First impression

The replica is delivers in a black and blue box which has a big Cyma logo and the Airsoft Electric Rifle Series slogan. After taking the replica out of the box we immediately fell that we deal with a piece of metal: the aggressive design, weighing 3847g (3683g without the magazine), makes a very good first impression.

The receiver

The receiver and its cover is made completely from steel. Other parts, such as the fake bolt carrier with an enlarged cocking handle, the top Picatinny rail are made from aluminium. The receiver has no stamped series numbers, only the ones indicating the firing mode and a Made in China sign at the bottom of the trigger guard. My experience shows that the steel used in replicas by Cyma does not rust quickly as happens in products made by other companies. This might be the result of different carbon content in the steel used. The whole set look very good: the receiver cover fits the receiver perfectly and has almost no slack. This is a great thing, especially that it does not have the AK specific side rail for attaching optical sights and uses the top rail on the cover for that.

The front

One of the most interesting things in the replica is its front which uses the KeyMod system, a copy of the AK-TRAX KeyMod Handguard Rail System made by Strike Industries. Its made from metal and comprises of two segments divided into two parts each: Trax1 is the upper and lower handguard, Trax2 is a continuation of the extension of the two up to the gas block. All of the parts are fixed to mounting points attached to the external barrel. Trax1 and Trax2 are connected using the bottom Picatinny rail, which is attached using the KeyMod system. Detachable rails are situated on both sides of the front. The top rail is fixed. The manufacturer did not place any marking on the front.

The stock

The replica's stock is mounted in a collapsible guide which is a standard M4 stock adapter. It has 6 adjustment positions. After pressing the button situated on the side of the guide we can fold the stock to the side and make the replica more useful in tight spaces and more comfortable for transportation. The stock guide is made of metal. Unfortunately, the collapsing system itself is plastic and it is a weak point of this replica. We have to admit that the plastic does look robust and we had to scratch this part quite hard to realize it was not metal. Moreover, using this material could have its benefits: its elasticity could protect the replica from the problem of broken metal stocks known from previous AK models of this manufacturer. How will it turn out, only time will tell.

The stock is a copy of the popular CTR® Carbine Stock model by Magpul. The mold itself looks good, it has no undesirable slack. The stock has no manufacturer's markings. Similarly to the original version, it has a system of double position locking which decreases the risk of accidental change of the stock position. The greatest downside of the folding stock guide is its distance from the receiver. In the first position it is 7 cm, which is a lot taking into account that in the case of the traditional guide this distance is 2 cm max.

The fire selector switch

Very comfortable, steel fire selector switch has a special "wing" which allows for quick change of the firing mode. Contrary to the classic selector design we can change the mode using one finger without taking the hand off the pistol grip. Which not exceptionally innovative, this feature increases to comfort of using the replica.

The sights

Because of its modern design, the replica has a slightly modified, metal sights, known from the classic AK line. The adjustable front sight is identical to the classic design. The rear sight is different as it is a part of the top RIS rail and is not adjustable.

The external barrel and muzzle break

The external barrel is made of metal and resembles the standard one, used in the AK system. It has a fake gas block, a front sight and a counterclockwise thread. Two non-standard front attachment points as fixed to the barrel. From the receiver end it has the hop-up chamber mounting point. It is connected with the receiver with the use of a pin situated near the chamber and a pressure screw under the rear sight. The whole set is fixed very well and we can assume that the problem of slack on the point of connection of the barrel and the receiver, known from earlier models, has been solved.

The muzzle break used in our replica is made of steal and resembles the design of compensators made by POF-USA.

The pistol grip

The polymer pistol grip is a copy of a design made by US PALM PTS AK. The grip itself is big and comfortable. It has anti-slip texture on the sides, which improves gripping. Between the receiver and the grip a steel tactical sling mounting point was installed, which is a copy of the AK-47/74 SLING ATTACHMENTS by ECHO NINE THREE. This solution allows for efficient use of the replica using both the left and right shoulder and a single point sling. Unfortunately, for people not used to this feature the attachment point, which is bent down, often gets in the way while grabbing the replica quickly. It is especially evident when the replica has the sling attached.

The magazine

The polymer magazine is a Hi-Cap with the capacity of 450 BBs. The design resembles the US Palm Mag. It has anti-slip ribs on each side. It looks very robust.

In the magwell, from the side of the barrel, a magazine slide was installed. It eliminates the problem of missing the proper missing the proper latch of the magazine which results in improper feeding of BBs from the magazine and often resulted in breaking the latch in the magazine. Now, in a stressful situation, one does not have to worry about an improperly inserted magazine.

Disassembly

The replica has been made is a slightly modified VFC standard. To disassemble it we must take out the pin situated near the chamber and than unscrew the hex pressure screw under the rear sight, which we gain access to after taking off the receiver's cover. One must also unscrew the magazine slide (bent, steel plate) in the magwell. This way we will split the replica in two and gain access to the barrel and the hop-up chamber. To get to the gearbox, one must unscrew the screw underneath the pistol grip and the screw holding the fire selector switch, which is covered by a metal cap that one must take off beforehand. After doing all of the above we can slide the gearbox out of the receiver, making sure that the fire selector switch mechanism does not interfere.

The gearbox

Inside the replica is the legendary V3 gearbox by Cyma, in this case the 02C model. Its frame is very robust and can withstand very strong srpings  and can allow to transform this assault rifle into a DMR. The gearbox is taken apart by removing a plastic sector gear cover, situated near the trigger, and a top steel plate. Next we unscrew 5 Phillips screws.

The hop-up chamber

A well known, metal hop-up chamber by Cyma had been made in the VFC standard. To get to the hop-up bucking, we must first take off the plastic inner barrel stabilizer and unscrew the spacer lever in the upper part of the chamber. The spacer is a standard type, rubber, hollow cylinder. The replica has a black bucking of medium hardness and a standard spinning nub. It work well but it is the first part I would replace. The whole set is well made and is airtight.

The inner barrel

A brass inner barrel is 455 mm long and 6.08 mm in diameter. It has been bevelled on the exit side.

The pneumatic system

The replica has a brass type 0 cylinder. Inside it is a polymer piston with a polymer piston head which has a metal spacer in stead if a bearing. THe spacer is to increase the performance of the stock spring. The cylinder head, which has and O-ring, is also made of polymer as is the nozzle, which does not have an O-ring. The reinforced (according to the information provided by the manufacturer) tapper plate is made of plastic and works well. The spring guide is made of metal and has a bearing. The spring used in the replica is said to be an M120 and allows the replica to achieve a muzzle velocity of 420 FPS.

The gears

Reinforce steel gears, known from earlier models by this manufacturer, are of good quality and should work with an M130 spring without any problem. They rotate within 7 mm metal bushings.

The motor

The motor used in the replica is a short type one and does not have very strong magnets. It is disappointing considering the fact that earlier models by Cyma had motor with neodymium magnets in stock. Those motors were able to run with very strong springs. The motor itself in held inside a metal frame which has to be unscrewed if we wish to get to the motor.

Shooting

Replicas by Cyma are known, among other things, for the fact that they are ready for games right out of the box and their specs are good enough for Polish airsoft games. 423 FPS in stock is enough to compete with "upgraded"replicas. Additionally the replica shoots accurately and consistently which is a surprising but welcomed fact. The manufacturer supplies the replica with a 9.6V 1200mAh NiMh battery which will be enough for start, but replacing the battery for a better quality one in the future is recommended. We managed to achieve ROF of 9.74 RPS on this battery. When using a 11.1V LiPo battery the ROF increased to 17.6 RPS. The replica should also be commended for the stability in its muzzle velocity: for 10 shots the lowest value was 421.1 FPS, and the highest 425.9 FPS. It is a satisfactory result which shows that the pneumatic system has good seal and all the parts all in line with each other.

Below are the result of our FPS measurements which we did just after the replica has been taken out of the box:

Cyma

422.7 FPS

425 FPS

421.1 FPS

423.3 FPS

423.3 FPS

424.1 FPS

422 FPS

425.9 FPS

Average: 423,4 FPS

Summary

Some time ago it has been said that replicas by Cyma have better external than internal parts. Those were also the times when Chinese replicas of AK family of rifles were mostly made of steel. Cyma, unfortunately, did not had such versions in its offer. Today its has a broad range of AK rifles with the CM.076 being the next one. This massive carbine with a modern and aggressive design will be probably be liked not only by the users of the AK platform. Its performance and external design are of high quality, which has been maintained by Cyma for years. We still get good value for money. There are some solutions that arise our doubts, such as the stock folding system or the sling attachment point. Yet, those are not things that drastically influence our overall feeling about this product. The CM.076 replica by Cyma is another great product that is worth attention on the largely stagnant are repetitive market of AK replicas.

We would like to thank Taiwangun.com for making this review possible