SHORTBARREL SPECIALS!

“I’M GOING TO LOOK AT TWO CRACKING LITTLE AEGS THAT ARE PERFECT FOR “NAMSOFT”, MODELS THAT WERE QUITE LITERALLY THE “GRANDPAPPY” OF ALL THOSE SHORT, CARBINE-LENGTH ARS THAT ARE OUT THERE TODAY, AND THAT’S THE XM177, OR THE “CAR15” AS MOST VETERANS REMEMBER IT, AND THE COLT MODEL 607”

Scene Setting

Most of my personal living history impressions have been centred though on MACV-SOG, MIKE Forces and the SEALs so the full length M16 has always been in my preferred armoury, but as the SOG reconguys carried the XM177E1 or E2 Carbine, this is an important model for me. The “CAR-15” was actually much loved by the majority of its users, and although there were actually several different “carbine” variants, most remember the original, Vietnam-era model as the “CAR15”. Initially the name was an attempt to re-associate the AR-15 name with Colt, since the AR initially stood for ArmaLite Rifle. Colt later abandoned the CAR-15 concept, but it went into full production in late 1966. The 10 inch barrel on the Model 609 would prove to be an undesirable length due to reliability and accuracy issues, and it would later be replaced with the Colt Model 629 (“XM177E2”) which was basically the same carbine with an 11.5 inch barrel.

With its original 10-inch barrel in the original configuration, the “CAR-15/E1” was a handful, not in terms of recoil as most believe but rather in the size of the fireball expelled from the muzzle! Reports of three-foot diameter balls of flame made it “interesting” to use, especially at night when nothing says “here we are” more obviously than tongue-ofdragon muzzle flare! To mitigate that problem, Colt wide scale production and use by US Military Forces. Entering US Military Service with the US Army and was given the designation of “XM177E1”, and

It’s really the general attention to detail that makes the Double Bell carbine models valid contenders; I’ve seen many manufacturers have a crack at an “XM”

HAVE NOTICED THAT DOUBLE BELL HAVE LOOKED AT MODELS THAT HAVE BEEN RELEASED BEFORE, AND BOTH MODELS HERE WERE OF COURSE AVAILABLE IN THE OLD TM AND G&P LINE-UPS, ESPECIALLY THE MOD 607, AND I HONESTLY HAVE ZERO PROBLEM WITH THIS AS FINDING THE OLDER AEG MODELS IS NOW QUITE A TASK” for instance only to be let down by silly things like using the wrong pistol grip or handguard, slip ring or magwell “fence”; although such things will only be noticed by a true “stitch bitch” once you know, you just can’t un-know, and the Double Bells whilst good fall a little on both sides of the divide.

Early M16s (Model 601 onwards if you must know…) and CAR15’s had some pretty unique features which were only changed at a later date. Initially the lower receivers were what is known as “slabside” in that they carried no protective “fence” around the magazine release. The upper receiver had yet to have the forward assist feature added.

The Double Bell

The replica is fully made of alloy (magazine, flash hider, magazine catch, safety/selector lever, bolt catch, charging handle latch, barrel, receivers) with only the pistol grip, butt, and handguard being made of a very nice matt black plastic; I must note here though that the handguard is a pretty standard “M4/AR” twopiece affair and not the slimmer version that should be fitted to an XM, which is a shame, but thankfully the slim versions can be found online if you want to XM “more correct”, and the standard slip-rings will accommodate this. The outer barrel is also an area I personally would do a little remedial work on as it’s a more modern M4-ish” stepped design rather than the smooth, regular diameter of the “real”. The metal mentioned earlier. The “E2” though is truly a solid design and no little research has gone into getting things pretty right. and quick-change spring; nothing earth-shattering here, but what I’d expect to see in a game-ready new AEG these days.

“MOST OF MY PERSONAL LIVING HISTORY IMPRESSIONS HAVE BEEN CENTRED THOUGH ON MACV-SOG, MIKE FORCES AND THE SEALS SO THE FULL LENGTH M16 HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN MY PREFERRED ARMOURY, BUT AS THE SOG RECON-GUYS CARRIED THE XM177E1 OR E2 CARBINE, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MODEL FOR ME”

Internally the Model 607 is much of a muchness, but it’s the externals here that really make it a 100% worthwhile addition to any period airsoft armoury! The Colt Model 607 was the first attempt to produce a dedicated carbine, and as such had both a reduced barrel length and collapsing buttstock; in fact the 607 used modified AR15/M16 furniture to include a buttstock which allowed it to be extended or collapsed, and this was in fact just a chopped M16 butt running on a buffer tube and supporting bar controlled via a large “switch lever” built into an abbreviated buttpad… surely a lot of fun in the shoulder when fired! The 607 also featured a shortened pistol grip and shortened triangular

(sub UK£200!), and even on a 7.4V LiPo they really do crack away; bear in mind that most Vietnam themed airsoft games will have strict ammo limits and you’re going to want to stick on semi-auto anyway, and the triggers proved crisp and responsive on both models.

The alloy 150 BB magazine is solid and feeds well, and this short type first issued with the real carbines is the bomb; I’ve taken my pictures these and they scream “NAM!” Thankfully “shorty mags”, hi, mid, and real cap are easy to get hold of and relatively cheap… and if you’re going to “run recon” like me then you’re going to need a lot of them!

My first testing with both carbines showed that they were both a little “hot” for UK sites, but in

Downrange

These really are impressive carbines given the price the box.

The thing that REALLY gives the Double Bell carbines a slight edge over other “VN” replicas

INTO GETTING THINGS PRETTY RIGHT. THE REPLICA IS FULLY MADE OF ALLOY (MAGAZINE, FLASH HIDER, MAGAZINE CATCH, SAFETY/SELECTOR LEVER, BOLT CATCH, CHARGING HANDLE LATCH, BARREL, RECEIVERS) WITH ONLY THE PISTOL GRIP, BUTT, AND HANDGUARD BEING MADE OF A VERY NICE MATT BLACK PLASTIC” though is the perfromance that you get for very little money in relative terms. I own, and have owned numerous NamSoft M16s, XMs, and 607s over the years, and the Double Bell versions are in some cases well less than half the price that I paid for the ones that came before, and they perform straight from the box, and are better overall… straight away… in a nutshell the 607 is close to Living History standard in terms of look, feel and finish bar the “fencing”, and with a little (and I mean absolutely minimal!) work the tiny flaws that there are could be rectified. The XM needs a little more to get it right, namely the handguards (easy) and the outer barrel (easy-ish), and it would be a great choice for NamSoft, although I largely loved, in a couple of short, sweet period-ishpackages. Both little carbines are well put together and extremely good value for money, although for me the 607 is definitely the one to go for if you want something that’s nigh-on visually perfect straight from the box, as the XM needs a little more work externally to get it “right”; the XM is not perfect in its “look”, but simply by changing certain key, small things I’d be okay with it.

That said I have to admit that I’m delighted that “Namsoft” still appears to be on the agenda of numerous airsoft manufacturers; I hope that 2024 might well be seeing me heading back “in country” for perhaps a “last hurrah”, and if it does I would

Basically you get everything that Double Bell have shown already that they are good at via their more modern AEG releases which we as a team have

“BOTH LITTLE CARBINES ARE WELL PUT TOGETHER AND EXTREMELY GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY, ALTHOUGH FOR ME THE 607 IS DEFINITELY THE ONE TO GO FOR IF YOU WANT SOMETHING THAT’S NIGH-ON VISUALLY PERFECT STRAIGHT FROM THE BOX, AS THE XM NEEDS A LITTLE MORE WORK EXTERNALLY TO GET IT “RIGHT””