APS Black Hornet Plus GBB SMG

The APS Black Hornet Plus GBB SMG gives you the choice of running the platform as a compact suppressed pistol with an extended tightbore barrel to maximise range or a lightweight SMG with all the trimmings.

The pistol inside the kit is the APS Black Hornet, an EU18 style GBB pistol which has been thoroughly revamped by APS and is equipped with an extended stainless steel 6.03mm tightbore inner barrel and CO2-rated internal parts as well as unique APS externals and some redesigned controls to facilitate its use in the carbine kit.

The carbine kit brings the Black Hornet up into the realms of a GBB SMG, adding a sliding 6-position stock, lengthy 20mm Picatinny receiver rail, two side rails and a lower rail for the included folding vertical foregrip. Installing and removing the pistol from its high density polymer carbine body kit is super simple and takes just a few seconds, meaning you can change it up at the safe zone mid game when you fancy a change of roles.

Since this is practically two guns in one, we will start with a walkaround of the Black Hornet GBB pistol and discuss the carbine kit nearer the end. Supplied in the box you will find a thread adapter and a micro suppressor designed to cover the extended inner barrel. If you are running the Black Hornet in pistol configuration you will want to install these!

The micro suppressor is styled to mimic real suppressors, with dimples and grooves around the circumference but is absolutely tiny! You won't get much suppression effect from this, but it does perfectly cover the extended 165mm steel tightbore barrel so you can outshoot other pistols by a country mile. Before installing the suppressor you will need to mount the included thread adapter which provides 14mm CCW male threads. If you want to add a tracer unit you will need to install a 2.5-3-inch barrel extension to clear the extended inner barrel.

The slide of the Black Hornet is an entirely unique design with two ports at the top for weight reduction and front and rear slide serrations to provide a dynamic look. Along the top of the slide, we are also treated to mock heat mirage reduction grooves which serve to keep the sights visible in real pistols and rifles even with a roasting hot barrel after rapid fire. These grooves are merely for aesthetics on the Black Hornet but they work well to make APS's EU18 look considerably more exciting than the usual.

Once again, APS broke the mould when it comes to the iron sights which are a combination of a white dot front sight and two scythe-style rear sight index points. This has the benefit that these sights cannot be mixed up when you are shooting under pressure or straight after a scorchingly fast draw and also help to separate this unique EU18 from the rest in the looks department.

On the left side of the slide, we can see discretely engraved trademarks reading "The Black Hornet" in a unique stylised font to add a bit of flare without being garish. The right side features the model and serial number laser engraved just above the chamber.

The fire selector switch of the Black Hornet is another area where APS went its own way, replacing the usual rotary EU18 selector switch with a linear fire selector which slides back and forth to change fire modes. With the selector at the rearmost position the pistol is in semi-automatic and with it pushed to the front you have the fun mode (full auto) engaged. This means the selector is fast to actuate and far easier to work with when installed in the carbine kit than a standard EU18.

The frame is also enhanced when compared to the original EU18, featuring a proper 20mm Picatinny rail at the front ala real steel Timberwolf frames. The trigger guard has been slimmed down and reprofiled, with deep texture on the front to allow you to brace the pistol from the trigger guard and more effectively control recoil and muzzle climb. The grip sports textured panels on each side and linear grooves on the front and back straps, with finger ridges at the front for comfort. The magazine release has been redesigned to be even more low-profile than the EU18 Gen.3, minimising the chances of an accidental mag drop in the field.

The trigger matches the curve of the usual EU series trigger, making for a familiar feel for those who are accustomed to EU-style triggers. The usual central blade which functions as a trigger safety is no longer present and has been replaced with a push-through manual safety which locks the trigger when engaged. When the push-through button protrudes on the left side the pistol is ready to fire, and when it protrudes on the right the trigger is locked. The slide release is also slightly extended and constructed from steel to keep it doing its essential job in the long term.

The Black Hornet Plus comes pre-installed into the carbine kit but it is very easy to remove it without using any tools. First, you will need to remove the front and rear body pins, then remove the front end assembly, extend the stock and slide the rear cap backwards. With this done, the carbine kit can be hinged open about the hinge on the bottom and the pistol can be removed. The charging handle assembly is retained by the carbine kit itself and can simply be lifted off the pistol. With this done, pop your thread adapter and micro suppressor on and get to work!

The APS Carbine kit has been around before as a separate item, designed to work with EU18 and EU17 GBB pistols. Based on the real steel CAA Roni carbine kit for Glock pistols but with a unique aesthetic twist, the APS Carbine kit looks straight out of Halo, Destiny or <insert sci-fi franchise of your choice> with its dimpled exterior, dynamic sloped front end and space-age looks.

Right at the tip you will find an aluminium muzzle brake which is integral to the kit itself and has two gaping ports on either side to furnish the carbine kit with a menacing look. 20mm Picatinny rails are present at the 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions, ideally placed to mount the included folding vertical foregrip or an alternative grip of your choice and an aiming laser or tactical flashlight if you want to run the Black Hornet Plus fully decked out.

The 12 o'clock position provides a lengthy 20mm Picatinny rail with plenty of space to mount practically any optical sight, though we think such a compact platform might look a bit strange with a massive riflescope! The rail is weight reduced in the centre and runs right back to the stock, meaning magnifiers can also be used despite their relatively short eye relief. APS includes a set of flip-up aperture iron sights with light-enhancing inserts in the box which can be used either flipped up for a choice of two apertures or flipped down with the open sight notch and green light-enhancing inserts.

The charging handle is located at the rear and protrudes on either side, providing ease of use to both left and right-handed shooters. The charging handle will reciprocate with each shot as it is connected directly to the slide of the pistol within but is placed as such that it will be clear of your hands, face and sling during shooting.

To the rear of the charging handle, we can find the stock base which features a pair of QD sling sockets, one on each side. The kit is supplied with a QD sling swivel, meaning you can attach your sling and make use of the QD sling sockets for a quick removable single-point sling, or add an additional sling point up front and use a two-point sling.

Behind the QD sling points, we come to the stock which can be adjusted to any one of 6 length of pull positions. The button to adjust the stock is on the left side and has a textured surface to aid wet weather use. To adjust the stock, simply hold down the button and pull the stock out to your desired length. The stock has gripping texture on the toe to help facilitate quick adjustments and has a serrated rubber butt plate to maximise grip.

Also included with the kit is a pair of charging handle inserts for EU17 and EU18 pistols, meaning if you have one of these platforms you can install it into the kit and use the Black Hornet Pistol as a secondary without buying any more parts. An aluminium flared magazine well extension is also present in the kit and can be used either in pistol or SMG configuration, allowing for faster and easier reloads when working under pressure.

If you are in need of a pre-upgraded pistol and a GBB SMG you can now get both in one with the APS Black Hornet Plus SMG. With the ability to almost instantly change from a kitted-out GBB SMG to a more compact solution with the same amazing performance ideally configured as a sniper's backup weapon the APS Black Hornet Plus kit is great value and promises to be equally great on the field!

Features

• Full metal construction
• 6.03mm Tightbore inner barrel - 165mm Length
• CO2 Powered - Great for cold weather
• Custom EU18 with an extended barrel in a carbine kit
• Choose to run it as a suppressed pistol or as an SMG
• Quickly change configurations in the safe zone - Hinged QD design, very easy to remove the pistol
• Forward slide serrations - When in pistol config you can rack it from the front or back
• Ambidextrous charging handles - Charge from the left or right when in SMG config
• Gear adjustable HOP-up unit - Accessible with the pistol removed and field stripped
• Adjustable sliding stock - 6 Positions to choose from in the SMG config
• Linear fire selector switch - SEMI > FULL AUTO, located on the left side of the slide
• 20mm Picatinny receiver rail, bottom rail and side rails in SMG config
• 20mm Picatinny frame rail in pistol config - Ready for a tactical flashlight or aiming laser
• Trigger lock safety located on the trigger - Push through design
• Extended steel slide lock/release - No chance this will wear out over time
• Low profile magazine release - Minimises the chance of accidentally dropped mags
• QD sling sockets on either side of the carbine kit - One QD sling swivel included
• Serrated rubber butt plate on the carbine kit - Keeps it firmly in your shoulder in any weather conditions
• Compatible with Umarex Glock 17/18, Tokyo Marui EU17/18 GBB magazines
• Also compatible with WE, RAVEN & VORSK EU17/18 Green gas mags - Performance may suffer unless the gas router is changed to the curved Tokyo Marui style (see Special Instructions below)
• Kit includes: 
  • APS Black Hornet EU18 GBB Pistol with extended 165mm inner barrel
  • APS Carbine kit for EU17/18 GBB
  • 47rnd Extended CO2 Magazine
  • Thread adapter for pistol configuration - Provides 14mm CCW male threads
  • Micro suppressor for pistol configuration
  • Flip up light enhancing iron sights for SMG configuration
  • Folding vertical foregrip for SMG configuration
  • Charging handle adapter for standard EU17
  • Charging handle adapter for standard EU18
  • CO2 installation tool

Package Includes

• APS Black Hornet Plus GBB SMG
• 47rnd Extended CO2 magazine
• Thread adapter (mounts to the pistol when removed from the carbine kit)
• Micro suppressor (mounts to the pistol when removed from the carbine kit)
• Flared magazine well extension
• EU17 charging handle adapter
• EU18 charging handle adapter
• Folding vertical foregrip for 20mm rails
• Light enhancing flip up iron sights
• CO2 Installation tool
• QR Code User manual

Special Instructions

The APS Black Hornet Plus shoots at practically 350FPS on the dot with 0.2g BBs but the first few shots tend to be slightly hot. We recommend shooting a few shots before skirmishing with this GBB to bring the FPS down beneath site limits. 

Alternatively, this platform is compatible with Umarex Glock 17/18 and TM EU17/18 Green gas magazines which should bring the FPS down to well within site limits.

Magazines from other brands (Action Army, WE, Raven, VORSK) may work in the Black Hornet but cycling will be sluggish and gas efficiency will be poor unless the gas route bucking is swapped for the curved Tokyo Marui style. 

The extended CO2 magazine provided in this kit uses the APS Gen 2 end cap. This means the CO2 capsule needs to be inserted with the outlet port at the bottom of the magazine. With this done, you can screw the end cap back in with the included "skull" CO2 tool. With the end cap tightened down, the central section (silver in colour) will need to be tightened to piece the CO2 bulb, then loosened off again until its surface is level with the brass end cap. Click here for a video demonstrating this.