Army Armament R904 AUG Para Railed AEG - MOSFET Version

Although the AUG is a futuristic looking rifle which is packed with modern ergonomic features, ambidextrous controls and ultra slick quick disassembly, the real steel rifle was designed way back in 1977! Known as the STG 77 in Austrian service, the AUG went on to serve with numerous armed forces and police units around the world and was manufactured under license in Australia as the F88 Austeyr, which also served in the New Zealand armed forces and was later developed into the Lithgow F90, the next generation of Aussie AUG.

The Army Armament R904 is a replica of the "Para" version of the AUG with a shortened 15" outer barrel to make the rifle easier to jump with, and in Airsoft terms, easier to kick butt in CQB with. The butt-kicking doesn't have to be limited to CQB though, as the Para AUG is still rocking a 363mm inner barrel, the same as a 14.5-inch barrelled M4A1 in a super short package measuring a mere 67cm in length. This is the inherent advantage of the backwards rifle; you get a CQB length rifle with a full-length barrel and can do both jobs with a single gun.

The outer barrel of the R904 is equipped with 14mm CCW male threading, meaning if you want to suppress this AUG or add a tracer unit it is as simple as removing the grub screw in the current "duck bill" style AUG Para flash hider and unscrewing it. Following the flash hider, we come to the folding vertical grip, which can be positioned in either a horizontal or vertical orientation for use. The grip includes texture on its rear which helps you keep a firm grip on the rifle in any weather condition, and simply requires pulling out and rotating into position to switch between horizontal and vertical orientation.

On the right side of the barrel we can find the dummy gas adjuster of the R904 AUG. This part does nothing on the Airsoft AUG, but on the real rifle this part allows the flow of gas to the operating system to be adjusted for use in normal and adverse conditions. Dummy parts like this are always great to see on Airsoft replicas as it keeps the looks realistic and faithful to the real firearm.

Just like the real AUG, the R904 has a hot swap barrel system. This means you can quickly remove the outer barrel either for maintenance or to swap between barrel lengths. To remove the outer barrel you will need to lock the charging handle back and up into its "safety notch" and push and hold the catch found on the left side of the receiver, between the folding front grip and the trigger guard. With the barrel removal catch held down, the barrel can be rotated by just a few degrees clockwise with the barrel facing away, and you can pull the entire outer barrel out. The external section of the outer barrel is constructed from alloy, and the section inside the receiver is constructed from polymer with a realistic phosphate style colouration.

The upper receiver of the R904 is constructed from alloy to provide a realistic feel, weight and balance. This receiver differs from the standard AUG receiver as it includes a mounting hole on the right side for a 20mm Picatinny rail which is pre-installed but can be removed if you want a more retro look. This is a great location to add a tactical flashlight, though there are many more rails available on this radical modernisation of the AUG platform!

On the top of the upper receiver is an integrated 3x magnification optical sight, just like the real military version of the AUG rifle. This sight is remarkably good for an integral optic and has decent eye relief which allows it to be used with thicker goggles. The crosshair is a ringed cross, allowing for precise aiming using the crosshair itself, and rapid snap shooting using the ring. This scope is fully adjustable for both windage and elevation using the dials located on the right side and bottom of the optic tube but requires an Allen key to adjust. On the top of the scope, we can find a set of built-in backup iron sights, known as BUIS. These are designed to be used for close-range engagements but can also be used to track the flight path of your BBs and adjust your aim when firing at long range.

Over on the left side of the upper, we can see the charging handle of the R904. This handle is constructed from high-density polymer and connects to an aluminium rod inside the receiver which actuates the mock bolt to reveal the rotary HOP-up adjuster inside the ejection port. The charging handle can be locked by pulling it to its rearmost point of travel and rotating it upwards into its "safety notch", which will hold the mock bolt back whilst you adjust your HOP-up. The adjustable HOP-up lets you tune the R904 for different ammo weights and provides an extended range by applying backspin to each BB.

The HOP-up adjuster can be accessed from either side of the AEG thanks to its ambidextrous ejection port design. Out of the box the left side ejection port is covered with a rubber cap, but this can be removed and placed on the right side, or left off the AEG entirely so you can more easily adjust the HOP-up setting on the fly mid skirmish.

The controls of the AUG are quite different to most conventional rifles but are very well designed and functional for both left and right-handed shooters. The safety catch is a push-through design located just above the pistol grip, and when the safety protrudes on the right side the rifle is on safe and the trigger is locked. Pushing the safety through so it protrudes on the left will release the trigger lock. The AUG makes use of a two-stage trigger system, which means a short pull of the trigger will fire semi-automatic, and a full pull to the rear will fire fully automatic. This means if you need to suddenly put a burst down range to deal with a moving target it is faster to switch modes with the R904 than practically any other AEG out there.

The grip and stock of the AUG are integrated into one piece as a part of its space-age design, known as the "chassis" of the rifle. This piece is constructed from high-density reinforced polymer with a high quality textured feel. This modernisation of the AUG includes raised textured panels on either side of the grip and on the butt stock itself to assist in wet weather use, and removable 20mm Picatinny rails positioned in front of the grip and to the rear of the optical sight, on both sides. These rails are positioned slightly differently than most but allow the R904 to take a plethora of 20mm Picatinny accessories despite its super short front end and relative lack of space.

The trigger guard of the AUG is a super wide "grip length" trigger guard which is largely responsible for the AUG's recognisable silhouette and allows fast access to the trigger even if you use thick winter gloves when skirmishing. This trigger guard can also do double duty as an angled foregrip for use in compressed stances in CQB situations.

The magazine release of the R904 can be found on the bottom of the stock, just behind the magazine well, and is centrally positioned to allow for both left and right-handed use. This magazine release was way ahead of its time, and somehow despite being one of the first modern bullpup rifles to enter the market, the AUG nailed it first time. Unlike the Tavor there is no chance that you will accidentally hit the mag release and dump your magazine, and unlike the L85 you don't have to be purebred right-handed to operate it efficiently.

The R904's battery compartment is located inside the stock, and can be accessed by simply pulling the rubber butt plate off. Inside you will find a mini-Tamiya battery connector, and a decently sized battery compartment which can comfortably house either stick or nun-chuck style LiPo batteries. For the R904 we recommend a 7.4V 1300mAh LiPo battery in either Nunchuck or Stick configuration.

The long inner barrel of this compact AEG lends itself to superb performance, and the rotary style AUG HOP-up unit is known to be one of the best out there and formed the basis for the rotary unit found in more recent M4/AR15 AEG releases.

So, if you feel the urge to expand your Airsoft arsenal but are struggling to justify another conventional rifle, why not take a walk on the wild side and go for an AUG? Once you have the R904 in your hands its superb design and ergonomics will be clear, and on the inside this AEG is ready to rock with a pre-installed MOSFET and a smooth running and reliable gearbox. Set yourself apart from the M4 hordes and benefit from the improved handling, weight distribution and short overall length of this epic bullpup AEG!

Features

• Full metal construction
• Bullpup design - Short length, long barrel
• Ambidextrous magazine release
• Enlarged trigger guard
• Ambidextrous safety - Push through design
• Two-stage trigger - Short pull for semi, long pull for full auto
• Folding vertical foregrip - Can also be used horizontally
• 20mm Picatinny rails available at offset angles - Perfect for tactical flashlight/laser
• QD Sling socket at the rear left of the stock
• Front sling point at the front of the receiver
• Quick removable barrel - Lock the charging handle, hold the catch and the barrel comes out!
• Quick removable upper receiver - One pin to remove
• Swappable ejection port cover - Access your HOP-up adjuster from either side!
• Version 3 gearbox with MOSFET pre-installed - Fast trigger response, circuitry protection
• Rotary adjustable HOP-up - Accessible when the charging handle is pulled and locked back
• Large rubber butt plate - Very grippy, great for use with body armour/plate carrier
• Integrated 3x Optical sight - Ringed crosshair reticle, fully adjustable with BUIS on top
• Compatible with AUG AEG aftermarket parts, magazines and spares

Package Includes

• Army Armament R904 AUG Para Railed AEG - MOSFET Version
• 300rnd High capacity magazine
• User manual
• Cleaning/unjamming rod