Author: SwiftFox
Published: 11-22-2008
Table of Contents
Real Steel History
Basic Information
First Looks
The gun
The stock
The hop up
Shooting
Handling
Problems
More pics
Part II
Shooting results
Recommendations
Pros/Cons
Real Steel History
The M16 assault rife has its roots embedded in American history. It and its many variants have changed the way people make assault rifles. When the Army made the famous M14 rifle they found that in the automatic feature the gun was incredibly hard to aim. So they began development on a rifle that used a lighter round and a higher cyclic rate.
A breakthrough in 1956 by Eugene Stoner, of the ArmaLite Company, lead to the beginnings of the M16. He made plans for a AR-15 the basic ideas of the m16. It used a 5.56mm instead of the much heavier 7.62 round. Therefore it could be controlled much easier in the full auto feature that would lead to more accurate shots at longer ranges in auto. After many changes and innovations the famous M16 rifle was born. The first model featured a non-removable carry handle and had quite a few problems that were resolved in the later models. The second variation on the Ar-15 was the m16A2. This model was a step up from the A1. The A2 featured a heavy barrel, modified rear sights, spent case deflector, round hand guards and modified pistol grip. The A3 was the newer model which featured a full auto feature instead of the three round burst on the A2s, removable carry handle, and a flat top picatinny rail underneath.
After this innovation the M16 was loved by anyone that has used it in combat. The M16 was so popular that many models and variations were made on it including the infamous M4A1 rifle. The M16 could now be used with a M203 grenade launcher and turned into a DMR model for longer ranges. The M16 rifle still lives on in our hearts. ;D
Basic Information
I bought the G&P m16A3 package from AEX for $315, which was a great find considering that the package and the gun were taken out of stock recently. I was amazed to find such a stunning deal on this gun. After searching far and wide the closest price competitor was a foreign company for the same price as the package, for just the gun. Not taking into account the piles of money that is needed for shipping.
I then took my business elsewhere to Airsoft GI to purchase a few MAG brand midcaps. They are each about $8 and I would highly recommend picking some up.
First Looks
First off, the gun comes in a big box, which is encased by a massive box.The gun is neatly secured by a stack of cardboard holding the barrel and stock firm over a layer of plastic Styrofoam. Mine came with an unknown brand 8.4v 1800mah battery, a HiTech charger, and a G&P metal madcap already in the gun, the gun, a manual, and a black metal flash hider.
Here's a pic of the manual:
Nothing special here, just the basics on shooting, loading, and firing.
The Gun
The first thing I noticed was stunning metal body that was looking up at me when I peeled off the top of the box. The laser engraved trades that are very nicely made.
When I first picked up the gun I noticed the weight. All that metal makes the gun weigh in at a hefty 8 lbs. But the gun still feels light compared to other high quality M16s. After comparing the metal body with my friends CA m15 i could really begin to notice how much better the G&P is. Besides having a darker finish and physically thicker body, the G&P's trades were much better, in my opinion, than the CA.
While shaking the gun with the mag out I heard very little noise that was a good sign. There is a small sticker that can be peeled off but may leave some nasty residue. You can use a cotton swab and some rubbing alcohol to get that stuff off.
The Stock
The stock is made of plastic but there is a textured coating that is rough to resist slippage. The battery is located inside the stock after opening a hatch. Which is fairly easy to figure out.
When observing the stock I noticed that it would wobble a little bit when some force was applied to it. I fixed this problem by tightening the screw inside the stock. It is pretty far in there so I took off the butt plate and got a long screwdriver to reach in there and fix the problem.
The Hop-Up
I found that the stock hop-up was pretty inconsistent. So I switched the stock G&P bucking for a Prometheus soft bucking I picked up from AirsoftGI. I immediately noticed an improvement in consistency
As you can see, right now I have the Systema hop up chamber installed. But you can still get a nice image of how the spent case deflector works and looks. I found it quite annoying trying to open it up. But after a while it gets easier and the performance muscles this thought away.
I also noticed that the dust cover rusted quite easily. But this is an easy fix with some matte black paint to cover it up.
Shooting
I found that with using .2s the stock accuracy was fairly good. Again with the addition of a new bucking the results can be greatly improved. I also found that with a Promy tight bore installed and using AE .25s the shooting results were amazing to say the least.
The fps is fairly powerful which seem to be about at the advertised 370fps. I have done the poor man’s chrono and have gotten the same results.
Right now I am using a custom 9.6 3600mah battery that my friend made me. I'm getting 21rps, which I found out on an audio editing program.
Handling
To the expectations of many, the G&P m16 is no let down on maneuverability. Although the m16 is naturally a long gun, the weight of it helps to counteract the length. Despite its size this gun is light enough to be easily swung around to counter any enemies. The entire gun has a very nice feel. The handguards, grip, and stock all have a very nice color to them with a non-slip grip which fit very well in your hands.
The metal body and furniture are also very solidly built. I have fallen with and on this gun with only a few visibly scratches. The metal body being the main feature is amazingly well built. It has no creaks or wobbles at all after the few adjustments mentioned in this review. For its size and quality, it can withstand the elements of play with no problem and still have the same beautiful finish.
Problems
As with every gun this gun does have its problems. Overall the stock parts are fine except for the O-Ring on the piston head. I noticed that the fps seemed to be fluctuating. When I opened the gearbox the O-Ring was very thin and flimsy so I switched it out with a TM P90 piston from my friend’s broken one. I also noticed that the mags wobbled quite a bit in the magwell. This was solved by wrapping the mags in ~2 wraps of electrical tape on the sides.
Also if you take the pins out too much then they will not fit well at all. This not only happened to me, but also a few people I've talked to complain of the same issue. The addition of some King Arms threaded body pins fixed that in a jiffy.
Although this has not happened to me, I have gotten some complaints that the motor height can be too tight. According to his account the motor was so tight that it was pushing up on the bevel gear which stripped and required some replacement. Which is a more severe thing to look for as a new owner.
I think that the air nozzle could be better. It doesn't mesh well with the G&P hop up (Have a promy hop up waiting to be installed, much better fit) and I can feel the air on my hand next to the mag-well while firing the gun. However, my gun consistently shoots over 400 fps (so it might be a little off, but it can shoot through the bottom middle 10% of the time), and the only upgrades are to the tappet plate and the gears.
More Pictures
The hand guards have a very nice feel to them. But i found that they wobble a just enough not to be a minor annoyance. This may be a problem for some picky users, but for me these are just fine
Right now I'm using a 3-9x Tasco scope mounted on the carry handle that works excellently and looks nice in my opinion. Here's a pic with a home made silencer and a rail that I modded to fit on the bottom of the front hand guard:
And with a home made grenade launcher (no longer with us :'()
Part II
My good friend Night assassin got some performance results with his stock G&P m16. Here is a quick update of the shooting results, pictures, and a quick talk about the G&P M16 from another owner (proud I'm sure ;D)
OK, I took some accuracy shots today. These results might be off because the wind was 30-40 mph and about 20 minutes after I finished taking these, a huge thunderstorm hit. Reports of tornadoes are unconfirmed Grin .
5 Shots taken on semi from 25 feet away from kneeling position using AE .25 bb's. Hop up adjusted to 50% (based on how far the gear turned).
Wind is 30-40 mph right to left
Close up view
These shots were taken at 25 yards, same conditions. Kneeling, 30-40 mph wind, hop up at 50%
Closer view
As you can tell, the bb's were way over hopped for this range test. The two shots that made it onto the target were aimed about a foot below the target.
Conclusions
Recommendations
After some input from a few people I have found that there are a few things that as a potential owner you should know about:
1. Stock Hop up chambers tend to not work well with stock guns.
2. Air Nozzles tend to be a cause of fluctuations in fps
3. Stock Piston O-Rings tend to be very consistent
4. Motor Height can be off
5. Screw for the stock tends to be loose and need tightening to keep it steady
6. Stock body pins come loose fairly easy, and may require a set with screws
Pros:
Metal body
Great stock fps
Good range
Good accuracy
Long barrel
Lots of aftermarket parts
Strong stock parts
Cons:
Kind of expensive (you get what you pay for)
Mags wobble
Cases of stock wobble
Bad stock Bucking
Cases of bad O-rings
Overall I give this gun a
9/10
I was very impressed with the gun so far. There are a few cosmetic problems that may not bother other people. Right now I have a Prometheus Tightbore, using AE .25s, a stock TM O-Ring, a Systema Hop up chamber, and some guarder body pins. If you purchase this gun you are buying a real powerhouse that will last and last.
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