So I’ve picked up a new rifle and as is standard practice with all new guns, it was in bits within 5 minutes of being delivered. Mainly because I like tinkering with guns and seeing how they work, but also on this occasion because a couple of people wanted to know what it was like. At around £75, it’s becoming a very popular choice among players of all levels looking for a good base VSR model with the intention of replacing all the internals.

First off, it comes in a box (always a bonus) with three mags and a speedloader. Already that’s a good start for a budding sniper because three mags will be more than enough for a day’s work. So no need to worry about ordering more mags before you start.

Externally, the rifle is really well finished. It’s not heavy like some of the bigger rifle platforms, but very solidly built. The stock is textured and good quality, and doesn’t have any creaks or movement. There are plenty of people who will tell you it’s better than the original Marui vsr, although I haven’t owned one to verify that. What I will say is that it’s miles better than a lot of the cheaper rifles and I’ve had plenty of those. The rail is very good quality, although it appears it isn’t vsr compatible because the screw holes are lined up differently. Also, the cutaway section over the cylinder prevented me from attaching a one piece scope mount, and a riser rail over the top wouldn’t fit because the grooves in the rail aren’t cut in at the right intervals. So I’m going to have to switch to a pair of standard rings, which I guess I can live with. There are two sling mounts underneath, but I don’t run a sling because sometimes it’s a hassle being attached to your rifle.

Internally is equally impressive. Again the finish on the parts is really good, very solid and I almost contemplated leaving them in and just swapping out the hop and barrel.

I was kind of hoping for an airbrake on the piston to reduce noise, but it’s just a very standard looking stock piston. Plastic piston and plastic spring guide with a spring that delivers between 420-480fps depending on what website you’re looking at, which should be decent enough to be competitive out of the box.

The only minor problem I had was that I couldn’t get the hop unit out because one of the screw holes on the outer barrel had been pushed through and needed a lot of filing down to resolve.

Overall, for £75-ish it’s a brilliant rifle and you’d really have to spend to find better (I have a £400 G&P M4 that has cheaper looking internals). I can’t really give much information on performance because it was bought as a project and didn’t stay stock for long. As a project gun, it has the rock solid externals you’d need and comes with enough power to get started. With any gun I’d always recommend swapping the hop rubber to a better one ASAP, and a good barrel to go with it. From then on, a mix of diy mods should get the performance to where you want it without spending further. Given current issues with the JG Bar 10, I’d definitely recommend the cyma for anyone looking to build a vsr platform.

As for mine, I dropped parts in from my previous vsr compatible budget rifle, an FN Herstal SPR A5M, which had a lot of external failings. So I’m running :

– Airsoftpro 90 trigger set (inc piston and spring guide). I see a lot of people knocking the airsoftpro trigger but a few years ago it was brilliant. Personally as long as I can pull the trigger and it shoots, I’m not too fussy on the trigger unit.

– Guarder Spring – I don’t recall which one but it was bang on 498-499fps. Before I accidentally left the gun cocked for six weeks…

– Action Army Teflon cylinder – because it’s silky smooth and isn’t bright silver.

– Action Army vsr hop unit – the single greatest upgrade you can put in your rifle.

– Action Army 6.03 barrel – I won’t go tighter because reliability. The AA barrel isn’t the best out there, but it’s reasonably priced and delivers good performance, so it’ll do nicely.

– Modify tan hop rubber – new one to me but highly recommended by those in the know. I usually run Maple Leaf Delta, and always softer buckings for better grip on the shot. I’m not bothered if it wears out faster and needs replacing more often. I can live with that.

I kept the FN Herstal bolt handle. Added a silencer, decent scope and it’s good to go.

One purchase I will recommend is a pack of “>3 Cyma 55rd mags, which will give you all the ammo you need