S&W PC356 HGHU - ArniesAirsoft

Author

Shao14

Misopethamenos

Registered: September 2004
Posts: 306,044

Review Date: 23/5/06

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: �25.00 | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Accurate, powerful for springer, excellent finish, solid, comfortable, high capacity
Cons:	hard to rack the slide, light, no real steel counterpart

Introduction

The Smith & Wesson Performance Center 356 does not really exist in the real steel world, at least not yet (S&W could potentially decide to make one to match the airsoft replica, but I doubt it). This fact could put down lots of airsoft collectors since realism and authenticity are some of the things that separate airsoft from paintball. I hope, however, this review can still convince airsofters who are looking into a nice springer to seriously consider the TM HGHU S&W PC356.

TM makes several versions of the same gun, and the High Grade Hop Up version is the best version. The TM S&W PC356 is also one of the third generation TM springers (the other two being the Colt 1911A1 and the HK SOCOM Mk23). All three of the third generation TM springers feature better finish, performance, and are all field strippable. In the rest of this article, I shall use PC356 to refer to the TM HGHU S&W PC356.

External

The PC356 comes in the usual TM HGHU springer packaging. The finish on the gun is as good as springers go. The paint is even and thick. The silver part looks quite convincing too. There is no visible seam on the top of the slide, but there's still seam on the frame. There's not much markings, but there are S&W logos on the grip panels and on the right side of the gun above the trigger. On the left, it simply says Smith & Wesson.

The slide safety is fake and non-moveable, and on the left side only. The slide catch/release lever does not lock back the slide, but functions as a safety as in most TM springers (not true in real steels). The slide release lever is also the take down lever (more on field stripping later).

The trigger has both SA and DA positions. The hammer is movable. The ejection port is open when the slide is pulled back. The grip is of the vertec design. It is surprisingly comfortable to hold and gives the shooter better control of the gun for target shooting.

The gun is kind of light as in all TM springers, but the whole gun is very solid, and no creaking or flexing anywhere.

Performance

Shooting a springer requires the shooter to pull the slide all the way back for each shot. The pull is quite long and hard as in all third generation TM springers, and the slide safety can bite into one's hand. With some practice, it's not too hard to position the fingers so to avoid holding the safety when racking the slide, but still not as easy to rack the slide as most other springers.

The full size magazine holds 30 BBs, the highest capacity I know among spring pistols.

The PC356 certainly lives up to its "Performance Center" title. It's meant to be a target shooting pistol, and it is incredibly accurate. In fact, it is the most accurate springers I've shot, and it can easily compete with GBBs in accuracy. Power is also on the high end of springers, probably around 200fps with .2g BBs.

Field stripping is straight-forward. Push the take down lever out, and slide the barrel/slide assembly forward and out.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the TM HGHU S&W PC356 is one of the best performing spring pistol. If one can look past the fact that there is no real steel counterpart of it, it's a must-have if one buys a springer.

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snowman

Look out - He's got a toy gun and might write about it!

Registered: September 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 6,190

Review Date: 2/10/06

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Great gun, big capacity
Cons:	Bit gaudy for some, Vertical grip.

Great springer, but the original post is completely wrong about the non-existence of the real steel counterpart, this is a replica of a Performance Center S&W automatic.

Here's one for sale : http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976778435.htm

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MOTOX

Registered: December 2006
Posts: 6

Review Date: 24/1/07

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: �40.00 | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	good range good accuracy
Cons:	tuff slide pull bad safty

I own several tm spring pistoles and this one is the best.It shoots far and is very accurait. The only bad thing is that after about 10'000 shots the safty breaks. What happens is when its cocked and you try to put the safty on it will lock the trigger and it wont shoot.But other than that its realy good.