, so this was initially a concern, but it doesn't move enough to worry me that it will fall out. Later, I might try shimming it to prevent movement.
• Selector switch doesn't lock into place well. The detents in Safe, Semi, and Full barely catch and the selector can move if it rubs against you while slung.
• Magazine release doesn't extend as far as the real steel mag release. It sticks out about 7mm or so and is therefore not as easy to depress as the real versions. This can be a pro or a con, depending on how you look at it. It just felt weird to me.
• Marked with ICS trades. Not a problem for me, but may be for some. The trades are well etched.

Internals

• ICS Hop-Up system is great, but a little hard to manipulate. Works very well.
• During my research, I read that the Inner Barrel length was 300mm. This is not so. When I threw in a 300mm tightbore, it extended nearly to the end of the flash hider. I forgot to measure the original barrel.
• The split gearbox is great. It performs well and I plan on getting a new upper gearbox with an M120 spring for larger field use. That way, I can just swap out "uppers" and be on my way.

Performance

• The rate-of-fire of Auto is insane. The stream of BBs is like a laser and I was tearing down all of the foliage between me and my targets. Even when the battery was nearing the end of its charge, the ROF was still pretty impressive.
• As I replaced the stock inner barrel with a tightbore almost immediately, I can't comment on accuracy of the stock gun. However, with the TBB, I was able to make a 3 inch grouping at 60 feet (25 shots on semi-auto with shots fired in quick succession).
• Every magazine I put into it (various brands and capacities) fed well. The included high-caps seemed to be hit-or-miss, but I don't plan on using them anyway.
• My rough estimate of the FPS is around 350.

Accessories (aka Stuff in the Box)

• The included rear sight is nice and well constructed.
• The two rail covers are of the KAC-type and are pretty standard.
• The vertical foregrip is also KAC-style, but feels a little lighter and cheaper than the already light and cheap real steel version.
• The bottle of included .20g ICS BBs are pretty good quality and I used them in my GBB. The fact that they come in a bottle is a nice little feature.

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with my purchase. The gun will work well for CQB and (with a barrel extension and longer inner barrel) outdoor games. It is well constructed and seems like I'll be able to put it through its paces.