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| Online exclusive content published by The NAM: National Airsoft Magazine Q1 2010. The NAM: National Airsoft Magazine Copyright © 2010 All Rights Reserved. |
Specs:
Product Brand: Top Tech
Product Manufacturer: G&G
Built Material: aluminum/nylon fiber
Shooting Modes: semi/full-auto
Magazine Capacity: 450rnd HiCap
Length: 780mm
Weight: 2800g
Power Source: mini/nunchuck/LiPo
Hop-up: yes
Blowback: yes
Power: 282-301fps w/.20bbs
Product Brand: Top Tech
Product Manufacturer: G&G
Built Material: aluminum/nylon fiber
Shooting Modes: semi/full-auto
Magazine Capacity: 450rnd HiCap
Length: 780mm
Weight: 2800g
Power Source: mini/nunchuck/LiPo
Hop-up: yes
Blowback: yes
Power: 282-301fps w/.20bbs
Package & MSRP:
$400 USD gets you an all metal M4
w/nylon fiber grips & stock, manual,
HiCap magazine a barrel unlocking
tool and a groovy pack of “moisture
free” silica (the fact that the
little baggie says “DO NOT EAT” in
big letters really scares me… was
some dumbass actually stupid enough
to put some in his mouth?!).
$400 USD gets you an all metal M4
w/nylon fiber grips & stock, manual,
HiCap magazine a barrel unlocking
tool and a groovy pack of “moisture
free” silica (the fact that the
little baggie says “DO NOT EAT” in
big letters really scares me… was
some dumbass actually stupid enough
to put some in his mouth?!).
Pros:
Anyone familiar with the inner workings of an M16 or an M4 will feel right at home here. Top Tech has produced
a true-to-life scale M4 that perfectly mimics it’s real steel counterpart. The updated birdcage flash hider is
the first thing I noticed. From there, the all metal one-piece outer barrel joins with the nylon-fiber
foregrips. These things, while surprisingly flexible have all the durability you’d expect from a high-end
airsoft rifle. As is the case with most M4s on the market, the battery gets tucked into the foregrip. There’s
plenty of room in here for a mini, 9.6v nun-chuck and even the standard 7.4v LiPo. It’s also nice to see an AEG
with some quality wiring that’s perfectly capable of handling whatever battery you’ll need. It’s also worth
mentioning that pulling back the delta ring to access the foregrip is quite easy. While it sits firmly in
place, a moderate amount of force moves the ring back vs. the raging hulk strength you’d need for others. The
foregrips also easily slide back into place speaking leaps and volumes of the high level of craftsmanship that
went into creating this AEG.
Anyone familiar with the inner workings of an M16 or an M4 will feel right at home here. Top Tech has produced
a true-to-life scale M4 that perfectly mimics it’s real steel counterpart. The updated birdcage flash hider is
the first thing I noticed. From there, the all metal one-piece outer barrel joins with the nylon-fiber
foregrips. These things, while surprisingly flexible have all the durability you’d expect from a high-end
airsoft rifle. As is the case with most M4s on the market, the battery gets tucked into the foregrip. There’s
plenty of room in here for a mini, 9.6v nun-chuck and even the standard 7.4v LiPo. It’s also nice to see an AEG
with some quality wiring that’s perfectly capable of handling whatever battery you’ll need. It’s also worth
mentioning that pulling back the delta ring to access the foregrip is quite easy. While it sits firmly in
place, a moderate amount of force moves the ring back vs. the raging hulk strength you’d need for others. The
foregrips also easily slide back into place speaking leaps and volumes of the high level of craftsmanship that
went into creating this AEG.
Efficiency:
The TR4 Carbine functioned flawlessly with just about every M16 magazine we could get our hands on. We
successfully put about two bags of BBs through it (7400rnds) with nary a double feed, misfire or BB jam.
Through all the shots fired, the blowback feature performed as promised.
The TR4 Carbine functioned flawlessly with just about every M16 magazine we could get our hands on. We
successfully put about two bags of BBs through it (7400rnds) with nary a double feed, misfire or BB jam.
Through all the shots fired, the blowback feature performed as promised.
Durability:
There’s not one single thing you’ll need to
worry about as far as durability’s concerned.
Internally, you’re looking at silver
electroplate wiring, steel gears, a polycarb
piston with metal piston head and a copper
cylinder head to reduce friction. Externally,
you’ve got an aluminum body, metal outer barrel
and nylon fiber foregrips, stock and pistol grip
which are just about the strongest in the
industry.
There’s not one single thing you’ll need to
worry about as far as durability’s concerned.
Internally, you’re looking at silver
electroplate wiring, steel gears, a polycarb
piston with metal piston head and a copper
cylinder head to reduce friction. Externally,
you’ve got an aluminum body, metal outer barrel
and nylon fiber foregrips, stock and pistol grip
which are just about the strongest in the
industry.
Upgradability:
Just about the only thing I’d modify would be
the spring. The disappointing stock FPS limit
will have you severely outgunned in the field.
Other than that, there isn’t really anything
needed.
Just about the only thing I’d modify would be
the spring. The disappointing stock FPS limit
will have you severely outgunned in the field.
Other than that, there isn’t really anything
needed.
Final Thoughts:
If I was in the market for an M4, which I’m not, but if I was, this would definitely be a stiff competitor.
The blowback feature, while basically a gimmick, is a damn cool feature, especially when you see it cycling
during full-auto fire. The only hamper is the lower FPS and the nightmare of having to take it in to get the
spring upgraded. Reliable airsmithing resources are becoming more scarce in the current economy and most still
require a heavy shipping charge. There's always doing the upgrade yourself, but you run the risk of
potentially ruining the blowback system and air efficiency of the mechbox. Unfortunately, this issue is
serious enough to keep it from achieving a General. Otherwise, the TR4 is essentially perfect.
If I was in the market for an M4, which I’m not, but if I was, this would definitely be a stiff competitor.
The blowback feature, while basically a gimmick, is a damn cool feature, especially when you see it cycling
during full-auto fire. The only hamper is the lower FPS and the nightmare of having to take it in to get the
spring upgraded. Reliable airsmithing resources are becoming more scarce in the current economy and most still
require a heavy shipping charge. There's always doing the upgrade yourself, but you run the risk of
potentially ruining the blowback system and air efficiency of the mechbox. Unfortunately, this issue is
serious enough to keep it from achieving a General. Otherwise, the TR4 is essentially perfect.
Another day, another M4/M16 variant. By now, if we had a dollar for every M4/M16 variant that’s passed through
this office, we’d be making a down payment on majority shares for Knight Ridder (that’s a media mogul for those
not in the know). Well… maybe that’s a bit extreme, but let’s just say we’d be printing in full color with a
handsomely paid staff, charging $2.99 per issue. Since that’s obviously not the case, thankfully Top Tech
breaks up the monotony and brings something new to the table that definitely takes the ho-hum out of this
release…
this office, we’d be making a down payment on majority shares for Knight Ridder (that’s a media mogul for those
not in the know). Well… maybe that’s a bit extreme, but let’s just say we’d be printing in full color with a
handsomely paid staff, charging $2.99 per issue. Since that’s obviously not the case, thankfully Top Tech
breaks up the monotony and brings something new to the table that definitely takes the ho-hum out of this
release…
Cons:
Nothing to write home about here. There’s a minor con, and two unfortunate cons. The minor con is that there
is no grub screw for the flash hider. This means you’ll need to heat up the barrel and use some herculean
strength to remove it. The first unfortunate con is that regardless of how cool the blowback function is, it’s
basically just a gimmick as it serves no other purpose than adding a level of realism to the AEG that otherwise
isn’t there but yet, is completely irrelevant to the AEG’s function. The second unfortunate con is that since
this gun is aimed at the world market, we’re stuck with a stock Marui FPS limit. This is great for airsofters
across the world, but not so great for U.S. airsofters who’ve upped the standard ranging from 350fps to 400fps
w/.20bbs. So you’ll need to upgrade the spring to get this AEG up to par. While that’s the only thing that
needs upgrading (internally and externally this thing’s a tank), with the new blowback system, this also means
taking it into an officially licensed retailer/airsmith to get the spring upgraded or risk ruining the entire
airflow system attempting the upgrade yourself.
Nothing to write home about here. There’s a minor con, and two unfortunate cons. The minor con is that there
is no grub screw for the flash hider. This means you’ll need to heat up the barrel and use some herculean
strength to remove it. The first unfortunate con is that regardless of how cool the blowback function is, it’s
basically just a gimmick as it serves no other purpose than adding a level of realism to the AEG that otherwise
isn’t there but yet, is completely irrelevant to the AEG’s function. The second unfortunate con is that since
this gun is aimed at the world market, we’re stuck with a stock Marui FPS limit. This is great for airsofters
across the world, but not so great for U.S. airsofters who’ve upped the standard ranging from 350fps to 400fps
w/.20bbs. So you’ll need to upgrade the spring to get this AEG up to par. While that’s the only thing that
needs upgrading (internally and externally this thing’s a tank), with the new blowback system, this also means
taking it into an officially licensed retailer/airsmith to get the spring upgraded or risk ruining the entire
airflow system attempting the upgrade yourself.
Pros Cont'd:
The mechbox can handle upto an M130 spring should you feel the need to induce serious pain on your fellow
airsofters. While we’re on the subject of the mechbox, here’s where Top Tech shines. Anyone familiar with
those blowback kits on the market knows that not only are they a literal pain in the ass to attach to your AEG,
but they also add considerable wear and tear on the mechbox. Top Tech takes the worry out of this utilizing a
patented process that works just like the real steel M16! Every time the trigger’s pulled, the air inside the
mechbox not only pushes out the BB, but cycles the mock-bolt back. So while the aftermarket blowback kits might
stop midway (which is always laughable) or give you a few too many/few cycles, with the Top Tech blowback
feature, every single trigger pull cycles the mock-bolt. Firing full-auto will always see the mock-bolt return
to the firing position when the trigger’s released. The aluminum body has a nice finish and (ours anyway) has a
cool 1st Special Forces Delta logo painted on the magwell (though I suspect this won’t be available long as the
U.S. Armed Forces are putting a stop to the use of their logos without permission). The “H” bar is very sturdy,
constructed from the same aluminum as the body. Pulling back the charging handle drops the dust cover and
exposes the mock-bolt giving you access to your basic hop-up wheel. The 6-positioned updated LE stock has a
nice little addition that goes to show Top Tech really thought this through for the players. The position lever
actually has a hexed grip identical to the pattern on the pistol grip. While I’m sure we’re all perfectly
capable of adjusting the length of our stocks without it, the added grippage is a nice feature. The 450rnd
HiCap is also a welcome upgrade from the 300rnd industry standard. Should you lose your manual or you find that
it wasn’t included, they’re available at no additional charge from Top Tech at toptech-airsoft.com.
The mechbox can handle upto an M130 spring should you feel the need to induce serious pain on your fellow
airsofters. While we’re on the subject of the mechbox, here’s where Top Tech shines. Anyone familiar with
those blowback kits on the market knows that not only are they a literal pain in the ass to attach to your AEG,
but they also add considerable wear and tear on the mechbox. Top Tech takes the worry out of this utilizing a
patented process that works just like the real steel M16! Every time the trigger’s pulled, the air inside the
mechbox not only pushes out the BB, but cycles the mock-bolt back. So while the aftermarket blowback kits might
stop midway (which is always laughable) or give you a few too many/few cycles, with the Top Tech blowback
feature, every single trigger pull cycles the mock-bolt. Firing full-auto will always see the mock-bolt return
to the firing position when the trigger’s released. The aluminum body has a nice finish and (ours anyway) has a
cool 1st Special Forces Delta logo painted on the magwell (though I suspect this won’t be available long as the
U.S. Armed Forces are putting a stop to the use of their logos without permission). The “H” bar is very sturdy,
constructed from the same aluminum as the body. Pulling back the charging handle drops the dust cover and
exposes the mock-bolt giving you access to your basic hop-up wheel. The 6-positioned updated LE stock has a
nice little addition that goes to show Top Tech really thought this through for the players. The position lever
actually has a hexed grip identical to the pattern on the pistol grip. While I’m sure we’re all perfectly
capable of adjusting the length of our stocks without it, the added grippage is a nice feature. The 450rnd
HiCap is also a welcome upgrade from the 300rnd industry standard. Should you lose your manual or you find that
it wasn’t included, they’re available at no additional charge from Top Tech at toptech-airsoft.com.
