One company I took notice of was Inokatsu, they make super high quality Airsoft guns. I was drawn to their Sig Sauer P229 and 1911 pistols that by the way are made out of real steel and as close to the real version as possible without it being a real gun. The Inokatsu pistols I looked at are not cheap and will set you back over a grand but are as close as you can get to a real sidearm as possible in an Airsoft version. They feel amazing to shoot with heavy blowback and that sound real steel makes when the slide snaps back.
Let me know if you're like me and would be willing to part with a substantial amount of money for one of these treasures?
Gamo did not have much in terms of new Replica guns this year either? Again, Gamo does seem to focus more on their hunting and target air rifles which for me is not my focus. Pretty much the same Replica guns as last year...
This year the Crosman booth was a bit of a let down in terms of "Replica guns" There really wasn't anything new to speak of? I didn't hang around too long to check on the non-replica guns, perhaps they have been focussing on that area of their market for this year?
One 4.5mm CO2 Blowback BB Pistol they featured as a prototype version last years was on display this year as the final product, the Crosman GI Model 1911BB. And again I was not overly impressed. The Crosman GI Model 1911BB looks for the most part like a 1911 except for the funky trigger which is supposes to look like a 1911 single action trigger. In reality it is a rather heavy double action trigger not at all true to a 1911. I was also puzzled by how recessed the barrel was, sure it's nice to have a slightly recessed barrel to make the pistol more believable but the GI Model 1911BB inner barrel is recessed at least an inch or more robbing this pistol of potential fps.
Guess I'm going to have to try one out at some point to see if it shoots better than I am giving it credit for.
One product from Crosman that is kind of a crossover between a replica and a PCP rifle is the Crosman MAR177 PCP AR Conversion Kit. It is designed to replace the top receiver for a standard AR allowing AR owners to shoot .177 caliber pellets using a standard Pre Charged Pneumatic system with their AR platforms. Of course you need an AR lower to use the Crosman MAR177 PCP AR Conversion Kit.
I also visited my friends at the ASG booth but for some reason I did not get a photo of their booth? I do have some video walk through stuff I will show you in my YouTube Video coverage of this years Vegas SHOT Show. Most importantly I have lots of gun photos so let's take a look at them...
One of my favorite ASG pistols is the Bersa BP9CC, I have already reviewed it and I just really like how this gun looks and holds, ASG took it one step further this year by adding a two-tone silver version and I have to say it looks awesome in person, my photos do not do it justice at all :(
A new handgun to the ASG blowback pistol series is the CZ P-09 Duty Pellet pistol. Basically it shares similar mechanics to the Umarex PX4 and Gamo PT-85 using the double sided rotary pellet magazine with 8 shots located on each end of the stick magazine. The ASG CZ P-09 Duty features a metal slide, working hammer and safety.
Another pellets pistol that should be very familiar to most of you is the new .177 caliber pellet shooting Dan Wesson in 6 inch silver and 8 inch black versions. ASG added a rifled barrel and redesigned solid brass shells that hold pellets instead of 4.5mm Steel BB's. Expect to take a little bit longer to reload the pellets as unscrewing the tip of each shell is required to place a .177 caliber pellet in each bullet tip.
Of course ASG has tons of licensed pistols to choose from, many on both 4.5mm Steel BB and 6mm Plastic Airsoft!
One new rifle that stood out to me was the ASG CZ Scorpion EVO 3 A1 AEG Airsoft Rifle, the Scorpion features an intelligent AEG system that detects when there may be a potential feeding problem and also when the magazine is out of ammo.
Umarex had a lot of new products this year so I thought I would start off showing you some of them. I will be following this post up with a full 2014 Vegas SHOT Show video once I finish posting some of my photos and comments on the show events.
Here is a photo of the main Umarex Booth.
I have always liked the 4.5mm BB version of the Umarex Makarov, Umarex now has the Makarov Ultra version that features blowback, a working slide catch and full size drop out magazine, looking forward to testing this one out!
Another kind of new addition to the 4.5mm Steel BB lineup is the Umarex Beretta Model 84FS. It has been available overseas but is now coming to North America. The Umarex Beretta Model 84FS also features blowback and a full size drop out magazine.
I'm not sure if we needed another rebranded version of the KWC 1911 Blowback BB pistol, but we got one anyways! Umarex now has their own version of what looks to similar to the KWC Tac A1 but with Colt licensing.
Umarex also made up a very limited edition and very weathered looking blowback BB shooting 1911 based on the KWC design called the Colt 1911 WWII Commemorative. I am not sure how many where made but I know there are not a lot of them... Hope I can get my hands on one...
Umarex came out with Smith & Wesson 327 TRR8 last year and this year they have added a similar styled 4.5mm Steel BB shooting revolver with removable shells but in a licensed Colt Python 357 version.
Last but not least and going back many years, Umarex is bringing out another Legends Series 4.5mm BB pistol. The German Mauser C96, I'm not 100% sure if it's blowback or not but it does seem to have a working action, the main pistol is made out of Polymer but it does have a full size drop out magazine and seems to have good weight overall. Most of the parts work like the original Mauser C96 including the adjustable rear sight and safeties.
Installment number 2 of my Head-to-Head Airgun comparisons. In this video I compare the replica Umarex Beretta PX4 Storm CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol versus the Gamo PT-85 CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol. Both are very similar mechanically and use very similar rotary magazines combined with single action hammers and very heavy blowback.
Watch the video below to see the Beretta PX4 Storm CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol go head to head against the Gamo PT-85 CO2 Blowback Pellet Pistol in both a test of the feet per second performance and accuracy shooting at 30 feet using a semi rested position.
This post is really all about watching the YouTube video and seeing how these two similar CO2 4.5mm Steel BB revolvers compare to each other. I was working with a new Chronograph since again it was really dark outside and my old Chronograph does not like darkness. I did get some usable Chrony results with the new one but I did have to work for it ;)
I get many question over on my Vimeo Channel, lots of times people asking me which gun is better and in most cases it really comes down to personal preference. But in some situations the comparisons are really close and to be honest it's even hard for me to decide which gun I think is better.
I get asked which one has higher fps, or is more accurate, or has harder blowback recoil... the list goes on. Without actually taking both gun outside and doing a head to head test using the same exact situations, I really can not honestly tell you! So that's exactly what I am going to do. Take some of the most commonly asked about gun comparisons and have a showdown.
Over the next while I will be making a total of five separate videos where I compare the following CO2 BB pistols head to head:
So it's 2014 but I still needed to make my 2013 Airgun, Airsoft Gun and Blank Gun Collection Favorites for 2013. It's become a tradition I guess you could say. No I do not show all the guns in my collection but I do cover most of my favorites and also some new guns I picked up in 2013.
Here's a peek but make sure to watch the YouTube video bellow where I go over all my top picks for 2013. You can also buy many of the guns I show in this YouTube video over in our Canada and US Replica Airguns Store!
In this Field Test Shooting Review I do actually shoot the ME 9 Mini-Para 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol which is what many of you want to see :) I shoot 5 rounds through the ME 9 Mini-Para 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol until the slide locks out and capture all of this using my Nikon 1 1080p HD camera along with my Casio EX-ZR1000 slow motion 240 frames per second camera.
My ME 9 Mini-Para 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol even though it could be as old as 10+ years still performed perfectly with no misfires or failures to load or eject, a testament to the West German build quality!
Model:ME 9 Mini-Para (Similar to a S&W 469 or Shorty 40).
Materials: Mostly Metal with some steel parts.
Weight: 2.12 pounds. (960 grams)
Barrel: Front firing. (No Red Tip)
Propulsion: Gun powder.
Action: Single & double action.
Ammunition Type: 9mm P.A.K. Blanks.
Ammunition Capacity: 8+1 rounds.
FPS: N/A.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the ME 9 Mini-Para 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol is fairly light in single action mode as would be expected and this is for the most part how you would shoot the gun since you need to rack the slide to pickup a round for the first shot. If you do decide to de-cock the hammer, you can shoot in double action but it is extremely heavy, perhaps close to 15 pounds or more! The take-up in single action is pretty short and the release is crisp. The safety is a standard firing pin block so you can release the hammer with the safety on but the hammer will hit the firing pin block first rather then strike the pin.
Accuracy: NA.
Build Quality: The overall build quality of the ME 9 Mini-Para 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol is similar to the ROHM German made blank pistols we sell in our Canada Replica Airguns Store. So in other words, the build quality is very good. Like most blank pistols, much of the gun is made out of zinc alloy (or pot metal) but the parts that see the most wear and tear and higher pressures are made from steel, these parts would be the barrel, magazine, magazine release, extractor, firing pin, springs and most of the screws and pins. In terms of finish, mine was picked up used and I'm not even sure how old it is? It could be as old as 20+ years? That said it is mechanically in very good conditioned even the finish is pretty good with only some minor wear.
Realism: The ME 9 Mini-Para 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol is a very realistic looking gun; operation, size, weight, feel and looks are what you would expect from a real gun and it almost is a real gun except that it's made to shoot blanks, not actual bullets. The ME 9 Mini-Para 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol is not an exact copy of any gun that I know of in production but it does share a lot of commonalities with a Smith & Wesson Shorty 40.
Purchase from: A private collector.
Pros:
Well made, materials fit and finish is all very good considering it was purchased used.
Decent amount of rounds (8+1) in its single stack magazine.
Steel parts where they need to be.
Nice light single action trigger, can also be shot in double action.
Made in Germany.
Cons:
No external slide catch release, must remove the empty magazine to release the slide.
Double action trigger is super heavy!
Very hard to find here in North America.
Comments:
When ever I find a blank gun that is unique or hard to get, it interests me. Especially if it is as good quality as the ME 9 Mini-Para 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol. Mine may have a few wear marks and blemishes on it since I did get it used but they are minor and I may even strip it down and refinish it at some point since this blank pistol would definitely be worthy of the time and effort involved. It's kind of unfortunate that locating one of these very fine ME 9 Mini-Para's is so hard here in Canada and the US but at least we do have the ROHM line of German made blank guns if you are in the market for such a quality blank pistol.
My Vimeo Full Video Table Top Review for the ME 9 Mini-Para 9mm P.A.K. Blank Pistol:
After posting my Table Top Review for the Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Airgun, It seemed like most people where pretty interested with it and where looking forward to my Field Test Shooting Review. So I wanted to get this one out before the Holidays! Thought I would wear my Santa hat for this one :)
I did manage to get my Chronograph problem figured out so for this test I got reads on all 8 shots which was awesome! So how did my Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Pistol perform? Pretty nicely overall, since it has 8 shots at each end of teh 16 shot rotary magazine I decided to base my testing on 8 shot groups. The first 8 shots where aimed through my Chronograph resulting in an average 415 fps using 7 grain RWS lead pellets. Not bad considering how cold it was and the fact that I was not using the super light weight PBA® Platinum Pellets. I would expect even lead pellets to hit 450 fps on a warm day.
The next 8 rounds where designated for the paper target which was setup 30 feet from my semi rested position (rested on sand bag and standing in the back). All 8 rounds shot within 1.5 inches and I am pretty sure I could do this all day long with this pellet shooter. I then emptied the other half o my magazine on my swinging steel targets and it appears I hit them most of the time looking back on my video.
The blowback is minimal with this CO2 blowback pistol, I don't think the internal blowback mechanism caries that much weight to it but you do feel some blowback when the CO2 is new and full. Gamo claims the trigger to be around 9.5 pounds worth of pull but to me it feel much lighter, combine that with the pull length being fairly short and you can shoot 8 rounds off at a time in a hurry with this Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Airgun.
If I could have my way I would have liked to have seen a working ejection port like the Umarex MP5K PDW and perhaps a bit more blowback feel but other than that the Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Pistol is a great replica CO2 Blowback pellets gun for the money.
Ammunition Capacity: 16 shot drop out double sided magazine.
FPS: 450 (with Gamo's PBA® Platinum Pellets.)
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull for the Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Airgun is stated to be a single and double action trigger which is kind of true and false at the same time. Yes you can pull the charging handle back which does pull the internal hammer back for a single action hammer release but you can not shoot this pistol in double action only unless the charging hammer has been pulled back technically making the Gamo MP9 a single action only pistol? On the other hand, even with the hammer back, the trigger has to rotate the pellet magazine with each shot making it a double action only trigger? So what is it really, kind of both and kind of neither? Well who really cares about all that... In the end the trigger even though stated to be around 9.5 pounds of pull feels much lighter than that 9.5 pounds and has a pretty short action so shooting this gun rapid-fire is pretty easy and not too tiring on the finger. Another bonus is that the trigger safety also works, it's not just for show!
Accuracy: I will be following this table top review with a full field test shooting review shortly but I did have the chance to take my Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Airgun out for a test drive so I would be able to give you some of my initial shooting feedback. I started off with a full CO2 using RWS 7 grain flathead lead pellets and placed a full 8 shots through my Chronograph, the first 4 shot a bit over 400 fps with the fastest shot being right around 430 fps, the last 4 shot a bit under 400 fps with the slowest shot hitting around 370 fps. Since it is December the weather outside was a bit frosty ;) so I would expect to get most shots in or above 400 fps in warmer weather. Moving on to some target results, my main goal was to sight my red dot in so I shot 4 shot grouping till I got my NcSTAR red dot centered and each 4 shot group seemed to produce consistent 1 inch groups for me from 30 feet away using a semi rested position. Not bad at all. Stay posted for my official Field Test Shooting video!
Build Quality: TheGamo PM9 Pellet/BB Pistol seems to be made fairly well, fit and finish is very good, the overall weight is good and like the real B&T MP9 has both a metal and polymer construction. The obvious metal parts are the trigger, rear stock swivel, CO2 magazine, internal barrel and I am sure lots of other internal parts. This Gamo pellet shooter is made for Gamo in Japan and is licensed by ASG.
Realism: The Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Airgun looks pretty much exactly like a real B&T MP9, the size is right and the weight is close. All the parts are where they should be but not all of them work as many are moulded into the plastic shell. The working parts are the charging handle, fold out stock, standard safety, trigger safety and adjustment for the rear sight. There are magazine releases for both the pellet magazine and CO2 magazine but they are not in the traditional locations. It would have been nice if the ejection port cycled when being fired but it is also moulded into the polymer shell.
Very well made and has good weight and feel to it.
Blowback action gives a bit of recoil feel.
Rear sight is adjustable for windage, can also easily add a red dot.
Pre-test shooting results seems to be positive.
CO2 and magazine are both well covered to complete the realism of this replica.
Decent looking replica, fully Licensed B&T MP9.
Trigger feels pretty decent even though it is claimed to be 9.5 pounds of pull.
Lots of rail accessory mounting locations.
Working charging handle.
Fold out stock.
Cons:
Fold out stock is a bit flexible, would have been better in more solid plastic or even metal.
Pellet magazine release is a bit awkward.
No slide catch release or any way to know you are out of pellets other than counting or listening to the sound change.
Looks to have pretty low shots per CO2 like the other Gamo blowback pellet shooters.
Comments:
Overall, I really like the Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet and BB Tactical Airgun, unlike the PT-85 and P-25, the Gamo MP9 is an actual replica and a fully licensed one. Not only that, the Gamo MP9 pellet pistol is a very good replica in terms of looks and function. I was able to get decent power and very good accuracy when I performed my pre-test. It's really great to see Gamo come out with a pellet gun replica this time around and what better gun to base it on other than the B&T MP9!
My Vimeo Table Top & Shooting Review for the Gamo MP9 Blowback CO2 Pellet & BB Tactical Airgun:
It's that time of the year again where I dread having to go outside and do my Field Test Shooting Reviews, it's way too cold so the CO2 guns are not performing at their very best, neither am I since all I'm thinking about is "let's get this over so I can go inside and warm up with a nice cup of coffee ;)". It's also dark and dreary which means the lighting is not so good for the cameras or the chronograph, even with a bunch of extra lights setup, it's just not the same as what a nice bright day can do to spruce up the video and get the chrony to read the pellet speeds.
After some playing around with the lighting, I did manage to get my Chronograph to read a couple of shots and it shot just a bit above 350 fps, I would imagine the Daisy Power Line 2003 Blowback Pellet Pistol should get 400" fps easy on a warm day with a fresh CO2. At least we have an idea of whereabouts it shoots.
Once I finished playing around with my temperamental chronograph, I headed back to the 30 foot mark and took aim at my paper target using a semi rested position (sand bag rest up front, standing in the back). I shot the rest of the magazine, which was around 10 rounds left since I was originally loaded up with 30 rounds and ended up using a lot of them trying to get my Chronograph to read for the first part of the field shooting test.
Even with the fairly wide open sights, I managed to get a very consistent 1.5 inch grouping out my Daisy Power Line 2003 Blowback Pellet Pistol which kind of surprised me since I did not really feel the sight picture was suited for accuracy. Too much open space side to side but none the less it shoot straight and true and even very well centered on target with only a bit of pull to the left.
In terms of shoot-ability, the Daisy Power Line 2003 Blowback Pellet Pistol felt pretty good, the trigger is not the lightest for a single action only trigger but it is short and the break is clean. I had no miss-feeds or jams which I have heard this gun is prone to with some pellets. I did notice when shooting rapid fire without any pellets in the gun, it wanted to go into short full auto bursts, this may have been the cold weather and/or low CO2 playing into things.
All-in-all the Daisy Power Line 2003 Blowback Pellet Pistol is a nice air pistol to shoot even though it is a bit unorthodox looking, kind of a shame it's no longer in production. If you can find one in good working condition at the right price, pick it up because you may not get another chance.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the KSC M11A1 GBB Airsoft Machine Pistol is pretty much exactly what you would expect from this fast firing single action only semi and full auto machine pistol, it has a really short take-up and then a nice crisp light trigger pull. Since it is an open bolt system, you will need to pull back the bolt for the first shot, releasing the trigger releases the bolt, just like with a real M11A1.
Accuracy: At this point because I received this gun from another collector in used condition, it is not working 100%, the hop-up bucking was damaged and the new ones I ordered are not the correct versions for this Airsoft gun. It does shoot but it is temperamental, sometimes the bolt will not cycle all the way and I have no idea how this is effecting the fps and accuracy. It would not be fair to test it in this condition, hopefully I can find the right hop-up bucking for it and do the Field Test Shooting Review at some point.
Build Quality: MyKSC M11A1 GBB Airsoft Machine Pistol has been used a fair bit so it is somewhat battle scarred, still it looks pretty good and other than the Hop-up bucking problem I am having it should be in working condition, unfortunately without the correct hop-up bucking, this gun will not work properly. Hopefully I can find a hop-up bucking? Even though much of this machine pistol is plastic externally, it has held up very well, the metal parts do also help to balance it off and give it a decent overall 3 pound weight which feels good considering it is such a small gun.
Realism: The KSC M11A1 GBB Airsoft Machine Pistol is a very close copy of the real steel Cobra M11A1 Machine Pistol, all the parts appear to function just like the original Cobra RPB Industries M11A1 and it even field strips in the same manor. The full licensing and trademarks also help to make this replica very believable.
Very realistic and accurate replica with full Cobra RPB Industries licensing.
Even though there is lots of external polymer, it still has good weight to it.
Full metal 40 round drop out magazine, holds BB's and Gas.
Everything works like the original, field strips and lots of mechanical parts.
Shoots in both semi and full auto.
Cons:
Hard to get here in Canada and hard to get parts here in Canada.
Mostly plastic main build - Limited usage of metal and steel.
Have no idea how it will perform because it is not functioning at 100%.
Comments:
Well I've pretty much said everything I can say without actually shooting it? Even though my used KSC M11A1 GBB Airsoft Machine Pistol is not in 100% working condition, I still like having it as I like the replica aspects of owning it, how else would I get my hands on a .380 caliber full auto machine pistol here in Canada ;) And you never know, I may just luck out and find the proper hop-up bucking for it and then have the chance to do my Field Test Shooting Review for you all :)
My Vimeo Table Top Review of the KSC M11A1 GBB Airsoft Machine Pistol:
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Daisy Power Line 2003 Blowback Pellet Pistol even though it is single action only, is a bit heavier than you may expect, it is more of a medium pull with a very short take up and then somewhat unexpected release due to the medium to heavy pull. Quick shot succession should be achievable though due to the short trigger pull length.
Accuracy: Well we will have to find out in my followup Field Test Shooting Video Review? And I really hope that this pistol is in working order so I am able to bring that review to you shortly. I am expecting it to produce around 400 fps and some decent accuracy with its rifled barrel.
Build Quality: The Daisy Power Line 2003 Blowback Pellet Pistol is made in the US and is primarily a plastic built air pellet pistol, it does have some metal internal parts along with the screws, barrel, cross-bolt safety and CO2 Tab. Fit and finish seem to be fairly decent, in terms of reliability I have no idea but my hopes are high. I have heard that this pistol can jam if not using pellets that are agreeable with it.
Realism: The Daisy Power Line 2003 Blowback Pellet Pistol is not really a replica so to speak, it does kind of resemble a bloated version of a Browning High Power but is much larger and out of proportion when comparing the two of them. The actual mechanical aspects of this gun are not like any other gun I have every come across, specifically when it comes to the 35 shot rotary magazine as the pellets spiral internally from front to back. The single action blowback mechanism is also very unique to an airgun pellet pistol, it has been said that this pistol can be converted to full auto but I have no intensions of doing so.
If you have a Power Line 2003 then you have a really rare gun from Daisy.
True single action Blowback operation.
One of the only Pellet Pistols that can be converted to full auto.
High capacity 35 round pellet magazine.
Made in the US.
Cons:
No longer in production.
Kind of large for a pistol, not true to scale.
Mostly plastic build materials
None adjustable sights.
Comments:
I have had an interest in the Daisy Power Line 2003 for some time but did not know how or if I would ever get my hands on one and lucky for me it finally happened :) The main interest here is simply that it is the only pellet pistol I know of that has a true single action blowback operation and to top things off it has a 35 round magazine! Sure there is the implication that it can be converted to full auto but for me I really want to keep this pistol in factory condition, I have other guns that shooting in full auto if I feel the urge to go Rambo on anything ;) Definitely stay posted for my Field Test Shooting Review for this rare Daisy pellet pistol.
My Vimeo Table Top Review of the Daisy Power Line 2003 Blowback Pellet Pistol:
I struggled a bit with this pistol during this Field Test Shooting review, mainly just in the accuracy portion. Perhaps the G&G GS-801 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol did not like the .36 gram BB's I was using, maybe a bit too heavy or perhaps the hop-up did not agree with the size of this Airsoft round. Either way, my accuracy test did not do so well! I may give this gun another go at some point using a different Airsoft BB and perhaps simply using the iron sights over the built in laser just in case that was the issue?
As per usual, I tested this pistol out using my Chronograph to see what kind of actual feet per second rating I get from it. I fired 5 rounds from the G&G GS-801 using .20 gram plastic Airsoft BB's and this CO2 semi auto blowback pistol shot a very speedy 415 fps average.
Next up was the accuracy test, I decided to setup at the 30 foot mark and I shot a total of 10 rounds from my G&G GS-801 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol using a semi rested position, (sand bag for a hand rest and standing in the back). My grouping was all over the place vertically (about 6 inches) but not so bad horizontally (about 2 inches). It makes me wonder if the hop-up was playing into it or maybe my laser sight was moving around up and down?
The trigger pull on the G&G GS-801 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol is kind of different, it is single action only since the blowback action cocks the hammer back with each shot. There is a fair amount of take up with next to no resistance followed by the release point which seems kind of heavy after the soft take-up section, you need to keep applying pressure and then with no real movement it will just suddenly release so it's kind of hard to predict without practice. During the take-up portion of the trigger pull, a BB is loaded into the barrel and the laser sight will automatically turn on if you have the laser in the active position.
Over all the G&G GS-801 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol is a well put together Semi Auto Pistol, it looks good, performs nice and hot and is a lot of fun to shoot, I would have liked to have seen better accuracy from it but in a heated Airsoft battle at close range, the built in laser will get you on target quickly and as long as you are not shooting at really long ranges you should be just fine.
Since both the Gold ASG Dan Wesson and the G&G G731 Airsoft Revolvers both have the 2.5 inch barrels on them and in many ways are very similar (at least mechanically), I thought I would not only do my Table Top Review but also my Field Test Shooting Review using both guns side by side so we can really get an idea of how they perform and compare.
As per usual, I test both pistols out on my Chronograph to see what kind of real world feet per second rating I get, since they are 6 shot Revolvers, I fired 6 single action rounds from each gun using .20 gram plastic Airsoft BB's and averaged out the string. Both guns shot a little bit over 400 fps with the Dan Wesson having just a bit of a higher fps over the G&G G731.
Next up was the accuracy test, I decided to setup at my 30 foot mark so that any accuracy differences would be more noticeable, again I shot 6 rounds from each gun while I used a semi rested position, (sand bag for a hand rest and standing in the back). This time I would have to give the slight edge to the G&G G731 as it seemed to shoot just a bit tighter grouping over my Dan Wesson Gold. Both guns shot pretty close to a 2 inch 6 shot group.
Both pistols have pretty decent single and double action triggers, there is a some noticeable friction when shooting in double action due to the way the barrel seals against the cylinder so you may want to shoot in single action when going for the most accurate of shooting.
When it comes to sight picture the Dan Wesson does have a fully adjustable rear sight but the G&G G731 gets the job done with it's simple yet effective grove sight which I kind of preferred with this style of short barreled revolver.
If you want more of that combat look with some Gold Bling than perhaps the Gold ASG Dan Wesson is the one for you? Perhaps you want something like the G&G G731, as compact and simple as it gets that you know you can count on as a backup ready sidearm. There isn't a bad choice here with either of these nice compact Airsoft Revolvers.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the G&G AR styled Airsoft CM16 Raider is very smooth, the CM16 Raider uses a mechanical trigger that once the charging handle has been pulled back or "charged", works in a single action only manor with a slight bit of take-up and then a light predictable release. Each time the closed bolt gas blowback system shoots a round in semi or full auto, the internal action is ready for the next single action shot.
Accuracy: So far I have not tested Version 2 of the G&G CM16 Raider, but I have tested Version 1 so here are the result I got with Version 1 until I do my official Field Shooting Test with Version 2. When shooting from a 30 foot distance I did get some nice closely grouped shots from the G&G CM16 Raider Gas Blowback but when shooting in full auto it did spread apart somewhat, maybe from the GBB recoil? Version1 of the G&G CM16 Raider GBB shot an average of just over the 325 fps, I was using .25 gram BB's and it was a cool day so you can expect higher fps out of the G&G CM16 Raider when conditions are better.
Build Quality: The G&G CM16 Raider GBB being built on G&G Combat Machine Platform is targeted more for the price conscience person. The quality is consistent and good and I did not mind having more plastic in the G&G CM16 Raider GBB as my plan from the beginning was to add a lot of extra accessories and starting out with a somewhat lighter footprint made the gun still relatively usable even when all geared up with extra accessories. I also feel the plastic or polymer fiber upper and lower receiver and RIS rail system will also wear better than steel as it is more likely to flex rather than break in many situations, not to mention metal will show scratches and wear more over time.
Realism: Airsoft AR rifles in my opinion are very realistic in general, even the AEG versions work just like the real steel AR's with working charging handles, dust covers, bolts, magazine, adjustable stocks and sights, but I would have to give the advantage to the gas Blowback systems like the G&G CM16 Raider GBB as it has a full internal bolt with some decent recoil, it can also be field striped very similarly to a real AR15 rifle. The shot count is more like what you would find in an M16 or AR rifle which means you will need to consider ammo shot assuage and reloading more carefully when using it in an Airsoft game.
Super affordable Gas Blowback Airsoft AR M16 styled Rifle.
Very high rate of fire in full auto.
Polymer shell is both light and very durable, does not show scratches or wear as easily as metal.
All most every part is operational - Fully Ambidextrous now.
Can be fully customized, lots of mounting points on the RIS Rail system.
Fully adjustable Crane Stock.
Removable rear Iron Sight can be swapped out for other sighting systems and hardware.
Version 2 is a significant upgrade from Version 1.
Internals can be swapped over to make it an AEG gun.
Cons:
Some people may not like the polymer RIS rails and upper and lower receiver?
Would have liked to have seen some sort of a plate over the pistol grip to finish it off.
Comments:
I already really liked Version 1 of the G&G CM16 Raider GBB Airsoft AR Rifle and even bought a bunch of magazines and gear to sport mine up for use in some local Airsoft games, the upgrades and improvements found in Version 2 are the icing on the cake! I am hoping the internal performance enhancements will increase the FPS just a bit and Gas efficiency somewhat over Version 2 but will find out when I give it a thorough testing shortly. If you have been a bit scared off by the higher prices of some GBB Gas Blowback Airsoft rifles then perhaps take a look at the G&G Combat Machine Platform CM16 Raider in GBB, it may just change your mind about Gas Blowback Airsoft rifles!
My Vimeo Video Review for the G&G CM16 Raider Airsoft GBB AR Styled Airsoft Rifles:
Materials: Mostly metal construction with a few plastic parts.
Weight: 1.64 pounds (742 grams)
Barrel: 4 inches, metal non-rifled.
Propulsion: CO2 x 1.
Action: Semi auto blowback, single action only.
Ammunition Type: 6mm plastic Airsoft BB's.
Ammunition Capacity: 14 round magazine.
FPS: 400+
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the G&G GS-801 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol is kind of different, it is single action only since the blowback action cocks the hammer back with each shot. There is a fair amount of take up with next to no resistance followed by the release point which seems kind of heavy after the soft take-up section, you need to keep applying pressure and then with no real movement it will just suddenly release so it's kind of hard to predict without practice. During the take-up portion of the trigger pull, the laser sight will automatically turn on if you have the laser in the active position.
Accuracy: This is somewhat yet to be determined in my upcoming Field Test Shooting portion of this review but I am looking forward to testing out the laser sight to see if it will help to get nice tight groupings? I will put a link in here when I have completed my Shooting Field Test review.
Build Quality: This is an almost all metal air gun with good fit and finish and a nice hefty to it since it is not large in the hand. The only real plastic parts are the grips, laser and CO2 tab, even the drop out Airsoft BB only stick magazine is all metal. The finish seems to be wearing really well and not rubbing off on the high points at all which is nice to see.
Realism: The G&G GS-801 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol is not a replica of any manufactured gun that I know of, it does have a PPK or Makarov look to it even though it is larger than both semi auto pistols. I do like the open ejection port, true semi auto blowback action and working slide catch release.
Lots of metal and good overall weight for it's size.
Blowback operation (enough to give it some shot feedback and also cocks the hammer for easy single action trigger pull).
Should have a decent fps for a blowback Airsoft pistol.
Fully adjustable laser sight built into the pistol rail.
Fit and finish is very nice.
Magazine is all metal.
Rain for accessories.
Open ejection port and working slide catch
Nice and compact, has a sleek profile.
Cons:
Stick mag ejection is a bit clumsy.
Slightly exposed plastic CO2 tab.
Trigger take-up is a bit long and the release is kind of spongy.
Comments:
The G&G GS-801 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol is a real nice solid little gun, It has lots going for it; The pistol is pretty much all metal including the frame, it has true blowback single action firing, a built in laser with trigger activation, you can field strip it, it has an open ejection port with working slide catch and the size and weight are perfect for an Airsoft backup sidearm. I am really looking forward to my upcoming Field tests Shooting review, and have high hopes this high value Airsoft pistol will perform very well for me.
My Vimeo Video Review for the G&G GS-801 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol:
