EMG Helios EV01 Bolt Action Airsoft Sniper Rifle by ARES (Color: Dark Earth)

"Aesthetically this gun is amazing. It's my favorite gun to shoot, and out of the box it gives good enough performance to be fun. Mine was around 380 fps with 25s. This gun struggles to throw heavy BBs at acceptable FPS, but that can be overcome with some upgrades. If you're considering this rifle, go ahead and get it. For the price, it's unmatched.

This is based mostly on the Ares AS 01 Striker rifle, but not all the parts are interchangeable.

Inner Barrel is 550mm and is a standard VSR-10 pattern, as is the bucking. I am using this inner barrel : https://www.evike.com/products/84808/

And this bucking: https://www.evike.com/products/91150/

Also these inner barrel spacers, which helped consistency more than I expected: https://www.evike.com/products/91195/

Stock hop-up chamber is plastic and not well fitted, but Action Army makes a fantastic aluminum one that's 110% worth it. I am running this one: https://www.evike.com/products/91194/

Upgrading the bolt and trigger is where this gets funky. I got this kit, and the new trigger sear is not at all compatible with the EV 01. The new piston included in the kit is also incompatible. Still, upgrading the spring and spring guide have moved me to 490fps with 25s. I cannot find any compatible trigger kits for the EV01 because it has a different safety than the AS01. I used this kit: https://www.evike.com/products/78204/

For suppressors, you'll need an adapter. I could not find one on Evike, so I purchased this one (note it's a clockwise thread or positive. Most products are negative, so you'll require a pos to beg adapter also) : https://www.redwolfairsoft.com/accessories-barrel-thread-ada-
pters-ares-flash-hider-adapter-for-amoeba-striker-outer-barr-
el.html

Positive to Negative adapter: https://www.evike.com/products/40033/

"I've had mine for over a year now, I love the look of the M40 chassis paired with the striker system....

Internals are very upgradable! My opinion, if you want to change the spring, get an upgraded spring guide as well(thicker and has a bearing) I made that mistake the first time and the spring tension caused the piston to jam up in the cylinder... Took 5 times of cleaning to get the metal filings completely out....

I do wish they made the upgradable M40 chassis parts though. No adjustable cheek pad or butt stock, no available M-Lok handguard or anything... You would need the Striker stock for chassis upgrades unfortunately. Or you need to buy the EV02/EV03 for those chassis upgrades.

Overall it's well made and if built correctly, can reach out and touch people at 200+feet!!!! Mine can consistently hit a human size target at 260ft with .40g BBs and Guarder SP-150 spring(among other internal mods)!!!!

Hey Evike!!!! Lets get some M40/EV01 body/chassis/butt stock upgrade parts available!!!!

"this thing is better then I thought it would be. for a 145$ gun it dose not feel cheap and shoots good.

"Really impressed with this rifle already and I’ve only had it for about a month. Best thing about it is how easy it is to find upgrades for it and the stock TDC hopup adjustment. The spring can be upgraded with any aeg spring and the bolt pull is really nice and smooth. If you’re looking for a great rifle with easy to find upgrades, definitely look into this model.

"If you wanted an Ares Striker, this is probably the best version to get for the price as it is comparable to the AST-01 with a new external body. It has all the features from the Striker series but all at a more affordable price that is less than the cheapest Striker at the time of writing. They have made the bolt handle one piece so it would not fall off like the previous versions, and the sling attachment points are available on both sides instead of only being on one side. The safety is also in a better position as it rests against the trigger guard when put into fire and won't interfere when pulling the bolt like other sniper rifles. However, a few gripes I have with this rifle is that the cap to get to the hex keys is a little hard to open as it is flush with the bottom of the grip and isn't tapered, and the front half of the body is difficult to remove compared to the other Striker sniper rifles. I hope Evike makes a video about this rifle with disassembly as it is essential to get to the internals to upgrade the rifle, and it feels like I am about to bend the polymer too much to remove it. Overall, it has all the merits of the AS02/AST-01 at an affordable price.

Pros:
- One-piece bolt handle
- Sleek M40 look
- TDC hop-up
- Uses AEG springs
- Short pull for faster follow up shots
- Bolt opens every pull for added realism
- Blown up diagram of rifle included in the manual through a QR code included
- Many upgrade parts are available as it uses the Striker design

Cons:
- Infamous Striker fire indicator is still present
- Front half of the body is hard to remove
- Plastic Hop-up unit (can be upgraded)

"Just to add to Parker's point of striker compatibility. There're actually 2 variants of striker as01, the original and the gen2. ev01 is based on gen2, but the esd kit sold on evike is for original as01. I don't think original as01 is available in most place nowadays.

as02 and ev02, ev03 are based on gen2's internals. So if you look for the hopup adjust wheel or trigger set, if it fits one of gen2 or as02, it fits the other.

That being said, I do have to point out the stock piston is very softly weak. After dozens of shots with stock spring, the piston will break down into metal scraps and blow them all over your internal parts. Airsoftpro makes good striker pistons. Ares makes stainless pistons themselves but I haven't tried Ares ones.

"Literally an Ares Striker with different externals, but for less money. Thankfully, the loaded indicator is screwed in on this version. The added M14-style flick-forward to fire safety is nice, and also prevents the sear from engaging the piston when on safe. The mag release paddle is also nice, as you can you use your trigger finger to release the magazine, which would be otherwise cumbersome if only using one hand.

Regarding internals, it uses standard striker parts and can take the same upgrades, but uses an AS02 style trigger unit (so AS01 sears won't work). My trigger sear was also bone-dry out of the box, so it may be prudent to check that if you buy this. Also for some reason, the gun would make a weird scratching noise whenever I pulled the bolt back, and it turned out to be the lever that prevents you from firing with the bolt pulled back. I'm not sure why as all of the internal parts had a smooth finish, but I just ended up removing that lever and the noise went away.

Regarding externals, the polymer feels pretty sturdy. The front handguard has to be bent slightly down from the outer barrel then pulled forward to remove. Don't count on using the included allen wrenches for disassembly, because the little cap that holds them in is nigh on impossible to remove without something hard (like another allen wrench); I bent two of my fingernails trying to pry it open with just my fingers.

Overall, there's no reason not to go with this version of the striker if you were looking to buy one, as it has the same internals and same quality of externals, but is substantially cheaper than the other versions.