CYMA CM.030 - Tokyo Marui compatibility

I mentioned briefly in my initial overview of my new CM.030 AEP that the CYMA clone was compatible with Tokyo Marui version (on which it is based). Well, I have had a chance to try out this premise as I have purchased a couple of TM accessories which I have now fitted to my CYMA AEP. But before I describe them I just want to quickly recount why I chose to buy an AEP and why the accessories were purchase (I didn't buy them *just* in order to prove a point!)...

Winter pistol games
I discovered the Achilles Heel of gas operated airsoft pistols on my last visit to NSC Airsoft a couple of months ago, during the initial onset of the colder British weather. On this particular day we had a bit of a sharp cold snap, and there were lots of grumbles by fellow GBB pistol owners about this being possibly the last time they may get the chance to use their precious gas pistols before Spring.

Sure enough, when I filled my gas magazines the sheer freezing cold of them took me completely by surprise. The performance of my GBB was feeble as my SIG spluttered out a magazine or two of BBs before I gave up (apparently I would have got a better performance had I taken certain measures, but I had lost interest by this point).

Winter pistol games II
NSC has an excellent little arena for pistol games, and I was hugely disappointed by the idea that I might not get a chance to use my pistol again - efficiently - until the warmer weather returned. I was equally determined that if I were to equip myself with an AEP to counteract the GBB problems I would make up for some of it's deficiencies in realism - fixed slide, plastic build and no blowback - by accessorizing it to the max.

Hense this post. While it doesn't seem two minutes since I bought my new CM.030 - it was actually at the end of last month - December has brought a new pay packet with which I can fulfil my dream of tricking out the Glock.

Glock 18C accessories
There are a few add-ons that are readily available - from Tokyo Marui - for the 18C AEP replicas, and there are also some harder to get custom third party upgrades too. The custom add-ons are principally from X-Fire company of Japan and include precision inner barrels, snazzy competition style compensators and silencer adaptor kits. But it was really the compatibility with easier to source TM products that I was interested in, particularly as I was able to find one of the main UK retailers who had them on the shelf.

My first item of interest was a rail system so that I could add a small pistol style red dot sight. In the back of my mind I had an idea that I would like to create some sort of Practical Pistol competition look for my AEP. TM have a nice, easy to fit, rail cowl that slips over the TM top receiver cover - but would it fit my CYMA? Additionally, this rail piece opened up the possibility of adding a suppressor, as it comes with an integral threaded muzzle (standard 14mm+ thread). So now I could imagine some sort of tactical CQB/Spec Ops monster.

Of more practical and immediate application would be the TM 100 round extended magazine. As you may know the real Glock 18C is a select fire pistol - in essence a machine-pistol with full-auto option. So while the extended magazine does look a little strange - poking out well beyond the bottom of the grip - it is altogether authentic and in use by many special operations team around the world. Further enhancing this developing idea of a SpecOp CQB pistol, TM also produces its own chubby little pistol sound suppressor, that looks real mean!

Finally, there are a few other add-ons that would help to complete this 'Spec-Op Glock'; such as the M3 rail flash light, rail laser marker or - more subtly - the Hogue Handall Universal Grip Sleeve, just to finish off the 'look'. Oh, and don't forget spare batteries, with the full auto ability you might find you sap your diminuative 7.2volt/450mAh AEP batteries in the blink of an eye.

Initial fitting - suits you sir!
The TM rail and suppressor duly arrived in the post, care of Wolf Armories, and I immediately got to work fitting them to my CYMA - and here is where I hit my main problem.

I mentioned in passing that the CYMA - rather disappointingly - had one of those silly American style orange tips fitted to the end of the outer barrel, but that it had been hastily sprayed over in black paint for the UK market. I say hastily sprayed because they had neglected to do the inside of the tip so you could still plainly see the orange plastic if you looked inside the end of the barrel!

Now, this tip extends the overall length of the CYMA's outer barrel far further than the Tokyo Marui, because the now modified top receiver - with its new rail cover - would not fit back on top of the Glock lower receiver. So, obviously, the orange tip had to go. Now I had heard of horror stories where people wanting to replace the orange tips on AEGs had found that they had been permanently glued in place with Super Glue (Crazy Glue to our American cousins), and this proved the case with the tip on the CM.030 - would it budge? Hell no!


After 15 minutes sawing away at the seam with a scalpel I eventually managed to prise the tip from the rest of the outer barrel. Once done, the top cover slide into place perfectly. Phew!

A new Glock is Bourne
With the rail add-on and suppressor fitted the Glock looks very Hollywood, like something out of the Bourne Conspiracy. To be honest I haven't really dabbled with rails and suppressors before even on my full sized AEGs, so the effect is a little jarring at first. Of course it is a bit gimmicky, but it certainly does give off that 'Rainbow Six' air and would compliment my OD CQB/FIBUA loadout perfectly.


As to whether the TM sound suppressor actually works, well I won't know until I do my next field test, but I will think you will agree by looking at the photos that it is now certainly an individual looking piece! So, mission accomplished I suppose. :)

Postscript:
The astute among you will be asking 'what's he going to do about a holster?'....Ah, good question and the answer is that I don't really know!