G&G MXC9 AEG Enhanced Version Review: Better than the ARP9?
G&G Armament MXC9 AEG - Is it better than the ARP9?
In case you haven't heard, Airsoft giants G&G Armament have just dropped their latest SMG platform; the MXC9 AEG. The MXC9 is a radical reinterpretation of the CQB SMG concept, building on the experience gained through G&G's legendary ARP9 and several real steel designs.
We can see inspiration from the real steel Sig MCX, CZ Scorpion Evo and several other platforms, and the combination of features in the MXC9 makes it sound like one of the best options for close quarters or those who like to run around like a skirmisher possessed with a lightweight high performance platform and wreak havoc on the opposing team.
With the G&G G2 Gearbox, their fantastic ETU/MOSFET and the impressive Ifrit 25K high speed motor inside, this newcomer should be shooting at least as well as the ARP-9 we all fear encountering up close. Join us as we take a closer look at the MXC9 and weigh up its pros and cons with the shadow of the game-changing ARP9 looming!
Performance
When it comes to performance we are in for a real treat with the MXC9! Rocking the same superb G&G G2 gearbox and ETU/MOSFET as the SSG-1, ARP9 and the other impressive AEGs of the GC intermediate series is a great start, but coupling this with the G&G 25K RPM high speed motor results in a tremendous rate of fire, and a super swift trigger response to keep both woodland and CQB skirmishers happy in their natural environments.
FPS
During our tests, the MXC9 was clocked at a consistent 320FPS on 0.2g ASG Blaster Devil BBs with a variation between shots of 2-3FPS either way, with no HOP-up applied. This points to excellent air seal qualities in the internal setup, and the result down range is superb accuracy and consistency despite the compact size of the MXC9. 320FPS is the sweet spot which allows the MXC9 to be used on even the strictest CQB sites in the country as well as giving it enough range to lace the enemy up in outdoor skirmishes.
Rate of Fire
We were expecting great things from the MXC9 given its G&G Armament pedigree and internal features, and we were not disappointed! Being able to use an 11.1V battery straight out of the box gives the MXC9 a serious edge over other platforms, and when we put this little SMG to the test on the chronograph we got an astonishing 22 rounds per second!
G&G's well built and shimmed gearbox, their MOSFET/ETU, the 25K RPM high speed motor and the perfectly sized ASG 11.1V 900mAh LiPo battery all combine to make the MXC9 an absolute beast in the rate of fire department, just like its ugly brothers, the ARP9 and SSG-1!
The Good
- High rate of fire - 22 Rounds per second, that's well speedy!
- Fast trigger response - Faster than your fingers in most cases!
- Intimidating muzzle report - Great for psychological warfare, not great for stealth!
- New Rotary HOP-up unit - Wide range of adjustment, holds its setting nicely
- 320FPS +/- 10% depending on the specific unit - Great for CQB and woodland
The Bad
- 128mm Inner barrel - Range and velocity will be less than longer RIFs, but this can be cured with a tightbore!
- Incredibly loud - Perfect for less discrete skirmishers, if you like to sneak, swap the sound amp for a suppressor!
Ergonomics
Being a very recent design, the G&G MXC9 benefits from the latest ergonomic developments in both the real steel world and in Airsoft. Ergonomics was clearly a very high priority for G&G when designing the platform, and starting from scratch, as G&G did for the MXC9, gives the designers free reign to redefine the layout and move away from the ergonomic pitfalls of more traditional platforms.
While M4/AR15 users will love the ARP9, its lack of ambidextrous controls and other AR-style features hold it back severely when it comes to designing the most ergonomic platform possible. With no chance of a folding stock, a cramped battery compartment and only 2 positions of adjustment for its PDW stock, the ARP9 may be comfortable and useful to most but is falling behind modern designs such as the Sig Air MPX and ASG CZ Scorpion EVO due to its M4/AR15 lineage.
The MXC9 is a different story entirely. Working from a blank slate, the G&G design team has created a platform which combines ergonomic features from a number of different real world platforms to give us the best of all worlds, at least as G&G see it!
The handguard is slim and shaped well, with an integral hand stop at the front to stop you from shooting your fingers when the adrenaline is pumping. Whether you prefer a thumb-over-bore grip, magwell grip or any other gripping technique the MXC9 is designed to facilitate all common methods. G&G's Aluminium finish is fantastic, and is soft to the touch and very hardwearing, meaning you don't necessarily need to add rail covers to protect the handguard and your hands. The QD socket on the left side of the handguard can be repositioned on any of the handguard's M-LOK slots or removed entirely if not needed.
The magazine well has a very wide flare, making it great for grabbing onto when you are shooting up close and effectively guiding your magazine in, minimising the chances of missing the magwell under pressure. The pre-installed ergonomic pistol grip and trigger guard work perfectly with the flat trigger design, but if you prefer a different grip and trigger guard setup you can install an aftermarket M4/AR15 AEG grip or trigger guard with the prerequisite technical skills. Nice that G&G gives us good stuff out of the box without limiting our options!
The MXC9 has a side folding multi-adjustable stock which is similar in design to the ACR and SCAR rifles, offering an adjustable length of pull, adjustable cheek riser height and side folding functionality, making it one of the most flexible stock setups on the market. The stock is one of the most notable external improvements over G&G's PCC.45, as it is not only very comfortable, but it also houses the battery compartment and powers the AEG via its conductive hinge mechanism.
The butt plate is made from rubber and is flexible and grippy, and the adjustment is provided by a low profile lever which is well protected from snags but still easily accessible. A QD sling socket is available on either side for those who like a QD sling setup, and the button to fold the stock is large and easily accessible. The stock feels great in the shoulder and can be adjusted to suit practically anyone, and the only downside we can see is that may be quite difficult to see down sights with a full face mask. The solution? Add a rail riser, or simply fold the stock to the side!
The layout of the controls is based on the M4/AR15 platform, but all of the controls are ambidextrous and placed to allow you to operate all functions of the SMG without taking your strong hand off the pistol grip. The fire selector has a 90-degree throw between fire modes, allowing a quick fire mode change without the risk of bumping the selector out of place accidentally. The charging handle is accessible from either side and locks the mock bolt open for HOP-up adjustment. The bolt release is placed on either side of the magwell and is just within reach of the trigger finger, whether you are left or right-handed.
The only thing we can find which is a slight drawback is the proximity of the charging handle to the upper rail. With a low profile optical sight mounted you may find the attachment bolt gets in the way of the charging handle, and although it will not obstruct its movement it may mean you scratch your knuckles on your sight mount when pulling the charging handle.
To remedy this you can either use a riser mount, position your sight to the rear of the charging handle or just proceed with care when using the charging handle! Given that the MXC9 is an AEG, you won't be using the charging handle too often, and its positioning is a bit of a compromise, just like the real-world ACR and SCAR rifles.
The Good
- Ambidextrous controls - Great for lefties and righties, also great for shoulder-to-shoulder transitions
- Side folding retractable stock - Comfortable for any body type or loadout, fold it to the side for tight CQB
- M4/AR15 compatible pistol grip - Superb ergonomic grip as standard, swap it for an M4/AR15 AEG grip
- QD sling sockets front and rear - Swappable M-LOK front socket, ambidextrous rear socket
- Wide magazine well flare - Easy reloads under pressure, so easy it almost reloads itself!
- M-LOK Handguard with built-in hand stop - Comfortable to hold, add accessories without the weight of 20mm rails
The Bad
- Charging handle proximity to upper rail - Access may be restricted depending on your optic of choice
- Receiver sling bar can be installed on the right but will stop the stock from being folded - Use QD to avoid this
Build Quality
In terms of build quality, the MXC9 is up there with the best. G&G has a reputation for making well fitted replicas with not a hint of wobble or flex anywhere, using only the best quality polymers and aluminium available. The MXC9 is no different and feels rock solid in the hand despite its relatively low weight.
The finish on both the CNC aluminium handguard and high density polymer parts is immaculate and hard-wearing, and the effort G&G has gone to in making these parts match perfectly is evident when handling the SMG. The aluminium finish is solid and thick enough to resist scratches and matches the textured finish of their polymer perfectly.
Being equipped with a side folding stock meant we were naturally curious as to how well this stock locks, both in the deployed position and the folded position. We are happy to report not a hint of wobble, and rock solid locking when the stock is folded to the side which is a marked improvement over many other side folding stocks which can wobble when folded and lack the positive locking of the MXC9 stock.
Many of the important components are made from steel, including the QD sling sockets, sling bar and body pins, guaranteeing strength where needed without adding excessive weight. The QD sockets are all fully functional and are easily strong enough to support the MXC9, even if you use a single-point sling.
While all of the materials used in the MXC9 build are much higher quality than most Airsoft guns, the only thing that will let the MXC9 down in the eyes of some skirmishers is its use of a polymer receiver instead of an alloy or aluminium receiver. Since the MXC9 is a unique G&G design, one could argue that the hypothetical real MXC9 could have a polymer receiver, and if an aluminium receiver was used the price of the platform would have been considerably more.
Given its leaning towards performance, the MXC9 can be forgiven for its lack of a metal receiver in our eyes. The MXC9 is designed to be an uncompromised skirmishers primary, and the focus on low weight and high performance internals make this the case. A metal receiver would add weight without providing a lot more structural strength, and would make this AEG designed for run and gun players far easier to scratch if any mid-skirmish clumsiness occurs.
The Good
- Aluminium handguard - CNC Machined, flawless finish with M-LOK compatibility
- Aluminium outer barrel - Well finished, precise threading, lightweight and strong
- High-density polymer furniture - High quality textured finish, the same rock solid polymer G&G is known for
- High-density polymer receiver - Scratch resistant, rigid and light
The Bad
- It isn't full metal - Great if you like a lightweight performance-oriented platform, but for some, this is a deal breaker
- The Sound amplifier is polymer - Keeps the front light, makes a nice "pop", but doesn't ring like metal sound amps
Advanced Features
G&G MOSFET/ETU
G&G's MOSFET/ETU system is present in the majority of their GC series of AEGs and boasts a low voltage cutoff to protect your battery from becoming fully discharged while also allowing for programmable fire controls using only the trigger and fire selector, with no separate programmer needed. G&G's ETU allows 3 round burst to be set instead of full auto which is a basic feature as far as programmable MOSFET/ETU systems go, but the advantage is you don't need an app or a separate programmer to set the burst mode.
All you need to do to set the burst mode is hold the trigger down for 10 seconds when the selector is set to semi auto and your full auto fire mode will now give you a nice snappy burst of 3BBs. Doing the same thing will return the AEG to full auto mode. Simple and easy to do mid-firefight if needed, we approve!
CHFS Stock System
Wiring is the bane of rear-wired AEGs with side folding stocks, any SCAR owner will tell you this! To avoid the possibility of trapping your wiring in the folding mechanism G&G has created what they call the "CHFS" system, standing for Conductive Hinge Folding Stock. The MXC9 is the first G&G AEG to use the CHFS system, but their upcoming ARP9 3.0 will also use this system with a new low-profile folding stock. How this system will affect upgrading wiring or installing a different MOSFET is yet to be seen, but you can now slap your folding stock around without even the slightest concern of chopping your wiring and needing to pull out the old soldering iron (eww).
Four Channel Converging Magazine
Not content with packing the gun itself with innovation, G&G has also reinvented the way a mid-cap magazine works. The new four channel converging magazine works with a spring loaded mechanism, similar to a mid or low-cap, but has four vertically oriented feed channels which converge at the top of the magazine into a single feed position. This means more capacity and in theory, less chance of misfeeding in higher rate of fire setups.
This system has some awesome potential and should be able to keep up with even the highest ROF setups, and G&G reportedly have plans to introduce more magazines for different platforms using this system. Being new to the market, this is an unproven system currently, but if you are sceptical you can always use G&G PCC.45 magazines in the MXC9 which are built using the standard mid-cap formula!
Parts and Magazine Compatibility
On the outside, the MXC9 is compatible with PCC.45 parts, and even uses the same receiver. These parts are quite rare so if you plan on chopping and changing this little SMG you may have to settle for changing the pistol grip and trigger guard which are both M4/AR15 AEG compatible. This is a bit of a shame, but this is a relatively young platform, and as with all things Airsoft, if it really takes off, expect to see the aftermarket parts start to flow in.
Magazine-wise, the MXC9 takes either its own magazines or PCC.45 magazines. This was a great choice by G&G and allows you to change the look and "calibre" of either the PCC.45 or the MXC9 by simply swapping the mag. If you like a straight mag, go for the PCC.45 magazines, and if you prefer a curved mag the MXC9 magazine is the one for you. If you play like a bull on steroids and you lay down some serious fire, you will be pleased to learn that the MXC9 also takes the PCC.45's 1500rnd drum magazine! This thing has serious pocket LMG potential!
When it comes to adding accessories the MXC9 is good to go, with M-LOK slots on the handguard and a nice long 20mm Picatinny rail up top. This isn't out of the ordinary for a modern platform, but it is nice to know G&G steered away from anything proprietary. They know darned well that we Airsofters love to kit our guns out with all the tactical goodness, and with the MXC9, we can!
Final Thoughts
So, does the MXC9 have what it takes to compete with the established CQB king, the ARP9? We think it does, and at least in the performance aspect, the two are neck and neck.
When it comes to selecting your preferred platform it is definitely worth weighing up the pros and cons of the ergonomic aspects of each. The MXC9 is objectively an improvement in ergonomics over the ARP9, with its fully ambidextrous controls and multi-adjustable stock, but if you have spent most of your skirmish life with an M4 in hand you may find the more familiar configuration of the ARP9 to suit you more.
The MXC9 breaks the mould and combines the best aspects of the M4/AR15 design with some of the most cutting edge inspiration from the real world, and if you aren't afraid to set yourself apart from the ARP9 wielding hoards and try something new you can, with the same astonishing performance that put the ARP9 on the map!