Krytac LMG

Over the years, I’ve owned a number of airsoft ‘support guns’, ranging from M249 ‘SAWs’, to RPKs and even a Stoner LMG. A good support gunner that understands their role can really make a huge difference to any attack or defence, and I’ve been aching to get my mitts on the KRYTAC Trident for some considerable time now. Back in 2014, it became apparent that Swiss firearms manufacturer KRISS was thinking about getting into the airsoft market in their own right. Initially, having partnered up with another airsoft manufacturer, KRISS made it quite clear at SHOT Show that year that they would be forging their own path, and they have done so successfully since then, with their KRYTAC range of carbines, rifles and LMGs.

KRYTAC, established in Southern California in 2013, came out with a pretty bold, no-nonsense statement: “The shooting community is expanding every day, with new shooters and new shooting sports rapidly developing. KRYTAC’s focus is to cultivate that community with innovative products that lay the foundation for safety, for building shooting skills, and for these to evolve with the shooter. The KRISS Group’s worldwide perspective stimulates innovation in KRYTAC designs to achieve new levels of efficiency, power, ergonomics, and aesthetics in every product. Every process of development is aimed at offering the best possible ownership experience, from beginning to end, KRYTAC strives for excellence.

The KRYTAC team is comprised of highly experienced professionals who have come together with one common goal, to elevate your expectation of performance, value, and service.”

Of course, KRYTAC had the might of the KRISS Group behind them; KRISS are no strangers to outside-of-the box thinking and mechanical innovation in that they are the people behind the cutting edge, ‘real steel’ KRISS Vector. What they achieved with the Vector was something that not only hadn’t been done before, but that hadn’t even been thought about, so it seems perfectly logical to me that they might apply that same approach to their airsoft range. When it came to KRYTAC replicas, that’s exactly what we saw from the outset, and they’ve continued to innovate and be up with the latest firearm trends since then.

Tried and tested now

KRYTAC initially brought originality to their product offering; although with their initial models we only saw four ‘M4’ style variants, KRYTAC really put their own character into things, with clever little touches like distinctive battery stocks and Keymod rails as standard. One thing is for certain, the finish of these airsoft guns has been consistently superlative and they ooze quality, and with solid internals that have now been subject to nearly three years ‘wear and tear’, they’ve carved themselves a well-earned niche in the market.

Internally, on all the models, you get a reinforced 8mm bearing gearbox, with an integrated MOSFET to regulate electronic signals and to protect the trigger contacts. The corners of the gearbox that surround the cylinder feature a smooth radius, as opposed to a 90° angle, to prevent fracture; neatly, the gearbox shell features a small ‘window’ on the left side, where lubrication can be applied directly to the gears or piston. This ‘window’ is also convenient for inspecting the angle of engagement with the gearbox without disassembly.

Additional gearbox features include a modular spring guide system that will allow the spring to be changed without completely disassembling the gearbox, although you do still need to remove the gearbox from the receiver to make the change. KRYTAC piston are made of a durable, lightweight polymer and features four metal teeth, with the 2nd to last tooth absent. The cylinder head is padded with an enlarged sorbothane buffer to optimise the angle of engagement and to absorb energy from the impact of the piston assembly, extending longevity. The material for the gears has been specially formulated to be very strong, with test figures on the KRYTAC gears being much higher than that offered by many other manufacturers. Turning all of the drive train components is the KRYTAC high torque motor, capable of 30,000 revolutions per minute unloaded!

There’s commonality of internals across the range of KRYTAC models and they also share some other features. The aluminium lower receiver features a stamped KRYTAC logo and accepts AR/M4 style magazines. Additional features include an ambidextrous fire selector, and on the carbine and rifle models, a locking ‘bolt’ that provides easy access to the KRYTAC rotary hop-up system, which has 15 adjustment settings and a numbered adjustment wheel, for a quick reference point, to determine how much hop is needed.

Bespoke design

This ‘locking bolt’ feature is absent from the Trident Light Machine Gun (LMG) as the upper receiver is quite distinctly different to the other models in the range. Instead of an ‘M4’ style upper, the LMG has a bespoke top section, which features an opening top cover and feed tray, although a top rail section is still in evidence to mount optics. The cocking handle is also of the folding, LMG type, which adds to the individuality of the LMG; the specialised upper gives it a unique design.

The Trident LMG Enhanced actually combines the firepower of a full-sized machine gun, with the portability and the controls the traditional ‘M4’ platform. With a Keymod handguard and shortened barrel, the LMG is even more usable than before; the size and weight mean that even the smallest player can comfortably carry an LMG for extended periods of time, and with its large 3000 BB box magazine, the Trident LMG is ideal for laying down copious suppressive fire!

Rounds down!

To summarise, on paper the KRYTAC models certainly tick all the boxes, and in the form of a lightweight support gun the Trident LMG fulfils its role very well indeed. KRYTACs are very well put together, and even the finish of the plastic parts is free from blemishes and mould lines. The six-position sliding battery stock locks solidly into place on every setting, with nary a wobble. All the models come with a singlepoint sling plate fitted as standard, but unlike the rifle and carbine variants, the LMG does not come with iron sights; my review sample, that came from the great team at SHIELD Sights though, was provided with one of their ‘real deal’ CQS Red-Dot sights, which set off the LMG perfectly and performed amazingly well!

All the KRYTAC AEGs work surprisingly well on a 7.4V NUPROL LiPo, giving a trigger response that is far crisper than you would expect; when you crank things up to an 11.1V though, the trigger response is as good as anything I’ve tried. Chrono testing was carried out using .20g NUPROL RZR BBs; the hop-up is easily set, thanks to the precise rotary design, and once set, stays where it should. KRYTAC have looked carefully to legal power levels in all the countries they sell to worldwide, so I was not at all surprised when the LMG registered a consistent and UK site (and now legal!) limit-friendly 0.95-Joule/320fps; KRYTAC promised that models coming to our shores would be legally compliant, and they’ve obviously lived up to their word! Also, as I suspected, the accuracy is right up there, with the LMG sending the BBs out a good 50-metres plus, with impressively tight groupings, especially when I went prone and used an ASG bipod with it.

Boxing clever

Of course, the feature which sets the LMG apart from the other Trident models is the 3000 BB, self-winding box mag! With an ‘AR’ style magazine fitting that fits into the magwell of the lower (this means you can always use standard ‘M4’ magazines at a push!), the box is of sturdy olive green plastic construction; clearly marked with ‘5.56mm NATO’ on the endcap, the box feels like it will stand up well to abuse. This endcap pops off to reveal the loading tray and a compartment for a 9-volt battery that powers the winding mechanism. On the base of the box is a very obvious red button that controls the winding, effortlessly loading BBs into the gun itself. Another bit of clever thinking places a small compartment in the top of the box where you can place ‘false link’ to really give the LG ‘the look’.

When it comes to KRYTAC, all you need to do is buy your chosen AEG, add a decent battery and BBs and you’re in the game! All European models will be CE Certified and bear all the legally required markings, which will guarantee conformity to all European directives and safety standards. In addition, KRYTAC AEG’s will be offered in models/ power ranges to meet country specific regulations, which of course now with the PCA in effect, means that you can be assured of staying ‘legal’.

Conclusion

For a skirmish-able LMG, the Trident Enhanced really does tick all the boxes for me and with a retail price of around £450, it’s one hell of a beast. If you fancy yourself as a support gunner, then the KRYTAC could well be the very thing you’ve been searching for!

For more information and for full stockist details, please visit or contact the UK distributor for KRYTAC, Shield Firearms & Sights Limited.