M4 SOPMOD II: When The Raifu Is Real

Official Artwork by lowlight kirilenko

Sometimes, a waifu comes along that speaks to you on such a pure level that you must do everything in your power to make them a reality. For most, that journey stops with a figure or hologram due to the limits of reality. Others may have better fortune with a significant other to cosplay said character or they cosplay the character themselves. And sometimes, you can just build her yourself. In this case, I recreated M4 SOPMOD II from Girls Frontline as a real, functioning AR15.

My journey started with identifying all the parts necessary to make my build accurate. Some parts, like the Daniel Defense RIS II rail and EOTech 553 were easy to discern. Others took quite a bit more time to find an comparably accurate part like Lancer Systems L5AWM magazines or Troy Industries Clamp-On Rear Sling Adapter. The goal I had in mind was to bring her to life with legitimate parts, knockoffs not allowed! A list of all parts used in this build and links to them or equivalent parts will be available at the end of the article.

https://i0.wp.com/cdn-us-cf2.yottaa.net/53ff2f503c881650e20004c9/www.brownells.com/v~4b.ed/userdocs/products/p_100025582_2.jpg?resize=346%2C346&ssl=1

The first part I purchased was a stripped upper. This SOCOM profile barrel is slightly long at 16″ instead of 14.5″ but it was on sale for a nice price and it included the necessary RIS II in FDE. I immediately replaced the plastic ejection port cover with a spare metal one then supplied the necessary M16 bolt carrier group and charging handle. An A2 flash hider was installed with shims in place of a crush washer. I topped her with an EOTech 553 Holographic Sight. They’re discontinued and somewhat difficult to find. Expect to pay as much as $700 for one if you want to build this raifu, too. All it needed now was a WMX-200, an infrared/white flashlight that is also discontinued. Cheap knockoffs can be had for under $70 on eBay but a real one can easily set you back up to $850. So, I put it off and focused on her lower half.

https://i0.wp.com/cdn-us-cf2.yottaa.net/53ff2f503c881650e20004c9/www.brownells.com/v~4b.ed/userdocs/products/p_100027684_2.jpg?resize=286%2C286&ssl=1

After I finished the upper, I bought her stock, a black B5 SOPMOD stock that was overrun from a government contract build. I also picked up a 5 pack of L5AWM Magazines and from Colt a 4 Position Buffer Tube, H2 Buffer, Carbine Spring, Receiver End Plate, Castle Nut, and Ambidextrous 3 Position Selector. At the same time, I was hunting for a stripped lower that had “Safe-Semi-Auto” markings. I eventually found a GM Hydramatic M16A1 clone lower (that is the wrong profile for an M16A1) and picked it up for my build. A standard AR15 LPK with Trigger and A2 grip rounded everything out and I set to work.

Actually assembling the lower reminded me of my first time with a woman, complete with confused fumbling about even though I knew what to do and where everything was supposed to go. It certainly didn’t help that certain parts weren’t quite in spec and didn’t fit perfectly with one another. The holes for the takedown pins in the lower were slightly too far apart, the selector detent from Colt was slightly oversized, and the buffer tube was difficult to thread into the lower. But eventually I succeeded and was able to sleep with my waifu. The final step was taking her to the range for zeroing my optic for 200m. Then, I dumped close to 500 rounds in under an hour. This break-in also helped loosen tight parts like the BCG and takedown pins, though Soppu needed to cool off before I put her back in the rifle case.

dinergate, m4 sopmod ii, and ro635 (girls frontline)
Official Art by Infukun

Of course, as is often the case in the world of weapons, something newer and better came along. Aero Precision unveiled their M4 and M16A4 clone lowers, I discovered the Magpul MIAD grip has a similar front nub to the A2 (A2 grips don’t fill my hands that well), and, most importantly, Girls Frontline announced an in-game Mod 3 form for SOPMOD II which featured some new components for her rifle. I pre-ordered the Aero M4 lower, a Geissele trigger, JE Machine’s Triple Loop Sling Adapter, Magpul’s MIAD, and dug around in my parts bin for an old FDE AFG I’ve had since 2012. This time, assembling the lower went much smoother, save for the Geissele hammer launching across my room a few times, and now Soppu waits for another trip to the range.

SOPMOD Booty
The final product: M4 SOPMOD II Mod 3 above my Soppu desk mat.

While I’ve achieved my goal where my raifu has stepped out of the game into reality, there are still some final touches that are needed. Going for her Mod 3 form eliminated my need for a WML-200 but it also means I need to color fill the selector markings on my lower. There’s also the issue of my optic being the wrong color, FDE instead of Black, but that should be addressed by a different battery compartment and optic hood. Soppu is a sweet-shooting rifle and I’m glad I took the time to build her. If you’re thinking of adding a similar build to your collection either for the game or as an actual Block II rifle, I would recommend it. Just be prepared to spend to get some of the needed parts. I also recommend waiting for parts to go on sale or until you have a discount code, like I did.

For those of you not familiar with Girls Frontline, I highly recommend you check the Kommando Blog article “First Look: Girls’ Frontline” by Amy F. If you aren’t familiar with the SOPMOD kit, there is a wealth of information online about it that I plan to consolidate in a future article.

UPDATE: I replaced some of the components in the rifle build with better options to support the longevity of the rifle build and make the suppressed shooting I have planned for the future more viable.

Sam Moore

Self-proclaimed to be the most sporadic writer for TKB, I simply likes guns and patches. So strap yourselves in for some high-octane tactical action with guns, patches, stickers, and musings what some would consider intellectual or inane. Oh, and it isn't really that high octane now that I think about it.

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7 Responses

  1. CR95 says:

    Nice rifu, m8. Not best raifu in my opinion (That goes to Springfield), but second best in my opinion. Springfield may be a nice boltie, but Sopmod is queen of the US ARs.

    • Springfield is top tier waifu material for sure. Have you read “Springfield’s Apple Pie”?

      • CR95 says:

        Not yet, I’ll look into it. Sorry for the late response.

      • CR95 says:

        By the way, I’m just starting Airsoft, and I’m looking to make myself a Sopmod Block II. Any idea how to do so for under $500? The max I have for Airsoft is $500, and it has to go on weapon and gear. I’m trying to put together a Soppo inspired kit. Lol

        • I’d recommend searching for airsoft parts. They normally are much cheaper than their real counterparts because they don’t have to withstand actual shooting. A lot of key visual pieces and coolguy stuff like the RIS II, EOTech 553, and WML-200 have airsoft clones available. Though even then, you may be limited with what you can get on that budget. Maybe search for used components.

  2. Keith says:

    What do you think that triangular thing behind the EOTech is? I’m embarking on my own quest to build the best T-Doll after I finish getting my gear.

    SOPPO IS TOPPO

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