Elite Force is one of the most trusted names in the airsoft world. The company not only has a terrific array of airsoft guns and gear but, also, is based in the United States. The Elite Force 4CRL is the company’s field-rated airsoft rifle, and is the big brother to the Elite Force 4CRS – their CQB-rated airsoft rifle.
Design
Appropriately, it has a long overall length of 35 inches and features a fixed, M-16 style stock. The rifle comes with a distinctive and attractive orange flash hider (something that CAN’T be said for most airsoft guns) and flip up front and rear iron sights. The orange flash hider design is taken from the MK 12 Special Purpose Rifle, or “SPR”, that is one of the many rifles used by U.S. Special Operations Forces. The Elite Force 4CRL is actually a classy hybrid of several rifle styles – from the M-4 style rail system to the SPR flash hider to the M-16 style stock; It all blends together into a beautiful airsoft rifle that you won’t be disappointed to field. In terms of its overall look, the one thing that bothered me was its “short” (in comparison to overall length) rail system. The rail system only measures about 7 inches in length and, if you have longer arms, you may be a little hard-pressed to use the thumb-over-bore shooting grip with your support hand.
That being said, I have seen several customized Elite Force 4CRLs with the rail system exchanged for a longer one and the gun is completely upgradable in this respect. In fact, the 4CRL is upgradable in just about every respect, and makes for a great base gun to build on if you are a technically-minded airsofter. I have also seen several customized versions of the rifle with the fixed stock changed out in favor of a collapsible, M-4 style stock. That way, the airsoft player has more options on the length the gun sticks out from the shooter’s body. To make a long story short: You have a lot of options with how this gun looks and functions if you are not happy with its already-stylish, out-of-the box design.
Performance
Before getting the chance to use the Elite Force 4CRL, I spoke to several players who recommended that we check it out, boasting how well the rifle performed in their games. I was very happy to find out that these players were not simply talking out of the side of their mouths as the Elite Force 4CRL is the real deal. At first, I thought the airsoft rifle was constructed with a nylon fiber receiver as there was no way a full length rifle would weigh so little. I was wrong – the receiver is full metal and the entire gun weighs about 6 lbs. This actually pretty standard for an airsoft rifle of this type – it just feels a lot lighter because of its proportions. Much like a bullpup style rifle, the weight of the 4CRL is closer to the body of the shooter as it has a short rail system and full, fixed-stock. Because of this, the Elite Force 4CRL is actually a lot more maneuverable and easier to wield than most M-16 style airsoft guns.
Official Features & Specifications:
- 400 FPS w/.20g
- Full metal CNC’s Body
- Full Metal Gearbox/Gears
- 300-round Hi-Cap
- Front and Rear Metal Flip Sights
- Newly Designed Full Metal Quad-Rail
- SPR Flash Hider
- Contoured Trigger Guard
- Textured Nylon Fiber Grip
- Fixed Rear Stock
- Functional Bolt Catch
- Full Length Top Rail
- Metal Outer Barrel w/ NATO 5.56 Trademarks
- Full Elite Force Trademarks
- Li-Po Ready
- 1 Year Warranty
With the large, fixed stock, you can fit a whole host of battery types and sizes inside. Nowadays, everyone seems to want to use high-output lipo batteries. So, I wanted to make sure I tried one in the Elite Force 4CRL. I had no problem running an 11.1V 15C lipo battery in the gun. Over the course of several games, I didn’t run into any bad overheating moments or metltdowns – something I, unfortunately, encountered with a WE Katana AEG a while back. It may go without saying, but I would not run an 8.4V NiMH or 7.6V lipo battery in the Elite Force 4CRL. It is just far more capable than either class of battery would allow it to be.
While you can run an 11.1V lipo in the gun – for my everyday usage, I stick with a 9.6V NiMH nun-chuck style battery. They are reliable, have a low-chance of exploding on you, and are a lot easier to charge. I chronographed the rifle at at both SC Village in Norco, CA and Hollywood Sports Park in Bellflower, CA and the results were really close to the advertised rating. Keep in mind, I run .25g BBs in all of my magazines and the 4CRL was clocked at 382 FPS at SC Village and 386 FPS at Hollywood Sports Park. This is definitely in keeping with the 400 FPS rating using .20g BBs. The Elite Force 4CRL’s rate of fire is very good for a stock gun, and we got chrono readings of about 15 rounds per second with a 9.6V battery. If you are seeking a higher rate of fire, you could stick an 11.1V in it and reach about 20 rounds per second.
The airsoft gun was also very accurate, thanks to a reliable, rotary hop-up unit the rotates around the axis of the bore. This design is much more stable than hop up units that rotate perpendicular to the axis of the bore and means your shots will be more consistent. The included 300-round high capacity magazine fits reasonably well, with only a modicum of wobble.
Conclusion
Retailing for about $370 dollars, the Elite Force 4CRL is an exceptional out-of-the box airsoft rifle that will last you for a long time – even without performing any internal upgrades. Then, if you decide you want to upgrade the gun, you will find it very easy to tech and fully-compatible with TM, Ver.2 gearbox parts. I have had the pleasure of reviewing several airsoft guns for our column – this was, by far, one of the best I have had the pleasure of playing with – so much so that I am awarding it our GamingShogun.com Seal of Excellence.
You can purchase the Elite Force 4CRL at online airsoft retailers like Evike, AirsoftGI, AirsoftMegastore, and many others.
[easyreview title=”Elite Force 4CRL AEG Airsoft Gun Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]
[button target=”_blank” style=”” class=”btn_blue” link=”http://gamingshogun.com/gamingshogun-rating-system/”]Learn About Our Rating System[/button]
Product Videos
Basic Product Overview
Elite Force 6mm Xtreme Challenge using the 4CRL and featuring Jet “Desert Fox” Castillo
