- Sick M4, May 20, 2009

This gun is a sick little chopped up M16. I personally own this gun and let me tell you, it's more powerful than the 360 Fps and 130feet range that shorty says it has. Even with heavy .25g bbs this gun will send bbs screaming down range and they will still be hitting hard at 150 feet. The rate of fire on this gun is very good, thanks to the 10.8v custom battery and trust me it comes in handy with this thing because the accuracy, especially at over 100 feet or so, isn't great.

PROs- Very compact, Full RIS, FPS, Looks, Lots of metal, Solidly built, Heavy*, comes with both 190 round and 300 round mags, foregrip included.

CONs- Range, Accuracy is so-so, Heavy*, The sights are solid but inaccurate (i just took the back one off)

Over-all this is a must have if you want to dominate in CQB or mid-range airsoft battles.

- Great for hip-firing CQB, May 03, 2009

Please note that I do not in any way, shape or form own this gun, (neighbor from across the street got it) but I have used it in combat and intend to give you my opinion:

Only thing I noticed that was truly a problem was that it was SO DAMN SMALL BUT SO DAMN HEAVY! Now I know it is tempting to use it one-handed but truly it is like 6 pounds fully loaded, so if you are 5'6'' like me it might be a little too cumbersome to aim steadily for more than 30 seconds.

Good FPS, really good RPM. Not very good range. If you want a good CQB weapon that can hold its own in mid range combat get the E90.

Pros:
FPS (close-up)
RPM
CQB!
Accuracy (close-up)
Good battery
Good battery box as well, good for changing in-game

Cons:
FPS (far away)
Range
Accuracy (far away)

All in all, really good for the experienced airsofter that plays in an indoor facility or has extra money and wants something original.

Not recommended for any outdoor use beyond a 90 foot range WHATSOEVER. That is a job for an assault rifle. The one reason for the 4 star rating is for the range problems (may be particular to his gun, he treats them pretty harshly), but that is a give-and-take situation because this is such a ripper in CQC.

- IT IS THE NEW P90!!!!, April 30, 2009

Move over p90, here comes the XK! it's the ultimate little guy. NO CONS WHATSOEVER besides not very good range, which is obvious. it's a foot long. it's the best little guy you'll ever work with. no question. it's worth about $320 I'd say. anyway it's a total beast. normally i give any possible cons. i almost NEVER give 5 stars. with all my emphasis, this is the very best gun I've ever worked with! (I've worked with mini guns, although i don't own one)
no need for pros/cons. just buy
-assassins

- AMAZING!!!! also I have a great idea for MGS fans, May 17, 2009

First of all, the gun is simply amazing.... the ROF is outstanding and the fps is good. when it came in the mail I was surprised at how small it was. I knew it was small but wow this baby is compact. So i took it outside, adjusted the hop-up 'til I got nice tight groupings, mine will shoot about 140 feet, it has a tight bore barrel that the original owner installed. So overall 4/5 cqb is not for everyone, but for people who play mostly cqb 5/5.

MSG idea:

For those of you who played Snake Eater you'll know what I'm talking about. Buy this gun and then buy the double drum mag and then you'll have "The Boss"'s weapon of choice ( I haven't played that game in 2 years so I don't know the name for it) but once you put those upgrades on this baby, you'll have a beautiful airsoft gun. I love it!

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- ECHO 1 M4 CQB XK AEG, July 07, 2009

This is a very impressive shortened M4 that really packs a punch!

My 4 out of 5 rating in more detail:

When you first see it, the ECHO 1 M4 CQB XK AEG sure seems smaller than it appears in photos; more like an extra large pistol than a scaled back rifle, although it does have some weight to it. The short length and included foregrip make it very easy to handle.

The rate of fire is outstanding! The XK really spits out BB's with bad intentions!

Mine might have a higher velocity than rated here at Shorty USA. It seems to be more on par with other AEG's rated at over 400 FPS. I don't know this for a fact since I don't have a device to measure it with, and it may be that it just appears this way to me when firing. However, this is an extremely gnarly sounding beast of an AEG with exceptional performance!

One thing is for sure, the XK is immediately intimidating to opponents on the receiving end. This airsoft gun really barks out even when firing outdoors. It is, as advertised, just plain scary sounding indoors. Couple this threatening sound with the high rate of fire and the XK will definitely put the fear of impending welts in your airsoft war opponents!

According to my son, this CQB weapon could also be an excellent back-up or maybe even a slinged sidearm to carry along with your standard assault weapon or sniper rifle. But then, he always likes to over do it and strap on more firepower than is really necessary. Personally, I'd have no problem carrying this as my primary weapon in an airsoft battle, but I think it's probably best suited for use in any airsoft combat situation where extremely long shots aren't essential. The XK will easily fit in a medium sized backpack if you're already well equipped but feel the need to bring along an additional weapon.

Tested using both .2 and .23 gram BB's, the accuracy is much better than anticipated with fairly tight short-burst groupings out 75-80' or more. Man-size targets in the open within this range are in real trouble. At a distance of 30', the XK will cut aluminum soda cans in half in a matter of seconds. This gun was obviously designed and intended for airsoft gaming in close quarters, but believe it or not, the XK is accurate enough to enjoy short and medium range target shooting. I am impressed with the accuracy from a barrel this short and we have already had a ton of fun just shooting it.

We have other M4 magazines here so there will be no shortage of extra ammo to carry with the XK, but this one came with two mags (190 and 300 round) just in case it's your first or only M4. I always consider extras in the box a plus and worth mentioning.

Quite a bit of plastic was used in the design of the ECHO 1 M4 CQB XK. It is not nearly as impressive as metal airsoft guns for this reason, but it has a hefty feel and seems sturdy enough to me so I won't knock it for consisting of too much plastic just yet.

The sights are H&K type (not my favorite) but I suppose adequate for a small gun like this one. I prefer the flip-up style found on other M4 CQB models, and since the included sights are detachable, it will be a small matter to change these out if I decide to. Since it is without a stock, you can sight with this gun easily even when wearing a full face mask.

There are rails for adding accessories such as lasers, sights and flashlights. I have a Specter Gear high speed transition (HST) sling that attaches to the XK's swivel making this gun easy to carry.

We haven't used the XK long enough to comment on the 10.8V battery performance, life, etc. but, again, so far so good. The XK's battery has to be housed in a mock laser box externally. I generally don't care for the looks of this, but with a gun this small and compact there is nowhere else to place a battery so this is a necessary design.

If I have to add a complaint here, it is that this AEG is a bit pricey when compared to other comparable PDW and CQB style airsoft guns from the same manufacturer. At $200, the XK costs $20 to $40 more than its slightly larger brother, the Echo 1 M4 CQB. After all, the XK has a shorter barrel, no stock and inferior sights so it follows that it should cost a bit less if anything. I suppose that there is some novelty to owning a pint-size M4, and I guess ECHO 1 decided that this has to be worth something?

All that said, I'm very pleased with the purchase. This is a nasty little airsoft gun that will be extremely intimidating in close combat, especially indoors, and in my opinion, it is just a lot of fun to shoot whether you're into airsoft wars or not.

The above comments reflect my overall impression of the ECHO 1 M4 CQB XK AEG after expending several thousand rounds in one afternoon. However, based on my experience with other higher end ECHO 1 products, I believe that this gun will probably hold up well over time.

Finally, Shorty USA always gets our orders out promptly, and they have provided very good post sale customer service when needed. You simply can't go wrong buying here.

- haha echo1, May 13, 2009

well it's a chopped up m4 and it is amazing for cqb.i would never use this for far distance though - the barrel is way too short to have any accuracy. but the 10.8v battery pumps bbs out in a heartbeat. the average rpm is 800 to 925 and is very good considering it is such a small cuz the battery has to go in the laser box lol w/e good gun considering if you have more of a long range gun i wouldn't get it, if you have like a sniper though it would make a great sidearm considering its size

- bad *** midget m4, July 15, 2009

i just bought this gun and it is wayyy more than 360 fps. the rpm is insane considering its size. i got this gun because we play at my friend's apartment complex courtyard. i used my hk416 but it was too big and bulky to be able to avoid snipers and the other team's M4's. so i got on shorty to see what they had and i saw this and i had to have it.

pros- fps(close to medium range)
rpm
size
full metal
battery life (about 9 hours depending how much you shoot it)
QBC!!!!
two clips
looks
accuracy(close to medium range)

cons-weight(put a sling on it and it cuts the weight in half)
range(effective at close rang)
accuracy(close range)
that's it

this is a gun for experienced airsofters that know what they're doing. don't attempt to use this gun for long range shots. you will miss almost every time. it is an over-sized pistol that is a great sidearm perfect for snipers. it is also a good secondary or primary weapon but i recommend having a gun first that is superior in medium to long rang shots. if you buy this gun you will be saying wow and your opponents ouch every time.

- ECHO 1 M4 CQB XK (my newest favorite), July 21, 2009

I still like my ECHO 1 M5-J TFB because it is powerful and accurate, but the ECHO 1 M4 CQB XK I just got is fast becoming my newest favorite. This gun really rips and it is very easy to handle. With a single point sling, you can carry this all day without getting tired (can't do that with my 7-pound M5-J even with a sling). This is a great little combat gun. I really like it!

Things I like:

Short and easy to maneuver with the included foregrip.
Came with 190 and 300 round windup mags (the 190 looks really cool).
Other M4 mags fit in the XK.
Awesome sounding!
Fast rate of fire and better than average velocity - shreds pop cans like my M5-J TFB.
Great for close and medium range - accurate out to 30 yards or so.
Fun to target shoot with at closer ranges, just as accurate as my pistols, but lots more fire power!
Easy to sight with wearing a full face mask. This is a plus!
Has rails for adding accessories, scopes and such.
Very well constructed, no problems to report with performance or operation.
Did I say awesome sounding?

Things I don't like:

The ECHO 1 M4 CQB XK came with a large, blaze orange plastic flash hider. Yeah, I know something orange has to be installed for shipping and it is there for safety, but surely ECHO 1 knows we'd like to (and will) replace it temporarily for airsoft battles? This is the annoying part.

The XK flash hider has a set screw, an additional metal pin set in place and locktite was used in the CCW threads to secure it too! They really don't want you to take it off! The metal pin had to be removed by hand with a pin vise and small drill bit. The set screw requires a metric allen wrench. ECHO 1 assemblers disabled the first few threads (barrel side) with the metal pin placement leaving only 5 or 6 threads to add your own flash hider, mock silencer, etc. Not very many machinists have metric left-hand dies or thread chasers! A black spacer had to be used to cover the exposed final threads.

In my opinion, they should just use a set screw making it possible for users to remove the gorpy orange flash hider for covert ops, and put it back on for transport to and from wherever we're shooting. This seems the safest way to me. I use a red ECHO 1 barrel protector over my Element flash hider (both items found here at Shorty) for transporting the XK.

No other complaints. This is a great gun. I have fired more than 5000 rounds without a jam or misfeed...knock on wood. Because it is so compact, this will be carried along as my back-up. A single point sling is all you need to carry it ready to go, and I don't think it gets in the way carrying it with another assault rifle. I have the 25-inch case that works nicely with this gun, but it also fits in a small backpack if you just want to carry it with you.

Another great airsoft gun found on Shorty USA!

AJG

- Gotta have this gun!!, May 27, 2009

I read in previous reviews that this gun doesn't have good accuracy over longer distances. There's a reason for that and for why this gun has CQB in its title. Every gun has its purpose. This one is meant for close quarters combat (CQB) and what a beat it is!!! I recently added this to my arsenal and have zero regrets. For those that are looking for a pistol with gun-like power, this one is for you as well. It's heavy, but that's natural when you consider the metal construction of this weapon. Buy this weapon, you won't be disappointed !!!

- Surprisingly Okay, July 10, 2009

Now to explain my title of this review; I do not like the brand Echo 1, because they do not have very good internals. They put heavy springs in them and then put in poor quality gears and bushings. This gun I gave four stars - I really would have given it 3 and a half but i decided to be nice because it has some potential to be quite the little cannon. What I did with this gun was I put a double drum magazine on it, a bi-pod with a swivel mount, a swept back front grip, and a red dot sight. I use it when I use a sniper rifle and lay it at my side so I can use when it gets a little hot around my area. So now for a review.

Aesthetics:
The first thing I saw that I liked about this gun was that they numbered the RIS. That's what you usually get when buying an aftermarket rail system. The gun's body had some good looking markings on it. Mine are starting to wear off, because it doesn't seem like quality paint was used on it. One thing I didn't like with mine is that the orange tip I found a little difficult to take off. It might have just been mine, but I had to start sanding it, but now it finally doesn't have that blaze orange tip on it. The gun itself, with the parts I put on it, looks really good. I also liked that you can take the very cheesy looking iron sights off. I have to say that Echo 1 actually did a good job with the looks of this gun.

Performance:
Now I will talk about the internals of this gun next, but for now I will talk about how it performed with the internals it already had, and with what I put in it. This gun, out of the box, is very fun to shoot. When I charged it up and put about two thousand rounds through it to break it in, I went to the chronograph to see how hot it was shooting. I was shooting just a bit higher than shorty's stats. I hit around 376 /- a few. It shot at a nice consistency, and shot with a fast rate of fire. Now I have seen a few people talk about its accuracy not being the best because of its short barrel, but you really can't expect it to be as accurate as a tight bore sniper rifle barrel. Sure you can really get a tight bore barrel to get better shot groupings and accuracy, but it might be a tad bit hard with this size of barrel. For what this gun is intended for, the accuracy is perfect. The hop-up works well on it, but you should get an aftermarket bucking for it. With its stock internals it shot dandy for the most part. It kept at a consistent ROF, it had a /- 5 with its FPS, and it hit around 140-150 feet. Now with the internals i put in it, it had a faster ROF, I kept it at about the same FPS, maybe about 10 higher than stock. Lastly though it kept in tighter grouping than the stock internals.

Internal:
Even thought the small review that Shorty's gives, says that the internals are par none, I highly disagree. The gear box was decent, but it was smeared all over with some bad gun grease. The bushings were made out of pot metal. After only putting a few thousand rounds through it, the gears were already worn, and the piston had two teeth broken off. So I put in some Prometheus gears and a Systema piston and piston head, just to name a couple. I also want to see if I can find a Prometheus inner barrel but it probably won't happen. With some decent internals and gun grease, you can have a nice little gun that will last you a while.

Magazine:
I didn't feel like going back and writing this part in so here it is. The magazines it comes with are fairly nice. The 190 round capacity magazine looks really nice on it, and it performs fairly well. It only misfeeds a few times, but I wasn't expecting a top of the line magazine. The high cap one, on the other hand, misfeed quite a few times, and it rattled... a lot. So i went with the not so quiet, electric drum magazine.

Conclusion:
So overall, this is a nice gun. Coming in at 15 inches and only weighing 6.5 pounds, this is a nice cqb gun, or you can set it up to be a cool little turret or side gun, like I use it. I have also put it to a bi-pod on a ledge to grab real quick to be used as a turret, but it all depends on how we set up our playing field. If you buy this gun and if you want it to last, you will have to upgrade it, but other than that, it is a great gun.

-twoarmy-