Righteous
09-07-2009, 11:10 AM
Systema M4 PTW
Price: 2.5 million won from Korean Retailers
Pros
Very well built - It is all metal where it should be
Accurate even with a shorter barrel
Very good rate of fire with a 9.6v battery when it did fire
Battery installation is easier than other Crane stock types
Will fire the entire magazine if it fires at all
Very easy spring change
Cons
Very expensive (2.5 million for the replica, 5 magazines and two 9.6v batteries)
Magazines are expensive (250k for four)
No hicap magazines are available
Motor cutoff latches on the magazines must be trimmed to prevent inadvertently disabling the motor
Magazines are not compatible with any other brand of Armalite (M4/M16/AR-15) variant
The replica failed to fire far too often for being so expensive and continued to do so after being fixed. My SCAR and M240 are infinitely more reliable.
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
The Systema M4 PTW is an very poor replica that will likely need some adjustment to achieve even mediocre performance as it has an alarmingly frequent tendency to fail to fire in Semi mode. It is, also, far too expensive for most players. I expect a 2.5 million won replica to function reliably the first time and every time I pull the trigger. The Systema PTW simply does not do this. Avoid at all costs. Buy two or three other replicas instead.
Review
The Systema M4 PTW is a solid replica out of the box, however, the system that prevents the replica from firing when the magazine is empty often disabled the motor even when rounds were still available. Usually, hitting the side of the replica cures this and it has been much less frequent since I took it to the person I bought it from and he made some adjustments. The replica had been very reliable since this repair and gave me no trouble during the fourth day I used it in a Sunday skirmish. However, the problems did return and I switched to my SCAR as my primary. The magazines feed reliably even in full auto and the battery lasts several hundred rounds despite being a 1600mah battery. In fact, I have yet to run the battery out.
The battery installs through the back by removing the buttstock cover and it does not require removal of the entire stock. The hopup is adjustable with an included special tool and it does not move around once set.
The spring is contained in a separate cylinder that is very similar to those used on springer sniper rifles. The entire cylinder can be changed in less than a minute by breaking open the receiver and switching color coded cylinders. This allows for an easy velocity switch to suit the user. The cylinder comes open easily as well and the spring can be changed thus obviating the need to spend 290k won for a different cylinder. The issue is that the spring has a smaller diameter than other AEG springs so one can not simply buy a replacement AEG spring that is rated for the desired velocity. You have to get the special Systema PTW spring. I was fortunate that this was included in the package when I bought the replica.
Overall, it is a very poor replica and has performed well below standard even after I thought the initial issues were sorted out. The problem is the cost of the weapon, the consistent failure to fire in Semi mode and the limited third party support (i.e. hicaps, springs, etc) for the replica.
After extensive skirmishing I can not recommend this replica to anyone. It consistently fails to fire in Semi mode and this is a direct result of a system in the gun designed to prevent dry firing with an empty magazine. The system simply does not work and often prevents firing even with a full magazine. After bruising my hands from slapping the receiver so many times to get it to function I smashed it against a tree as I had done earlier to get it to work again and it broke in several places. I don't know why any professional agency or operator would use this replica for training as it is incredibly unreliable. It is less reliable than an M4 in the desert which is quite a feat for Systema to achieve. I can see no training value in this replica unless the objective of a training session conducted with it is to constantly execute stoppage and failure to fire drills during combat. Avoid at all costs.
Price: 2.5 million won from Korean Retailers
Pros
Very well built - It is all metal where it should be
Accurate even with a shorter barrel
Very good rate of fire with a 9.6v battery when it did fire
Battery installation is easier than other Crane stock types
Will fire the entire magazine if it fires at all
Very easy spring change
Cons
Very expensive (2.5 million for the replica, 5 magazines and two 9.6v batteries)
Magazines are expensive (250k for four)
No hicap magazines are available
Motor cutoff latches on the magazines must be trimmed to prevent inadvertently disabling the motor
Magazines are not compatible with any other brand of Armalite (M4/M16/AR-15) variant
The replica failed to fire far too often for being so expensive and continued to do so after being fixed. My SCAR and M240 are infinitely more reliable.
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
The Systema M4 PTW is an very poor replica that will likely need some adjustment to achieve even mediocre performance as it has an alarmingly frequent tendency to fail to fire in Semi mode. It is, also, far too expensive for most players. I expect a 2.5 million won replica to function reliably the first time and every time I pull the trigger. The Systema PTW simply does not do this. Avoid at all costs. Buy two or three other replicas instead.
Review
The Systema M4 PTW is a solid replica out of the box, however, the system that prevents the replica from firing when the magazine is empty often disabled the motor even when rounds were still available. Usually, hitting the side of the replica cures this and it has been much less frequent since I took it to the person I bought it from and he made some adjustments. The replica had been very reliable since this repair and gave me no trouble during the fourth day I used it in a Sunday skirmish. However, the problems did return and I switched to my SCAR as my primary. The magazines feed reliably even in full auto and the battery lasts several hundred rounds despite being a 1600mah battery. In fact, I have yet to run the battery out.
The battery installs through the back by removing the buttstock cover and it does not require removal of the entire stock. The hopup is adjustable with an included special tool and it does not move around once set.
The spring is contained in a separate cylinder that is very similar to those used on springer sniper rifles. The entire cylinder can be changed in less than a minute by breaking open the receiver and switching color coded cylinders. This allows for an easy velocity switch to suit the user. The cylinder comes open easily as well and the spring can be changed thus obviating the need to spend 290k won for a different cylinder. The issue is that the spring has a smaller diameter than other AEG springs so one can not simply buy a replacement AEG spring that is rated for the desired velocity. You have to get the special Systema PTW spring. I was fortunate that this was included in the package when I bought the replica.
Overall, it is a very poor replica and has performed well below standard even after I thought the initial issues were sorted out. The problem is the cost of the weapon, the consistent failure to fire in Semi mode and the limited third party support (i.e. hicaps, springs, etc) for the replica.
After extensive skirmishing I can not recommend this replica to anyone. It consistently fails to fire in Semi mode and this is a direct result of a system in the gun designed to prevent dry firing with an empty magazine. The system simply does not work and often prevents firing even with a full magazine. After bruising my hands from slapping the receiver so many times to get it to function I smashed it against a tree as I had done earlier to get it to work again and it broke in several places. I don't know why any professional agency or operator would use this replica for training as it is incredibly unreliable. It is less reliable than an M4 in the desert which is quite a feat for Systema to achieve. I can see no training value in this replica unless the objective of a training session conducted with it is to constantly execute stoppage and failure to fire drills during combat. Avoid at all costs.