ACTURUS MOS CARBINE

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Sometimes as a reviewer you get things that you wouldn’t usually look at. Other times you get really

excited about what’s coming, as you’ve been looking forward to it for what seems like an age - and then there’s the times that, as the go-to M4/AR guy, you get a message saying there’s a new M4 style AEG on its way for you to have a look at and you really don’t know what you’re getting. When it’s the latter it can go one of two ways - it’s either a very pleasant surprise or it isn’t!

Before we get into the

meat and bones of the review, I’d like to say thank

you to Taiwangun for the loan of the MOS carbine. As always, it is greatly appreciated when a company lets us play around with demo samples. Once I’d taken a few minutes to check out the MOS Carbine specs and photos on their website, I was thinking to myself “Okay, this actually looks like a decent starter gun and could be quite good fun to have a play with. Let’s see if it stacks up against some of the other budget guns I’ve looked at in 2019.”

Packaging-wise, it arrived via courier in a tightly packed excess of bubblewrap covered in black sticky wrap. There was no way this was getting damaged in transit, so good work and kudos for that guys. Once I’d been at it with scissors for a couple of days - obviously a joke - it was more like a day and a half, I managed to

pull the Arcterus-

branded, understated

brown box out of its bubblewrap prison and

get my hands on the gun.

FIRST IMPRESSIONSFirst impressions are everything, or so we are led to believe and my � rst thoughts were that I liked the aesthetic of the gun and that its control layout was very good, as you’d expect from an AR pattern gun. An added bonus was that all controls are ambidextrous, including the bolt release paddle, which

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SOMETIMES IT IS DIFFICULT TO STAND OUT IN A CROWDED MARKET BUT PHIL BUCKNALL GETS HIS HANDS ON AN AEG THAT SEEMS TO DO JUST THAT.

“MOST OF THE EXTERNAL COMPONENTS, SUCH AS THE MLOK HAND GUARD, OUTER BARREL, FIRE SELECTOR, MAGAZINE CATCH, BOLT CATCH, AND BUFFER TUBE ARE MADE OF ALUMINIUM AND LIGHT ALLOYS, WHICH HAS BEEN ANODISED FOR DURABILITY.”

ARCTURUS:STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

check out the MOS Carbine specs

get my hands on the gun.

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ARCTURUS MOS CARBINE

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on the MOS holds the mock bolt back enabling easier adjustment of the rotary hop unit - another tick in the positives column, especially for any lefties out there. So far things are looking pretty good for this new AR and let’s face it, in a heavily saturated market anything that differentiates you is a good thing.

IN THE BOXIn the box you get:• The gun!!• A pull cord 300rnd PMAG style hi-cap

magazine (that fed � awlessly for the duration of the review and seemed durable enough to last regular use/abuse).

• A set of functional polymer back up sights, although you’re chucking an optic on this aren’t you? C’mon, no need to be shy, it’s what we’d all do …isn’t it?

• A set of back straps of varying sizes for the pistol grip. This is a seriously nice

addition and something that most de� nitely wouldn’t be expected at this price point.

EXTERNALLYThis replica is the latest in a series of replicas in which the upper and lower receiver are made of a durable nylon, so the overall weight (and just as importantly, cost) is low but this doesn’t mean that strength has been sacri� ced because they have inserted metal sleeves where needed. So at the rear of the lower receiver where the buffer tube attaches, is the � rst insert giving a

solid base for the stock and the included metal sling loop then, on the front of the upper is the second one, meaning you can torque the barrel nut nice and tight without worry of ripping plastic threads apart.

The metal MLOK handguard has 5 QD sockets, which worked with the few different QD sling loops I own so compatibility shouldn’t be an issue. Neither should � nding a position that works for you when using a sling. Topping

the rail and sitting � ush with the rail on the upper is a crisply cut and � nished picatinny rail, giving you ample real estate for optics. If you want to install a vertical grip or torches on the sides, then you can either mount direct using MLOK speci� c accessories or attach a few rail segments where

required and use those.

Most of the external

components, such as the MLOK hand guard, outer barrel, � re

selector, magazine

catch, bolt catch, and

buffer tube are made of aluminium and light alloys,

which has been anodised for durability. The receivers, as

mentioned already, are of nylon construction and quite � ex free while

the ejection port cover, rear sling plate and the � ash hider are made of steel.

INTERNALSInternally the gearbox has a quick spring change system

and the spring guide, as well as the piston head, are bearings

types. It has a polymer piston with steel teeth and this all runs on “high-quality” gears. As I didn’t disassemble the gun I can’t comment on the veracity of

this statement however.

The gears are

mounted in bearings to be able to cope

with the high loads (if

that’s your thing), whilst

This replica is the latest in a series of replicas in which the upper and

as importantly, cost) is low but this doesn’t mean that strength has been sacri� ced because they have inserted metal sleeves where

the lower receiver where

for you when using a sling. Topping

the ejection port cover, rear sling plate and the � ash hider are made of steel.

INTERNALS

quick spring change system

doesn’t mean that strength has been

this statement

to be able to cope with the high

loads (if

“ALSO FITTED IS AN ELECTRIC TRIGGER “MICRO SWITCH”... THE MICRO SWITCH IS CONNECTED TO LOW-RESISTANCE WIRING, WHICH IS ROUTED REARWARDS PUTTING THE BATTERY STORAGE IN THE BUFFER TUBE AND COVERED BY A VERY SLICK-LOOKING COPY OF A MAGPUL MOE SL STOCK.”

components,

guard, outer

catch, bolt catch, and

which has been anodised for

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ARCTURUS MOS CARBINE

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delivering smooth operation. On � ring, it sounded � ne and properly shimmed and the rate of � re was absolutely � ne for a replica AR.

Also � tted is an electric trigger “Micro Switch”, to eliminate contacts burning out and delivering a faster response to the trigger pull. The micro switch is connected to low-resistance wiring, which is routed rearwards putting the battery storage in the buffer tube and covered by a very slick-looking copy of a Magpul MOE SL stock. There was no rattle at all and the stock is another plus point as it’s quite minimalist, however, this does limit battery options and a crane stock could offer more solutions for larger battery packs. I ran the MOS using my Titan Li-ion 2600mah stick pack but this meant I couldn’t fully collapse the stock - not an issue for me but if you like it slammed then it could be annoying!

Finally, for the guts is an aluminium, sealed nozzle and the Rotary hop-up chamber in which a hardened 6.01mm precision steel barrel is mounted. Although that is a proper tightbore, it copes � ne with both NUPROL 0.28g and Airsoft Surgeon Precision Grade 0.28g BBs. I would suggest you think carefully about what ammo you feed the MOS carbine, as any dodgy BBs are gonna’ jam in that barrel real fast. Good BBs = happy gun! With the ammo I had it was happily chucking BBs out past 55m and there was obviously some spread at range but it

managed to keep a decent group size and the rotary hop is much easier to adjust accurately than the older style M4 hop units with the wheels on the side of it.

SO FAR, SO GOODOkay. All good so far. Well… yes and no really! There is an awful lot going for this gun besides the price of £127.45 from www.taiwangun.com and it’s packing features that you would usually have to pay more to get. I found that the receivers, whilst strong enough, did look quite “plasticky” in certain lights but that’s nothing a dusting of paint couldn’t rectify. I reckon the liberal application of some Krylon (other paints are available!) will really elevate the look and whilst it is based loosely off civilian Ars, it could easily pass muster as a military arm. It shoots really nicely and due to its light weight it’s a cinch to transition from target to target, or to bring up to the

shoulder from a low ready and would make a nice starter gun for someone looking at practical target shooting for example, as well as a skirmish gun.

The second issue I found was that the controls were a bit “� oppy”. I really like good crisp transitions between � re modes, with satisfying “clicks” so you know without looking you’ve engaged the right � re mode. The MOS has some play and it often required a visual check and a little over selecting and then pulling back to get it just so. This isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker and remember it’s sub £130! I can forgive sloppy � re selectors as the pros far outweigh the cons. Before I close I have to address the one thing that I’ve not touched on and that was the guns FPS. Sadly it was a little on the “warm” side so I couldn’t use it in game. I don’t feel there’s any merit in posting what it was, as I con� rmed with the guys at Taiwangun that any coming into the UK would be very much UK-Legal, so even though it’s a moot point really, I would’ve felt remiss to not mention it at all.

SUMMARYOverall this is a pretty solid little lightweight AR carbine that’s fun to shoot and won’t break the bank. I have to say I think 2019 has been a bumper year for people looking to start airsoft. The choice in guns at this price point has never been better or more varied and if you want a modern looking AR then check out the MOS carbine before you hit the “Checkout” button …you could well be pleasantly surprised! AA

“THE CHOICE IN GUNS AT THIS PRICE POINT HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER OR MORE VARIED AND IF YOU WANT A MODERN LOOKING AR THEN CHECK OUT THE MOS CARBINE BEFORE YOU HIT THE “CHECKOUT” BUTTON …YOU COULD WELL BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED!”

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