12 minute read
ARMOURY: BOLT DANIEL DEFENCE DAGGER LITE
BOLT ON TOOL!
BOLT ARE KNOWN FOR BEING JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING THEIR STUNNING BRS SYSTEM AEGS, AND IN A COLLABORATION WITH EMG THEY’VE TACKLED AN ABSOLUTE CLASSIC IN THEIR OWN UNIQUE WAY AGAIN! BILL FOLLOWS HIS HEAR WITH A CLOSE-UP LOOK AT THE DANIEL DEFENCE DAGGER LITE, A MK18 BY ANY OTHER NAME… BUT WITH A TWIST!
Oh the Mk18! When I take off my beloved OPFOR hat and it comes to doing any kind of “modern SF” loadout these days there’s one AEG or GBBR that has become my “go to”, and that’s the Mk18! I’ve always had a love for SBR’s and to me the Mk18 is the epitome of this style, a thoroughly up-to-the-minute firearm design that does all that it should, and nothing more.
If you’re talking about real “hi-speed, lo-drag” then the Mk18 is the thing. It already has a proven combat record with some of the hardest-charging “operators” in the world, and although I say it’s a no frills platform it has everything that you could possibly need in its design. In the real world it’s built to do a job, and that job is to dominate close quarter conflict zones and perform more than adequately out to midrange engagements distances, and it does so magnificently! So, for an airsoft primary this sits perfectly for me in the “ready to rock” category. It’s designed for close-to-mid range work so that’s perfect for the engagement distances I’ll find on any skirmish site or CQB arena, and it’s short and light enough to be easily manipulated even in the tightest spaces. It’s also got that all-important coolness factor to it, which is something I’ve written about before but will return to here as the history don’t change. To recap on the “real deal” Mk18, it’s a crucial component of the Naval Special Warfare armoury. Even shorterbarrelled than the M4A1 carbine with a 10.3 in (262 mm) barrel, the upper receiver was designated the Close Quarters Battle Receiver (CQBR), while the entire weapon system was designated the Mk 18 Mod 0 by the United States Navy, and became a common sight amongst the USN VBSS units, NCIS, and USN SEALs.
The purpose of the CQBR was to provide operators with a weapon of compact size, but one still capable of firing a rifle cartridge, intended for urban warfare and other close quarters battle (CQB) situations; one of two proposed “special mission receivers” that were planned for inclusion into the SOPMOD Block II kit, the CQBR has proved incredibly popular amongst its users. The CQBR has been pretty much owned by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWCCrane or just “Crane”, like the stock) following the CQBR’s removal from the Special Operations Peculiar MODification (SOPMOD) program. The complete CQBR-equipped carbine was type-classified as the M4A1 CQB/R Block II.
AIRSOFT CRAZY!
Over the many years I’ve been playing and writing about airsoft I’ve dealt with many, many manufacturers around the globe, and virtually all of them will tell you rather too readily “we’re airsofters ourselves”, going as far as to put that on their websites and marketing materials. In truth what they’re probably saying is that “we have played once and shot an AEG or a GBB on the range a couple of times because the boss said we must”, as all of you reading this will know that “being an airsofter” is more than that, it’s a whole other level of passion, investment and commitment, with a good dose of crazy thrown in… and trust me, the guys at BOLT are real airsofters through and through!
BOLT Airsoft (Taiwan) provide AEGs with a powerful recoil system able to use low voltage batteries. Their powerful recoil system and quality of materials used are the keys to keeping that goal on track. The Bolt Recoil Shock System (BRSS) produces kinetic energy produced by the piston’s movement, transferred to a recoil weight in the stock tube which sends that energy down through the receiver and into your body through the stock. Their gearboxes are a work of art and forged steel gears seated in low friction bearings will handle heavy firing loads all day, every day! You even get an aluminium spring guide, one piece metal hop-up unit, high torque motor and a precision inner barrel as standard in BOLT rifles, SMGs and carbines.
You do get a lot of advantages with a BOLT AEG such as: • Powerful Recoil Movement; BRSS technology generates strong recoil ; the feeling of the stock punching back with each shot is a real pleasure for players who enjoy a real “kick” • Low Energy Consumption; BRSS technology provides a great recoil impulse even when using Low Voltage batteries. Its unique design makes this AEG highly durable, with outstanding reliability. • High Internal Durability; BRSS gears are made of sturdy materials, which makes them stronger and able of standing up to a strong recoil shock, which adds to the longevity of the AEG’s life. • High Compatibility; The BRSS gearbox system offers a high compatibility with other brands’ gearbox parts; over 90% of B.R.S.S parts are compatible with those available on the market.
In fact BOLT AEGs offer tremendous value and performance for your money, with extremely realistic metalwork and attention to detail throughout. With bodies made from aluminium, high-standard alloys, and steel, and with ABS pistol grips and glass fibre reinforced stocks; trust me when I tell you that you can pound a BOLT AEG all you want and not break it… I know, I’ve tried! Even outer barrels are a one piece design offering superior accuracy and zero barrel movement.
Although a BOLT AEG is totally unique high compatibility with other brands and easy-to-find COTS parts is a huge advantage in the form of lower costs and bigger choice on upgrades, modifications and customizations if you want to go that route… personally though I can’t understand why you’d want to though as every BOLT AEG I’ve tried has been a scorcher out of the box!
Mk18 BUT DIFFERENT!
BOLT’s goal has always been to design AEGs as close to a real gun as possible to satisfy skirmish and MilSim game players as well as military collectors, and with the DANIEL DEFENCE DAGGER LITE in my opinion they’ve taken things to a whole new level, but kept to that all-important core value of making an AEG for airsofters!
For the DAGGER LITE BOLT has cooperated with EMG in the USA as part of the EMG “HELIOS” program; the Helios vision is to recruit more players to enjoy the sport of airsoft by offering the same high quality internals, the same high performance, and the same level of care in the QC process as its
bigger brothers in the EMG lineup, but at a much more affordable price point. EMG work directly with the manufacturers to ensure the lightweight externals look and feel amazing and are highly detailed.
Through this collaboration BOLT have, via EMG, managed to obtain the use of the original Daniel Defense designs, which means that what you get with the DAGGER LITE (and indeed with the DAGGER-S, more on this in a bit…) is undoubtedly a Mk18, but with one crucial difference. On a regular Mk18 you get a 9.5 inch RIS II picatinny quad rail, but with the DAGGER this becomes a 7 inch rail… why? I don’t know to be honest, but it makes an excellent short CQB platform even more manouverable in tight spaces and screams out to me “Suppressor Ready”.
I’ve been testing the DAGGER LITE variant from BOLT, and externally this looks absolutely brilliant, and they’ve REALLY made the most of the Daniel Defense trades! If you check out the Daniel Defense website you can get a close look at all their current AR platforms, and the positioning of the trades on both the receivers and the rail are absolutely spot on, other than that the DAGGER sports the “DDM4” legend and not that of the “MK18”. Overall the fit and finish of all the BOLT external components is spectacularly good. The furniture is also excellent, with your hand resting on a very ergonomic motor grip, and the sliding stock being very similar to a CTR but with dual paddles; I’ve yet to see anyone fully replicate the design of the distinctive new Daniel Defense Buttstock and Pistol Grip, but I’m sure it will come.
Pre-fitted (but adjustable) to the rail is a chunky foregrip, and this is where BOLT have been really clever with this latest design, as this holds the battery (63mm x 35mm x 15mm). Given the BRS System in the buffer tube of most BOLT AEGs there’s nowhere there for the battery there, so for many of their models it has always meant that you’ll need an external battery box, and indeed this is often solved by attaching a “PEQ Box”. However, as many of us are now using functional LAMs (especially for MilSim where you want a working IR unit to use in conjunction with NVGs) the old days of the “PEQ Battery Box” are behind us, and another solution is required, and the foregrip is a great option now that improved battery technology means we can have a small, powerful, long-life, and safe power source. As I run all of my AR platforms with a foregrip this is no biggie for me, and as the DAGGER came with a really neat BOLT-branded 11.1 LiPo with a mini-Deans that fits the grip perfectly (and keeps any external wiring run to an absolute minimum) it’s actually a distinct plus point.
My single criticism of this lovely AEG comes down
to personal taste… Why, oh why did they fit a “sound hog” muzzle device to this otherwise stunning AEG, and not even a particularly nice “Sound Hog” either! This was immediately removed from the test-DAGGER and replaced with a 14mm CCW suppressor-ready birdcage… obviously I’m more of a purist than I thought, or perhaps it’s just my love for the Mk18 as a platform that wants it to be “military and unadulterated” coming through! Whilst not a criticism in any way as it feeds perfectly, my other question mark was down to the 140 BB Mid-Cap that comes with the carbine… why green and not black? Not really a bother, but aesthetically unusual…
DOWNRANGE
The greatest thing about the DAGGER LITE though is the recoil and bolt operation simulation system. Given that the internals are the latest version of the tried and tested BRSS I had no doubt that out-ofthe-box performance would be right up there, and I wasn’t to be disappointed! BOLT AEGs can be quite “warm” from the box but pleasingly the model I received to test came in at an extremely consistent 1.11 Joule/346fps using .20g VORSK BBs over several strings of ten, with the highest shot recorded at 1.13 Joule/349fps, which is perfect for UK legality and most CQB sites.
I will say once again that I am totally used to BOLT rifles, carbines, and SMGs being insanely accurate once you get the hop set correctly, so with the greenand-pleasant magazine filled with .28 VORSKs it was time to get some BBs flying; I did try the DAGGER on different brand magazines and all fed perfectly well. With semi engaged the BOLT went off with a great muzzle snap and a good jolt in the shoulder, sending BBs straight to the sandbags at 30m, and you will have to deal with some muzzle management if you crank it on full auto… which is sure to bring a smile to your face!
I’ve already stated my sincere and lasting love for the Mk18, and I really do like this BOLT carbine a lot, even though it’s not a strict “replica”. It strikes me that since I tried my very first BOLT AR years ago they really have refined the BRSS system as it functions flawlessly and smoothly, and given the quality of parts and finish overall it just feels “right”; it shoulders well, and shoots well with the added bonus of that little nudge in your shoulder each and every time you squeeze the trigger. As I mentioned earlier there is an even sorter shorter “PDW” version of the DAGGER LITE, if that is what you prefer, the DAGGER-S. It should be noted that Daniel Defense do have the DDM4 PDW SBR in their current range, although this in reality features the MFR XL 6.0 M-LOK rail rather than the RIS II of BOLT’s DAGGER-S .
With a BOLT AEG you are very much getting what you pay for and the DAGGER really is a short, extremely sturdy and yet dynamic little AEG that’s just perfect for CQB encounters, so it’ll be money well invested. It’s righteous both in build quality and performance, but once again I’ll say that I don’t think that the airsofters at BOLT would sell this to a fellow airsofter if it wasn’t 100% good to go!
Many thanks to the guys at www.nuprol.com for supplying the DANIEL DEFENCE DAGGER LITE, and do check their website for stockists of BOLT AEGs. Thanks also to everyone at www.bolt.tw just for continuing to keep it real and being awesome! AA
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