One of the Soviet weapons that appears in pop culture very often are the AS Val and VSS Vintorez carbines. Dedicated for special forces used and (in principle) meant to pierce Western bulletproof vests, they were often used during hostage situations. Special subsonic 9x39mm ammunition was created to achieve the lowest sound report possible together with an integrated silencer included in the design of the weapon. Most of us saw this weapon is First Person Shooters such as Stalker, Battlefield, Call of Duty, Escape from Tarkov, DayZ, Insurgency: Sandstorm, and others. In reality, it is not such a common sight and perhaps that is why it is a very sought after weapon for some shooters. Airsoft players are in a slightly better position with a whole range of replicas that imitate these designs to varying degrees. One of the best replicas on the market are those made by LCT Airsoft. Thanks to their kindness, we received the AS Val replica for review - specifically the LGM VAL model.
Basic parameters:
- total length (extended/folded stock): 895/655 mm;
- inner barrel length: 425 mm;
- weight: 3.5 kg;
- magazine capacity: mid-cap holding 50 BBs;
- declared muzzle velocity: 360 fps.
External parts
The replica comes in a standard box with LCT Airsoft markings, which does not immediately reveal it's contents. Inside there is a replica with a magazine, a product catalog and a metal dog tag with the replica's graphics on it. In accordance with the common trend, we will not find a user manual inside.
Immediately after taking it into my hands, the weight of the replica is clearly noticeable - 3.5 kg (the original weighs just 2.9 kg). This is mainly due to the construction of the replica which is mostly based on steel. From the integrated suppressor, iron sights, stamped receiver cover, the receiver itself, the stock hinge and other smaller components, each of which attracts a magnet. The stock is the only part of the entire replica that is not made of steel, although this should not cause any problems.
In addition, all steel parts are subjected to chemical protection treatment resulting in a characteristic black coating with a slight blue tint.
This allows to emphasize all the marks left by the production process such as grooves on the receiver after cutting and rolling the steel and also the texture on the suppressor. Also, the welds and rivets do not stand out and have the same coating. Iron sights resemble the front sight and the rear sight known from AK replicas, on which there are markings in the range of 10 to 42 which, with a multiplier of 10, emphasizes quite a short range of the 9x39mm cartridge of the real carbine. On the side there is also a mount for optics in the SVD dovetail standard.
Of course, we cannot count on this kind of performance in the replica. Moving on, we have a short handguard made of polymer, with a visible texture. The material used is of high quality, it is almost velvety to the touch despite its delicate texture.
Underneath the handguard is the suppressor locking mechanism, which must be unscrewed in order to connect the battery, but I will write more on that later. The pistol grip is made of the same material with the same texture as the handguard. It is not profiled in any way and has a simple shape. The trigger and its operation are standard for the AK family of replicas.
The manipulators are also correctly recreated, separating the safety lever on the right side of the receiver and the fire selector, which is located behind the trigger. The selector works as a lever that we flick to select the firing mode, where the single fire mode is on the right and the full-auto mode is on the left.
Another moving part is a dummy boltcarrier covering hop-up chamber, access to which is quite easy. The receiver cover does not stand out and has the standard locking button at the back.
The last part is stock, which is the same as in replicas if the Galil carbine. Compared to the original, it has a different profile, more in line with the barrel, which facilitates aiming and access to the pistol grip when the stock is folded. The folding mechanism is very simple and requires pulling it down to unlock, and the steel construction makes the whole solution very durable. This also results in it's barely perceptible looseness. More demanding customers should find options more suited to their tastes or need as the manufacturer's offer includes models with guides for AR-15 stocks, classic ones, as well as adapters for Zenitco ZPT-1 and ZPT-3 tactical stock replicas which are also available in LCT Airsoft offer.
The magazine that comes with the replica is a mid-cap and is a based on the 20-round magazine with characteristic side ribs. The magazine's shell is not made as well as the pistol grip or the replica handguard. The material used is lighter and shinier, it scratches easily and it can be permanent damaged with less careful handling or if it accidentally falls out. The front lug is not reinforced with metal inserts, and the rear one is part of the insert made entirely of plastic. The insert is secured with a screw in the foot and a pin place in the lug on the front. As the replica was not designed in its own standard, it is possible to use magazines from other manufacturers. The factory supplied magazine, after being inserted into the replica (which may require a bit of practice), has a slight forward slack, but this does not affect the feeding of BBs. The magazine release lever is a bent steel sheet, that is profiled towards the trigger guard. This allows to drop the magazine with one finger, although I do not recommend it.
A whole series of tactical accessories has been created for the replica, which we will soon describe in a separate review.
Internal Parts
Efforts have been made in the replica to recreate the handling and operation as faithfully as possible. This also includes the safety and fire selector mechanisms or the way the replica is disassembled, which we will now describe. Unlike most replicas, to get to the battery compartment it is necessary to unscrew the entire suppressor. Its mounting system is surprisingly simple. To take it off, its enough to press the locking button and turn the suppressor 90 degrees to the left and move it forward. The only problem is the required amount of force need due to the tight fit the the suppressor. Two pins protruding from the rear sight's base on the suppressor are responsible for mounting it, as they lock the suppressor in the receiver.
The locking button is responsible for immobilizing it in the final position. It must be pressed when taking the suppressor of and putting it back on.
Since battery space is very limited, we suggest using thinner nunchuk 2 or 3 piece batteries. The suppressor itself is very simple. It is not possible to disassemble it into its individual parts, although at the front there is an additional partition in which the inner barrel is placed for stabilization. Installation of accessories in the form of tracers or adding soundproofing is impossible without additional modifications.
The replica also features a dummy barrel with ventilation holes. This element is made of aluminum and it is also the base in which the the hop-up chamber is mount with screws. The whole assembly is then stabilized in the receiver with four screws. This is not an ideal solution for two reasons: the mounting screws share the same space as the wires and the mounting solution does not have any centering elements (cavities, milling cuts) but only a flat cutout and may require additional adjustment to achieve a straight flight path of BBs fired. The is also a spacer on the inner barrel, which stabilizes it in the dummy barrel.
The inner barrel itself is 425 mm long and made of brass and the polymer hop-up chamber used is the same one as found in AK replicas. The adjustment does not deviate from the AK standard with a slider that transfers the pressure to a round spacer and then to a black, silicone bucking with a classic spin inducing nub. The tightness and quality of individual elements is exemplary. Access to the hop-up chamber is very easy after removing the dummy bolt carrier. It is mounted on a guide with separate springs for the dummy carrier itself and the receiver cover lock. They are not fixed in any way and care should be taken while disassembling.
In the case of the gearbox, LCT Airsoft used their own solutions, which gives quite simple and, at the same time, surprisingly good solutions faithfully reproducing the operation of the real firearm. The safety lever and the selector lever have been separated in the replica, removing the problem with a thread in the frame (which probably every AK user is familiar with). The designers of LCT Airsoft used this element to make a stable connection of the frame with the receiver. The safety mechanism includes a lever permanently placed in the receiver, which is then connected to the trigger safety. The safety itself is not surprising, we will not find a side tab for the index finger here as in modern AK carbines. The selector plate is absent and got replaced with a lever system that raises or lowers the breaker, changing the firing mode. This is a trivially simple solution that is just impossible to break down, although the way it operates can be described (as befits Soviet products) as "sufficiently well". It is worth noting, however, that the use of top ETU chips will be at least difficult, if not impossible.
After unscrewing a single screw, the pistol grip can be taken off which reveals the motor. Unfortunately, this is not a top shelf SLIM type motor offered by this manufacturer, but a regular 22000 RPM motor without markings, with a D-type bevel gear, which was placed in a standard AK motor frame.
The gearboxframe used by the manufacturer is an unmodified v.3 made of alloys, with the LCT company logo, with no rounded corners of the cylinder ports. It has a quick spring replacement system, which is accessible only after removing the gearbox it from the receiver.
There are no surprises inside the gearbox. It uses 9 mm ball bearings, a polymer piston with 15 steel teeth and an aluminum cylinder head, a brass type 0 cylinder with chrome plating and ribbing, an aluminum cylinder head with double O-rings, a polymer nozzle with a standard length for AK replicas, i.e. 19.45 mm. The whole pneumatic system is airtight.
What stands out in particular is the set of gears, which are tightly seated in the bearings. Only the motor gear is is sintered as a single piece. The spur gear and the sector gear, in turn, are made of two pieces joined by rivets. Also, the material from which these parts are made seems to be of higher quality. Shimming ha been done correctly and the factory installed delayer cam. Lubrication was used sparingly bu it is sufficient.
The M110 spring allows to achieve a muzzle velocity of around 360 fps using 0.2 g BBs. The entire pneumatic system is completed with a spring guide with bearings.
The gearbox with its individual elements should easily bear the weight of the current spring or, for more demanding users, the Polish "assault standard" which is 1.9 J.
In the replica there is no MOSFET or ETU of any kind, but classic contact switch and quite stiff wires terminated with a mini-Tamyia plug.
Pefromance
Unlike the original (which was supposed to be used for covert operations), the replica is not the quietest one. The gearbox is audible during operation, but adjusting the motor or working on other elements can help here. When firing, the workings of the spring can also be heard, the sound of which is enhanced by the steel receiver and the metal receiver cover. The replica's performance straight are very close to the declared ones. It was tested using 0.2 g BBs and at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees °C.
362.7 fps
363.2 fps
366.1 fps
367.3 fps
364.0 fps
362.4 fps
365.1 fps
359.8 fps
361.9 fps
354.3 fps
Target Shooting Test
Shots were fired from a stable base at an A4 size target 20m away using 0.2g BBs and an adjusted hop-up.
Summary
The LMG VAL replica from LCT Airsoft is one of many possible combinations and perfectly presents the customization possibilities that a player has within the offer of this (and not only) manufacturer. Both in terms of appearance and ergonomics, with a wide selection of stocks, mounts and accessories, or in terms of internal parts with a standard V.3 gearbox and many elements shared with AK replicas.
The platform itself should allow to build a reliable replica with satisfactory performance with improved range, greater muzzle energy or quieter operation with some modifications. The steel construction with its weight will require some physical strength to use, but the durability of the design and the performance of individual parts create an image of a replica for demanding players. For many, the visual aspect of the replica will also be important, and it will certainly attract attention and be a joy to look at. With this replica LCT Airsoft tried to recreate the original design as best as possible and was largely successful in this task. Some may point out that the dimensions are not right, but probably some compromises had to be made during the design process, which should be taken into account in the case of an AEG airsoft replica.
This text was created as part of an commercial cooperation with LCT Airsoft. As always, we have made every effort to ensure that the following article provides reliable information. It presents the author's opinion and does not close further discussion, to which we invite you in the comments.
