Some of you may have seen Airsoft Larping – Part I in this series but if you haven’t, check it out when you can. I briefly cover my airsoft larping helmet and provide links to all the base gear and the accessories I am currently running on my helmet. And before we jump into this build, I also did a brief write-up on My First HPA Build if you are interested in HPA rifles. Lastly, if you are looking for painting ideas and tips, check out My First Airsoft Rifle Paint Job.
Natural Progression
So let’s jump in. Like many of you out there, one of my first airsoft rifles was an AEG. Both my daughter and I started with AEGs and although she’s stayed with the AEG format, I moved on to an HPA setup with the Kythera build, which I still love by the way, and then onto the gas blowback rifle (GBBR) that I am sharing with you now. The GBBR didn’t necessarily come as the natural progression from the AEG to HPA to GBB, it was more born out of a need for pistol and rifle training in my basement to help save on ammunition and to keep the skills sharp. Frankly, in my area, there’s no place to train with real pistols and rifles that allow the shooter to move around, holster pistols, shoot rapid-fire, reload, etc, etc. I live in New Jersey and it’s already a non-gun-friendly state, so finding a place to train that allows all of this is impossible. The GBBR with its, albeit small recoil, bolt style action, charging handle, bolt hold open and release controls, and 30’ish-round capacity magazines, makes for a great training rifle that can be used in the basement or garage or any other spot you feel comfortable firing an airsoft rifle indoors. There are several differences, of course, when it comes to airsoft versus real steel and we’ll get into some of the things I did to help close that gap between the two but I think the GBB rifle does provide a good surrogate for a real firearm when training or otherwise larping. But I digress. Let’s talk about my Noveske GBB rifle.
Note: EMG Photos by EMG
The EMG Helios Noveske Licensed N4 MWS Gen 3 Gas Blowback M4 by Double Eagle… is a mouth full for sure but probably more commonly known as the Noveske N4 GBBR. By no means is this the best gas blowback rifle out there nor is it the most affordable but it does have one characteristic that, during my research, I found to be important. That characteristic is the Tokyo Marui blowback system. Instead of creating a proprietary system, Double Eagle went with the Tokyo Marui MWS (metal working system) for its bolt and other blowback components. This meant that when needed, I could source parts from other Tokyo Marui GBBRs which are popular in the GBBR world giving me greater access to parts and prices. And since GBBRs have moving parts similar to their real steel counterparts, servicing the GBBR was most likely gonna happen – more on that later.
I picked up my Noveske from Evike.com when the Noveske showed up on one of their “Epic Deal” events. I had kept the rifle in my shopping cart and checked on its price daily hoping it would show up in the Epic Deal and the price would drop. Eventually, it did show up and I was able to grab it for $281 minus a $25 “welcometo2024” coupon, dropping the price down to $256. A rather good deal, in my opinion, considering it sells for $329 regularly.
The following is part of the review I wrote and posted to Evike’s website. I wanted to share some first impressions because there were a few things that jumped out at me.
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“First Impressions:
With that said, there were a few, not-so-great things that jumped out at me right away. 1. the butt stock rattles like no other rifle I have, which is a bit annoying. Nothing some gorilla tapes on the buffer tube can’t fix but still a letdown. 2. If I look at the dust cover the wrong way, it will open. I can’t seem to get it to stay shut. Also, the dust cover that came with my rifle does not say 300 Blk – it only has the Noveske logo (not a bad thing in my book). 3. This is a little picky but the finish on the hand guard within the M-Lok cuts is a little rough. 4. Sadly, there is no QD point near the back of the rifle. There isn’t one on the butt stock and the sling plate at the buffer tube doesn’t have a QD point or any way to connect a sling – my bad for not noticing in the manufacturer’s photos. 5. Being my first GBBR, I didn’t know what to expect but I didn’t expect the buffer spring to make so much noise. It sounds like a toy and takes away from the recoil sensation to some degree.” – Joseph Stampfl
The Build Out
Building out, aka “accessorizing” these rifles is very satisfying and it’s easy to get a little carried away. And while some items on the rifle aren’t really necessary, there were one or two things that I did to the rifle, as I mentioned earlier, that were done to better match it to its real steel counterpart. First, however, let’s cover the low-hanging fruit. I’ll give a quick breakdown of the installed accessories, without getting into individual reviews and provide the links in case you’d like to try any of these parts/accessories.
If you read Part I of this series, you’ll know that I received many of these accessories through the Amazon Vine program. I received them for free in exchange for an honest review. The sellers have no input and are not able to influence the review since the program is through Amazon. For the accessories below, assume I received them from the Vine program unless I mention otherwise.
What appears to be a Trijicon MRO red dot clone, is actually sold by a company called JTS which I believe started as an air rifle manufacturer. I’m not sure how this JTS MRO red dot [1] came to be or why it so closely resembles the older Trijicon MRO but its price point, $179, was much more in line with an airsoft rifle than the real steel counterpart at $700. Believe it or not, it wasn’t until I started writing this post that I realized the EMG photos above show the rifle with an MRO. I chose to use this MRO because I had just taken it off my real rifle and figured why not throw it on the Noveske. The mount that came with the JTS red dot wasn’t great so I purchased this UTG mount [2] instead. I’ll touch on the honeycomb lens shroud a bit later in this post. The 3X magnifier is a Feyachi M40 [3]. There’s nothing particularly notable about the Feyachi and I don’t really like its locking mechanism but it’s 3x magnifier that I had lying around that looked good up against the JTS red dot.
The PEQ NGAL [4](next generation aiming laser) on the front of the rifle is one of those unnecessary accessories, in my opinion, for the type of airsoft games I play. I have never done a MILSIM event and have never played at night so needing IR lasers is overkill. With that said, once again, the Amazon Vine program afforded me to have it and it does kind of look cool and plays into the larping aesthetic. I have used the laser a handful of times but there are much smaller form factor lasers on the market if that’s something you are into. The flashlight component of this PEQ is horrible, which brings me to my next accessory.
The weapon light [4] mounted right next PEQ is the Nobuhiro M600C and is one of my favorite Amazon weapon lights. It’s not the brightest light out there but I really like its size and mounting solution. Its mounting solution is a clone of the Surefire Mini Scout and what I like about it is its ability to be rotated as close or as far away from the firearm as you want and makes for a very clean install. Its pressure pad is slim and easy to mount with other aftermarket accessories and provides a no-frills experience, meaning it doesn’t have different brightness or even a strobe effect. It has momentary and constant on/off. Simple. In this case, I’m running the light in conjunction with the PEQ so I installed an aftermarket ActionUnion dual switch [5] to control both. The switch takes away the momentary function of the weapon light but clicking the button twice isn’t that hard to do. To help with cable management, I am trying these MLOK cable guides [6]. At first I was worried they would be a little too sharp along the edges but they are fine.
As I noted in my Evike review, the stock doesn’t have a QD point. Since I like my sling to be connected to the base of the buffer tube, I ended up buying a handful of these Haley Strategic QD End Plates [7] for all of my real and airsoft AR-style rifles. Some of the airsoft rifles required minor modifications for the Haley end plate to work but was easy enough and they work great. I’m not sure which front QD mount I’m using on the handguard but the main requirement is that the sling bracket does not rotate, similar to the Magpul version. Here’s one MLOK QD mount that I have and is priced a bit better than the Magpul version. For the sling, I’m using a generic black sling [8] with a quick adjustment tab. I like it because the webbing is soft and thick and it does its job – unfortunately, it’s no longer available but I’m sure there are many others just like it on Amazon. My only comment with this sling is that it adjusts in reverse of most of the quick-adjust slings out there. Not a big issue but something to consider.
This next one probably needs no introduction since it’s a pretty popular grip, the BCM Gunfighter Grip for MLOK [10]. I don’t recall where I picked this particular one up but I did recently pick another one up from Haley Strategic when building My First “Modern” Lever Action Rifle Build. I love this grip and use it on all of my rifles.
The last accessory on the list is the EMG Guardian Mock Suppressor [10] that I purchased from Evike. Nothing to add about the suppressor other than it works with the tracer round module that I also have for the EMG mock suppressors.
Making It My Own
Of course, even deciding on which accessories to install makes every rifle unique but there were a couple of things that I did or needed to do to make this setup work for me.
First, the weight. As I mentioned earlier in this post, I had planned on using this not only for airsoft events but for basement training. And because airsoft rifles, even these GBBRs are lightweight, they aren’t ideal for training, at least in some respects. To remedy this, I opted to install 1.5 lbs of weight in the rifle with these wheel weights
I installed them in the handguard along the barrel, in the grip, in the stock, and even in the mock suppressor to help distribute the weight throughout the rifle. According to Evike, the gun weighed just under 5 lbs out of the box. Currently, without a magazine, the gun weighs 9 lbs.
3D printing has become a part of my life over the past few years. As a hobbyist, I 3D print many things to help fill specific needs in many of my hobbies, from mountain biking to RC trophy trucks, guns, and airsoft; I’ve printed something for all. On this rifle, I have two 3d printed parts. First, the honeycomb lens cover. The honeycomb covers are meant to help shield the reflection from the red dot lens which could potentially give your position away and although my 3D printed version does serve that purpose here, it also holds in a clear piece of lexan up against the red dot lens to help protect it from being shattered by flying BBs. If you didn’t already know, it’s not uncommon to break the lens of an optic during battle because of flying BBs. A buddy of mine, who has some cash, used real EOTechs on his HPA airsoft builds and broke two on the same day! I kid you not. Of course, they sell clear protective shields that you can mount in front of your optic on the rail to help mitigate this issue but they look kinda dumb, don’t fit the larping vibe, and unless they are mounted right against the red dot, aren’t impervious. My 3D-printed solution solves those inadequacies. The honeycomb is, of course, a sacrificial piece so I printed a handful to have on hand if I need to change one out but the clear lexan behind is the real hero in this story.
For the second 3D printed piece, I printed a riser for the 3X magnifier. Nothing annoys me more than a magnifier that does not line up with the red dot. This isn’t exclusive to airsoft either. I have a large riser block on my 556 setup to get the 3x magnifier up to the 1.93″ high red dot.
User Experience
There are many aspects to the user experience when handling or shooting a GBBR, from its looks, feel, and weight, to the recoil and general manipulation of the controls, but when you roll it all up into one, the sensation truly is leaps and bounds different from HPA and AEG rifles. Sure, there are some shortcomings when you compare a GBBR to its real steel counterpart but having the ability to train in your basement and practice manipulating the rifle controls, doing emergency or tactical reloads, and shooting drills at paper targets really is priceless… well, maybe not priceless since there are a handful of consumables like targets, Green Gas, and BBs that aren’t free but you know what I’m trying to say.
So should you use a GBBR as a training surrogate or is a GBBR worth it for airsoft games? Although I can’t answer either of these questions for you, having spent a good amount of time training with this Noveski GBBR and with real steel, I can share that there are a handful of differences that stand out; none of which are deal breakers but something to consider when pondering using one for training and/or events.
- Weight: The rifle’s weight is clearly a large disparity between the real and the toy versions of the rifle. This is a good and bad thing depending on your intended use. If you plan to train with it, weight may be a factor. If you only plan to use it for airsoft events, weight might be a benefit. For me, however, I chose to use my rifle for training and airsoft events, and in both cases I am learning how to manipulate the rifle in shooter scenarios so having a rifle that weighs about the same as its real steel counterpart is a benefit in my eyes.
- Form Factor: I think it goes without saying that these rifles closely mirror their real steel counterparts and therefore are completely familiar to handle if you have any time with a real AR-style rifle. The controls, grip, handguard, stock, etc are all in the correct spots, and manipulation of these elements is seamless.
- Controls: Although the controls are where they should be and operate as they should, they aren’t nearly as crisp and sharp as their counterparts. I presume that since they do not undergo the abuse/recoil of a real rifle, their components may not be as robust nor are they made from the same, durable materials. Note: my experience is limited to this one Noveski GBBR and the handful of AEGs and HPAs that I have:
- The safe/fire selector is softer and not as snappy.
- The bolt release control is difficult to depress and although it does send the bolt into battery, the feeling of the bolt slamming forward is not nearly as dramatic as a real rifle.
- The magazine release control feels and functions very similar to the real deal although it does feel like its spring is slightly softer and easy to depress.
- Trigger: They really make an effort with these triggers and I bet there are many upgrades in this area. It has some take up, a wall, maybe a 4 lb pull, and the reset is there but very soft and not sharp.
- Magazines: Depending on which magazine you use, the experience is much like the real steel counterpart, specifically with weight and somewhat with the look and feel. When it comes to weight, I believe these GBBR magazines are slightly heavier than a fully loaded 30-round .556 magazine. Again that might depend on they type of magazine you are using on either side of the equation. Of course, when the magazine is empty, the GBBR version still weighs like it is fully loaded versus the real deal. The 556 magazines index perfectly into most placards and other magazine carriers. Manipulating the magazine is no different than their real steel counterparts. With all of that said, they are quite expensive so you have to treat them with some care. They are pretty robust but the BB feed lips are plastic and can break if dropped onto a hard surface.
- Maintenance: Something to be considered when looking into GBBRs is the required maintenance. GBBRs work a lot like a real AR-style rifle and therefore need to be lubed and maintained similarly. Moving parts tend to wear out and some of these moving parts are plastic by design and therefore fail over time and use. Be prepared to understand how maintain your GBBR or it won’t last.
PRO's
- Look and feel closely resemble real rifles
- Familiar controls and manipulation, ie: safety, magazine release, bolt lock/release, charging handle, etc.
- Real bolt action with modest but appropriate recoil
- Limited magazine capacity (see also CONs)
- Good training surrogate
- Larping shooter experience
- General quality is a few steps down from real steel but on par with AEG/HPA rifles (see also CONs)
CON's
- More components, more things to break
- *Not as reliable as an AEG or HPA rifles
- Green gas is no good in colder climates
- Green gas is a consumable with an associated cost
- Limited magazine capacity
- Expensive magazines
- Controls manipulation is not as sharp and robust as their real steel counterparts
- General quality is a few steps down from real steel but on par with AEG/HPA rifles
- Requires regular maintenance beyond what is required for an AEG or HPA rifle
- Jams and other malfunctions are a real part of a GBBR
- They are lounder than HPA and some AEG rifles
Wrap It Up!
If you’ve read any of my posts, you’ll know that I can get a little long-winded in my write-ups so if you’ve made it this far, I appreciate your effort.
GBBRs are good fun and the one thing that I wanted to make sure that I conveyed to you is that the experience of shooting a GBBR, although not nearly as dramatic as a real AR-style rifle, is still a huge experience upgrade from an AEG and especially from an HPA rifle. I was on the fence when first looking at GBBRs. But after weighing the Pros and Cons of using a GBBR, I’m glad I made the decision to jump on the wagon and make it my own, weight and all. I can’t emphasize enough how much the experience of a GBBR trumps an HPA rifle. I love my HPA build, it’s rock solid and I can send BBs all day long but after shooting the GBBR and then shooting the HPA back to back, I quickly recognize the experience downgrade. That’s not to say that HPA rifles aren’t awesome and have their place, it’s only to say that your senses aren’t treated in the same way between the two. Is it right for the airsoft battlefield, yes of course, if you are committed to it. You have less ammo, a heavier load out and may have to contend with jams and other real steel scenarios but that’s what makes it such a great platform. You have to be conscious of your shots and make them count. You are not as stealthy with a GBBR that you can be with an HPA rifle. But if larping is your game, then you can’t get any closer to it than with a GBBR.
Airsoft Larping - Part III: Load Out (coming soon)
Next on the agenda is my load out. Stay tuned.
