| | Review: Dboys Full Metal M4A1 Author: Zachattack Table of contents Real steel history Ordering First Impressions Feel Accessories Performance Externals Internals Pictures with my jg guns Pros and cons Conclusion Real steel history The M4 is a shortened version of the M16A2. According to different sources it is between 80-85% interchangeable with the M16A2. The only diffrences in the M16A2 and the M4 is the barrel length and the stock is adjustable. In the US military it replaced the M9 pistol, the M3A1 smg, and a few M16A2's. At first it seemed like the perfect weapon, but it has it's problems. Due to the 5.56mm round and the shortened barrel it muzzle velocity is lower than the m16's and it's range is decreased by a significant amount. The differences between the M4 and the M4A1 are these. The M4 has a semi and three round burst option, while the m4a1 has a semi and a full auto option. And the M4 has a fixed carry handle while the M4A1 has a removable one. Sites used to research the real steel article are www.baseops.net www.world.guns.ru Ordering I ordered this gun from pointact.com. I ordered it on a Monday night and had it Thursday afternoon. I would recommend pointact to anyone. I've ordered from them twice and they have exceptional CS. The reason I got this gun was because I wanted the metal body from it for my m16 and this seemed like the best way to get it. Shipping for this item will be around $11.50 to the lower 48 states.  First Impressions I opened up the package and the box had no plastic wrap on it, but it had two thick plastic straps around it. I cut those and pulled the cover off. Everything was shuffled around in the box. No big worries. I actually sort of expected that. When I picked up the gun it was, as expected, heavier than a plastic body m4. It's about as heavy as my jg m16.  Feel This guns feel is awesome. The cold metal touching your hand along with the dboys nylon is a great feeling. The gun is weighted correctly and doesn't feel lopsided either frontwards or backwards while carrying it. This gun is as solid as a rock. Next to my jg m733 this gun feels a lot nicer. The metal seems to be of decent (good clone quality) quality on this gun. Accessories It comes with a standard wall charger, a battery, allen wrench, philips screwdriver, small bag of bb's, a 3 point sling, that feels to be of very good quality, unjamming rod, and of course the gun. The only thing that really can be put on this m4, as it is, is a scope or rds. Performance This gun is a great performer. I would recommend it for a beginner. Stock it is very accurate, and the fps is in the low 300's. (Not chronoed, but it goes through one side of a coke can) Not too much for a beginner. At 120ft measured I can hit a tree, that's about 3/4 the width of a man, nine times out of ten. One of this guns plusses is that it is very quiet, which I like a lot. It is the quietest clone that I've heard. It's not as quiet or as smooth sounding as a TM, but it definitely not a gun that sounds like it is under a lot of stress. It's rate of fire seems a little slower than other clones. I've heard this was caused by the motor. I haven't tested though. Externals       The externals of this gun are really good. Everything but the handgrips, pistol grip, and sliding stock is metal. Those parts are made out of dboys nylon that feels really nice. I prefer it to abs plastic. The outer barrel is a one piece, so that's a nice bonus. I couldn't get the barrel to shorten as the plastic body version can do though. A different person got theirs to shorten though so I must not have been twisting it hard enough. The flash hider is painted orange and is a 14mm CCW. The metal on the gun is fairly good. I've heard reports that it's pot metal, but it doesn't seem like it to me. Mine doesn't nick or scratch that easily. I would definitely recommend it above a plastic body. One of it's bad parts is that the magwell is a little too big. The mag it comes with is a little loose and my jg mags don't even work in it. However I put some one sided stick felt pads (skinniest ones I could find) in there and now the mag doesn't rattle around, but I still can't get my jg mags to work. They won't clip into place. Edit 9/22/07 The front pin that holds the upper receiver to the lower receiver is really tight on a lot of dboys metal body guns from what I've heard. Mine was this way so I took a look at the problem. The problem isn't the pin being to big or the holes it goes into being too small. The problem is that the lower receiver holes aren't lined up correctly. This makes the bolt have to go in a little bit sideways. The was to fix it is just to dremel a little bit off of the top of one side and a little bit off of the bottom of the other side. Edit 8/31/07 I found out the reason why jg mags don't work. The little plastic piece that holds the bb's from squirting out is a little too long. If you shave a little bit off it can still hold the bb's in and work in this gun. Another problem with this gun is that the top rail is too skinny. It won't let a rail mount mount properly. Internals   First the hop up. The hop up is a one piece metal hop up that is really consistent. Very few shots are fliers compared to my jg's hop up which sends one crazy about one in every ten shots. The stock hop up rubber could use replacing though. It's too hard to be really effective. The inner barrel is a brass barrel. It looks to be decent. At least it's not aluminum.    The gearbox shell is a reinforced one, and the gears are standard xyt gears.  The spring guide is plastic with a metal base.  The piston looks like a reinforced one, while the piston head looks like a normal ported acm one. It has 6 holes.  The cylinder is a type 0 cylinder and the compression was horrible until I changed the o ring on the piston head to a new #14 o ring. After that the compression was great. I didn't put any teflon tape on the cylinder head. That had a good seal.  The tappet plate's plastic is of high quality. It seems like it could stand a lot of bending before it would break.  Air nozzle I've never seen a clear gray one before. Kind of odd. The cyma ones are/were clear, but not a see through color. The shimming wasn't very good. Just one shim on each side of every gear. This let the gears spin fairly well though, so if you don't know how to open up a gearbox it isn't totally necessary to re-shim it. The wiring doesn't look the greatest either. It looks like 18 awg. A little small imho. It has a fuse that is strapped to the outer barrel under the foregrip. I read a review that said the wiring looked bad, but in reality it was ok and the motor just wasn’t good enough to give it a good rate of fire. The gearbox has very little grease in it. If you get this gun and can work on gearboxes a regrease, shim job, and a new o ring are the best things you can do. Pictures of it with my jg guns   Dboys in the middle. Jg guns on top and bottom of it. Pros Full metal Metal hop up that's consistent 7mm reinforced gearbox shell Brass inner barrel Great stock accuracy Quiet for a clone Price Cons Upper and lower reciever have a very little space in between them Stock wobbles a little bit Magwell is a little too big and mags rattle around in there. My jg mags don't even work in it. Shimming could be better Conclusion In conclusion this is a very good gun for the price. It is just an outstanding clone. For just $130 you get a full metal gun that is very accurate. It's fps isn't to high to use for cqb and it's not so low it can't be used for woodland. There is nothing on this gun that needs immediate attention which makes it a good gun for beginners. But of course like all clones there are things you can do to make it better. |
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Friday, April 30, 2010
Dboys Full Metal M4A1
Review: WE M1911 .45 Tactical Model
Introduction:
The classic 1911, a product developed from the genius John Browning almost 100 years ago. Although the M1911 series has been replaced by the Beretta M9 in the US military in the late 80s, the venerable 1911 models are still being used by Law Enforcement personnel, by the Special operations segment of the military (including special missions units), and by exhibitions shooters all across America. Furthermore, it has found itself in the homes of many civilians as a self-defense gun and as a recreational pistol for occasional plinking.
Because I rarely use my sidearm in skirmishes, I made the decision to get a KJW M9 (plastic edition GBB) two years ago because of its low price. In my last skirmish, my primary gun (M4A1) failed to work in a middle of a 'firefight' (loose wiring) and I was forced to pull out my trusty M9 during the engagement. It was then I truly appreciated the usefulness of GBB pistols. However, after 2 years of use with green gas, the outer barrel and the slide is cracked from the strain of the blowback action. At this point, I decided to invest in a full metal GBB pistol. Since full metal GBBs normally run over $100 (pricey for a sidearm that rarely gets used as much), I wanted something that was a great performer and was realistic in terms of weight. Realism and weight was an issue for me, as I am an avid real steel firearms shooter (I've been 'spoiled' by real steel for a while now). Instead of going for a 9mm handgun, I had my sights set on 1911 styled handgun. A few of my buddies own real steel Kimbers and Springfields…and I was impressed with them. I knew for certain I didn't want a 1911 "Race gun" because I wanted retain the tactical look for my loadout. I looked into WE 1911s because they were the most reasonably priced full metal 1911s in the markets at the moment. Likewise, the WE 1911s at Airsoftgi comes with 2 magazines instead of 1. I initially looked at the Government model 1911A1, but decided to get the "tactical" version for $5 more at a price of $109. The tactical version featured an updated/modernized frame (that contains a rail system) and slide. The tactical version is loosely based off various Para-Ordinance's/Springfield's/Wilson's/Kimber's/S&W's 1911s.
First Impressions:
The entire package came one whole day earlier than scheduled. Along with the compact, but hefty WE box, AirsoftGi was nice enough to give me one of their ballcaps as well.
The box is cardboard with a large "WE" in front. Likewise, AirsoftGi advertises this 1911 as the "latest" version of this model in their inventory.
Upon opening the box, I was surprised at how it was packaged. The black cloth that covered the foam packaging was an excellent touch, a steep comparison to my old KJW packaging with white the blatant white Styrofoam.
As I reached for the 1911, I was sincerely hoping the weight would be 'realistic' enough to my liking. Fortunately, I was not disappointed as the pistol is quite solid and well weighted (even more so with the magazine inserted).
The finish appears to be parkarized with a satin black finish. The finish is very smooth without any imperfections. The magazines also have the same finish. The slide has a reasonable hefty 'clink' when the slide is pulled back. The action seemed to be quite crisp compared to my plastic M9 GBB.
Closer look:
The outer barrel is chrome. WE did an excellent job replicating the rifling and grooves inside the faux outer barrel. Likewise, a portion of the barrel sitting in the chamber area has .45 ACP engraved in it.
The slide is sharply made and detailed. The diagonal grooved strips on the front and rear of the slide is also sharply engraved, allowing the operator for better gripping when pulling the slide back.
Another reason I picked the tactical model over the government one is because the rear sights are adjustable. They are also painted with white dots to facilitate with lining up the iron sights when aiming. However, there is a little play in movement with the rear iron sights. It could be that it just needs to be tightened on my part, but the movement's not so large to cause accuracy problems. There are no engraved trademarks anywhere…not even a "Made In Taiwan" statement (that came as a golden sticker on the slide). Therefore, there are no fake trades either that would signify it as an airsoft pistol on the slide.
The bottom frame features an integrated Picatinny rail system that allows for the quick attachment for various lasers and lights. This is another reason why I purchased this model over the government model. The front and rear of the grips are also engraved with a minutely and intricate checker pattern to facilitate with better gripping. On the trigger guard, there is a very small engraved "WE" inside a circle, the only engraved text you'll find on this gun.
The grip safety is functional and differs from the government 1911's shape, as it is longer and curls upward to protect the operator's hand from the hammer and the slide when it blows back. The thumb safety is also ambidextrous and longer, unlike the government model.
Field stripping is relatively simple. Pull back the slide until slide catch end reaches the designated groove and push out the slide catch. The slide then slides off. Unlike my KJW M9, the hop-up is adjustable. To access the hop-up, the slide needs to be taken off. The hop-up is adjusted via the black dial.
The magazines are very detailed and well made as well. They come in the same finish as the slide and frame. The magazines are single stacked and hold 15 rounds. Complaints I've heard about the magazines are that they 'cool' down very very quickly with rapid fire shots. However, upon doing double taps, I was still able to fire all 15 rounds off…although the last several shots started dropping in velocity.
A full charge of gas (~14 seconds or so) is enough to empty all 15 rounds in the magazine.
Another feature worth noting is that the magazine is quite easy to load. The magazine feeding spring can be locked to the bottom (like KWC's Witness .45 springer magazines). There is a circular hole in the bottom front of the magazine where the user can pour in or out the rounds. This is much quicker than stacking the rounds on the top of the magazine. Likewise, this also helps minimize wear done to the plastic feeding guide on the top of magazine.
If you look you can see the hole in the front, bottom half of the magazine.
Performance:
I don't have a chronograph, but the gun is advertised to shoot from 300-330 FPS on Green gas.
The blow back is very crisp and the gun itself is quite accurate at 60 feet as well.
With the Coke can test, the 1911 was able to pierce through both sides of the can. It was not able to pierce the bottom of the can. According to Redwolf Airsoft, this is about 350-370 fps.
http://www.redwolfairsoft.com/redwolf/airsoft/BulletDetail?bulletID=34
The 1911 was able to cleanly penetrate both sides of the Dr. Pepper can.
Entry hole
Exit hole
Even though I don't have a picture of the bottom of the can, the bottom of the can was not penetrated.
Compared to my KJW M9, this 1911 shoots with better accuracy and at a higher velocity. The hop-up is quite responsive. I have not used this in a skirmish, but it I was able to hit human size targets at around 80 ft away. It is important to remember that this GBB should be used as a defense gun, rather than an offensive gun. With that in mind, engagements with this secondary should usually be under 120 ft or so. Common sense would dictate that anything beyond that range would require a rifle. The blowback itself is crisp and contains more 'whump' than my plastic M9. I would say the recoil feeling is similar to a .22 handgun with a heavy bull barrel. But it has the same amount of recoil as a real Ruger MKII with an integrated suppressor. For the super realists out there, don't expect the same amount of recoil you normally get with a real 1911, as it's just not possible with an airsoft replica at this time.
Accuracy:
Tests were conducted from 30 ft, 50 ft, and 70 ft. There was a slight breeze of 4 mph. I was shooting standing and unsupported.
The targets are printed on a standard 8.5" x 11" sheet. The logic is, if you can hit this size of paper, you can hit a human torso. The entire target circle has a diameter of 5.5". As for the ammo I was using, I was using your typical white .20 g BBs.
At 30 ft, the grouping is consistantly in the black area of the target. This is a fairly close range for an engagement. This range would probably represent some indoor CQC.
At 50 ft, the accuracy has dropped, but I was still able to get consistent shots in the target in general.
For the NRA .22 handgun competitive shooting, 50 ft is the standard range for the shot. Although the GBB 1911 is no where consistent in grouping as real steel, the grouping here is quite impressive for an airsoft gun when firing standing and unsupported.
At 70 ft, this range is pushing the accuracy of most GBB guns. I was still able to hit the target, but most of the shots went around it on the paper, and a few missed the sheet completely. Considering the projectile is round and not conical, this is acceptable.
This gun is quite accurate with single shots. It still is fairly accurate with double taps. Depending on how much gas you charge in each magazines, the user will notice a drop in FPS in the last several shots. Likewise, accuracy is also partially dependent on how much the user adjusted the Hop UP.
Problems/Issues:
The magazine does cool down (inherit problem with gas guns in general) with rapid shots. However, with controlled double taps, the cooling issue is negligible. When I first pulled back the slide (before firing), the gun itself was very dry (as in not quite lubed). After lubing the barrel/chamber, trigger and hammer area, the cycling operations was much smoother. I also lubed both magazines (the parts where gas is injected/expelled). I recommend you lubricate these parts with silicone oil before firing the 1911. Another quirk I have with this gun is the lack of trademarks on it, but it's not at all critical during field use. Even though spring is strong enough for crisp action for the slide, it's still feels slightly sluggish compared to real steel pistols, but still much more crisp than my old KJW M9.
Another problem some people are aware of with this particular model is the finicky slide lock. There have been reports that the slide doesn't always lock back with each shot. After several days of testing and experimenting with different scenarios, I found this problem only occurs when there isn't much gas left in the magazine. The gun will still cycle, but there isn't enough blow back for the slide go back far or hard enough for the slide lock to engage it. The vibration from the recoil combined with a small piece on the magazine helps pushes the slide catch upwards. Without the 'recoil' from a strong blow back action, the slide will not lock back. The rounds will still be fired at this point, but there is a drop in FPS. One way to counter this is to charge enough gas into the magazine (about 14 seconds or so). This number may be tentative for each individual magazine, but the 1911 tends to perform better on this trend. Likewise, if you're going to charge that much gas into the magazines, remember to lubricate the magazines (the o-rings) often.
The black plastic grips look fairly cheap, but are not 'cheap-cheap' plastic you'll find on Chinese guns. But for such a nice replica, the grips detract from the overall look and feel of the gun.
Modification:
Since I had a KWC Witness 1911 springer with faux wood grips that I painted before, I decided to slap them on the WE 1911 to give it more character. The grips will not fit without modification. Modification includes widening the screw holes and shaving excess areas so the right side safety will fit. I then also painted the stock grips with a Khaki/Mimosa color followed with a black and brown wash to give it the Kimber styled MARSOC 1911 Warrior look.
With my old KWC Witness 1911 'wood' grips. The grips were painted by me for a more realistic look.
While not considered a real modification, the rail can take on lights and lasers as well.
Once a light is slapped on a 1911, normal holsters will usually not be able to take it, as the 1911 is too bulky for it. I also had to modify my old, dirt cheap holster for it to take the 1911 with light.
The painted grips give the gun better contrast while seated in the holster.
Conclusion:
Overall, for the price, this 1911 is an excellent purchase. Western Arms 1911 are double the price and have plastic slides. In conclusion, I was fairly surprised at quality of this gun, and this gun has far exceeded my expectations.
Pros:
- Full metal at a reasonable price in the current market for 1911s
- Adjustable sights
- Rail system for accessory attachments
- Good blowback
- Sharp details and nice, smooth finish
- Good accuracy for a pistol
- Realistic weight and quite solid
- Came with 2 magazines (at AirsoftGI)
- Uniqueness in that it's not another 'Glock' or 'USP'
- Works well for those MARSOC Force Recon or US Army SF load-outs.
Cons:
- Ugly, cheap looking plastic black grips
- Magazine cooling down if you 'machine-gun' the 1911
- Rear sights wiggle slightly, but it can be tightened
- Grip safety slightly wobbles, but not too critical.
- Lack of trademarks of any sort.
- The gun comes "dry," so lubing is highly recommended before first use.
- Finicky slide lock when not much gas left in the magazine for the it to engage the slide.
Score:
- Looks: 9.0/10
- Feel: 9.0/10
- Performance: 8.5/10
- Potential: 9.0/10
Overall: 9.0/10
Verdict: Highly recommended if you're a pistol enthusiast and or if you want a good secondary sidearm.
Review: Bell M1911A1 Full-Metal GBB (EG723) Dennis Wells
| | Review: Bell M1911A1 Full-Metal GBB (EG723) Dennis Wells  Table of Contents - Introduction - Ordering - First Impressions - Externals - - Finish - - Controls and Operation - - Sights - - Trademarks - Disassembly - Internals - Performance - Conclusion - - Pros and Cons Introduction "The 1911 .45 ACP pistol has a mystique that is unmatched by any other pistol. Its owners are devoted to it. It continues to be chosen by SWAT, special forces, and competitive shooters despite challenges by newer designs and technologies. It is a cultural icon and symbol of America at its combative best. Yes, it's a combat sidearm, not a pocket gun or a concealment piece. It was designed for the Army in an era when the cavalry rode into battle on horses. Created by John M. Browning at the turn of the Twentieth Century, the 1911 was the climax of a series of autoloader designs which culminated in the adoption by the Army of the M1911 in the year from which it took its name. It is perhaps the most loved, studied, and enduring pistol design of all time." © 2008 The Sight M1911 (http://www.sightm1911.com/). Used with permission. Ordering The gun was ordered from Hong Kong airsoft retailer RSOV (http://www.rsov.com) for $65 plus overseas shipping, which is usually around $30 to the United States. The gun was shipped five days later and arrived six days after being shipped for a total of an eleven day turnaround between ordering and arrival. The gun arrived with the standard orange tip but with the trademarks uncovered and intact. First Impressions The gun showed up in its normal packaging, a hard plastic case with foam padding. The box art is a simple sticker with a picture of an unmarked M1911A1 along with various information and Bell’s logo. While nothing to write home about, it’s capable of holding the gun and allowed its contents to make it through overseas shipping without any damage.  Simple, yet effective – much like the M1911A1 itself. Included inside the box are the gun’s instruction manual, a tool for loading the magazine, and a replacement loading muzzle. The loading muzzle appears to be made of a decent quality plastic and it’s always nice to have a replacement part on hand. The gun’s instruction manual is labeled EG720, indicating it to be the same manual issued with the plastic version of this gun. The manual, like the gun, is a copy of its Tokyo Marui equivalent.  The gun, manual, and accessories. Lifting the gun from its case, it becomes apparent that this is, in fact, a full-metal pistol. Other than the checkered plastic grips, the gun is made entirely of metal and feels cool to the touch. It’s quite comfortable to hold and accurately proportioned. The box claims the gun to weigh 1000 grams (roughly 2.2 pounds); however it seems to weigh a noticeable amount more than that, at least 2.5 pounds, putting it about the same as the real M1911A1 with a round or two in the magazine. Externals - Finish - The gun’s externals are full metal and are finished with a coat of dark grey paint to replicate the parkerized finish of the real-steel. It’s nothing special, but it’s visually-pleasing and gets the job done. However, as is the case with many Chinese-made airsoft replicas, the paint seems to be very susceptible to normal wear and other damage. It is likely that skirmishing and holstering will take a noticeable toll on the overall finish.  The timeless appeal of the M1911. The only exception to this dark grey finish is the gun’s metal outer barrel. Bell, for some reason, decided to manufacture these replicas with a shiny silver and almost chrome outer barrel. This is not the case with World War II era M1911A1s and, given the simple and classic appeal of the M1911A1, looks quite tacky. However, considering the otherwise nice externals and the replica’s affordable price, it’s not a huge deal and something that can easily be remedied by a quick coat of paint.  The chrome barrel detracts from the overall appearance and authenticity. Along with this flaw in the finish, there are a couple other problems. There are some casting marks on the weapon’s thumb safety as well as near the ejection port. The front of the slide has some extraneous paint build-up and some parts of the frame’s finish are nicked, revealing the lighter-colored metal underneath. The metal is not casted perfectly on the gun either and there are some small nicks in the finish including one small air bubble on the top of the slide. Additionally, there are two small circles on the trigger and trigger guard left over from casting. None of these are glaring problems; however they are noticeable if one sets out to look for them. - Controls and Operation - The M1911A1’s controls are placed on the right side of the frame, a design which lends itself best to right-handed shooters. The controls, from left to right, are: slide lock, magazine release, thumb safety, and finally the grip safety. The thumb safety is set to safe when placed in the “up” position, while the grip safety is set to safe so long as it is not depressed. As with the real steel, the grip safety cannot be engaged unless the hammer is back and the gun will not fire unless both safeties are off. Although the concept of dual-safeties may seem annoying to some, it actually proves quite useful in combat. When holstered during a skirmish, the gun can be left loaded with the thumb safety in the off position and relying only on the grip safety. This prevents an accidental discharge while holstered and, since the grip safety is deactivated simply by holding the gun, does not slow down the user in a quick-draw situation. - Sights - The weapon’s sights are simple M1911A1 sights. The rear sight is a single block with a notch in it, while the front sight is a single post used for targeting. It’s a simple and no-frills system, much like the M1911A1 itself. You won’t find a fancy tactical rail, exotic grips, night sights, or anything else really exciting on this weapon. The M1911A1 is a gun whose design prides itself on simplicity, efficiency, and effectiveness. It’s combat-tested and timeless design is an excellent alternative to today’s more modernized pistols. Unfortunately, the rear sight (which is separate from the slide itself) worked itself loose after about an hour of test firing. It is not at the point where it can come off the slide on its own; however it does have a very noticeable amount of play, making it likely that it will fall off in the future. Luckily, this flaw is easily remedied by applying a small strip of electrical tape on both the front and rear of the sight, thus filling the gap between the sight and slide and providing a more secure fit. - Trademarks - One of the selling points of this pistol are the accurate trademarks featured on both the slide and receiver. First and foremost are the markings on the slide. All of the patent dates are correct as well as the Colt and Hartford, CT markings. The only real flaw with the markings themselves is the spacing of the text. When compared to a real M1911A1, the horizontal spacing between letters is too small and the vertical spacing between lines of text is too large. Unfortunately, the trademarks on the slide are very thin and shallow and rely on paint to make them noticeable. This is not accurate to the original M1911A1 and, like the nearly-chromed barrel, looks somewhat tacky. Also noticeable is the lack of a P proof marking on the top rear of the slide. Additionally, the outer barrel lacks any proof or inspector markings. However, since the gun is a clone of the Tokyo Marui, it is compatible with Marui parts and it is possible for the user to purchase and install a high-end metal slide and barrel.  Colt trademarks on the slide as well as various markings on the left side of the frame. Moving on from the slide, the frame also features accurate markings as well as an attention to detail. On the left side of the frame, Guy H. Drewry’s Ordnance acceptance mark, G.H.D., is replicated horizontally in the correct position to the top-right of the trigger. This is an accurate marking for 1943-manufactured Colt pistols. On the trigger guard itself are two markings – the first being a T to represent the Colt inspector’s mark and the other being the triangle-enclosed VP (Verified Proof) logo. Lastly is the P proof marking below the magazine release. Once again, these markings are correct for a 1943 Colt M1911A1. Unfortunately, all of these markings appear to have been stamped a bit too low on the frame on this particular gun, almost completely obscuring the VP logo. Continuing on to the right side of the frame, the United States Property marking can be found, as well as the serial number, 913419 in this case. This serial number, if found on a real Colt-manufactured M1911A1, would indicate a 1943 manufacturing date. To the right of these markings is the M1911A1 U.S Army marking. Unfortunately, this marking, as well as the property marking and serial number are off in both their size and font when compared to a real Colt-manufactured M1911A1.  Trademarks on the right side of the frame. Featured on the trigger guard and directly below the Army marking is the assembler’s number, 76. This is the same number used on the Tokyo Marui M1911A1 models, suggesting that Bell copied their markings from the Marui model. On the far left side of the right half of the frame is the Ordnance “crossed cannons” marking. It is perfectly engraved into the gun’s frame which, although nice, is rather unrealistic. The real M1911A1 would have this seal stamped on, resulting in an imperfect marking, often barely half of the image. Overall, considering the price of this replica, the trademarks are fairly good. They certainly aren’t perfect, but they’re still better than the Made in Japan and ASGK markings found on the plastic Tokyo Marui model. For the large majority of purchasers the trademarks should prove more than sufficient – only 1911 purists are likely to notice the problems. Disassembly Disassembling this replica is simple and similar to the real-steel takedown procedure. As with any gun maintenance, the magazine should first be removed from the gun and checked to ensure it is empty. Next, cycle the slide and ensure there are no rounds left in the chamber. Before moving forward with disassembly, ensure the grip safety is off and the hammer is back.  Slide lock a bit back of being properly aligned with the slide. Next, pull the slide back about three quarters of the way of a full pull. In doing so, align the end of the slide lock with the small notch in the slide directly below the feet of the Rampant Colt logo. A small tab which is part of the slide lock should be visible – align this part so it will fit through the notch. Next, push the pressure pin on the right side of the frame above the trigger and pull the entire slide lock unit out. From here, the slide can be pushed forward and removed from the gun.  The slide, frame, and slide lock. Internals Looking inside the disassembled frame, there’s nothing particularly special. The trigger assembly works like any other gas blowback airsoft pistol and, other than that, there’s not much to look at. The parts fit together nicely and do their job. However, there’s a very large amount of grease over most of the internals. Other than it initially seeping out onto the trigger, the grease doesn’t seem to cause any problems.  Nothing to write home about. Moving onwards, the slide also features a very large amount of grease. However, like the slide, the grease does not interfere with the gun’s operation. The individual parts are surprising well made and both fit together and perform properly. The inner barrel, however, had a bit of dirt inside it which was easily remedied using the included cleaning wand and a small piece of cloth.  Home to most of the internals. The hop-up dial is made of plastic and proved extremely stiff and resistant to movement. While this is great for ensuring the hop-up does not lose its position during use, it also makes it difficult for the user to adjust it. For people without long fingernails, it is likely that some sort of thin and stiff tool, such as a small flat head screwdriver, will be needed to adjust the dial. However, it is also possible to damage the plastic dial if one is not careful when using a metal tool. Performance As nice as the trademarks, metal construction, finish, and internal parts appear to be, none of them really mean anything if the gun fails at its most important task – firing. As most experienced gas blowback airsoft weapon users are aware, these guns tend to function best in reasonably warm environments. Testing was performed on a sunny day with a modest 76 degree Fahrenheit temperature. Propane with ten-weight silicone oil was used to power the gun and the ammunition used was .20 gram Japanese-made Excel BBs.  The test setup. First off was velocity testing using an aluminum Coke can, a method known as the “Poor Man’s Chrono.” The magazine was filled with propane and a single .20 gram Excel BB was loaded. The gun’s muzzle was placed about an inch and a half away from a free-standing Diet Coke can. Upon firing, the BB easily penetrated both sides of the can. The test was then repeated using the bottom of the can and the BB was not able to penetrate, instead leaving a small crack. These results indicate a velocity of roughly 360 feet per second or 1.2 joules of power.    The entry and exit wounds of the can’s side as well as the crack in the bottom. Next up were the accuracy tests. To match the real steel, the magazine was loaded to only seven rounds of its full 24 round capacity. Loading the magazine is a fairly simple procedure. The included magazine loading tool hooks onto a notch on the follower and is then pulled to the bottom of the magazine where it can be hooked into place on the magazine’s base plate. From here, BBs are individually loaded into the gap at the bottom of the magazine.  Loading the magazine using the included loading tool. For the first accuracy test, a distance of 25 feet was measured. The pistol was fired from a bench-rest position for all of the seven shots. Accuracy results were good with a three inch by two inch grouping.  Fairly consistent results. For the second test, the target was moved out an additional 25 feet for a total distance of 50 feet. Shots were once again fired from a bench-rest position. All seven shots successfully hit the target with four of them forming a grouping of only two and a half inches both vertically and horizontally. Factoring in the three less consistent rounds, the total grouping was roughly four and a half by three and a half inches.  Noticeably larger grouping. Finally, testing was performed at 85 feet. Rather than a paper target, a foam target roughly the size of an average human torso was used. Firing was performed freehand for this test. All seven shots fired from this distance hit the target. During testing, the magazine averaged a total of 33 shots from a single fill of propane, enough for just over one and a third magazines. When left in the sun for approximately five minutes, a filled magazine was capable of providing exactly one and a half magazines worth of shots, 40 rounds. Also worth noting is the very strong recoil produced by this gun using propane. The recoil is easily stronger than a KWC Desert Eagle running on propane, a gun which also has an impressive recoil. As a whole, accuracy was fairly good and above average. The larger groupings in some of the tests can be partially attributed to user error and an unsteady hand. The hop-up proved to be excellent, carrying the BBs out to distances easily past 100 feet. Repeated firing showed consistency to be very good with flyers being very rare. The gun is more than capable of performing its duties as a sidearm. Conclusion Overall, the gun proved to be an extremely impressive piece for the price. First and foremost, the gun’s full-metal construction not only makes it visually appealing and comfortable to hold, it provides for an impressive recoil that makes this replica an absolute blast to shoot. Along with strong recoil is an equally impressive muzzle report accompanied by the noise made by the cycling metal slide. This results in a replica that is, above all, fun for the user. This model manages to stand above the crowd not only in its full-metal construction but also with its full trademarks. Although the trademarks, like the paint and overall finish, are less than perfect, they still manage to look great overall and should be more than satisfactory for the large majority of users. In conclusion, this is by no means a perfect airsoft pistol. It is, however, a pistol which is more than capable of serving as a skirmish-worthy sidearm and is very enjoyable to fire. For a total of $95 shipped to the United States, this pistol offers value which is currently unmatched by any other gas blowback pistol. - Pros - - Full-metal construction - Colt and US Army trademarks - Good gas efficiency - Reliable functioning - Good-quality internals - Impressive recoil - Extremely affordable - Cons - - Loose rear sight - Paint prone to wear - Some flaws in trademarks - Shiny silver barrel looks tacky |
