AEG EBB replica, by Star Rainbow Company from Taiwan,

Of the German MP40 (SR40) sub-machinegun.

INTRODUCTION

SR40 replica is available on the market for some time now and much was written about it. Despite that we decided to review this replica for two reasons. Firstly – it is a consecutive production series. The replica already has the CE certificate and differs from earlier units not only by the looks of its box but also by its color, markings etc. Secondly – with this model SRC began production of historical weapons replicas and we hope to start a series of their reviews. Apart from the MP40 the assortment of the SRC was broadened by the replica of the TT-33 pistol, and an almost finished prototype of the MP41 was presented on the IWA 2012 fair. We hope that the company will continue its current direction and will soon expend its offer with more replicas of historical weapons.

An additional feature of this review is a comparison to the Chinese MP40 replicas done on an ex ample of the AGM AEG.

We invite you to Our review. 

A BIT OF HISTORY

MP40 sub-machinegun chambered for 9 x 19 mm Parabellum round was created as a result of works stared in 1939 to modernize the MP38 model. This effort was conducted at ERMA factory and in Heereswaffenamt - German Army Weapons Agency. The design is based on the simple blow-back mechanism.

The turning point of the modernization effort was achieved by an engineer named Anton Peter who designed a new chamber – rolled from steel sheets and spot welded. It was easier to manufacture than the pipe chamber if the MP38.

The production of the new model of the sub-machinegun began in early 1940 – it was marked MP40 and was designed by Heinrich Vollmer. Serial production begun at Erfurter Maschinenfabrik B.Geipel GmbH and Waffen und Fahrradfabrik C.G. Haenel factories and also Austrian Steyr factory which, in time, became the biggest manufacturer of the MP40.

In 1942 production of the MP40 version with modified magwells began. The new magwell was made of rolled and welded steel sheet and was not a milled one. New magwells had characteristic horizontal ribs which increased their stiffness. A new pistol grip was also used together with a rail shielding the lower part of the barrel and a new barrel nut.

Together with the introduction of the Stg, more and more factories ceased production of the MP40 and switched to the production of assault rifles. By the end of 1942 production of MP40 was ceased in Haenel and in 1943 in ERMA. Production of MP40 was continued in Steyr factory until October 1944. It is estimated that there were 746 000 to 1,1 million MP40 sub-machineguns produced during the war.

MP40 was still widely used by many armies of the world until late 1960s. For example the sub-machinegun was a designated weapon used by Israeli paratroopers.

PACKAGE

SR40 replica by SRC is packed in a traditional box, composed of a cardboard cover and a bottom in a form of a Styrofoam mold. Noticeable at first glance is the manufacturers’ care for the proper marketing use of the box. It is visually attractive with interesting graphics and contains all the necessary information. (the photo used on the box was give to SRC by the Czech group KSK - Kommando Spezialkräfte.) 

The replica and the magazine are properly seated in the box. The function of securing the product is executed well but the Styrofoam should have a considerably thicker bottom, because the charging handle punched a hole in it, most probably due to wobbling during transport.

INSIDE THE BOX

Together with the replica comes a hi-cap magazine, a cleaning rod, a manual and a pack of BBs. The Styrofoam mold has space for an additional magazine and a lot of free space covered by a colorful cardboard, where only the manual is placed.

The illustrated manual added to the replica is in English, has a format of a folded card. It is legible andoffers all the necessary information to the user, safety rules description and procedures connected with handling the replica.

FIRST IMPRESSION

At first glance, the MP40 replica makes a very positive impression (despite the fact the some surfaces are flat matt which does not match with the original). The finish is esthetic. Care for the quality is very noticeable in this product.

The replica is also well fit, with only the charging handle having slack, which is the result of the way it is assembled with the dummy bolt. Maybe the manufacturer could have solved this issue better but it causes no problems when using the SMG.

Continuing with the subject of parts fit, the thing that is done exceptionally well is the fit of the upper and lower body halves - SR40 is way ahead of the other Chinese MP40 replicas known to us.

The weight of the SMG feels nice when held in one’s hends.

EXTERNAL APPEARANCE

Basic replica parameters: 

Length: 630 mm(24.80 in)/ 830 (32.68 in) mm. Weight: 3200 g (7.05 lbs). Inner barrel length: 255 mm (10.04 in). 

The look of the replica makes a very good impression.

It is very faithful to the original. It does not have a fire selector switch, which was not present in the original (as opposed to the A.C.M. replicas). SR40 fires only in full auto.

Another pro is the decision of the manufacturer to use traditional screws (and not Philips and/or hex screws, which is a common mistake in many historical weapons replicas, also in the A.C.M. MP40 ).

The black surface of the body is semi-matt. Other elements such as the barrel, metal folding stock arms, and the rear part of the lower body is flat matt.

Materials used to make the replica are: steel, aluminum compound and synthetic fiber. The metal upper body is made of steel. The same goes for a few other parts, such as the metal folding stock plate, front sight or the barrel ending. The magazine shell is also steel. Those parts are shown on photos using magnets.

The synthetic fiber used in the replica is of good quality and imitates the Bakelite panels well. The plastic elements have a very esthetic finish – there are no leftovers from molds and injections points left on them. (As for the replication of the look if the original the SRC replica is also better then the Chinese equivalents).

The metal folding stock folds and unfolds fluently, without any trouble. In the folded position, as well as unfolded, has no slack

The metal folding stock release button works correctly and is pushed down with slight effort.

The magazine release button also works with slight effort. It holds the magazine in the magwell firmly.

The magazine release on the other side of the magwell has a tendency to turn when the button is pushed. One should take notice of this shortcoming and adjust it, otherwise the magazine will not lock in the magwell properly. It does not happen every time the magazine is changed, but frequently enough to treat is as a drawback of the replica.

Details of the replica’s magwell.

The external barrel and the barrel nut are made of aluminum. They are flat matt.

The barrel ending can be unscrewed, underneath is a standard 14mm counterclockwisethread, which allows for attaching a sound suppressor. The screwed on ending is of better quality than the ones on Chinese replicas, it better resembles the one used on the original firearm.

The iron sights are true to the original and esthetic. Below is the detail of the front sight, its ring and its base. The ring has a bigger diameter than in Chinese MP40 replicas - in SR40 the diameter is closer to the original.

Details of the rear sight and its base.

The pin holding the upped body (slid into the lower body) is quite resilient at first. On the other hand it holds the body parts together firmly and there is no slack after both parts are put together. (To pull it back without trouble one must slightly push the front of the replica towards its back). 

The charging handle. The second picture shows the maximum length the charging handle can be pulled. It is secured with a small hex screw, which sometimes, as a result of the EBB system workings (vibrations), gets loosened – this may result in loosing the handle. It should be screwed very tightly and preferably secured with a lock tight.

Details of the disassembled halves of the body. The dummy bolt and an unusually long nozzle can be seen.

Part of the upper body, through a hole in which the pin that holds the halves together goes.

The magwell and details of the upper body bottom.

MARKINGS

The SR40 replica, which we received for testing (having the European Union certificate) does not have the markings true to the original. It only has the serial number stamped on the left side, at the front of the upper body.

At the top of the front of the upper body, just next to the barrel nut there is a stamped marking in the shape of the German eagle. It is not a typical "gap" with a swastika in its claws, because in its place is an oval with the manufacturers name - SRC.

POWER SUPPLY

The replica has a tamiya mini connector. The AEG’s design leaves little space for the battery, therefore the best solution for this replica are small LiPo batteries. The ones that fit best are small RC batteries. (Compared to the  Chinese MP40 versions, the tested replica has slightly more space for the battery).

HU ADJUSTMENT

Access to the hop-up adjustment, seen in the ejection port, is obtained by pulling the charging handle and holding it in the rear position. Holding the handle while adjusting the HU is not comfortable – the best solution is to "lock" the dummy bolt in the rear position by firing the replica. The Hop-up is adjusted by rotating a part in the shape of a metal ring with two ledges: down (loosening) or up (tightening). The HU chamber is done in gold to imitate a real round’s case.

The ring rotates with effort and, in Our opinion, is placed a but to deep – the result is that the HU adjustment in not very comfortable. But since the hop-up does not have the tendency to get out of adjustment, it is not a serious problem. The workings of the HU system are very good.

EBB SYSTEM

The replica works on the basis of the electric blow back (EBB) system, meaning a mechanical simulation of the bolt movement. The dummy blot movement is generated by the movement of the piston.

The dummy bolt moves on two guides, places on both sides of the gearbox. Therefore two springs are used, one for each guide. Its travel in SR40 is long, in fact it is the longest one of all the EBB replicas we ever tested or used. It is over 40 mm (1.57 in). Thanks to this, the impressions from shooting are more interesting.

The EBB systems we known previously were prone to failure, mostly due to the mechanical imperfection of this system. The weakest point is always the connection of the piston with the part moving the dummy bolt.

InSR40 replica however, it works very well – the dummy bolt has no slack, nothing clanks or wobbles. It slides effortlessly on the two guides – it is moved by two ledges of the piston – one on each side of the GB. The solution used here makes a more rigid impression than the traditional one comprising of a single sided connection of the piston with the dummy bolt. Based on Our own experience we can conclude that such solutions are mechanically weak and are often damaged. The two sided solution of connecting the piston movement with the dummy bolt lets us hope that the system will be less prone to failure and has better resilience.

The photo below shows the length of the dummy bolt travel. The ejection port shows just how much the dummy bolt travels.

MAGAZINE

The magazine that comes together with the replica is a hi-cap, holding 280 BBs, made of steel and plastic. After inserting into the magwell it does not wobble sideways. The magazine feeds properly only when it is fully wound up. If not, it requires frequent wounding up – otherwise empty shots occur.

The magazine fits tightly into the magwell. The spring is strong enough. Unfortunately, as the result of the feeding problems we were not pleased with the workings of the magazine. In our opinion it is the Achilles heel of this replica.

REPLICA PARTIALLY DISASSEMBLED

INTERNAL STRUCTURE

Is detailed below, the internal structure of the SR40 differs significantly from the A.C.M. version.

The dummy bolt moves on two guides. The EBB system is very simple. It is based on the piston design, which has two ledges – through cutouts in the GB they lock with the dummy bolt and move it.

1.Gearbox.

Gearbox is not standard. The motor is placed horizontally. The GB can be parted from the lower body without or together with the motor – depending which screws are unscrewed. The photo below shows two long cutouts in the GB . This is where the piston ledges move and connect with the dummy bolt. The cutout shows the left piston ledge (red color).

The Gearbox is put together very well. Internal elements are of very good quality. 

Aluminum spring guide has a bearing.

A linear design spring is used. The ends are not ground.

The ball bearing are 8 mm in diamiter.

The gears are made of steel. The motor gear has five anti-reversal latches.

The piston and cylinder set has an ideal seal and appears to be very solid. An ideal seal in stock replicas is a very rear occurrence. The piston head is made of aluminum and it has a bearing. The piston is not standard, is has two ledges used to moving the dummy bolt. It is made of plastic and has 6 metal teeth.

The aluminum cylinder is tinted in dark navy blue. The cylinder head is also aluminum.

The nozzle is not standard, it is lenghten and has an o-ring seal.

The motor placed in the basket. It is a high torque unit.

Trigger group. Seen here is the connection to a mosfet unit, responsible for control of the trigger workingd in the full auto only mode. Next: the fuse protected with a heat shrinking plastic tube, tamiya mini connector and cables with motor connectors.

2.Inner barrel and HU chamber.

The stock inner barrel 255 mm (10.04 in) long. The hop-up chamber is made if metal. It does not have a standard rubber spacer but a metal one. The black ring inside the chamber is used for making adjustments. 

The stockHU rubber is not very well finished, mold leftovers are visible.

COMPARISON OF EXTERNAL APPEARANCE

Extra: a little comparison of the SRC product to the Chinese model. The photo below show two replicas of the MP40, the top is the SR40 by SRC, the bottom is the A.C.M. version by AGM. (The Chinese replica has its selector switch, which allowed to fire single shots and was not true to the original, disassembled.)

The magazines differ entirely. The BB feeder is placed differently.

SHOOTING

SR40 shoots in full-auto only. Firing single shots (which is possible in AEGs replicas that lack the semi mode) is practically impossible in this case, because the trigger workings are controlled by a mosfet unit placed inside the pistol grip. Pulling the trigger “delicately” results in double or triple shots only. The trigger is very sensitive and its reaction is quick.

The electric blow back system, which the replica has, is an interesting addition, both visual and acoustic. The travel of the dummy bolt is over 40 mm (1.57 in). SRC replica stands out among other replicas with the EBB system tested by us, which (with the exception of the ARES M3) had a very short dummy bolt travel. Its hard to talk about recoil, but during shooting one can feel significant vibration generated by the EBB system.

Workings of the gearbox are smooth, the sound is pleasant for the ear. The mechanism works fluently. One can say that the SR40 is another example that a well constructed replica does not require a million FPS to shoot properly.

TESTS

1. Pomiar fps i energii.

The FPS and energy tests were done using Blaster 0.2g BBs.
The average muzzle velocity on those BBs is 293 fps with 0,78 J of energy.

Below is a table presenting 10 consecutive shots:

2. Accuracy and grouping on distances of 30 m (32.81 yd) and 40 m (43.74 yd).

The test was carried out using aA3 target with a background of a 1:1 silhouette. The distance was measured using a 100m long measuring tape. The shots were fired in series of 20. The shots were fired using 0,25 g King Arms BBs.

Distance of 30 m (32.81 yd):

Weight 0,25 g. Series of 20 BBs. 14/20 hits in the A3 target. 20/20 hits in the 1:1 silhouette.

Distance of 40 m (43.74 yd):

Weight 0,25 g. Series of 20 BBs, 16/20 hits in the A3 target. 20/20 hits in the 1:1 silhouette.

3. ROF measurement.

The ROF value, measured with a 7,4 V 1300 mAh 20C battery, is 13,5 BBs per second (810 BBs per minute).

4. Maximum efficient and maximum total range.

The maximum effective range of the replica is 45 m (49.21 yd). At this distance hitting the target and the silhouette was not a problem.

The maximum range of the replica is 50 m (54.68 yd).

SUMMARY

In Our opinion the AEG EBB SR40 replica of the MP40 sub-machinegun by Star Rainbow Company is an interesting product, has solid and esthetic finish, with care taken to recreate visual details true to the historical original. Replication of the German SMG is very good, which should satisfy not only historical Airsoft enthusiasts but also reenactors. It is a pity that the presented version of replica does not have the original’s markings, which were present on earlier versions of this product.

MP40 shoots very accurately - in Out opinion it is better then the Chinese equivalents. Therefore, impressions from shooting are positive and pleasant: workings of the EBB system enriches those impressions – it works very well. The hop-up is also very good. Once adjusted it functions without a flaw and does not get out of adjustment. The uneven workings of the hi-cap magazine is an unfortunate drawback though.

We prize the SR40 for the external fit and finish. In this regard it is the best MP40 replica among other versions we had experience with.

Despite the mentioned drawbacks the SRC  replica is definitely better than the Chinese versions of the MP40 and it can be recommended for both  historical Airsoft players and reenactors – we are sure that in both cases it will work and look very well

Pros:

+ very good overall impression of the replica’s appearance
+ very good fit of all parts
+ body half are connected very firmly
+ steel upper body
+ ideal seal of the piston-cylinder set
+ very good quality or the gearbox parts
+ very good workings of the HU
+ well designed and properly workings EBB system

Cons:

- problems with proper magazine workings
- problems with magazine release button
- slight slack of the charging handle
- lack of the historical markings of the original
- little space of the battery

The replica was testes thanks to the courtesy ofStar Rainbow Company:

Sources of real firearm photos:

www.ww2incolor.com

www.lonesentry.com

www.zib-militaria.de

 Translated by SHOGUN_YAMATO