Hello again, Mickey here. Time for another review, this time on the Krytac series of AEGs. I will be doing a specific review on my Krytac LVOA in the near future, I just want to use it and mess around with it more before I give my full opinion. So for now I will be focusing on the entire AEG line from Krytac, as I have had the chance to work on a few through So Go (mainly doing maintenance and spring changes). No other company puts in the amount of effort and technical expertise that Krytac does, both internally and externally. Since they all share the same internals, I'll focus on those first before going into what makes each model different. If you're on the fence about purchasing one for yourself, I can assure you that my review will tell you everything you need to know before making an informed purchase on the last AEG you will ever need.
The gearbox is a make-or-break point for all AEGs. For this reason, Krytac has put an incredible amount of time into developing their Nautilus Ver. 2 gearbox which their entire AEG line shares. The first thing you will notice is the gold color of the shell. This is due to a treatment to the shell that reduces friction and prevents rust.
A logical place to start when talking about a gearbox is, of course, the gears. Made from steel and robust in design, these gears are ready to handle a lot of stress and full-auto fire. They also incorporate a self-shimming design like VFC gears, but feature stronger springs to ensure durability and function (unlike VFC gears). The gears spin on 8mm Japanese caged steel bearings to give both strength and smooth travel even after tens of thousands of cycles.
A notable component of the Krytac Nautilus gearbox is the wiring harness, something often overlooked and left untouched from Marui's ancient design. Krytac has gone through the trouble of giving the wire extra insulation in areas where it often gets damaged, installing a wire keep to prevent the pinion gear from tearing up the wiring, and including an in-line MOSFET! This will ensure that the gun's delicate electronics are protected from both abuse from the user and/or 11.1v batteries. Krytac's MOSFET sits in a cutout in the gearbox shell, rather than outside the gearbox. This means that you will have much more room for a battery in the buffer tube if you choose to go that route.
Quick change spring guides have recently become a standard in airsoft. The convenience of changing an AEG's velocity without having to open the gearbox means that just about anyone can do it with a few tools and a little know-how. There is definitely a correct way, and an INCORRECT way to do a quick change spring system though. An example would be the older Classic Army design. The long screw securing the buffer tube to the lower receiver would screw into the spring guide like on a normal AEG. The problem with this, is that a quick change spring guide no longer has the support of the back of the gearbox shell, as it IS the back of the shell. Meaning that when the user tightens down on the buffer tube screw he or she would be pulling on the spring guide and potentially bend or break the tabs holding it in the gearbox. Krytac has solved this issue by having the buffer tube screw thread into the lower receiver itself rather than the spring guide. Simple solutions to complicated problems.
I'll now move on to the piston and compression set. The piston itself features 4 metal teeth and and a reinforced polymer body with the second to last tooth removed. This has been done because the Nautilus gearbox comes pre-installed with a sorbothane pad on the cylinder head to correct the angle of engagement (AOE) between the piston pickup tooth and the sector gear. This is a modification that techs have been doing for years to prolong the life of their pistons and I am very happy to see it becoming a factory standard. Along with this, the seals on the piston/cylinder heads are airtight as can be (the cylinder head is very difficult to separate from the cylinder as a result). This results in a very consistent FPS output and therefore more consistent accuracy.
Speaking of accuracy, the Krytac hop-up and barrel have hands-down the best design and performance of any stock AEG I have seen to date. This is thanks to the hop-up's design, as it is similar in function to upgraded units like the ProWin chamber. It features a large dial that directly moves the hop-up arm, giving the hop-up greater range of adjustment and better stability. It also has numbers on the adjustment wheel so that the user can remember where to adjust the wheel for different weights of BBs. The improved hop-up design paired with Krytac's stock 6.05 tight bore barrel has been giving me grouping and range comparable to a flat-hop modification.
To further increase the longevity of the Nautilus gearbox, Krytac has gone the extra mile to radius the corners of the gearbox window to prevent fractures. This is another modification that techs have been doing for a while now to fix a problem with higher stress builds. As the piston comes forward and slams into the cylinder head, some of that energy is transferred to the gearbox shell and can lead to fractures if the shell is not reinforced or if the main spring is too powerful. By radiusing (rounding off) the corners of the shell window, the impact from the piston can be distributed instead of focused on a sharp corner. This paired with the stock sorbothane pad will ensure that this gearbox shell is unlikely to EVER fracture.
To pull this impressive drive train, the Krytac gearbox needs a good motor. The 30K motor from Krytac is a Neodymium magnet 22 TPA monster that can pull very heavy springs well past the practical use for airsoft. My Krytac fires around 400 FPS with a .20g BB (this will vary between models) but still retains an incredibly snappy trigger response and a healthy ROF (around 22 BBs per second) on an 11.1v Lipo. Even at this blistering performance, the motor and all other electrical components remain cool due to proper shimming and part fitting from the factory.
I'll finish up talking about the externals of the Krytac line-up. All models (excluding the LVOA) feature keymod handguards that are actually mil spec, meaning you can use real-steel keymod accessories unlike other airsoft handguards. They also include Krytac's custom battery stock (with the exception to the PDW and SDP) that maximizes battery space and has built in QD sling mount points. The selector switch assembly is ambidextrous for both right handed and left handed shooters with a much more simplistic design that makes it much easier for disassembly. Like many high-end AEGs, all Krytac guns come with a bolt catch to make it easier to adjust the hop-up. And all Krytacs have a full metal upper and lower receiver that is both light and strong with an equally robust metal 350 round high capacity magazine. The only real question you have to ask yourself at this point is "which model will I get?" Krytac offers several models from long-range to CQB in design (and even an LMG!). All models are available through So Go Airsoft in Black, Tan or OD Green (with the exception of the LVOA and LMG); with more models to come in the near future.
Krytac Trident SPR (16 inch barrel)
Krytac Trident CRB (10.5 inch barrel)
Krytac Trident PDW (5.5 inch barrel and PDW Stock)
Krytac Trident LMG (3500 Round Magazine included)
Other colors available for the CRB, SPR and PDW
Recently released Krytac LVOA-C licensed by Warsport Industries! Available at So Go Airsoft in Foliage Green
If you have any other questions, feel free to leave them down below. If you would like to pick up a Krytac and see what all the fuss is about for yourself, call So Go Airsoft as they deal directly through Krytac to get you the best deal and customer service. I will put Krytac's pricing list below to help you decide which model would be right for your budget. Thanks for reading, and be on the lookout for my review on the new LVOA-C in the near future!
Krytac PDW- $295
Krytac CRB- $325
Krytac SPR- $345
Krytac LVOA-C- $440
Krytac LMG- $500
Show Posts
