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Glock 17 L- Tokyo Marui
My first Tokyo Marui
gun, and as I had heard so
much about TM and their guns being the best, I had high
expectations! This was purchased for £27 in 2003, and my review is
for the non Hop-Up model.
The air soft glock arrived and with high hopes I unpacked it and was impressed with the quality of the finish. ALL of the markings are present and correct, with the extra markings of TM and ASGK thrown in for good measure. Weight is a bit on the light side, but considering the low weight of the real steel, this cant really be a major flaw.
The gun takes around 15 BBs, the clip insertion action is fine. Dimensions are length 226mm, width 32mm and height 132mm. Weight comes in at 380 grams. Power is around 0.3 joules, average for this type of spring pistol. cocking the spring is reasonably easy.
Glock handguns employ a patented ‘safe system’ whereby the trigger can only be depressed if the finger is around it. The TM glock faithfully reproduces the 2 safety mechanisms as can be seen in the picture (note also the markings).
Accuracy is reasonable, the lack of hop-up
proving a problem at longer distances, as the BB starts to arc
downwards after around 8 metres.Once used to the gun and how
it fires however, I can manage to get 10 BBs within 2 inches at 7 metres.
Weight : 380g
Real Steel Realism : 8/10
Build Quality : 7/10
Power (Joules): 0.3J
Accuracy : 6/10
Hop-Up?: No
Price: £28 from BBguns
online
The real steel takes the colt government automatic and after modification to the frame, barrel and internals, the calibre is changed from .45 ACP to the powerful 10mm auto cartridge. Traditional blued steel and stainless steel versions are available.
KWCs offering (similar to the 1911 custom
above) is a well built pistol, the finish being semi-gloss black. It
would appear all the proper markings are in place, including the
delta elite red triangle, which unfortunately does look a bit
plasticy.
The length of the pistol is 216mm, width is 36mm, and weight around 360 grams.
The pistol is comfortable to use, well weighted
and target acquisition is made easier by the inclusion of a painted
white foresight. Power is quoted as around 0.3-0.4 joules, but I
have not chrono’d it.
A nice feature of this pistol is the field stripping capability, achieved by removing a pin just above the trigger, this allows the slide to be pulled forward and off, and allows cleaning and re-lubing of the internals.
The build quality is good, the pistol being made of a tough yet pliable plastic/ABS type material. The pistol has been in use now for about 6 months, and I cannot report any problems with either breakages or jamming.
Weight : 365g
Real Steel Realism : 7/10
Build Quality : 8/10
Power (Joules): 0.3-0.4J
Accuracy : 7/10
Hop-Up?: Yes
Price: £35 from BBguns
online
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Springer gun modification and super detailing
There are several ways you can improve an air-soft model gun, most of which won't cost much and should not damage your gun! I suppose the aim for modification is to improve accuracy of the model, improve the looks to be as close to the real steel as possible, increase the weight of the replica to be as close to the real steel as possible and ensure any markings are represented as well.
Stripping down
Some air soft models such as the KWC and TM range can be easily field stripped, as they were designed to do so, but other, cheaper models are not so easy. EXTREME CARE is needed here to avoid damaging your air soft gun, gentle probing and prising the slide can be the first step in dismantling the gun, or removal of any screws visible. Bear in mind when dismantling an air soft gun what your objectives are!, if you don't really have any then STOP!, if you wish to improve power, wish to re-lube your gun, or are curious as to how the thing works then proceed with caution!
Be mindful of the fact that when the gun comes apart, springs/ cogs/ bits will fly out and YOU will need to be able to put them back again! For most intelligent people this shouldn't be too hard, but I have warned you!!!
What do I do now its stripped?
There are a few things you can do! firstly, get to know the internals and how they work, how your gonna put it back together again!
Clean/ Lube
you can clean, re-lubricate the workings. For this you will need silicone products. Car oil, grease etc is no good for plastic guns as it can erode/ degrade the plastics. Silicone products can be purchased HERE. Don't put too much oil etc in the barrel, because if your gun is a hop-up model, this will affect the action of the hop-up effect.
Add weight
OK, here goes, this is something I regularly do to spring guns, that is to add weight to the model wherever possible. You should be able to work out whether there are any 'empty' spaces in the model that don't have cogs/springs/clips/internal plastics filling them. What you can do is fill these areas with metal to increase the weight of your model gun to more approximate the real steel. Be careful here and watch what your doing. Basically you need either a silicone sealant / builders glue/heat glue gun and some metal (e.g. bolts, nuts, lead flashing, lead weights). The procedure is to glue in firmly the extra weight so that when you re- assemble the gun it still works OK, and the weight wont come loose. Scratch/ score the plastic surface before gluing in a weight to give better adhesion, and make sure the weight you have added won't foul the spring/ trigger mechanism.
With luck you should be able to substantially increase the weight of your model, giving it a more 'lifelike' feel. This method works best on larger pistols, SMGs and Rifles. Good places for extra weight are inside the clip, in the stock of rifles, and anywhere where there is a cavity not doing anything.
Please bear in mind that heavier plastic models break more often when dropped!
Add Power?
It is possible to increase the power of your model, BUT in doing so you may fall foul of the law, break the gun or just be wasting your time. Let me explain......
you MUST not increase the power of your air-soft gun above 1 joule, and to be honest you are not likely to be able to do this with spacers etc anyway and the gun probably wouldn't last long at that power with the plastic internal components. (1 joule is the air-soft generally agreed maximum power limit ).
By increasing the power of the spring, you put extra stress on the internal components of the model, which if it is a cheap model, probably wont last long!
Even after moderately increasing the power of the model, you may not notice any power/ accuracy increases at all.
If you are still eager to try this there are a couple of ways.
1) Add a spacer behind the spring so that it compresses more when cocked. A metal/ rubber spacer of suitable diameter and with a large enough inner hole can be added behind/ in front of the spring so that the spring is compressed more when cocked. You could continue to add spacers until you cannot cock the gun .
2) Put in a stronger spring (Commonly done with AEGs) The problem here is that there is not much in the way of upgraded springs for single action spring guns available. You would need to source a suitable diameter/ length/ wire thickness spring.
Super detailing
This is the process of making your airsoft replica LOOK as much like the real steel as possible. BE WARNED!, airsoft guns that look real should not be brandished in public, as you may well get an armed police response and get shot! CLICK here and here for some guidelines on airsoft law and safety.
Firstly, research your model as much as possible. Do internet image searches, or get a gun book from your library/ local book store. Find out what the real gun looks like, what markings it has, what finish the gun has, are the markings painted? (e.g. safety markings, manufacturer logo, wear and tear marks). This should give you a good idea if the BBgun model you have is well detailed and finished, or a basic model that looks plastic rather than steel.
Very often, the safety markings are scored into the plastic but not painted as the real guns markings. For adding markings, model enamel paints are useful, along with a hobby paintbrush. Carefully add the required markings by 'filling in' the scored areas of the model, and when the paint is nearly dry, wipe the surface so that the paint only stays in the recessed areas.
Below you can see the results on a HK USP pistol, an UZI and a HK MP5.
If the overall finish of the gun leaves something to be desired, as it does with many cheaper spring pistols, a total repaint may be required. This can totally transform your model if done correctly. You will firstly need to make sure any traces of grease or silicone lubricants are cleaned off the gun, the gun is lightly sanded with fine grade wet and dry paper (e.g.1000 grade) then wipe down with white spirit and allow to dry thoroughly.
A good choice for gun painting is the range of car acrylic paints readily available at Halfords etc. Choose a colour such as Satin black or Ford Ash black If possible, dismantle the gun into 2 halves, or failing that, stick the gun onto a firm level surface, suitably protected from over spray. Spray outside (or in a well ventilated garage), using a light coat of plastic primer first to help the paint stick to the plastic surface (this is optional), then spray the gun with light even coats of chosen colour paint, 2 should be fine. for a glossier, more resilient finish, finally spray a light coat of lacquer to finish.
Leave for 15 minutes between coats if you have got the patience!
I have got good results spraying an UZI, using 2 light coats of Ford Ash black. When thoroughly dried (i.e. a day later), give the gun a light coat of silicone oil, well rubbed in to finish.
Add a sight/ laser
Probably going a bit over the top for most spring guns, considering the inherent inaccuracy of a smoothbore gun with low power!, you may find the addition of a scope or laser does nothing for the accuracy. They can make a gun look well cool though, so read on.....
Lasers are now reasonably priced (the one you see above was from e-bay at £5 + £3 pp) (LINK here) and has a range of 50m plus. The scope on the HK MP5 was £10 and is a 4x20 variant.
I had to make my own mounts for both the sights, from metal and epoxy resin, but both now work quite well. I do find the laser needs frequent re-aligning especially when the gun gets knocked or dropped.
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Automag
3- Marui
This review is for the High grade Hop-up Spring pistol version from Marui.
The real steel is a large single action semi automatic weapon in stainless steel The original automag was designed by Harry Sanford. The gun is made by AMT (Arcadia Machine and Tool) and branded IAI ( Irwindale Arms Inc) The automag 3 fires the .30 carbine load, a cartridge originally designed to be used in light rifles and the M-1 carbine. The Automag III was the first automatic pistol to fully utilise this ammunition.
The model is shipped with 200 0.25 gram Marui BBs, and a magazine.
Magazine capacity is 23 shots.
The length of the pistol is 266mm, width is 33mm, and weight around 360 grams.
This is a large gun, similar in looks to the AMT hardballer, with a satin silver finish.
Sights are easy to use, black and fixed. When the slide is pulled back, the shell ejection port opens to reveal the loading port of the barrel which is a nice feature and makes the model more realistic.The slide action is nice and smooth and the guns quality is excellent, as I would expect from a Marui HGHU.
A safety catch is located on the inside top of the trigger
Hop up is fixed for 0.25 gram ammo and BBs fly very straight , making the accuracy fair.
When I used 0.2g BBs, they tended to arc upwards at close to medium range but with experience, using 0.2 gram ammunition should be fine.
Price was £35 in 2004, from zero one airsoft .
( http://www.zerooneairsoft.com/erol/erol.html )
Weight : 380g
Real Steel Realism : 8/10
Build Quality : 8/10
Power (Joules): 0.3-0.4J
Accuracy : 8/10
Hop-Up?: Yes
Price: £35
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Tokyo Marui M4A1 Automatic Electric Gun
Please see my review on CONSUMER REVIEWS.... HERE
Tokyo Marui Wilson Supergrade
Please see my review on CONSUMER REVIEWS.... HERE