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Action SL MK4
Sterling SMG
@IWA 2014
by Maree & Keith



This ones been long awaited by re-enactors and airsofters a-like. It's certainly exciting and I've been admiring them when I've seen them on stands at various airsoft shows. BUT... is it all that it should be? Our reporters Maree and Keith investigate at IWA 2014 to bring you the truth behind the hype! Read on....

The Sterling L2A3 MK4
Peeling back the pot metal!

'Well, those of us in the community who are into collecting have been waiting a very long time for the production of a Sterling sub-machine gun! Until recent years, the Sterling was a mainstay of British and some Commonwealth forces in their requirement for a reliable sub-machine gun. Therefore, any production run of such an iconic gun becomes a major must have with all collectors! That being the case, we are sad to report that the Sterling is going to cost a pretty penny, and you will need to spend more once you have possession of it to get it to perform to the standard you would expect, that is if you want to skirmish with it!

The Sterling basically has a meal body, with that classic perforated barrel casing that ensures that it cannot be mistaken for anything else! The rest of the body (as there is no upper and lower receiver in the traditional sense) is also steel. The trigger and motor are housed in the pistol grip, which is polymer. The AEG has an interesting feel, but to this shooter and airsofter, it feels too light and just does not feel like the real weapon. It looks good and exciting, but the feel of it is, well, disappointing. Saying that, that is a compliment compared to what I am about to say!

Unfortunately, there are other factors that makes you stop smiling at this particular, long awaited AEG. Firstly, the cost. The AEG will cost around £470, and unfortunately part of this cost is RoHS certification. This brings up, all be it, a briefly interesting point on RoHS certification. Many of the manufacturers have told us over the last few months about the massive certification costs involved and this will form part of a later story! As for getting back to this one though, once you get past the feel, and cost, then there is the stock, which is steel; but I would not like to put the strength of the joint to the test! In fact, the one that was provided for me to test, quickly broke the left side joint and fell out of place! Is this skirmish proof for the average airsofter? Let’s hope the issues are sorted on the full production versions.

Getting past that, we have the known issues with the cylinder. One large EU retailer is swapping these PTW style cylinders out. One Hong Kong major retailer stated to us that this would probably require swapping following your purchase of the product. It will be interesting to see how UK retailers assess the situation.

Also there’s a word of warning on the magazines. We were told by a member of staff of a major UK retailer that the magazines were going to be quite costly!

The Sterling L2A3 MK4

In summing up the Sterling, I have to say that if I was doing a fully glossy magazine review I would say I love the look, and would show the glossy product and get really excited about it. In reality though, when you peel back the gloss and examine the reality of it, it is expensive and at present there were only prototypes outside Hong Kong. A member of staff at Redwolf stated that RW only had prototypes and that they were waiting on RoHS from the country of origin (good on RedWolf for the RoHS efforts).

Finally, I have to say that, in the words of a member of staff from one of Europe's largest retailers, the stock is not strong enough, it is expensive, potentially unreliable, and that is the start of the costs. He went on to say that he loved the idea of the Sterling but never buys the first production run, and the Sterling is a good example of why he follows this personal policy. In my eyes though, if I was a re-enactor, I would not care! As an airsofter, I would wait and buy it once those who like the new shiny stuff have worked out the teething problems and the costs decrease! This is to take nothing from Action though, they deserve all the praise for taking on an almost impossible task I order to please those who have particular Airsoft tastes!

Lets hope these problems with the AEG are just production teething problems and don't materalise in the full production version. The airsoft world holds its breath....


Watch out for more IWA 2014 reports from Maree & Keith.

Reports logged in so Far! - click on the link
Cybergun Update - what's happening for Cybergun Uk wise?
Armex Booth Update - intel from Armex
King Arms Booth Update - New exciting GBB rifles from King Arms
G&G Booth @ IWA 2014 - G&G an Organisation on the MOVE!
Stering SMG - SL MK4 first look - Should you be getting one?

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