ARCTURUS M4/AR-15 MK16 Saber AT-AR11 AEG

The ARCTURUS MK16 Saber is a replica of one of the most popular current real world M4/AR-15 platforms in the US, and as such, is packing some highly desirable external parts and would make the perfect base gun for your custom gucci AR build.

The Saber boasts the MK16 free floated M-LOK handguard, an ambidextrous raptor style charging handle and a huge extended bolt release, giving it the look of a customised M4 platform straight out of the box, and its full metal construction and rock solid ARCTURUS internals give it the strength and performance to compete with almost anything else out there.

Starting at the tip of the 14.5-inch alloy outer barrel we can find an SF style tri-prong flash hider which attaches to the barrel's 14mm CCW male threaded tip. The SF style flash hider is a nice touch and gives the Saber a dynamic look, offering a welcome change from the usual birdcage flash hider, especially paired with the MK16 M-LOK handguard. The 14mm CCW male threaded barrel means if you want to add a suppressor or tracer unit you can, without the need for any additional adapters.

The handguard of the Saber measures 13.5-inches in length and offers a 20mm Picatinny rail at the 12 o'clock position as well as M-LOK slots at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock, with additional slots at offset angles. The upper rail mates seamlessly with the receiver rail, allowing for optical sight setups of any length to be mounted, including red dot sight and magnifier combinations. The use of M-LOK negative space attachment slots makes the front end super light and agile, and despite its length, the Saber can be swiftly manipulated easily, just like a...Sabre!

Close to the receiver the handguard has what appears to be QD sling sockets on either side. In our tests we found these sockets to be non-functional, at least with the QD swivels we had handy. If you plan to use a QD two-point sling setup with the Saber we recommend adding an M-LOK QD socket to the handguard at a position of your choosing and using this instead of the handguard sockets.

As we come to the receiver of the Saber we can take note of its familiar M4/AR-15 style layout, though it does have some notable enhancements which sit right in line with the G MK16 build. The charging handle is located where we would expect, at the top rear of the receiver, but is an ambidextrous design which can be pulled from either side, offering easy access to the HOP-up unit for both left and right-handed users.

When the charging handle is pulled rearwards the dust cover on the right side will open and the mock bolt will retract and lock back, revealing the rotary HOP-up unit within. The rotary HOP-up unit is the latest design for the M4/AR-15 AEG and is known for allowing finer increments of adjustment for more precise HOP-up application, and holding its setting for longer under the vibrations of full auto fire. This HOP-up unit is paired with a steel 6.03mm tightbore inner barrel, giving the Saber spot on accuracy right out of the box, with little left to improve!

Another hint at the real steel inspiration for this build comes in the form of the bolt release catch, which is used to close the mock bolt following a HOP-up adjustment. This part is significantly larger than the standard M4/AR-15 bolt catch to make the control easier to find when under pressure, and is known as the "Maritime Bolt Catch". Parts like this for Airsoft are difficult to find on the aftermarket so it's really nice to see ARCTURUS include this small but authentic detail in their MK16 AEG.

The fire selector is of the standard M4/AR-15 layout, with a 3-position selector switch located above the pistol grip on the left side, offering safe, semi-auto and full auto. The selector has a 90-degree throw between each fire mode, allowing the control to be used swiftly while minimising the chances of accidentally knocking the selector out of place.

The magazine release is located on the magazine well on the right side and is well within reach of the trigger finger for right-handed users. This mag catch is right-hand optimised but can be used by lefties as well with a bit of practice. The right side of the upper receiver has the usual M4/AR-15 features, including a mock forward assist button, mock brass deflector and the dust cover which conceals the mock bolt and HOP-up adjuster.

At the rear of the receiver, we are treated to an ambidextrous sling plate which offers two sling points on the left side and one on the right. The sling plate is ideal for single-point slings, but can also be paired with a front sling mount if you prefer a two-point sling setup. Being constructed from steel allows the sling plate to take the weight of the MK16 Saber easily, and provides confidence that the plate will never fail and dump your gorgeous rifle into the dirt.

Following the sling plate, we come to the 6-position M4/AR-15 buffer tube, which is constructed from aluminium for a great balance of strength, realism and low weight. The stock of the Saber is mounted over the buffer tube and features an enlarged crane style cheekpiece for greater comfort, a rubber butt plate with aggressive gripping texture, a low profile adjustment lever to reduce snags and a QD sling socket on either side, both of which are fully functional. The stock has 6 positions of adjustment, making it suitable for any body type or loadout, and has a hinged butt plate to allow fast access to the battery compartment.

The battery compartment is located inside the buffer tube, but you have the option of removing the rear plug of the buffer tube to allow your battery to be stored in the stock of the Saber, allowing for larger batteries to be used. To access the battery compartment you will need to hold the adjustment lever of the stock down and put an Allen key or similar tool through the small hole in the adjustment pin to hold it in the open position. With this complete, you can slide the stock off to the rear, and unscrew the buffer tube cap at the end of the threaded buffer tube.

We advise that once you have removed the buffer tube cap you stash it away for future use unless you are going with a slimline stock with no battery space, as the Saber's stock has a wealth of space inside which should be taken advantage of! With the cap removed you can now reinstall the stock, and turn the dial on the butt plate by 90 degrees to open the stock's battery compartment. Inside you will find a Deans battery connector (assuming you have removed the threaded cap of the buffer tube, otherwise, it's inside!) to which you mount your battery of choice. We recommend a 7.4V 1300mAh LiPo if you are using the buffer tube battery compartment, or a 7.4V 2600mAh LiPo in nunchuck/crane configuration if you are using the stock battery compartment.

On the inside, the MK16 Saber is equipped with a rock solid internal feature set with some well chosen upgrade parts and nothing overly complex which may go wrong. The gearbox is a version 2 reinforced type with a quick change spring guide mounted on ball bearings for reduced rotational stress, and the piston head is also fitted with ball bearings, resulting in a long lasting and low stress gearbox setup.

The nozzle is Teflon sealed for superb air seal qualities, and the steel gearset runs on 8mm steel bushings for a smooth gearbox sound and unlaboured functionality. All of the wiring is heavy gauge low resistance wiring, making for a setup which is far more efficient in both air seal and power use than most of its rivals. This superb feature set is enhanced by the microswitch trigger, which provides a snappy trigger response in semi-auto, and genuinely feels like it must have a MOSFET inside. It doesn't, but it looks like ARCTURUS has proved you don't need a MOSFET for a rapid response if your gearbox is well built!

So, whether you are looking for an advanced modern M4/AR-15 platform but you don't want to build it yourself, or you want a solid skirmish primary with slick functionality and little to go wrong, the ARCTURUS MK16 Saber AEG would be a great addition to your armoury. This AEG has enough length to sling BBs in the woods with the big boys but is light and agile up front so it can still do its business in the tight confines of CQB, if you have the skills!

Features

• Full metal construction
• 6.03mm Steel tightbore inner barrel
• Rotary adjustable HOP-up unit
• 13.5-inch M-LOK handguard - Plenty of space for modern shooting styles!
• 14mm CCW male threaded outer barrel - Ready for a tracer or suppressor
• 20mm Picatinny railed receiver - Seamless integration with the handguard rail
• Ambidextrous charging handle - Modern looks, ambi HOP-up access
• Extended bolt release - Matches the real MK16 build perfectly
• Ergonomic pistol grip with filled backstrap - Comfortable for most hand sizes
• Ambidextrous steel sling plate - Ready for single point slings
• 6 Position M4/AR-15 buffer tube - Compatible with aftermarket M4/AR-15 AEG stocks
• Mil-spec curved trigger - Perfect for military style builds
• Bearing spring guide and piston head - Reduced rotational force, less friction
• Rotary adjustable HOP-up unit - Fine increments of adjustment, holds setting well
• Teflon sealed air nozzle - Great compression/air seal qualities
• Microswitch trigger - Snappy trigger response
• Low resistance wiring - Great electrical efficiency
• 8mm Steel bushings - Smooth running gearbox
• Compatible with M4/AR-15 AEG magazines

Package Includes

• ARCTURUS M4/AR-15 MK16 Saber AT-AR11 AEG
• 30/130rnd Adjustable Capacity Magazine
• Flip-up iron sight set
• Deans to mini-Tamiya adapter
• User manual
• Cleaning/unjamming rod