I’m pretty sure I have never made an Interview for Barra before in any of my past SHOT Show Videos, so I was really happy when I visited their booth and discovered a bunch of really great new products to talk about with GEO. Like many other Airgun companies, Barra does incorporate rebranded products from other manufacturer popular Airguns, but they also have some unique products I have never seen before. They are either working really closely with dedicated manufacturing companies or making these items in house. Either way it’s great to see new and interesting products.
Some of the products Geo went over with me in this SHOT Show 2024 Barra Interview where: The Barra CO2 1866 Lever Action Rifle, some Rifled Pellet Barrel Kits for the Schofield Revolver and 1866 Rifle, the 1858 CO2 BB Revolver, the 357 Shell Loading CO2 Revolver, the 400 AEG Airsoft Rifle and two new nameless Airguns they are still working on and perfecting, a full Blowback Competition Style BB/Airsoft Pistol and a compact AEG Airsoft Rifle.
It was great talking with the team over at the Barra Booth and I look forward to testing out their new items as they become available.
I love making these Mystery Box Unboxing Videos as many of the items inside are actually real mysteries to me, some I may have an idea of but even these items are new to me so it’s fun to open them up and check them all out. In this October 2023 Mystery Box Video I checkout 9 items ranging from AEG Airsoft Rifles to Airsoft , BB and Pellet Pistols. There is even a new Steel BB product from Sig Sauer that is a compact rifle with a 3 round burst option when shooting.
Last week I individually tested out the Barra Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 and the Krytac LVOA-C AEG Airsoft Rifles here in the Replica Airguns Indoor Sea Can Shooting Range to see how well they would perform. I was very surprised at how closely they performed considering the Barra Black Ops is around a quarter of the cost of the Krytac LVOA-C.
My testing in the Indoor Sea Can is a bit limited in terms of range as I can only set a target to about 30 feet away given the limitations of my 40 foot Sea Cam. I really wanted to take both of these AEG Airsfot Rifles and test them out at much longer ranges to see if the much lower cost Barra Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 could compete with the Krytac LVOA-C Airsoft Rifle at 50 feet and 100 feet respectively. So that’s exactly what I did! I did use a bit heavier Airsoft BB’s (.28 gram) for the longer range outdoors and much windier shooting conditions but I do have to say it was a bit windy on my testing day which I am sure played a roll.
I did place a few pre-test shots downrange at my 100 foot target to get an idea of where I needed to place my aim point and this did help me a bit to get in the ball park but by no way was a bang on in terms of sighting in. Because of this I did have to make some on-the-fly adjustments as I tested but was able to get rounds on paper at 100 feet even with the wind gusts.
In this first video I test out the cheaper option Barra Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 AEG Airsoft Rifle on its own, my next video will be exclusively the Krytac LVOA-C AEG Airsoft Rifle in which I will wrap up with my conclusion of both AEG Airsoft Rifles. I think you will be surprised at the results but you will have to wait a bit to find out!
In this Field Test Shooting Review Video I try out the low cost BARRA Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 AEG Airsoft Rifle to see if you can actually get a decent performing AEG Airsoft Rifle for around $200 Canadian that comes with everything you need to get started including the battery, charger, cleaning rod and even a small bag of AIrsoft BB’s. As always I test the velocity and the accuracy so you can compare it to previous Field Test Videos I have made for similar AEG Airsoft guns, most being a lot more expensive. If you have not watched my Table Top Video Review then make sure to do so for specifications, details and more closeup video of the BARRA Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 AEG Airsoft Rifle.
Starting with the velocity, I ended up shooting 11 rounds through my Chronograph because I was a little bit in disbelief at all the duplicate fps shots I was getting (basically this means they where mostly all the same fps at 373) I did end up getting an 11 shot average of 373 fps with the slowest hitting 370 fsp and the fastest at 374, and again pretty much all the rest where right on 373 fps. I was using .20 gram Airsoft BB’s for this test which explains the lower than 420 fps claimed by the manufacturer using .12 gram BB’s. 373 fps, so 737 fps is right on point and very usable in most Airsoft game situations.
So with that really great velocity result in the books, I then moved on to my accuracy test. As always I setup a fresh paper target 30 feet downrange and shot in both semi and full auto to see what kind of groupings I could get from the BARRA Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 AEG Airsoft Rifle. I stayed with the .20 gram Airsoft BB’s and sat in a somewhat rested shooting position with a sandbag upfront and sitting on a stool in the back. My 10 shot semi-auto grouping was an impressive 1 inch, just a bit lower and to the right of the bullseye using the fiber optic non-adjustable sights. I would need to use the pop-up sights to adjust for windage and could have brought up the rounds a bit using hop-up, or one could put a red dot on the top rail for bang-on shot placement. In full Auto the grouping opened up to around 2 inches in right about the same location but this was easily over 100+ shots, so again an excellent result from the BARRA Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 AEG Airsoft Rifle!
Every once in a while you come across an underdog type Airgun that on paper and based on low cost you are not expecting to see amazing results from. The BARRA Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 AEG Airsoft Rifle is one such AEG Airsoft Rifle that overachieved my expectations by a lot, and I would say performed as well as any AEG Airsoft Rifle out there at even much higher price points. All of my testing was performed using the included 8.4 volt battery which worked well but I did find the rate of fire was a bit slower than if I was using a higher volt 11.1 volt battery. My advice if you do end up picking up the BARRA Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 AEG Airsoft Rifle and want a higher round per minute full auto, then at any time you can upgrade your battery and charger to a higher volt one. So what are you waiting for?
Type: Airsoft Rifle. Manufacturer: BARRA. Model: Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 Materials: Mostly plastic. Weight: 4.8 pounds (2.2 kilograms). Length: 29-32.5 inches (737-825.5mm) BarrelLength: 12 inches (305mm) inner 6.08mm non-rifled. Propulsion: AEG. Action: Semi & Full Auto SAO. AmmunitionType: 6mm Airsoft BB's. AmmunitionCapacity: Mid Cap 300 rounds. FPS: 420 with .12 gram Airsoft BB’s.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the BARRA Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 AEG Airsoft Rifle is a SAO light and short trigger, typical of most AEG Airsoft guns having basically a trigger that is an electrical on/off switch. The trigger pressure I would say as about medium for this type of trigger and about a 1/4 inch in length. It has a curved metal trigger and works well in general.
Accuracy: I have not Field Test Reviewed the BARRA Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 AEG Airsoft Rifle, or tried it out yet as it is this is the first time I have seen this AEG. BARRA claims around a 420 fps using fairly light .12 gram Airsoft BB’s but I generally test using standard .20 gram Airsoft BB’s to keep my Field Test Shooting Reviews consistent. I would expect the velocity to be in the mid 300’s using .20 gram BB’s but we will find out when I do my actual Field Test Shooting Video for it. The same goes for accuracy, we will have to wait till my shooting video to know how the BARRA Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 AEG Airsoft Rifle performs on a paper target.
Build Quality: The BARRA Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 AEG Airsoft Rifle is pretty basic and made mostly out of plastic on the outside with the exception of some mechanical parts like the inner barrel, buffer tube, selector switch, trigger, magazine release, charging handle and a few other pins and screws. everything else is plastic including the magazine but the BARRA Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 AEG Airsoft Rifle does use standard AR type magazines so if you have some in metal you can use them. The plastic seems to be made of decent quality and the fit and finish is good overall.
Realism: Even though the BARRA Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 AEG Airsoft Rifle may not have much metal in the build, at least in terms of the receiver and forward grip, it does look the part of an AR, perhaps a bit lighter but not bad considering all the plastic on the outside. Almost all the mechanical parts work as expected except for the bolt release since it does not stay back when you pull the charging handle back for access to the hop-up. You will have to hold the charging handle back to adjust the hop-up but not a big deal.
Pros:
Very affordable on a tight budget.
Comes with charger and 8.4 volt Ni-MH battery.
Lots of mounting points for accessories.
Dual position sights, fiber optic when down, adjustable for windage when up.
6 position rear stock for different shoulder pull lengths.
Adjustable hop-up under dust cover.
Semi and full auto.
Finger groves on pistol grip for added comfort and they look cool.
Black Ops branding looks good.
Good looking AR-15 Replica.
Cons:
Mostly all Plastic build.
Need to hold back charging handle to access hop-up.
Sights only adjustable for windage.
Comments:
The BARRA Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 AEG Airsoft Rifle may not have a lot of metal going on but that will bring the price tag down a lot and on the plus side it does come with everything you need to get up and running including the battery, charger and even a small back of Airsoft BB’s that won’t last long ;) I also l like the dual position iron sights that when flat utilize fiber optics front and back and when in the popped up position give you the standard peep in the back which is adjustable for windage. If you want to add a red dot, optical sight or other accessories there are lots of mounting points on the forward grip for this. Another nice touch is you also do get a metal gearbox so internal mechanical longevity should be good. If you want to take the plunge and get started with Airsoft and see if it fits for you then the BARRA Black Ops M4 Viper MK5 AEG Airsoft Rifle is a great way to test the waters and see how you like it.
In this Field Test Shooting Video I test out the BARRA 400e Full Auto AEG 4.5mm BB Rifle to test out the velocity along with the accuracy and also get an idea on what the rate of fire is in Full Auto mode as on the box it claims 550 rounds per minute using what I would assume is a 7.4 volt battery. I wanted to test the BARRA 400e using an 11.1 volt battery but mine died on me. I will more than likely make a short video where I test out the 11.1 volt battery to see how this effects the rate of fire. If you want more information on specifications and details for the BARRA 400e then check my Table Table Video for it here.
Starting with testing out the Velocity for the BARRA 400e Full Auto AEG 4.5mm BB Rifle I shoot 6 rounds through my Chronograph to average out the fps and I was able to average 385 fps which is fairly close to the claimed 410 fps. Temperature does not effect an AEG as no CO2 is being used. Battery voltage also does not effect velocity as long as there is enough voltage to make the AEG motor pull the spring all the way back. Only trigger delay and rounds per minute are effected by battery voltage.
Moving on to my accuracy findings, I loaded up a full 50 round magazine and first unloaded 10 rounds fairly quickly into my paper target setup 30 feet down range shooting from a seated shooting position with the BARRA 400e resting on a sand bag up front. I was impressed to get close to a 1 inch 10 round grouping that placed just a little to the left and down from the bullseye right out of the box. I could easily center the sights as they are fully adjustable. I then switched the BARRA 400e Full Auto AEG 4.5mm BB Rifle to full auto and shot the remaining 40 or so rounds into the same paper target and even though the grouping opened up a little bit, it was not by much so accuracy in semi and full auto is very good with the BARRA 400e.
I have to say the rate of fire on the BARRA 400e Full Auto AEG 4.5mm BB Rifle using a 7.4 volt battery is rather slow even compared to other Airsoft AEG Full Auto Airguns but I still yet have to test it out using a brand new 11.1 volt Lithium battery so I do expect the rate of fire to improve a noticeable amount. Stay posted for that update video. Even with the slower rate of fire from the BARRA 400e this gun is awesome, it is really accurate and the velocity stays super consistent since CO2 cool down is not a factor. The mostly all metal construction and overall quality is very good and the fact that this is really the first commercial AEG 4.5mm Steel BB Rifle makes that alone a great reason to pick one up.
Type:BB Rifle. Manufacturer: BARRA. Model: BARRA 400e. Materials: Mostly Metal with some plastic. Weight: 7.5 pounds (3.4 kilograms). Length: 42.25 inches (1073mm). Propulsion: AEG (with Deans Connectors). Action: Semi & Full Auto. Ammunition Type: 4.5mm steel BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 50 rounds. (1000 shots per battery charge Aprox.) FPS: 410fps. Rate of Fire: 550+ rounds per minute in full auto (depending on battery voltage).
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the BARRA 400e AEG Full Auto BB Rifle like other AEG Rifles is not mechanical per say as it is essentially electrical driven so basically it is an on off switch that is closest in feel to a single action only trigger since it is light and short. You will notice a slight delay between pressing the trigger and the actual round being fired since the trigger activates a motor which first pulls the air spring back, once the spring is fully drawn back it releases and compresses the air which then propelled the 4.5mm steel BB. The higher voltage battery you use will shorten the delay as the motor will spin faster and pull back the spring quicker allowing for less noticeable delay and also a higher rate of full auto fire.
Accuracy: I have not Field Test Reviewed the BARRA 400e AEG Full Auto BB Rifle or even tried it out yet as it does not come with a battery or charger and as it uses a Deans connector I will need to get a battery that not only fits this gun size-wise but also has a Deans connector on it. Once I have this battery I will be able to make my Field Test Shooting Video for it. It should have a very consistent velocity since there is no CO2 cool down to factor in so each shot when I Chronograph it should be very similar in fps. I also expect accuracy to be decent since there will not be a lot of recoil as there is no blowback action here.
Build Quality: The BARRA 400e AEG Full Auto BB Rifle is almost all metal in design with an actual CNC machined aluminum hand guard and reciever! It feels very solid when holding it and the fit and finishes are really good. The only plastic I noticed on this AEG styled BB Rifle are the rear stock, pistol grip, and pop-up sights, everything else as far as I can tell are made out of metals.
Realism: The BARRA 400e AEG Full Auto BB Rifle is based on the AR platform in terms of its overall design and looks like a sub variant for sure. It is missing the default forward assist but in all the AIrgun versions of AR typo rifles the forward assist is just for show since there is nothing to assist with an Airgun. Most mechanical parts work as you would expect like the charging handle, magazine release, sectors switch, dust cover and of course the trigger.
Pros:
No CO2 required so cost to shoot is less.
Very consistent velocity as there is no cool down effect from CO2 cooling the gun.
Have the option to shoot in semi or full auto modes.
Almost all metal construction, very solid feeling gun.
Lots of rail option for mounting accessories (Picatinny on the top and M-LOK on sides and bottom).
Flip up sights use a dual mode, when not flipped up you have finer optic lower profile sights, when up there is a post in the front and peep in the back.
6 position adjustable rear stock.
Nice high capacity 50 round magazine, will need more mags for sure since you get 1000 shots per battery charge.
Comes with a speed loader too.
Lots of working parts including the charging handle, dust cover, magazine release, selector switch.
Selector switch is ambidextrous.
Cons:
No blowback operation as with some other Full Auto BB Rifles like the Crosman AR Series.
Does not come with a battery or charger, will need ones that fit and use a Deans connectors.
No red dot included with this version but the iron sights are well thought out.
Comments:
The BARRA 400e AEG Full Auto BB Rifle is something new to the Airgun industry and I always like it when a company doesn’t just make their own version of something we already have in the market and basically just put their branding and licensing on all the same guns. BARRA has made what I believe to be the first AEG 4.5mm Steel BB rifle at least one that has come to market and I always wondered why nobody has tried this before? Well here it is and now we get to see how well an AEG performs with 4.5mm Steel BB’s! Maybe this will start a new market of AEG type 4.5mm Steel BB Guns? I say if it works, well then go for it.
My Table Top Video of the BARRA 400e AEG Full Auto BB Rifle:
In this Preview Unboxing Video I take a look at two full auto BB Machine guns but both very different and both from two separate companies. One is traditionally CO2 operated and the other is AEG operated which is a very new concept for a 4.5mm Steel BB Airgun. I have always wondered why nobody had attempted an AEG 4.5mm Steel BB gun before so here we have the first one to be released…
Starting with the Crosman R1 Fallen Patriots Full Auto CO2 BB Rifle it is essential a re-skinned R1 with a very unique coloration and of course the Fallen Patriots markings on it. The main receiver is a gun metal grey with black and red accents throughout and a purple-blue magazine. It really is stunning to look at and perhaps my favorite Crosman AR series Full Auto BB Gun to date. You do get pop-up Iron sights rather than a red dot which I feel suits this Airgun best and everything else in terms of specifications will be the same as the R1 so check that rifle out for more info.
Now the BARRA 400e is really something new to Steel BB Guns, basically it steals the AEG (Automatic Electric Gun) from what is typically reserved for Airsoft Rifles. I have always wondered why this technology has never been transferred over to 4.5mm Steel BB Airguns? Well now it has with the BARRA 400e Full Auto AEG BB Rifle. According to BARRA you can export to get around 410 fps and that should be super consistent since there is no CO2 cool down effect. You can also shoot in semi or full auto and it has a 50 round magazine that comes with a speed loader for easy loading. Another point to mention is that the BARRA 400e is almost all metal and feels really solid.
