12 minute read
ARMOURY: ARES KELTEC RDB
AT AIRSOFT ACTION WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE VERY LATEST AEGS, GBBS AND GEAR TO HIT THE MARKET AND THIS MONTH WE’RE DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO REPORT ON A NEW MODEL FROM ARES THAT’S YET TO HIT FULL PRODUCTION, WHICH JUST HAPPENS TO BE A LICENCED REPLICA OF AN OUTSTANDING BULLPUP RIFLE THAT BILL HAS HAD THE PLEASURE TO SHOOT “REAL”, THE KELTEC RDB!
It’s rare for us to carry an AEG from the same brand for two consecutive months on our cover but that fact that ARES is there again is testament to the work that they’ve been doing over the last year, a year that can only be described as “challenging” both for the airsoft industry and for players alike. Whilst many manufacturers have been beavering away deep in their “skunkworks” and we’re now seeing the fruits of their labours, ARES are having a real charge forward, not just in respect of new models but also in relation to new technologies!
Last month I looked in depth at their MUTANT modular AR and I really like that, as I believe it offers players real choice whilst, at the same time, meaning they only need to own a single “base” platform and I look forward to seeing this roll out even further in the future. We’re still waiting on their new “X-Class” ARs but this new “family” is certainly looking to be of interest, and only last week they started dropping some teasers onto their social media pages of a new gearbox featuring an integrated brushless motor. This has evoked a lot of smacking of gums as, of course, there are others that have been (and are) working on similar technologies, but the fact is that ARES are at least making a real effort to finally move forward from the “traditional” V2 and V3 setups.
This is exemplary and I do look forward to seeing where they go with this, as it may allow configuration of different weapons platforms in airsoft form - and this leads me very neatly onto the AEG in question here, the RDB that’s been created in collaboration with Evike Manufacturing Group (EMG) under full licence from the makers of the real firearm, KelTec.
KelTec are an interesting choice for sure and as I had the pleasure of shooting the real 5.56 RDB (Rifle, Downward-ejection, Bullpup) on Range Day at SHOT Show and thoroughly enjoyed it, I’m stoked to see an airsoft version! The choice of a “bullpup” design for KelTec is nothing new to be honest, as founder, George Kellgren, who established KelTec in 1991 in Cocoa, Florida, has been creating all their models under the guiding principle that they should be innovative in their design and exciting to use.
Now, that name… George Kellgren; he’s the man not only behind most of KelTec’s designs but before that had a major hand in the Interdynamic KG-9 and Intratec Tec-9 lines of military-styled pistols - and even the Grendel pistol! He definitely thinks differently when it comes to firearms design and in the concept for the “Rifle, Downward ejecting, Bullpup” he just took things that had gone before and moved them forward, exactly as ARES are doing with their airsoft designs, so there is some real synergy here.
The idea of the “downward ejecting” system is not a new one, as (if you’re a bit of a “gun bunny” like me) you’ll find other models that have gone before, most notably the BREN gun! That said, I can point to the Calico LWS, the AR-57, the Russian TKB-059 and, more recently, the FN P90, as examples using a “downwards” system and there are some real-world benefits to this. Downward ejection means a design where spent cases are ejected downward from the receiver, rather than the more conventional designs which eject spent brass to the side. Downward ejection can be said to help a design be fully ambidextrous and of course, prevents gases and debris from being ejected into the shooter’s face! When I shot the RDB myself nobody mentioned this to me and I was quite surprised when the brass started falling straight on my feet!
BULLPUP, LOVE IT OR HATE IT!
I’ll come out and say that I AM a bullpup fan and over the years I’ve owned airsoft SA-80s (A1, A2, but not yet an A3 although I did enjoy testing the ARES version), AUGs, and I even have a TAVOR squirrelled away somewhere! I’ve found all of them fun to use and I like the idea of having a long inner barrel in what is, essentially, a short rifle! Many friends complain to me that “I can’t get on with a bullpup” (the same folk that usually say they don’t like AKs too!) but in return I usually respond that’s because they’re used to the straightforward “hand in front of the trigger guard” mag-changes of an AR and that they need to learn new manipulation drills. I’m a true believer in mastering drills for any platform I am handed and, as with anything, using a bullpup effectively is just a matter of time and effort!
But with the ARES RDB even some of those naysayers have been cooing over the pre-production model that I was kindly loaned by UK distributor iWholesales and it goes to show the level of trust that we have with our industry partners that they let me walk away and head to the range with the only example currently in the UK!
And boy, am I glad that they did, as the KelTec RDB AEG is probably the bullpup that I’ve been waiting for!
Form the moment you pick it up you know that you’ve got something a bit different - and just a bit special - in your hands and the 3,040g weight feels negligible and perfectly balanced. At just 695mm long (but with a 420mm inner barrel) it’s a very tidy package and the fit and finish of all the parts, both metal and nylon-fibre, is perfect. When I shot the “real deal” it was the model finished in a matt, almost “Ranger” green and the ARES AEG matches that finish perfectly. Not only that but the “feel” is right too, as the nylon-fibre body and fore-end mimic the near-rubberised, tactile finish of the real rifle and I believe you’d struggle to tell real from replica here.
All the controls on the airsoft RBD are exactly as you’d find them on a range-ready KelTec and they’re fully ambidextrous. The selector has the usual three settings (programable though, more later!) but in a “short-throw” arc, the charging handle looks to be easily transferable from left to right, and the magazine release is placed neatly behind the pistol grip. This last is a bit different as the mag release is a large curved “hook” directly in front of the magwell, which is protected behind your shooting-hand wrist during operation. Some have said that it is possible to accidently push this back and drop the mag during operation but in my range session that didn’t happen once and it’s certainly not the problem it was on the
L85A1!
All the alloy parts of the RDB are again beautifully finished and thoroughly sturdy and the counterpoint between the green and the black makes the whole rifle visually attractive, which I’m certain this will be the same story for the tan/black variant. All the KelTec trades are sharply moulded into the body of the rifle, giving everything a very authentic appearance.
Internally the RDB benefits from all the experience that ARES have gained during their “L85” program - and it really pays dividends here! Let’s face it, ARES have pretty much become “kings of the airsoft L85” and their A3 is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous; it was actually a model I had a hard time giving back after testing! And like the A3 ARES have used a similar setup in relation to the internal placement of the “worky bits” with the motor in-line with the gearbox, filling the rear of the lower receiver. Unlike the A3 though, the RDB is wired to the front with a BIG battery storage compartment inside the handguard; this was my one and only criticism of the A3 (Okay, I don’t like EBB either much if I’m honest), that the battery storage is tiny but the RDB will swallow a big enough battery to keep you rolling all day, every day. The compartment is easily accessed by knocking through (at least of the pre-prod) a sturdy steel pin and hinging the handguard forward and down.
Also like the A3, the KelTec benefits from the ARES Electronic Firing Control System (E.F.C.S.) gearbox with a microswitch trigger system, a system that is slowly but steadily growing on me. As I’ve said before, this multi-programme system (you do still need an external programmer) allows you to set up your AEG in different ways but ultimately lets it withstand current to around 30A, enhances piston positioning and allows it to withstand rapid semi-auto fire, which I love. The electronics overall are more resistant to Amperage/ Voltage fluctuations and spikes and allows 11V LiPo and LiFe type batteries to be
happily used as standard. Once again, the gearbox is of the highest build quality, coming with a quick release spring guide and silver wiring, along with what appears to be a high-torque motor that sits beneath and in line with the gearbox and provides a tidy, efficient and effective package.
BOOMTIME!
Now I come to my favourite part of any review and that’s how a new AEG performs!
The rotary hop is easy to work with and adjust, just a bit different again as it’s WAY up in the magwell! If you look inside the pistol grip of the RDB you’ll find a small screwdriver tool that initially had me scratching my head but then I realised that it was there to adjust to rotary hop wheel and all became clear! Whilst not the easiest-to-work-with hop-adjustment system I’ve come across, once set, it stays firmly in place and with everything set on .20g BBs the RDB is a bit of a performer!
The microswitch trigger is most certainly crisp, as
just a tickle sends BBs downrange happily; on semi you really can get shots away quickly and full auto with an 11.1 works brilliantly for a great ROF. The RDB chrono’d with super consistency at 0.99 Joule/328fps using .20g BBs and I jest not when I say “consistency” - as with a ten BB string I noted a deviation of less than 0.81fps! I see that EVIKE have the RDB on pre-order right now and are quoting a 390-420fps range, so I’m hoping models for different countries will indeed be set to appropriate legal limits OOTB.
There are no sights fitted as standard to the RDB, so you will need an optic to pop onto the top rail, but a small red-dot will be more than adequate for most situations and then the AEG is ready to roll as soon as you add a battery and throw some ammo into the 130BB mag supplied with it, although it works just as well with virtually any AR-style mag. For testing I added a mini-RDS and this worked just fine, as at 30m unsupported it was easy to get hits on the “Red Cell” steels with each BB flying straight and true. I also took the RDB up to my local site for longer ranges and it performed very creditably on .25g BBs, easily and accurately sending them to target at 60+m …and that’s from the pre-production model!
I have to say that the RDB has seriously rekindled my love for the bullpup and with a price we believe will be somewhere iro UK£380-ish it’s really going to provide some serious bang for your buck. It looks superb, feels amazing and shoots very well indeed, so as far as I can see ARES and EMG have got this very, very right and I look forward to seeing what they come up with next! I really do like the RDB, especially as it immediately takes me back to that desert range in Nevada and to good times with good friends! It’s a supertight package both inside and out and care has obviously been taken to provide something in AEG form that’s fully worthy of carrying the KelTec name. I’m told that the RDB will go into full production just as soon as ARES have fulfilled orders for the A3 and you can bet on the fact that I’ll be putting in my pre-order for one!
Many thanks indeed to www.iwholesales.co.uk who supplied the AEG for this review. Check out more details on the extensive range from ARES by paying a visit to their website or visiting one the numerous airsoft stores they supply. AA
