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DPMS A-15 Springer Review
by Heatloe
Overall Design:
For a springer, this gun has a higher quality finish than most springers. It's a nice matte/flat black and the finish matches through-out the entire body of the weapon. The hand guards, body, and stock all have the nice same finish which makes the gun look much more realistic, more like a AEG. This weapon could be used for CQB with the stock retracted in springer battles only because of the slow rate of fire with the T-handle. With the stock at the second position or all the way extended, it shoulders great for woodland or field combat. I'm about 6' and this gun fits me perfectly and would easily fit shorter players. This weapon does seem a little rear heavy due to the metal parts.
- Length (from tip of flash hider to full extended stock): 33 1/4"
- Width (from bottom of magazine to top of carry handle): 10"
- Weight (from the manufacturer): 4.07lbs
- Magazine: Curved US G.I. M16 50round mag w/ loading tool.
- FPS: About 260fps with .2g bb's and hop-up.
- Range: about 100feet accurate, 160max.
This gun does have more metal parts than most springers that I have seen. The tube that the stock rides on is all metal. The front sling mount is also metal. Unfortunately, those are about the only metal parts on this gun besides the screws which are everywhere on the right side of the gun. Standard lead weights aren't used here like on most springers to give it more weight. The pistol grip is filled with metal and has a screw in the middle which attaches it to the gun. By pulling back on the delta ring to remove the hand guards you can see a giant metal weight. This really tries to balance the gun out, but the weight rides to the rear of the gun.
When I first got this gun this gun seemed like a beast. My arms did get fatigued after running for long periods with this gun. The fact that it is heavy in the stock is a good thing I think so it keep the stock seated well in your shoulder. After I got my M15 AEG this gun feels like a toy. The M15 must be twice the weight. If you are used to using AEG's then this gun won't seem that heavy to you, but if you only use pistols, a sling might be a good idea.
Performance and Reliability:
This is what really counts. This gun has been through about 3 springer only skirmishes. It dominates over UHC MP5 SD3's, HFC USP's, KWC 1911 (no hop-up), and UHC M9's. The 50rnd magazine really gives it a edge in these battles almost doubling the capacity of the UHC MP5 magazine. This gun did nto malfunction at all while practicing or in a skirmish. I've put around 5,000shots through it and it wasn't lubed once. In fire-fights I was easily able to make center mass shots to about 60feet with out really trying to aim. The gun does shoot high when using .2g bb's. The rear site is only adjustable for windage, not elevation so I tried some ASGK .25g bb's. These had less of a range, about 100feet maximum but the sights were dead on. There are 2 rectiles. One short one for more accurate shots with a small hole, and a taller sight for close range. I had no problem switching rectiles between shots during matches. This gun really did show its accuracy in the first skirmish I played, even using .2g bb's. We were playing in the woods, a 2-2 small match. Their team had my UHC MP5 and a HFC USP springer. My team mate had my KWC P99 springer and I had my trusty A-15. I started to flank and remained unseen for a while. I kept low and my team mate was engaged and taken out. I was along, 2-1. My first instinct was to take out the UHC MP5. I started to flank, but was spotted and the enemy took cover behind some brush and a rock. I dropped to prone and waited. I got a small opening of skin, maybe 6inches in area. I was about 40feet away and I made the shot, he was out. I then continued to get the HFC springer, but when he saw me from about 15feet away aiming at him, he realized the power and surrendered. If you are really stealthy and a good shot, you could easily take on some AEGs.
Reliability is a question when it comes to this gun. I have seen instances where the cocking mechanism had broke after less than 3,000shots. Mine has had no reliability problems at all. If you do get this gun, make sure the retailer has a 30day warrantee (like www.shortyusa.com where I got mine from) and don't remove the orange until your warrantee is over. One could pay more and get the TM XM117, but this is a great alternative. The dust cover doesn't flip open like the TM, but that is one thing more to break and get gunk into.
Custom Mods:
Not much can be done to this gun as it seems to be the case with most springers. I did end up making a metal silencer out of some copper tubing and epoxied a large washer on the end. I wrapped the existing flash-hider with electrical tape and had it friction-fit on.
The barrel wobble is excessive with this on and had to be fixed. There are 3 ways to go about this. One is take off the silencer and live with the wobble. Two is to remove the handgrips by pulling back on the delta ring. Remove the two screws that secure the front site on and slide it off. Now remove the two screws on the weight and slide it off. I used paper, but have heard you can use electrical tape and stuff it between the plastic outer barrel and metal mid barrel. This should eliminate most of the wobble. Now reassemble. The Third was requires the most skill and patience. It involves taking the whole gun apart. If you've worked on a UHC MP5, this should be pretty easy, just time consuming. Take apart the front end as mentioned above and take off the delta ring and spring. Then remove the screw in the back of the stock. Pull off the whole stock assembly. Now there is a screw in the bottom of the grip, remove it and pull the grip off. Now this is the time consuming part. Lay the gun right side up. Take off all the screws. To get the gun apart you need to pull off the little knob off the site adjustment mock piece and remove the C-ring (get a small flat-head screwdriver In there and place it in the openings and twist. It should come off). You will see a small screw in the middle of the mag release. Take that out. BE CAREFUL, it strips really easy. Now start to gently open the halves. You need to pull back the T charging handle a bit to get the halves apart. Now, you can lube what you please. After firing 5,000+rounds and opening it for the first time, it was lubed really well from the factory. Now, you see that metal tube towards the front of the gun, get paper in there and reassemble. The barrel wobble will be gone.
You could also do some internal mods if you wished like adding a small spacer behind the spring to increase range and accuracy. I do not reccomend this because the whole frame, pistol, and cylinder are plasic, like the UHC MP5s, so this proceedure puts additional stress on the gun, which it is not designed to handle. The range is already very good on this gun even without that modification. If you are very mechanically inclined you could probably make some metal parts for this gun which would increase reliability by alot.
If you are like me, your gun has to look the best it can, so lets paint the trades and selector. I used Testors model enamel and thinner. You will need white, red, some toothpicks and a wiping cloth. Now stir the paint and apply the white paint all over the trades, cover them. Now, wipe it off with a cloth or napkin. There will be some residue left, get the napkin or clot damp with primer and remove the excess. You can go over the trades and it wont take the paint out. Do the same with the selector. Make safe white, semi and auto red.
There are some cosmetic items you can get from various retailers like an M16 4x20 scope that mounts directly to the carry handle, a metal adjustable bi-pod, a rubber butt plate, and rubber cheek piece.
Comparing:
Unfortunately I don't have another Armalite style springer to compare it to, but I do have a UHC MP5 SD3 springer with a 3/8 inch spacer. This gun still outranges it by about 30feet with .2g bb's. This is the best springer I have, durability wise, power wise, and cosmetic wise. I own 2 Airstrikes, a UHC MP5 w/ painted silencer and selector, a KWC P99 springer w/ full metal trigger, painted side, and makeshift metal silencer and my DPMS A-15 which I painted in the selector and trades.
Conclusion:
This is the best spring rifle under $100 (its $99.99 from www.shortyusa.com ). It beats the UHC MP5, but is almost double the price. If you are on a tight budget, get the UHC MP5 (you can read some reviews of it at springer.airsoftretreat.com ). If you want a nice looking, great preforming rifle, get the DPMS, it cheaper than the TM models and comes very close to them in accuracy and range.
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