We posted a while back about the latest “AR” models from Arcturus, and thanks to our friends over at TAIWANGUN we’ve now got the littlest of the bunch undergoing range testing to find out if it has what it takes to be an extremely well-priced contender!
What we’ve received for evaluation is the very latest model from the LITE series in which the upper and lower receivers are made of durable nylon-fibre. Thanks to the nylon body, the weight and the price of the replica have been kept low, but our “first look” shows that the AEG does not lose any strength or durability, and the socket for the buffer tube and a barrel socket with a thread for the handguard fastening ring have been reinforced with a metal threaded sleeve,both points of potential failure for the “cheaper end”.
With the KARAMBIT LITE, the magazine catch, bolt catch and fire selector are ambidextrous, so it’s good for lefties as well as righties, and the short handguard features M-LOK slots and a top picatinny rail. Most of the external elements, such as the handguard, outer barrel, muzzle device, fire selector, magazine catch, ejection cover, bolt catch, and receiver extension tube are made of aluminum and light alloys, and all of these are anodized to protect against corrosion.
The gearbox and internal parts are also sound, and the LITE features a quick spring change system and ball bearing spring guide and ball bearing piston head. A polymer piston is equipped with steel teeth that work with high-quality gears, and gears are mounted on 8mm steel bushings to be able to cope with the highest loads, with only the bevel gear mounted on ball bearings to ensure that it is free to spin at high speeds. Inside there’s also an electric micro-switch trigger that is connected to low-resistance wiring, to make things LiPo ready from the get go, and the use of an electronic trigger eliminates the problem of burned out contacts and improves the response of the trigger. The gearbox is finished with sealed nozzle that works with a metal rotary hop-up chamber in which a hardened 6.03mm precision steel barrel is mounted.
As we prepare ourselves for price rises in the airsoft world due to increased raw material and shipping costs globally it’s great to see that you can still grab a great little AEG that’s perfect for CQB/CQC and CP Detail use, and so far the new KARAMBIT LITE is proving to be a super, uber-compact package that delivers in all respects!
