★Classic Army M15 A4 ★

The Classic Army M15 A4 Automatic Electric Gun (AEG) Introduction: Also known as the CA-M15 A4, it is Classic Army's latest incarnation of the manufacturer's AEG series. This model includes many variations. They are M15 A4 Tactical Carbine, M15 Carbine, and M15 A4 Rifle. In this article, the CA M15 A4 will be discussed and reviewed throughly, ranging from its new features to disassembly of its parts in order to give airsoft enthusiasts a better view about the rifle.

Classic Army M15-A4 Airsoft Review

What's New With the Classic Army M15 A4: The power output and the external built quality is the new feature for the Classic Army M15-A4. Also, the plastic parts are made from durable fiber reinforced polymer that is less likely to crack or shatter. Its body went over large improvement as well featuring original decals and fixing up the gearbox. With the pre V4 CA Armalite, catastrophic failures occured with the gearbox mainly because of its spacer/shim to the spring guide fitting. The spacer/shim created a strain on the gears. However, the new Armalite Airsoft Rifles solved this problem and when taken during the Orlando Shot Show back in February 2003, it received good attention and great sucess. The Classic Army M15 A4 Look: The look is the first thing that is noticeable with this Classic Army M15-A4 airsoft rifle. Out of the box, it is the best looking stock/standard AEG that is seen out there so far. The markings look realistic and the plastics also look great. The box is looking similar to that found on TM's, it even has the mock TM style "hopup" logo. However, this Classic Army has its new logo found in the box and the Armalite's own logo in the front as shown in the left picture below. Not just any generic logo, it contains the real one which makes makes a huge difference for some. Out of the packaging, the CA M15 A4 feels very real. Clocking in at 2.7g without any airsoft batteries or magazine, the weight can be easily felt as it is pulled out of the box. Built by the same manufacturers who made the first CA M41, its body feels strong, rigid, and robust. It can pass for the real thing. Also, the texture of the front and rear grips feels very solid. It has no rattling nor any noise with any piece. One can easily tell that this Classic Army M15A4 was constructed from better materials than before. The packaging of the CA M15 A4: Inside the packaging contains the hicap magazine, the cleaning rod, the hopup adjuster, some paperwork, and of course the AEG. Manufacturing Materials of the Classic Army M15-A4 Airsoft Gun: This rifle has three disctinct parts that the gun is made from. They are: * Metal parts: The castings on the carry handle is not as great, similar to the real thing. However, this M15 contains metal parts that is good in quality in every parts that is metal. * Plastic parts: The plastic parts of this M15-A4 are reinforced glass fibers that are less likely to shatter or crack, unlike the previous versions of this gun. The grips are strong and contains a very pleasant texture. * Detailed part: Markings are found in the side of the receiver, which is laser engraved. The sights are robustly built with all the correct lettering.

Features of the M15-A4: The M15A Tactical Carbine sports a metal barrel that is one piece, a removable carry handle, high capacity magazine, engraved receiver, a tougher foregrip, reinforced stock features, and better wiring. The stock can be converted from full to retractable using an M15 Crane Stock One of the improvement from the previous versions is the fire select switch. It has a nice tight fit and clicks into place nicely. The marker of the switch on the other side of the receiver, however, does not turn since there is no way to make the switch go through the gearbox. Unlike the TM Armalite replicas, there is a fake handle just below the carry handle which is just for decoration much like the marker of the fire switch mentioned above. It does not release the dust cover where the hopup is located in this case. At the front of the Classic Army M15 A4 airsoft rifle, the barrel has a nice jetblack, powdercoated look to it. Much like the real M15s. The flash hider is removalble to reveal the 14mm threading for accessory fitment. The front mount features a side mounted sling loop, which is more useful than the underbarrel mounts. Also found underneath the sight are the bayonet lugs, where it is used for bipods. The front side can be placed on the other side of the of the barrel if needed. Simply push out the securing pins then remove and refit the unit. If the sight becomes loose, there is a small allen key threaded bolt located under the front sight. Tighten it if needed. On this CA-M15 A4, with the exception of the Tactical Carbine version, the ring that is slid back to remove the foregrip is now much tougher to move. Unlike the old CA models and some TM's, the new foregrip rings are held on by springs that takes much more strength to move. It is suggested to get the M4/16 foregrip tool for those who would like to store the battery inside the foregrip as this will ease up the process. For those who do not have the M4/16 tool, the process is still possible. The ring can be pushed down by hand to remove the grips. Refitting can also be done the same way. First, place the stock on a flat surface. With the barrel pointing vertically upwards, step over the rifle and place both hands around the ring. Using the body weight, press down on the ring carefully to remove the grips. Towards the back of the carry handle is where the rear sights are fitted. It has both the smaller and larger hole. The larger hole is less accurate, although it allows more light to get through taking easier snap shots of the target. The smaller hole is a bit harder to see through but offers more accurate shots. Some may prefer the larger hole for it offers better visibility even with the tradeoff of having a lesser accuracy. The carry handle is easily removed. It is placed in by a clamp with two screws putting it in place. If it is found to be hard to remove, use a large flathead screwdriver to unscrew. Be careful while uscrewing the carry handle off for any careless turn may damage the threading of the screws. Looking inside the mag well of this Classic Army M15 A4 Airsoft Gun , the bottom of the gearbox is visible with the reinforced hop unit and the metal nozzle. The grip looks very similar to those found on any other M4/16 grip. Although with the Classic Army version, a heat sink style grip is added. This feature plays a good role during hot days or when the AEG is running on higher voltage batteries such as a 9.6 V 1200 mAH Ni-MH battery The motor tightening bolt is large and is accessible enough. However, there is no need to open this part unless during the internal upgrade, which is unlikely. Also, it is good to know that it has a motor tightening bolt instead of an allen wrench bolt that the TM model uses. Therefore, it can easily be loosened and undone when needed. The CA-M15 A4 has a sleek rear stock where the power source is stored inside. In the real version, this is used as a tool storage feature. To fit the battery first take the wire out and connect the batteries. Then, slide the battery rear end first. After, tuck the wires inside and close the stock. The rear sling loop is located owards the bottom. This is where the tactical sling is threaded through so that the AEG can be carried through the shoulders. It is weird that the front sling loop is attached on the side of the gun, but this is how the CA-M15 A4 rifles are designed.

The Ins and Outs of the Classic Army M15-A4: In this part of the review, the functionality as well as the form of the CA M15a4 will be discussed. * Dust cover - The dust cover is located at the side of the body hiding the hopup unit adjuster. It is a snap on door held by a spring. A magnet is attached to hold the door when closed. * Cocking handle - the cocking handle for the CA M15 A4 is mainly just for decoration purpose. It does not serve as a cocking device. It does, however, creates a nice, realistic sound when pulled and released. * Bolt release catch(es) - similar to the cocking handle for CA M15 A4, the lever near the mag release and the push buton on the right hand side near the cocking handle is again just for show. * Mag catch - the mag catch does of course work, as well as the fire select switch and trigger. * Durability - the durability of this Classic Army is quite impressive. A user experimented with its strength by clamping the flashhider to a to a table and suspended the rifle horizontally onto a table. The tip of the M15-A4 rifle survived without suffering any bent.

Inside the CA-M15 A4 Gearbox: There has been improvements with the gearbox of the Classic Army M15 A4. For one, it does not make any more noise compare to the older model. The old M15s had strain on the gears and it did not have enough grease, therefore making a terrible sound. The new gearbox contains a high-speed gears and an EG1000 motor. The gearing is the replica of the Systema standard ratio flat gear set. It also contains a bore-up cylinder, reinforced spring guide and a new yellow piston in the box. Not to mention, CA-M15A4 also has a reinfoced tappet plate, a hopup as well as metal loading nozzle. With the gearbox screws being compatible with philips heads, it makes it easier to work with the mechbox. The wiring for this Classic Army M15s is also improved. The loom is now made from a much nicer, fatter, and more flexible wire set. The previous models of this CA-M15 A4s had wirings that did not seem appealing. The takedown of this rifle is not too difficult. The packaging comes with manual in English and gives thorough instructions. The Classic Army M15-A4 Disassembly: In this part of the article, the takedown of the CA M15 A4 is performed. Using a flathead screwdriver, undo the rear bolt. Make sure that the screwdriver used fits nicely with the bolts. With a little bit of force, tap out the pin itself. Once the pin is out, carefully lever the upper receiver away from the lower. Be gentle and apply a steady pressure. The top receiver will then swing upward and away hinging on the top of the receiver pin. The motion is tight as the metal receiver tabs slide over the gearbox. There are two things that will most likely drop out of the receiver, so be careful as these crucial items may be lost. One is the shiny cover that the dust cover sticks to when it is closed, the other is the bolt release button on the lower rear. It is next to the "ArmaLite" lettering. Undo the nut and take out the front pin. It should look like the left picture above. The bore hole is on the right hand side of the cylinder and therefore is not visible in the picture. It is now ready for the inner barrel to be removed. Take a note, however, of the way it is put back. Some CA-M15 owners has had the mistake of putting the barrel back into place the wrong way with the hopup in the wrong position. Retracting the inner is not very difficult, although it is tightly fit, try not to force it. The hop unit is made of plastic and may break if not careful. Pull the unit backward from the muzzle end and slid the inner barrel out along the receiver. It is tight but fits between the receiver tabs. Once the barrel is out, it is visible that the unit goes right to the end of the barrel and stops just before the flash hider. Make sure that the little spring in the hopup unit is in tight when sticking the innber barrel back in place since not much is holding it. This hopup is a straight copy of the TM version so sourcing spare parts will not be too difficult. Be careful when pushing the inner barrel back into place and do not force the hopup unit since it is not easy to slide it back into place again. Also take extra care when refitting the receiver pins. Make sure that they are nice and tight, for if not, they can be lost. CA M15-A4 Magazines: G&P midcap, TM lowcap, CA Hicap, and TM Hicap magazine are the different magazine selection for CA M15 A4. The magazine vary in color. All have lettering stamped into the base of them. The G&P magazine has "Adventuer MFG.Co.INC. Parsons KS USA" on it. The TM hi/low has the same stamp as well, although in lower case lettering. The CA mag has the stamp "Yick Fung Ind. Int'l Ltd. Classic Army." It is important to note that the Thermold magazine does not fit into the CA receiver for they are about 0.5mm wider. There is minimal feed problems with hi-cap mags for both CA and TM brand, so it is recommended to purchase CA for the CA ArmaLite if price is concerned.

Upgrade Potential 4/5 - internally it's all nicely copied and the same dimensions as TM gear. Externally you'll find that grips and cosmetic addons may not fit so easily because of minor sizing differences. Build Quality 5/5 - built like a rock Value for Money 5/5 - Almost Impossible to fault Overall Potential 5/5 - Classic Army guns are very impressionable

CA M15 A4 Complaints: One of the minor points of criticism for the CA M15 A4 is the dust cover. It is only held on by a piece of magnet attached to it. This may be a cosmetic thing but the metal cover that is meant to look like the real bolt is quite shiny and unrealistic. Also, the absence of the foregrip removal tool which is needed especially for quick battery changes. Conclusion: There has been a significant change to this rifle since its improvement. The CA ArmaLites had a bad reputation before this model came out. The performance is now better and the decals are printed nicely on it. So for the enthusiasts, pick up a Classic Army M15 A4. Source : http://www.airsplat.com/CA-M15A4-Airsoft-Electric-Gun-Review.htm

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