CYMA M14 SOCOM16 Sniper Rifle AEG Wood

http://www.airsplat.com/items/ERM-CYMA-CM032W.htm

Specifications:
- Velocity: 350 FPS (0.2 g BB) / Range 160-180 Feet
- Barrel Length: 15 inches / 39 cm
- Magazine Capacity: 400 Rounds

Features:
- Metal Receiver and Barrel
- ABS/Nylon Simulated Wood Stock
- Integrated Top Scope Rail
- Battery and Charger Included (Small)
- Made in China

CYMA M14 SOCOM16

by Islander...

Table of Contents
The Real Steel M14
First Impressions
Externals Analysis
Performance Analysis
Issues with the Gun
Final Comments

History of the Real Steel M14:

The M14, when released (first released in 1958 by Springfield Armory) was the modernized version of the highly popular M1 Garand that was used by both the American Army and the Marine Corps as the issued as the infantry rifle in World War 2. The M1 Garand in its time was the worlds first self-loading, semi-automatic service rifle and saw service in WW2, the Korean war and the start of the Vietnam war. The M14 however added refinements that made a good platform great, such as a detachable 20-shot magazine to replace the 8-round clip. Another great addition to this model was being capable to fire in both semi-auto AND full-auto modes. Having this dual-fire mode capability, the M14 became just the second American designed rifle to have this function, preceded by the World War 1 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR).

The M14 was used extensively in the Vietnam War with over 1 million of them being made up to 1963. Some of the countries that still use the M14 and it variants today include Argentina, Estonia, Israel, Lithuania, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States.

Country of origin: United States
Manufacturer: Springfield Armory
First year of service: 1959
Overall length: 46.50"
Barrel length: 22.01"
Weight empty: 11.46 lbs.
Caliber: 7.62x51mm NATO
Magazine Capacity: 20-round magazine
Muzzle velocity: 2,800 FPS
Rate of fire: 725 rounds per minute
Range: 1,509 ft.
Sights: Aperture rear, Barleycorn Front

First Impressions:

Great starter weapon. Love the detail on the rifle, most importantly the locking back of the racking bolt. It has a nice, crisp trigger response. Accurate at about 50-70 feet then it tends to lose its accuracy beyond that point, this will be corrected later with a tight-bore barrel and better bucking... One of the things that really stood out on this model as well as the Echo1, was how racking the bolt sounds. It is very crisp and makes a nice loud “Wack!”

Inside the box was the Cyma M14 SOCOM16, sling, one high-cap magazine, winding key for the mags, 8.4 volt / 1,100 Nicad. battery, charger, small allen wrench, unjamming rod, sample pack of BBs and the instruction manual,

Externals Analysis:

The external build quality is good, it did have some rough edges from the molding of the stock that needed a light sanding to clean it up. It would however been fine without the touch-ups (I'm a little OCD). It is good in its balance although it is a little front heavy without the battery installed. When you shoulder it, it goes easily into a shooting position. The ABS/Nylon Simulated Wood Stock's finish had a little bit of a shine but not so much that it stood out. The finish is much like that of the wood that it is simulating. It looks and feels great, and seems durable too. As with the Echo1, Cyna went to great lengths to retain the looks and feel of the original gun. Also while it serves no real purpose on this gun, the bolt will lock back in the open position and release just the same as the real gun, again adding to the authentic look and feel.

Performance Analysis:

The Cyma M14 SOCOM16, is an acceptably accurate gun although will require additional upgrades to get to the range that is desired. The M14 has a noticibly quieter gearbox the the Echo1 M14 but it is still not the most quiet replica for an AEG. It also has a nice rate of fire.

The FPS was measured at 338 FPS with .25 BBs and remained within 3 FPS of that even after about 1,000 shots.

To install the battery into the gun, you lift the hinged buttplate and open the door the the battery compartment. In the hollow stock is the fuse and wire, which you connect the battery to. The Cyma M14 Socom16 comes stock with a small tamiya connector so for most of your batteries you should be good to go. *NOTE, the included battery is a NiCad (yes they still make those...) so you should probably replace the battery soon... There is however, a large amount of room in the stock, allowing the user to use a number of different types of batteries (small, large, lipo). As with the Echo1, the only battery that was unable to fit inside was a large 9.6 brick battery.

The hop-up adjustment is accessed in the magwell. It can be adjusted with the magazine in or out of the gun, making it great for adjustments on the fly..

Issues with the Cyma M14 Socom16:

While retaining the true look and feel of the original the rail is VERY far forward and while suited for optics such as an EoTech, makes the mounting of a scope difficult as it is so far forward. The other possible issue is that is has no bottom rail to mount a tripod or lights if was desired.

Final Comments:

The appearance of the rifle is nice and it would be a great starter rifle for the price. As the parts to upgrade are readily available and the prices for those parts are low, this would be a good solid foundation to start from in building up to whatever role you would like it to fill. We will look forward to see how it performs once being upgraded and plan to post what those upgrades accomplished as it goes along.

A quick overview of the pros and cons:

Pros:
Good (not great) finish and details.
Durable highly upgradable v7gearbox.
Well balanced.

Large battery space.

Cons:
No bottom rail.
Requires some touch-ups to the molding to take care of sharp edges.
Not accurate over 100' without upgrades