Specna Arms SA-F03

The Specna Arms FLEX™ line was designed with the objective of outdoing their renowned CORE™ line in the lightweight, low-cost AEG game. Specna has maintained the robust, reliable, and simple internals that made the CORE™ series such impressive and dependable platforms and has replaced some of the alloy components present in the CORE™ line with fiber-reinforced polymer parts, even further reducing the overall weight of the rifle and increasing its resistance to scratches.

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Starting at the tip of the alloy outer barrel we can find an alloy birdcage flash hider, which mounts to the 14mm CCW male threads. The birdcage has the classic M4/AR15 look, but can easily be swapped out for a muzzle brake for a more custom style, a tracer unit for come CQB action, or a suppressor if you have more of a sneaky play style.

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Surrounding the outer barrel we are treated to a high-density polymer M-LOK handguard, with attachment slots at the 1:30, 3, 4:30, 6, 7:30, 9, and 10:30 positions. This opens up the chance to mount your mission essentials at offset angles for greater flexibility when setting up your rifle. The handguard is compatible with both 20mm Picatinny rail sections for M-LOK and M-LOK accessories, giving you the option to mount more available 20mm accessories using rail adapters or directly mounting M-LOK parts for a more sleek and dynamic-looking setup. 

The 12 o'clock position provides a full-length 20mm Picatinny rail which integrates seamlessly with the receiver rail to allow for longer optical sights to be used or red dot sight magnifier combos. As it arrives, the SA-F03 is equipped with a pair of flip-up aperture iron sights, both of which are fully adjustable for windage and elevation. The sights can be deployed by pressing the textured tabs on each, which will snap the sights into position under spring pressure. To stow the sights, simply push them back down and they will lock into place.

As we arrive at the receiver, we see a familiar sight; M4/AR15 controls, with a well-placed fire selector sitting beneath a right-handed shooters thumb, a dummy bolt catch in the center of the receiver on the left side, and the magazine release, which is located on the magazine well on the right side of the AEG. 

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The controls on the SA-F03 are set up for right-handed users but can be operated by a left-handed user without issue after a bit of practice. The fire selector provides 3 modes of fire, SAFE-SEMI, and AUTO, which are denoted by recessed text surrounding the fire selector lever. Each fire mode has a 90-degree throw between, making it super easy to switch from SAFE to SEMI as you bring the AEG up and align the sights. The magazine release is protected by a molded in "fence" which protects the release from inadvertently being pushed as your rifle brushes against your kit. 

The charging handle is positioned at the top rear of the receiver and features an extended latch that protrudes on the left side for fast access and one-handed operation. When the charging handle is pulled, the dust cover on the right side will open, and the mock bolt carrier will retract, revealing the rotary HOP-up unit within. This device allows the user to adjust the amount of backspin applied to the BB and tune it to provide optimum range and a stable flight path with various weights of BBs. For the SA-F03, we recommend 0.25g BBs for the best combination of projectile speed, wind resistance, and range.

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The pistol grip provided on the SA-F03 is an "A2" finger-ridged type, with diamond checkering on either side and linear grooves on the rear to provide a positive grip. The A2 grip finds its way onto many M4/AR15 AEGs, primarily due to its classic looks and its suitability for a variety of hand types. This grip has a nice large motor adjustment screw, which is great to see as more affordable replicas often use a small grub screw for this role, which we have often found to be inadequate. 

The SA-F03 also uses the M4/AR15 modular trigger guard system, allowing the trigger guard to be changed out for an enlarged one, as long as the replacement guard is of AEG spec. The pre-installed trigger guard is a standard M4A1 flat type, made from polymer to keep the build lightweight. 

Moving to the rear, we can find a 6-position M4/AR15 buffer tube, constructed from the same high-density polymer as the receiver. This keeps the build light and prevents your buffer tube from becoming worn from constant stock adjustments, which often removes the finish on metal buffer tubes and makes them look tatty. The crane battery stock runs on this buffer tube and can be adjusted to any of the 6 positions by holding down the textured adjustment lever on the bottom of the stock and adjusting it to the desired length. 

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On either side of the stock, we can find QD sling sockets, which when coupled with a QD sling stud, can provide a flexible sling setup with quick-release functionality. The battery compartment of the SA-F03 is within its crane stock and can house up to a 7.4V 1300 mAh LiPo battery in a nunchuck/crane configuration. The battery compartment can be accessed through the butt plate of the stock. This can be achieved by pushing the two protruding tabs at the toe of the stock together, and then through the stock to the rear, after which the butt plate can be pulled downwards, and removed. With the butt plate removed, you can remove the battery compartment plug, and insert your battery into the "cheeks" of the stock, connecting up the mini-Tamiya connector found inside the buffer tube to your battery.

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If you are looking for something to cut around with when your arms are burning from running a full metal rifle all day, the FLEX™ series would suit the role well thanks to its lightweight yet robust construction. Equally, if you have upgraded your primary AEG extensively on the inside for high performance and you need a dependable backup for the event that your primary goes down mid-skirmish, the SA-F03 is equipped for the job and can hold its own in most scenarios thanks to its upgraded tight bore inner barrel and modern rotary adjustable HOP-up unit. For new players, particularly those with lower physical strength, the SA-F03 will have you as well equipped to rack up the kills as most full metal AEGs would, with the added benefit that if yours takes a bump or scrape it will still maintain its finish, and good looks!