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The APS ASR107 M4 URX Raptor is a full metal M4 carbine in an extremely compact size, but provides advanced features of a full-size M4 carbine. I recently received this rifle in Evike's "Box of Awesomeness" and will be reviewing this airsoft rifle in full. See my "Evike's Box of Awesomeness (470K Fan) Review".
When I received the APS ASR107 M4 URX Raptor, I found it sitting loose in its original box. It included the APS high-capacity magazine, and an extra black muzzle tip (see photo below). The box was missing the instruction manual and the cleaning rod. However, the gun appears to be brand new and operates just fine.
In the APS ASR107 M4 URX Raptor, APS used its more advanced version 2 hybrid gearbox (silver), instead of its original black version 2 hybrid gearbox. The metal hop-up unit is also a surprise. In the past APS generally provided a plastic hop-up. But it seems APS is increasing the build quality of its airsoft guns. The photo below shows the metal hop-up and the metal gearbox within the magazine well. It's when you take it apart that you realize everything inside is stainless steel and made out of high quality components. APS just doesn't cut any corners inside the gun.
I took apart the inner barrel and metal hop-up assembly and a H-hop spacer dropped out of the hop-up chamber. I was surprised that APS paid so much attention to performance details. The H-hop spacer did not show up anywhere on the specifications nor sales material for the APS ASR107 M4 URX Raptor. Therefore, I had to assume that APS added it for real performance reason, rather than marketing reason. It had to be one of the reason that the APS ASR107 M4 URX Raptor is a $250 gun.
APS provides two muzzle tips with the ASR107 M4 URX Raptor. The two tips are exactly the same, except one of them is orange plastic while the other one is black metal. The photo below shows the two tips side-by-side.
The photo below shows the threaded side of the two muzzle tips.
By providing two tips, you don't have to paint the tip black yourself. And I find it really convenient to change to the black tip at the field, then change back to the orange tip for transporting and storage after the battle.
APS designed really unorthodox iron sights for the M4 URX Raptor. The iron sights are artistically rendered with curves and two tone colors. Much like art, the APS M4 URX Raptor iron sights creates a love/hate relationship with its owner. The front iron sight is a flip-up sight with two elevation stages. The photo below shows the three different positions of the front iron sight.
In order to lower the sight, you push the pin that holds it up forward. The photo below shows the pin that keeps the iron sight in the highest position.
The rear iron sight on the M4 URX Raptor is also very unique. It is a flip-up sight with two positions. The photos below demonstrates the up and down positions of the rear iron sight.
You can flip up the rear iron sight, but you can't flip it down. Instead, you need to push a button located at the front of the rear iron sight (see photo below). When you push that button, the rear iron sight snaps down.
The rear iron sight has windage adjustment. Using a small knob, you can easily adjust it with your bare hand without any tools. Much like the front iron sight, the rear iron sight is artistically designed with curves. With it, it's a love/hate relationship that you'll have to develop.
The shoulder stock is plastic on a metal buffer tube. It is rubber padded for your shoulder. It has six positions, which is pretty typical on a M4 carbine. The following photos shows the shoulder retracted and extended. When the should stock is retracted, the APS ASR107 M4 URX Raptor is an extremely short carbine. It is almost as short as the APS ASR106 Mini Patriot M4 as compared in the "Size Comparison: APS ASR107 M4 URX Raptor vs. APS ASR106 Patriot M4" thread.
But what is very rare is the small rail on the right side of the shoulder stock (shown in photo below). I can't imagine what you'd put on that rail, but it seems pretty cool.
There is a rather large screw on the rubber pad of the shoulder stock (see photo below). It is fastened to the sling mount on the other side. The middle of the screw head is slotted for a coin. But it is really tight out of the box, so you may have to use a big flat-headed screwdriver to loosen it. After removing the screw, you can pull off the rubber pad to reveal the battery compartment.
The battery compartment diameter is big enough for a stick battery, some wires, and a mini-Tamiya connector. It runs the full length of the buffer tube. When you extend the shoulder stock, you'll have a longer battery space.
A nunchuck or butterfly battery will work if you straighten it into a stick. I tried a 9.6v NiMH nunchuck battery and found that it just barely fits when the shoulder stock is fully extended; the rubber pad will have a slight bulge in that case. A 8.4v stick will fit perfectly. A 7.2v stick may allow you to shorten the shoulder stock extension by one position. The photos below shows the 9.6v battery in the battery compartment from the top and the side.
Originally, APS intended that you use a small LiPo stick battery in the compartment. If you do, you'll have plenty of space to move the shoulder stock back and forth. The following Evike photo compares the size of a LiPo stick battery to a 8.4v NiMH/NiCd stick battery. From this picture, it's quite obvious the 11.1v LiPo battery is almost exactly half the length of a 9.6v NiMH/NiCd battery.
For some of us, who are not willing to deal with the risk and danger of LiPo, consider looking at Li-Fe battery packs. A three cell stick version offers 9.9v and will probably fit into this should stock. Another option for NiMH users, who wants to use a retracted shoulder stock, is to mount a battery box to the should stock rail. I'm exploring this second option and will write an how-to article on it later this week.
The quad rail handguard on the APS ASR107 M4 URX Raptor is well designed, aesthetically. It is also extremely well made. It feel very sturdy in hand with no wobbly or loose feel to it.
Side Note
For a long time, I didn't know what the URX in the name stand for. In the SR-25 Wikipedia article, it referenced "URX II Picatinny-Weaver rail system". After doing a search for "URX rails", I realized that URX refers to the quad rail handguard.
On arrival, the quad rail handguard was aligned to the top rail of the receiver. But I noticed that it was not in the tightest position. So when I tightened it, the top rails were no longer aligned (see photo below).
There are several solutions to this issue. I have used the long front sight mount to fasten the two rails together (see photo below). In this configuration, the quad rail and receiver is extremely sturdy. So if you are going to get a red dot sight, that would be a great mounting place for it. Another option would be to get a long, shot (in height) riser rail to fasten the two rails.
After mounting the Barska 30mm Red Dot Scope between the two top rails (see photo below), the quad rail doesn't rotate at all. It is extremely rigid. The gun feels extremely solid in this configuration.
The mock silencer in the front is attached to the external barrel using standard 14mm positive thread. Therefore, you can easily unscrew it by turning it counter-clockwise. It is exactly 150mm long and 32mm in diameter.
The quad rail can be unscrewed in the same fashion to reveal the external barrel. You won't be able to remove the quad rail without removing the silencer first. The inner barrel is 275mm and made out of stainless steel.
By removing the receiver pin and separating the receiver, we can see that APS used a ported stainless steel cylinder within the gearbox (see photo below). While the APS ASR series airsoft guns look pretty much like any other full metal gun from the outside, it is completely different on the inside. Everything that is metal, from the inner barrel to the cylinder, other than the gearbox, are made out of stainless steel to retain reliability and eliminate the possibility of deformation.
The version 2 gearbox is rather impressive. It has 8mm metal bushings (see photo below). It also has a quick change spring guide at the back so that you don't have to take apart the gearbox to replace the spring.
The gearbox internal has steel gears, metal trigger, plastic piston, plastic piston head. The air nozzle is air sealed version with an internal o-ring.
The spring guide is made out of plastic with metal bearings (see photo below). The internals are quite awesome. This gun is ready to be built into a DMR.
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