There are many names for the replica, as I usually refer my Airsoft tools-of-the-trade as, one of which I am going to discuss here. Usually I just refer this specific replica as the 727, but I have been noted on a few occasions that it never actually received a formal designation as the M727 carbine, but was rather the RO727. It has also been referred to as the M16A2 Carbine. Alas, this replica has many names. For the sake of clarity, I will refer it as the 727 as that is the designation I am accustomed to using, be it the right one or the wrong one.
Now that I have gotten that particular nuance out of the way, let us begin with the intention of this post. I am going to discuss the 727 replica that I have. It is a personal favorite of mine as far as my replicas go, as I pieced it together myself. If you are lucky, you can find a complete package deal with all, or most of, the correct parts straight out of the box. I was not that lucky when I went after it and had to do some search for parts.
The main reason I wanted this specific replica was the fact that it was used by the US Army Rangers back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During the invasion of Panama the Rangers also trialed the 723 carbine, which was used by Delta Force during Desert Storm and most notably during Operation Gothic Serpent.
According to my research, the Rangers opted for the 727 due to the A2 style rear sights, which they already had on their M16A2 rifles. Having the same set of rear sights on both rifles was seen as the way to go, since the 723 had A1 style rear sights. I will go through my 723 carbine replica in depth in another post.
Externally the 727 replica that I have is mostly made by G&P. Some parts are made by other manufacturers, like the outter barrel, the front sight and the front handguard. The handguard is the slimmer version and has the 6-holes on it, both top and bottom. The receiver is a G&P one which has trademarks, A2 style rear sights, A2 style forward assist and a brass deflector. The stock is reinforced, as it has the small raises on it.
The sling I am using for this replica, and all my others for that matter, is the 1980s black nylon M16 sling. I have attached the sling with paracord on the front and back, to allow more free movement. The metal parts on the sling are also taped. The flash hider is also taped, according to reference photos. This was to prevent dirt getting inside the barrels, but taping the whole front would not be viable in airsoft. For this reason only the sides of the flash hider are taped. I also have some tape at the the back of the stock, to prevent dirt and other unwanted elements getting inside my buffer tube. I run my batteries inside the buffer, so I want to keep the battery as secure as possible.
Internal upgrades include a custom made mosfet and “the usual” tuneups for the gearbox. I rarely upgrade my replicas from the gearbox perspective unless I absolutely need to or something breaks. The only essential upgrades that I have felt are needed on the G&P replicals is the hopup. The bucking on the G&Ps is not as good as I want for my tastes, so I always invest in a new one. Sometimes I upgrade the whole hopup unit, like in the case of the 727, but not always. The 727 replica that I have features the Prowin rotary hopup unit, which is an excellent piece. The bucking inside this replica is made by Maple Leaf, and I get very consistent shots and groupings with this combo.
That is the short and sweet about my 727 replica. A video is also available on Youtube, which you can get to by clicking the link below. Please subscribe and follow on all the social media platforms as well to be up to date on all future content!
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