Power Sources Covered in this review: CO2 - Spring Piston - Variable Pump -HPA (High Pressure Air)
Pro’s:
CO2 Airguns allow for fast repeat shooting, great for action shooters, generally CO2 Airguns will supply a medium power range. No need to pump or cock your CO2 powered weapon in-between shots and a CO2 power source can allow for a very realistic action of the gun you are shooting.
Spring Piston Airguns are best suited of single shot situations, they can provide low to high power output depending on the spring used. Spring Piston Airguns are very low cost to operate since you only need to buy the Pellets or BB’s. Spring Piston Airguns are not greatly effected by outside temperatures.
Variable Pump Airguns allow you to decide how much power your gun will have and can offer very high power output depending on the Airgun. Variable Pump Airguns are very low cost to operate since you only need to buy the Pellets or BB’s. Variable Pump Airguns are not greatly effected by outside temperatures. Variable Pump Airguns generally have very low recoil and vibration.
HPA (High Pressure Air) Airguns generally do not require pumping or cocking in-between shots and some even come in semi automatic or bolt action. HPA Airguns can have very high power output and even be used on larger game using large caliber ammunition. HPA Air Rifles have lower recoil and low vibration. HPA Airguns can be charged ahead off time so they are ready for use when you need them.
Con’s:
CO2 Airguns require the additional cost to buy the CO2 as they do not function without it. CO2 Airguns have a limited power output and lose power as you shoot and use up the CO2. CO2 Airguns are effected by hot and cold temperatures and will have less power in colder temperatures and may not even work in super cold environments.
Spring Piston Airguns require cocking before each shot. Spring Piston Airguns can have a lot of recoil and vibration, so much so that special optics must be considered when buying an optical sight. The action of the spring recoil can effect accuracy, especially if you are not use to the vibration and recoil or have spent some time practicing using a Spring Piston Airgun.
Variable Pump Airguns will require multiple pumps to achieved maximum power output which can take some time in-between shots. So you are going to have to work for each shot.
HPA (High Pressure Air) Airguns require the use of a manual pump to fill their built in air tank to maximum pressure and it does take a lot of time to manual fill an HPA tank. Alternatively you can have the air tank filled at a shop or buy a pressurization system similar to a scuba tank out paintball setup, the cost of this setup can be very high but will save you the castle of manually pumping air in to your HPA Airgun. HPA Airguns are generally a little more bulky then other Airgun systems since they have to accommodate fairly large air pressure tanks.
Power: Generally speaking a longer barrel is going to allow for more power. If you compare most CO2 pellet pistols to CO2 Pellet Rifles, you will find that the CO2 Pellet Pistol will generally shoot about 300-400 fps using a standard lead Pellet. On the other hand many CO2 Pellet Rifles can get up to as high as 600 fps which is much better speed for humanly shooting some smaller pests.
If you are talking about Springer or Variable Pump Air Pistols versus their Air Rifle counterparts, again the Air rifles will generally shoot with much more power. I have seen some none CO2 Air Pistols shoot up into the 500-600 fps range but again compered to none CO2 Air Rifles, they can even double these numbers.
Some of you may ask about Steel BB Pistols and Rifles. I personally would never really sue this type of ammunition for pest control simply because most BB Rifles have much less raw power than Pellet Rifles and steel BB’s will not be as accurate at any type of longer distance.
Stability: When holding any rifle from the shoulder, you have three point of contact with your body spread out in a much longer distance than a two handed pistol grip. Holding steady even without a rested position is much easier using a rifle. Even when using a rested position, the rifle will more stable.
Accuracy: A big factor in accuracy is stability but there are also other factors to consider. Barrel length its self does not make the gun more accurate, you only need a few inches of barrel length to get constant accurate results from a gun. What makes longer barreled guns more accurate is the distance between the rear and front sight. The closer the sights are together, the more margin for error there is, the longer you spread out the sights from each other, the more accurate the sighting system becomes.
Overall More Humain: When you consider Air Rifles tend to have higher power, better accuracy and overall more consistency than shorter barreled Air Pistols. The logical choice for humanly shooting a Pest is to use the Air Rifle. The last thing you want to do is make any animal suffer, even if it has been causing a lot of havoc around your home or farm or place of business.
My 5 shot Chronograph test resulted in a much lower than expected average velocity of around 265 fps, the ASG CZ 75 P-07 Duty CO2 Airsoft Pistol did start off in the mid350 range but then suddenly drop into the mid 200 fps range and according to ASG's rating, we should of been getting closer to 400 fps so something may have been up with this gun? My 10 shot accuracy test from 30 feet out using a semi rested position came in at around 4 inches. I am happy to say that my shots did seem to get to the target a bit faster than I was expecting with such a low fps chronograph testing. In terms of shot placement the ASG CZ 75 P-07 Duty CO2 Airsoft Pistol shot a bit high and to the left so you may have to adjust your aim point since there is no hop-up or windage adjustments on this pistol.
I was expecting a lot more power from the ASG CZ 75 P-07 Duty CO2 Airsoft Pistol since the 4.5mm Steel BB version of this same gun even with blowback operation still got an average of closer to 350 fps? I do like the lighter single action trigger the blowback version offers but the double action trigger of the non-blowback version is pretty good, not too heavy and fairly smooth. You can also expect to get at least 100 shots or more from a single 12 gram CO2 which makes this an relatively inexpensive gun overall.
Watch my Vimeo Video Field Test for the ASG CZ 75 P-07 Duty CO2 Airsoft Pistol:
My 5 shot Chronograph test resulted in an average velocity of just over 400fps while my 10 shot accuracy test from 30 feet out using a semi rested position came in at around 2 inches for most of the shots with a few hitting a bit higher. I did have one misfeed which resulted in a double shot for the next trigger pull, those shots obviously did not hit the target as well as expected. For some reason I got a double shot when I tested the 4.5mm Steel BB version so perhaps this is something inherent to this air pistol? In terms of shot placement the ASG CZ 75D Compact CO2 Airsoft Pistol shot fairly well centered left to right but on the high side near the top of the target. You should be able to adjust the internal hop-up to lower the shots a bit if need be.
The ASG CZ 75D Compact CO2 Airsoft Pistol is about what I expected in terms of performance since I have already shot the 4.5mm Steel BB version but with the blowback option. I do like the lighter single action trigger the blowback version offers but the double action trigger of the non-blowback version is pretty good, not too heavy and fairly smooth. You can also expect to get at least 100 shots or more from a single 12 gram CO2 which makes this an relatively inexpensive gun to buy and shoot.
Watch my YouTube Video Field Test for the ASG CZ 75D Compact CO2 Airsoft Pistol:
In this Field Test Shooting Reviews I test out the ASG Ruger MK II CO2 6mm Airsoft Pistol and put five rounds through my Chronograph to find out what the average fps is using .20 gram BB's and a brand new 12 gram CO2 cartridge. ASG claims 417 fps, I was expecting to get pretty close to that but did average a little bit lower at right around 399 but it was only about 7 degrees Celsius or 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Kind of a cold one!
I also shoot the ASG Ruger MK 2 CO2 6mm Airsoft Pistol from the 30 foot range since I hadn't had a chance to shoot it yet. While shooting from a semi rested position at 30 feet back, I was able to get a 5 inch 10 shot group but did notice that the bulk of the shoots seemed to all hit within a 2 inch group with two outliers that shot a bit low and to the right. The other 8 shots all hot really close to dead center on the target. All the ASG Ruger MK pistols have both adjustable hop-up and a rear sight that is adjustable for windage so you should be able to dial this gun in for your shooting style. The trigger pull on the ASG Ruger MK II CO2 6mm Airsoft Pistol is double action only and kind of on the long side but it is pretty smooth and has a nice satisfying metallic click to it when released, I found it pretty easy to shoot but it does take some practice time to get the feel for it.
If you are a Ruger MK series 22LR shooter than you may just want to get your hands on one of these and have the freedom of being able to shoot it just about anywhere for even cheaper than using 22LR ammo!
My Vimeo Field Test Video Review for the ASG Ruger MK2 CO2 6mm Airsoft Pistol:
This is not to say that a “Real Gun” is not as good as an Airgun or better in other ways, in this video I’m just pointing out how an Airgun in some cases can actually be better suited than a Real Gun.
Availability: What I mean by this, is that in many countries Real Guns can be very hard to acquire and often require safety course and applications before one can purchase a Real Gun. I have no problem with this but it is a reality that must be considered. Having an Airgun versus not having a gun at all makes it a better option for people that live in countries that have strict gun laws. Here in Canada we are allowed Real Guns, even pistols but we do have restriction on our pistols and so I can only get certain guns in an Airgun version. As a collector this is better than not having the gun at all.
Price to Buy: Generally speaking you can pickup an enter level Airgun for much less money than a real gun.
Cost to Shoot: Real gun ammo prices have been steadily increasing to the point that a day out shooting can cost several hundred dollars just on the ammunition alone.
Comparison of Price:
50 rounds of 9mm ammo will cost around $18.00
6000 rounds of 4.5mm Steel BB will cost about $18.00
CO2 is a bit less than $1 per 12 gram Cylinder which can yield up to 100 shots each.
To shoot 100 rounds of 9mm will cost close to $40 versus 100 shots of 4.5mm steel BB at around $1.
For this reason alone an Airgun can make a lot of sense even for Real Gun owners looking to get more cost effective practice time.
Access to Shooting Locations: Depending on where you live you will have to consider your local laws and where you are allowed to shoot both types of guns but typically you can shoot an Airgun safely just about anywhere as long as you implement some backstop safety precautions. Here in Canada we can only shoot a pistol at designated gun ranges, where as Airguns have a lot more allowances to shot them as long as you are not braking any city bylaws.
Training Guns: Even if you plan to eventually step up to a Real Gun at some point, an airgun is a great option to first learn proper gun handling skills since if you where to make a mistake, the consequences are much less severe. Airguns are also a lot less intimidating than a real gun since they are much quieter and have less recoil, you don’t even need to wear ear protection with most Airguns which means an instructor can communicate to his pupil on the range a lot easier.
Prop Guns: Since Replica Airguns look so much like real guns these day, they can often be used as a safer substitute for use in Movie, TV or other Photo and Video productions. Using a Real Gun on set generally requires a certified “Gun Wrangler” be on hand as Real Guns must be transported, stored and handled using very strict regulations. Airguns generally do not need to follow the same rigid regulations that Real Guns are bound to.
Tactical Training with Live Targets: Obviously shooting a real gun at a live target would not fair well for anyone involved, so that is completely out of the question. Airsoft Airguns are however perfect for Tactical Training and other weapons based simulations. All that is required for safety when using Airsoft guns is the use of eye protection and generally some heavy clothing.
I am sure there are some more areas in which Airguns may have the advantage over a Real Gun but these are the main ones that I could think of.
I already made several review videos for both Gletcher NGT (4.5mm Steel BB) and the Gletcher NGT R (.177 Cal Pellet) Revolvers, including table top and shooting videos. So make sure to check those videos out for more information on both versions of Gletcher NGT and NGT R Revolvers.
I did however miss some noteworthy details that I wanted to cover in this video. Firstly, the real steal Nagant M1895 Revolver this Gletcher NGT is styled after has a very unique gas-sealing system that the Airgun version does not replicate or really require but it is worth mentioning.
Here is some more info on how the original Nagant M1895 Revolver Gas Seal System works:
(From Wikipedia) The M1895 by contrast, has a mechanism which, as the hammer is cocked, first turns the cylinder and then moves it forward, closing the gap between the cylinder and the barrel. The cartridge, also unique, plays an important part in sealing the gun to the escape of propellant gases. The bullet is deeply seated, entirely within the cartridge case, and the case is slightly reduced in diameter at its mouth. The barrel features a short conical section at its rear; this accepts the mouth of the cartridge, completing the gas seal. By sealing the gap, the velocity of the bullet is increased by 15 to 45 m/s (50 to 150 ft/s.) This feature also eliminates the possibility of injury through the dangerous expansion of gases from the cylinder behind the barrel, which are easily capable of severing a finger if the user holds the gun incorrectly (with a finger positioned in front of the cylinder during fire) - a noted safety-issue in conventional revolvers.
Moving on to some of the features incorporated into the Gletcher NGT NGT-R CO2 BB and Pellet Revolver that I did not point in any of my previous videos. There is an extractor rod that can be used to extract a shell, this is not really necessary on the airgun version since the shells do not expand and tighten on the cylinder as they would n the real steal Nagant M1895 Revolver built is nice that we can replicate this feature with the Airgun version. You can also remove the cylinder completely from both the BB and Pellet shooting Gletcher NGT NGT-R CO2 Revolvers. The cylinder is actually very heavy and adds a lot of weight to this compact 7 shot Revolver.
It is always nice when an Airgun is built in such a way that it replicates the real steal version as closely as possible and the Gletcher NGT NGT-R CO2 BB and Pellet Revolvers do this nearly perfectly.
I get asked on a daily bases form many of my Vimeo Viewers about how and if there is a way to get rid of the White lettering on Airguns, Typically people are wanting to remove the intrusive Warning instructions from Airguns like the Cybergun Tanfoglio Witness 1911, the Cybergun/Swiss Arms GSG 92/P92 and many other CO2 Replica Airguns that have lettering or branding that you may want to get rid of.
In this Instructional Tutorial Video I show you how can at least tone down the white lettering and even completely remove it on some Airguns without damaging the Airguns finish underneath the white lettering. You will have to use some patience and perhaps repeat this method a few times but the end result is worth the effort.
The magical product I use to remove the white lettering on many popular Airguns is a product from Birchwood Casey called the Presto Gun Blue Pen. This product is actually designed to touch up real steel gun in areas where the blueing has worn off, lucky for us the Birchwood Casey Presto Gun Blue Pen also works well to remove the ugly white lettering from Airguns.
I have often been asked which of the Shells for the Shell Loading Revolvers work in which Shell Loading Revolvers? After all many of them look a lot alike so can you mix and match Shells for the various types of Shell Loading Revolvers?
In this Vimeo Instructional Video I test out a bunch of Shells to see which ones actually will work or not work in several of the most popular Shell Loading Revolvers.
Some of the Shell Loading Revovers Tested in this Instructional Video are:
To make this as comparable a test as possible I used two KWC/Gletcher Makarov Full Blowback Pistols each with their own separate magazine, again one with a 12 gram CO2 and one using the ANT system.
HPA or High Presure Air is not effected by cold weather which makes this setup ideal for shooting in cold situations since fps is not effected at all. As CO2 requires heat to expand, the colder the outside temperature the less amount of expansion you get from the CO2 whihc results in less power, this is really noticeable on your follow-up magazines as the CO2, magazine and even the gun will have started to cool down from the CO2 exposure.
The ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit even when using large 20 ounce CO2 tanks will help with the cool down effect since the large CO2 tanks will take much longer to cool down and even freeze up as compared to the smaller 12 gram CO2 which can get frosty even after the first magazine.
I did notice in this Field Test Shooting Review that the CO2 did pretty good as it was my first magazine and the temperature was not all that cold out. I can say the HPA System was shooting much harder, after making this video I popped off another couple magazine with each gun shooting out to at least 100 feet and the ANT FIRE HPA setup was really throwing the 4.5mm Steel BB's out there quickly. As expected the 12 gram CO2 mags really started to trail off especially on the third magazine of shots.
All in all, the ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit will not only bring your cost per shot down significantly but it allows you to keep shooting with no down time waiting for your gun to warm back up and the ability to use HPA (High Pressure Air) means you will get even more fps performance out of your air guns but also much more consistent shot performance all day long!
Well ANT (Advanced Novelty Tech) made an update model that supports a bunch more guns, that's a good thing of course. This new model is called the "FIRE" and it supports the following guns. I did find however that ANT list that the Gletcher NGT and Webley Mark VI Revolvers where supported by the FIRE but my findings indicated the CO2 screw on both these guns had a smaller diameter so they where not compatible. Other than that small discrepancy most of the other guns on their list should work just fine.
What exactly is the ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit?
The Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2/HPA Conversion Kit is a remote line adapter for Airsoft, BB, and pellet guns. Compatible with over 60 guns, it is easy to install and converts a compatible gun for use with a Paintball remote line and CO2 or HPA tank. Eliminating the need for disposable CO2 cartridges, while still being interchangeable with disposable CO2 cartridges, it delivers a longer, more powerful, and more consistent shooting experience between refills.
So what is the ANT Advanced Novelty Tech FIRE CO2 HPA Conversion Kit going to do for you?
Eliminate the need for the more expensive disposable 12 gram CO2 cartridges.
Use interchangeably with disposable 12 gram CO2 cartridges.
Use in conjunction with a Paintball remote line with standard quick disconnect fittings and a CO2 or HPA tank. (recommended use up to 1000 psi)
Shoot thousands of rounds before needing to refill your CO2.
Fits compatible Airsoft, BB, and pellet gun CO2 pistols.
Easy drop-in installation.
Overall cost savings.
More consistent FPS especially when shooting fast or in full auto.
Almost a year or so ago I made my Table Top Review Video for both the 6mm Airsoft and 4.5mm Steel BB shooting KWC Mac 11 M11 CO2 Pistols, and no they are not machine pistols since they only shoot in semi auto mode. Well anyway, I finally got around to testing these low cost Mac 11 replicas out shooting them through my Chrony Chronograph to find out their real world fps velocity along with my standard 30 foot back semi rested paper target accuracy test. Both CO2 Replica Pistols performed rather well for me and turned out to be both powerful and accurate.
In terms of power, KWC claims 120 meters per second or 394 feet per second for the 4.5mm Steel BB KWC M11 while the 6mm Airsoft Mac 11 had a claimed fps of 152 mps or 499 fps. During my testing both guns actually shot much faster than claimed with the steel BB M11 shooting 5.1 grain steel 4.5mm BB's at an average of 453 fps. The Airsoft KWC Mac 11 with its lighter .20 gram 6mm plastic Airsoft BB's averaged a very hot 556 fps which is probably going to be too hot for most Airsoft fields but a lot of fun shooting in your back yard!
Both the Steel BB and Plastic Airsoft BB KWC M11's have an internal fixed hop-up system which did seem to help out a lot with accuracy. From my semi rested shooting position with paper targets setup 30 feet away, I was able to get well centered 1-5 to 2 inch groupings from both versions of the KWC Mac 11 CO2 Pistols.The Airsoft KWC M11 did shoot a little high and to the right but not a lot while the Steel BB M11 was centered well left to right but again just a little high.
Both KWC Mac 11 M11 CO2 Pistols shoot in double action and have what I would consider to be about medium pull triggers since there are not a lot of moving parts or any type of blowback operation. This means they will be more CO2 efficient and likely to have very few problems since they are very simple in design. If you want a great performing low cost and simple in design Mac 11 Replica then take your pick, 4.5mm Steel BB KWC M11 or 6mm Plastic Airsoft KWC M11!
I have already made a Table Top Video Review for the Gletcher NGT Silver CO2 BB Revolver which for the most part is the same gun but in a 4.5mm Steel BB non rifled barrel version and as the title indicates with a different finish being the silver version. Other than finish and ammunition being used, both guns are virtually the same.
I always like getting outside and shooting the airguns I review even on these fall overcast days, at least the temperature was not too cold, right around 14 °C or 57.2 °F so decent for my testing purposes. The Gletcher NGT R like the BB shooting NGT is a fairly small air revolver and so pretty much anyone should be able to shoot this air revolver even if you have smaller hands, I did find that pre-cocking the hammer for single action shooting was a bit of a stretch when reaching over with the thumb, but you can just as easily shoot in double action, both trigger pulls are nice and light with the double action being a bit longer and heavier.
Loading the 7 round cylinder will take longer than your standard stick magazine BB pistol since you first need to pop some .177 caliber pellets into each shell, if you want to speed up the process you don't have to eject the shells to load them, you can simply index the cylinder and pop a pellet into each shell while still inside the cylinder.
In terms of fps performance, the Gletcher NGT R CO2 Pellet Revolver shot a little higher than expected getting a 4 shot average of 376 fps using 7 grain RWS Lead pellets, so around 50 fps higher than the claimed 328 fps on the box and even a bit higher than the steel BB version I tested earlier. This is really good considering the short barrel and fact that a revolver can leak a little CO2 between the cylinder and the barrel and even the cylinder and the CO2 valve.
I really felt comfortable using the rather old school fixed open post and notch sights, the grey/black finish on the Gletcher NGT R may be a bit hard to see on darker targets but shooting on my white target was no problem. My 7 shot grouping from 30 feet back using a semi rested shooting stance produced about a 1 inch grouping well centred vertically just a hair to the left so all in all the Gletcher NGT R CO2 Pellet Revolver has the power and accuracy I was hoping for even in such a small package.
It has been a while since I picked out some of my favorite guns, after all my favorite gun picks change on a daily basis since there are so many awesome guns out there to pick from.
This Vimeo video is a little different since I pick out my favorites from a bunch of mostly replica gun categories including Steel BB, Pellet, Airsoft, Revolvers and Blank Pistols.
You may notice most of my picks happen to be blowback guns but to me airguns are all about being as realistic as possible and having blowback operation to me help to simulate the realism that much more. The exception in this video is in the pellet gun category since I decided on a pellet gun that was more about function and purpose over being any type of real replica.
Hopefully you take the time to watch my entire Vimeo video since I also bring out some close runner ups but here is a list of my top picks on this day, tomorrow it could be a completely different list of guns ;)
In this Field Test Shooting video I test out the KJWorks KP-11 Hi-Capa 1911 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol to determine what the real work velocity is and also how well it performs in terms of accuracy. To test velocity I use a my Chrony Chronograph and do my best to get 5 good readings which I then average out. I always use a brand new 12 gram CO2 cartridge and generally use .20 gram plastic Airsoft BB's for my entire Field Testing. To test accuracy I set myself up 30 feet back using a semi rested position, to do this I place a sand bag to rest my hand and gun on and then stand securely in the back while I place 10 rounds on a paper target. There is obviously some humane factor involved but I can usually get a good idea on how accurate a given gun is.
During the Velocity or Feet Per Second Chronograph testing, I did manage to get 5 good readings, not all in a row but all within the first 10 or so shots. The KJWorks KP-11 Hi-Capa 1911 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol shot hard and averaged 420fps again using .20 gram Airsoft BB's.
For my accuracy testing, all 10 shots placed within about 3 inches and they where fairly well centered left to right but did shoot a little bit high, this could be corrected using the hop-up adjustment to bring the Airsoft BB's down just a little.
I was rather surprised at how loud the KJWorks KP-11 Hi-Capa 1911 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol is, it is by far one of the loudest CO2 Pistols I have shot to date other than the Umarex Desert Eagle Pellet Pistol. The KJWorks KP-11 Hi-Capa 1911 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol also has a lot of blowback kick which makes it a lot of fun to shoot. Don't expect a lot of shots per CO2 since it uses a lot of CO2 per shot but in my books it is worth it for the added blowback recoil.
The KJWorks KP-11 Hi-Capa 1911 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol may shoot a little bit hot for indoor Airsoft close quarters games but if you plan to use it outdoors at longer ranges it would definitely send Airsoft BB's out to further away targets. You could also pickup a Green Gas Magazine to lower the FPS about 50fps or so which would calm the KJWorks KP-11 down enough for indoor shooting.
Action: Semi auto, single & double action with full blowback.
Ammunition Type: 6mm plastic Airsoft BB's.
Ammunition Capacity: 25 round full size drop out metal magazine.
FPS: 366+ with extended barrel.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the VFC FN Herstal FNX45 Tactical GBB Airsoft Pistol is surprisingly light in single action mode, there is also minimal takeup. When shooting in double action the trigger pull length is much longer and heavier and has a bit of a stickiness too it but since this is a blowback pistol most of your shooting will be in single action mode where the trigger feels great!
Accuracy: I haven't done a dedicated Field Test Shooting Video yet for the VFC FN Herstal FNX45 Tactical GBB Airsoft Pistol but I did get the chance to play around with it when I did my I.C.U. 2.0 HD Action Camera review. In terms of power and accuracy it feels pretty good and you can expect to get decent power and accuracy out of it, we will have to wait and see how it performs on paper targets and when tested on the Chrony.
Build Quality: The VFC FN Herstal FNX45 Tactical GBB Airsoft Pistol is well made overall, I have found pretty much all the VFC airguns I have gotten my hands on seem to be well made and very realistic. you will find metal parts where they would be on the real Steel version of this pistol and same goes for plastic parts like the frame in this case. The finish seems to be holding up nicely too for me.
Realism: VFC really seams to pay a lot of attention to every detail of their Airsoft guns and the VFC FN Herstal FNX45 Tactical GBB Airsoft Pistol is no exception. All the mechanical working parts on this Airsoft version work as they would on the real .45 ACP FN Herstal FNX45, even the extractor is a separate part not moulded into the slide like you would find on most Airsoft pistols. You also get Interchangeable Back Straps to accommodate different hand sizes and of course it's fully FN licensed!
Excellent reproduction of the real steel FN Herstal FNX45 in looks and operation.
Very Crisp Firm full blowback operation.
Excellent fit and finish.
Everything is Ambidextrous so great for lefties too.
High Rise sighs suitable for the addition of a moc suppressor.
Comes with two interchangeable internal barrel lengths.
Fully field strip-able.
Fully FN Herstal Licensed.
Cons:
Comes with a red tip.
Magazine is kind of shiny
My serial number plate fell off while shooting it so make sure yours is on tight.
Comments:
Like I have mentioned throughout this review, VFC not only makes super realistic Airsoft guns, they also make a really high quality product. The VFC FN Herstal FNX45 Tactical GBB Airsoft Pistol is another example of this and offers everything you would hope to expect in an Airsoft Replica! The only down side is the orange tip but that can be sorted out easy enough after you get it. It's definitely not a small gun so keep that in mind when deciding on buying it, overall the VFC FN Herstal FNX45 Tactical GBB Airsoft Pistol is a really nice Airsoft gun at a reasonable price point.
My Vimeo Video Review for the VFC FN Herstal FNX45 Tactical GBB Airsoft Pistol:
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the KJWorks KP-11 1911 is very good since it is modeled after a real steel 1911 which makes it short and crisp with a nice light trigger pull. There is a very slight take-up at the very beginning of the pull but once your get past this the release is crisp and predictable. Since it is not a double action trigger you will need to either rack the slide for your first shot or pull the hammer back if you have already chambered a round.
Accuracy: I have not done my actual Field Test Shooting video review for the KJWorks KP-11 M1911 Airsoft Pistol so I do not have any definitive feedback for you but based on my experiences shooting other KJWorks 1911 styled Airsoft CO2 Pistols I expect it to have great blowback action recoil, a nice trigger and good overall FPS and accuracy. In terms of reliability, KJWorks pistols are solid in this department.
Build Quality: As expected, the KJWorks KP-11 Hi-Capa 1911 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol build quality is exactly like all the other KJWorks Airsoft guns I've tested so far, Build quality for the price point is top notch with tolerances between the moving parts like the slide and frame are extremely tight showing excellent workmanship and machining from KJWorks. The finish is always a step above other similar styled Airsoft and BB guns, youn really don't have to worry about the finish coming of as easy.
Realism: The KJWorks CO2 KP-11 Hi-Capa 1911 Blowback Airsoft Pistol copies the real steel very popular even today Colt 1911 45 caliber pistol, it can be field stripped very similarly to a real 1911 Semi Auto pistol and all parts function virtually the same including a working safety, grip safety, slide catch-release, magazine release and hammer. This Hi-Capa version has a more tactical look with a wider frame for what would be a double stack hi capacity styled magazine.
Has really good weight but not too heavy since it has a polymer frame..
Expect to have typical KJWorks crisp and firm full blowback operation.
Excellent fit and finish. I like the mat textured finish which looks to bed super durable.
Nice bright white dot sights, really easy to see.
I like the look of the tactical hammer and trigger.
Nice high capacity magazine with a little extra zing for the CO2 Mag.
Fully field strip-able.
Cons:
Is not really setup up for left handers with no real ambidextrous components.
CO2 magazine is long to accommodate the 12 gram CO2.
Grips may be a bit thick for smaller hands.
Comments:
I love 1911 pistols and enjoy shooting them, there is something about how they feel in the hand that is different form most other pistols. They always feel so solid. The KJWorks Airsoft versions capture that feeling exactly and again the little bit more you may pay for a KJWorks 1911 over some other lesser quality Full blowback 1911's is worth the cost in my books. This Hi-Capa 1911 version with it's tactical look and finish would make a great game player for sure!
My Vimeo Table Top Review of the KJWorks KP-11 Hi-Capa 1911 CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol:
This comparison Review Video serves a few purposes, first to compare the ASG Dan Wesson 715 Revolver 4.5mm steel BB version to the 6mm plastic Airsoft version in both velocity and accuracy. Secondly to give my new Chrony Chronograph with lighting kit a test to see if I can get more reliable readings in lower light and thirdly to try and redeem the Steel BB version of the Dan Wesson 715 as last time I tested it, it did not get all that high of fps readings, well below the claimed 430 on the box.
In this review video I test both Dan Wesson 715 Revolvers out, first with my Chrony Chronograph and then all in one take I setup and shoot 6 rounds each on separate paper targets from 30 feet back to see how accurate the smaller heavier Steel BB rounds are compared to the larger lighter Plastic BB's. I used 5.1 grain RWS 4.5mm Steel BB's and .20 gram 6mm plastic BB's and installed brand new 12 gram CO2 cartridges in both guns.
In terms of my Chrony consistency, the smaller steel BB's still struggled to get consistent readings with only 2 out of 6 shots while the larger Airsoft BB's managed to get a good reading 4 out of 6 shots. Steel BB velocity was right around 350 fps while the Airsoft BB's where travelling much faster at closer to 450 fps.
Both the Steel BB and Airsoft CO2 Dan Wesson 715 Revolvers shot 6 round grouping of about 2 inches with 4 out of the 6 shots making a much tighter 1 inch group again with both ammo types. The Airsoft Dan Wesson 715 seemed to be centered on target well while the Steel BB Dan Wesson 715 shot a bit low.
Watch and see what happens when you take an RWA M1919 AEG Airsoft Machine Gun and put it head to head against the all metal F1 Chrony Chronograph. That's right, my old temperamental Chrony F-1 Chronograph meets its first opponent! Did it survive or did it bow to the hail storm of 6mm Airsoft BB's...
Recently I picked up my new Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph to replace my F-1 that has not been working so well for me in past videos... I wanted to get outside and give it a try shooting a few of the airguns that I was not able to test out properly. Now I know that under my patio deck, the lighting is not optimal even on sunny days and because of this I have never expected to get perfectly consistent fps recording but as many of you know, my old Chrony F-1 was pretty much not working at all near the end there.
I have ordered a light kit which will help out a lot especially when summer is over and the sky becomes more overcast. But for now I decided to test my Chrony Beta Chronograph under my deck roof as I have been testing all along and see if I can get better results with this newer Beta version.
So makes sure to watch my Vimeo video testing of my Chrony Beta Shooting Chronograph shooting a selection of airguns.
