Having bought this CYMA AK 47 replica in the Summer of 2019, I figured it was about time I write a review about it. The 077 series from CYMA consists of modernized AK variants that use external parts that resemble those made by Magpul. The replica cost me around 200 Euros, which is a fair price in my opinion. For this price, you get a modernized AK 47, with a railed and hinged dust cover, a very comfortable handguard with M-Lok attachment points, and an Antonov fixed stock.
Like with most CYMA products, the 077 series shares the same internals across all models. The only differences are cosmetic and maybe in terms of the inner barrel length. Therefore, this review should give you a good idea of what to expect if you decide to purchase a different model.
Basic information about the CM077 D
| Length | 940 mm |
| Weight | 3400 grams ~ 7.49 pounds |
| Inner barrel length | 455 mm |
| Magazine | 500 round Hi-cap |
| Gearbox version | Version 3 |
Why I Bought It
This was the first airsoft gun I bought and I wasn’t very knowledgeable about the subject. Some of the guys I play with suggested that I get a CYMA AK because they are tough and reliable, also the V3 gearbox seems to handle low temperatures better as it has a more sturdy design. What drew me to this model was the affordable price (around $240), the modern externals, and the fact that the dust cover had a rail built into it so that I could attach an optic.
All in all, the CYMA CM077 is an attractive gun, if you like AKs and you want a more “tactical” version instead of the wooden furniture ones. In the paragraphs below I will go into detail about the externals, internals, performance and reliability.
Unboxing the CM077 D
Like all the modern AK variants from CYMA, the replica comes in a blue cardboard box with a few details about the gun. The contents are securely held in place by a thick foam that offers plenty of protection. What you will find inside:
- The replica
- 500 round high capacity magazine
- Basic charger
- A 9.6 V NiMh battery – 1200 mAh that fits under the dust cover
- Cleaning rod
- User manual
- Key to adjust the front sight
- Small bag of BBs
External Components
Muzzle device – typical AK 47 design which sits at a slight angle. On the real firearm, this is supposed to help the shooter better control the recoil as it deflects some of the gasses up and to the side. If you would like to replace this with a suppressor or another muzzle device, you simply need to unscrew the piece to expose a 14 mm counter-clockwise thread.
The front sight post – typical AK sight that can be adjusted only for elevation. To adjust you need to use the provided key.
The front handguard – like with all AKs, it consists of two parts. The upper part covers the gas tube and is made from a sturdy polymer. There is no way to add attachments here, but this can be easily fixed because this part of the handguard is easy to remove. The gas tube part that sits under the handguard is dedicated to battery storage as long as you have a narrow stick-type battery.
The lower part of the handguard looks exactly like the real Magpul design. While it looks quite bulky, it feels great to hold. The bottom and the sides have cutouts that allow you to attach M-Lok compatible parts like grips and flashlight mounts.
Both parts of the handguard fit together very well and there is no play or creaks when handling the rifle. However, I would say that the replica would benefit from having a sling attachment point built into the handguard.
Rear sights – a solid, non-adjustable piece that is part of the hinge mechanism that holds the dust cover in place and allows you to swing it open to access the battery compartment. For airsoft purposes, they are completely adequate.
Dust cover – it features a 190 mm rail on top so there is plenty of room to add the optic of your choice. The entire piece is attached to the rear sights and it hinges upwards so you can access the battery compartment. The design is excellent as there is zero chance to lose your dust cover like on some other AK models.
Receiver – typical sturdy build but without the “dovetail joint” on the left side. That being said because the dust cover has a rail, you don’t actually need the dovetail attachment.
Fire selector – the improved AK selector with the built-in shelf that allows you to move it with your index finger. This allows you to keep your hand on the pistol grip while changing firing modes. The three positions are safe at the top, full auto in the middle, and semi on the bottom.
Magazine – polymer version of the standard AK 47 magazine. In this case, it is a high-capacity magazine that can hold approximately 500 BBs.The texture on it feels great and it also works well with gloves.
Pistol grip – a Magpul AK grip that feels great and has plenty of space for the motor. The polymer is nicely textured, offering plenty of grip and comfort.
Stock – modeled after the Antonov fixed AK stock. It feels very sturdy and durable. Resting your cheek on it is comfortable and the rubberized but pad grips the shoulder well. The upper part of the stock has a compartment which in the real gun can be used to store a cleaning kit. For airsoft purposes, this compartment can be used to store a battery. The best part is that you can rewire the gun so you no longer have to put your battery under the dust cover and store it in the stock instead. I haven’t done this modification, but I am considering it since I feel it would let me use bigger batteries.
Internal Components
Inner barrel – standard CYMA brass barrel. The length is 455 mm, but I’m not sure about the diameter. The site I bought it from lists it as being 6.03 mm, while other sites list it at 6.08 mm. I don’t have a specialist measuring tool so I’ll just leave it at that. In terms of performance, the barrel works well, and the accuracy is impressive thanks to its increased length. I know a longer barrel doesn’t really mean better accuracy in airsoft, but I do find that this replica performs better than my short AK. If you’d like to find out more about that, make sure to read my Cyma CM076 D Review.
Hop-Up Unit – standard metal AK hop-up unit with the slide adjuster. Like with most AK slides, the slider becomes loose over time so it does need adjusting from time to time. The screw that holds the slider in place can be tightened, but I would also recommend adding a small shim to make sure it stays firmly in place.
Bucking – standard Cyma black rubber bucking. This got damaged after about 5 games and I’ve had it replaced with a silicone one (can’t remember which brand) so it handles playing in low temperatures better.
Gearbox – Reinforced version 3 gearbox with the following components:
- 7 mm steel bushings
- Steel gears
- M125 spring
- Bearing spring guide
- 1 Steel tooth piston
- Cyma states that the replica comes with a torque motor, but I’m not really sure how accurate this is.
- Plastic nozzle
Battery connector – small Tamiya connector.
Battery – a 1200 mAh 9.6 V NiMh. It can handle a day of play, depending on the temperature and how trigger happy you are. It is 2 year old at the time this article was written and still going strong.
Using the Gun in its Stock Configuration
When I first got the replica I was impressed. I didn’t feel like I was at a disadvantage against other players with more expensive guns. Keep in mind that most CYMA AKs come out of the box shooting a bit hotter than they are advertised on the box. Mine was doing 420 FPS. For some countries, this can be a problem and you might need to replace the spring to get within legal limits.
The gun ran great for about a month and then suddenly I began to experience losses in power. It turns out that the bucking had torn. I took the gun to my local tech to replace it and he also replaced a few other parts: the nozzle, the piston, and the steel bushings with bearings. This improved the air seal and the gun was running great again.
A few weeks later the replica began acting up again. This time the motor failed so it had to be replaced. A few weeks after that I had other losses in power during full auto, also caused by the air group. All in all, it took about 6 visits to the tech for the gun to finally work consistently. Needles to say, for a player that had just started playing airsoft this was quite disheartening. I also had to spend some money on replacement parts and repair fees, money which I would have preferred to invest in some other bits of airsoft equipment.
Trigger response – quite a long trigger pull and you need to squeeze the trigger all the way for the gun to fully cycle in semi. Otherwise, it will perform a half cycle and possibly jam. To unblock the jam you need to switch the gun to full auto, fire a couple of rounds, and then go back to semi.
Rate of fire – adequate. I feel like it fires fast enough so it isn’t too painful for your opponents. What I have found is that sometimes a higher rate of fire might be better, especially when aiming for moving targets. If you’re trying to hit a player that is sprinting from cover to cover you need to give enough lead to be able to get him.
Range – as I stated above, the range is really good even out of the box. At first I was using 0.25 gram BBs and I was perfectly happy. When I got the new bucking, I switched to 0.28 gram BBs and the results were much better.
Accuracy – sufficiently accurate for reasonable engagement distances. Hitting targets at longer ranges can be done as the BB flight trajectory is quite predictable. A nicer barrel and maybe a different hop unit could make this gun really accurate.
Verdict
The CYMA CM077 D is a good airsoft replica for beginners. It offers enough performance for a reasonable price and the quality of the externals makes it a good-looking gun (at least in my opinion). There are some noticeable advantages to its design. First of all the railed dust cover and the M-Lok compatible handguard allows you to add lots of accessories. For the more standard-looking AK variants, this isn’t a possibility without replacing parts or buying a side mount.
While the gun is a little heavy, the balance of it is perfect. It doesn’t take much effort to shoulder it for long periods of time. I feel that the use of modern polymer furniture (aka the handguard and the stock) made the replica very comfortable to hold. It isn’t front-heavy like my other CYMA AK.
My only gripe with the gun was its reliability. As it was my first gun I was super careful not to bash it around and still, there were some parts that simply gave out. I also used only the stock battery so there shouldn’t have been any unnecessary stress on the components. As it needed work done to it on numerous occasions, I felt like CYMA’s legendary reliability had let me down and perhaps I had chosen the wrong gun.
The Good
- Modern tactical AK 47 looks.
- Sturdy construction with no creaks or wobbles.
- Above-average performance out of the box.
- Good for beginners as it comes with a battery and charger.
- Standard V3 gearbox that is easy to upgrade – VFC spec.
- Railed dust cover that allows you to attach optics.
The Bad
- A bit heavy and long, not great for CQB play.
- Limited battery storage under the dust cover. You need stick-type batteries.
- Poor reliability of the internal components (perhaps it was just my gun).
Would I Recommend the CYMA CM 076 D?
It depends. If you like the looks and are prepared to invest in some upgrades it should be an excellent replica. If you are looking to buy this as your first gun, I would probably advise against it. If you can’t make repairs on your own or don’t want to pay someone else to do them for you, you should probably get another model.