CAA Tactical are a world leader in the development and manufacture of superior advanced arms accessories and one of their famous products is the RONI pistol-carbine kit which allows you to drop in a pistol and easily use it carbine form. With the establishment of the CAA Airsoft Division based in Hong Kong, CAA products are now available to meet the specifications of the airsoft market.

With the release of their CAA Airsoft RONI Kit for the P226, they sent us a review unit to check it out.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

When I was first told about reviewing this unit, I must admit that I was a bit skeptical of it. One, I have seen a counterpart of this made by another brand and the unit that I saw did not work; and two, I hate splitting or breaking down my stuff to fit them on other things. For me an accessory means something you add to the original to make it better, not destroy the original and all the new parts contributing some positive change to the original.

At first glance, I was very impressed with the CAA RONI. It feels very solid and well built. It also has a very good heavy weight with it. The unit is made of polymer material and metal which I think is aluminium. The unit already looks like a firearm even without the pistol installed.

The unit has an oversized flash hider which gives it a meaner and more futuristic look. It has three rails: two short rails located one on each side and a 24cm continuous top rail. The review unit sent to me came with front and rear flip up sights. Both sights are spring loaded and can be activated by pressing buttons located on either side of the sight base.

The unit also features a folding forearm grip which adds a huge deal of comfort when shouldering the unit. On the rear end, the unit features a multi-position retractable stock similar to an M4 assault rifle. Pressing the end of what looks like the end of the stock tube on the rear allows the user to pull and extend the stock. Another good feature is an adjustable cheek piece that can be raised up. Also located on the underneath of the stock is a spare magazine holder which makes magazine change a lot faster.

PISTOL INSTALLATION

The unit sent to us needed a SIG Sauer P226. One great thing about the CAA RONI is that there is no need to for any pistol disassembly or any customization for it to work. The only thing needed is that the pistol has to have a front bottom rail. I was told the this unit accepts most airsoft P226s that are currently out there in the market.

So off I went to see my friends from Rules of Engagement Airsoft here in Essex who kindly loaned me a KJW P226 Gas Blowback Pistol.

At first glance, it is not obvious how to “open” the unit and drop-in the pistol. But, a short and quick visit to YoTtube made everything very clear.

The RONI kit has two main takedown pins located on the front end and rear end. In theory the pins should be easy enough to be pulled by hand but the front pin of this unit was a bit stubborn and had to be encouraged out with a pair of small pliers or can be forcibly pushed out with the right size screwdriver.

Next, pull the front end of the unit and this should click forward. Do not pull via the side rails. Now fully extend the stock and do the same with the rear end. When the front and rear are both unlocked, the unit should split open from the top.

Once split in half, put the pistol in place locking the front pistol rails with that of a similar rail inside the unit. Also, do not forget to attach the slide adopter.  When the pistol is snuggly in place, fold the unit back together and lock everything in place.

Check that everything is correctly in place and working well especially the slide. I had to do a few test shots and a lot of silicone lubricant to make the slide travel all the way back and forth.

PERFORMANCE

The CAA RONI is one of the better airsoft carbine kits that I have handled. The mere fact that this thing actually works is great and on the plus side, there is no needed disassembly to install the P226 pistol. Shouldering it is very comfortable. It feels like shouldering a short-barreled M4. The retractable stock gives it that needed length for long limbed users like me who feel more comfortable with the stock extended.

The range and firepower is dependent on the pistol installed. I used a KJW P226 on this CAA RONI and aside from the tight slide which was corrected with a good amount of silicone spray, the pistol fit perfectly. On a cold British winter morning, we were shooting a metal fence 15 to 20 yards away with a good “ting” sound when the BBs hit it. The sights line perfectly but I would recommend a sight like a eotech sight for it. This weapon will be perfect for CQB skirmishes.

In my opinion having a CAA RONI that will fit a pistol with full auto firing mode will make it more effective.

Issues:

• It was very tight at first and I had to lubricate the slide for it to travel properly
• There are gaps that are very visible underneath the unit with this pistol brand that I used
• It is heavy on its own so just imagine the weight shift after I installed the pistol
• The takedown pins needed a bit of a more forceful encouragement before I was able to disengage them

Good Bits:

• Very sexy- I am sure that this will make a lot of head turns if used for skirmish. I displayed this in the airsoft shop where i borrowed the pistol and everyone who walked in said they wanted it.
• It actually works!!!
• Easy installation and simple “drop” in feature with no modification or disassembly needed on the part of the pistol
• Very solid and good quality
• Airsoft version is compatible with most P226 pistol brands