First off, I’d like to say that UTG makes real-steel parts for AR-15s/m4s, so they know what they’re doing when they make a firearm. Obviously it’s easier to make an airsoft gun than a firearm and UTG does it right.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
REAL STEEL HISTORY
ORDERING
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
GUN SPECIFICATIONS
THE BASICS
FEATURES
SLING
BIPOD
HOP-UP
SCOPE
SPEEDLOADER
MAGAZINES
PERFORMANCE
ACCURACY
PROS & CONS
CONCLUSION

REAL STEEL HISTORY(from Wikipedia)
“The Accuracy International PM (Precision Marksman) rifle was entered into a British competition in the early 1980s as a replacement for the Lee-Enfield derived sniper rifles then in use by the British Army (e.g. L42A1). The Accuracy International rifle was selected over the Parker Hale M85. The British Army adopted the Accuracy International PM into service as the L96A1 and outfitted the rifle with Schmidt & Bender 6x42 telescopic sights. In this configuration the rifle is capable of first shot hits with a cold, warm or fouled barrel. Tests with 10.89 g (168 gr) ammunition provided sub 0.5 MOA ten-shot groups at 91 m (100 yd) and the rifle was supplied with a telescopic sight, bipod, five magazines, sling, cleaning kit and tool roll, encased in a fitted transport case.[3]

A few years later, the Swedish military were also on the hunt for a new rifle, and Accuracy International entered an upgraded version of the PM, now known as the AW or Arctic Warfare. This was the start of the Arctic Warfare name, which would become the primary name of the rifle family despite its earlier names...

It has since spawned an entire family of sniper rifles using the Arctic Warfare name, and has been adopted by a number of other countries, including Australia, Belgium, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Latvia, Malaysia, Norway, The Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Other AI rifles descended from the L96A1 include the AI AE, and the AI AS50....”

Now, onto the review.

ORDERING:
I ordered this gun from PyramydAir.com for a total of $179.95 plus
5000 .25g Air Venturi CQBBS Pro,$11.80. In total I paid $191.75 because they had free ground shipping.
The gun promptly arrived in a large box safe and sound with bubble wrap instead of those annoying packing peanuts. On top of that the gun’s box had sturdy styrofoam inside. It is extremely doubtful that your package would get damaged if you ordered from PyramydAir.com.


FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

When this gun first arrived in the mail I was ecstatic. The box art is sexy and sleek, while the heftiness of it is your clue there’s something special inside. When I first opened the box I let loose the maniacal laugh of a child on Christmas morning! I pulled the pieces from the box and eyed them like a predator eyes his prey. I thought, “This is what I’ve been waiting for!”

When you open the box you will find:
the gun itself (in two pieces),
a pair of allen wrenches,
a speedloader,
two magazines,
a manual,
and a sling.
Also included with this package are:
a Leapers Tactedge 4x40 Red/Green illuminated scope,
and 1000 TSD precision BBs.

READ THE MANUAL. UTG has done a very nice job making it and it explains how to put the gun together. If you don’t follow it’s instructions you may damage your rifle.


GUN SPECIFICATIONS:
Weight: 8 lbs. (3600g) without bipod
Length: 48.4” (1230.0mm)
Magazine Capacity: 23 rounds
Hop-Up: Adjustable
Type: Bolt Action Spring Sniper

FEATURES:
Once you piece the gun together it is extremely comfortable! One of the first things I noticed was that this gun is almost entirely designed for a right-handed user. The bolt, safety, and elevation knob on the scope are on the right side of the gun.

Nowhere on this gun does it say Mattel or Playskool. When you pick this thing up you have to convince yourself that it ISN’T a real firearm before you shoot at a living person, even if they’re wearing protection.
At just over four feet long, this gun was clearly designed to be a sniper rifle. This gun is incredibly sturdy and is nearly full metal.The only plastic on this gun is the ABS stock. The weight also adds to the great feel.

Now here’s and interesting tidbit for all of you out there: since the cheek rest is fully adjustable with these allen screws you can remove it entirely in order to use full face masks.

This way your eyes line up with the scope perfectly. Just remember not to lose the screws!
When you pull back the bolt for the first couple of times it will be a little sticky, but the action will smooth out after a while. If you pull the bolt back too fast, it will mis-feed, but you’re trying to be quiet anyway, aren’t you?

SLING
I’d like to get this out of the way first: you can use the provided sling with this gun if need to. If you attach the sling to the sling mounts like this,

instead of this.

If you mount the sling using that method you’ll be utilizing the stronger part of the sling to carry the weight of the gun.
There are four sling mounts, two on either side of the gun.

BIPOD
The bipod folds up easily and can be turned around for what UTG calls ‘stealth mode’ without tools.

However, when folded in ‘stealth mode’, the bipod blocks the magwell.

The legs extend out using threaded rings.

I have heard people complain about the bipod being wobbly over and over again. But, as stated in the manual: “The bipod pans for easy aiming adjustment” . So, it’s supposed to do that, and I for one, having used rigid bipods before, prefer this bipod over anything else that I own.

HOP-UP

The hop-up is kind of hard to get at, as it is in the gap between the magazine release and the body of the gun. You use the smaller of the two silver allen wrenches that came with this gun to adjust it. I however, don’t use it. I’m happy to have the scope zeroed in to the factory setting.

SCOPE
This gun package comes with a Leapers Tactedge 4x40 Red/Green Illuminated scope. When I pulled this out of it’s box, I was shocked at the quality of what I found! I thought “Holy @#%&! This can’t possibly be for an airsoft gun!” . Later on when I read the manual for it I found out that it was designed for use with real-steel weapons as well as airsoft guns!

It’s fully adjustable, and also comes with flip up lens covers that really help protect your scope.

SPEEDLOADER
The speedloader uses a pistol adapter that has an annoying tendency to fall off.

One way to take care of this problem is to use adhesive backed tape to latch the adapter to the speedloader.

You really want to make sure that you don’t lose the adapter because loading the mags by hand while you’re under fire is not an option.

MAGAZINES
The Magazine well is forward of the bolt. 

The magazines are made of metal and ABS plastic. 

To release the magazines you pull the metal tab towards the butt of the gun. The mags have a heavy weight that screams durable.

PERFORMANCE:
This gun was chronographed at PyramydAir’sPyramydAir’s range and here are the results:
450-480 fps with .20g BBs
410-420 fps with 0.28g BBs
310-320 fps with 0.43g BBs

I did some tests of my own to prove this. I shot at the bottom of a soda can and WHAP! It shot straight through and managed to dent the top of the can as well!
This means that you can reach targets up to 230 ft away while in concealment, and your enemy will have to run at least fifty yards to get close enough to shoot back.
ACCURACY
I did two tests for the best comparison.

The conditions for both tests were:
85 degrees fahrenheit
Slight winds with strong gusts
Uphill at a 2-3º slope
Muzzle 25 yards from the target (75 ft)
Using .25g Air Venturi CQBBS PRO

For my tests I shot at paper plates to show you scale.

In my first grouping you can see a few strays that were caught by the wind.

I fired a total of eight shots here. If you see other marks on the plate, those are from when I hung it on my backstop with thumbtacks.
My first grouping wasn’t that impressive for two reasons,
1. I had stored the weapon inside and the barrel was warming up
2. My timing against the gusts of wind was bad

Once both the gun and I had warmed up, I took another eight shots at a new plate. The wind gusted pretty bad for the first three and caused strays, but in-between gusts I did this.

Now, I’m no marksman, but if you are, you could surely do better than I did. So, while your enemy is trying to get a shot off while running, you can pick a soft spot and make it EVEN HARDER for them to get you back!

PROS & CONS:
PROS:
Nice Packaging
Hefty
Excellent Replica
Powerful
Quiet
Included Scope and Bipod
Price
Accuracy
Size
FEEL
RANGE
FUN
CONS:
Adapter piece on speedloader
Mis-feeding of BBs if the bolt is pulled too fast
ROF
CONCLUSION:
If you are an airsoft sniper and want range, accuracy, power AND feel, I highly recommend the UTG l96 Green KIT from PyramydAir.com.

This gun is terrific fun, I’m so glad I ordered mine! Now, I’ll be out back with it laughing maniacally...

-CJ 

Have any questions or comments about this review? Ask in the forums!

http://www.airsoftcore.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=51117

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First I'm sorry for the typing mistakes, my English isn’t perfect



***THE REVIEW***



The REAL eye-opener on skims



The VFC M82A1 mid term is a FULL METAL replica with the total length of 1448mm
And a total weight of 9000g

The price I paid for it incl transport was 1550€ or 1,974.62 USD



When I saw him, my first ideas where, ‘oh my god what a large flash hider'.
It's almost as large a normal cd. And has the same measures of a real one, also the production methods are the same.











The carry handle feels comfortable and is no luxury for the 9kilo heavy replica. The weight is spread around the M82A1.



The M82A1's body is powder coated, most of the parts are made by steel for better welding effect. However, barrel, muzzle brake, and bipod are made by aluminum for lightweight purpose. But are at least as strong as the body itself.
The air holes in the upper receiver are great for adding a long RIS plate like I did.







It has flip-up front and rear sight and 2400 yards adjustable rear sight, provides same operating feeling compares to real one.







Also a RIS to add a Scope for those who don't like to shoot on iron sights.







On the photo you also can see the SIX grooves in the barrel for the realism.
The barrel itself can be retracted manually to simulate short recoil barrel principal.







The barrel can be fully retracted for transport (only when M82A1 is striped)
The stripping of the airsoft version is the same as the real steel version.
Pulling the 2 pins out is enough to open it.
Before you remove the upper receiver, you must withdraw the hop up because else you can't remove the receiver.




About the magazine.

The magazine has the same measures as the real steel version.
Has a capacity of 40bb's and weights about 500 - 1000g







With the magazine comes an 8mm bb loader with the shape and measures of a .50
There are no feeding problems because it works on the same Principe of a lowcap.



The large spring pushes the bb's up





For those who want a comparison with the M15A magazine here it is.






To enter the hop up, the bolt carrier must be pulled backward.
Then you see the bullet shaped hop up.
The Hop up can be adjusted by turning on the front of the bullet (black piece). The adjustment of the hop up is a little tough because the black piece is hard to turn around.
The hop up rubber is a very frail rubber, and brakes with no mercy when handled wrong.







The bipods are aluminum made, and can be collapsed to the back or to the front.
They cannot be removed, and have also 2 column of holes
The feet of the bipods are flat and can be adjusted in height when needed.



The inner barrel is an 850mm long precision barrel with inner diameter of 8,00mm...
The material is unfortunately in a soft metal, so it deforms quick, when you fasten it to heavy.



The stock is full metal and welded to the lower receiver.
At the end the rubber pad provides a relative soft feeling.
The gas must be filled at the back; the cylinder is in the replica and not like all other in the magazine.



The cylinder is about 30cm long and 4-5cm high, the M82A1 is relative economical with gas.


With a full gas chamber you can fire about 3-4 magazines.
It comes with high flow valves, and when you shoot you see the gas escaping at the muzzle (which is a nice effect).


When pulling the trigger, the nozzle pushes the bb into the hop up chamber,
Only the last few mm are to shoot the bb. When you shoot you must pull very hard, and you will not shoot 100bb's in a row, just because of the hardness of the trigger, which is fixed.



When shooting you almost hear no sound and the M82A1 also has no blowback of recoil. But when it shoot's it shoots hard.
I tried with all kinds of gas, and I came up with following.



0,34g 430FPS with HFC134

0,34g 800FPS with red gas



The service of VCF is just magnificent.

I needed a new hop up rubber, hop up spring and they send it free to me, without any charges.



Now some last pictures of it...

Overall pictures









Scope view





Open bullet chamber




Closed Bullet chamber









M82A1 VS M15A4 with silencer VS P90TR


[




ME holding my M82A1




Custom case for M82A1:



my cat makes the comparison complete








Tasmanian Devil also likes the M82A1















some photo's in our bunker and with ghillie suit.























and last my own desktop






- Davy

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Introduction I went after this gun and purchased it from Redwolf Airsoft trying to find an efficient, and affordable sniper rifle. A lot of airsofters would never consider ‘good sniper rifles’, and ‘affordable’ to belong in the same sentence, but Tokyo Marui’s new spring powered rifle raised a lot of eyebrows. From the start however, I knew this would not be the best rifle ever or anything like, but I was hoping that it would be very competitive with the best AEG’s and serve the role of sniper for an everyday airsoft squad. This I feel that it did come through. I got the gun upgraded to 450 fps in order to make sure that it outranged nearly all AEGs I would encounter on the field, and got the G-Spec version in order to add a scope and for the stylish silencer. I also got two magazines, which hold 30 rounds a piece. Look and Feel The gun is a little on the light side compared to AEGs weighing in at 2.09 kg, though I do wish that it was a little heavier, it does still feel durable. The gun is entirely plastic besides the outer barrel and silencer, which are both light weight metals which explain the light weight of the gun. The bolt is also metal and I do not have much fear of it breaking under ordinary use, but it obviously does not really contribute much weight to the gun. It is a comfortable and easy gun to aim as it is nice and balanced, and the fact that it is lightweight makes it easy to maneuver around with. The silencer does worry me a little bit in terms of durability, because it is a part of the gun that is sometimes ignored in the heat of a battle, and bumping it hard against a tree may break or damage it. Do not get me wrong it would take quite a fall or quite and impact, but it is still something that I was considering while playing. The gun looks very nice as pictures will reveal, and looks even better with a scope on, which was used in battle, but not pictured with this review. My personal take on the look is to get the G-Spec version simply for the silencer and scope mount. The silencer just makes it look a lot better in my opinion, as the gun seems too short without and not enough like a sniper rifle. The sniper look really comes out when a silencer is added to any gun, and this holds up true in this case as well. The scope mount is also a good idea since it does not have any other sights, so mounting sights would be a good idea, and looks wise (since it is in the looks section); it will definitely add to the overall look of the gun. A good look at the metal bolt Function The bolt pulled back… Push forward and your ready to fire There is nothing complicated with the function of this gun, it is simply a bolt actions sniper rifle. The fact that it is 450 fps does not make pulling the bolt back particularly easy, but that is all that you have to do. What I like particularly about the gun is that it is a low stress airsoft product. What I mean by this is that there is not much to worry about since there are no batteries to be charged, gas to be loaded, and it will not use up that many BB’s. You buy the gun and you are good to go, and you can simply pick up the gun, your mask and some BB’s and hit the airsoft battlefield without any problems. Like other bolt actions, you lift up the bolt, pull it back, slide it back forward once it locks, and fold the bolt back in towards the gun. Then of course you fire. There is a safety on the gun, but for mine it does not work. I do not know why, but it may be something that you check right away, and be extremely careful while using it. I do not know if mine is defective, but I do know that my safety does not work, I would be interested to know if this is the case for others with the same gun. Magazine slot on the bottom of the gun The magazines are very simple and easy to take in and out. You simply pop the small 30 round magazine into the button of the front grip, and shoot. When the magazine is expended, there is a small magazine release button which you press, and then you can easily pull the magazine out, and place another one in if you like. Loading the magazine has proved to be a bit tedious since you have to load them in nearly one by one. There was no loading tool included or anything, but it is not too bad once you get the hang of it, and considering how few BBs there are to actually load and shoot. But loading a magazine in a battle will not be too easy and because of this make sure to have some sort of alternative like an extra magazine, pistol, or a nearby spotter. Magazine removed and inside of slot My two magazines up close and personal Performance This gun basically performed as I had anticipate, since it shot hard and accurate, but nothing spectacular. When using the gun I used .25g BB’s since that was all I had around, and the gun shot very accurately. The wind had some effect on the BB’s, and the gun was not perfectly accurate by any means, but when it comes to hitting a person size object in a battle, it is as accurate as you are going to need. As most airsofters know, when the BB’s get effected by the wind, accuracy can still be determined by consistency, and this gun was consistent. The BB’s tailed off to the right slightly, and every shot did that while the wind was moving. Now for those of you who have shot pellet guns, do not expect the same kind of consistency from this gun. I used to shoot pellet guns myself, and when you get a scope on them you can pretty much zero it in to hit a can sized object anytime the crosshairs are on it. This is not the case with scopes and this gun. You can zero it in indoors and get similar results (will not be quite as accurate but very close), but once you are exposed to the environments of the airsoft field like elevation, wind, and distance, you will not be perfectly zeroed in. This is not like the movies or video games; you must adjust your shots with your target, and can not depend on getting a hit simply because the crosshairs are on the guy (from longer distances of course). This should be obvious to most, since airsoft guns are affected by the conditions more so than other guns like pellet and real steel. From all of this rambling I must say that I recommend heavier BB’s. Since I was playing on a windy day, I realized quickly how hard it was going to be to score a long distance shot, so I was forced to wait until target got closer. This was frustrating being more of a run and gun type myself, but I was able to be patient and get guys out. Heavier BB’s should however be able to cut through the wind with less effect, therefore allowing long distance shooting. I will have to test this out further and report back. While using the gun I had a few flashbacks to running around with springer G3a3’s and M16’s due to the fact that the gun is essentially a springer on steroids. It makes the sound of a springer, but louder (and better of course), and it requires the cocking, but much more difficult. The gun retails under $200 stock and I began to think that this would be like the king of spring weapons in the stock form as it shoots very well, is reliable, for a spring weapon with its price. So to anyone looking for a spring gun to play with other spring guns (and by play I mean destroy) this may be a gun to consider since as you move up to compete with AEGs, you are only one upgrade away to being a force on that battlefield as well. Moving around with this gun was good for the most part. The gun is light which means it does not wear on you over time, and also is balanced making it easy to maneuver and aim. It is also quiet since there are not any moving parts to be rattling around, though I do not know why there would be on a sniper rifle. The only trouble I encountered was the silencer. A couple times when taking cover I felt like it just got in the way. This may be due to the fact that I am used to the shorter AEG, but it just seemed to slow me down the first time out there when it came to sticking the gun through the hole in the stick wall, or poking it out of the trench, and things like that. The silencer does make the gun sound a little duller if you know what I mean, and to me it just makes it sound better. The silencer just has gray foam inside of it which is there to quiet the noise of the shot obviously, and is made of some sort of lightweight metal. I do not plan to ever take it off in use, but I do not think it would seriously affect the game if I did take it off. The silencer insides revealed Who should want this gun? This gun is a great buy simply because it is simple, and is reasonably priced. If you want to have a good spring rifle made by an extremely reliable company for backyard battles and target practice, this would be a good choice if you left it stock. For those on a low budget and want to be able to simply join in on and compete on the AEG battlefield, this would also be good with a moderate upgrade. With the right upgrade this also can act as a fairly cheap sniper rifle, and a nice addition to someone’s arsenal. The thing I liked about the gun the most, and what I think would appeal to the most people, is the fact that it can satisfy the sniper urge and be cheap on your wallet. I personally get the urge sometimes to go out there as a sniper, and I have always wanted to have a sniper rifle around for this purpose. I now have that rifle at a fair price, and when I get tired of the hassle of AEGs, I can simply jump out there and be a sniper… Now that is just me, but I imagine that a lot of airsofters feel the same way that I do To conclude I recommend Redwolf Airsoft as they did a fine job in the upgrading, and are also easy to deal despite being overseas. I also recommend the VSR-10 as something worth its price. I say this not because it looks awesome, feels awesome, or performs spectacular; but because in true Marui fashion you get what you pay for, and it works when you need it.

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Dylan - February 12, 2010 Somes the gun up perfectly. after reading this i think im trading for one except the idiot im getting it from has a 400% spring in there. this is idiotic. he also has a pdi tightbore in there that he says increases the ra range by about 50 ft. also i know AEX has a scope mount for this. ive heard the scope was good but the mount is crap. thanks for the review

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APS2? The APS-2 SV is the most common airsoft sniper rifle purchased; they are quite cheap in price ranging from $265.00 to $320.00 depending on retailer, you can also get a load of upgrade parts for the APS-2 SV. Everything from heavier rated springs, gas bolt kits, tight bore barrels, adjustable hop-ups, and reinforced trigger mechanisms. You can mount just about any scope to the rifle, and there is a weaver-type mount already on the rifle, you can even attach a bi-pod to the rifle. <Picture of stock Maruzen APS-2 SV Out of the box, it has decent power and range, but to get the full potential of the rifle, you’ll need to upgrade it. The rifle has a fixed hop-up that is said to be set for the Maruzen .29g Grand Master BBs. You can also attach a silencer to the rifle, which makes the rifle very appealing, and let’s not forget about the ORCA stock. So, as you can see the APS-2 SV have quite a big variety of parts available and can be made into a very good sniper weapon. That is probably why the rifle is so commonly used and is so popular with airsoft snipers. So, with all that out of the way, let’s get on with SHADOW’s review of his custom built APS-2 SV “SHADOW”. So why an APS-2 SV? When I first purchased the Maruzen APS-2 SV, I was looking to just replace my PDI M24 SOCOM. It was stolen from me (by a stroke of luck I got it back) so I was looking to get another M24, but none of the on-line airsoft retailers had any in stock at the time. One of the retailers told me about the Maruzen APS-2 SV and that he had one in stock, I had read and saw pictures of the APS-2 SV and was really not that impressed with it. But, I needed a bolt-action sniper rifle and I needed one quick, so I decided to go ahead and get the APS-2 SV. I thought once I was able to get an M24, I could just sell the APS, Wrong! I totally fell in love with the rifle and now I use it 90 to 95% of the time. The rifle is so versatile, has so many upgrade parts, and accessories you can just about build the best sniper weapon with it, and when upgraded the performance will surprise you. Out the box: Stock the APS-2 SV right out of the box is not a bad rifle, I never chrono’d my APS when it was stock, but it has been said. That the rifle in stock form can/will shoot in the range of 275 to 300 fps and maybe a little over, if I had to guess I would assume that to be a close guess on it’s velocity. The range of a stock APS-2 SV is pretty good and with the right conditions you could easily make shoots out to 55-60 yards, the accuracy may not be there, but you’ll hit the target. For looks the APS-2 SV is not up to par with the PDI M24 SOCOM or some of the other sniper rifles that are out. The M24 is just a beautiful weapon to look at, has way more realism to it, and the APS-2 SV looks more toyish but it can be improved upon. The APS-2 SV is also very light in weight compared to the M24, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, if you don’t want a heavy weapon then the APS-2 SV is a good choice. As for the stock internals, the APS-2 SV isn’t as durable as the M24, the APS-2 SV’s stock piston and spring guide are plastic whereas in the M24 they are metal. You can upgrade the APS-2 SV to make it powerful as much as you can with an M24; the APS-2 SV comes with a fixed hop-up, set for Maruzen .29g Grand Master BBs. I did try these BBs and find them to be a bit light even when stock, some have said that the .3g BBs work better, and some have said the .33g work better. I personally think that the .36g BBs work the best, that is pretty much all I use in the rifle. I have used the .43g BBs, but they seemed to be a bit heavy for a stock APS-2 SV. I highly recommend to anyone planning on purchasing an APS-2 SV to experiment with the different weight BBs out there on the market. One of the things that also appealed to me about the APS-2 SV is the fact that you could attach a silencer to the rifle. At the time when I purchased the rifle there were no silencers available or they were hard to find, now you can get one and have a few choices to pick from. I had a silencer built for me by a local machine shop; it was made of aluminum and didn’t really silence the rifle. It was more for looks; the only problem was even though it was made of aluminum, it was still pretty heavy on the rifle. The existing threads in the barrel of the rifle where the stock flash hider is attached were kind of light duty, and I was worried that a silencer would damage the threads, so I rarely left the silencer on the rifle for long periods of time. The custom built silencer mounted on SHADOW’s APS-2 SV. One other problem with the APS-2 SV is it is short in length, or at least for me it is (unlike the M24 that has an adjustable stock). The APS-2 SV does have an adjustable stock, but you can only make it shorter by removing one or more of the spacers for the butt plate. For taller people or anyone with longer reaches, the APS- 2 SV needs to be lengthened, this is an easy fix and all it requires is making or getting additional spacers for the butt plate. Let the APS-2 surgery begin! Now that I have went through my impressions of the APS-2 SV in stock form, I will tell you what I have had done to mine to make it a formidable sniper weapon system. The plan was to build a sniper weapon that had good range, so I could engage my targets at long distance. It would also need to be accurate at the distances that I wanted or would be engaging my targets, but I also wanted a silencer for it that functioned, and so that I didn’t have to worry about it damaging the rifle. So, with all that in mind I turned the ideas and rifle over to a friend of mine. Who is a machinist by trade and does all upgrades on my airsoft weapons, his name is Barry Saitta, and I want to give him all the credit for building and designing the rifle. Now known as the APS-2 SV “SHADOW”, without his expert skill with fabricating parts, and his knowledge of what upgrade would best give me what I wanted. The rifle you see pictured in this review would not have been possible without him, so I would like to thank him here for all his hard work and time. The guts: I’ll start with what Barry did to upgrade the internals of the APS-2 SV, but before I do I’ll tell you what it was upgraded with, before she was transferred into the APS-2 SV “SHADOW”. When I received my APS-2 SV for the first time, it didn’t stay stock for long, I knew that to be reliable, durable, accurate and consistent the APS-2 SV would need to be upgraded so a PDI 200% spring, a PDI steel spring guide, PDI V3 vacuum piston, cylinder and a steel trigger mechanism was installed. The rifle shot 400 fps and was quite accurate I was going to stay with the upgrade parts that I had and only add a tight bore barrel. After discussing this with Barry, I decide to go ahead and upgrade the internals again. Here is what the APS-2 SV “SHADOW” is now upgraded with. It currently features a PDI 300% spring, PDI steel spring guide, PDI L2 cylinder set with V3 vacuum piston, taper cylinder head, and an OK 6.03mm inner barrel cut to length. The steel trigger mechanism that was installed in the early upgrade will remain in the rifle as it will now be needed to handle the 300% spring, as of right now the bolt handle is stock but it will probably be upgraded with a FIRST reinforced bolt handle later. Just to be on the safe side, don’t want the bolt handle snapping off at the wrong moment with these internal upgrades, the APS-2 SV should shoot 500 fps, giving me good range and accuracy. You can read the test results on how the rifle performed farther on down the review. Before picture of SHADOW’s Maruzen APS-2 SV After picture of the Maruzen APS-2 SV “SHADOW” 'Beauty is in the eye of the owner...' For the cosmetics to give the APS-2 SV “SHADOW” it’s awesome looks, as you can tell it basically looks the same as it did in the before picture, only it has a silencer and the sun shade for the scope has been added to it in the after picture. I’ll start with the silencer it does function and silences the rifle quite nicely, you do still hear the “tang” of the piston hitting, but the sound of the expelling air is virtually silenced. The silencer is made of T-6 6061 aircraft aluminum that is very light, extremely strong, and was the best material to make the silencer from. The stock length of the inner barrel is 400mm and the plan called for the outer barrel to be lengthened to 24” with silencer attached. Barry and I both decided that to get better range, it would be best to lengthen the inner barrel, and being that the outer barrel with silencer attached would be a full 24”. Custom built silencer is 15-3/8” in length. The inner barrel was going to have to be lengthened too, so an OK 6.03mm inner barrel was purchased, the OK inner barrel is 599mm in length, and so it would need to be precisely cut down to 522mm. A full 122mm longer then the stock length of 400mm, the inner barrel would extend all the way to the end of the silencer. Business end of the custom silencer. A plug was made from a piece of solid plastic rod, and a hole big enough for the inner barrel to fit through was precisely drilled in the center. This plug was inserted into the existing outer barrel to help hold the new longer inner barrel in the center, and it would also help in the prevention of barrel wobble. The silencer was going to be an extension of the outer barrel, so to attach it securely to the outer barrel the outer barrel would need to be equipped with outer threads, so the silencer could be threaded on to it. This was done with a thread cutting tool, and was a pain-staking, nerve-racking process from what I was told. The threads would have to be prefect and match with the threads in the inside of the silencer, where it threaded down onto the outer barrel. The custom-built Maruzen APS-2 SV “SHADOW” Once, this was done the internals for the silencer was constructed, if you remember at the beginning of the review, I stated that I wanted the silencer to function. So, to do this a baffle with sections or spaces was built and then each section or space were wrapped individually with fiberglass insulation, and then the whole length had foam cell insulation pulled over it. The silencer is 15-3/8” in length and 5-¼” in diameter measured across it‘s 44mm, the end plates are made of 1/16” aluminum flat plate and the rear plate had a piece of aluminum hollow tubing milled down to just a shade under 1” welded to the inside of the rear plate. Which was cored in the center so it could slide over the outer barrel and the interior of the aluminum hollow tube was tapped with threads. The rear end plate was stamped with a special stamping tool and press to get it it‘s shape, the front plate was drilled in the center and is what will be the exit hole for the BB coming out of the inner barrel. Measurements were critical and needed to be precise so measurements were checked, re-checked, and then checked a third time. Both end plates were welded on the main body of the silencer. Then a whole lot of grinding and sanding on the weld marks to make them smooth and unnoticeable was done. Once, the silencer was completed it was cleaned, prepped, primed, and then painted flat black to match the rest of the rifle. Onto that stock... Now, that the silencer was completed the focus was turned to the stock and as I said, at the beginning. The APS-2 SV is short in length or at least for me it is and for taller people or anyone with a long reach, will/might have some problem with that. Either getting additional spacers for the butt plate or making your own spacers can easily fix this. I did try to make my own spacers, as I could not find anywhere to buy additional spacers for the rifle. Some of you might be thinking why didn’t I get the ORCA stock and I’ll reply with I just didn’t like the way it looked. After, looking at it at varies websites on APS-2 SV, it just didn’t appeal to my taste. BlackHawk Industries Tactical Eye Relief Cheek Pad To add some weight to the APS-2 SV, which will help stabilize the rifle when you are setting up for a shot Barry filled the hollow stock with expanding foam that he sprayed into the stock, and once it set up he cut and filed any excess foam off. This was done before the butt plates were installed and it did add a little more weight to it, and it made the stock feel more solid too. This was done with the barrel assembly removed off of the stock, and caution should be taken as to not get any foam pass the rear part of the trigger guard. I also added a BlackHawk Industries, Tactical Eye Relief Cheek Pad to help raise my line of sight, so my eye is even with the scope and it helps with aiming due to the low profile of the APS-2 SV’s stock. You can get one of these cheek pads for about $20.00 from www.blackhawkindustries.com. FPS limits and all: Being that the team I am on has a set limit of 500 fps with .2g BBs on all sniper weapons with a minimum engagement range of 70 ft. there was no reason why not to bump it all the way up to the limit. So, the barrel assembly was disassembled, cleaned, and the new upgrades were installed. A new PDI 300% spring to replace the existing 200% spring, PDI L2 cylinder with V3 vacuum piston, taper cylinder head, steel spring guide, and the new tight bore inner barrel was fitted into place. The K2 steel trigger box was kept, as it would now be needed to handle the 300% spring. The bolt handle is stock and should be able to handle the heavier spring, but later it will be replaced with a FIRST reinforced bolt handle, just to be on the safe side. I would experiment again with the different weight BBs to see what would be best for the new upgrades, but more then likely I would stay with the .36g BBs. If I do find out that a lighter or heavier BB will work better then I will use those, but I have had great success with the .36g BBs and they seem to be the good happy medium for the fixed hop-up that I was looking for. The other accessories that you see on the rifle I pretty much just stayed with what I was originally using. Hey! If it ain’t broke, don’t fit it. Right? ^_^ So, starting with the bipod that is mounted on the front of the stock. It is the Versa-Pod bipod and you can get one from www.tapco.com for about $60.00. The reason why I decided to go with the Versa-Pod bipod is for the fact that it had fully adjustable legs with a maximum lift of 11-1/4” and a minimum lift of 8”. It can be quickly detached and attached with just a push of a button to lock and unlocked the bipod. The adaptor stays in place and can be used as a small handgrip, allowing more comfortable shooting and better control; it also has a sling swivel with push-button sling release. Bipod To mount the Versa-Pod bipod all you need to do is just remove the barrel assembly, place the mounting adapter for the bipod as far forward to the front of the underside of the stock, center it on the stock, and with a center punch, make a index mark. Now, drill a hole through the stock where you made the index mark the same size as the mounting bolt, you will need to get a slightly longer bolt and if you can’t find one that is quite long enough. Just go with the one that is closest and you can use washers as spacers or shims. Then all you need to do is tighten up the bolt, but don’t tighten it to tight, or you could crack the stock. It is plastic... remember? One of the features that I liked about the Versa-Pod bipod is the fact that you can remove it and put it back on with hardly any effect. The other reason is that you can tilt the rifle from side to side if need be, and the bipod stays in place. It has proven to be the best, most versatile bipod I have never used. Sling As for the sling, you can go with just about any sling you want; it is really up to you and what your personal preference is. There is an endless supply of different types of slings out on the market today. I was not really concerned with the sling, just wanted one that looked good, was of quality material and built, no more then a 1-¼” in width, and adjustable. So, I went to the local hunting store and find a black, 1” wide, adjustable, military-type web nylon sling for about $10.00, it works just fine and looks sharp too. Scope For the optics of the rifle, which is the most important part of any sniper weapon. Not saying that you can’t snipe without the scope, just you need some kind of sighting system on your rifle. The APS-2 SV does not have any iron sights on it like the APS-2 OR, which is like the Hunter Version of the Maruzen APS Series. I kept the same scope that I originally bought for the rifle which is the Leaper’s AccuShot Series Scope that www.tapco.com offers, and my choose for magnification was the 2.5x-10x with a objective diameter of 56mm. The Leaper’s AccuShot Scopes are fairly cheap in price ranging from about $50.00 to $100.00, but they are very good, quality-built scopes. They have a one-piece tube, which makes it a stronger design, their lenses are multi-coated which helps reduce glare and gets a clearer view. They are nitrogen filled so they don’t fog up, they are waterproof, shock proof, and they come in a matte black finish. And best of all they have a lifetime guarantee. The reticle style is the standard Duplex with windage and elevation adjustments ¼” (1 click @ 100 yds.), a field of view 41’-10’ @ 100 yds. The scope is very light in weight only weighting 25.4 oz. with a length of 14.6”. You will need to get the 30mm rings because the tube diameter is 30mm; the APS-2 SV comes with a weaver-type mount already attached to it, so you don’t have the worry about finding a mount for it. Big objective scopes allow more light to come in, which can cause glare problems. So the Leaper’s Sun Shade was a definite must have item for the scope which can be removed when there is low light, and put back on if the sun goes high and bright. I also equipped the scope with Quake Industries, Inc. Bushwacker Optic Len Covers that are available from www.quakeinc.com for about $8.00 a piece. These are flip-up lens covers that slip onto the ends of the scope and with a slight flip of your finger they pop open and up out of the way. You can get black lens covers or yellow lens covers; I would recommend the black lens covers. Finished? Barry finally completed building the APS-2 SV “SHADOW” and called me to tell me he would be delivering it to me that evening, while on the telephone with me. He told me he fired 5 test rounds out of the rifle and they were the Maruzen .29g Grand Master BBs. He said, that the rifle was also quite hard to cycle the bolt, but I was expecting that with the 300% spring. He also said, that the trigger pull felt a little heavier and when the trigger finally did release the BB shot out and curved straight up almost instantly. That evening when Barry delivered the rifle to me I decided that I would wait till I did the testing before I tried to cycle the bolt myself. I had prepared for the initial testing and had on hand varies weight BBs these included the Maruzen .29g Grand Master and Maruzen .3g BBs, along with Straight .36g Sniper Grade BBs and .43g BBs. I tried to get some .33g BBs, but was unable to locate any on-line retailer that had them in stock. I started with the Maruzen .29g Grand Master BBs first, loaded 25 rounds into the magazine and popped the mag into the rifle. I figured that the scope would need to be zeroed, due to the fact it was removed from the rifle while it was going through the transformation, but I needed to see how the BBs were going to react to the new upgrades. So, zeroing the scope would have to wait for now. I set my targets up one at 100 ft., one at 150 ft. and another at 200 ft. with the mag loaded into the rifle and the rifle sitting on the bench rest. I reached for the bolt handle and with a smooth, easy upward motion I began to cycle the first round into the chamber. As Barry had stated on the telephone, the rifle was quite hard to cycle as I began to pull the bolt handle back and then forward again. This was no surprise to me as I had heard that the heavier springs like the 250%, 300%, and higher springs would make the rifle harder to cycle the bolt. The first shots: I was in the sitting position at the bench rest and I thought to myself that it was going to be a challenge to cycle the bolt when I am in the prone position. But, that is the price I will have to pay. I took careful aim at the center of the 100 ft. target, breathing in deeply three times and on the last breath, I held and slowly squeezed the trigger. I then knew what Barry was talking about the differences in the trigger pull; it did seem to be a bit heavier. So, I release my breath and again readied myself for the shot, knowing that my squeeze would need to be adjusted to compensate for the new trigger feel. I took careful aim at the target again, taking three breaths, and holding the last one I slowly squeezed the trigger, and it released. Sending the Maruzen .29g Grand Master BB, straight out and up as soon as it left the barrel. I was quite happy with the silencer as it silenced the rifle rather nicely, you do still hear the “tang” of the piston hitting, but it’s not that bad. Anyway, I again cycled the bolt for the next shot still using the .29g BBs I wanted to give each BB weight a decent chance, so I was going to fire at least one full magazine of each weight of BBs. Well, the next and just about all the others accept for a few shots that curved off to the side weren’t any better and they went straight up as well. Next, I popped the next magazine into the rifle it was loaded with Maruzen .3g BBs and it didn’t shoot any better with those BBs either. Pretty much the same as the .29g BB, straight up. So, after I fired all 25 of the .3g BBs I loaded the Straight .36g Sniper Grade BBs into the magazine. I was looking forward to seeing how these BBs would react to the new upgrades, as these were the BBs that I have been using in the rifle and find them to work the best. I popped in the freshly loaded mag into the rifle and slowly, easily cycled the bolt. I took careful aim at the 100 ft. target, taking three breaths; I held the last one and slowly squeezed the trigger. It released and out came the BB; I was quite surprised at the results. The .36g BBs shot out straight and went a little farther then the .29g and .3g BBs, but curved upward too. I would have bet that they would have been the ones that would shoot the straightest and farthest before dropping off. I fired off all 25 rounds just like I did with the .29g and the .3g BBs, but to no avail. I was hitting the target, but not the way I like and I didn’t plan on engaging any targets at 100 ft. or less. One of the reasons I upgraded the rifle in the first place was to get extended range and accuracy. The only BBs I had left to test was the Straight .43g Sniper Grade BBs and I was hoping that they would be the ones that solved my problem. So, after I fired all of the .36g BBs out of the magazine I loaded up the .43g BBs in the hopes that they would be the ones. I again thought that it may be the scope that needed to be adjusted, but I decided to go ahead and test the .43g BBs anyway. With the freshly loaded magazine full of .43g BBs, I popped the mag into the rifle, slowly and easily I cycled the bolt and took my usual three breaths. Holding the last one I slowly squeezed the trigger, it released sending the .43g BB hurling down to the 100 ft. target. BAM! Hit the target, just to the left of the center mass where I was aiming. Whoa, what a relief I thought I was in big trouble if the .43g BBs didn’t work. Target practice: After, firing all 25 rounds of the .43g BBs and pretty much shedding the 100 ft. target I decided it was time to zero the scope, so I reloaded the magazine with the .43g BBs. Popped it into the rifle, went and set up a new target then set up to zero the scope. I positioned the rifle on the bench rest, took careful aim at the new 100 ft. target, dead center of the x10 ring, took in a breath, held it and slowly squeezed the trigger. It released sending the BB down to the target and hitting it about 3 inches to the left from where I was aiming. Fired four more rounds at the target and they all hit just about the same place, so I adjusted windage to the right and again took aim. I again took aim at the center of the 100 ft. target, took a breath, and slowly squeezed the trigger. It released sending the BB down and right into the center x10 ring, right where I was aiming. After firing four more BBs into the 100 ft. target and pretty much hitting in the same area, I moved over to the 150 ft. target. I again took aim at the center of the x10 ring and took in a breath, slowly squeezing the trigger. It released, sending the BB down and into the 150 ft. target, just slightly to the bottom of the x10 ring where I was aiming. Conditions were satisfactory, scope was zeroed @ 100 ft. Not bad, that’ll work with no problem, so I set my sights on the 200 ft. target and again I took careful aim at the x10 ring, slightly holding the crosshairs just to the top of the center ring. I took in a breath, slowly squeezed the trigger and it released, sending the BB down to the 200 ft. target, hitting just to the left, lower part of the center ring where I was aiming. Again, not bad and I could compensate for a shot like that easy, so I fired four more rounds at the 200 ft. target, compensating for each shot till I hit right where I wanted too. Compensated for 2 to 3 mph winds, blowing right to left. Now, I decided to see if I could hit a target set out to 250 ft., definitely the farthest I have ever tried to shoot before with the rifle.So, I set up a target at 250 ft. and set up for a shot, taking careful aim, compensating as I did for the 200 ft. target, aiming slightly right and up a bit from the top of the center ring. I took a breath and held it, slowly squeezed the trigger, the trigger released, sending the BB down to the 250 ft. target. It hit three to three an half inches below and to the left a bit from where I was aiming. The next four shots I tried to compensate for, but none of them were consistent. They still weren’t bad and I still would hit a man-sized target at that range. I figured that if I just kept it within the 220 to 230 ft. range, I wouldn’t have any problems hitting my intended target(s). So, with the initial testing and the scope zeroed in all was left was to be put through the combat test, an actual skirmish on the battlefield. Compensating for added distance & wind blowing 2 to 3 mph, right to left. Aiming points are indicated. Combat tests: The day came for the actual combat test, it was a bright sunny day about 60 to 65 degrees, few clouds, very light wind. The team I am on decided to play CQB scenarios, so I was assigned to provide security overwatch for the outer perimeter of the killhouse. Before we would begin any game, we would need to clock the rifle and check to see what velocity it was shooting at. The rifle chrono’d at 510 FPS with .29g BBs, with the .36g BBs it shot 460 FPS and with the .43g BBs it was shooting 410 FPS. Now with that out of the way and as long as I used BBs over .29g, I would be able to use the rifle with no problem. So, moving on to the game, the killhouse is a two-story plywood building with three windows in the front of the second level, two windows and an entrance door in the front lower level. There is also an exit door at the lower rear of the building and a rooftop hatch that can be accessed from the second level. One side has two windows located in the second level, if you stood looking at the killhouse, they would be on the left-hand side. My job was to set up a shooting position in the front left-hand corner of the killhouse, this would allow me to cover all the opening of the building, and I would also cover the rooftop, in case the opposing team tried to put a shooter on top of the building. Two assaulters were set up at the rear of the killhouse to provide security for the rear of the building. They would deal with any opposing team members trying to escape out the rear of the building. I decided to set up about 200 ft. out from the left-hand corner of the building, positioned behind a group of small trees. I used the trees as an aiming support to help steady my aim, I was in the standing position, this would make it easier for me to cycle the bolt. Once I set up and the rear security was in place, the signal for the assaulting team was giving. They moved in on the right-hand side of the building and with radio commands I advised they of the situation. I could see two shooters in the No. #1 upper window, two shooters in the No. #3 upper window, and one shooter in each lower window. Rear security reported that they were taking fire from and returning fire to shooters on the rooftop. I was unable to see the rooftop shooters from my ground position, so the rear security team would have to deal with them. Lead, advised me to eliminate any and all targets of opportunity, so with the order given of “Weapons free!” I took aim at my first target, which was one of the shooters in the No. #1 upper window. He was trying to look and see where the assaulting team was staging. I aimed for the upper part of his arm, as he was turned facing sideways of me. I began my breathing control, held my breath, slowly squeezed the trigger and with a light puff, send a BB slamming into the lower part of his arm, just below his elbow. With a surprised look on his face, he shakes his head and went out of sight. The second shooter was peeking out the window trying to see where the shot came from; I could hear him yelling to the others, that there was a sniper somewhere in the tree line. The other shooters in the No. #3 upper window were firing suppressive fire into the tree line, but to no avail. I took my next target into sight, aiming dead center of his chest, taking a breath, holding, I slowly squeezed the trigger and sent a BB slamming into the mid-section of his torso. He too dropped out of sight and the other shooter jumped to the side of the window. I could just barely see him, so I took careful aim for the left-side of his chest, taking a breath, holding, slowly squeezing the trigger, I send a BB at him but it struck the wall behind him. So, he ducked to the other side of the window, out of sight, I quickly turned my attention to the lower windows and couldn’t see the shooters that I had seen before. I radioed the assaulting team and informed them that I had eliminated two shooters in the upper level, was unable to see the shooters in the lower level. The rear security had eliminated one of the rooftop shooters, but not before the rooftop shooters had eliminated one of them. Lead, informed me to provide cover fire for them as they were going to begin their assault on the building and try to make entry. I advised him not to assault as the building was still heavily fortified, but he felt they could assault the building with minimum resistance. As the assaulting team made they way to the right side of the building, the remaining rooftop shooter had set up a position to the far right-hand corner of the rooftop. He popped up and opened fire on them as they tried to make it to the side of the building, hitting two of them and sending the remaining team members back into the cover of the trees. I then have a clear shot and focused on him, taking aim on the center of his back, I took a breath, held it, and slowly squeezed the trigger, sending a BB right into the lower part of his back. He dropped out of sight and I informed the remaining assault team that the threat was eliminated. Now with just three assault team members left, we would have to go with an aggressive entry, so I moved my position to cover just the front of the building, firing two to three rounds into each window. This was to let anyone in the rooms know I was still there and if they stuck their heads out for a look, I would pop them. I radioed the assault team to go and they went into action, eliminating the shooter through the window of the lower level, as I watched all the other openings. Once, they went inside it would be up to them, all I could do is watch for any movements from any of the openings. Conclusion As for the outcome of the game, it didn’t turn out to well for the lesser number assault team, but lessons were learned. As for me, I learned that I now have a very potent sniper rifle, with great range and accuracy. I definitely made the right decision to upgrade it as I did, as it proofed it was well worth it and I am quite pleased with the performance of the APS-2 SV “SHADOW”. Here is my overall view of my custom-built APS-2 SV “SHADOW” on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best possible rating: Appearance: 8-8.5/10 Build Quality: 7.5/10 Performance: 9-9.5/10 Value for Money: 6-6.5/10 Overall Potential 7.5-8/10 I’ll explain each rating and why I give the rating that I did. The appearance is quite nice and I am pleased with it, very sleek looking and the silencer added appeal to it, but it still has a bit of a toy-look to it. Build quality is very good and I am speaking of the upgrade work and how well the silencer is built, and the added accessories, if it wasn’t for the so-so stock. It would have scored a little better rating. Performance, all I can say is this thing ROCKS! the performance is incredible and I am very pleased with it. Value for the money With what I spend on it, some would say that I went a bit overboard on it and it did cost far too much. The silencer alone was $300.00 that included materials and labor; the upgrade parts totaled $311.00 not including shipping and labor that was just for the new spring, L2 cylinder set, piston, and the tight bore barrel. And of course, I threw in a nice size tip for Barry for all his hard work and long hours. Overall potential, this rifle has very good potential, the performance is incredible, lacks a bit in the looks department, but overall it‘s very nice. There is still some things that I may do to the rifle, like installing a FIRST reinforced bolt handle and maybe and I mean a big “maybe“, an ORCA stock. But, I’ll keep everyone updated on all the new improvements that I do on the rifle and of course how it continues to perform. If anyone has questions about my APS-2 SV “SHADOW”. Please feel free to e-mail me at confirmedkills@hotmail.com. Remember always wear proper eye protection, be safe, and have fun. DISCLAIMER: The above review is the sole opinion of the author of the review and does not reflect the opinions of this Website or it’s administrators, associates, partners or sponsors. Special thanks to Barry Saitta - for his tireless effects, hard work, and long hours as without his expert skills in fabricating parts and his knowledge of upgrading airsoft weapons the APS-2 SV “SHADOW” would not have been possible. - Shadow

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