Hello and welcome to the first airsoft gun review posted here. Today I am reviewing the externals and performance of my primary weapon of choice, my Classic Army AUG A2.
The components of my CA AUG A2 along with AVERAGED prices from online sellers:
- Classic Army AUG A2 – around $237.46
- UTG 7 Inch Red/Green Dot Sight – around $45.98
- UTG 3 Point Sling – around $13.97
- King Arms Lightweight Phantom Kit – around $152.50
- G&P Folding Fore grip – around $24.99
- Custom 9.6V 2700mah NiMH Battery Pack – about $39.99
The Classic Army AUG A2 was my first big purchase in the world of airsoft. It has a very different design when compared to the structure of other guns. The gun, in the eyes of many airsofters and gun enthusiasts alike, is not the best looking gun; however it will perform just as good if not better than other rifles. The gun is designed off the Steyr AUG, an Austrian made assault rifle produced by Steyr Arms. This gun is revolutionary in the idea that it is one of the first rifles to incorporate the bullpup design. Having the mechanics placed mainly in the rear of the gun, the gun is able to conceal a longer inner barrel. The inner barrel of the AUG is the same length of the M16, while the gun altogether is about half a foot shorter than the M16. Classic Army produces the AUG A1, A2, and is in the production of the A3 variant. The A1 is the military version which features an olive drab colored body and a stock 3x magnification scope fitted onto the carrying rail. The A2 (the variant being reviewed here) features an all black body and a rail (picatinny rail) fitted onto the carrying handle to enable the user to mount any optics at his or her own whim. The A3 also typically bears the black body as does the A2 and has a rail fitted onto the carrying handle, however this rail now extends longer and this version has a fully railed handguard.
When you first open the box, you are greeted with the operators manual to the gun, a cleaning and unjamming rod, a high capacity (330 round) magazine, and of course, the gun in all its beautiful majesty. It is possible that some models come with a Classic Army catalogue inside as do other Classic Army guns, however I opened my gun to no catalogue, which is not really a big deal. If you are new to the sport, you may be wondering about the power source to the gun. There is NO BATTERY included with this gun; however this is a common trend in the higher end gun companies. It is not a big tragedy though, as batteries are not too expensive, but keep in mind that this gun uses the small type tamiya connector. For my gun I chose to purchase a 9.6V 2700mah custom battery pack made specifically for the AUG. To place in a larger battery, it does require some modification to the battery compartment, but it is not difficult to perform, and the battery will fit in perfectly. Also not included is a sling, which is no problem at all due to the fact that most slings that come with a rifle are not of the best quality. I would recommend a 3 point sling as I use, however a normal 2 point sling works just fine. Sorry, but a one point sling probably would not work well here, however I have not tired it out. So if you want to try a one point, have at it.
When you first look at the gun, you may think that the gun would be back heavy. Truthfully, it really is. This is due to the fact that it stays true to the bullpup design though, with all the mechanics of the gun placed in the rear of the gun. While holding the gun, you will notice the gun is actually very comfortable to shoulder. Along the gun you can see the areas where the seams of the mold were sanded down, having the gun more comfortable with no excess material sticking out or so.
True to the real steel version, the gun is mainly metal but the main body is not. While it is not made of fiberglass like the real steel, the body of the Classic Army version is made of a very durable plastic composite. It will not become damaged through dropping (not recommended for internals), shooting, or just running the gun into the ground while you become under fire during a skirmish.
On the right side of the gun you will find the trademarks. A detail that is prided with Classic Army is that they are allowed to use full trademarks in their weapon. This is apparent with the Steyr Arms logo found next to the right side ejection port. The Classic Army trademark is located on the right side towards the butt of the stock stating the company name, the fact that it was made in Hong Kong, and the fact that it is modeled after the AUG. Also included, and also a nice touch, is the subtle inscription of a serial number of the gun inscribed on the right side ejection port.
Unlike other versions of the AUG, the Classic Army version comes with a very solid foregrip. Compared to other AUGS with the typical ‘wobble’ in the foregrip, the Classic Army variant feels very solid in its construction. I have had my Classic Army AUG for almost a year now, and the foregrip has not shown any signs of damage and it works just as fluently as when I first opened the gun.
The gun itself is very easy to take apart for easy transport. The flash hider is held on by a small hex screw. Once removed, any custom flash hider can be placed as long as it is 15mm threaded counter clockwise, which is the norm for most aftermarket flash hiders, so you are set either way. The barrel is held on by a simple locking mechanism which is basically a button being held down while the barrel is twisted and removed. In order to remove the receiver of the gun into two easy to carry parts, there is a square shaped pin right under the ejection port which comes out, unlocking the receiver, HOWEVER I’ve noted that this pin becomes very, very loose after removal, making reassembly quite frustrating. After the disassembly you should have three easier to carry parts now. A simple rule of thumb though is that when you are disassembling the gun; please make sure the magazine is removed from the gun along with the battery.
Overall the gun, in my honest opinion, is a very beautiful gun. It is finely detailed, easy to disassemble, and feels very comfortable while shouldering. The gun sounds good now, but it gets even better when you get around to shooting it.
While I am waiting for my chronograph to come in, I do not know the exact muzzle velocity of this gun. The ranges of velocities listed online for this gun are not consistent and range from 290 to 350 FPS. As for the rate of fire, on average it is said to shoot about 12 to 13 rounds per second. Once again, sorry about the lack of accurate statistics due to not having a chronograph, but expect another entry with the muzzle velocity, rate of fire, and force exerted with each shot.
As for range of engagement, a target the size of an average body can be hit comfortably around an estimated 90-95 foot range. It may be possible to get more out of the range of the gun, however for a skirmish, consider yourself lucky if you get a shot any more than 60-70 feet away with an assault rifle.
One thing that sets the AUG apart from other rifles is its unique two stage trigger. Pulling the trigger halfway fires the gun on semiautomatic, while pulling the trigger all the way fires in an automatic mode. This feature is true to the Classic Army AUG. Due to this feature, the safety is rather unorthodox also. Right next to the trigger is a little knob sticking out. When the knob is protruding on the right side and is showing a white dot, the gun is on safe, and the trigger cannot be pulled. Likewise if the knob is sticking out on the left side and is showing a red dot, the trigger can be pulled, firing the gun.
As with all good quality airsoft guns, the hop-up on the gun is adjustable to give your BB more spin as it leaves the barrel in order to achieve more distance. In order to get to the hop-up adjustment, pull the cocking handle back and up to lock it in place. This reveals the hop-up adjustment on the ejection port depending on which side the rubber ejection port cover is on. You will see a little dial towards the front of the slot revealed. Moving the dial down decreases the hop-up while moving the dial up increases it. When finished adjusting, de-cock the gun by just slightly moving the cocking handle down. Have no fear, as the action of cocking the handle back and then releasing it forward over and over again will not damage or break the handle, just do not go overboard with it.
Altogether with the externals and performance of the gun, I would give it a 4.5 out of 5.
PROS:
- Looks (Either hit or miss depending on user)
- Full trademarks
- Great feel and design
- Same inner barrel length as an M16 (510mm inner barrel)
- Ability to mount custom optics
- Great body detail
- Average performance
- Very nice folding foregrip compared to other AUG models
- Two stage trigger and safety system
CONS:
- Looks (Either hit or miss depending on user)
- No other customization available besides optics (lack of more rails)
- Back-heavy
- Battery compartment must be modified to hold bigger battery
- Pin to remove receiver becomes loose easily
- Does not come with battery
- Switching magazines while in skirmish takes getting used to (typical bullpup problem)
- Plastic hop-up
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this review. More airsoft news and reviews are to come within the next weeks. If you have any general comments or concerns, please contact through the contacting page.
Coming Soon: Review of the internals of the Classic Army AUG A2 along with more reviews and airsoft information