Home Reviews Mp5 Ras MP5 RAS EB Custom

MP5 RAS EB Custom

by Arnie

TM
MP5 RAS EB Custom

Mike
(Police and Military Sales, Edgar
Brothers
) worked on this MP5 RAS in the same vein as the
EB M870. This time
a somewhat standard TM MP5 RAS has been beefed up.

Please
note all the accessories fitted to the RAS are real, not replicas
or copies. All of the parts, although supplied by Edgar
Brothers
, are available through AirsoftArmoury.

For
anyone that is a little confused, Edgar Brothers will not deal
directly with the public, and will instead refer you to their authorized
Airsoft dealer (AirsoftArmoury).
If you are a dealership or retailer interested in contacting Edgar
Brothers
you can contact them on 01625 613177, or fax 01625 615276.

Accessories
fitted:

Fitted to this AEG you’ll find the following bits of kit:

Erm..
yes for anyone good at maths you’ll notice that the parts easily cost
a lot more than the MP5.. well okay, but these parts not only look the
part (they are the part!), but they will last and provide better performance
than any similar copies. Anyway look at it – it’s a work of art! Anyway,
enough waffling (and excessive dribbling) from me on with the review…

Millennium
Vertical Foregrip WeaponLight (M900A-WH)
:
Lets start with the most obvious bit, the new vertical grip. This
is SureFire’s latest grip, their latest baby, and boy does it really
show. Aside from the fact that the grip looks gorgeous there’s a host
of buttons and pressure pads on it.

The
grip is basically a vertical RIS grip with a lamp system built into
it, featuring two sets of illumination sources.

To
either side of the grip you’ll find carefully placed ambidextrous
pressure pads, so the grip can be operated by the left or right hand,
and to the rear you will find a pressure pad at your thumb, and a
lever switch at the rear of the lamp itself.

Okay
so what do all the switches do? Firstly the rotary switch at the bottom
of the grip turns the whole unit on and off. In the off position –
nothing works at all. In the on position well… you get the idea.

The
two pressure pads activate the main light, whereas the smaller pressure
pad activates the two low wattage ‘navigation’ white LEDs at the front
of the grip. The low wattage lamps are designed for ‘covert’ use,
in situations where the main beam is just too bright and will really
give your location away. The rotary switch gives and always on main
light beam.

Fixing
the M900 to a rail is so easy it’s unreal. Pull the lever on the LHS
back and align with the rail you wish to attach it to, then simply
press the lever down with your thumb – that’s it! The grip can be
detached and refitted in a matter of seconds by simply pulling the
lever back up again.

Batteries
are stored in the grip, unthread the graphite coloured grip base to
find/replace the batteries.

Here’s
the beef from SureFire‘s
own pages:

“…The
Millennium M900A Vertical Foregrip WeaponLight attaches to Picatinny
rail interface-equipped weapons via a built-in A.R.M.S. throw-lever
mount. Each unit is equipped with five separate switches: (1) two
pressure-sensitive momentary activation pads to control the main battle
light — one on each side of the grip for ambidextrous operation (2)
a constant-on switch (3) a system disable switch to lock the light
in the OFF position for covert operations or to eliminate accidental
light activation during storage, and (4) a third, smaller momentary
switch to control two low-output LEDs that are useful whenever there
is a need for a very small amount of light (stealth navigation, nighttime
breaching operations, etc.)

The
M900A is powered by three lithium batteries and produces 125 lumens
for one hour of runtime with the high-output lamp, or 225 lumens for
20 minutes with the included ultra-high output lamp. A 1.625″
diameter bezel provides the optimum beam spread for close to medium
range engagements. The M900A is designed for peak performance in the
harshest environments and has proven its reliability and performance
in combat. Constructed from impact-resistant Nitrolon® polymer
and featuring a shock-isolated bezel and lamp assemblies, this light
features the highest degree of shock-isolation available to ensure
reliable function in high-risk situations.

Fits
most Picatinny rail interface-equipped weapons including, Colt Carbine,
Colt Rifle, G36, G36K, and UMP40/45…”
(Source: SureFire)

Ergonomically
the grip is a pleasure to hold, and the fact that the lamp is built
into the grip itself means that it is placed close to the muzzle,
and therefore the lamp will shine more accurately in the direction
of the target. The pressure pads are also large enough to be very
useable with gloves on.

A
lot of ‘quick detatch’ gear tends to fall off just as easily. A simple
example is the HK claw mount, which is rock solid apart from when
you traverse concrete, at which point it will take it’s leave from
your rifle and take your very expensive scope on it’s final short
journey.

This
is happily not the case with the M90 grip, even though the attachment
system is very simple it is incredibly effective, and only going to
come off when assisted by a user.

The
one thing to beware of is that the M900 grip secures itself on only
one slot in a RIS mount, so therefore will snap plastic rails in two
and fall off if abused. If you are planning on fitting this grip to
your rifle – spend that extra few pounds and grab yourself a nice
rail to mount it on. I found that after moderate use that TM’s RIS
grip began to undo itself from the frame. This is not the fault of
the M900, merely down to the fact that this really isn’t a real MP5,
and therefore not able to take as much abuse as the real thing.

Two
areas on the MP5 that will need tightening up and a small application
of loctite are the rear supports inside the TM MP5 grip that hold
the back of the grip to the receiver. The QD flashhider also has a
habit of unscrewing, so best to keep an eye on that as well.

Happily
fitting something like the Guarder QD MP5 silencer to the unit is
simple to do, and is the perfect addition to the M900 equipped MP5.
There is just enough space to fir the silencer and to maneuver it
on and off the mounts.

The
navigation LEDs are spaced far enough apart to be well out the way
of any extended muzzle breaks or barrel additions.

Advanced
Technology stock recoil pad:
Next up is the Advanced
Technology
stock recoil pad .Technically this model is called
the ‘SKS or Shotgun Folding Stock Butt Pad Slip-on style’ (#SKS0500).
The pad adds 1 inch of length to stock, and is designed to fit the
Ultralight Fixed Sporter, Folding Shotgun stock (and more).

The
folding stocks of the real steel somewhat lack in comfort due to their
lightweight nature. The extra padding will help with recoil effects,
but there’s no real ‘recoil’ to Airsoft because of the staggering
low velocities involved, but the added length makes folding stocks
more comfortable for people with Yeti arms (long).

The
recoil pad simply pushes over the end of the butt and is held in place
by sheer friction. Fitting the pad is rather difficult to describe,
but it’s rather like putting on those thick washing up gloves.. yeah
I know weird analogy there ^_^. For longer or more permanent fitment,
you may want to consider a velcro style modification or some light
glue. I find the pad is held on well enough so as to not go walkies
at inopportune moments, and adds a different look to the RAS.

Visible
Red Laser Sight (L72):
The next addition to this piece is the
SureFire Visible Red Laser Sight (L72).

First
a serious warning. This is a mil-spec laser, and well above the specs
of the pen lasers, and el-cheapo addons you’ll find some people making.
Don’t get me wrong this is a very powerful laser, so due care
should be taken with it’s use. For more information I would highly
recommend reading the pages over at
laserinstitute.org.

The
L72 can be fitted the the standard SureFire
universal housings, and is a straight swap for a lamp head unit. As
such it can take the momentary switches and other accessories, which
is a major bonus for anyone with a cupboard of SureFire parts.

Here’s
the full brief from SureFire
themselves:

“…
Description: A laser sight gives you the ability to shoot accurately
and effectively in many low-light situations. A laser sight also has
applications as a non-lethal deterrent or intimidation tool. The L72
Visible Red Laser Sight is a continuous-beam laser that can be mounted
either in a Millennium Universal System modular housing (for Picatinny
rail mounting) or into a SureFire WeaponLight ™ housing.

Features:
Wavelength 635nM
Power 5 milliwatts
Runtime 24 hours (approx.)
Length 1.95 inches
Diameter 1.25
Weight 4.6 ounces

We
highly recommend mounting them in a Millennium Universal System modular
housing or into a SureFire WeaponLight. Contact a SureFire technical
representative at 800-828-8809 during regular business hours (8am-5pm
PST) to identify the best mounting option for your application …”

(Source: SureFire)

The
laser features two adjustment dials, one for the X-axis and the other
controlling the Y axis. This style of adjustment certainly beats the
rather cheap allen key adjustments that you find on cheaper makes.
The other advantage is that not only does the laser not undo itself
but it’s dead easy to adjust in the field. The force required to adjustment/move
the dials is handily, just not quite enough to make them difficult
to turn, and not too little so as to make the dials susceptible to
accidental nudges.

In
the package you’ll also find little milar stickers that can be fitted
over the lens window to protect it whilst in ‘practice’. In the real
world these little windows stop gases and debris from munitions fire
clogging up the window, but for us Airsofters they provide additional
protection to the odd stray BB if needed.

Aimpoint
ML2:
The Aimpoint ML2 is possibly one of the most copied milspec
red dot scopes out there, up with the infamous ACOG units, the AimPoint
is somewhat of a legend. To really appreciate this piece you really
need to have a copy of the ML2 handy. Cunningly the MP5 RAS come with
a TM copy of the Aimpoint in the box.

As
you can see the TM copy lacks the covers for the adjustment caps (to
prevent them falling off and getting lost), the dimensions although
similar are not particularly accurate, and well.. it just lacks the
quality. You have to bear in mind that the Aimpoint comes with the
a 2 year warranty, 30mm mounting ring, lense caps in the box, and
is full metal and individually serial numbered into the bargain.

Suffice
to say I think you’ll be stunned at the differences.

“…Heavy-duty
variants of the CompC built for extreme conditions. This sight has
a special hard-anodized surface and the specification for water tightness
is equivalent to a depth of 75 feet. The high quality requirements
are designed to cope with frequent professional use on those types
of guns that are typically used by the police and the military or
for hunting under extreme conditions.

The
inner tube is suspended in a unique spherical joint – large
view, greater (+/- 2.5 meters) adjustment range at 100 meters with
repeatable, accurate click adjustments.

Guaranteed
submersible to 25 m without tightening the adjustment caps. Tests
have been successful down to 100 m.

CompML2
red dot sight can be mounted on almost any type of rifle and with
the co-witnessing (applicable to many small calibre weapons) the iron
sights are visible through the sight as a back-up. There is also a
quick-release ring for Picatinny or Weaver bases, allowing the sight
to be rapidly detached and remounted without zeroing…” Aimpoint

Heavy
duty you say? What do they mean by heavy duty? Well the ML2, after
18 months of testing, was the only the Aimpoint red dot sight to earn
the U.S. Army’s seal of approval (one of only a few makes I gather).
Tests including being baked at 160 degrees, dropped 12ft, being frozen
down to minus 50 degrees, and being submerged at 80ft – tests that
I’m sure most GIs would find tough enough to survive under!

The
ML2 is a 4MOA reddot scope (MOA [Minute Of Angle], 1 MOA = 30 mm at
100 meters = 1″ at 100 yards), and is 1x magnification. Popular
mounting positions on the MP5 and M4 series allow “co-witnessing”,
where the steel sights are visible through the scope itself.

The
AimPoint can be mounted at any angle – so it’s good for lefties too,
simply slacked the mount and carefully rotate the scope to have the
adjustments on the LHS rather than the RHS. A more ‘tactical’ method
of mounting is to have the scope mounted at 45 degrees, thus the adjustment
dials protrude less, giving a reduced chance of them snagging. Also
of note is the ‘cap strap’ – this piece of rubber ensures that the
battery cap, and end covers stay attached if they work loose, and
ensures that you don’t loose them if you happen to want to remove
them for adjustment in the field. the RedDot has 10 positions, complete-off
and 9 daylight, of which 1 is ‘Extra Bright’.

So
how long do you recon the battery in the ML2 lasts? 10 hours of constant
use? A whole day? Nope.. not even close, the CET (Circuit Efficiency
Technology diode) battery system in the ML2 offers an exceptional
battery life giving you 1,000–10,000 hours on average. Yes folks
that’s 6 weeks to a year’s worth of battery life! You must use the
following battery type in the ML2: DL1/3N (Duracell), 2L76 (Ucar,
Varta), 1pc, 3-volt, Ø11.6×10.8 mm, Lithium. Although other
makes are substitutable on other Aimpoint models, this is not the
case on the higher spec ML2.

The
Aimpoint ML2 here is fitted to a B-Square mount, that to most seasoned
Airsofters will be familiar as the “Hurricane mount”. Clamping
onto the frame and tightening up – it’s a darn sight (excuse the bad
pun) more stable than the HK claw mount, and as an added bonus, you
can still use the stock sights though it:

Although
the ML2 is built stronger than any scope I’ve had the privilege to
test, it seems only fair to help protect the lense a bit further,
after all it may be designed to last, but there’s no need letting
BBs or other flying debris risk scratching your lovely scope lense
now is there?

Aimpoint
killFlash:
Fitted this this model you’ll see a killFlash adapter.
This cunning device is basically a honeycomb wire mesh that eliminates
potential reflections from the surface of the outer lense that could
compromise the user’s position.

“The
patented geometry of the CC-A’s honeycomb shield maintains a
clear, bright view through the sight and does not interfere with target
acquisition.”
killFlash


The idea is simple – direct light can pass through, but somewhat like
a polaroid lense, light from angles slightly off Centrex cannot get
it, and therefore you will not get glare, as sunlight is effectively
trapped behind the kill flash. In these two images following you can
see the killFlash looking dead on, and then from a slight angle.

For
such a large piece of metal inset into the scope you’d think that
it would obscure your vision though the scope, but it doesn’t. The
image is slightly darker (around 15%), but much like waving your finger/hand
in front of the lense, you really don’t know that it’s there. The
killFlash will save your lense from passing BBs, but be warned it
will get dinted if the BBs are going fast enough, then again the killFlash
is significantly cheaper than the repair bill for an AimPoint. See
here
for an explanation of how killFlash works. (reference
killFlash specs
-PDF)

MP5
sling:
The real HK sling is somewhat sturdier that the copies
that you see around. The quick release buckle is certainly built to
last, and as new is really anything but quick release. The good news
is that the buckle system does wear in, and it’s more than likely
to out wear your AEG ^_^. Length adjustment is achieved though some
cunningly stitched in velcro.

If
you look at some of the shots, you’ll notice a
Guarder
MP5-N silencer, possibly one of the nicest silencers I’ve ever fitted
or used. The effect of silencing an Airsoft replica is open to endless
debate, but the Guarder
piece fits like a dream to the stock TM MP5 RAS muzzle, being a snug
fit, and adding to the look somewhat.

Thanks
to the very kind folks at Edgar
Brothers
specifically Mike Newman. Now thanks to AirsoftArmoury
you can order through them any of the parts I have mentioned
here.

Comment
on this article in the forums

Site
links:
EB
M870

– See Mike’s other work of art. ^_^

External
Links

Edgar
Brothers
– the kind suppliers of the kit reviewed here

AirsoftArmoury
– where you can buy these joyous addons
Advanced
Technology
– makers of the stock butt plate
SureFire
– the makers of the mount, lamp and laser fitted here

Reference:
killFlash
specs
(PDF)
AimPoint
ML2 manual
(PDF)


This
page last updated:
Wednesday, June 18, 2003 10:42 PM

Copyright 2003Arnie’s
Airsoft.




 

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