Replica ASYMMETRIC WARRIOR® ASW338LM (Precision Sniper Rifle System). A spring rifle manufactured by Vega Force Company for Danish Action Sport Games AS company. It is a product made on a license of the real steel version.
A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE REVIEW
The ASW338LM VFC/ASG AS rifle is a highend product. The replica itself is not shockingly expensive but together with the optional accessories and upgrade kits it is definitely not a replica anyone can afford.
Thanks to the courtesy of Action Sport Games AS we were able to test the full option of the ASW338LM replica, with all the accessories and an upgrade kit.
Because of this, the following review, apart from the standard description of the apperance and the quality of the replica’s finish, also includes a practical test of the stock version and with the upgrades kit installed.
The set tested by us included:
The stock replica of the rifle, sound suppressor replica, bipod, upgrade kit containing a full cylinder set and a full trigger group set and also an Ultimate 6.03mm precision inner barrel and a scope, both recommended by ASG AS.
(The replica comes also with an M90 spring, in case there is a need to downgrade the rifle in accordance with legal regulations in some countries etc.)
Knowing the quality of the finish offered by VFC, we expected a lot from the ASW338LM replica. Were our expectations met? See for yourself.
Enjoy the review.
DESCRIPTION
INTRODUCTION
ASYMMETRIC WARRIOR® (ASW) rifle of .338 Lapua Magnum caliber was first presented on Shot Show 2008 in the USA. It is produced by Ashbury International Group Incorporated from Charlottesville, Virgini USA - part of which called Ashbury Precision Ordnance is responsible for research and development of modern firearms systems.
ASYMMETRIC WARRIOR® is a modern sniper platform, build on the basis of the advanced modular stock and a sturdy bolt action Surgeon XL system.
ASW338LM precision rifle is outfitted with an intergraded muzzle break and a sound suppressor. Standard barrel lengths are 20” and 27”, but the manufacturer supplies also other barrels as per client’s specifications. ASYMMETRIC WARRIOR® is offered in two variants – A1 with a 5 round magazine and A2 with at 10 round magazine. Versions of the rifle chambered for .308Win and .300WM are also in development.
PACKAGE
The ASW338LM replica comes in a case worthy of such a rifle. Its sides are thick and made of dark earth color polymer. The case’s design is attractive. A colorful sticker on the front informs about the contents of the case.
The case is esthetic – it is sealed by four metal clamps which hold in place very well and do not have the tendency to open by themselves.
Inside the case is a filling made of foam, securing the replica and its dedicated accessories. The filling serves its function well, but it would be better if it was made form a single peace of foam and not from several peaces staked one on another. The current design results is the foam falling out quite frequently when the replica is take out of the case and causes problems when putting the replica back in the cutouts.
To ease transport (a shorter case), the replica was shortened by disassembling its butt stock, which is places in a separate cutout in the foam. On the other hand, it forces one to attach the butt stock each time when taking out the replica. Overall, the case performs its function very well.
MANUAL
The manual added to the replica is full color and very detailed, well prepared and esthetic. It offers all the necessary information to the user including a detailed process of assembling and disassembling the rifle.
FIRST IMPRESSION
The first impression upon picking up the replica is very positive. The rifle’s design can be liked or not, it is a matter of individual taste, but the replica makes a very big impression from the first moment.
The things that are initially most apparent are the size and the caliber of the original firearm. After removing the rifle from the case, one has the impression of power and sturdiness. A considerable weight also adds to the ASW's realism.
EXTERNAL APPEARANCE
Basic replica parameters:
length - 810/1060 mm (31.89/41.73 in),
weight - 5000 g (11.02 lb),
inner barrel length – 420 mm (16.53 in)
The tested replica is the A2 variant of the ASW338LM, with the 10 round magazine. As for the appearance, the replica makes a very good impression. At first glance the finish is flawless and the rifle is simply beautiful. But upon a closer look we noticed some minor flaws.
The metal parts of the replica are dark earth in color. The color coating is quite fragile and wears off easily. The synthetic materials used in the replica are top quality.
The stock is made completely of aluminum and has four RIS rails – the top rail runs all the way form from the beginning of the front to the end of the bolt. The thickness of metal parts implies sturdiness. All parts are screwed together with solid hex wrench screws.
The front is made of synthetic material and is covered with a veneer imitating carbon fiber – realistic to the extent that one can be fooled at first glance. The veneer could have been fit better in several places however.
Appearance of individual parts of the replica:
Dummy bolt catch button.
Safety lever in safe position.
Safety lever in fire position.
Reloading handle.
The butt stock is stable both folded and unfolded. To attach it to the rifle, one must screw the butt stock joint to the socked with a big hex wrench screw.
The butt stock latch is quite “stiff” – when folding or unfolding the butt stock it is advised to push the latch all the way. It eases the unfolding because without pushing the latch it is impossible to unfold the butt stock with a single fluid motion, so it stays unfolded. Attempting to unfold the stock forcibly may result in damaging the latch.
The pin that is a part of the butt stock’s joint is secured with a bushing, without it the butt stock would wobble and it cannot be properly attached. This bushing was absent in our test replica so we had to make one – it is the brass ring seen in the photo below.
The butt stock has a thick rubber pad.
The butt stock adjustment is designed well and allows for excellent adjustment according to the shooter’s preferences. The butt stock has an adjustable chick pad.
The butt stock pad position can be adjusted vertically.
The length of the butt stock can be adjusted in a very wide range. The only downside, in our opinion, is the slack that the butt stock has in subsequent extended positions. It does not influence the comfort of shooting but is noticeable when moving the replica around.
The monopod is an additional fulcrum and its height can be adjusted by turning the handle – turning it one way extends the monopod’s pad, turning the other way pulls the pad pack in place. The monopod could be more stable, without any slack. In this case the slack is rather irritating.
In our opinion, regardless of the adjustments made, the butt stock should be completely stiff therefore the manufacturer should avoid the drawback described above.
The rifle also allows to adjust the position of the pistol grip. It is an especially interesting feature for shooters with big hands / long fingers. To do the adjustments one has to unscrew a screw that is inside the grip, choose the preferred position and screw the screw back again.
The photos below present the pistol grip in a few chosen positions.
The external barrel ends with a muzzle break. The break has a thread on it that allows to attach the dedicated sound suppressor.
The muzzle break itself is screwed on a 14mm (0.55 in) counterclockwise thread.
A different sound suppressor than the one dedicated to the replica can be used but such a combination will look less esthetic.
The sound suppressor dedicated to the ASW replica is a copy of the original one, manufactured by Ashbury. Unfortunately it is just a dummy and only serves to give the replica a more interesting appearance or hide a longer inner barrel.
HOP-UP ADJUSTMENT
The Hop-up adjustment is done by a hex wrench supplied with the replica. The regulation screw itself it placed in a hole on the top RIS rail.
MARKINGS
The replica has all the marking of the real steel version. The license was given by the manufacturer of the proper firearm, AshburyInternational Group Inc. The markings catch one’s attention immediately and add to the realism of the replica.
The right side of the stock has the following markings:
The serial number was printed in white. Unfortunately, there are some other marking added, which are required by law, and differentiate the replica from the real steel version.
The left side of the stock has the following markings:
MAGAZINE
The magazine is a mid cap - it is big and made of oxidized steel. It holds 40 BBs. Despite the unusual design (the loading channel is placed horizontally), it can be loaded using regular speedloaders. What is interesting, there is no way to manually unload it.
The magazine fits firmly into the magwell, there is no side slack.
The way the magazine floor is attached to the magazine is a drawback in our opinion because it is only “pushed” onto the magazine shell and does not have any clip or screw that would prevent its unintended movement. It has a tendency to slip off the magazine and is therefore quite easy to loose. Its sharp edges can cut one’s fingers.
BIPOD
The bipod added to the replica is made of aluminum and is very precisely and solidly finished. It as a RIS rail attachment.
Deployment of the pods is easy and comfortable thanks to the use of latching levers.
Unfortunately, the way the pods are locked in place at a specific length is not well designed. Despite the fact that the pods can be freely adjusted thanks to the clamping knobs, they have to be screwed very tightly or the pods will collapse under the weight of the rifle. Because of this, each adjustment of the pods requires considerable time and effort.
SIGHT
The sight recommended by ASG AS for the ASW is a Strike Systems 3.5-10X50E telescopic sight with mounting rings included. The large diameter of the front lens gives the shoots a wide field of view. The sight has good brightness but has to be well aligned with the eye or the view becomes obstructed. The targeting reticule is highlighted in red and green. In our opinion, it would be better to use it with higher mounting rings.
UPGRADE KIT
The M170 kit, ment for upgrading the replica, comprises of a steel cylinder set and a reinforced steel trigger group.
REPLICA PARTIALLY DISASSEMBLED
DISASSEMBLY
The disassembly of the replica is presented in great detail in the manual that come together with the rifle. Therefore we opted to omit the disassembly description to focus on the other aspects of the test.
INTERNAL STRUCTURE
Getting to the internal parts, such as the cylinder set, the trigger group or the HU chamber and the barrel, requires one to disassemble the replica down to its basic parts. It is quite troublesome while upgrading the replica.
The front of the cylinder together with the nozzle and the loading plate.
The stock cylinder has a very good seal. The piston and the spring guide inside are made of plastic. The spring is of linear design.
The upgrade cylinder set seal was average. We observer slight air loss which could have influenced the results of the muzzle velocity tests. While firing subsequent shots, we observed improvement of the seal.
The cylinder is made of non-magnetic stainless steel. The spring guide is metal and has a ball bearing. The piston is also metal. The spring is purple and is of non-linear design.
The stock trigger group is made of an aluminum compound. It has adjusted pull and stroke of the trigger. The reinforced trigger group is made of steel. Its mechnism works on a slightly different basis and has no adjustments. The comparison of both trigger groups:
The stock trigger group:
Trigger adjustment markings.
The reinforced trigger group:
The hop-up chamber while being disassembled, still in the external barrel (pushed towards the barrel mount).
To pull out the barrel with the HU chamber, one has to first unscrew the part shown on the photo, which is placed on the external barrel.
The inner barrel and the HU chamber. The chamber is metal, screwed together form two halves.
The HU chamber does not have a spacer. Its role is performed by two semi-circled endings of a plastic lever.
The stockHU rubber is different than the ones found in AEGs.
The HU chamber as a few resilient parts inside that are design to put the nozzle in the right position. The nozzle has quite sharp edges and those parts are slightly damaged in the process. It is possible that small plastic shards from those parts will eventually find their way into the inner barrel.
The photo shows two of those parts, in the form of black guides, which stabilize the position of the nozzle
The stock inner barrel is 420mm (16.53 in) long. The Ultimate 6.03mm precision barrel, recommended by ASG AS for the ASW replica, is 430mm (16.92 in) long. It results in the inner barrel being visible through the clearing of the muzzle break.
TEST
TEST OF THE STOCK RIFLE
FIRING
The trigger of the replica is delicate, soft and does not result in breaking the shots. The bolt moves smoothly and fluently, there are no jams during reloading.
Unfortunately, test firing of the stock version disappointed us. The replica has poor grouping of shots, especially considering the indented use of the rifle. In effect the maximum range at which accurate fire can be delivered is not more than 35m (38.28 yd).
TEST FIRING
1. FPS and energy measurements.
The FPS and energy tests were done using Blaster 0.2g BBs. The muzzle velocity on those BBs is 359 FPS with 1,2 J of energy.
BBs weight FPS m/s energy
0.2g 359 110 1,2 J
2. Grouping.
The test was carried out using a silhouette target at the distance of 35m (38.28 yd). The distance was measured using a 100m long measuring tape. The shots were fired using 0.25g Blasters BBs.
At the distance of 35m (38.28 yd) we scored 10/10 hits in the target, 8/10 hits in the silhouet
3. Maximum efficient and maximum total range.
The maximum range of the replica at which most shots still hit the silhouette is about 35m (38.28 yd). Beyond this range hitting a target was difficult.
The maximum range at which some shots can still hit the silhouette is 45 m (49.21 yd). At this rage is was still possible to hit the silhouette but is was significantly more difficult.
TEST OF THE UPGRADED RIFLE
FIRING
The reinforced trigger group works well – the trigger does not require much force to be pulled and the exact moment of firing the shot is not noticeable. Reloading the M170 spring requires much force and swift movements. This can be difficult to archive while being prone.
The range, grouping and receptiveness of shots improved significantly. Only after upgrading one can use the replica better as a sniper rifle. Instilling the 6.03mm precision inner barrel also made a difference.
TEST FIRING
1. FPS and energy measurements.
The FPS and energy tests were done using Blaster 0.2g BBs. The muzzle velocity on those BBs is 510 FPS with 2,4 J of energy.
The difference in the lowest and the highest FPS value was 10 FPS.
BBs weight FPS m/s energy
0.2g 510 155 2,4 J
2. Grouping.
The test was carried out using a silhouette target at the distance of 50m (54.68 yd). The distance was measured using a 100m long measuring tape. The shots were fired using 0.36g Blasters BBs.
At the distance of 50m (54.68 yd)we scored 10/10 hits in the target, 6/10 hits in the silhouette.
3. Maximum efficient and maximum total range.
The maximum effective range of the replica is 60m (65.62 yd). The firing result at this range were very similar to the ones achieved at 50m.
The maximum range of the replica is 75 m (82.02 yd). At this rage is was still possible to hit the silhouette but is was significantly more difficult.
SUMMARY
The ASYMMETRIC WARRIOR®ASW338LM replica by Action Sport Games AS / VFC offers the buyer, apart form original appearance, high quality finish and the highest ergonomy that we encountered during our tests.
Apart from a few drawbacks, such as the coating that easily wears off and not so great fit of some parts, the overall finish is very good. The quality of used materials does not leave any doubts. The replica gives the impression of being very solid and sturdy.
Large degree if butt stock adjustment and the abbility to regulate the pistol grip's distance from the trigger makes the ASYMMETRIC WARRIOR® the most ergonomic and comfortable rifle for anyone, allowing for full adjustment according to individual needs of the shooter.
Availability of ready to use upgrade parts is also a huge advantege. With the upgrade kit installed, the replica fires very well.
The ASYMMETRIC WARRIOR® ASW338LM is unlike any other replica and is not affordable for anyone. It also does not fit in comparison with other sniper rifles replicas. With its attractive appearance, it can got toe to teo with such rifles as the Hekate of the M200.
For people looking for an original ASG sniper rifle, who can afford it and like original designs, the ASYMMETRIC WARRIOR® ASW338LM can be an interesting choice.
But in our opinion, to fully use the potential of this replica, one must use the upgrade kits designed for it.
Pros:
+ very good overall impression of the replica’s appearance
+ licensed markings of the real steel manufacturer
+ high quality materials used
+ high level of ergonomy
+ availability of ready to use upgrade kits
+ sold together with a case
Cons:
- outer coating easily wears down
- need to fully disassemble the replica to swap the cylinder set, the trigger group etc.
- stock pad slack is over excessive
- monopod slack
- bad design of the magazine floor plate fixing
The replica was tested thanks to the courtesy of Action Sport Games AS:
Real steel version photos:
Translated by SHOGUN_YAMATO
