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Army Sportline LWRC M6

Army Sportline LWRC M6

One of the latest offerings from the Classic Army Sportline series is the LWRC International logoed M6. The popularity of the budget Airsoft gun continues to soar and many high-end manufacturers have introduced budget lines to satisfy the demand. With a glut of similar models available from others, what does the latest Classic Army have to offer and does it stand out from the crowd.

The gun comes complete with 300 round hi-capacity magazine, a cleaning rod, a small packet of BB’s and the instructions. As this is a Sportline, I am sure there will also be a package that includes battery and charger, but to date, I haven’t seen this as an option.

Heavy Metal – Not Quite, But a Good Feel

On opening the box and picking up the gun I have to say I am pleasantly surprised at how solid it feels. It’s not lightweight, but at the same time it’s not heavy. It’s a good weight for a youngster or an adult that doesn’t want their gun to cause too much fatigue. Being at the budget end of the spectrum, the Sportline series often falls down in the ‘feel’ compared with the more expensive Proline series, this is mainly due to materials used in construction. The LWRCM6 differs from others as it has a metal body and that changes its dynamics from others considerably. There is no creak in the body, the delta ring and front grip feels extremely solid and the matt finish to the paintwork and burnished appearance of the front grips and stock give the impression you are holding an AEG from anything but a budget line.

Starting at the front the flash hider sits right on top of the A post front sight producing a very short carbine, ideal for maneuvering in tight spaces. The front grips are very slim, a pull on the delta ring allows the bottom grip to be removed for the battery and inside you will find good quality silicone wiring, in-line fuse holder and tamia connector. You will need a nun-chuck style battery to fit, as a standard mini battery is too large with the slim front end.

The body has LWRC International markings on the left, which are well done, but on the right the Classic Army, made in Hong Kong logo appears in the same lettering. It seems odd to me they go to the trouble of licensing and using trades, then stick their own name so prominently on the body as well. If your using licensed trades, I prefer them unadulterated, but maybe that’s just me. The ejection port needs a slight pull with a fingernail to open, it’s held in place by a magnet rather than using the cocking lever to activate it. This is often an area manufacturers save money and I prefer this method of securing rather than a catch made of flimsy materials. You can’t go wrong with a magnet and there is nothing to break.

The 20mm top rail features a rear sight, which looks well balanced with the rest of the gun, the pistol grip is nicely stippled and the fire selector clicks positively, again with the sort of reassurance you get from a high-end gun. The sliding stock has a little movement in it, but it’s well finished and has 5 positions to adjust to.

OTT Performance

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The exterior stacks up in the quality stakes, but how does it fire? I loaded up a 9.6v NiMh battery and a full mag, ran a few shots through it and set the hop. Out of the box it chronoed at a surprising 410fps with a 0.2g BB. I have seen another running at 380fps, so for UK site power limits it will need a downgrade. It was also pushing out 11-12 rounds per second, so no slouch on the speed front and after a downgrade I am sure this will go up a touch. The flight of the BB’s was consistent with slight adjustments of the hop changing the trajectory. Chest sized targets at 45meters are not a problem so this is a very capable Airsoft gun that skirmishers will love.

Proline Parts?

You can’t accurately judge a budget AEG without knowing what quality the internals are, often this is an area manufacturers skimp on to keep the price down so we stripped down the gun to see.

First impressions are very good, it’s nice to see captive bolts on the end of the body pins, and quality hasn’t suffered on the hop unit. I put the hop unit next to one from a Proline gun, and can’t tell the difference. The brass barrel is also well finished and crowned with the barrel internals being highly polished. I may be wrong, but it looks to me like the parts bin this one came from is straight from the Proline series.

The standard Classic Army high torque motor is the same I have seen in many Sportline guns, they do the job and I have seen very few issues with them.

Onto the gearbox casing, the internal corners at the front of the gearbox that so often cause cracking have radii built into then, but they could do with a bit of fine fettling to finish the job. The casing only has one screw by the motor, something I have seen on most Sportlines, not my favorite practice, but works none the less. It’s fitted with 6mm solid bushings, which are nicely shimmed. It’s good to see metal bushings on a budget gun that will last and last. Plastic bushings or even worse, cheap bearings, are more trouble than good old solid metal bushings.

Internally the parts all look well finished, nothing ground breaking or innovative, just well made and solid in appearance. Of note is the metal spring guide, a plastic one would be cheaper but obviously for Classic Army, quality counts. The internals should give reliable good performance.

Retailers vary, but the average cost of the gun is a very reasonable £169.95.

Conclusion

The Classic Army LWRC M6 punches well above it’s weight, a full metal gun that is put together this well and feels this good, but also shoots as well as it does for less than £170 is a winner as far as I am concerned. Anybody that buys this will more than get their moneys worth and own a cracking gun. Well done Classic Army, your setting a standard that raises the bar for what should be a budget gun but doesn’t seem like it.

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  • Army Sportline LWRC M6 - image {image:count}

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  • Army Sportline LWRC M6 - image {image:count}

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  • Army Sportline LWRC M6 - image {image:count}

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  • Army Sportline LWRC M6 - image {image:count}

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  • Army Sportline LWRC M6 - image {image:count}

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  • Army Sportline LWRC M6 - image {image:count}

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  • Army Sportline LWRC M6 - image {image:count}

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  • Army Sportline LWRC M6 - image {image:count}

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