Specna Arms SA-B16 ONE™ Mk 12 MOD.1 AEG; Kestrel Basic ETU

Specna arms have brought their A-game with this huge and long-range dominant platform. The SA-B16 ONE™, a faithful replica of the real steel 'Special Purpose Rifle', is more accurate than other M4 or M16 models at longer-range shooting but still retains its full automatic functionality for close-range targets. The replica has a realistic feel, thanks to its full metal construction, this also makes it durable and able to withstand some of the most rough conditions imaginable in a skirmish. For those wanting a realistic feel and some DMR potential, the SA-B16 ONE™ is for you!

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. The result is a remarkably snappy trigger when pre-cocking is set and the ability for assault rifle nerds to set the SA-B16 up like an M16 or similar, with SAFE-SEMI-3RND BURST fire controls. There is nothing quite as satisfying as pumping out a 3-round burst with a 19" barrelled MK 12 MOD.1!

Starting at the front tip of this rifle, we find a uniquely styled muzzle device. In the real steel world, this is known as the AR-15 12th Model Muzzle Brake and is seen on the real MK 12 MOD.1. However, if you want to take this rifle in the DMR direction, the muzzle device can be removed to reveal 14mm CCW threading, so you can attach a suppressor to keep things covert. The only thing to note is that when the muzzle device is removed a short section of the outer barrel is exposed so make sure any alternative muzzle attachments are long enough to cover this.

Moving rearwards, we come to the small gas block which doesn't serve a purpose but keeps this Airsoft rifle realistic. Immediately after the gas block, there is the absolutely huge 12" handguard. This handguard is not attached to the outer barrel at the front which is called a "free-floating" design, which supposedly increases accuracy on a real steel rifle as it minimises excess vibration when shooting. The handguard also features four sections of full-length 20mm Picatinny rail and allows you to style out this SA-B16 ONE™ with all the attachments you could ever need to complete your skirmish operations.

Along the top sections of 20mm Picatinny rail, on the handguard and receiver, we are treated to a pair of aperture iron sights. These sights simply flip up and they're ready for use. The front post is constructed from alloy and has an adjustable elevation using an AR-15 front sight adjustment tool. The rear aperture iron sight features a ghost ring-style hole and has adjustable elevation and windage. If you're old-fashioned and are planning on sticking with just the iron sights, Specna Arms has provided you with enough adjustability to ensure you can keep up with the more modern shooters, and their fancy red dots.

The receiver should be a familiar sight to anyone who has handled an M4/AR-15 platform before, constructed from alloy and matches an M4-style receiver perfectly. This includes the reinforced front pinhole, mil-spec flat trigger guard, magazine release fence and low profile charging handle latch. The magazine release is on the right side of the magazine well, a push-through design just like a standard M4/AR-15 AEG with a textured surface for optimal traction.

The fire selector switch is just above the pistol grip on the right side, offering 3 modes of fire with a 90-degree throw between each. The default fire modes are safe, semi-auto and full auto but with the pre-installed Kestrel Basic ETU, you have the option of using binary trigger instead of semi and 3-round burst instead of full auto. Many real steel rifles use a SAFE-SEMI-3RND burst trigger group so if you want to run your SA-B16 like an M16 you have that option built in!

The charging handle can be found at the top rear of the receiver and as mentioned, features the milspec low-profile charging handle latch to reduce snagging potential. Pulling the charging handle back will pop the dust cover open and retract the chrome-finished mock bolt, revealing the rotary HOP-up unit on the right side. The HOP-up allows you to adjust the amount of backspin applied to your projectiles and tune the SA-B16 for different ammo weights, looking for the flattest possible trajectory. When you've completed your adjustments, you can slap the "ping pong paddle" style bolt release catch on the left side of the receiver to drop the mock bolt with a satisfying metal-on-metal "clank".

The pistol grip provided on the SA-B16 is an "A2" finger-ridged type, with diamond checkering on either side and linear grooves on the rear to provide a comfortable grip. The A2 grip is exactly what this rifle replica needs, it matches the military and navy look perfectly whilst also providing you with a much better grip in wet weather skirmishes.

Bringing up the rear we have the fixed stock, a full-length stock featured on many of the long military platforms like the M16A2. This stock is rather long and more suitable for load-outs without excess body armour but is very comfortable when shouldered and solid as a rock. The butt plate features an aggressive diamond texture for superb gripping qualities in all weather conditions and also includes a sling point at the toe of the stock. The fixed stock also serves as the battery compartment of the SA-B16 which is great news as the inside is very spacious!

To access the battery compartment, simply press the retaining catch on the top of the battery port door, dead centre of the butt plate. This will allow the door to open, revealing a Deans/T-plug battery connector inside. We recommend a 7.4V 1500mAh LiPo battery for an easy fit and great performance. While there is plenty of space for bigger batteries, we recommend measuring the compartment first before ordering the biggest battery you can find, just in case!

Inside the SA-B16 ONE™, we are treated to the same solid internals as the original, including 18:1 ratio steel gears running on 8mm ball bearing bushings and a steel spring guide with Enter & Convert™ quick change spring functionality. Enter & Convert™ requires the gearbox to be removed from the receiver but doesn't require the gearbox itself to be opened, saving you a headache when it comes to power tuning and minimising the expertise needed. This is perfect for those who want to take this platform in a DMR direction as it reduces the hassle involved when upgrading the spring.

The highlight of this refined version of the original SA-B16 ONE™ is its 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. 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.

If your loadout is based on the US Army or you have been eyeing up a great DMR/Assault rifle hybrid base platform which fits both roles readily, the Specna Arms SA-B16 ONE™ Mk 12 MOD.1 AEG; Kestrel Basic ETU would be the perfect platform for you. With flawless build quality, great internals and the option of readily converting to a DMR, all this bad boy needs is a monstrous optic and a bipod to finish the look!

Features

• Full metal construction
• 6.03mm Tightbore inner barrel - Superb accuracy potential
• EShooter Kestrel Basic ETU Pre-installed - Loads of programmable functions
• 14mm CCW Male threaded outer barrel - Tracer/suppressor ready, Muzzle Brake pre-installed
• Enter & Convert quick change spring system - Perfect for getting this rifle DMR ready
• Quad 20mm Picatinny railed handguard - Loads of room for lasers, grips, flashlights etc
• Flip-up iron sights pre-installed - Mounted to the top rail, press textured buttons to flip up
• Extended charging handle latch - Easy access to the HOP-up unit for adjustment
• Milspec receiver shape - Ideal for Milsim MK12 MOD.1 builds
• 20mm Picatinny railed receiver - Ready for a red dot sight or rifle scope
• Rotary adjustable HOP-up unit - Easy to adjust in fine increments, holds its setting well long-term 
• Fixed "A2" stock - Massive battery compartment inside, grippy serrated butt plate
• 3-Position fire selector - SAFE-SEMI-AUTO by default, programmable via the Kestrel Basic ETU
• M4/M16 Flat trigger guard - Milspec configuration, push the detent in the front right to fold for gloved use
• Version 2 gearbox:
  • Enter & Convert™ quick change spring system
  • Steel spring guide
  • 8mm Ball bearing bushings
  • 18:1 Ratio steel gear set
• Kestrel Basic MOSFET/ETU functions:
  • Binary Trigger
  • 3-Round burst
  • Active braking
  • Low/high voltage cutoff
  • Low battery warning
• Kestrel Basic MOSFET/ETU programming instructions are available here
• Rear wired: Deans/T-Plug battery connector - Recommended battery: 7.4V 1500mAh LiPo in block config.
• Compatible with M4/AR-15 AEG magazines - Spares are plentiful!

Package Includes

• Specna Arms SA-B16 ONE™ Mk 12 MOD.1 AEG; Kestrel Basic ETU
• 300rnd High-capacity magazine
• Specna Arms stickers