KSC M4 CQB-R System 7 II

[emp3ror86]

Gun from the Country of the Rising Sun

The CQB-R was released in 2011 Summer, roughly a year ago, only in Japan. The new hopup was introduced in this gun - which is now standard in the KWA LM4 - and what caught my attention more: ambi controls.

Being a Japan exclusive it was never available in HK but KSC was nice enough to send me one.

 

Remarks

My english is still under improvement and I am not familiar with real firearms (sadly) so forgive me any grammar and vocabulary faults. Also my photographer skills do not exist. So pictures are as they are.

 

The box, first impressions.

 

It opens in the sides.

 

 

Inside the box.

 

 

Contents: wrench for the handgaurd and for the stock tube ring, hopup adjuster, dummy 5.56 round, BB loader, manual & catalogue, cleaning rod, sling swivel, magazine, some BB.

 

 

The gun with a red endcap. Its finish is really nice, there is not any wooble between the receivers, the main parts of the gun are rock solid. But not without issues: flashhider was loose, I could not get the RAS tighten enough to cease its small play. That RAS costs 243 USD at WGC. Stock is also a bit loose, but the G&P Crane stock fits perfectly.

 

 

But it is nice, I could not find any fault on it.

 

 

The receiver with marking engraved into the paint. I wonder how it will take the abusing. The paint of KSC M4A1s is ######, nowhere close to a G&P for example. Same about the magazines, after half a year of usage I need to repaint all of them. Another point of interest is the second pin closer to the stock tube. It sticks out of the receiver which is handy when you need to push it out without tools. But looks awkward.

 

 

The serial number on the receiver matches with the one on trhe box.

 

 

Small sticker on the stock. As far as I know all products of KSC is manufactured by KWA in Taiwan.

 

 

A nice gun overall.

 

 

Ambi safety selector and ambi mag selector. Latter one is really handy for left handed users.

 

 

Flashhider is an NT4 replica. Unfortunately it is made of aluminium.

 

 

It is held in place by a hex screw. I do not like sthis solution.

 

 

No shims, just a spring that already scratched the barrel.

 

 

The RAS is really nice. Made of good quality aluminium.

 

 

But there are some casting imperfections on the receiver.

 

 

Stock tube is not milspec sadly.

 

 

This is why we like KSCs and KWAs:

 

 

Well designed and made of steel where it is necessary.

 

[emp3ror86]

BCG and charging handle.

 

It is not made of steel as the KWA one. I would prefer if it were a bit lighter. It is 245g.

 

And improvement (over the KSC M4A1)! The spring that keeps the nozzle in place is held by in place a steel part, not a C ring anymore.

 

Other steel parts on the BCG.

 

Chargind handle already equipped with a Crusader Tech charging latch by me.

 

Its finish is really nice where it can be seen.

 

But awful where it can not be.

 

Recoil spring and buffer is the usual KSC one. Do not ever replace it unless you want to ruin your gun.

 

Barrel and hanguard removed. Barrel is the finest part of the gun when it comes to coating, quality and material.

 

A WTF on a 600 USD+ gun.

 

The RAS in pieces. Only the two small ins are made of steel.

 

Really nice and good quality. But not steel. I am not familiar with the real one but I can not imagine that the barrel nut and such parts are made of aluminium.

 

 

The hopup. It is the "improved" one that is used in the KWA.

 

That small O ring should have been included! But it was not yet it is in the manual! Fortunately I had some of these from KSC.

 

 

I think you can see that there is some debris from the bucking.

 

The magazine

 

it is newer than the KSC ones with polymer upper part.

 

No O-ring around the valve. In 2012.

 

Apart from the upper it is the same as any KSC magazine.

 

Rear sight

It is the greatest disappointment. It is plastic.

 

Overall

First thing to take into consideration: this gun is meant to the japanese market. Which is a different coutry than HK and others. That might explain the lack of steel parts. But not the faulty, woobling things which are unforgivable on a such expensive gun.

I am happy with it in the end despite of the disappointments. I am a leftie, I really needed the ambi controls. But I think the KWA LM4 is a better choice for people outside Japan.

 

This review was done quickly, I forgot out things. Feel free to ask!

Edited July 15, 2012 by emp3ror86

[volante]

In Japanese market, KSC M4 GBB with metal receiver is even cheaper than WA GBB M4 with plastic receiver.

But KSC M4 works better and more durable.

 

If you want durable, well performing GBB M4, buy KJ/KSC/KWA. If you want really good external quality, get Inokatsu.

And If you want both, get bunch of Prime parts and build one.

It will cost you about 2K, but that will not make you disappointed. You can even use RS upper receiver on WA/Prime GBB M4.

 

 

But, i think there will be another solution to get both external quality and performance.

Buy KWA LM4, dress up it with Guarder steel barrel and accessories, and wait for Gunsmodify's forged aluminium receiver for KSC M4.

Edited July 15, 2012 by volante

[akiraspeedstar]

Nice write up, Im happy to see KSC using the KWA hop up as thst will hopefully mean after market barrels for the US LM4.

[emp3ror86]

Volante, you forgot about Viper Tech.

The Guarder steel barrel is a fail on my opinion: I hate multi-pieced barrels. And I would not risking their other parts, I had bad experiences with Guarder.

 

Nice write up, Im happy to see KSC using the KWA hop up as thst will hopefully mean after market barrels for the US LM4.

 

Thx. KSC uses that hopup for a year already. Outer or innel?

[dannyeprice23]

That is.....beautiful!

[rvlyssup]

And If you want both, get bunch of Prime parts and build one.

It will cost you about 2K, but that will not make you disappointed. You can even use RS upper receiver on WA/Prime GBB M4.

 

Just a tiny bit of correction, WA spec lowers (WA, King Arms, G&P, AABB, & ACM clones) cannot use RS uppers. In addition to Prime & Viper Tech, Inokatsu, Iron Airsoft, and (I believe) Bomber also take RS uppers with very little modification.

 

Back OT, that 3 piece upper receiver sure looks.....er, funky. Kinda scary looking when I scrolled down to the pic.

 

I take it the fake gas tube hole doesn't go through?

Edited July 15, 2012 by rvlyssup

[volante]

Volante, you forgot about Viper Tech.

The Guarder steel barrel is a fail on my opinion: I hate multi-pieced barrels. And I would not risking their other parts, I had bad experiences with Guarder.

 

Three of person i know bought Viper and two of their viper broken its hammer in less than two days.

I'll lather have KWA with forged receiver.

 

Just a tiny bit of correction, WA spec lowers (WA, King Arms, G&P, AABB, & ACM clones) cannot use RS uppers. In addition to Prime & Viper Tech, Inokatsu, Iron Airsoft, and (I believe) Bomber also take RS uppers with very little modification.

 

Back OT, that 3 piece upper receiver sure looks.....er, funky. Kinda scary looking when I scrolled down to the pic.

 

I take it the fake gas tube hole doesn't go through?

 

Please visit Yahoo japan auction. Many sellers are selling RS upper for WA GBB.

And of course, not with plastic lower. I mean with metal lower(prime for example)

[rvlyssup]

Please visit Yahoo japan auction. Many sellers are selling RS upper for WA GBB.

And of course, not with plastic lower. I mean with metal lower(prime for example)

 

PMing you as to not clutter this thread.

 

Mods I apologize, now back OT.

[emp3ror86]

Just a tiny bit of correction, WA spec lowers (WA, King Arms, G&P, AABB, & ACM clones) cannot use RS uppers. In addition to Prime & Viper Tech, Inokatsu, Iron Airsoft, and (I believe) Bomber also take RS uppers with very little modification.

 

Back OT, that 3 piece upper receiver sure looks.....er, funky. Kinda scary looking when I scrolled down to the pic.

 

I take it the fake gas tube hole doesn't go through?

 

No, it does not.

 

Volante, that was news for me, I heard that Viper is top notch.

[rvlyssup]

Volante, that was news for me, I heard that Viper is top notch.

 

Viper Tech is top notch.

 

Here is a good read on the subject: http://www.gasguns.info/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=9308

 

And the infamous torture test video.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5z7a49Wmzg

Edited July 16, 2012 by rvlyssup

[volante]

That torture test is famous in here. But many people said some parts inside trigger group break easily.

And most Viper GBB are designed not to stop its bolt when mag is empty. Viper shorten its bolt stroke to prevent damage.

(Korean airsoft shop owner who has Viper gbb m4 in his shop said...)

 

I think Viper M4 is basically downgraded Ino M4 with better durability.

These are Viper GBB's feature compare to INO: Lighter bolt carrier, smaller gas intake, shorter stroke, thinner hammer, cheaper price, cast made receiver.

 

And why nobody quoting about Gunsmodify receiver? I think it is must-have item for KWA/KSC GBB owner.

[emp3ror86]

It is a must but it is in the making since what, March? I e-mailed them last week about a release date, no answer yet.

And we still do not know what are the differences between KWA and KSC M4s apart from the milspec stock tube so it might be not good for both platforms.

[emp3ror86]

Disassembly guide to the lower receiver

 

First thing you need to do is to remove the magazine catch. That is not a real issue as only a hex screwdiver is necessary.

 

Second is to remove the bolt catch from the receiver. You can do it easily with a screwdiver by lifting it up a bit by the way I did it. Screwdiver went through the hole of the magazine catch so I could do it easily. After that there will be a small gap(yellow circle). You can push out the entire bolt catch with a flat head screwdiver. Before performing this, push down the hummer.

 

To get out all the pins, you need to remove a C clip from there. (Yellow circle).

 

This one.

 

Now you can remove the pin, the fire selector, the steel thingy above the selector, and the steel plate that holds the other pins in place.

 

The other pins and parts are really easy to remove.

 

[emp3ror86]

A picture about the hopup. I think the rubber is too soft.

 

And here is a discovery.

 

What you see from left to right:

- KSC Original hopup chamber (Nr. 14 in the manual) - This was stock in my previous KSC M4A1.

- KSC Current hopup chamber (Also Nr. 14 in the manual) - I ordred this one now as a backup if I could not make the new generation hopup work good enough.

- KSC CQB-R hopup chamber (Nr. 84 in the manual) - This was stock in my CQB-R.

 

Explanation:

The left one is damaged, I know but that is not the point. The point is that you can see it is not milled where the central and the right one are. The right one does not have the gap which is for the old ball bearing design. That means the new stock hopup chamber of the M4A1 (central one) is usable for both generation of hopup constructions!

 

 

This explains why I could not get Nr. 84 from KSC for months. I think It is not in production anymore.

[volante]

So, a central one is basically for old system but modified to use new system? That's why it has two groves in it?

 

Actually, when i ordered 100 adjust dial from KSC, two of them only have one grove for new system. but other 98 dials have two grooves.

 

KSC probably recycled their old dial for new system.

Edited July 17, 2012 by volante

[emp3ror86]

Yes. Probably they did.

Tonight I am going to check if the new houp system can be used with the old inner barrel or not.

 

I tried the A+ Devil etc bucking yesterday in the older KSC M4A1, I am not impressed so far.

[volante]

I also used Devil hop in my MK23 s7(new hop for Mk23 is not available yet..), It shoots about same fps as normal bucking with worse grouping.

I don't know about Devil hop for TM pistols or AEG, but Devil hop for KSC sucks.

[emp3ror86]

Magazine comparison

As you may know there are multiple types of magazines available for KSC and KWA M4 GBB platforms. I had to luck to encounter all of them.

 

 

From left ro right:

- Japanese KSC Stanag,

- Taiwanese KSC Stanag,

- KWA Stanag,

- Japanese KSC Stanag V2.

 

There is really not much difference to see on the first three ones from the left. But the new version stanag, which is the standard to KWA LM4 has got a different top. Its upper part is made of some sort of polymer or plastic.

Except for the KWA Stanag bought in May this year, none of them had O ring at the inlet valve.

V1 stanags are 582 g empty, 600 g (18g) filled with propane at 26 celsius. The new generation one with the polymer upper part is 548,5 g empty, 569 g filled (20,5 g).

 

Other notable the differences are the trademarks.

 

From top to bottom:

- Japanese KSC Stanag,

- Taiwanese KSC Stanag,

- KWA Stanag,

- Japanese KSC Stanag V2

 

Stanag V1 and V2 with KWA Pmag.

 

The Pmag is 725 g empty, 732 g filled which I found strange.

Edited August 26, 2012 by emp3ror86

[emp3ror86]

Remark: when disassembling the lower receiver, be aware of a small spring that might shoot out when the bolt catch part is being removed!

[emp3ror86]

Let me tell you abot a few useful items that come handy when one operates a GBBR.

 

First is a good loader I really recommend.

 

KSC Quick Loader

 

Same size as an M4 magazine. There is a safety to lock the loading button.

 

This is where BB can be loaded.

 

This loader is good for AEGs and GBBs. The adapter for GBB is stored inside the loader.

 

In GBB configuration.

 

 

KSC Valve Key - Buyer beware!

 

 

It looks good but it is not. Good for KSC type in- and outlet valves.

 

 

One problem is that its edges are too sharp. They can easily cut off material from a valve. And it broke really easily. I could not even secure the valve properly when it broke.

 

I recommend the Guarder one, that is much better.

 

What is coming:

Crusader BAD Ambi. Safety Selector for KSC

KWA Pmag

KSC Steel Lightweight Bolt

KSC M4 VS KWA LM4 comparison within a few weeks. When my LM4 arrives.

[emp3ror86]

KWA Pmag Box

As most KSC users already know, KWA Pmags work in our guns. Actually the Pmag is sold in Japan, too. It can be found on the site of KSC Japan.

(Forgive my poor photographer skiils.)

 

The pretty heavy box. Do not count on cheap shipping cost when ordering.

 

Inside the box.

 

The KWA Pmag:

 

Weight comparison without gas and BB.

 

Bottom of the magazine with removed floor plate. It can be refilled with the floorplate on but it is easier when it is removed. Notice O-ring around the inlet valve.

 

The plastic shell removed:

 

It is a simpler design than the stanag magazine.

 

Nothing secures the feeder spring in place so it is advised to remove it before it shoots itself out.

 

Upper part of the magazine.

 

Feed lip is easily removable. As it is the most vulnerable part of the magazine they made it a separate one so it is easier and cheaper to replace.

 

Lower part of the magazine.

 

Spacer inside the body of the magazine.

 

My impressions:

These are not my magazines so I can not talk about usage experience. I only had to take a look at them to make sure they work and do not leak.

 

Pros

It sits better in the magwell then stanags. Newer Stanag with polymer upper part (same as LM4 magazine) is also better than old gen. stanag.

Disassemble is easier which makes maintenance less time-consuming.

Better design.

O-ring in the inlet valve.

 

Cons

Plastic shell is only secured at the bottom of the magazine by two screws.

Weak screws. They can be stripped really easily.

 

I intend to get one for myself in the future.

[emp3ror86]

Crusader Modular Ambidextrous Selector for KSC M4 GBBR AKA BAD-@SS replica.

 

I am a leftie and big fan of modularity so this item was literally an instant get for me. Here you can read my experience with it.

 

All parts are made of steel except for the shims. Tool is provided as the screws are special type. I do not even know its name.

 

Quality is really good, I only had minor issues during installation.

 

Installed in leftie configuration:

 

There was a problem with the holes on the selector. When changing between fire modes a safety detent secures the selector in position. In stock condition the holes on the Crusader BAD-@SS were not deep enoguh.

The holes had to be made deeper so the detent could secure the selector properly. Fortunately that was the only issue that required some filing.

 

 

Other issue is that both shims are in the same thickness. When only one is installed it is a bit loose. If both then it is too stiff. I need to have a thinner one made for a perfect fit.

 

Those two were the only issues with it, apart from those it is great item!

 

Next post coming: KSC Lightweight Steel BCG

Edited October 5, 2012 by emp3ror86

[emp3ror86]

KSC Steel Lightweight Complete Bolt Carrier Group

 

As far as I know apart from the steel BCG (which is the factory standard in the KWA LM4) this one is the only internal upgrade part available from KSC. And the only one which actually makes the gun better.

I have never seen it available in shops outside Japan. It is pretty expensive, MSRP is 12500 JPY. Roughly 155 USD.

(I am still a horrible photographer.)

 

The box.

 

It is entirely made of steel except for the nozzle of course. Really nice surface finishing. Fortunately it is a complete BCG which means spare parts. It is good to know that now I have a spare BCG.

 

It can be seen where material is removed to make the bolt carrier lighter. The only difference is the bolt carrier, nozzle is the same.

 

Comparison with a standard KSC BCG. Notice the differences at the sides of the bolt carriers. The cam pin of the lightweight BCG is also made of steel.

 

I have to say the lightweight BCG looks much better.

 

You can spot all the differences between the bolt carriers in these pictures:

 

Yet there is one thing in which the aluminium BCG is superior to the lightweight one. The fastening of the nozzle to the bolt carrier is done by a seeger ring. On the aluminium bolt carrier (which is a newer design) a steel plate does that which is easier to remove than a seeger ring.

 

The weight of the standard BCG is 246 g.

The wight of the Lightweight BCG is 194 g.

 

With the new BCG the ROF is noticeably increased. I need to make further tests on gas consumption but I think it made the gun more gas efficient.

There is an easy way to further decrease the weight of the BCG by replacing the steel cam pin with the plastic one from the standard BCG. Steel one is 4 g, plastic one is below 1 g.

No modification was necessary to the gun, I took out the stock BCG and put in the new one.

 

Disassembly of a KSC/KWA BCG

 

First step is the removal of the steel plate or seeger ring.

 

Old type KSC BCG/Steel Lightweight BCG

 

Newer BCG

 

Second step is the removal of the cam pin. After that you can take out the nozzle from the bolt carrier.

 

KSC nozzle. It weights 24 g.

 

Blowback unit removed from the nozzle. Only one pin needs to be removed to take it out.

 

Blowback unit.

 

If you need to remove the floating valve from the nozzle, you have to push out the other pin, too.

IMPORTANT: You can only remove it from that side of the nozzle which is in the picture below! If you try from the other side you can damage your nozzle beyond repairment and therefore making your gun unuseable.

 

Floating valve removed. It is the japanese type. With that the gun shoots around 380-410 FPS with propane on 24 degrees.

 

Custom made floating valves to further decrease the FPS.

 

 

Next post: KSC M4 and KWA LM4 comparison!

[kullwarrior]

Did you made the custom flute valve or where can it be found?