9 minute read
ARMOURY: VFC SR-16
VFC SR-16 CARBINE
WITHIN THE AIRSOFT ACTION TEAM THERE’S AN ONGOING DEBATE AS TO THE VERACITY OF GAS BLOWBACK RIFLES AND CARBINES FOR REGULAR GAME USE, AND BILL IS VERY MUCH ON THE “PROGAS” SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT. THIS MONTH HE LOOKS TO HIS MOST RECENT ARMOURY ADDITION IN THE FORM OF THE SR-16 GBBR FROM VEGA FORCE COMPANY.
This may sound “privileged” to some of you but once upon a time, when I received an item for testing, I’d immediately strip open the shipping box to get at the “shiny shooty thing” inside but these days I sign the shipping receipt and it generally goes onto the pile that needs working through. I see a hundred-plus AEGs and GBBs each year, so it needs to be something pretty special to really get my interest level up these days.
Back during IWA 2018 I saw and handled some absolutely lovely replicas and whilst there were some that offered genuine advances in performance and technology, there was no “light bulb moment”, that moment when you pick something up and think to yourself “I MUST have one of these”… until it was that I met with my friend Ray Chang from Vega Force Company (VFC) that is! Whilst we were chatting on the VFC stand my eyes (as always) were in “search mode”, taking in all the goodies that VFC have to offer and what my eyes locked onto on the VFC stand was their fully licenced Knight Armament Company SR-16 Gas Blowback Carbine - and it was love at first sight!
Whilst this is not strictly a “new” model from VFC, it is an interesting one. If you are new to the world of the “gas rifle” then I am certain you will no doubt, as many do, write them off as things specifically for MilSim players and “wannabes”. Whilst there is certainly some truth in this, it is also true that numerous manufacturers in the airsoft industry have been working hand in hand with well-reputed firearms counterparts to bring some stunning, fully-licenced and extremely effective gas replicas to market.
I’ve long been a fan of gas rifles and carbines and yes, in large I’ve built these specifically for MilSim events and for general shooting use. The very best of the gas guns replicate the “feel” and operation of the real thing to a high degree and as I’m a “real steel” shooter whenever the opportunity arises, the airsoft replicas also offer a very cost effective platform for my “training toolbox”. I’ll throw into the pot here that, from conversations I had at SHOT earlier this year, numerous firearm manufacturers are seeking experienced friends in the “6mm” industry with a view to creating training platforms based on existing airsoft technologies. I’ve seen this developing over a few years in truth, seeing some pretty famous names (SIG and Glock for instance) exploring this territory with real intent.
VFC are one such airsoft company, who are right at the forefront of gas-operated replicas, with strategic alliances in place to drive forward the “gas gun agenda” and they’ve “WHILST WE WERE CHATTING ON THE VFC STAND MY EYES (AS ALWAYS) WERE IN “SEARCH MODE”, TAKING IN ALL THE GOODIES THAT VFC HAVE TO OFFER AND WHAT MY EYES LOCKED ONTO ON THE VFC STAND WAS THEIR FULLY LICENCED KNIGHT ARMAMENT
already been working with select partners for some time. Vega Force Company was founded in 2004, and has gained a global reputation for not only being 100% professional but also for making highly realistic airsoft replicas with custom grade performance instilled in their internal mechanical design, giving end users a better shooting and operating experience. Whilst they hold licences with a number of firearms companies to produce 6mm replicas of the very highest quality, the one I will focus on here is that of Knight’s Armament Company (KAC).
KNIGHT’S ARMAMENT COMPANY We all know KAC, as they seem to have been a part of the firearms industry for ever and their firearms and technologies have definitely been right at the tip of the spear when it comes to the “War on Terror”. Going right back to 1974, founder C. Reed Knight Jr. began with the intention of developing specialist equipment and weapons for US Special Forces and initially worked with Eugene “The Daddy of the AR” Stoner, a collaboration which resulted in KAC’s best known product line, the Rail Interface System (RIS). More recently, KAC added full blown firearms to their extensive list of accessories and like their add-ons, these are highly specialised platforms such as the SR-47, PDW (Personal Defense Weapon), SR-25, M110 SASS, SR-15, and the SR-16.
A while back, when I took a look at
VFC’s stunning SR-25 ECC GBB, I asked Ray about the licensing arrangement with Knights Armament and if he could tell me a little about how that relationship started and how VFC works with them. What he told me I’ll replicate here…
“The cooperation with KAC is down to the fact that our boss likes the KAC brand and guns very much. KAC guns are not only beautiful but also well-made. So we started make airsoft replicas of KAC, and we chose the KAC PDW, an interesting model to start with. After initial manufacture we were introduced by our American friends and we got online with KAC themselves. KAC were very surprised that we could make the airsoft guns so beautiful and close to their appearance and that started the long-term cooperation with us. Talking about how we cooperate, in general, they don’t limit what we want to do. We only need to pick the types we want to make, and send samples to them for review and confirmation, and then we can start making and selling products by ourselves. I think this is because the quality of the airsoft replica we make is very good, so they are very happy to let us to handle airsoft replicas of their brand.”
THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB So what, to me, makes the VFC replica of the SR-16 the right tool? The answer is simple!
If you can find a full metal replica of an “AR” that is 100% exactly like its real world counterpart, that feels, can be adjusted and operates (albeit from gas and BBs in each magazine rather than bullets and propellant) like a real carbine for the same price I would love to hear about it!
Overall, the VFC is as close to the real deal as you’ll find in 6mm form! Everything is nailed down to look and feel exactly as it would on the real thing, including the operating system! It has a full-travel bolt with some real “oomph” and once again, this replicates EXACTLY the operation of the military rifle, so your drills need to be 100% the same. For instance, the VFC “V-Mags” only hold 30 BBs so your reloads need to be on point. In addition to luxurious build quality and superb components, the SR-16 also offers realistic take-down; by splitting the receivers you can remove the Bolt Carrier Group (BCG) for cleaning and maintenance, again, just like the real thing.
But what is beauty without performance?
I’m pleased to report that the SR-16 has both. I initially took the carbine to my usual 30m woodland range to chrono and test and in terms of power I got a consistent 1.35 Joule/382fps on a .20g BB using green gas and with .30g BBs, the accuracy was stunning at that range. Ray told me that they’d been hitting A4 sheets at twice that distance, so never one to be put off by a challenge, I duly fitted the SR-16 with my Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6X24 optic and headed back to the woods. Measuring out 75m I secured one of my own home-made A4 targets and had at
it prone… suffice to say that the A4 came home with thirty 6mm holes drilled in it!
I honestly have fallen in love with the VFC SR-16! I’ve changed out a number of accessory components such as the pistol grip, stock, and rail covers and added a holosight with a flip-to-the-side magnifier, so it feels right for me. Now that I’ve used and trained with it, this feeling has only been reinforced and I honestly, genuinely love it to bits! There are many gas rifles and carbines out there now that “simulate” the real thing and many of them are very, very expensive beasts. Having now shot the SR-16 on regular basis, I can tell you that it will perform as well as the best and you’ll find it with most good dealers for under US$350!
In closing, this is by no means your average “airsoft gun” and for this reason I don’t believe you’ll be seeing it regularly at Sunday Skirmishes, although I will be sure to give it a run out just to see if my drills and accuracy are as good as I think they are! Going head to head with hi-cap players on a normal skirmish day with a GBB and 30BB mags certainly adds a little “something” to the day but the range, accuracy, and reliability of the SR-16 makes this viable. It’s also, unlike some, gas-efficient on full-auto although with limited ammo you’ll want to pick your engagements carefully…
In truth, the VFC SR-16 GBB hasn’t been designed and made for the mass market. It’s been designed and made for those that truly want a platform that operates exactly like the real thing but which fires simple 6mm BBs, not live 5.56! Yes, it’s been designed for the MilSim player but also for those that want to test themselves to the limit in any game, with real-like operation and real-world magazine capacities…
Basically it’s been designed for people like me and to that end I can only recommend it to you in the best possible way!
My thanks again go to my good friend Ray at VFC (https:// www.vegaforce.com) for being part of this article, and also to the guys at http://uk.redwolfairsoft.com for facilitating delivery of the SR-16 to me. AA
Length - 33 inches (838 mm -stock extended), 29.75 inches (756 mm - stock retracted) Weight - 2770g (unloaded) Magazine Capacity - 30 BBs Power Source - Gas Powered via Magazine Blowback – Yes, Full Travel BCG Shooting Modes - Semi, Full Auto Hop-up – Adjustable for BB weight Magazine Compatibility - VFC M4 GBBR models
