Silverback TAC-41 Lite

[Cr0-Magnon]

I've always struggled to get into the boltie life, but if these are decent out of the box I am tempted to give it another go (lightweight and long range, sound good to me).

Does anyone have any experience with them?

 

[Rogerborg]

Not of the Lite, but the only thing I dislike about my TAC-41 is the weight.  The mechanicals are great, and the only thing it needs out of the box is a spring suitable for your site limits - and the spring change procedure is super-simple. That done, it shoots like you're watching a YouTube sniper video.

If you can live with the looks, I'd definitely consider it. Although as always, if you can cadge a go on site with one, that'll help to make up your mind.

 

[Cr0-Magnon]

So is it too light (lite?) or heavy?

The "lite sport" is super-cheap but has a plastic upper receiver, aluminium cylinder (rather than stainless steel), plastic hop unit (rather than CNC) and only one barrel spacer. I'm not sure if it's worth paying the extra ?

 

[The_Lord_Poncho]

If you can live with the looks, I'd definitely consider it.

The 'lite-sport' - at under £200 is pretty tempting - as long as the performance isn't really compromised, we'll have to see! You are right though, the looks aren't to everyone's taste - well certainly not mine. I think it's the skeleton minimalist stock that does it, just makes the whole thing look a bit imbalanced. But, I notice that it is attached via a picatinny fitting - which would presumably mean that you could fit a picatinny adapted AR buffer tube, and then any AR stock of ones choice.

 

[Cr0-Magnon]

I'm not really the going prone, ghillie type. I am interested in something lightweight and reliable though. So whilst I agree it wouldn't be my first choice looks-wise, in terms of what I want to achieve, I actually favour the skeletonised stock.... possibly even the plastic version too. Unfortunately I do suffer from acute FOMO, so may feel like I need to drop the extra £100 for a metal receiver.

 

[Rogerborg]

So is it too light (lite?) or heavy?

Oh, the regular TAC-41 (polymer stock) is a bit heavier than I'd like. Not unusably so by any means, but I prefer to stand or kneel rather than lie in the tick-infested swamps that we have for airsoft sites up here, and I'm constantly looking for things to rest it on.

The "lite sport" is super-cheap but has a plastic upper receiver, aluminium cylinder (rather than stainless steel), plastic hop unit (rather than CNC) and only one barrel spacer. I'm not sure if it's worth paying the extra ?

Oh, I hadn't even spotted the Lite Sport, only the Lite. Hmm, that's a tricky one.  The trigger components are still steel, and decent plastic can probably do as good a job as metal on the rest of it, entirely depending on the QC.  That's a tempting price.

 

[Cr0-Magnon]

@Rogerborg- which spring did you use to get yours up to 2.2J? The seem to be measured in Newtons.

 

[Rogerborg]

@Rogerborg- which spring did you use to get yours up to 2.2J? The seem to be measured in Newtons.

100N, as that's what Skirmshop had in in stock when I  bought. I'd suggest going a bit higher if you can, as that's giving me bang on 2J with 0.43g, hopped with 9.4 on the dial.

However, what I also bought was the Rapax 004 spring tensioner kit, i.e. some rings that you can pop in to pre-tension and get bit more power.  Given how quick and easy the spring change is, you can realistically do this at morning chrono, or at lunch, to dial it to bang on your site limits.  With those I can tune to just short of 2.3J, or 2.2J, the limits at my regular sites.

 

[Speedy Sloth]

Here's a full image from silverback breaking down the material used for each rifle part and various other specs. The LS does appear to be good value. A guy on YouTube has done tests at 4j+ and it holds up without issue so far.

View attachment 129895

 

[ASP383]

I'll be picking up the Lite as soon as my local shop has it in. Had thought about the Lite Sport due to total budget constraints and I'm sure Silverback wouldn't risk tainting their brand or model reputation with sub parr pasts on either the LS or PS, however, that said, I'll be buying the Lite, as other than the stock and shorter inner/outer barrel, the rest is sae as the established and proven P and A variants, despite it eating more into my total budget, so for now, I'll be using a spare scope and mounts from my air rifles.

 

[Lowe]

Picked up a Lite Sport the other week for my lad so he could try bolt action gaming without having to lend him one of my (expensive) rifles. I built it up with a 100N spring (a 120N for 2.3J is included too) and other than dropping a suppressor on the end of it, it's stock on 0.40g ammo. He's left eye dominant but right handed so can't use a glass scope. We popped on a basic red dot, zeroed it in and then took it to the site for a game.

It was phenomenal fun - just under 2J with the 100N spring but absolutely laser like up to about 60m which is perfect for the red dot. With it being ridiculously light he was able to stay really mobile - proper shoot and scoot stuff. He caused utter carnage on the flanks. For less than 200 quid I can't imagine a better, more practical airsoft rifle full stop, it really is that good.

These will sell well - I think the VSR platform is done...

 

[Cr0-Magnon]

Sounds great @Lowe!

Funnily enough I have the same problem as your son, although I'm the other way around, so I've had to get used to shooting right-handed.

I did order one from Socom Tactical, but they called me to say that the OD is out of stock and that's a deal-breaker for me unfortunately. I'm sure I'll pick one up at some point.

I've heard the mags can be annoying, dumping 20 BB's because of the position of that little tab. Did you have any issues?

 

[Rogerborg]

I've heard the mags can be annoying, dumping 20 BB's because of the position of that little tab.

It is annoyingly easy to blow your load out of them prematurely, I've shamed myself by emptying my balls on the ground in public a few times.

On the other hand, you're getting 48 round (with an option for 110 round) sniper mags, and you'll quickly figure out how to handle them.  Not a deal breaker for me.

 

[Speedy Sloth]

The Tac41p Sport is up for sale at £250 at empire Airsoft which seems a really good deal along with the LS. Would be interesting to see if the hop unit has issues as silverback put out a video on making it hop heavyweight bb's better.

 

[Rogerborg]

Would be interesting to see if the hop unit has issues as silverback put out a video on making it hop heavyweight bb's better.

That is one thing I've noticed about my classic TAC-41, it's at about 9.6 hopping 0.43g at 2.2J.  It's common to drop another £5 or so on a "chub nub", but you'd get the same effect by removing those shims, or shimming on top of the nub.  Not a huge deal to address either way as the hop is sitting right on top of the gun.

 

[The_Lord_Poncho]

I'm still so tempted by lite sport, not least as i have found that you can now get shotgun shell magazines for them (I have a load of shells already). Is everyone still getting good performance out of their rifles now that they have been fielded a few times?

 

[Rogerborg]

I'm still so tempted by lite sport, not least as i have found that you can now get shotgun shell magazines for them (I have a load of shells already). Is everyone still getting good performance out of their rifles now that they have been fielded a few times?

Yes, mine (classic) is just as consistent as out of the box. I may have dialled the hop up a click, but it's still lifting 0.43g just fine.

 

[Daveoc33]

I've got the lite sport. It shoots really well. I used it on my last game day. My only problem is the retaining bolt/pin for the cylinder likes to creep out when you shoot it. Also the cheek weld on the stock is not great but you get used to it. I'm really happy with mine. Amazing value for money I think.