This is not exclusive to Airguns since trends of Airguns are highly influenced by what type of Real Steel Pistols are popular to people. This is often based on what people see portrayed in movies and TV Series, and also promoted online. There is for sure an overlap in what is popular and it is hard to say what is influencing what? Is it the popularity of Pistols out in the real world that influences what we see being used in the movies and on TV? Or is it what we see in Movies and TV that influences our choices of pistols out in the real world? Perhaps it is a combination of both?
My list is based on my own personal experience and does not represent the entirety of types of Pistol designs available.
Back in 2017 I made “Which Beretta Airgun is the Best” Video and showed off some 4.5mm Steel BB and .177 Caliber Pellet versions of my favorite Beretta 92 - M9 style Air Pistols. There have been some changes since then most noticeably the addition to Airsoft versions so I thought I would update this video with more current Beretta Airguns along with of course some of the same ones form my last video.
Because I show off 4.5mm Steel BB, .177 Caliber Pellet and 6mm Plastic Airsoft versions I decided to pick my favorites form each category. Watch my Vimeo Review Comparison Video so checkout these Air Pistols and see which ones are my favorites…
.177 Caliber Pellet Beretta 92 -M9 CO2 Air Pistols
Type: GBB Airsoft Pistol. Manufacturer: WE Airsoft Model:1039 M2 Materials: Mostly all metal build. Weight: 2.43 pounds (1100 grams). Barrel: 4.53 inches, non-rifled. Length: 8.5 inches. Propulsion: Green Gas Action: Semi & full Auto, single and double action trigger. Ammunition Type: 6mm Plastic Airsoft BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 26 round full size dropout metal magazine. FPS: 366+.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the WE M92 GBB Full Auto Airsoft Pistol is good in both single and double action. Double action as expected has the longer heavier pull but is still smooth and fairly light with a predictable release. Single action shooting has a much shorter trigger pull with a bit of take-up and an even lighter release than in double action shooting mode.
Accuracy: This is one of those times I actually performed my Field Test Portion of my Review first so I do have some feedback in terms of the accuracy and velocity for the WE M92 GBB Full Auto Airsoft Pistol. WE claims an fps of around 366+ using the extended barrel that comes with it so this is how I tested it. I did use .26 gram airsoft BB’s so the fps was a bit lower but I did get close to 320 fps, So you should expect around a 20% increase in FPS using .20 gram Airsoft BB’s, so closer to 360-380 fps. In terms of accuracy I did notice that the WE M92 GBB Full Auto Airsoft Pistol shot rather low for me, as much as 8 inches at 30 feet out, perhaps adjustment get hop-up will fix that, at longer ranges it should… That said I found I was able to get around a 1-5.2 inch 10 round grouping at 30 feet out. In terms of full auto, all I can say is don’t expect to hit very much you point at as the gun really likes to rock around!
Build Quality: The WE M92 GBB Full Auto Airsoft Pistol is a really gorgeous looking pistol and has one of my favorite looking finishes in that stainless steel look. You will find it has an overall solid build quality, it is virtually all metal with only the grips and some internal parts like the gas chamber and nozzle being plastic. There is almost zero slide wiggle and all in all this Airsoft pistol performed great for me with no mechanical problems.
Realism: As is with most Full Blowback Airsoft Pistols they are built to look and act the part of their real steel counterparts and the WE M92 GBB Full Auto Airsoft Pistol is no exception! All mechanical parts work as intended and you can easily field strip the WE M92 GBB Full Auto Airsoft Pistol to swap out the internal barrel and adjust the hop-up. I like the fact that WE Airsoft color matched the magazine rather than simply shipping it with the black magazine as I have found some other companies do.
Pros:
All metal pistol with good weight to it.
Crisp firm full blowback operation.
Excellent fit and finish.
No markings on the metal parts at all, just the WE branding on the grips.
Color matching magazine.
Gun will accept real Beretta M9 grips.
Semi and full auto selector safety switch.
White dot sights front and back.
Good fps, right around the claimed 366 using .20 gram Airsoft BB’s.
Very believable working replica of the real steel Beretta M9 Pistol.
Fully field strip-able.
Comes with extension barrel and replaceable inner barrel if not going to use extension.
Cons:
No marking on the gun if that is important to you?
Shot rather low in my testing but hop-up and barrel change may fix it.
Almost unusable in Full Auto mode.
The WE M92 GBB Full Auto Airsoft Pistol is one of the nicer looking Airsoft Beretta M9 pistols on the market and is comparable in quality to other higher end brands like KWA and KJWorks. The price point is also in line with what you are getting. I really like the Stainless - Silver - Chrome finish or what ever you want to call it… One thing I was not able to determine 100% is if this version is in fact the Gen 2 version but I do believe it is given that it has the black gas tube in it. We just don’t have it advertised as such. If you’re in the market for a Beretta style M9 Pistol then consider the WE M92 GBB Full Auto Airsoft Pistol as a solid choice.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol is a little different then that of the real steel APX. On the real steel APX there is actually a trigger safety and the actual gun uses a striker based system with a fairly short reset and take-up. On the Umarex Replica Airsoft version the trigger does not have a built in safety and the reset and take-up are much longer (full length). I have read that both the real steal and Airsoft versions of the APX both have about 6 pounds trigger pulls but I personally felt like the Airsoft version was heavier than that, perhaps because of the long pull. Overall the Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol trigger is acceptable but not my favorite.
Build Quality: Very good, the Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol feels heavier than 1.5 pounds in the hand, perhaps because it is a more compact gun. The metal slide, metal stick mag and internal metal parts all help to balance off the polymer frame nicely. Fit and finish is also good.
Realism: The Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol overall is a really close replica to the real steel APX other than the added safety and missing trigger safety. The added safety does not stand out too much and does serve a purpose while the missing trigger safety could of at least been there for show if not an actual working safety. Other than that the Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol is very close to the Beretta APX with its full licensing, open ejection port, recessed barrel working slide catch release and blowback operation. Available at the:Replica Airguns Store
Pros:
Good weight and feel to it, build quality seems good overall.
Really nice replica of the original Beretta APX in most ways.
Working slide catch and release. Will also lock back on last shot.
Fully Beretta licensed through umarex.
Easy to see white dot sights front and back.
Recessed barrel and open ejection port for added realism.
Accessory rail for adding a laser or tactical light.
Stick magazine but plate gives the elusion of a full size magazine.
Warning instruction are nice and discreet!
Comes with two magazines and an additional back strap grip in a different color.
Cons:
Trigger is a bit long and perhaps heavier than the real steel APX trigger. It also does not have the trigger safety.
Has a stick magazine rather than a full size magazine.
Comes with orange tip but can be removed with some work.
Comments:
I like that the Airsoft version of the Beretta APX now comes in a box and also includes not only an extra magazine but also an included grip back strap in an alternate color for those that want a bit of customization. The Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol feels good in the hand and even thought the trigger is a bit long you can still get off some pretty quick shots since the trigger pull is not too tough. The Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol makes a fairly economical option for your sidearm in Airsoft battles and if you want more than two magazines than additional magazines are not that expensive and will not weigh you down on the field.
My YouTube Videos for the Umarex Beretta APX CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol:
In this comparison video I look at a variety of different Beretta 92/Taurus PT92 Airguns and compare them to each other to determine which one I feel is the best Beretta/Taurus Airgun. Keep in mind what's best in for me may not be best for you.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the ASG/KJWorks Beretta X9 Classic is very good in both single and double action. Double action is a bit longer and heavier than when shooting in single action since the hammer is being drawn back, but not overly heavy by any means. Single action shooting is short, light and crisp as you would expect when shooting a real steel Beretta 92 style pistol.
Accuracy: I have not done my actual Field Test Shooting video review for the ASG/KJWorks Beretta X9 Classic CO2 BB Pistol but I did get the chance to make a short preview video where I shot the Airsoft version of this M9 Beretta at some clay pigeons setup around 20 feet away. I was able to pop the center out of the clay pigeons no problem and found that even without any practice I was consistently hitting dead center on most shots. I am not sure exactly what the FPS will be btu it shoudl for sure get at least the claimed 312 fps if not a bit more.
Build Quality: As expected, the ASG X9 Classic Beretta M9 CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol build quality is just like all the other KJWorks Airsoft guns I've tested so far. The ASG 4.5mm Steel BB shooting X9 Classic has more of a Matt finish but I kind of like it, not so many finger prints on the gun. All the tolerances between the moving parts like the slide and frame are very tight showing excellent workmanship and machining from KJWorks.
Realism: The ASG X9 Classic Beretta M9 CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol is an excellent copy of the real steel popular Beretta M9, it is really hard to tell it apart from the real version and the ASG X9 Classic can even be field stripped in the same manor as a real Beretta M9 Semi Auto pistol with the similar functioning parts. The only missing aspect would be Beretta Licensing since the ASG version is unlicensed.
All metal design, fit and finish is very good as is with all KJWorks made guns.
Strong slide spring so should have nice heavy blowback action.
Realistic working safety and working slide catch and release.
Full size dropout metal magazine that holds steel BB's and CO2.
Can be field stripped like original Beretta M9.
KJWorks quality.
Cons:
Not licensed like the Umarex version.
None adjustable sights and white dot sights are kind of light.
Will eat up CO2 pretty quickly.
Comments:
There are very few 4.5mm Steel BB guns made by KJWorks and it seems that ASG as far as I know is the only distributer that has teamed up with KJWork to have them make some of their guns, I reviewed the ASG CZ 75 which is another ASG/KJWorks distributer 4.5mm CO2 Blowback Pistol. I don't even think you can get the 4.5mm Steel BB shooting version direct from KJWork? What I love most of all about the ASG X9 Classic Beretta M9 CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol is that it is made by KJWorks since there are already a lot of Beretta M9's and Mod. 92's already out there but if I could only have one it would probably be the ASG X9 Classsic!
My Vimeo Table Top Review of the ASG X9 Classic Beretta M9 CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol:
I was personally confused about some of the similarities and differences between several models of KJWorks Beretta M9 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistols, so I decided to make a video where I go over 4 models of KJWorks M9 Pistols and point out the commonalities and differences between them.
Here are the 4 versions of KJWorks Beretta M9 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistols:
All of them come with interchangeable 25 round CO2 Magazines.
All of them shoot around 360+ fps.
All have a metal slide and frame.
All weigh close to the same weight (2.1 - 2.4 pounds).
All shoot in single and double action.
All have ambidextrous safeties.
All have white dot sights.
Prices range from $184 -$200.
Here is a list of the differences between them:
The VE, Vertex and M9A1 come in a semi gloss finish while the Tactical is more of a matt black.
The VE and M9A1 have rails for accessory attachments while the Vertex and Tactical do not.
The Vertec, Tactical and M9A1 have laniard loops while the VE does not.
Some slight trigger guard differences between the models but very subtle.
The Vertex and M9A1 share the same style classic Beretta pistol grip, The Tactical has a tactical finger pistol grip and the VE has it’s own unique pistol grip.
Make sure to watch my Vimeo video where I cover this information in detail:
Action: Semi and full auto blowback, single and double action.
Ammunition Type: 4.5mm Steel BB's.
Ammunition Capacity: 18 rounds.
FPS: 310.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex Beretta Mod. 92 A1 BB Pistol is like what you would expect from a real Beretta 92 A1, it offers both single and double action but most of the time you will be shooting in single action since the blowback cocks the hammer after each shot. Single action has a little bit of take-up but has a predictable release that is not overly light or heavy. Double action shots are longer and heavier which is as expected.
Accuracy: I have not shot this "version" of the Umarex Beretta Mod. 92 A1 but it will undoubtedly perform very similar to the many other full blowback CO2 pistols I have tested like the KWC and Cybgergun M92's, 1911's and Sigs. I did notice the slide spring on the Umarex Beretta Mod. 92 A1 CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol to be very firm so I am expecting it to have pretty good blowback action. One other consideration is this CO2 airguns offers both semi and full auto shooting options but with the heavy blowback, don't expect much accuracy when shooting in full auto mode :)
Build Quality: Very good, with almost all metal construction, good weight and craftsmanship. Don't quote me on this but I have a feeling the Umarex Beretta Mod. 92 A1 CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol may be made by KWC, if this is the case then we know to expect the same quality as we have found with other KWC full blowback airguns which is pretty good overall. There may be some wear in the high spots of the finish over time but I kind of like this since it gives the gun a more realistic look.
Realism: This is by far the closest Beretta Model 92 out there, even the magazine butt plate looks the part, the safety is true to form and it is full licensed and trademarked throughout the gun via Umarex. I'm not sure if the real steal Umarex ever offered full auto or not but we can look past this for the sake of how much fun it is going to be shooting in full auto! The only negative aspect in terms of realism is the white warning writing on the left side of the slide.
Your choice of shooting in either semi auto or full auto mode.
Really nice replica of the original Beretta 92 A1.
Great weight and feel to it.
All metal design, fit and finish is very good.
Strong slide spring so it should have heavy blowback action.
Realistic working safety and working slide catch and release.
Full size dropout metal magazine that holds BB's and CO2.
Can be field stripped like original Beretta 92 A1.
Fully Beretta licensed.
Cons:
Will probably eat CO2 especially in full auto mode.
Non-adjustable sights.
Ugly white warning instruction on the slide.
Comments:
I know the KWC M92 and Cybergun GSG 92 have been out for a while and the Umarex Beretta Mod. 92 A1 CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol is along the same lines, but I do like that it is a true Beretta Replica rather than the Taurus copy. I like that Umarex went the extra mile and made the magazine look the part with a much shorter butt plate and adding semi and full auto right out of the box with a dedicated selector switch is pretty cool too. I am really looking forward to testing this gun out and seeing how the blowback action combined with the full auto ability is going to recoil, I have a feeling it's going to kick like a mule!
My Vimeo Videos for the Umarex Beretta Mod. 92 A1 CO2 Blowback 4.5mm BB Pistol:
Ammunition Capacity: 15 round metal stick magazine.
FPS: 380 & 400 fps claimed.
Trigger Pull: Trigger pull on both the Umarex Beretta Elite II and Umarex HK45 is double action only but they don't feel too bad, they have that traditional longer double action pull but I did not find it to be too heavy and the release point is fairly predictable for me which should allow for some good overall accuracy when I do my future Field Test Shooting Review.
Accuracy: I have done a full Felid Test Shooting Review Video for the Umarex HK 45 Metal Slide CO2 4.5mm steel BB Pistol so make sure to check that one out! In summary with the 4.5mm Steel BB version I got a bit higher fps then claimed at 420 fps with a 5 shot string using a brand new CO2 with RWS 5.1 grain zinc coated steel BB's. From 30 feet away shooting on a paper target using a semi rested posting I was able to place 10 BB's within 1.5 inches, almost close to a 1 inch grouping. The shot placement for me was just a tad to the left and a bit down but several shots hit the bulls eye so out of the box accuracy was really good on this low cost BB pistol. Since both the Umarex Beretta Elite II and Umarex HK45 Airsoft pistols share many of the same mechanical qualities, I should expect similar results even using 6mm plastics BB's, perhaps a bit wider grouping but fps should be pretty close to claimed.
Build Quality: The Umarex Beretta Elite II and Umarex HK45 are built fairly basic with few moving parts so there is not much to go wrong, the fit and finish is good and there is metal where it needs to be internally and also in the trigger, magazine and on the HK45 even the slide. Both Airsoft Pistols have decent weight even though there is a fair amount of plastic in them.
Realism: Both Umarex Airsoft pistols are accurate looking replicas of their real steel counterparts, in the case of the Umarex HK45, it is very accurate on almost every detail appearance wise, the Umarex Beretta Elite II is not an exact replica of any one specific Beretta but is based on the Beretta Elite II Brigadier. There is no working slide on either pistol and the slide catch/release and hammer are molded into the plastic. The only working parts would be the safety, magazine release and trigger.
Both have tactical rails for adding on accessories.
Both are fully licensed.
Both have pretty decent weigh to them.
The HK45 has a metal slide and white dot sights front and back
The Elite II has white dot front sight.
Cons:
Both guns are double action only.
Both guns have none working hammers
Neither gun has a working slide or blowback action.
Both guns have red tips.
Non adjustable sights.
Comments:
Considering these Airsoft Pistols are rather low cost, the Umarex Beretta Elite II and Umarex HK45 have a lot going for them! They are fully Beretta and HK licensed through Umarex with a (metal slide in the HK45) and metal parts where you want and need them to be. I am expecting decent accuracy and power from both guns and even the double action triggers are very usable. Sure the both budget Airsoft pistols is a pretty basic airguns with few moving parts but then again simplicity is sometimes better in terms of reliability. If you are an Beretta or HK fan and want low cost well made and good performing Airsoft pistols then checkout these Umarex Airsoft guns.
My Vimeo Table Top Review for the Umarex Beretta Elite II and HK45 CO2 Airsoft Pistols:
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the KJWorks Beretta M9 & M9A1 is very good in both single and double action. Double action is a bit longer and heavier than when shooting in single action but not heavy by any means. Single action shooting is short, light and crisp as you would expect when shooting a real steel Beretta 92 style pistol.
Accuracy: I have not done my actual Field Test Shooting video review for the KJWorks M9 and M9A1 Airsoft pistols but I did get the chance to make a short preview video where I shot both guns at some clay pigeons setup around 20 feet away. I was able to pop the center out of the clay pigeons no problem and found that even without any practice I was consistently hitting dead center on most shots. I am not sure exactly what the FPS will be but considering both theses versions of the KJWorks M9 & M9A1 have the CO2 mags they should shoot up into the 360+ fps range using .20 gram Airsoft BB's. Blowback operation is strong and the slides cycle full length. Keep posted for my upcoming Field Test Shooting Video for both pistols.
Build Quality: As expected, the KJWorks M9 & M9A1 build quality is just like all the other KJWorks Airsoft guns I've tested so far, excellent the fit and finish is the best in my opinion even when compared to my my 4.5mm steel BB shooters. When using these guns regularly, areas that are painted like the metal friction areas show very light wear which is rarely the case with metal built blowback Airguns. Again the tolerances between the moving parts like the slide and frame are very tight showing excellent workmanship and machining from KJWorks.
Realism: Both the KJWorks M9 & M9A1 are copies of the real steel popular Beretta M9 & M9A1, it is really hard to tell them apart from the real versions. Both the M9 and M9A1 are very similar in design with the M9A1 having some slight cosmetic differences, the biggest being the addition of a tactical rail built into the frame. Both KJWorks Beretta's can be field stripped in the same manor as a real Beretta M9 Semi Auto pistol and all parts function the same.
Pretty much all metal pistols with good weight to them.
Full heavy blowback operation.
Excellent fit and finish as always with KJWorks pistols.
High capacity full size drop out magazine that holds the Airsoft BB’s and CO2. (Can get Green Gas mags)
Seem to be very accuracy and well centered on target.
White dot sights make it easy to shoot an most backgrounds.
Ambidextrous safeties.
Field strip-able like the real steel versions.
Cons:
Sight are non-adjustable but elevation can be adjusted using the hop-up.
Grips may be a bit wide for some small handed people.
CO2 magazines sticks out a bit when using the CO2 mags.
Comments: The KJWorks Full Metal M9 & M9A1 are yet more examples of excellent full blowback Airsoft pistols from KJWorks. They are built to very high standards, are near perfect replicas of the real steel Beretta M9 & M9A1 and performance is also excellent. Yes the price is slightly higher than a similar Airsoft gun from KWC but the quality on the KJWorks is definitely worth the extra cost. Make sure to drop by our Replica Airguns Canada Store and checkout our new lower pricing on the KJWorks line of Airsoft guns.
My YouTube Table Top Review of the KJWorks M9and M9A1 Full Metal Blowback Airsoft Pistol:
I've already done a KJWORKS review on the KP-02, KP-07 and Elite 1A and they turned out to be very high quality Airsoft pistols so the extra price does get you a higher quality gun. So in this preview we are simply looking at some more models that from the looks of things I expect to be more of the same in terms of high quality and excellent functionality.
The KJWorks models we are looking at today are the KP-05 (1911 HI-CAPA), the KP-09 (CZ 75) and the M9 (Beretta M9). Even though none of them are licensed, they are very detailed and realistic copies of the original real steel versions with full blowback operation, heavy metal drop out magazines and lots of metal throughout. You would be hard pressed to tell them apart from the real powder versions.
All version in this preview load CO2 in the magazine along with 6mm Plastic Airsoft BB's, none of them have any orange markings or translucent parts as they fall into the uncontrolled firearms category here in Canada.
I look forward to doing my full review of these three very nice KJWorks Airsoft pistols.
