EMG CM.105 Daniel Defense M4A1 12.5" AEG; Kestrel Basic ETU

If you like the simplicity of a 20mm Picatinny quad rail and are into the MK18 look, the EMG CM.105 Daniel Defense M4A1 12.5" AEG; Kestrel Basic ETU is one to watch. This beast is remarkably well equipped, both inside and out, and is a near-perfect match for the real thing thanks to its licenced Daniel Defense trademarks!

While stunningly machined to a precise standard, sturdy and weighty like the real thing, this rifle is not only about looks! Inside, the CM.105 boasts impressive quality and high-speed internals for those of you who like to run and gun and lay down some suppressive fire to keep the enemies heads down. These include CNC Steel 13:1 high-speed gears, CNC aluminium piston and cylinder heads, 8mm ball bearing bushings and a high torque motor to top it off. What's more, this, the latest CM.105 features the EShooter Kestrel Basic programmable MOSFET; a significant improvement over the previous CYMA Zeus MOSFET.

The Kestrel Basic offers programmable fire modes including 3 round burst and binary trigger, adjustable pre-cocking with 6 levels to choose from and several quality-of-life functions such as low battery warning and cycle completion. When pre-cocking is set, the rifle has a remarkably snappy trigger response, perfect for dominating CQB sites!

Externally, the CM.105 Daniel Defense M4A1 boasts quite the pedigree, with full metal construction, precise machining used throughout and a mission-ready feature set with a threaded barrel and plenty of 20mm rails. Daniel Defense has licensed their patented trademarks via EMG in the form of laser engravings across the design, including the handguard and receiver to give it those faithful replica qualities. The result is a stunning platform that is practically a functional work of art!

Starting at the tip of the 12.5-inch outer barrel we can find a birdcage type flash hider pre-installed on the barrel’s 14mm CCW male threading. For added security, the flash hider also locks into place with a small grub screw located underneath the unit. Make sure you remove the grub screw before attempting to unscrew the flash hider!

The birdcage design also goes hand in hand in terms of looks with the handguard, sitting flush with the handguard for a compact front end. If you like realism, you'll be happy to learn that this is the appropriate flash hider design for the real Daniel Defense MK18 rifle. If the birdcage is a bit too pedestrian for your style, the 14mm CCW male threading at the tip of the outer barrel allows alternative flash hiders to be mounted, or suppressors and tracer units for the sneaky players out there.

Moving rearwards, we come to the handguard which is constructed from aluminium and is precisely machined using CNC technology. It doesn’t get more sturdy than this, with 12 inches of rail length available, you have plenty of space to add a myriad of accessories to suit your playstyle and loadout. The handguard has 20mm Picatinny rails at the 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock positions to add to the options available for customisation. The length of the rail allows you to position your accessories wherever you need them, be it a vertical or an angled fore grip, a tactical flashlight or a PEQ laser unit. Another benefit of the free-floated rail design is that it prevents force from being applied to the barrel, allowing you to feel safe in the knowledge that your accuracy will be retained as much as possible.

The iron sights of the CM.105 Daniel Defense M4A1 are removable polymer flip-up aperture sights which mount to the upper 20mm Picatinny rail. A more modern alternative to the "Troy" style irons used on previous versions, these sights have a lower profile and are easier to use, requiring no buttons to be pressed to stow or deploy them. Both the front and rear sight are adjustable and the rear sight offers the choice of two aiming apertures; a wider one for low light and full auto fire and a finer one for bright conditions and accurate semi-automatic fire. 

In contrast with the matt black alloy body, the bolt catch and other controls are finished in gun metal grey, providing a nice touch of realism with the different colouration imitating different finishes applied to the real rifle's components. Unlike most bolt catches on airsoft rifles, this will actually function in that it will return the mock bolt plate to battery when pressed, adding to the realistic feel of the CM.105. While functionally, the bolt catch and ejection port action serve no in-game Airsoft purpose, it was included by the design team to try and make sure as little detail as possible was spared, adding to its high levels of realism. The ejection port can be found on the right side and can be opened by pulling back the charging handle located on the top rearmost part of the upper receiver. 

The CM.105 AEG features an alloy rotary HOP-up Unit which can be accessed by pulling back on the charging handle, which is located at the top rear of the receiver. This will open the dust cover and allow access to the rotary dial. The HOP-up is used to tune the amount of backspin applied to your BBs and provide a range improvement when tuned for the flattest trajectory possible with your chosen ammo weight. The rotary unit design is widely recognised as the best design for the M4/AR-15 AEG platform due to its fine adjustment increments and ability to hold its setting under rapid fire.

The fire selector lever is located on the left side of the receiver, allowing for safety, semi and fully automatic settings at 90-degree instances. This means you can quickly switch between fire modes but be safe in the knowledge that you won't accidentally move the selector into a fire position when you don't intend to. Being equipped with the Kestrel Basic ETU means you can also set the fire controls up for 3-round burst mode and binary trigger, giving you some neat advanced functions not present in the previous CM.105 AEG. 

As we reach the pistol grip you will notice its textured design, but it feels even better than it looks. Each side is adorned with dot texture and the front and rear feature linear grooves, guaranteeing ample traction, ideal for wet weather operations. This pistol grip is the same one featured on the EMG Noveske AEG series, a proven and popular design with a filled-out backstrap and alloy baseplate. 

At the base of the buffer tube is an ambidextrous sling plate sandwiched between the receiver and the castle nut. This plate is constructed from steel to provide the prerequisite strength for use with a single-point sling. This sling point is ideal for a single-point bungee sling but can also be used with a two-point sling with the addition of a rail-mounted front sling point. Following the sling plate we come to the stock of the CM.105, which is the usual M4/AR-15 format of a 6-position buffer tube with an adjustable crane battery stock. This stock can be locked into any 1 of the 6 positions and can be adjusted to suit any body type or loadout.

The battery compartment of the CM.105 can be found inside the buffer tube and is accessible with the stock removed. This can be achieved by lifting the stock adjustment lever, found on the bottom of the stock, and pulling it out as far as it will go, then sliding the stock off the buffer tube to the rear. Alternatively, you can remove the butt plate by squeezing the two tabs at the toe of the stock together, after which you can lift the butt plate off, remove the battery plug, and make use of the stock to house a nunchuck/crane-style battery.

The CM.105 is equipped with a Deans battery connector, offering a low-resistance and high-efficiency alternative to the usual mini-Tamiya connector found on Airsoft AEGs. For the CM.105, we recommend an 11.1V 1300mAh LiPo battery in nun-chuck/crane configuration, as it would fit perfectly in the crane stock. Alternatively, you can use an 11.1V 1300mAh LiPo in stick configuration if you prefer to store your battery in the buffer tube. 

Internally, EMG is really bringing the heat here in terms of specifications. This, the latest version of the CM.015 boasts the Kestrel Basic ETU/MOSFET, offering 6 levels of adjustable pre-cocking, options for 3 round burst and binary trigger along with low battery warning, cycle completion, active braking and low/high voltage cutoff. This means you can crank up the trigger response for super fast double taps or run the MK18 with SAFE-SEMI-3RND BURST fire controls. Also inside is a 6.03mm tightbore inner barrel and rotary HOP-up unit, giving you superb accuracy potential and the latest HOP-up design for M4/AR-15 platforms.

The CYMA Platinum gearbox has a quick change spring system built in, allowing for fast, effective customisation without needing to open the gearbox shell. This is great for those who like to tune their AEGs to suit the power levels of different skirmish sites, and is also great if you plan on upgrading the CM.105 gearbox even more as being able to remove the spring quickly makes the gearbox so much easier to work on. Also inside this very well-equipped V2 gearbox are CNC Steel 13:1 high-speed gears, a CNC aluminium ball bearing piston head, a CNC aluminium double O-ring cylinder head, 8mm ball bearing bushings and a beastly high torque motor. Make no mistake, this DD M4A1 is ready to rock!

So for those of you who are looking for an AEG rifle with MK18 styling but with a slightly longer barrel for a more proportional look, the CM.105 M4A1 12.5-inch would be the perfect choice. If you squint this rifle could serve as an MK18, but with the added benefits of a longer inner barrel and even more space on the rails!

Features

• Full metal construction
• Licenced by Daniel Defense via EMG - Licenced trademarks across the design
• 6.03mm Tightbore inner barrel - Superb accuracy potential
• 14mm CCW male barrel threading - Tracer/suppressor ready
• Licensed DD MK18 12.5" 20mm railed handguard - Ready for 20mm Picatinny accessories
• 20mm Picatinny railed receiver - Ready for a red dot sight or scope
• Mock gas block and tube for added realism - Pleases the stitch counters!
• Flip up aperture iron sight set pre-installed - Modern, low-profile sights
• Alloy Rotary adjustable HOP-up unit - Accessible with the charging handle pulled
• Ergonomic pistol grip with large motor height adjustment screw
• High torque motor pre-installed - Terrifying rate of fire, ample torque for stronger springs
• Crane battery stock pre-installed - Ample space for nun-chuck batteries, rubber butt plate
• 6 Position M4/AR15 buffer tube - Adjust the stock to suit your body type and loadout
• Ambidextrous sling plate - Steel construction, ideal for single-point slings
• Rear wired: Deans battery connector - Recommended battery: 11.1V 1300mAh LiPo
• CYMA Platinum gearbox - Pre-upgraded throughout
  • CNC Steel 13:1 High-Speed gearset
  • 8mm Ball bearing bushings
  • Quick change spring system
  • CNC Aluminium ball bearing piston head
  • CNC Aluminium double O-ring cylinder head
  • Polycarbonate piston with full steel tooth rack
  • EShooter Kestrel Basic ETU/MOSFET
• Kestrel Basic MOSFET/ETU functions:
  • Binary Trigger
  • 3-Round burst
  • Active braking
  • Low/high voltage cutoff
  • Low battery warning
• Compatible with M4/AR-15 AEG magazines - Plenty of spares available

Package Includes

• CYMA CM.105 Daniel Defense M4A1 12.5" AEG; Kestrel Basic ETU
• 160rnd Medium capacity magazine
• Allen key