MAGPUL PTS MASADA ACR CQB REVIEW

I'll be reviewing the MAGPUL PTS Masada ACR CQB in tan, which I doubt is still in demand (is it still popular?).

He became famous overnight thanks to Jormungand. The power of anime is amazing.

I won this Masada in a lottery at Akabane Frontier's White Hole about six years ago. I was super lucky.

I had been buying quite a lot of lottery tickets and merchandise from Frontier even before that, so perhaps God was watching over me.

However, Akabane had a lot of energy about 10 years ago, but it's become rather quiet lately, and I really hope it can somehow regain its momentum.

It feels like they're being completely overshadowed by the Akihabara crowd, but I hope they can somehow manage to pull through.

Now, just in case it's ever re-released, I'll review and disassemble the original for reference (the MASADA AKM was re-released in 2019, so there might be a chance!).

Exterior Review

First, let's take a quick look at the exterior, as if it were straight out of the box.

The accessories include one P-MAG 120-round magazine, an MBUS sight, and a polymer 5.56mm bullet. A warranty card is also included.

This is an authentic Access Overseas product. However, because it was a lottery item, they didn't record the purchase history on the warranty card, so it's useless.

Let's take a quick look at the exterior. It looks quite yellow in the photos, but in reality, it's a slightly lighter tan color.

Site Picture

It has a fairly solid sight. Well, this was quite popular, wasn't it? You can adjust the elevation and left and right, and the front sight's height is also adjustable.

Selector area

It was a rare full-ambient system for that time.

Hop adjustment area

Pulling the charging handle locks it in place.

The ejection port opens, allowing for hop-up adjustment.

The port closes with the release lever located below the trigger guard.

Battery space related

The battery is stored inside the front guard. The pin can be pressed with the included darts. (The pin cannot be removed.)

This allows you to remove the handguard and access the connector. By the way, there is no fuse.

Furthermore, the handguard has ample space, so-called mini-sized batteries fit easily. Adding an aftermarket multi-function MOSFET might also be a good idea.

By the way, it's quite convenient to keep the ammunition in the storage compartment of the stock. And if you also keep an Allen wrench there, you can easily disassemble it anywhere.

That concludes the exterior review. Since many people have already reviewed it, I thought this would be sufficient.

Live-fire performance verification

I'd like to say it performs as it did straight out of the box, but unfortunately, I've only changed the spring and hop-up packing.

The spring is a cut-down Baton M100 spring, and the hop-up bucking is a genuine Tokyo Marui part. Nothing else has been touched.

The conditions are as usual: the battery is an ET-1 REDLINE 1400mAh with a storage voltage of 7.65V, and the ammunition is Tokyo Marui Bio 0.2g.

Well, I changed the springs, so this is the value I was aiming for.

Next is the cycle.

It's perfectly normal.

If you're interested, please also check out my review of the chronograph.

Next is a video showing the operation.

Semi-automatic (This is a video; please be aware of the sound.)

PTS Masada (pre-customization) Semi-automatic

Fully automatic (This is a video; please be aware of the sound)

PTS Masada (before customization) Full Auto

I cut the spring, making it shorter, so there's a slight spring noise. I'm also concerned about the noise from the pinion gear.

The response was good at the time, thanks to the microswitch system which was unusual, but now it's probably below average.

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.

Let's try to remember what it was like when we first took it out of the box.

From here on, the information is based on my memory and may not be entirely accurate, but for reference, I'll try to recall what it was like when I first took it out of the box.

I believe the initial velocity out of the box was around 78 m/s with 0.2g BBs. It had a spring with a considerable margin. The rate of fire should be the same.

It might have been a little higher because the spring was weaker, but it's about the same.

Regarding the hop-up, I had heard that many units didn't have a good hop-up at the time, but with 0.2g BBs, the hop-up was too strong and the BBs just disappeared into thin air.

The hop setting was 0, and 0.25g was just right, or perhaps a little too strong.

Regarding magazine compatibility, I found that both the original magazine, Tokyo Marui's M4-series STD high-capacity magazines, and ICS's M4-series high-capacity magazines worked fine. I also lent and borrowed magazines from others, and I don't recall any problems.

Since it was close to the final production run, it might have been polished up. I don't know for sure because it was rare even back then, and I never compared it to other units.

Summary

It is a summary.

The real gun has a new design, and being a Magpul design, it's very easy to use. I'm right-handed, so I don't benefit much from the ambidextrous design, but it's still convenient to have in a pinch.

Additionally, it has a large battery compartment and its overall size is suitable for CQB (Close Quarters Battle) use, making it easy to handle.

Its shooting performance is average, but since various custom parts can be used (they're not just plug-and-play), you can do whatever you want with it.

There's just one drawback: due to the telescopic mechanism of the stock, it extends automatically when you pull it. So be careful if you're using the QD swivel on the stock. It extends on its own just by hanging.

That concludes this brief review. Next time, we'll cover the disassembly process.

I hope this will be helpful for those considering purchasing a used item, or for those considering it in the unlikely event that it is ever re-released.

PS: KSC has released a gas blowback Masada, so there are some usable exterior parts available, which is very helpful for users.