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Specna Arms SA-E10 PDW EDGE Aster V2

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Specna Arms SA-E10 PDW EDGE Aster V2 Review

The latest model that Specna Arms have sent me for testing is the SA-E10 or their version of the PDW or Personal Defence Weapon.  These days new Specna Arms AEG models are coming out with internal MOSFETs and the SA-E10 comes with the Aster internal MOSFET by Gate Electronics, a company based in Poland.

PDWs in the real world are most commonly used in close protection security or in vehicles as the weapon which either has a folding or a telescopic short stock allows the user to hide the weapon out of plain sight as well as being easy to use in confined spaces. The advantage of the PDW in my opinion is that it is small enough to be carried around covertly without much sacrifice in terms of firepower.

In airsoft, PDWs have become popular for players who frequent CQB or Close Quarter Battle sites where manoeuvring in tight spaces is made a lot easier with a shorter airsoft rifle.

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This SA-E10 V2 PDW came in the generic Specna Arms Edge box. The rifle or replica is well packaged inside the box with cutout foam inserts. Inside the box there are 2 polymer M4 Mid-Cap magazines in tan, a polymer foregrip, user manual, and a Specna Arms lanyard.

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The replica is very well made. It feels very solid with no unnecessary wobble. I was sent the half-tan version so the fore grip, front rail, pistol grip and stock are all in tan the rest are in black. The replica is very short, probably one of the shortest if not the shortest M4 replica I have ever used.

The replica has an enlarged flash hider which gives it a bulky appearance. The front rail is also short and is attached firmly to the receiver. It has rails at the 12 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, and 9 o’clock. Both front and rear sights are made of polymer material and sights are foldable with quick release action to flip them back up. They are slightly tough to press when new but gets better with frequent use. The top and lower receivers are standard M4 receivers with the clear and clean Rock River Arms engraving.

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The PDW stock is fully adjustable in length and can be adjusted from either the left or right side. This can also be fully detached to gain access to the battery housing. The battery compartment is located on the short buffer tube. You simply unscrew the tube and the battery wire connection will be revealed.

The stock or original battery wires were really long and occupies quite a bit of space inside the already limited battery space. To solve this issue I asked a good friend to cut the wires for me and re-solder the T-plug or what we normally call the Deans connector. Yup, you read it right, this EDGE model comes stock with a Deans connector for the battery which is bonus in itself as these types of connectors give better battery performance than the usual Tamiya connectors that we find in AEGs. A small 7.4v lipo battery fits perfectly well in the compartment.

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Internally, the replica has the same parts as the standard Specna Arms EDGE series plus the fully programmable Aster MOSFET by Gate Electronics. The previous EDGE model that I reviewed had the external Gate X-ASR MOSFET which I wasn’t a very big fan of as I felt it was very bulky and occupied too much space within the battery compartment. Please note that the Gate Electronics app currently only works on PCs or Android devices and cannot be accessed with iPhones or with any IOS devices.

PERFORMANCE

I had a chance to use the PDW during the World Domination Event at Airsoft Plantation here in Essex, UK.

I was very impressed with the range on this short rifle. I was easily hitting a target 30-35 metres away with very good consistency using 0.25g BBs. The rotary style hop-up adjustment is very easy to access and adjust within the ejection port. It is tight enough to make fine adjustments.

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The adjustable stock is not spring loaded which makes it a double handed job to extend it. On full extension of the stock, the replica can be shouldered comfortably without compromising its compactness thanks to the short front end. I used a T1 red dot scope as my aiming device with a high mount to make it easier to aim.

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The Gate Aster MOSFET gives the trigger a really snappy response on semi and a decent rate of fire on full auto. I left the MOSFET on the same settings it came in which is safe-semi-auto. The trigger sensitivity can be adjusted or programmed and I suggest you look into this as if the sensitivity is too much it may cause miss firing or unintentional firing of the rifle which is unsafe in the playing field.

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Overall, the Specna Arms PDW is a really great airsoft replica which can be used both CQB and outdoor play. The compact design makes it very manoeuvrable and the range is decent enough to use it in long range skirmishes. I found it perfect as a side arm for my sniper rifle due to its size and on how easily I can draw it up whenever I need it.

The Aster MOSFET is not perfect but is brilliant when it works. Very snappy on semi auto and has a decent rate of fire.

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Build quality is another thing that I was very impressed with. All plastic or polymer parts are well made and don’t have that plasticky feel. The seams between the parts are very clean which gives it a very high quality finish.

Many thanks to the following for helping me with this review:

  • Gunfire for providing me with the sample unit
  • Airsoft Plantation in Billericay Essex
  • Miguel and Marek from Camo for some technical assistance
  • Elmer aka “Mentoy” for taking some of the photos for me

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