Delta Armory DA-A13-ETU ALPHA™ 8" M-LOK M4/AR-15 AEG

Whether you need a new CQB primary or a short-barreled platform to suit your mobile playstyle, the Delta Armory DA-A13-ETU ALPHA™ is one to watch. Being an AEG of the ALPHA™ line, this beast boasts full metal construction with a flawlessly machined aluminium handguard, and being an ETU model, we are treated to the very best internal feature set Delta Armory currently offers. 

Inside, you will find a reinforced version 2 gearbox with radiused cylinder windows, a programmable ETU/MOSFET, 16:1 ratio CNC steel gears running on 7mm bushings, a high torque motor, a CNC aluminium piston head and a CNC aluminium cylinder head. These improvements in the ETU series join the SHS reinforced piston, sector gear delayer chip and reinforced tappet plate from the standard ALPHA™ line, and the result is very impressive indeed. 

The ETU allows for the fire controls of the DA-A13-ETU to be programmed for burst mode, binary trigger and pre-cocking using only the fire selector and trigger of the AEG, giving you loads of built-in customisation options with no need for aftermarket programmers, apps or other complications. To deliver your BBs onto target accurately, a 6.03mm tightbore inner barrel is fitted and paired with a rotary HOP-up unit, giving this platform impressive long range despite its compact, CQB-friendly size.

Starting at the front, we can find a pre-installed birdcage flash hider concealing 14mm CCW male barrel threads beneath. This means you can add a tracer or suppressor as soon as you are ready, or an alternative muzzle device to customise the looks of the DA-A13-ETU. If you want to add a sneaky style, a suppressor would be a fine choice, but for CQB, a compact tracer unit like the Ghost Griffon Tracer Unit would suit this beast perfectly!

Moving rearwards, we come to the M-LOK handguard of the DA-A13-ETU which is constructed from aluminium using CNC machining, guaranteeing in-spec attachment slots and rails and a flawless form. The handguard is equipped with a short section of 20mm Picatinny rail at the receiver end, offering a lengthened receiver rail so you can mount larger optical sights and red dot sight/magnifier combos with space to spare. 

The sides and bottom of the handguard are adorned with M-LOK negative space attachment slots, allowing you to mount the latest vertical and angled foregrip designs directly or make use of 20mm Picatinny rail adapters for M-LOK if you prefer 20mm Picatinny accessories. The front end of the handguard is also aggressively styled with angled weight reduction/cooling vents, mimicking the real steel "Strike" style handguard. The benefit of a modern M-LOK handguard is that in its slick configuration, the handguard is incredibly light and surprisingly ergonomic, meaning you don't need to add rail covers to avoid the cheese grater effect as you might with a 20mm quad rail.

The receiver of Delta Armory's DA-A13-ETU is a modernised design, complete with machined in gripping texture on the front of the magazine well, ideal for shooting from unconventional positions and angular surfaces across the receiver, giving the old '60s AR design a 21st-century facelift. The trigger guard is also enlarged and built into the receiver, improving strength considerably and following trends in the latest high-end real steel AR-15 rifles. Being an AEG of the ALPHA™ line, this receiver is constructed from alloy, matching the metal to polymer proportions of the real AR-15.

The fire selector is positioned just above the pistol grip and offers 3 modes of fire; SAFE, SEMI and AUTO, with a 90-degree throw between each mode. This makes the selector easy to switch, but not so easy that it can be knocked out of position accidentally. The magazine release is on the right side of the magazine well and is accessible for a right-handed user with the tip of the trigger finger.

Pulling back the charging handle, located at the top rear of the receiver will open the dust cover and retract the mock bolt carrier to allow access to the rotary HOP-up adjuster. This is the latest HOP-up unit design for the M4/AR-15 and provides finer increments of adjustment and holds its setting more effectively when compared to the older gear style HOP-up unit. The charging handle has an extended latch for easier access, allowing even those with thick gloves to access the HOP-up unit, though you may need to take off a glove to turn the adjuster!

The mock bolt catch is located in the centre of the left side of the receiver, and while this is a dummy control which doesn't provide a function it is nonetheless a separate part to maintain the realistic appearance and avoid the tell-tale signs of being a replica. The dummy forward assist is present on the right side of the upper receiver, right where it should be. This control does nothing on an AEG, and some real AR shooters argue it does nothing on the real thing, but it is included on the DA-A13-ETU to keep the rifle faithful to real M4/AR-15 rifles.

The pistol grip of the DA-A13-ETU boasts a refined grip angle for greater comfort when shooting with the stock fully collapsed and in more modern shooting stances. Based on the real steel "Gunfighter mod.3" grip, a modern ergonomic design, each flank of the pistol grip includes fine texturing for perfect wet weather handling. The trigger is known by Delta Armory as the CNC Type A Flat trigger, offering a flat serrated front surface with a short finger ledge, ideal for rapid double taps.

At the rear of the receiver, we come to the steel CQD style sling plate, which offers ambidextrous functionality with single-point slings; perfect for left or right-handed shooters. The steel construction of the sling plate practically guarantees even if you mount a massive rifle scope, PEQ box and RunCam, the sling plate will be strong enough to support the weight. Following the sling plate, we come to the good old AR buffer tube, constructed from alloy and offering 6 adjustment positions for the pre-installed stock, or any other M4/AR-15 AEG stock you choose to mount!

The stock itself is a crane-inspired design with a slimline form and a comfortable angled cheek rest, featuring a QD sling socket on either side, together with conventional "footman loops", aka sling slots. With a rubber butt plate featuring lattice checkering, this slimline crane stock stays solidly in your shoulder in any weather conditions but can be swapped for alternative M4/AR-15 AEG stocks if you want to change up the looks or have a preferred stock in mind for your build. 

The buffer tube also serves as the battery compartment for the DA-A13-ETU. To access the battery compartment, you will need to pull the stock adjustment lever (located on the bottom of the stock) out and hold it in place, after which you can slide the stock off the buffer tube, revealing a Deans/T-Plug battery connector inside. We recommend a 7.4V 1450mAh LiPo in stick configuration for the DA-A13-ETU though you may need to keep the stock extended to fit this battery inside. Delta Armory recommends a LiPo battery measuring 1.4 x 1.9 x 10 cm approximately for full functionality of the sliding stock. 

The internals of the ALPHA™ series boast more than their fair share of pre-upgraded parts, and there are even more present in this, the ETU version. 

Inside the version 2 gearbox, we are treated to CNC 16:1 ratio steel gears running on 7mm bushings, an SHS piston with a full rack of steel teeth, an SHS tappet plate for reliable feeding, and a CNC aluminium piston head, cylinder head and nozzle for maximum long term durability. The cylinder is also CNC machined from steel, as is the spring guide.

These ultra-strong CNC parts are powered by a high torque motor with Neodymium magnets, kept in check by the ETU/MOSFET system. The result is an incredible trigger response and rate of fire, with more than enough range to compete with the big boys out in the woods. The party trick of the ETU/MOSFET is the ability to program the fire controls for burst mode, binary trigger and pre-cocking, giving this incredibly cost-effective setup some functions usually reserved for platforms twice this price!

If you are searching for the perfect short-barreled AR AEG, you may well have found it with the DA-A13-ETU ALPHA™. The combination of an affordable price, full metal externals and advanced internals which lack nothing makes this one of our top picks for AEG platforms out there currently and far better than rival platforms in its price bracket!

Features

• Full metal construction - Realistically hefty
• 9" Barrel, 8" handguard - Ideal for CQB and fast movers
• 6.03mm Tightbore inner barrel - Great accuracy potential, 365mm length
• 14mm CCW Male threaded outer barrel - Tracer/suppressor ready
• Flip-up iron sights pre-installed - Mounted to the top rail, press textured buttons to flip up
• M-LOK/20mm Hybrid handguard - Compatible with M-LOK accessories at 3, 6 & 9 o'clock
• 20mm Picatinny railed receiver - Ready for a red dot sight or rifle scope
• Unique receiver design - Angular surfaces, gripping texture on the front of the magazine well
• Enlarged trigger guard - Easy access for gloved or ungloved shooters
• Ergonomic pistol grip with reduced grip angle - Great for modern shooting stances, very comfy
• Ambidextrous sling plate - Mount a single-point sling on the left or right side
• Extended charging handle latch - Easy access to the HOP-up unit for adjustment
• Rotary adjustable HOP-up unit - Easy to adjust in fine increments, holds its setting well long-term 
• 6-Position M4/AR-15 buffer tube - Adjust the stock to suit your body type perfectly
• Low-profile Crane style stock - QD sling point in each side, buffer tube battery compartment 
• Rear wired - Deans/T-Plug connector - Recommended battery: 7.4V 1450mAh LiPo in Stick config.
• Reinforced version 2 gearbox - 
  • SHS Piston with steel full tooth rack
  • SHS Tappet plate
  • CNC Aluminum piston head
  • CNC Aluminium cylinder head
  • CNC Aluminium nozzle
  • CNC Steel cylinder
  • CNC Steel quick change spring guide
  • CNC Steel 16:1 gearset
  • 7mm bushings
  • Programmable ETU/MOSFET system 
• Compatible with M4/AR-15 AEG magazines - Plenty of spares available

Package Includes

• Delta Armory DA-A13-ETU ALPHA™ 8" M-LOK M4/AR-15 AEG
• 120rnd Mid-cap magazine