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Hello!
Today I thought about reviewing the Silverback HTI .50 cal sniper. There aren't many reviews around mainly due to the rifle's price range and size. This is a crazy rifle and I think is worth talking about :yup:
Intro
HTI stands for Hard Target Interdiction. It's the SRS's big brother. The real steel offers many advantages such as compact bullpup design/full length barrel, modular system allowing for easy swap between .375 cheytac, .408 cheytac, .416 Barret and .50 calibers.
Airsoft version
Like the real steel, Silverback's replica is based on the SRS design. Hopup chamber and related are all compatible with SRS chambers. SRS handguard rails are also compatible.
HTI has unique power system which is by far the strongest of the market, out of the box. Mag is ''tool-less disassembly'', single stack design and holds 38bb's (stock follower) or 34 bb's (flexible ''feed-all'' follower).
Specs
-Length: 1150mm (M16 is 1006mm; roughly the same size.)
-Weight: 6,060kg (~13lbs)
-Inner barrel: 6,05mm X 730mm brass barrel
-Trigger system: a true 90° system, compared to the SRS's circular sear design. Sear is huge and made of steel. Design allows smooth piston catch compared to SRS.
-Cylinder volume: 71 cm3. SRS pull version is 41 cm3, normal VSR is 35 cm3 and Striker is 28 cm3. Volume is not an issue with the HTI :tup:
-Piston weight: ~125gr. SRS's variable mass piston's heaviest setting is 137gr; quite heavy for a stock piston!
-Spring type: 20-21mm OD, depends of coil size. Length is variable, but usually 40 to 50cm long. Rated in Newtons instead of M/s, which doesn't mean much at first sight, but is a good idea...
-Spring guide has a huge bearing kit from factory. It's also a lock-on system which doesn't require the buttplate to hold in place. That's an improvement versus the SRS, which relies on buttplates to hold the spring tension and caused failures when using high power springs.
The stock sears can support any spring available on the market. The most powerful available is the EdGI 6J+, capable of 8J with proper setups. While VSR and other platforms require costly upgrades and are struggling to reach 5J, this is no big deal for a stock HTI.
First observations
-I don't know how the real steel feels like, but I'm 99% confident it's no different or that I couldn't tell the difference. First rifle I got with absolutely no wobble, flex, loose parts/mag... You really have to hold it in your hands once to understand.
That's also the very first comments people were telling me, ''feels like a real firearm'', ''feels like it's made from a single block''... It actually is, the whole upper is a CNC monolithic frame and it becomes more obvious when the rifle is stripped to the frame.
-HTI bolt is extremely smooth to operate. The scratchy cylinder guide from the SRS was replaced by a bearing and the bolt finish is very smooth. Bigger springs and enormous air volume are allowing much easier pull for the same joule output than a VSR or SRS could.
-HTI is a creepy monster. Just the stock rifle can give over 1 joule of creep depending of the spring installed.
-Impressive performance on stock configuration, just as a regular SRS would do.
-Heavy but well balanced. Bigger challenge to carry around all day long, but totally possible. One has to learn to play with it and change the game style (use bipod, lay down or rest against something to take repeated shots, how to hold it when running...)
Myths
There are many myths and misinformations on various topics in airsoft. Let's see what the HTI has to say about them:
''Air volume = more range''
-Nope. Once a bb leaves the barrel, it doesn't remember the gun it was shot from. The only effects of air volume are concerning joules and barrel dimensions. It does joulecreep, it can build power easily, it's overvolumized as hell, it's loud, but it doesn't give any extra ''range'' for a given joule number compared to any other rifle.
'' Barrel length affects accuracy, 500mm+ barrels are useless and killing accuracy''
-This is always relative to the power system being used and its ability to push a decent air volume. For a VSR, 730mm is way too long, but for the HTI, cylinder/barrel volume ratio is over 3:1. I've got great results with the stock rifle and could compare them to my SRS without major differences.
''Shorter barrel= more creep, longer barrel= less creep''
-Again this is relative to the amount of air a system can push. Surprisingly, the SRS OEM 400mm barrel gave less joule creep than the HTI OEM 730mm barrel did. Referring to my HPA snipers, the T10 and SRS aren't creeping much, while the M200 can go +1,5J. T10 and M200 both have Wolverine Bolt in.
''Overvolume=loud''
-Not exactly. There is much more than that behind what makes a rifle loud or quiet. Long story short, due to the piston's mass/slower travel speed/air flow and other factors, the HTI is capable of being as silent as other spring rifles when paired with a decent foamed silencer. Lowest readings I got 1m away were 68dB, dry firing. Not that bad all things considered...
Reported issues
-The strongest point of the rifle is also its weak point: sears, but not the sears themselves directly. Both springs holding the sear and second sear are pretty much the only reported issue: when they fail, the main sear doesn't get back up and the piston can't catch anymore. In my opinion, this is likely a design flaw, because once the sear lets the piston go, the piston moves the sear forward with an incredible amount of speed, putting high stress on both sear springs. When the bolt is rearmed, the sear is pushed backward, stressing the springs in the opposite direction. The springs are failing from fatigue. Moreover, higher power springs have greater initial force/speed, so the stronger they are, the faster they move the sear forward, creating even more stress. Hopefully they are covered under warranty, I got mine replaced once, but if this thing keeps failing after a certain period of time, that's quite sad.
-In my case, the piston cup wasn't sealing at all. The molding joint is around the edge of the cup, and in my case it was all cracked. I wrote to SBA about the issue, but for them it ''shouldn't affect performance''. I managed to solve the issue by rubbing the edge against a sheet of paper to wear the molding joint out, but honestly this cup seal is bad compared to the SRS blue and orange cups. I went for EdGI SAP kit as soon as they were released...
-Some people are also reporting issues with the mag being hard to install or not clipping-in correctly. These aren't like the SRS, which are locking with a linear motion like a M4, but more like a Barrett or AK's for which you insert front first in an angle then rotate the mag in place. This is due to the mag-catch design in which two plates are travelling back and forth to catch/release the nudges on both sides of the magazine. This is a solid and reliable design by the way, the mag is pushed forward by the plates and it doesn't wobble at all, not a single millimeter. Just requires a bit of practice before the first game. It does not need to be forced at all; it's very smooth with the correct motion. You should also hear the bb's feed just before it clips-in. If it doesn't, something is wrong, try again. Don't force it or you risk damaging the components.
Beginner tip: just pull the mag catch lever and insert the mag, then release it. You can observe the motion it's being released when you activate the mag catch lever and imitate the motion after.
My current setup
-EdGI SAP cylinder
-EdGI SAP (set with 220gr and 1/3rd of total air brake length)
-EdGI 4J+ spring
-EdGI 735mm, 5,98/6,03 dual bore barrel, aeg cut
-EdGI R-hop + Prometheus blue bucking (100% seal)
-SBA FAST hop
-Maple Leaf Omega nub
-Custom cylinder head mod with a o-ring and Sugru to make the air brake seal 100% and maximize ''syringe effect''.
Performance
-Power: 3,55j on .48, hopup adjusted (#4-ish on FAST), 2,0j on .48 no hopup applied and 1,7j using .20 and no hopup applied. Yep, the rifle joulecreeps more according to the hopup adjustment than bb weight. This phenomenon which I'd name ''hopup-induced positive joulecreep'' can be seen when using heavy pistons, and is caused by the piston travelling much slower, struggling to build enough pressure to keep up with the bb. When adding resistance with the hopup, the bb doesn't move until a certain pressure is built behind, allowing it to get free from the bucking. With my current air brake setting, the piston is still slapping hard without hopup, but around #3,5 or #4, it starts sounding different, like it's really giving all of its potential to the bb instead of the cylinder head.
-Range: depending of joules, hopup setting and bb weight, as with every other rifle.
-Accuracy: Quite decent actually, good for man-sized targets 100meters and up. Trajectory is stable and shows no fliers so far. Due to the nature of the spring system and piston weight explained earlier, hopup is less sensitive to adjustments and can be finetuned rather easily.
-Bolt pull: I initially thought the HTI was already so easy to cycle I couldn't figure out how to improve it. EdGI pushed it further with a masterpiece piston/cylinder/spring guide kit. Next to no friction when moving the cylinder; at a certain angle once rearmed it will glide by itself back to battery.
EdGI 4J+ spring is comparable to SRS M170. Cylinder travel is actually so smooth it doesn't feel like M170, maybe closer to a M160. EdGI 3J+ feels like an M140, extremely easy and smooth. It's a good thing, more power for similar resistance, or same power with less effort in the end.
Pros, cons and final thoughts
Pros:
-The HTI is a different beast in airsoft. It's meant to be huge and intimidating on the field, but it can offer excellent performance out of the box.
-Pretty exclusive, many people will usually buy the SRS, or know a thing or two about it, but HTI's are atypical, so if you manage to get one, people are getting curious and will obviously ask questions like '' Can I hold it? Can I take a shot?''... Just wait for the smile
-Compatibility with SRS hopup and related.
-HTI is going against many theories and myths in airsoft, but also confirming other theories about joulecreep, air volume, cylinder/barrel volume ratios, overvolume...
-Its ability to withstand extreme power from factory is an interesting point; if excluding size and weight concerns, the HTI is worth about 800-900USD. A VSR-10 for example, will require the base + costly trigger/cylinder/piston/spring guide upgrades or a complete HPA system to meet such energy levels.
-Surprisingly compact for a 50 cal. model.
-Comfortable to shoot when resting on something, ergonomical
-Realism level and feeling are beyond expectations.
Cons:
-Few minor flaws, 2 being more considerable; hopefully someone will solve the sear spring issue and a good quality aftermarket cupseal would be necessary. But many people get 100% seal from factory and didn't experience any trigger issue, so I don't know if I had a badluck or not.
-Absolutely not meant for quickscope; heavy
-Size is okay, but with a silencer it's too much for me honestly.
-You think a fully equipped VSR or SRS is expensive? Wait...
-No major difference in performance with the SRS. I suggest to think about it before you spend almost twice as much on HTI. I'd even recommend to begin with/stick to the SRS if you are unfamiliar with bullpup, then reconsider eventually...
-Proprietary spring, piston, piston guide, trigger system, mags...
-Bullpup is a thing, 50 cal. magazine is another thing, but the mix of both makes it quite long from buttplate to trigger grip, not a good idea for small people.
-Also, it has no available spacers (yet) to increase stock length, for taller people (but it's already quite long, not a big deal...)
-BTW, mags are huge (nope, they don't fit an M4 pouch), they're worth as much as GBBR mags and have similar 30 ish bb capacity -_-
Although I built mine for performance, the HTI isn't much more than the 29'' steroid variant of the SRS, and it's purpose is not to be as competitive as the SRS is. It's meant to have fun with it, enjoy the exclusive look, the feeling, the sound... Using the EdGI SAP 220 gr and stronger spring, the HTI has a little funny recoil just pressing your shoulder and taking your crosshairs off from the target. IMO that's what makes the soul of it.
Those are pretty much the same reasons people will buy G28, M200 cheytac, M82/M107 Barrett or MG42, they're not seen everyday and usually played in milsims more than skirmish games. On top of that, there is a certain challenge related to it: ''I have SRS-like performance, but in a much heavier shell. Let's see how I can compete against other players''.
I said earlier the mags are huge, but the cheap old Condor chest rig I used to play with forever has 2 multi-use pouches that can fit the 50 cal. mags, they can actually take two each so I can carry 4 in the vest + 1 loaded in the rifle.
There were rumors about HPA systems for it, just don't. HTI has an unique spring system that's been refined and fun to use. On top of that, the rifle is heavy; at some point in a game you may want to leave it somewhere to quickly take an objective or a position. Adding an air line will be an additional inconvenience, especially with this rifle. Just keep HPA systems for lighter skirmish stuff.
That's pretty much it! Hope you enjoyed!:tup:
Today I thought about reviewing the Silverback HTI .50 cal sniper. There aren't many reviews around mainly due to the rifle's price range and size. This is a crazy rifle and I think is worth talking about :yup:
Intro
HTI stands for Hard Target Interdiction. It's the SRS's big brother. The real steel offers many advantages such as compact bullpup design/full length barrel, modular system allowing for easy swap between .375 cheytac, .408 cheytac, .416 Barret and .50 calibers.
Airsoft version
Like the real steel, Silverback's replica is based on the SRS design. Hopup chamber and related are all compatible with SRS chambers. SRS handguard rails are also compatible.
HTI has unique power system which is by far the strongest of the market, out of the box. Mag is ''tool-less disassembly'', single stack design and holds 38bb's (stock follower) or 34 bb's (flexible ''feed-all'' follower).
Specs
-Length: 1150mm (M16 is 1006mm; roughly the same size.)
-Weight: 6,060kg (~13lbs)
-Inner barrel: 6,05mm X 730mm brass barrel
-Trigger system: a true 90° system, compared to the SRS's circular sear design. Sear is huge and made of steel. Design allows smooth piston catch compared to SRS.
-Cylinder volume: 71 cm3. SRS pull version is 41 cm3, normal VSR is 35 cm3 and Striker is 28 cm3. Volume is not an issue with the HTI :tup:
-Piston weight: ~125gr. SRS's variable mass piston's heaviest setting is 137gr; quite heavy for a stock piston!
-Spring type: 20-21mm OD, depends of coil size. Length is variable, but usually 40 to 50cm long. Rated in Newtons instead of M/s, which doesn't mean much at first sight, but is a good idea...
-Spring guide has a huge bearing kit from factory. It's also a lock-on system which doesn't require the buttplate to hold in place. That's an improvement versus the SRS, which relies on buttplates to hold the spring tension and caused failures when using high power springs.
The stock sears can support any spring available on the market. The most powerful available is the EdGI 6J+, capable of 8J with proper setups. While VSR and other platforms require costly upgrades and are struggling to reach 5J, this is no big deal for a stock HTI.
First observations
-I don't know how the real steel feels like, but I'm 99% confident it's no different or that I couldn't tell the difference. First rifle I got with absolutely no wobble, flex, loose parts/mag... You really have to hold it in your hands once to understand.
That's also the very first comments people were telling me, ''feels like a real firearm'', ''feels like it's made from a single block''... It actually is, the whole upper is a CNC monolithic frame and it becomes more obvious when the rifle is stripped to the frame.
-HTI bolt is extremely smooth to operate. The scratchy cylinder guide from the SRS was replaced by a bearing and the bolt finish is very smooth. Bigger springs and enormous air volume are allowing much easier pull for the same joule output than a VSR or SRS could.
-HTI is a creepy monster. Just the stock rifle can give over 1 joule of creep depending of the spring installed.
-Impressive performance on stock configuration, just as a regular SRS would do.
-Heavy but well balanced. Bigger challenge to carry around all day long, but totally possible. One has to learn to play with it and change the game style (use bipod, lay down or rest against something to take repeated shots, how to hold it when running...)
Myths
There are many myths and misinformations on various topics in airsoft. Let's see what the HTI has to say about them:
''Air volume = more range''
-Nope. Once a bb leaves the barrel, it doesn't remember the gun it was shot from. The only effects of air volume are concerning joules and barrel dimensions. It does joulecreep, it can build power easily, it's overvolumized as hell, it's loud, but it doesn't give any extra ''range'' for a given joule number compared to any other rifle.
'' Barrel length affects accuracy, 500mm+ barrels are useless and killing accuracy''
-This is always relative to the power system being used and its ability to push a decent air volume. For a VSR, 730mm is way too long, but for the HTI, cylinder/barrel volume ratio is over 3:1. I've got great results with the stock rifle and could compare them to my SRS without major differences.
''Shorter barrel= more creep, longer barrel= less creep''
-Again this is relative to the amount of air a system can push. Surprisingly, the SRS OEM 400mm barrel gave less joule creep than the HTI OEM 730mm barrel did. Referring to my HPA snipers, the T10 and SRS aren't creeping much, while the M200 can go +1,5J. T10 and M200 both have Wolverine Bolt in.
''Overvolume=loud''
-Not exactly. There is much more than that behind what makes a rifle loud or quiet. Long story short, due to the piston's mass/slower travel speed/air flow and other factors, the HTI is capable of being as silent as other spring rifles when paired with a decent foamed silencer. Lowest readings I got 1m away were 68dB, dry firing. Not that bad all things considered...
Reported issues
-The strongest point of the rifle is also its weak point: sears, but not the sears themselves directly. Both springs holding the sear and second sear are pretty much the only reported issue: when they fail, the main sear doesn't get back up and the piston can't catch anymore. In my opinion, this is likely a design flaw, because once the sear lets the piston go, the piston moves the sear forward with an incredible amount of speed, putting high stress on both sear springs. When the bolt is rearmed, the sear is pushed backward, stressing the springs in the opposite direction. The springs are failing from fatigue. Moreover, higher power springs have greater initial force/speed, so the stronger they are, the faster they move the sear forward, creating even more stress. Hopefully they are covered under warranty, I got mine replaced once, but if this thing keeps failing after a certain period of time, that's quite sad.
-In my case, the piston cup wasn't sealing at all. The molding joint is around the edge of the cup, and in my case it was all cracked. I wrote to SBA about the issue, but for them it ''shouldn't affect performance''. I managed to solve the issue by rubbing the edge against a sheet of paper to wear the molding joint out, but honestly this cup seal is bad compared to the SRS blue and orange cups. I went for EdGI SAP kit as soon as they were released...
-Some people are also reporting issues with the mag being hard to install or not clipping-in correctly. These aren't like the SRS, which are locking with a linear motion like a M4, but more like a Barrett or AK's for which you insert front first in an angle then rotate the mag in place. This is due to the mag-catch design in which two plates are travelling back and forth to catch/release the nudges on both sides of the magazine. This is a solid and reliable design by the way, the mag is pushed forward by the plates and it doesn't wobble at all, not a single millimeter. Just requires a bit of practice before the first game. It does not need to be forced at all; it's very smooth with the correct motion. You should also hear the bb's feed just before it clips-in. If it doesn't, something is wrong, try again. Don't force it or you risk damaging the components.
Beginner tip: just pull the mag catch lever and insert the mag, then release it. You can observe the motion it's being released when you activate the mag catch lever and imitate the motion after.
My current setup
-EdGI SAP cylinder
-EdGI SAP (set with 220gr and 1/3rd of total air brake length)
-EdGI 4J+ spring
-EdGI 735mm, 5,98/6,03 dual bore barrel, aeg cut
-EdGI R-hop + Prometheus blue bucking (100% seal)
-SBA FAST hop
-Maple Leaf Omega nub
-Custom cylinder head mod with a o-ring and Sugru to make the air brake seal 100% and maximize ''syringe effect''.
Performance
-Power: 3,55j on .48, hopup adjusted (#4-ish on FAST), 2,0j on .48 no hopup applied and 1,7j using .20 and no hopup applied. Yep, the rifle joulecreeps more according to the hopup adjustment than bb weight. This phenomenon which I'd name ''hopup-induced positive joulecreep'' can be seen when using heavy pistons, and is caused by the piston travelling much slower, struggling to build enough pressure to keep up with the bb. When adding resistance with the hopup, the bb doesn't move until a certain pressure is built behind, allowing it to get free from the bucking. With my current air brake setting, the piston is still slapping hard without hopup, but around #3,5 or #4, it starts sounding different, like it's really giving all of its potential to the bb instead of the cylinder head.
-Range: depending of joules, hopup setting and bb weight, as with every other rifle.
-Accuracy: Quite decent actually, good for man-sized targets 100meters and up. Trajectory is stable and shows no fliers so far. Due to the nature of the spring system and piston weight explained earlier, hopup is less sensitive to adjustments and can be finetuned rather easily.
-Bolt pull: I initially thought the HTI was already so easy to cycle I couldn't figure out how to improve it. EdGI pushed it further with a masterpiece piston/cylinder/spring guide kit. Next to no friction when moving the cylinder; at a certain angle once rearmed it will glide by itself back to battery.
EdGI 4J+ spring is comparable to SRS M170. Cylinder travel is actually so smooth it doesn't feel like M170, maybe closer to a M160. EdGI 3J+ feels like an M140, extremely easy and smooth. It's a good thing, more power for similar resistance, or same power with less effort in the end.
Pros, cons and final thoughts
Pros:
-The HTI is a different beast in airsoft. It's meant to be huge and intimidating on the field, but it can offer excellent performance out of the box.
-Pretty exclusive, many people will usually buy the SRS, or know a thing or two about it, but HTI's are atypical, so if you manage to get one, people are getting curious and will obviously ask questions like '' Can I hold it? Can I take a shot?''... Just wait for the smile
-Compatibility with SRS hopup and related.
-HTI is going against many theories and myths in airsoft, but also confirming other theories about joulecreep, air volume, cylinder/barrel volume ratios, overvolume...
-Its ability to withstand extreme power from factory is an interesting point; if excluding size and weight concerns, the HTI is worth about 800-900USD. A VSR-10 for example, will require the base + costly trigger/cylinder/piston/spring guide upgrades or a complete HPA system to meet such energy levels.
-Surprisingly compact for a 50 cal. model.
-Comfortable to shoot when resting on something, ergonomical
-Realism level and feeling are beyond expectations.
Cons:
-Few minor flaws, 2 being more considerable; hopefully someone will solve the sear spring issue and a good quality aftermarket cupseal would be necessary. But many people get 100% seal from factory and didn't experience any trigger issue, so I don't know if I had a badluck or not.
-Absolutely not meant for quickscope; heavy
-Size is okay, but with a silencer it's too much for me honestly.
-You think a fully equipped VSR or SRS is expensive? Wait...
-No major difference in performance with the SRS. I suggest to think about it before you spend almost twice as much on HTI. I'd even recommend to begin with/stick to the SRS if you are unfamiliar with bullpup, then reconsider eventually...
-Proprietary spring, piston, piston guide, trigger system, mags...
-Bullpup is a thing, 50 cal. magazine is another thing, but the mix of both makes it quite long from buttplate to trigger grip, not a good idea for small people.
-Also, it has no available spacers (yet) to increase stock length, for taller people (but it's already quite long, not a big deal...)
-BTW, mags are huge (nope, they don't fit an M4 pouch), they're worth as much as GBBR mags and have similar 30 ish bb capacity -_-
Although I built mine for performance, the HTI isn't much more than the 29'' steroid variant of the SRS, and it's purpose is not to be as competitive as the SRS is. It's meant to have fun with it, enjoy the exclusive look, the feeling, the sound... Using the EdGI SAP 220 gr and stronger spring, the HTI has a little funny recoil just pressing your shoulder and taking your crosshairs off from the target. IMO that's what makes the soul of it.
Those are pretty much the same reasons people will buy G28, M200 cheytac, M82/M107 Barrett or MG42, they're not seen everyday and usually played in milsims more than skirmish games. On top of that, there is a certain challenge related to it: ''I have SRS-like performance, but in a much heavier shell. Let's see how I can compete against other players''.
I said earlier the mags are huge, but the cheap old Condor chest rig I used to play with forever has 2 multi-use pouches that can fit the 50 cal. mags, they can actually take two each so I can carry 4 in the vest + 1 loaded in the rifle.
There were rumors about HPA systems for it, just don't. HTI has an unique spring system that's been refined and fun to use. On top of that, the rifle is heavy; at some point in a game you may want to leave it somewhere to quickly take an objective or a position. Adding an air line will be an additional inconvenience, especially with this rifle. Just keep HPA systems for lighter skirmish stuff.
That's pretty much it! Hope you enjoyed!:tup:
