Classic Army Full Metal XM177-E2 Airsoft AEG Rifle

"I love the old school AR replicas like the M16A1 and the XM177 and I actually own several of each from different manufacturers. While the G&P Colt XM177 is my favorite of this particular rifle this Classic Army rendition is a close 2nd.
The build quality is amazing. The upper and lower reciever and outer barrel are all extremely sturdy with no creaking and minimal wobble in the dense polymer slim xm style handguard. I have only ran my CA XM177 in 3 skirmishes and have put approx 5000 bbs through it and have been very pleased with the AEGs performance. It came shooting between 390-410fps( 380-395 after break in) and has no issues lifting .32 gram bbs out to 200ft+. The gun also comes wired to deans and with an 11.1 20c lipo will give you a healthy 22rps and 16rps with a 7.4. It is perfect for any Vietnam Era loadouts and definitely stands out amongst all the M4 and AKs most players are running. I give the recap an 8.5/10 because it does come shooting over 400fps. Maybe not a great beginner gun but for a more experienced player who is building an impression kit it is perfect.

"Great gun for any veitnam/delta force kit. Mine shot hot at 409fps with .2bbs. Very light for being full metal but it is very sturdy. I would run a 7.4 lipo it fits best in the hand guard. And the Matrix carry handle rail will fit with no wobble as long as you secure it properly.

"Before I even start my overview, I would like to say that my rifle is possibly faulty. The only mag brands I have are lancer tactical as those are all the ones I bought when I was first starting out airsoft and they’ve worked with all the guns I bought up until now I tried metal, MidCap, plastic MidCap and metal high cap. All three of those did not work. I could chalk this up to just it not liking lancer tactical, but it also didn’t feed properly with the mag that it came with. With that being said I love retro AR’s and I wanted to make a Black Hawk Down build. Both parts of the receiver is metal making it feel nice and sturdy. The carry handle is secure to carry as it should be. The stock is an inch or two shorter than newer ones. The handgrip is not as hard to remove for me as everyone else. I simply point the gun up with the stock resting on my leg. Pull down the ring and push the bottom of the grip forward and it just comes right off no problem. Battery space is small biggest thing I was able to fit was an 11.1V Lipo. I purchased a retro carry handle scope replica and it fit in the carry handle with zero wobble The mag release has a very strong spring, so when you press it, the mag bounces out a little bit. It has a very affirming click when you insert the mag so you really don’t feel the need to hit it when you insert it. The charge handle can be pulled back to reveal the hop up and if you pull out the bolt catch when you pull back the bolt, it will lock meaning you don’t have to hold the bolt back as you adjust your HopUp plus you can smack or press the bolt catch to feel cool. Even though the forward assist doesn’t do anything, it does have a spring in it so you can press it. The external dust cover does not stay closed at all but it’s OK because the actual dust cover connected to the bolt is metal and is tightly sealed. The fire select those click into place nicely, but is a rather light spring, so you could brush it into a different firing mode. The trigger pull is also rather long. The gun has a dean connector, but did come with a Tamiya adapter. Note, it does not come with a battery. You’ll have to order that with the gun when you buy it.

"If you're looking for a Macvsog or a base for a Blackhawk Down replica, this is the gun for you. It's lightweight and quite maneuverable in close quarters while also maintaining accuracy at longer ranges. Hop up is easy to adjust and didnt need much adjustment to meet my own preferences. It shoots hot with .2s and I surmise it wouldn't be to far shy of 400fps with .25s. The gun has ran flawlessly and been 100% reliable. I absolutely love this gun and my friends who have used it loved it just as much.

That being said, there are a few issues with rifle however. The mock bolt catch doesn't lock the mock bolt back unless you engage it manually. The dust cover doesn't like to stay closed and pops open if you bump the gun lightly. The front handguards are stiff. It takes a few times opening them for them to loosen up a bit. Until then, it's a two person job putting the battery in. There is a flat spot on the teardrop foward assist that hasn't been checkered properly on my particular gun. It is only cosmetic but should be noted.

Overall, this is an excellent choice for a historical, replica, or custom build. If you have the money and the gun is in stock, consider buying it. I guarantee you'll be impressed with it straight out of the box. 4/5 stars for only minor gripes.

Pros:
- Lightweight
- Sturdy
- Great long range capability
- Good FPS
- Great out of the box performance
- Positive safety/selector clicks. You won't accidentally switch it from semi to full
- Looks damn pretty!

Cons:
- Dust cover doesn't stay shut
- Stiff handguards
- Small battery compartment (recommend a battery like this: www.evike.com/products/64950)
- Bolt catch must be operated manually
- Never in stock

For the Historically Accurate minded of you (yes, i know you perfectionists exists):
- Buffer tube is 6 position instead of 2
- Uses a castle nut instead of locking nut to secure the buffer tube
- Still has a bayonet lug
- Dust cover is A2 pattern, not A1
- Pencil profile barrel
- Stock fully extends to A1 length of pull
- Stock is polymer and not aluminum (would be too costly for Classic Army to implement)
- Lower receiver is half-fenced (up for debate as to if it is correct)
- Proper upper receiver markings
- Not licensed by Colt so don't expect the trademark Prancing Pony
- Other misc. details that I may have missed

"You’re better off getting the g&p, came with a faulty hop up unit and only shooting in the low 200s with .2s. Buffer tube needed to be tightened. Body is o-k but very toyish, not a big deal if you’re planning to paint it like many xm users do. Did have a very snappy trigger, and the gun is very lightweight (which is a pro or con depending on what you want). Only recommend if you’re going to be swapping internals out and want a lighter build, because out the box it is pretty bad, at least mine is.