My Favorite Gas Blow Back Rifle…

I’ve been using a KWA LM4 PTS for over a year now and I’m beyond the point of worrying about other people’s opinions when I say this but… I love it!

In the years leading up to my ownership of an LM4 I have been routinely infatuated with gas blow backs. In fact, I almost always have a sidearm on my person for airsoft games. That’s because having to go for my sidearm in airsoft games is one of my favorite parts about playing. Going for my sidearm means that “fit” is hitting the “shan” and I just need to keep shooting to stay in the game and I live for moments in airsoft like that.

So beyond having side arms on my person, I graduated into the gas blow back submachine gun market about 3 years ago with my purchase of a KWA KMP9 along with a Danger Werx Flute valve (so it would shoot under the 350 FPS CQB limit). Not only does a KMP9 from KWA have excellent trigger response, build, and an absurd rate of fire, but the weight it mostly concentrated on or around the pistol grip. This means that with the stock out it’s incredibly easy to fire the gun one-handed and transition between targets quickly. This makes the KMP9 and excellent gun to use with my battle axe.

Happy thoughts on the KMP9 aside, it has been very difficult over the past year plus to want to go back to it because the LM4 is just so damn fun! Having fired civilian AR-15’s over the years, I have noticed that the blowback on an LM4 is comparable to an AR that has adequate compensation. Having learned that makes me happy in that I can setup my LM4 almost exactly like whichever AR-15 I’m going to use depending on what month it is and which friends are in town!

Another fun fact about my LM4 that I learned almost immediately is that it has a lot more range than I anticipated, and that’s using .30 gram BB’s with stock internals. In fact, just to prove to you readers out there how surprised I was with the range I was able to achieve, here is a video I posted to GITV Uncut showing some long range kills with a friend’s stock LM4:

One key disconnect with a lot of AEG users that I’ve found is that they don’t want to sacrifice the added firepower you get with using AEG magazines that have more than a realistic amount of ammo in them. While I can understand this, there is a specific joy that can be had by taking out enemy after enemy with well placed single shots or double taps. It’s actually a similar feeling of excitement that I used to get when I would snipe with my bolt action rifles many moons ago. Getting that one or two shot GBB kill is really invigorating mainly because, in my humble opinion, I’m generally certain that I got the kill because of my skill and/or familiarity with my weapon as opposed to the fact that I was able to get out 30 rounds in less than a second.

One last point I’d like to make is that not only does my LM4 feel amazing to fire, shoot incredibly accurately at both close and long ranges, but it also makes me look cool. I’ve had the opportunity to work with small squads that were all using LM4’s and I’ve got to tell you that when everyone opened fire on a target at the same time it was the best part of our day. I don’t think anyone cared whether we hit anything (we did!) because it sounded and felt so damn amazing. And, whether some of us want to admit it or not, looking good and feeling awesome is still a portion of what makes airsoft fun. I mean I have absolutely no problem dying in an airsoft game as long as I look good while doing it!

Now the LM4 PTS is hard to come by since Magpul and PTS stopped working together but the original KWA LM4 is essentially the same gun with different extrenals and functions on the field in the exact same manner. So, in summation, I would humbly suggest taking a look at the KWA LM4 if you are thinking about getting into Gas Blow Back Rifles. Heck, even if you are a GBB veteran and want a better rifle than whatever you have now, the LM4 will be a great fit for you!

Product Links on Airsoftgi.com:

KWA LM4

KWA LM4C

KWA LM4 Magazines