Just Around the Corner!
The newest ICS AEG is about to be released here in the US and you can bet that Fox Airsoft will have it. The ICS CXP-MARS PDW9 is the latest in the PDW/SMG AR style gun craze but this is the best of the bunch.
You have seen other AR9/M4 PDW type guns before but what sets the ICS version apart? The ICS version is leaps and bounds better! ICS has achieved perfection by putting their renowned split gearbox into a compact AR style body. With that, they have also upgraded to their latest and greatest internals with some reinforced compression parts as well as integrated MOSFET. The gearbox is very robust and quick and easy to change springs in. The split gearbox makes working on the gun, repairing, or diagnosing it a breeze compared to any other M4 style gun out there.
The outside is built like a tank. The gun is full metal with a free-floating MLOK rail system and integral mock suppressor hiding underneath. The fake can is attached via 14mm counter-clockwise threads. Every single control on the gun is ambidextrous. ICS also took note with other models out there and did something clever: there is more than one set of magazine release controls so you can choose how you want to change your mags. From our experience with customer feedbacks about other AR9 style guns, they could not universally agree what controls they liked better so with this gun, everyone should be happy.
The buttstock is a thoughtfully designed item on the gun. The battery compartment is generous compared to other AR9s and is easy to access. The PDW style stock is solid and looks gorgeous.
The gun comes equipped with an in-line protection MOSFET however there will be the S3 versions available. If you have seen in other videos of ours, the S3 is a programmable MOSFET as well as integrated diagnostic tool.
For color options the default is all black with a gold faux bolt or you can get the limited edition Nardo Gray. We expect to see these guns coming to our shelves in April 2020 if not sooner. This is one we are definitely excited to carry.
How does it shoot? Just like other ICS pro line guns, this AEG shoots like a dream. The MOSFET provides crisp and responsive semi-auto and full auto. The bolt movement gives a satisfying clack as it moves back and forth during the shooting cycle. The superb compression makes this gun shoot very consistently. The velocity is set for outdoor usage. We chronographed the gun's velocity at 390-400 FPS. That is quite a lot out of a tiny gun. Dedicated CQB players will have to downgrade to be CQB legal, but with the quick-change spring guide and how easy it is to open the ICS guns, you can downgrade your spring in under 30 seconds.
Although the gun is hefty, you feel that mostly due to the compact size and the weight being concentrated in a smaller package. I promise you it is very compact and handy and still better than running a longer gun in tight quarters.
This is a solid gun that you won't want to miss.
About ICS
ICS has been around since the early days of airsoft and is a well-established company. Just like the handful of other manufacturers that were around in the beginning, they originally based their designs based on Tokyo Marui's AEGs but they had always differentiated themselves by giving you more for the money. Their early guns were all full metal variants however in recent years they started to offer sportline versions of guns as well. One of the major features that ICS has that sets them apart is the split gearbox design available in certain variants such as the M4-style guns. The split gearbox has a distinct advantage over conventional AEGs. Conventional AEGs feature a gearbox that is pretty much like a contained unit that houses the gears, compression parts, and electronics. Taking apart a gun down to the gearbox is a very involved task. With an ICS split gearbox, the gearbox is separated into to halves. As a result, taking apart the rifle is similar to field stripping a real AR15/M4 rifle and the upper gearbox even slides out. The upper gearbox houses the compression parts while the lower gearbox that sits in the lower receiver houses the gears and electrical parts. Maintenance, upgrades, and repairs are easier to perform and it is easier to diagnose problems.
Their proline rifles are among the best. I would easily stack them up to Krytac or VFC.
ICS + ASG Partnership
At Fox we have always offered ICS guns directly from ICS. Action Sport Games has recently partnered up with ICS to be the exclusive US distributor. This allows us to get ICS products more reliably and offer full support for those products. Up until now, ICS was almost like one of the best kept secrets in airsoft. Once you pick one up and use it you will fall in love with their guns.