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    Pro-Arms 40mm Grenade Revolver


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    Pro-Arms 40mm Grenade Revolver review by Booligan
    Discuss this review HERE
    Table of Contents:
    Introduction
    Ordering
    First impressions/Packaging
    Gun Specifications
    Externals
    Magazines
    Performance
    Internals
    Modifications
    Pros/Cons
    Overall
    Introduction
    In airsoft, two of the most intimidating guns that one can own are a Barrett .50 caliber replica, and a 6 shot revolver 40mm grenade launcher. I already own two Barretts, so I suppose that it is only appropriate that I am now reviewing the Pro-Arms Grenade Revolver, courtesy of Evike! This thing is a weapon of mass destruction, capable of raining down hundreds of rounds on your opponent within a few seconds. It is small, incredibly heavy, and certainly not for everyone, but it has its place on the field, and possibly in your collection!
    Ordering:
    I obtained this hefty launcher directly from Evike, where it is currently available HERE in tan, or HERE in black. The tan launcher, which I am reviewing today, is currently priced at $180.00. The gun shipped to me was their display model, so it has some cosmetic nicks and scratches, but it's a solid gun. The gun arrived 2 days after it was ordered, using Evike's free UPS ground shipping option. I always suggest checking out your chosen retailer's coupon codes, as most retailers offer a free or discounted shipping option.
    First impressions/Packaging:
    The launcher came packaged in a plain brown cardboard box with a Pro-Arms sticker on the front. The box has a few small cardboard supports inside to keep everything secure during shipping, and it did a fine job at that. Aside from the launcher, there was nothing else included, however, there's really not much to this thing, and aside from grenade shells, there's really not anything else that you need.
    Gun Specifications:
    Weight: 11 lbs empty (!)
    Length: 16"
    Width: Â 5 7/16"
    Height: 8"
    Externals:
    Given that this launcher weighs 11 lbs empty, it clearly is made predominately out of metal. The only plastic parts on the gun are the pistol grip, and the 6-shot cylinder. Everything else is made out of metal, which make this one heavy beast.
    From this point, click all photos to enlarge
    th_DSC_6099.jpg
    External overview
    The gun is equipped with an ergonomic pistol grip, which fits quite well in your hand. At the front of the grip, you will find a metal trigger guard, which is pretty roomy, although users wearing thick gloves may want a little more wiggle room. The grip is attached to a solid receiver, which houses a very large push button safety, as well as the cylinder locking latch. Pro-Arms has included an ambidextrous QD sling mount receptacle at the rear of the receiver, which is ready for you to use with your choice of QD sling mount.
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    Receiver
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    Trigger and guard
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    QD sling mount
    The heart of this launcher is the six shot 40mm cylinder, which houses the shells that give the gun its pop. The cylinder is one of the rare non-metal parts of this gun, which offers you a little bit of a weight savings in an otherwise stout build. The cylinders are limited in length, meaning that you are limited in the maximum length of shell that you can use. The maximum length shell that I would recommend is 4.5" overall length. The cylinder is pre-tensioned by winding it counterclockwise (as viewed from the rear), giving you semi-automatic firing, with one shot per trigger pull. A brief word of caution: DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THE PRE-TENSIONER. Only rotate it 8-9 clicks, or it can break.
    th_DSC_6105.jpg
    Cylinder
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    Cylinder and rotation locking assembly
    The gun is a breach opening design, which is held closed by a top mounted locking lever. When released, the front of the gun will tilt forward, allowing you to load your shells in. If the locking latch doesn't line up properly, you can adjust how everything lines up using the two bottom mounted screws at the front of the cylinder.
    th_DSC_6104.jpg
    Locking latch
    th_DSC_6107.jpg
    Cylinder opened up
    In front of the cylinder, you will find the barrel, which is also full metal. The barrel is pretty short, only about 5.5" from cylinder to muzzle. Attached to the barrel, you will find a vertical foregrip, which is attached with a mount that is tightened onto the outer barrel. You can move it forward and backward to fit your size and stance, just don't move it too far forward or you may shoot yourself in the finger!
    th_DSC_6111.jpg
    Front assembly
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    Muzzle
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    Vertical grip
    th_DSC_6112.jpg
    Chamber locking nut
    There are no iron sights on the gun, however, there is a 6.5" long 20mm rail that you can mount your choice of optic on. The rail appears to be made to spec, and I didn't have any issues mounting any of my optics on it.
    th_DSC_6110.jpg
    Top rail
    Overall, this thing is a tank, and is pretty solid. I needed to tighten a few nuts and bolts, as well as replace one of the lower screws, but overall, I'm pleased with the externals of the launcher. The one thing to look out for is that you don't overtighten the pre-tensioner, as it is possible to break the internal spring, or sheer off the little locking lug that makes the whole thing work.
    Magazines:
    As this is a 40mm grenade launcher, this gun doesn't use magazines, instead relying on your choice of 40mm shells inserted into the cylinder. As mentioned earlier, you are limited in the maximum length of your shells, so you need to keep them under 4.5" total length. Otherwise, basically any 40mm shells will work, and I've tested it with KA, Madbull, S-Thunder, and ICS shells with no issues, aside from length compatibility problems.
    th_DSC_6115.jpg
    Cylinder compared with Madbull 120 round shell
    Performance:
    As this launcher is mainly a tool used to fire your chosen 40mm shells, the performance really depends on the shells that you use. The outer barrel does give you some room for the cloud of BBs to pick up speed before leaving the launcher, giving you a nice range bump. The gun will fire about as fast as you can pull the trigger, and the rotation of the cylinder gives the gun an interesting recoil feeling, as the whole gun kicks to the side. You can dump the whole cylinder in about 3 seconds, and rain BB hell onto your opponents.
    Here is a quick video of the launcher in operation:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcHCt9DhRas
    Internals:
    There are really no internals to speak of with the launcher, as it operates on a very simple firing system. Basically, when you pull the trigger, a rod is extended towards the rear of the chambered shell, and once it is released, the clockspring system rotates the cylinder to chamber the next shell. It's all very simple, and the biggest potential issue is with the clockspring system, which must not be overtightened.
    Modifications:
    Right from the get-go, you will probably want to add some sights to the launcher. 40mm grenades aren't really precision instruments, but having some sort of aiming device is a good idea. I've mounted up a replica C-More sight to mine, and I love the way it looks. Other than that, I can see people attaching stocks to it, to help balance the gun out a bit and make it a little easier to handle.
    th_DSC_6016.jpg
    Pros:
    It's a 6 shot 40mm launcher!
    Full metal body
    Fairly comfortable to handle
    Includes sling mounting receptacles
    Much cheaper than the CAW model
    Cons:
    HEAVY
    Requires 6 grenade shells ($30-80 each)
    Touchy clockspring system
    Overall:
    Frankly, I really needed to add this to my armory, as I like to specialize in big, bad weapons. This thing is relatively compact, but holds a tremendous amount of firepower. It's heavy, too big to use as a sidearm, and really quite irrational to rock as a primary, as you only have 6 shots, but it is just so incredibly cool, that I will absolutely use it in games. I used to go out with a single shot 40mm launcher as my primary gun, and was relatively effective with it. Now that I have 5 more rounds between reloads, I think I can use this quite effectively.
    Many thanks again to Evike and of course, Airsoft Retreat!