VIRTUS

“Virtue conquers all” reads the motto of these new Secutor replicas in Latin, the VIRTUS family which is made up of three models at the time of its launch:

Virtus III: Model with MLOK handguard and muzzle

Virtus IV: Model with handguard with a built-in torch 

Virtus XI: Model with MLOK handguard, grip and silencer

The three models are a great option for CQB because of their compact size, the configuration possibilities for accessories that they offer and their efficiency when firing. Not only do they have a very tense shot and offer a really high ROF with 11.1 batteries, but on top of that you’ve got the electronic trigger, making them ideal replicas for urban combat.

“Virtus omnia vincit” Let’s go!

LIGHTNESS

The weight of this series stands out and the Virtus III is the lightest of the three, weighing barely 2100g, while the Virtus XI with the silencer is the heaviest at 2189g (without the silencer it weighs 2111g, meaning in this case the Virtus IV is heaviest at 2120g). Having said that, we can round the weight to a little over 2kg and it still really far from the almost 3.5 kg of the CM.041 by CYMA, to compare them to a competitor of this family, and these were quite heavy. This adds yet another comfort factor to the model, which we appreciate a great deal when playing with it.

HANDGUARD

With the exception of the Virtus IV which comes with a handguard with a built-in torch, the rest of the series comes with an MLOK handguard made of aluminium which will allow us to opt for various accessory configurations. This narrow handguard design is realistic, unlike other wider ones that we can find on the market, but it’s true that this reduces the space for batteries (you won’t have this problem with the Virtus IV). However, both shops and distributors can give you information on which batteries are fine to use, and we do recommend that you put them in gently in order to adjust everything properly.

ACCESORIES

VIRTUS III

It comes with the upper RIS so that we can place the aiming system that we like best. As well as the MLOK handguard to be able to complete the model with the accessories that we need. And a steel muzzle which, if you’re able to recognise it, means you’ve been in this for too long. That’s the glass breaker muzzle. 

VIRTUS IV

This model comes with an RIS on the top to connect sights to it. And in this case a handguard with a built-in torch. It uses two CR123A batteries to feed itself and on the top part of the handguard, there is a button on each side. If we press it once, we will get a constant and very bright light which is perfect for lighting up dark places, but if we press it twice and hold it down the second time, we will get a strobe (flashing) light. This is perfect for lighting up places in the same way and also disturbing the vision of any enemies who might be in front of us.

VIRTUS XI

It has the upper RIS and MLOK handguard, just like the Virtus III, but in this case it includes a connectable MLOK vertical grip to avoid the showiness of an RIS rail used for connection. As standard, it also comes with a threaded silencer instead of the muzzle. It’s a dummy silencer (this is Airsoft!) and the inner barrel ends at the bottom of the outer barrel, meaning we can disassemble the silencer and continue playing with a shorter configuration. Lastly, this model has a stock design which is different to the classic one we see in the other two models, giving it a more modern look.

MAGAZINES

As standard, the Virtus come with a 100 bb midcap magazine with the marking SPQR (from “Senatus Populusque Romanus” or “the Senate and the People of Rome”, an emblem of the Roman Empire). Although in the office we’ve tested magazines from other brands and we’ve not had any problems, which is always quite interesting.

FIRE

We’ll see the inner parts later, but we can tell you now that they come with an electronic trigger, Maple Lead hop-up rubber and a 6.03mm precision barrel. Overall, this gives us an average of 330 FPS on the stopwatch with 0.20g bbs, which is more than enough for what we need in CQB, a very tense bb flight and what we’re most interested in: a high ROF.

HOP-UP

These replicas use a similar hop-up adjustment system to the one we can find in the Tokyo Marui. This means we can adjust them without the need for tools, having to disassemble them or use their inner parts, which is really handy for correcting our shot while in the middle of a game. This system is extremely sensitive, meaning that if we place it on the outside, bbs won’t be released. It therefore helps to mark the position of the hop-up with the type of bb that we’re going to use and take care when assembling the handguard to stop it from moving.

INNER PARTS

01. Gearbox 
Gearbox V2.

02. Spring
M90  type spring and metal head spring guide and polymer tube.

03. Piston
Piston with full metal teeth made of steel.

04. Piston head
Aluminium piston head, with tightly sealed O-ring and bearings.

05. Cylinder
Metal body with opening.

06. Cylinder head
Aluminium cylinder head with sealed double rubber

07. Nozzle
Aluminium nozzle with sealed rubber.

08. Inner barrel
6.03 mm precision barrel which is 200 mm long.

09. Hop up
MP5 type hop-up chamber made of polymer, with Maple Leaf rubber and nub.

10. Trigger 
Electronic trigger.

11. Gears
Steel gears, without markings, which revolve around 8mm bushings.

CONCLUSIONS

Secutor has released another new model onto the market which will cause tongues to wag. What are the new Virtus really like? The truth is that they combine impeccable inner parts (electronic trigger, Maple Leaf rubber, precision barrel, etc.) with unbeatable aesthetics; that’s undeniable. A formula that has already been a success for it in the past with the Rapax and Astra series, and which, in this case, also comes onto the market at a very competitive price. Pick up one of these models with your own hands, fire it if you can and there won’t be much else you need to know after that.