Systema M4 PTW MAX 2008

[Nachostheclown]

I'm going to start this review off with a disclaimer. I am still a PTW novice and really don't know all that much about the inner workings of this gun. From a technology standpoint it's quite a leap from standard AEGs. Comparing it to normal AEGs is like comparing an AEG to an LPEG you would get from the flea market. Now I am in no way knocking standard AEGs, they are the back bone of the hobby and work just fine for what we use them for. A standard AEG in the right hands can be tuned to the same performance as a PTW. But the fact is there is a huge difference in technology, this could be a good thing or a bad thing.

Part 1

On to the review. This review will be a multi part put together over time as I learn more about the gun.

What you get for $1500. In the box you will find the weapon, one 120 round mag, loading tool, small bag of BBs, instructions on CD, hop adjustment tool, registration card, M150(red) cylinder and if purchased from an authorized dealer a warranty. Battery's must be Systema, you void the warranty if you use other brands.





The complete game usable kit. This is a gun that you can't just buy and run right out and use in a game. Mags are proprietary and the M150 is not realistically game useable(something we will go into later). In my opinion the things you need at a minimum is a 6 pack of mags, 9.6volt battery and the M110(blue) cylinder. Pictured is also the 12volt battery for the M150(red) cylinder, Sure-Fire RIS, EOtech, G+P Troy flash suppressor, and back up sight. So with the minimum your looking at a total in the $2200 range. As pictured your pushing closer to $3000.00. This is of course the biggest down fall of the PTW, the price.


The gun itself is very heavy. It's weighted the same as its real steel counterpart. The build quality is second to none, it's for the most part indistinguishable from the real thing. Some comparison shots with the real thing.



Trade marks are nice but of course not realistic. Red Wolf has lowers with proper trades.


I opted for the full-auto version. It's my understanding that the auto versions can be converted to burst fairly easily.


The gearbox and electronics are held within the lower receiver. As you can see everything is very compact. The gun has what can be described as small computer that monitors everything the gun is doing. Every time the weapon fires the pistons always ends in the forward position. It also monitors power consumption and lets you know if there is any issues via a small LED just forward the gearbox.


The electronics system also allows for "last shot lock back". When the weapon fires the last BB the gun stops firing, no dry firing. To get the weapon to fire again, a fresh mag must be inserted and the bolt release has to be depressed. You can see the bolt catch in this picture along side the real steel.


More to come

[Nachostheclown]

Part II

Cylinder changes are done quite easily. Just pop the rear push pin and open the weapon up as you would the real weapon. Then pull back the charging handle and remove the cylinder. It's no different then pulling the bolt carrier from a real one.


Battery is held in the crane stock. Fairly easy battery change and the wiring is heavy duty.


Some quick notes about the M150. With this cylinder your pushing 500+ fps with .2s. With the 12volt battery you have a solid stream of BB's. You can engage targets well beyond the range of most standard AEGs. It is extremely dangerous at close range. If it were allowed in a game strict rules would have to be in place for safety reasons.

M150 VS heavy gauge roofing aluminum.




M150 VS ESS goggles. They survive but are completely unusable.




More to follow

[Nachostheclown]

Part III The magazines

Depending on how you look at it the magazines for the PTW can be plus or a minus.

I'll start with the negatives. The gun can not use anything other then PTW mags. You can also not use PTW mags in any other gun. This could be bad for several reasons. The first is you would not be able to exchange mags in the heat of battle with a team mate if they are using anything but a PTW. Right now there are very few PTWs on our local fields. The next issue is price, PTW mags are close to $50.00 a piece. You can get a six pack for $250-$275. The next issue would be choices, you have one. The only mag available is the 120 round midcap.

The good things. The mag is exactly the same size and weight of a loaded 30 round real steel mag. The mag also looks and feels exactly like a real mag. The best part is the mag feeds every single BB. It also feeds the BBs realiably unlike many other cheaper mid-caps. The quality of the mag is unmatched, but it should be for the price.




From left to right, standard mag, PTW mag, real steel.


As you can see the standard mag is a little shorter then the the PTW mag and the RS.

[Nachostheclown]

Part IV

More on the mags


I'm sure a lot of people wonder how the "last shot lock back" works. The mags have a follower tab that moves up and engages the bolt catch which in turn depresses a switch that cuts off the gun. Once a fresh mag has been inserted all that is needed is to push on the bolt catch and depress the switch again and the gun is ready to fire. Now I am not an expert in electronics or the PTW but I can see this becoming a weak point in the design.

The bolt catch with empty mag in place.


Mag with BBs. Notice the tab at the back of the mag that engages the bolt catch. It is in it's lowest postion with BBs in the mag.


Mag with no BBs. The black thing that looks like a BB is actually the follower. It's hard to tell but the tab has moved up.


The next thing that has been asked is the mags are longer then standard AEG mags. Several companies make standard AEG mags that are correct size as compared to RS and they hang out of the weapon farther and don't look correct. The Systema mags actually seat farther up into the gun and match RS look exactly when inserted into the weapon.

Systema on top Colt on the bottom.