ICS have been around since 1995, so in airsoft terms that makes them one of the ‘old timers’ of the industry. As with many manufacturers, they’ve had their fair share of ups and downs in the past, but what I see arriving from them these days shows that they’ve paid great attention to ironing-out the bad and really concentrating on the good. Some airsoft companies seem content to just follow a single line of thought in relation to their designs, but I have to say in the past couple of years ICS have not done this in any way. ICS have pretty much always provided sturdy, full-metal performance replicas of some of the most iconic firearms out there, with first-rate internal parts and mechanisms; in their own words: “Everyone wants to be the winner on the battlefield whether it is real life or just a game, and the gun in each fighter’s hands plays an important role which determines who is on the winning side. 

The ICS HOG is yet another innovative airsoft rifle in the CXP line that features sleek, modern externals, while not sacrificing the versatility and reliability of the ICS Split Gearbox Design. The exterior of a gun is obvious; receivers, sights, and barrels. However, the inside of an ICS AEG is a symphony composed of more than 400 parts, and through around 20 types of precision machinery processes. The inner beauty of the ICS AEG is our passion, effort, and spirit.” Although this statement correctly plays up the amount of time and effort that goes into what is inside an ICS airsoft replica, it kind of plays down one of the areas that I’ve seen them just getting stronger and stronger in, and that’s the standard of the external design and finish. Once upon a time you’d be hard-pressed to tell an ICS AEG apart from any other brand; an M4 was an M4, it was that simple.

Externally, this rifle is anything but what its name would suggest. The sleek, slim keymod rail system that is included with the CXP-HOG is a new design from ICS, it's much more low profile and comfortable in the hands than most keymodrail systems. This handguard has a quick release function that makes it very easy to access the battery compartment on the front-wired model of this gun, or to access additional storage on the rear-wired version. The included ICS T-Mag features finger grooves for increased grip, and a window that makes it incredibly easy to see just how much ammo you have left. The ergonomic grip installed on this rifle is considerably more comfortable than a standard A2 style grip, and will work with both gloved and non-gloved hands. The included retractible stock is similar to on previous ICS designs, featuring increased ergonomics and control when compared to standard M4 retractible stocks. Internally, this rifle is just as versatile and upgradeable as it is externally. The Split Design Gearbox from ICS means that swapping a spring, piston, or entire upper gearbox is as easy as popping the upper and lower receiver apart with a single pin. Maintenance and upgrades on the ICS CXP-HOG are easier than they've ever been before. This design also allows the rifle to function similarly to a real M4, as it hinges open rather than sliding apart. 

Internally the HOG (which stands for High Occupancy Handguard) series of AEG are all made from the same components and feature a split gearbox, an Infinite 2500 long pin motor, and an M100 spring. They all also benefit from the new ICS Electronic Blowback function.

In conclusion this is an AEG you can simply take out of the box, fit a battery, load-up with BBs and take straight out onto the range or skirmish field. You can have one in either plain black or tan, and both look absolutely stunning; if you’re in the market for a cracking little airsoft carbine that’s going to be a great crossover from CQB to woodland games, then I’d say take a very close look at the QRS!