Action Army AAP-01C Assassin "Shinobi" GBB Pistol

The original AAP-01 really changed the GBB pistol game, introducing a forward-thinking, performance-oriented design with an emphasis on gas efficiency, high cyclic rate and upgradability, offering a near infinite number of body kits and enhanced parts to suit the needs of almost any skirmisher. Enter the AAP-01C, known as the "Shinobi", the AAP-01's little brother.

This beast keeps all the best aspects of the original AAP with a new, more compact front end, built-in 20mm Picatinny rails on both the compensator and receiver and a redesigned fire selector switch which can be accessed without any fingernail breaking operations (owners of the original will know this all too well!). If you are a performance focussed skirmisher in need of a sidearm, the AAP-01C should keep you happy!

Starting at the front end we can find the AAP-01C's compensated outer barrel featuring a pair of ports on either side and a 20mm Picatinny rail at the 6 o'clock position, the perfect spot for mounting a tactical flashlight. The original AAP-01 required aftermarket 20mm rails to be added for mounting accessories, and we are very pleased that this new variant has the rails built-in, saving you a few quid and providing more strength and a more integral look. The barrel of the AAP-01C is unfortunately not threaded, but there is a high chance a thread adapter will be released down the line so stay tuned if you require a tracer unit or suppressor.

Following the outer barrel/compensator, we reach the receiver which is styled similarly to the original AAP-01 but now has a 20mm Picatinny rail built in. The rail is approximately 9cm long, providing enough room for most red dot sights, meaning you can easily speed up your target acquisition without worrying about buying the correct mounting plate, simply install your red dot as you would on a rifle with a railed receiver and you are good to go. By adding a red dot sight you will get a lot more benefit from the AAP-01C's design than you would with a full slide GBB pistol as the red dot will stay stationary during firing, making it easy to acquire with no need to reacquire the dot after each shot.

The iron sights of the AAP-01C are located right where we might expect, on the top of the receiver. The front sight is slightly inset into the compensator design, providing a "snub nose" look and making this compact AAP derivative easier to draw from holsters with reduced risk of snagging. The rear sight is an open notch located at the rear of the receiver, and both sights are equipped with light-enhancing inserts for better visibility in low light. The insert in the front sight is orange, and those in the rear sight are green, meaning you will never inadvertently mix up the sight dots and miss at a critical moment which is entirely possible with conventional white dot sights.

As with the original AAP-01, the ambidextrous charging handle is located at the rear of the receiver and can be grabbed from either side either with a single finger or by grabbing both sides for extra purchase and grip. Each of the charging handle extensions has chevron texture on its surface to improve traction and prevent any wet weather mishaps, and the fire selector has been relocated to the bottom of the charging handle and is now accessible without locking the bolt back first.

The fire selector offers two modes of fire; semi-automatic and fully automatic with engraved markings on the charging handle to denote each mode. Semi-auto is denoted with an engraved "S" and full auto is marked with an "F". The selector switch protrudes through the bottom of the charging handle and can be accessed easily, even when wearing gloves. This is a notable improvement over the original AAP which required the bolt to be locked back to access the selector which is recessed into the bolt and hard to reach for mid-game fire mode changes. While the AAP-01C selector lever is just as stiff as the original, it is now far easier to access and the stiffness ensures that your selector never slips into the wrong mode.

Just below the charging handle is where you will find the disassembly button which allows you to separate the upper receiver and frame of the AAP-01C. To do this you will need to remove the magazine and cock the pistol, after which pressing the button will allow the pistol to hinge open. With the pistol open you can pull the upper away from the lower to separate the two for maintenance.

Just like the original AAP-01, the "Shinobi" offers two ways to access the HOP-up adjuster and which way you choose is entirely dependent on how THIC your digits are. If you have relatively slim fingers you can simply lock the bolt back and access the gear-style HOP-up adjuster through the ejection port, but if you have bigger fingers or you wear gloves in game the best way to access the adjuster will be to field strip the pistol, as explained in the previous paragraph. With the pistol in two halves, you will see the gear adjuster inside the left side of the receiver, attached to the outer barrel. The HOP-up allows you to tune the AAP-01C for different ammo weights and extend your range by adjusting until the trajectory of your BBs is as flat as possible.

Moving down to the frame, owners of the previous model of AAP-01 will see something they recognise but with a few aesthetic alterations to freshen up the look for this, the "Shinobi" variant. The overall shape and layout of the frame remain the same as the original, complete with a textured magazine release on the left side, a curved trigger guard with texture on the front face and an ambidextrous push-through trigger lock safety at the front of the frame, just above the trigger itself.

The slide lock/release catch is constructed from steel to keep this high-wear part healthy for years to come, and is also ambidextrous, offering a slightly extended catch on each side of the frame, similar to a Gen.5 Glock pistol. Within the trigger guard, we are treated to an EU series style two-stage safety trigger which has a remarkably nice feel, with some take-up but a clean and crisp break and an audible and tactile reset. The two-stage trigger design ensures the pistol cannot be fired without the central "blade" of the trigger being pressed first which prevents snags from causing accidental discharges while avoiding hindering the feel of the trigger and the potential for rapid follow-up shots.

The grip of the AAP-01C has similarly shaped textured panels but the panels themselves have different styles of texture when compared to the original, ensuring the AAP-01C stands out and that the grip matches the more menacing style of this compact, compensated GBB pistol. The side panels now sport a subtle crackle texture with "Shinobi" engraved on each side, the front panel sports the same highly effective linear texture as the original but the rear panel has been redesigned with a "dragon skin" style texture akin to reptilian scales or samurai armour. This texture is nice and deep but not too abrasive for bare-handed use and adds some notable style points which only add to this AAP variant's unique looks.

On the inside the AAP-01C is compatible with almost all AAP-01 upgrade parts, meaning if you want to build this beast out it is entirely possible. The lower frame parts controls are all identical to the original AAP so aftermarket bits should go straight on, and the only part which differs from the original inside the receiver is the new charging handle/selector which appears to be interchangeable with the old style but we are not currently able to confirm this. To give the AAP-01C the accuracy to match its gas efficiency and speed, Action Army saw fit to install a 6.03mm tightbore inner barrel which should give this lil' pistol some impressive accuracy potential for such a compact platform, as well as a slight improvement in FPS.

So, if you are looking for a pistol which walks exclusively on the wild side and looks far more menacing and with less of a German vibe than the original AAP, the AAP-01C should fit the bill. With the same ferocious rate of fire as the original and the same superb gas efficiency thanks to the slide-less design, EU-series mag compatibility and rails galore you would be hard-pressed to find something not to like if you are the type of player who values performance above all!

Features

• High density polymer construction
• 6.03mm Tightbore inner barrel - Superb accuracy potential
• Light-enhancing open iron sights - Great for low light CQB situations
• Short barrelled AAP-01 variant - Accepts most AAP-01 upgrade parts
• Aggressive compensated front end - Menacing looks, plenty of rail space
• Gear adjustable HOP-up unit - Accessible when the upper is removed
• EU-series style two-stage safety trigger - Prevents the trigger from being accidentally pressed
• Ambidextrous trigger lock safety - Push-through design, easily accessed from either side
• Improved fire selector design - No need to break fingernails with the "Shinobi" AAP-01C!
• 20mm Picatinny railed receiver and compensator - Ready for optics and tactical flashlights
• Ambidextrous charging handle - At the rear of the upper, easy to rack for lefties and righties
• "Shinobi" Discreetly marked on the grip panels - Discreetly like a real Shinobi!
• Textured pistol grip - Linear grip on the front, deep diamond checkering on the rear
• Extremely gas efficient design - Great performance under rapid fire and full auto
• Compatible with most EU-series GBB magazines - Common and affordable spare mags
• Fits EU-series extended mags and drum mags - A truly scary platform!

Package Includes

• Action Army AAP-01C Assassin "Shinobi" GBB Pistol
• 23rnd Green Gas Magazine
• User manual