UA Reviews

Kwa Sr10 (Not My Review)

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 05:55:23 +0000

As I stated in the title, this is NOT my review. I owe all the excellent reporting to this guy named GoLgo 13. He did an excellent job.

Here's the link:
http://www.airsoftforum.com/board/lofiversion/index.php/t164817.html

And here's a link to his vanity shots of the SR10:
http://m7.photobucket.com/albums/meancivicsi/airsoft/KWA%20SR-10

Review Of The We M9A1 Gbb Pistol.

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:17:08 +0000

Review of the WE M9A1 GBB pistol.

I�m a firm believer that you get what you pay for. For the most part, this has held true with regards to airsoft guns and gear. But there have plenty of times where I came across guns that were way overpriced and others priced so low that my �red flags� went up.

9 times out of 10 I check the price on something first, then decide if it�s worth checking out. For some reason though, when I tested the WE M9A1, I completely overlooked the price and went right to the gun.

When I came across the WE M9A1, I was immediately impressed with how it looked, its hefty (and solid) weight, the rubberized pistol grip, and general appearance of the gun. It seemed like it just melted right into my hand- great fit, great weight, almost like a real gun. I then test fired it and was highly impressed with the action. With the heavier gun, the recoil felt better as well, and the gun fired flawlessly at about 330+ fps. I also put a tight group together at about 25 feet.

As expected from a GBB, the receiver locked back to the rear when I was empty. As part of my test, I smoothly extracted one mag and quickly inserted another. Again, flawless performance as I changed mags and emptied a second.

Personally speaking, I just couldn�t get over how great the gun felt in my hand. The pistol grip is a bit larger than many other pistols I own or test, but it fits me perfectly (I�m 5�10�, weighing 200 pounds). I�m not a very large guy, more on the average side, and I really like the grip. For those that prefer a smaller grip, then I recommend at least testing the feel of this before totally discounting it.

Another feature that really caught my eye was the emblem in the grip- the Marine Corps emblem: Eagle, Globe and Anchor. As a retired Marine, I just could not pass up a gun that not only fit naturally in my hand, performed flawlessly, and then came with the Emblem. It was too much a good deal. What made it a better deal was that on the same day I got this gun, I heard that US customs confiscated an entire shipment of these (and other) guns that bore the emblem- an obvious trademark infringement. Since that day, I haven�t seen another M9A1 with this emblem on it- they are now arriving with a �WE� emblem instead. So, now this particular gun is a rarity- cool!

Anyway, I wanted this gun on the day I tested it and quickly pulled out my wallet. As I stated in the first paragraph, you get what you pay for. With the performance and features of this gun, I immediately thought it would be comparable in price to many high-end pistols ($180+). To my shock, the clerk rung it up at $125.00! I was floored! I asked him to double check, and sure enough, it came back as $125. I almost bought two of them!! But I controlled myself and got a second magazine instead.

As for the mags, I�ve heard from some sources that the WE mags tend to leak. I don�t know how true that is, nor do I have hard statistics, but unfortunately, one of my mags leaked when I got it home. I took it back the next day and between the tech and I, we quickly replaced the o-ring (slight tear in it), then resealed it. Works perfectly now.

As with all M9 variants, the take-down is exceptionally easy and clean-up is a snap.

Pros:

-Flawless performance and tight grouping at 25 feet.

-hefty, solid weight

-great action and recoil

-In an airsoft world where GBB pistols can cost $180 or more, this is a steal at $125!

-great fitting pistol grip (personal choice)

Cons:

-Mags that may leak (no stats to back this up, and what GBB is not prone to this?)

-Pistol grip may not appeal to those who prefer a smaller grip.

-$125 may be a bit much for those that shop online and go for GBB�s that cost $60. To each their own, I guess. Good luck with that economy gun, I say.

Final verdict: Why have you not bought one yet?

[IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/gteeuwen/airsoft/wem9-1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/gteeuwen/airsoft/wem9x-1.jpg[/IMG]

Review Of The Kjw M700 Gas Rifle (Sniper)

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:16:45 +0000

This is a review of the KJW M700 Gas Sniper Rifle.

As a retailer, I see my fair share of youngsters (or older airsoft noobs) come into the store and want a sniper rifle. When I ask what attracted them to the role of sniper, the answer�s always the same- TV or video games. Such media sources really glamorize and hype the role of sniper, and it seems to attract quite a few people.

There are a ton of good and great sniper rifles out there, and for all the veterans out there, you know that a sniper rifle is an investment. It�s not cheap. Some that I�ve seen are $2000 or more. I decided to post this review on the KJW M700 Gas Rifle because of its solid performance out of the box, but more importantly, its affordable price.

The KJW M700 is very economical which makes it a great choice for those who want to be snipers and not shell out a ton of money, and is a great sniper rifle right out of the box. I chrono�d two of our store guns at 550-560. Very consistent and very hard hitting. There are other sniper rifles that begin at 350-400 and it takes a ton of cash and upgrades to bring it up to 550. The KJW shoots that hard without any upgrades.

Gas-powered means that there is no spring that needs to be pulled. Other spring bolt actions require quite a bit of muscle power to pull back. Not only must you be strong, but if you are in the prone, you will have quite the struggle trying to pull the spring. Such a struggle might cost you valuable time in reacquiring your target, or the extra movement on your part may give your position away. Being gas powered, a person can easily pull the M700�s bolt back with one finger- slow and steady- and reacquire and fire. The downside to gas is that colder temperatures tend to adversely affect gas-powered guns, and if you plan on making a lot of shots, then plan to carry at least one can of gas on you.

Hop up adjustment is exceptionally easy. There is a tiny adjustment nob on the top of the rifle (very convenient location) and spins left and right (like a windage knob) to make hop up adjustments easy and with minimal movement. Other sniper rifles have them inside the gun, or buried deep inside the mag well, making them impossible to adjust while on the hunt.

Like any GBB, bb�s and gas go into the mag. 10+1 shots don�t sound like much, but if played right, a sniper does not need much more than that. However, because of video games, many people have the impression that a sniper has unlimited shots at unlimited targets, so 10+1 shots to them seems painfully inadequate. In cases like that, I suggest buying an extra mag or two�

As with any sniper weapon though, they require special accessories to complete the ensemble; bipod, scope, etc� In most cases, some rifles are as basic as they come, leaving the buyer to figure out what works best with the gun. The KJW M700, however, can be bought all by itself and accessorized later, or (through some retailers) can be purchased as a complete kit (for less than $100 extra), with items that are meant to complement the rifle perfectly. So, for pricing purposes, this rifle is a steal at less than $200 by itself, or just under $300 with all the gadgets and goodies.

And if someone does not have the ability to purchase a scope right away, then at least the KJW M700 has good iron sights. Other rifles I�ve seen don�t have any sights at all, being useless as a weapon until the shooter buys a scope. Accuracy-wise, it comes with a standard AEG inner barrel, meaning that an upgrade to a tightbore (6.04-6.01) is essential, drastically increasing range and accuracy, and adding a bit more FPS as well.

The KJW M700 also comes in two models; the standard rifle, and a Take Down version (for a slightly higher price). This makes the rifle a bit more compact when traveling to and from ops, and for storage purposes.

Pros-

-VERY affordable

-Shoots 550+ out of the box, no expensive upgrades needed

-Super easy bolt action pull

-Convenient hop up adjustment

-Can be bought rifle only or as a complete kit

-Iron sights to use until a scope is purchased

-Take Down version

Cons-

-Gas could be adversely affected by colder temperatures

-Needs accessories (and tightbore barrel) to be truly effective

-10+1 shots per mag

Final verdict- Great product, great price, great performance out of the box. For those that really want to be a sniper, but live on a tight budget, then this may be the gun for you.

[IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/gteeuwen/airsoft/KJWM700.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/gteeuwen/airsoft/KJWM700TAKEDOWN.jpg[/IMG]

Review Of The Ca M15A4 Ris Sportline

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:14:59 +0000

Review of the CA M15A4 RIS Sportline

When I first saw the box for this gun, all I could say was �wow�. When I opened it up and actually saw the rifle, I was very impressed. And when I saw how economical it was, I was knocked off my feet.

Not only is this a good looking gun, but everything that comes with it just blows me away. But what really makes this gun spectacular is its extremely low price. In the years that I�ve been airsofting, I�ve never seen a more complete and more economical high quality entry-level gun. And not only is it perfect for someone just starting out, it�s also a great platform to add upgrades, eventually making it a top notch mid-level gun.

For less than $190 (retailer dependant), you get a reliable Classic Army M15A4, with an all-metal quad rail, crane stock, a 9.6v 1300mah crane stock battery, a battery charger, hicap mag, and a sling. Everything you need to get started.

The body of the gun is plastic, but don�t let that fool you. It�s neither weak nor cheap. Side story- I had the pleasure of attending a leadership, team building and tactics course conducted by SEALS; my plastic-bodied AEG and myself taking a severe beating. At the end of the long weekend, my gun was so filthy that it changed color. But it survived and continued to run like a champ. Point being, as long as any gun is not purposely abused or run over by a truck, a plastic body will hold up just fine. As a plus, the carrying handle is removable, revealing a rail that you can attach optics or other sights to.

The CA M15A4 also comes with a high torque motor (not normally found in entry-level guns) and standard version 2 gearbox. On the downside, it has plastic bushings. You should get plenty of life out of these bushings, but at first opportunity, I recommend swapping them out for metal.

Performance-wise, this AEG shoots a respectable 350+ fps and has a decent rate of fire.

The charger is the non-smart wall version which, left unsupervised, will ruin the battery. A non-smart charger will keep pumping juice into the battery, even past full capacity. This in turn damages the battery. I always recommend purchasing a smart charger, even if a gun comes with a standard wall charger.

So if you have a younger sibling or teenager looking for their first gun, look no further. This gun not only comes with more goodies than can be expected for such a low price, but it can easily be built upon, eventually turning it into a beast of a gun. To improve it into a respectable mid-level gun, I would recommend installing a tightbore barrel, replacing the bushings, adding a 120 spring, and bumping the battery up to a 9.6v 4200 crane stock.

Pros:

-metal quad rail

-crane stock with battery

-Classic Army quality

-all in one kit

-rail under carrying handle

-pre-installed high torque motor

-extremely low cost!

Cons:

-replace bushings at first opportunity

-replace wall charger with a smart version

-plastic body vulnerable if abused

Final verdict: Impressive!

[IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/gteeuwen/airsoft/SP016P1sportlineris.jpg[/IMG]

Review Of Cybergun M1A1 Thompson And 1928 Model.

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:51:50 +0000

This is a review of the Cybergun M1A1 Thompson and 1928 Chicago Typewriter. There seems to be a surge in popularity with these two guns (based on my retail experience), so I decided to put together a detailed review for the two of them.

A popular and economical gun, both of these models are available at both high-end airsoft retailers and sports/general stores.

An obvious pro is that these are both quite affordable. Depending on which store you buy from, they could be anywhere from $150 up to $250 or so, and in the airsoft world, that's a pretty good price. Both come in a standard cardboard box and styrofoam, with a charger, magazine, and battery.

Another obvious pro is that this is a great replica of a legendary gun. WWII, 1930's gangster, and general gun enthusiasts will be quite happy to have a functional Thompson in their inventory. I actually have both models. The M1A1 I upgraded for better performance, while the Typewriter I had signed by R Lee Ermey and it proudly sits in my "trophy" room.

Anyway, on with the review- The charger is the non-smart wall version which, left unsupervised, will ruin the battery. A non-smart charger will keep pumping juice into the battery, even past full capacity. This in turn damages the battery. I always recommend purchasing a smart charger, even if a gun comes with a standard wall charger.

The battery is pretty weak for this type of gun. It comes with an 8.4v 1100 mah mini. The battery box is located in the buttstock and can easily fit just about any battery type. I say go big or go home. Without any modification at all to the buttstock, I put a 9.6v 4200 cranestock battery in there. The 3-nacelle design works perfect to manipulating such a huge battery into the compartment, but it fits perfectly. The 9.6 dramatically increases the rate of fire and the 4200 mah capacity ensures I have fight enough for several days without recharging. Such a big battery comes with a steep cost, so battery selection is entirely up to the purchaser.

When I first bought my M1A1, it came with a low-cap, non-winding mag. I quickly went out and got myself a hi-cap so I could keep up with all the other shooters out there. But when I realized some events don't allow hi-caps, I desperately searched for any mid-caps. To my shock, none existed. I then searched through TM products and found that the TM Thompson has low, mid and hi-caps, but to my continued disappointment, the TM mid-caps require winding (which still were not allowable in an organized event) and I had serious feed issues using TM mags with a Cybergun. Suffice to say, TM and Cybergun were not totally compatible. So, to my dismay, I could not use my Thompson as my primary weapon in an event that did not allow hi-caps. As for the 1928, it comes with a drum-style hi-cap- perfectly suited to the Typewriter as it replicates the Tommy Guns of the '30's. Since both guns are Cybergun, you can easily swap out mags between the two guns with no issues at all. However, working for a major retailer, I did notice that a number of 1928's and their hi-caps were coming in for maintenance. I was a bit worried about the product at first, but then noticed that the people who were bringing them in were obviously not taking care of their guns. As happens so many times (especially amongst the lesser experienced players) people were over-winding the hi-cap and drum mags, breaking them rather quickly, or just plain abusing their guns. One person brought his 1928 gun in pieces. We took it off his hands and now use it for spare parts. After I noticed the trend, and having long experience with my own M1A1, my faith in the 1928 was restored and I quickly bought one up. I may never use it in an op (since R Lee signed it), but it sure does look great.

Performance-wise, both are great guns, with a great rate of fire (once you move to a 9.6v). Ads on the box say 465 fps. Don't buy into the hype. The manufacturer used a .12 bb. Using a .20 bb at chrono, the guns shoot a respectable 360-380+. As I got into more organized ops, and the limit was 410 fps with a .20 bb, I saw that if I installed a 120 spring, I could get the gun up to 400 fps. I also installed a tightbore (6.04), which greatly improved accuracy and range.

As I had the gearbox open, I was alarmed to see plastic bushings. As with anything plastic, especially bushings, they will wear out- crack, warp, or shatter- over time. When that happens, it could lead to bigger gear issues. When I first bought my Thompson (a few years ago), I was stuck with the plastic bushings. However, technology has caught up with this gun and now metal bushings are available. They are the same metal bushings that go in P90's- Version 6. Now I feel confident that my gun could last indefinitely (barring any unusual accidents).

Another feather in the Thompson's cap is that it's the only gun that can convert into the M41 Pulse Rifle kit. Obviously, this is a very specialized item, but it only works with the Thompson.

There's also a real wood kit out there as well, which makes an already good gun into a thing of beauty.

Pros-

-Legendary Thompsons, in your hands, and being able to actually shoot at people (legally)!

-Very economic.

-Solid performance out of the box.

-All in one kit- charger, battery, sling, mag

-Even if you don't use it, it's just plain awesome as a trophy and it won't break your wallet.

Cons-

-Need a better battery. 8.4v 1100 mah does not do this gun justice, but at least the gun comes with a battery.

-Replace plastic bushings with metal ones at first opportunity.

-Lack of any mid-caps and does not work very well with TM mags.

-Specialized type of gun. Not as popular as M4's and AK's, and there is little tactical gear support.

Final verdict. I like both guns and recommend buying them. They are cheap enough that new players can afford them, and for the more serious players, keep in mind there are some things you need to upgrade.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/gteeuwen/airsoft/Thompsonstockpic.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/gteeuwen/airsoft/thompson.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/gteeuwen/airsoft/ThompsonGunny.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/gteeuwen/airsoft/thompsonbushings.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/gteeuwen/airsoft/thompsonm41pulsekit.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/gteeuwen/airsoft/thompsonwood.jpg

Real Sword Type 56

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:36:30 +0000

OK. Weapon blender has for sale a very nice airsoft gun made by a company called Real Sword. Now, these guns when you look at them in the store are great guns. But are they worth the price? After my experience with their type 97B, I decided to find out, and here is my review.

Pros:
Ultra realism. The company that makes this gun has managed to get it right. Very realistic. From the wooden furniture, to the receiver. The company uses real steel grade construction to make a great airsoft gun.
Correct weight and size. Most airsoft gun companies have to trade certain items like weight, and size when they make a airsoft gun. But real sword has the correct size and weight just like the real thing. And without the orange tip, it sure can be mistaken as the real thing.(leave that orange tip on, for safety sakes!) The detail is amazing, from the butt plate to the bayonet.

Power. Can be too much for some fields, so check with your team and local fields before use. But, I prefer the high FPS due to the longer range as opposed to "soft power" guns. (400+FPS)

Disassembly is just like the real AK47 or type 56 gun. The gun breakes down quite easily, and it is very easy to put back together. And that is a plus if you work on your own guns.

Now here comes the bare bones of this gun. Performance. As with my type 97B, once I put the battery in this gun and test shot it, it was everything I expected and more. The accuracy is supereb, and on my indoor shooting range I was able to hit a 2"x 2" square at 35'. Now this may not sound like a great thing, but remember this is airsoft. How ever, you will surely hit a man sized target at 120'. So, no problems with the accuracy. But be aware...the hop up on this gun is VERY touchy, and needs just SLIGHT adjustments to set properly.

Rate of fire. With a 9.6v battery, this gun performs great. The rate of fire is good, and the gun shoots like the box says.

Here is the nifty part...remember what I wrote about disassembly earlier? Well, there is actually a real cleaning kit included with the gun. The reason why I mentioned this here instead of the part on disassembly, is that the kit assembles just like the real guns, using the cleaning/unjamming rod beneath the barrel to make a cleaning/unjamming rod, and the kit even has a Phillips head screw driver built in!

Cons.
Now with all airsoft guns, there are cons. And the thing that I found bad on the gun was a dual battery connector setup that did not create a full circuit when the battery was plugged in, allowing the gun to fire. So the next Monday, I took the gun into Andy at Weapon Blender and he corrected the problem. Now, the gun works flawlessly.

Weight. This not a Cyma AK. This is as real as airsoft gets. The gun is the correct weight of a actual AK47. So, it may be too heavy for some.

Plastic bayonet. Trust me, it looks kind of fake. But due to customs laws, to could not be shipped with the package including the gun into the country. How ever, you can order one from Real Swords web site.

Sealed gear box. As the old saying goes, sealed for your protection. But if you want to void your manufacturer warranty, and work on your own gun, this does not apply.

High FPS. As stated before, the high FPS for some can be a con. (400+ FPS)

These guns are expensive. However, you get what you pay for. A great gun built for years of use.

Over all, I highly recommend this gun and any of Real Swords products. They are sturdy, very well constructed. They use real gun materials. And the metal sure is not pot metal found on other airsoft guns. And the wood and plastics used on their guns are of the highest quality also. They pay great attention to detail...correct size, weight, textures and colors. And, they are an investment well made.

A Review Of The Thunder B Grenades.

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:45:40 +0000

A review of the Thunder B grenades.

As soon as these came to our store, a couple of us got some sets, thinking of what kind of nasty things we could do to them. We bought some CO2 cartridges, then "tested" them out.

For those that don't know, Thunder B grenades are live action grenades that use CO2 to cause the grenade to pop� loudly. There are two kits for purchase- a beginner pack and a player's pack. Both kits come with a "core" and a few outer shells. Beginner pack has a core and 3 shells, a player back has a core and 12 shells.

The way it works- insert a CO2 cartridge into the grenade core. When safety pins are pulled, and the spoon is released, a "hammer" system slams into the top of the CO2 cartridge. The punctured cartridge quickly (about 4-6 seconds) fills up the hollow shell of the grenade to bursting point, then pops� loudly.

Afterwards, simply unscrew the core from inside the ruptured grenade shell, replace the spent CO2 cartridge, then screw on a new outer shell. Reset the hammer and safety pins, and go at it again.

As advertised, they are LOUD. And a bit of smart thinking went into the shell design as well. We wondered if the grenade actually exploded hard enough to send bits and pieces everywhere, but by design, there are seams that are meant to burst open. No flying debris.

Since the outer shell is hollow and the core fits inside, we wondered if we might make the grenade more "effective" by putting stuff inside the grenade shell. That way, when it burst, there might be secondary effects. We thought of putting baby powder into it, thinking there would be a big poofy cloud to go along with the loud bang. Unfortunately, it didn't work at all. As the CO2 was released into the shell, it mixed up the baby powder, which then gummed up all the works within the core, not allowing the air to release as explosively as expected. The grenade just swelled up and fizzled.

Then we thought about putting bb's inside the hollow shell. With the designed seam-burst, bb's won't come out as explosively (or in a wide pattern), like we thought.

Ultimately, after testing about 8 grenades, we came to realize the grenades function best when utilized without extra stuff. I also took 2 cores and 15 shells to a big op today to get some battlefield testing.

Pros- very loud, economical, safe, and quite the attention-getter.

Cons- couple things:

-The core must be kept clean at all times. After using the same core 3 times in a dusty field, when I attempted to use it again, it merely fizzled in the same manner it did when we put powder inside of it. Dust must have gummed up the inner workings of the core.

-Part of the core is plastic. A vital part. When you throw the grenade, the spoon is released and the hammer strikes the CO2 cartridge. That whole part is plastic and is vulnerable to breakage. When you throw the grenade, you run the risk of the top of the grenade (where the plastic part is) of breaking when it hits the ground. I took two grenades to an op, and one broke the first time I chucked it. There's no way to fix it, so now I must purchase another set just to get another core.

-There is no way to purchase just the core. There are large packages to buy replacement outer shells, but no way to buy just the core.

Final verdict- I like these. Whenever one of my grenades went off, people 100 feet away knew it. After the second or third grenade went off, whenever people saw me chuck another grenade, they went running for the hills! Terrifying in its own right! VERY EFFECTIVE. And with the lessons learned, I'll be sure to keep the cores clean and try not to break any more. If they could be made with aluminum cores, I'd gladly pay a few dollars more for a core that won't break as easily, and will keep buying replacement shells (very cheap, by the way). Oh, I recommend tying some kind of bright streamer to this- when you throw it into heavy scrub, you run the risk of never finding it again. A bright streamer might help you locate it...