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The greater the war, the higher the standards for weaponry. In the hobby of airsoft, one particular event stands out amongst the rest for its unique intensity and realistic demands: Milsim West. A Milsim West event is not merely an “airsoft game;” It is a full immersion light infantry experience that puts players through a rigorous nonstop 40 hour simulated military deployment designed to push both your physical and mental limits. You will be required to backpack everything necessary for survival out in the elements with you, and your survival/airsoft equipment both better be streamlined enough to operate up to speed with the rest of your platoon. In multi-day events like these, a flimsy polymer bodied M4 replica is a poor choice. It matters not how quick your trigger response is or how “gucci” your attachments are if your rifle isn’t operational after exposure to dirt, mud, rain, or prolonged firefights. For events like these, rifle brands such as KWA or LCT typically take first pick as my recommended platforms for surviving such extreme conditions. If you’re looking for an indestructible battle-tank of a BB blaster, these two brands offer excellent models in both the M4 and AK category respectively. They’re the brands that I take to Milsim West with me personally, and I’d normally hesitate to recommend much else.

Yet, for the “Road To Kharkiv” event at Hill 559, Clovis CA, I decided to bring something a little different. A rifle by EMG, manufactured by a company known as APS…
How did it fare? Let’s find out!



The Noveske Chainsaw wasn’t a random pick from the EMG catalog for me to use and write a review on. Admittedly, I’ve always had an underdog fascination with APS as an airsoft company. Their collaborations with real-steel companies and unique styling make their rifles excellent eye catchers, perfect for collectors and those looking to train with a platform close to their actual firearm. While I find the external designs of their rifles super cool, I’ve been hesitant to recommend their platform for more hardcore airsoft use. Their “eSilverEdge'' microswitch system offers a super quick trigger response perfect for high speed indoor play, but comes at the unfortunate cost of making the gearbox almost entirely proprietary. This meant that reinforcing the system for more reliability later down the line wasn’t an option, and by picking up an eSilverEdge equipped rifle your airsoft gun's functionality would be dependent on this relatively sensitive electronic component.

Sensitive is the last description you’d want to have a Milsim West primary weapon to have. So why did I choose to bring the APS Noveske Chainsaw of all things?

From the moment I pulled the Noveske Chainsaw out of the box, something felt different. Most manufacturing companies have their own unique metallurgy that gives their rifles a unique feel, and yet the Noveske Chainsaw didn’t quite feel like other APS branded rifles I’ve held in the past. The finish was more matte than usual and the body had a distinct sturdiness to it that felt better than a good majority of other full-metal AEGs I’ve had experience with. On top of that, APS did away with their “eSilverEdge” system and fully redesigned their gearbox with an added focus on aftermarket compatibility and reliability. This new “Edge II” gearbox takes reinforcement seriously, pre-installing a full CNC aluminum compression kit normally only available through aftermarket upgrades. Instead of a fragile microswitch, the Edge II gearbox features a short-pull mechanical trigger system and beefy in-line MOSFET to extend your rifle’s natural lifespan.

All of these upgrades sounded good on paper, but I did wonder how it would actually hold up to some serious gameplay. EMG was kind enough to provide one for me to use at the Milsim event. To ensure my experience with the rifle would be reflective of what a normal customer would pick up, I randomly picked one out of inventory and kept the internals 100% stock (spare for a spring change to meet Milsim event restrictions. It was shooting 430 FPS out of the box on a 0.2g BB!). The included hi-cap magazine was quickly discarded in favor of some Milsim friendly EMG Lancer 190rd midcaps, and after putting a thousand or so BBs through it in our testing range here at Evike.com I was more than excited to give this thing a taste of genuine outdoor airsoft action.

I solemnly took all the attachments off of my KWA and properly adorned them on the Noveske Chainsaw, which actually ended up looking pretty damn nice. The rifle was ready!



My Noveske Chainsaw (left) next to a customized Tokyo Marui MWS used by my squadmate.

Soon enough, the fateful day came. Coming from Los Angeles, a 4 hour drive took my squad and I to the green hills of Clovis, California. Rain was on the forecast for the event, so it wasn’t going to be a comfortable one. All the better for stress testing the Noveske Chainsaw though, right? At around 8:00PM, our platoon stepped off into the night, making haste to set down our rucksacks and take position as security around our headquarters. It was about 40F degrees out at the time, which wasn’t too bad all things considered. Would’ve been neat to see how the rifle handled in freezing temperatures, but I think some prolonged gameplay in these below average temperatures will do just fine.

Aside from a single small skirmish, it was a relatively quiet night out in the Clovis hills. Most of the foremost platoons went into the action headfirst while we stayed back as standby reserves. A sleepless, watchful night paved way for breakfast at sunrise. We were soon back on our feet to take position and crush the enemy’s assault. Now that the sun was up, I could finally get a good picture on how my BBs were flying at range. With 0.28g bbs, the Noveske Chainsaw was putting out some incredible accuracy at impressive ranges. New rifles from APS come with their “black steel” inner barrels installed, which have been absolutely excellent in my experience. I only needed to set the hopup about a 1/3rd of the way on to perfectly hop 0.28s, which made me wish I had some heavier BBs to take advantage of. This rifle could absolutely take it.

Soon enough, we found ourselves confronting enemy forces. Russian platoons began to flood over the hillside, forcing my squad to hunker down by some nearby water jugs and foliage. Though surrounded, we held the cover advantage. Our enemy charged at us from an open hill, making for easy targets. This gave the Noveske Chainsaw the perfect chance to shine, as it handedly took out foe after foe from a distance farther than their BBs could reach. As I rustled around the tree cover and stones, the rifle sustained quite a few bumps and bruises. Some paint naturally chipped off around the edges, but no functional damage was sustained. Impressively, nothing loosened up over the course of my entire journey with the rifle. Parts beginning to loosen up over time is a common downfall of lower quality rifles, and can be frustrating if you’re in the midst of action with no quick way to tighten things up. I’m pleased to say that the Noveske Chainsaw emerged from the fight just as sturdy as it came.

Firefight after firefight, the Noveske Chainsaw lived on. Rain soon began to soak the Clovis hills, putting all of our gear to the test. A few of my squadmates rifle’s were not quite up to the task and began to break down. My squad leader’s trigger microswitch burnt out (likely due to the moisture), and our squad gunner's M249 ended up breaking a nozzle, significantly setting us back in firepower. Despite it all, the Noveske Chainsaw continued to shoot like a dream. A long day of combat soon turned to night, and the growing chill of dusk gave the clouds full reign to rain. Around this time, I was finally able to get some sleep in. We had a makeshift shelter in place to protect our gear and selves from the heavy downpour, though one possession of mine (albeit mistakenly) was left barrel up in the elements. The Noveske Chainsaw laid against a leafless tree in constant rain for the entire Clovis night, allowing moisture to soak in anywhere it could.

Morning came. I picked the rifle up, shot it a few times, and grinned as my rifle continued to shoot just as straight as it did the day before. We soon marched into the final fight, where I drained an entire 3000mAh TITAN battery’s worth of charge from how many BBs I put down range. It was so immensely satisfying to watch my foes fall down from shots I thought were barely out of my range. Hours of combat later, the day was won. NATO had successfully collapsed the Russian assault in the fantasy Kharkiv hills. And through it all, the EMG/APS Noveske Chainsaw proved to be a worthy ally at my side.

An inspection days later left me surprised at how nothing (except my attachments) rusted over. Aside from paint being chipped on the corners, the rifle was as clean as the day I picked it up. I could hardly believe it had been through that hell and back with me considering how few battlescars it picked up. The rifle was more than ready for some more action.

With DesertFox event’s Battle For L.A. just around the corner, the APS Noveske Chainsaw got its chance to hop into the firefight once more. Though I personally didn’t attend, Andres from Evike Marketing used the exact same rifle I did for the multi-day game and came out with just as many good things to say about it as I did. We’re looking forward to taking this beast of a rifle to more events with us to see just how far its stock reliability can be pushed.

Would I trust the old eSilverEdge gearbox system from APS to survive the intensity we put this rifle through? Not likely. APS has taken a major step forward with their new “Edge II” gearbox system, and I genuinely couldn’t recommend it more for anyone looking for a sturdy primary. Its factory installed upgrade parts make it a wonderful choice for upgrading with high-speed internals down the line, and if you’re simply looking for a rough and rugged primary to keep up no matter the task, just leave it stock! It seems as though APS finally has what it takes to stand alongside the top brands in airsoft. I might just have to set my KWA aside for the next few games! Embrace airsoft modernity with EMG’s newest release by equipping yourself with a battleborn rifle system that has what it takes to carry you far in your airsoft adventures!