The sights
The replica is equipped with folding sights made of polymer.
Unlike many other models of folding sights, these can only be used when they are unfolded.
Unfolding the sights is done "automatically" after pressing the button, thanks to the springs operating the mechanism. They are folded by hand until the latch snaps into place.
The arrows indicate the position of the buttons that release the sight. The front sights:
The rear sight:
The front sight is vertically adjustable. The most convenient way to do it is to use a standard key, the same as in all ARs. Unfortunately, it is not included with the replica. The rear sight is adjusted only horizontally, but without the use of tools, with a knob. In addition, the rear sight has two standard aperture settings: the precise, "day" and the second, "night". The front and rear sight are adapted for mounting on a Picatinny rail. You will need an hex key for this.
The buttstock
The described replica has a telescopic SF type buttstock mounted on a standard 6-position stock tube. In the described model, the counter nut (crown) of the tube is actually a nut, not a dummy and has a specific shape. Between the guide and the receiver of the replica there is a two-sided mounting point for a carrying sling.
The buttstock itself is made in a way that is indistinguishable from any other such stock. It is finished with a rubber butt plate, which has to be removed to get into the battery compartment. To remove the plate, as usual in this type of designs, it is necessary to squeeze the hooks on both sides (marked below with a red arrow) and slightly slide the foot down. The green arrow indicates the QD attachment point of the carrying sling.
After removing the plate, you gain access to the MOSFET system and the battery compartment, which is unfortunately quite small. The MOSFET takes most of the space inside the tube. Moreover, the low-resistance wires are quite stiff, which makes it even more difficult to place the battery in a correct and safe way.In my opinion, only the "cheeks" of the butt are available for battery storage, which significantly reduces the size of the battery that can be used.
The X-ASR MOSFET, like most GATE products, has a T-shaped plug. The replica comes with an adapter from the T-plug to the mini Tamiya, which makes it possible to use more battery types without changing the plug.Three wires coming out from the other side of the system are removable due to assembly reasons and have flat push-in connectors.
Unfortunately, the length of the outgoing wires was chosen so badly that the connection point with the further part of the installation falls exactly at the end of the stock tube. This is really unfortunate as disconnecting and connecting flat push-in connectors is difficult and annoying, and without this the replacement of the spring is extremely difficult. However, we got information from the distributor that subsequent replicas of the Egde series will have slightly longer wires.
Why is it more convenient to disconnect the MOSFET in order to perform a "quick spring change"? Well, because the Edge series does not use the SAEC system which, in short, is designed in such a way that the stock tube is screwed directly into the lower receiver of the replica, which makes disassembly possible even without tools. In Egde series we have the ESA, a much improved upon classic solution with a screw that presses the top of the buttstock into the lower receiver of the rifle and is screwed into the spring guide. The improvement is that you do not have to remove the gearbox from the carbine's receiver. The spring with the guide can be removed thanks to the undercuts in the "back" of the receiver shown below, removing only the buttstock (second photo below). But THIS IS IMPORTANT: the Edge replica's stock tube (the ESA system) has two "nubs" - earlier versions (Enter&Convert) had four.
Therefore, to "quickly" replace the spring you have to:
1. remove the stock from the stock tube;
2. disconnect the three wires coming our of the MOSFET;
3. unscrew the screw at the bottom of the stock tube;
4. remove the stock tube.
Only now we gain access to the spring guide, which we gently press and unlock with an hex wrench. The arrows indicate the undercuts mentioned above, thanks to which the spring guide can be removed.
The guide rotated by 90 degrees comes out with the spring.
The installation of a new guide is done in the same way but in the reverse order. It "fast", right? It is clearly faster than in the classic solution, but you still need to have a large screwdriver with you, and a hex key.
We are all abusing the phrases "quick spring change". It's really fast in the AUG, the UAR, the L85 and some G36 replicas. Well, maybe somewhere else as well. In ARs, only with a two-part gearbox, as in the ICS with EBB system or in "split" versions made by Retro Ams.
On the next page: disassembly of the replica, the inner barrel with the HopUP chamber and the Orion gearbox
