G&G CM16 LMG ETU DST (Desert Color) Review

This time, I'll be reviewing the G&G CM16 LMG ETU in desert color (DST).

This is one of the items I got in Airsoft97's New Year's lucky bag in 2021.

There's an article introducing the contents of Airsoft97's 2021 New Year's lucky bag, so please take a look if you're interested.

You can find more details in the article, but there are a total of 5 guns included, 4 of which are G&G, so I would recommend it to anyone looking for a G&G gun.

Let's get back to the main topic and continue with the review of the CM16.

Box and contents

This is the outer box.

This is a generic box from G&G. While everyone has their own preferences regarding the design of the packaging, I personally find generic boxes appealing because they seem to be actively working to reduce costs (assuming the product itself is reasonably priced).

Of course, I also like elaborate presentation boxes like those from Tokyo Marui.

Next, let's look at the sticker that shows the contents.

I think this sticker is great because it clearly shows the contents (battery and charger not included) and basic specifications at a glance (ETU, MOSFET, electric airsoft gun, 2500-round magazine, made in Taiwan).

Let's open the box.

The main unit is not in a bag; it's just placed inside as is.

Let's take out the contents other than the main unit and lay them out.

The contents are quite luxurious.

It's unusual for an overseas manufacturer to include a maintenance tool, which is typical of G&G. I won't go into the contents of the instruction manual, but as expected of G&G, it's wonderful that it's written entirely in Japanese.

Let's take a look at the muzzle velocity certificate.

The specifications state that the initial velocity is 85-86 m/s with 0.2g BBs, which is more than sufficient and incredibly stable. We will check later whether it actually achieves this performance.

Next, let's look at the main unit.

Main unit exterior

This is a side view of the main unit.

It's on the opposite side.

In terms of overall size, it feels more compact than an M4 carbine (14.5 inches). It's clearly longer than 10.5-inch class rifles like the MK18.

Let's take a closer look at each part.

This is the area around the muzzle.

The muzzle is unremarkable, though if I had to say, it resembles the M14.

It has a foldable front sight, so press the button shown in the picture above to raise it.

Let's take a look from the front sight.

Inserting the included front sight adjustment tool into the hole shown in the picture allows you to adjust the sight height.

However, I think it's less frequently used these days because it's not often used on its own.

Let's take a look at the front of the car from the front.

The front of the rail appears to have holes for barrel cooling, similar to an LMG, but these are just dummy holes molded into the surface.

Next, let's look at the rails.

The opposite side.

The top and bottom have Picatinny rails, and the left and right sides have M-LOK rails (the other holes are for weight reduction).

Personally, I prefer having a Picatinny rail only on the top rail and M-LOK on the rest.

The material is reinforced resin (nylon-based?), and it feels solid with no wobbling or anything like that.

Let's take a look at the receivers.

It's on the opposite side.

The receiver basically follows the AR-15 style shape, incorporating G&G's unique design (the ambidextrous magazine catch is a key feature).

In my personal opinion, the lower receiver appears to be common to all G&G CM series models, while only the upper receiver seems to have a mold specifically created for LMGs.

The upper receiver features a unique shape, a unique top cover opening mechanism, and a unique charging handle, all of which are absent in the AR-15's bolt forward assist.

The receiver is made of reinforced resin (nylon-based?) both top and bottom.

Let's take a closer look at the charging handle.

Try raising the lever (the lever can be tilted up and down, but tilting it downwards will get in the way).

I will refer to this later.

The stroke length is relatively short.

If you look at the receiver on the other side, the ejection port will open, allowing you to access the hop-up chamber.

The hop chamber was a drum type. Personally, I appreciate the drum type because of its functionality, such as how well the hops are applied and their stability.

Next, let's open the top cover.

Slide the cone-shaped button at the rear end of the upper receiver forward.

If you lift it up like this, the top cover will open.

There are no features that affect its function, but you can place the included dummy cart, which will be introduced later, on it.

Next is the rear sight.

This is a peep sight with no particular features. It has left/right adjustment, but no height adjustment, and distance adjustment is done by choosing from two different sizes of peep holes.

Since we're in the age of optical instruments, I think it's sufficient as I don't expect to use it very often.

Next, let's talk about how it feels when you grip it.

The grip has a unique shape, and I thought it felt quite comfortable to hold (I have the average-sized hands of a Japanese man).

I particularly liked the way the part where you grip with your thumb and middle finger is narrowed and tapered, the lack of unnecessary finger channels (finger rests), and the long beaver tail (at the rear of the grip).

It felt quite similar to Magpul's MOE grip.

This is the final part of the receiver introduction, showing the entire top rail.

Because it's an LMG type, the receiver opens, so the front rail and the receiver rail are not connected (the top cover of the real M249 Minimi also opens, just like on other M249s).

Therefore, mounting optical devices such as scopes that straddle the handguard and receiver may be difficult.

Therefore, if you're going to mount a high-magnification optical sight, the Elcan type I previously introduced might be appropriate (Elcans are a common combination on actual LMGs).

I barely made it in Elcan.

Since it's an LMG, it's probably fine to assume that you're not aiming with precision.

Next, let's look at the stock.

This is a common type of stock from G&G, kind of like a cross between the crane stock that used to be on M4s and the Magpul CTR stock.

It has a QD hole, so you can attach a sling to it.

However, my personal recommendation is to attach a sling to the swivel at the base of the stock pipe for easier use.

Returning to stock.

This stock has a special gimmick: pressing the button shown in the photo below will open the storage compartment.

The small compartment can hold about 2-3 CR123 size batteries.

While this might not be very useful for a standard electric airsoft gun, this product uses a CR123 battery in its box magazine, so it could be convenient to replace the battery if it runs out during a game.

The butt plate is quite thick. I think it's something that people will have different preferences for.

I'll try increasing the stock.

The stock has 5 positions, allowing you to choose the length in the same way as a typical M4.

Removing the stock reveals the ETU, fuse, and battery connector.

Because of the ETU (Electronic Torque Unit), it would be difficult to store the battery inside the stock pipe.

When replacing the stock, I think it's best to choose one that seems to have a battery compartment.

Next, let's look at the included accessories.

Box magazine, dummy cartridges, grip pod

This is the featured box magazine.

Box Magazine

This is a picture of the entire box magazine.

Although not particularly large, it has a large capacity, holding about 2500 rounds. The fact that it comes with an original cover is also a nice touch.

Next is the attachment point to the main unit.

The mounting part has the same shape as the so-called standard M4.

I tried attaching it to my VFC standard M4 electric airsoft gun, and the magazine is quite large compared to the magazine housing, making the attachment very tight (though it does fit).

Also, the G&G CM16 SRXL, another model, was installed smoothly (which is probably to be expected since they use the same mold).

It's possible that G&G's standard M4-style magazines are made slightly larger than usual.

This product can use not only magazine boxes but also standard electric airsoft gun M4 magazines (STANG MAG).

Next, I opened the pouch next to the magazine.

Opening it further reveals a place to insert batteries.

You will need about two CR123 size batteries (you can keep spare batteries in the stock mentioned above).

Since CR123 batteries are expensive, I wish they had used four AAA batteries or two AA batteries instead, if possible.

The winding switch for the box magazine is located in the position shown in the following photo.

Due to the switch's location, it's pressed by the tab on the main body that secures the magazine, so it seems impossible to control it externally while in use (it switches on automatically when inserted).

I tried pressing the switch with my finger to activate it.

Movie　G&G CM16 LMG Box Magazine Working

From what I can tell from using it, there are no sound sensors or anything like that; when you attach it, the mainspring starts winding automatically and stops when it's finished winding.

It seems you can only fire continuously for the amount of rounds you've wound up with the spring. That said, I think you'll have around 300-400 rounds even with the spring wound up, which should be enough.

If you want to reload the magazine, it seems you need to remove and reattach it.

Personally, I think it would have been even better if it had features like a sound sensor, trigger linkage, or a switch that can be pressed by hand, like A&K does.

Dummy Cart

Next are the dummy cartridges and ammunition belt.

Although it's made of resin, the paint job is beautiful and the texture is very good.

Let's try attaching it to the main unit.

Lift the top cover and place the ammunition belt as shown in the photo below.

Now, simply lower the top cover and the installation is complete.

Grip bipod

Next is the included grip bipod.

Since it's a standard grip bipod, you deploy it by pressing the button shown in the picture below.

The bipod deploys via a spring.

It doesn't feel particularly sturdy to the touch, so I think it might break if used roughly.

I don't think you'll use a bipod very often during gameplay, so I don't think it's a problem (it's useful for shooting at the range).

Once all the accessories are attached, it will look like the following picture.

Live-fire performance verification

This is the usual live-fire performance test.

The conditions are room temperature of 22°C, and the battery used is a DCI GUNS 7.4V 1000mAh with a storage voltage of 7.6V, operating at 25-50°C.

Measurements were taken with the hop-up adjustment set to 0 and using VFC bio BBs weighing 0.2g.

It's pretty good.

I'll try adding a generous amount of hops.

The initial velocity has dropped significantly, so the hop-up is working.

I'll reset the hop-up adjustment to 0 and fire several shots.

It's quite stable.

It's not quite as good as the certificate included, but it's still nice.

Next is the cycle.

The rate of fire is 11 rounds per second, which is about the same as a standard electric airsoft gun.

In this measurement, the battery was stored at a voltage of 7.6V, so it seems that a fully charged battery could fire about 14-15 rounds per second.

ボックスマガジンの装弾数が2500発なので理論上では4分近く撃ち続けることができます｡サバゲーの1ゲーム時間は10〜15分が多いので1/3~半分の間、弾幕を張れますがよく使われるバッテリー容量1000〜1200mAhだと確実にバッテリーが壊れるので注意が必要です（1500発くらいが安全な限界かな？、モーターも連続はやばいです）｡

Introduction article on chronographs

Next is a video demonstrating the operation (please refer to the response and trigger stroke).

It's semi-automatic.

G&G CM16 LMG Semi-Automatic

It fires in three-round bursts.

G&G CM16 LMG 3-round burst

It's fully automatic.

G&G CM16 LMG Full Auto

I don't notice any lag in operation, and I don't really understand the advertising claim that it's particularly crisp thanks to the ETU, but I'm glad that there's no burnt-out contact on the switch.

Regarding the noise, the bevel gear and motor pinion noise are a bit bothersome.

I was surprised because I didn't notice any issues with the sound in the company's FN F2000, which I reviewed previously.

The sound quality is greatly affected by the shape of the receiver and other components, but this is more of a concern than that. Since different price ranges use different assembly lines, the assembly process might be more suitable for mass production than that of the FN2000.

Incidentally, to switch between 3-round burst and full auto, put the selector in semi-automatic mode and hold down the trigger for 10 seconds or more. The switch is difficult to tell from the outside as there is no external signal (sound, light, etc.).

The circuit board lights up as a signal that the switch has been made, but it's not visible from the outside, so it's not very meaningful.

G&G ETU switching behavior

The video has been edited, so the 10-second transition time has been cut to make it shorter.

G&G Bio-Bullets 0.2g
It's inexpensive and accurate, so I use it for a wide range of purposes, from performance testing to airsoft games. It's been my favorite since it first came to Japan (around 2008). It lasts a long time for a biodegradable product.

G&G Bio-Bullets 0.25g
It's 0.25g. I generally use 0.25g BBs when playing airsoft.

Summary

That concludes my lengthy summary.

The price for a new one is a bit high, but as expected from G&G, it's well-made and I thought it was a good product.

In particular, it's made of resin, which makes it relatively lightweight for its size, and the center of gravity feels natural, making it easy to handle.

I'm also happy that it comes with so many accessories.

I also liked that the firing cycle wasn't high-cycle but a normal 11 rounds per second, as it allowed for a longer barrage of fire (making the most of the box magazine).

If you consider it as a base for customization, the gearbox is a standard ver.2, so it's versatile. I think it would be quite interesting to carefully assemble it, then customize it with a double sector gear for an ultra-high rate of fire and improved responsiveness, and then use a Perun ETU++ to raise the rate of fire to around 15 rounds per second (though laying down a barrage of ultra-high rate fire might annoy people).

That concludes my review of the G&G CM16 LMG.

G&G CM16 LMG DST (Desert Color)
Recommended for those who want to shoot a lot. Besides the desert color, it's also available in black.

G&G CM16 LMG Box Magazine 2500 rounds
While few people would likely have a spare box magazine for this product, it appears that box magazines are sold separately. Compatibility with receivers varies, but it seems they can be used with AR15 ver.2 gearbox products.