Post by redphoenix14 on Mar 23, 2005 0:27:11 GMT -5
DPMS Panther Arms A-15 review by [glow=red,2,300]Spetsnaz[/glow]
Opening Statement
I received the DPMS Panther Arms A-15 for Christmas last year. I have and always will love the style of an M4, my second favorite gun. My first is obviously the AK-47, which I will write a review on in about a week. Let me say that the A-15 I own is a Springer version for $80. The brand isn’t too reliable, but I love the way the gun feels, looks, and shoots. It is obviously a Springer Rifle for beginners, but I was a beginner last Christmas. I recommend this gun to anybody who is willing to pay for it and take good care of it.
The Gun
The A-15 is made mostly of plastic, with some metal internals. The outside of the gun is mostly plastic, well actually pretty much all of it is plastic, but it is a very high quality plastic. It has a 3 inch long orange tip on it, which makes it very unrealistic.
The weight of the gun makes up for this terrible manufacturing mistake though. The shoulder strap is almost impossible to put on because the gun only has one buckle thing in the front for a strap. In the back, you have to use the top of the stock, the part that wasn’t designed to have a strap attached to it. This I despised about the manufacturer. I mean, why in the world would there not be a back sling mount? That was obviously overlooked by somebody. DPMS is known for their high quality M-16s, so I don’t understand why it is not on the gun.
Solidness
Despite that large amount of plastic on the gun, it feels solid when you pick it up. There is a small amount of metal on the stock, which makes it a little bit heavier. There is no wobble to the gun in any area except for the magazine. The fire mode switch is very sturdy, like normal. It has 3 modes like a normal AEG, the Safe option, the Semi option and the Auto Option.
Since the gun is a Springer, it is not automatic, but that was just for looks. I have found out that when you put it on “Auto”, it seems like the gun shoots straighter. The whole gun is a molded piece of plastic, so it has no wobbles or seems or anything uneven. I have not taken it apart and do not plan on it since you cant really upgrade a Springer. The handle has metal in the inside of it, which makes it wobble proof, and has a nice little grip on it.
Aiming Sights
The sights on this gun couldn’t have been made any better. There is an adjustable sight in the rear with two options; the first option is a larger hole, and the other has a smaller hole for better accuracy. The gun is dead accurate with the great sights.
I love the carry handle sights, because they are functional. You can put scopes on the top of the handle for better aiming, and I plan on getting one as soon as I get the money coming in. I am thinking about getting a laser instead of a scope, but still cant decide which one to get or which ones I can attach to the gun.
Range and Power
The box that my A-15 came in claims that this rifle’s FPS is 325, but that is evidently not true. This gun probably shoots around 280-300 FPS. This gun is accurate at around 20 meters (60 feet) so it is not a great Sniper Rifle if you are looking for a cheap one. I also had my friend hold a two sided cardboard box, and half the time I shot it, the BB went through both sides of the cardboard and he could feel the impact. That is why I think it shoots at around 300 FPS or lower.
Magazine and Loader
The magazine for this rifle is made out of high grade plastic, which holds around 50 BBs or so. The magazine must be a wrap around magazine system that wraps around inside of the magazine for it to hold that many BBs. The magazine is non transparent, meaning that it is not see through so you can see the BBs inside. The loader is a plastic tube with a plastic rod that you use to push the BBs into the mag. It does not work well, but it is better than hand loading it.
Accuracy
With the help of a friend, I managed to find out how accurate the gun is. It would hit him, standing by a tree, 20 meters away, about 75% of the time. I was using .23g BBs at the time, and they work better than .12g. I also found out that if you use .12g BBs they are too light and they will literally hop-up about 10 feet above the person you are trying to shoot. I thought that Spring Rifles were designed to shoot .12g BBs but I guess I was wrong.
The Stock
The gunstock is a standard M4 collapsing stock with 3 fixable positions. It has some metal on it, but it is mostly plastic.
The stock does not have a sling mount, so I used the top of the stock, which was not designed for holding the strap. The end of the stock has a comfortable shoulder grip that will stick to your shoulder quite well. I like it when the stock is fully extended, which is the way I usually keep it. I only collapse the stock when I am clearing out rooms. The front of the stock looks like it can be screwed off, but it cannot actually come apart from the gun.
Fore grip
The fore grip is a very nice part of plastic, but you cant attach anything to it unless you take off the grips and attach RIS Rails, which are hard to find anywhere anymore. This part of the gun wobbles a bit since it can come loose. I like the grip style; I prefer it to the Vietnam Style of M-16s and would like to attach an RIS Rail if I can find one. If I do, I will post it so if you own this gun you can take a look if you want.
Pros and Cons
The pros of this gun are:
1. The 3 fixable stock positions
2. Nice Metal Internals
3. 50 Round High Grade Plastic Magazine
4. The Great Accuracy
5. Rear adjustable aiming sights.
6. Detachable Fore grip
7. Its weight
The cons of this gun are:
1. No Back Sling mount
2. 3” Orange Tip
3. Hard to put magazine in gun.
4. Doesn’t shoot .12g BBs
5. Bad Speed Loading Rod.
Conclusion
Overall, the DPMS Panther Arms A-15 is a very strong, reliable, and durable gun for a low price - $80. This is the best Spring Gun I own or have ever picked up for a Springer war. I still can’t believe that this Spring Rifle can’t shoot .12g BBs very well. It doesn’t bother me too much, but the type of BBs I buy cost more. The only good type of BBs to use is the .23g BBs, and I use those for my AEGs. So, if you are new to Air Soft and need a durable gun to own, buy the DPMS Panther Arms A-15.
Opening Statement
I received the DPMS Panther Arms A-15 for Christmas last year. I have and always will love the style of an M4, my second favorite gun. My first is obviously the AK-47, which I will write a review on in about a week. Let me say that the A-15 I own is a Springer version for $80. The brand isn’t too reliable, but I love the way the gun feels, looks, and shoots. It is obviously a Springer Rifle for beginners, but I was a beginner last Christmas. I recommend this gun to anybody who is willing to pay for it and take good care of it.
The Gun
The A-15 is made mostly of plastic, with some metal internals. The outside of the gun is mostly plastic, well actually pretty much all of it is plastic, but it is a very high quality plastic. It has a 3 inch long orange tip on it, which makes it very unrealistic.
The weight of the gun makes up for this terrible manufacturing mistake though. The shoulder strap is almost impossible to put on because the gun only has one buckle thing in the front for a strap. In the back, you have to use the top of the stock, the part that wasn’t designed to have a strap attached to it. This I despised about the manufacturer. I mean, why in the world would there not be a back sling mount? That was obviously overlooked by somebody. DPMS is known for their high quality M-16s, so I don’t understand why it is not on the gun.
Solidness
Despite that large amount of plastic on the gun, it feels solid when you pick it up. There is a small amount of metal on the stock, which makes it a little bit heavier. There is no wobble to the gun in any area except for the magazine. The fire mode switch is very sturdy, like normal. It has 3 modes like a normal AEG, the Safe option, the Semi option and the Auto Option.
Since the gun is a Springer, it is not automatic, but that was just for looks. I have found out that when you put it on “Auto”, it seems like the gun shoots straighter. The whole gun is a molded piece of plastic, so it has no wobbles or seems or anything uneven. I have not taken it apart and do not plan on it since you cant really upgrade a Springer. The handle has metal in the inside of it, which makes it wobble proof, and has a nice little grip on it.
Aiming Sights
The sights on this gun couldn’t have been made any better. There is an adjustable sight in the rear with two options; the first option is a larger hole, and the other has a smaller hole for better accuracy. The gun is dead accurate with the great sights.
I love the carry handle sights, because they are functional. You can put scopes on the top of the handle for better aiming, and I plan on getting one as soon as I get the money coming in. I am thinking about getting a laser instead of a scope, but still cant decide which one to get or which ones I can attach to the gun.
Range and Power
The box that my A-15 came in claims that this rifle’s FPS is 325, but that is evidently not true. This gun probably shoots around 280-300 FPS. This gun is accurate at around 20 meters (60 feet) so it is not a great Sniper Rifle if you are looking for a cheap one. I also had my friend hold a two sided cardboard box, and half the time I shot it, the BB went through both sides of the cardboard and he could feel the impact. That is why I think it shoots at around 300 FPS or lower.
Magazine and Loader
The magazine for this rifle is made out of high grade plastic, which holds around 50 BBs or so. The magazine must be a wrap around magazine system that wraps around inside of the magazine for it to hold that many BBs. The magazine is non transparent, meaning that it is not see through so you can see the BBs inside. The loader is a plastic tube with a plastic rod that you use to push the BBs into the mag. It does not work well, but it is better than hand loading it.
Accuracy
With the help of a friend, I managed to find out how accurate the gun is. It would hit him, standing by a tree, 20 meters away, about 75% of the time. I was using .23g BBs at the time, and they work better than .12g. I also found out that if you use .12g BBs they are too light and they will literally hop-up about 10 feet above the person you are trying to shoot. I thought that Spring Rifles were designed to shoot .12g BBs but I guess I was wrong.
The Stock
The gunstock is a standard M4 collapsing stock with 3 fixable positions. It has some metal on it, but it is mostly plastic.
The stock does not have a sling mount, so I used the top of the stock, which was not designed for holding the strap. The end of the stock has a comfortable shoulder grip that will stick to your shoulder quite well. I like it when the stock is fully extended, which is the way I usually keep it. I only collapse the stock when I am clearing out rooms. The front of the stock looks like it can be screwed off, but it cannot actually come apart from the gun.
Fore grip
The fore grip is a very nice part of plastic, but you cant attach anything to it unless you take off the grips and attach RIS Rails, which are hard to find anywhere anymore. This part of the gun wobbles a bit since it can come loose. I like the grip style; I prefer it to the Vietnam Style of M-16s and would like to attach an RIS Rail if I can find one. If I do, I will post it so if you own this gun you can take a look if you want.
Pros and Cons
The pros of this gun are:
1. The 3 fixable stock positions
2. Nice Metal Internals
3. 50 Round High Grade Plastic Magazine
4. The Great Accuracy
5. Rear adjustable aiming sights.
6. Detachable Fore grip
7. Its weight
The cons of this gun are:
1. No Back Sling mount
2. 3” Orange Tip
3. Hard to put magazine in gun.
4. Doesn’t shoot .12g BBs
5. Bad Speed Loading Rod.
Conclusion
Overall, the DPMS Panther Arms A-15 is a very strong, reliable, and durable gun for a low price - $80. This is the best Spring Gun I own or have ever picked up for a Springer war. I still can’t believe that this Spring Rifle can’t shoot .12g BBs very well. It doesn’t bother me too much, but the type of BBs I buy cost more. The only good type of BBs to use is the .23g BBs, and I use those for my AEGs. So, if you are new to Air Soft and need a durable gun to own, buy the DPMS Panther Arms A-15.