Replica AEG M4 CQR MOD2, made by KWA as a part of their budget line of replicas.

INTRODUCTION

M4 CQR mod2 is one of the newest products of KWA. Made as a part of their budget line of replicas, it differs from the proline replicas as the lower receiver is made of synthetic fibers.

The manufacturer did not save on the quality if internal parts. M4 CQR mod2 is advertised as having the same mechanism (inside a 2GX gearbox) as the full metal KWA replicas. This review will describe, in detail, the M4 CQRmod2 replica. Enjoy your reading.

PACKAGE

The package, inside which the replica is delivered, is a full cardboard box, opened from the shorter sides. It has an esthetic design, made in black and blue colors, with a big manufacturer’s logo – it immediately attracts attention. Inside is a Styrofoam insert that holds the replica and its accessories. The box serves its purpose very well and secures the replica in transport. Non of the accessories are loose inside the box.

The box, besides the replica, contains three magazines, a manual, a cleaning rod, a red muzzle cover and a set of wrenches used to adjust and maintain the replica (hex wrenches and a front sight adjustment key).

The black and while manual is dedicated to both lines of CQR replicas. It is detailed, with  drawings showing how to handle the replica and schematics presenting its construction.

FIRST IMPRESSION

Compact size and the lower receiver made of synthetic fiber make it look initially like a toy. This assumption may be reinforced by fact that the color of the metal upper receiver and synthetic fiber lower receiver is almost identical. It may therefore be assumed that both parts are made if plastic with is a completely false assumption.

After picking up the replica – its weigh and fit or individual parts seem very good. The external finish is esthetic and it can be said that as a carbine the M4 CQR mod2 is even to esthetic. Therefore some scratches here and there, which will appear after some use, will add more realism to this replica. None the less, the external finish, as found in other KWA replicas, is practically flawless. 

The replica is very well balanced, it feels comfortable and is easy to aim.

EXTERNAL APPEARANCE

Basic replica data: length - 673 / 756 mm (26.49/29.76 in), weigh - 2640 g (5.82 lbs).

The metal parts of the replica are flat black matt. Only several parts, such as the forward assist, are grey. M4 CQR mod2 is made of aluminum alloy (except for the lover receiver). Use of steel is marginal – it is limited to several parts such as pins, screws and the forward grip mounting ring. 

The metal upper receiver, instead being a single part, is in fact made up from four parts held together by pins: two halves of the upper receiver, the top rail and the barrel mount. This way of manufacturing of the upper receiver was probably done to reduce costs.

Dummy bolt and the dust cover. 

Fire selector switch.

The flash hider is mounted on a 14mm counterclockwise thread and set into position by a small hex screw.

External barrel.

According to the schematics in the manual it is made of two parts. This is entirely true - the line marking the connection of the main barrel with the extension is hidden under the base of the front sight. Therefore one could think that to change the frontal part of the replica by adding rails and changing the front sight there wouldn't also be any problem in shortening the external barrel. Unfortunately, despite excessive attempts to unscrew the barrel halves, we were unable to do so. We do not know the cause of this situation. Maybe its a fault of the thread or a jam or some kind of glue was used to reinforce the connection.

The part extending the barrel, as the flash hider, has a 14mm counterclockwise thread. 

External barrel mount.

Synthetic fiber was used to make the fore grip and the pistol grip, the lower receiver and the stock - all are black. The parts have an esthetic finish. The stock has six positions - which is typical for an M4, has a slight slack on the guide, but it is not excessive. 

The stock is not a homogenous mold, one of its parts was molded separately and screwed on in an indistinguishable fashion. 

The lower receiver seams durable. It is well finished, without marks from injections points or excessive material leftovers, which itself is of very good quality. The sides of the receiver are quite thick. 

Both sided sling mount.

Iron sights are adjustable: both the front sight on a traditional triangle base and the rear sight. 

The rear sight's base is made of synthetic fiber. The rail mount, the adjusting mechanism, and the sight itself are made of metal.

MARKINGS

The replica has no markings of any real steal manufacturer of the M4 carbines. It has the name of the replica's manufacturer, its type and its place of origin on it. All names and symbols on the replica are presented below.

POWER SUPPLY

KWA makes its replicas LiPo ready. The wiring is placed in the front grip together with the space for the battery. M4 CQR mod2 accepts the following batteries: 8.4v and 9.6v NiMh, 7.4v LiPo or LiFe.

MAGAZINE

The manufacturer supplies the replica with three magazines. These are mid caps holding 120 BBs made of synthetic fiber.

The part of the magazine inserted into the magwell has the manufacturer logo on it.

The magazines have no excessive slack nor are they held in the magwell too tightly. Yet they stay in place (the mag release work fine) and slide out smoothly once released. Also, they feed without any problems.

DISASSEMBLY

The replica can be disassembled similarly to other AEG M4 models and like the real steel version: by opening it after removing the rear pin.

The only difference is that in comparison with M4 replicas made by other manufacturers is that the pins are secured with hex screws - to take them out one needs to use a hex wrench that is supplied with the replica.

APPERANCE OF A PARTLY DISASSEMBLED REPLICA

INTERNAL CONSTRUCTION

Internal parts of the replica have an esthetic finish. They are also very solid. The gearbox has the KWA logo.

It is safe to say that the mechanism of the M4 CQR mod2 replica is the same as the one used in the full metal KWA replicas. Despite the fact that the M4 CQR mod2 is a part of the budget line - the manufacturer did not save up on internal parts. The parts used are of very good quality.

1. Gearbox.

The GB is a reinforced V2 gearbox. It is one of the best gearbox on the market (one of the most durable): the 2GX. Additional reinforcements can be seen in the front part of the gearbox. 

The motor, in a black casing, is a High Torque version.

The gearbox is fit very well. It has 9 mm ball bearings.

The gears are steel and appear to be durable. The motor gear has 4 anti-reversal latches. The piston gear has a visible brass sector clip (it delays the tappet plate). 

The non-linear spring and the spring guide. The guide is metal with a slide bearing composed of 3 washers.

The piston. The piston head is made of aluminum. In is not ventilated. The head has a slide bearing composed of 3 washers.

The nozzle is non-standard, typical for KWA. 

The cylinder - type 3. The piston/cylinder set seal is perfect.

2. HU chamber.

The hop up chamber has two parts and is made of synthetic fiber. The part of a black HU rubber which pushes against the BBs has two humps. 

SHOOTING

The firing sound is pleasant to the ear, the workings of the gears is barely noticeable. Overall, the mechanism performs very well. The HU works correctly and does not get out of adjustment. Aiming and moving around with the KWAM4 CQR mod2 is comfortable.

TESTS

1. Fps and energy measurement.

The FPS and energy tests were done using Aim Top 0.2 g BBs.

The average muzzle velocity on those BBs is 348 fps, with 1 J of energy.

Below is a table presenting 10 consecutive shots:

2. ROF measurement.

7,4 V 15 C battery: 13 per second (780 BB per minute)

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

The test was carried out using aA4 target with a background of a 1:1 silhouette. The distance was measured using a measuring tape. The shots were fired in series of 10 using 0.25 g, Aim Top BBs.

At the distance of 30 m (32.81 yd) there were 10/10 hits in the 1:1 silhouette, with 8/10 hits in the A4 target.

At the distance of 40 m (43.74 yd) there were 8/10 hits in the 1:1 silhouette, with 5/10 hits in the A4 target. 

4. Maximum efficient and maximum total range.

The maximum effective range of the replica is 40m (43.74 yd).

The maximum total range of the replica is 45 m (49.21 yd).

SUMMARY

The M4 CQR mod2 replica, a part of the budget line of AEGs made by KWA, is characterized by an esthetic external appearance and a very good fit of individual parts. Despite being a different class than full metal KWA AEGs - the differences are minor and basically come down to the use of a different lower receiver.

Internally - the replica should satisfy every player. Reinforced elements of the 2GX gearbox and very good parts minimize the risk of damage during use and are ideal for tuning. 

The muzzle velocity places this replica for typical CQB use, but it is also effective at greater distances and the 2GX GB allows to increase its parameters through tuning. 

Summing up, we can conclude that the reviewed replica is an example of a very well made product, combining esthetic finish with high quality mechanism. In the segment of budget replicas the M4 CQR mod2 is, in our opinion, a class of its own - it is difficult to find a budget replica on a comparable level of finish, especially in case of the internal parts. It is an excellent choice for people with lower funds, looking for a brand name replica at an affordable price. . 

Pros:

+ esthetic external and internal finish 

+ very good fit of external and internal parts

+ reinforced 2GX gearbox 

+ very good quality of gearbox parts

+ very good seal of the piston/cylinder set

+ good replica balance

Cons:

- marking not found on real M4 carbines

- lack of original markings

- slight slack of the stock on the stock guide 

The replica was tested thanks to the courtesy of DEFIANCE Systems SA 

The editors of WMasg would like to thankTaktyczny.com for help in creating this review.

  Translated by SHOGUN_YAMATO