Elite Force VR16 Avalon Saber Carbine Gen 2
Today we will look at the newly updated VR-16 Avalon series of guns brought to us by Elite Force and manufactured by VFC.
The VR-16 lineup of airsoft guns is made by VFC for Elite Force and represents VFC's interpretation of the M4/AR style rifles. These AEGs are the top dogs in the airsoft world and feature many things that make them a solid choice for serious players. The Avalon in the gun's name represents the latest generation of VFC internals offered exclusively with their partnership with Elite Force. Recently, the 2nd generation of the Avalons has been introduced.
VFC has been making guns and airsoft parts for a long time, and they have evolved over the years to become a force to be reckoned with. And that is what you should expect out of these guns. The features and performance are all great, and VFC doesn't take any risks by introducing wild features to get your attention. They are about consistency and performance through and through, and no-nonsense players will enjoy these rifles the most.
Elite Force VR16 Avalon Calibur Carbine Gen 2
Externals
First of all, these are all metal guns. You may see some cheap full metal guns out there, and they certainly get the job done. These cheaper full metal guns are often heavier, using lower grades of metal to get you that feel and durability, but often with an unrealistic weight. VFC guns use a higher grade of aluminum, so they are still tough and sturdy and bear a weight resembling a real AR or closer to it. Either way, you cut it. The cheap metal guns do the same job, but the finish and refinement are much more noticeable in the VFCs.
Keeping with the trends, these rifles will have a rail system of some sort- they can be used in configurations that feature MLOK or Keymod-compatible rail systems. These will be free-floating, meaning the handguard makes no contact around any of the barrels. This aids in accuracy in real firearms because the pressure on a handguard that touches the barrel can affect accuracy. It is debatable in airsoft, but this is replicated in these guns.
Elite Force VR16 Avalon Saber CQB Gen 2
The gun is adorned with VFC's QRS furniture, including a nice grip, battery compartment stock, and a cool 120-round mid-capacity magazine. The grip has a pleasant texture, and the stock is designed to house airsoft batteries and make it easy to get to. The QRS 120-round magazines feature a cool texture and contours that serve an aesthetic purpose and make it functional by making it easier to grab. High-cap versions of this are also available.
The controls, such as the magazine release and selector, are ambidextrous. The fake bolt locks back when you pull the charging handle, which makes it easy to adjust the hop-up. The bolt release is functional and will close the fake bolt when pressed. The flat-faced trigger also looks great and hints at the performance beneath.
Internals
This is where the heart of the gun lies -- the 2nd generation Avalon version 2 gearbox. For newbies, version 2 refers to the gearbox's form factor. The version 2 is a prominent design and is what is in all M4-style guns, though every manufacturer has their take on it. The Avalon 8mm gearboxes feature a quick-change spring guide, built-in protection MOSFET, and some of the best air-seal tuning out of the box I have ever seen.
Everything is precision crafted and fits beautifully, and the quality control is top-notch. Air seal tuning is important because the maker is squeezing the most performance while maintaining efficiency to ensure your electrical system gets the most with the least effort. Additionally, if your gun works less hard to achieve the same FPS as other brands, your gearbox should last longer due to less stress.
Elite Force VR16 Avalon Calibur CQB Gen 2
Paired with this amazing gearbox is a brass 6.03mm tight bore barrel installed in a rotary dial hop-up unit for ease of adjustment. The gun shoots accurately and operates smoothly. I cannot emphasize enough that these guns are a pleasure to shoot, and they sound.
Performance
On paper performance, most airsoft guns look similar. It is hard to convey what this gun shoots like, so I implore you to check out our YouTube video accompanying this blog. In a nutshell, though, this gun lives up to its hype. These guns are stated to shoot about 380-400 fps on .20g, which is a generous spread and is up there with outdoor field limits. Again, on paper, it's not a big deal because even cheap guns can do it.
In testing, though, with this VFC and others, we found the FPS on the upper end of that spread, usually at 400 or more. This test gun I used for this review is shooting 420 FPS! The deviation we saw in chrono testing was less than 5 FPS shot to shot. That is an insanely consistent performance. This shows how good the air seal tuning is, the quality and care in manufacture, and the overall quality you can expect.
And all their guns will shoot like this. The rate of fire was reasonable, too. We get about 25 to 27 rounds per second, given the MOSFET and more speedy nature of VFC's setups. My test gun was getting into the mid-20s as well, but I think with the more challenging shooting spring, it is not as fast as other VFCs I've shot. These are still a high rate-of-fire (and excellent trigger response) out of the box!
These guns look and feel great and are the guns you want if you value top-notch, consistent performance without any gimmicks. If you are moving up to a pro-line level, VFC guns should be the standard by which others are judged. A lot of guns can shoot hard or accurately -- VFC guns do all that but with a level of refinement that is not matched by others.
