Colt 1911 A1 - ArniesAirsoft

Author

Operator

Registered: May 2005
Location: London
Posts: 117

Review Date: 12/7/06

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: �110.00 | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Good weight, finish, blowback and price
Cons:	Poor sights, low gas capacity

This is my first GBB review so for a more detailed (and probably better Wink

) review see (V)atrix's excellent review http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=67857 I also apologise for the quality of the photos, I don't have a camera at the moment so had to use my phone. I have also been unable to add any photos into the review text section as that feature seems to have been removed.

Having wanted a 1911 for a long time I was awaiting both KSC an TM versions to see which was best, after reading the above review and others I went for the TM. I ordered mine from Tokyo Model Company http://www.tokyo-model.com.hk and was yet again impressed with the speed of delivery. I paid �110.00 for the gun, two spare mags and delivery.

When the package arrived i was instantly impressed with the presentation, TM have gone for the same lined box as used on the M14. Contents include the gun, magazine, manual (in japanese of course), bore cleaner/unjamming rod and a box containing a small bag of bb's a red barrel plug and a bushing tool/bb loader.

First impressions were good, the parkerized type finish really helps with realism and stops it looking plasticy, I don't know how well the finish will last but I have no scratches so far. The weight is 795g and is well balanced, unlike some pistols the weight is good with or without the mag due to metal inserts in the frame and grips. The grips themselves have an agressive chequering and give a very secure grip. It operates as a 1911 should and the grip and slide safeties work well. The trades are deep and appear correct to my untrained eye. Field stripping is straight forward, eject the magazine, pull back the slide till the small indent on the slide lines up with the slide lock then push the slide lock out. The slide can then be removed.

The magazine takes 24 rounds and can be loaded using the tool (not really needed), by hand or with a plunger loader. The bb's can be loaded from the top or from the bottom and are double stacked. It is very quick to fill with gas due to the slim magazine.

Now to the fun part, after loading the pistol and racking the slide I was ready to go, the blowback is very impressive and the report is very loud (not compared to a real steel but it beats all my other pistols).After a while I was able to achive 1" groupings at 5 meters , but I have to agree with (V)atrix, the sights are not easy to use as they are very low profile and have no white markings on them. As they are non adjustable I seem to hit high and right slightly, but this may be a training need on my part :/ .

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m295/Operator_01/T2.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m295/Operator_01/T3-1.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m295/Operator_01/T1.jpg

However this does not really detract and I'm sure aftermarket sights will appear. I fired two groups of 5 in slow fire then fired the rest of the mag at speed, the slide locked back after the last round but when I reloaded the same mag there was only enough gas for 3 shots. Personally I do not consider this a problem but I would definately recommend spare magazines. I have only fired mine on green gas so I can't comment on 134a performance. I will update when I try the weaker gas on it (I only use green, if they break then at least I've had fun:) )

Having been used to Glocks it took a little while to get used to the 1911 but I am now familiar and am a big fan. It is a great pistol to shoot, very pointable and good value. If it was all metal I would give it 10/10, as it is I think 9/10 is well deserved. I recommend this gun to any 1911 fan and even if you have not been converted give it a go and you will be impressed. I'm sure a large ammount of aftermarket parts will be availible soon so I plan on a metal kit and some improved sights. I have not fired or handled the KSC version so I can't compare it. This is as good as my WA Infinity in my opinion.

UPDATE: I skirmished this for the first time at the charity pistols only bash at Electrowerkz on sunday and it performed fantastically, I was able to outrange alot of times and scored some great long range kills. I had no stoppages, the only slight problem being the fact that the gas only lasts for one mag, I had 3 but I need more! I've also added some white paint to the sights which helps aiming a bit in low light - they are still not great but I had no problems.

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Long live the M14 Brotherhood!

Smith5

Registered: April 2006
Location: Not from Camelot; it is a silly place.
Posts: 349

Review Date: 12/8/06

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: �110.00 | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Stunning apearance, well presented, hi quality finish
Cons:	Small gas resevoir, very light.

The first reviewer had pretty much covered everything that needs to be said, but im adding my opinion anyway.

Ill be comparing it to my KSC USPc, as that is the only other pistol I have experience with.

I went to the shop looking for a second pistol but I didnt have any set ideas about which one I wanted. I picked up every gun in the cabenet, this one being the first, and the TM 1911 just felt absolutely perfect. It had really already won before I even had a feel of any of the other pistols. It fits very well in my hands and is very well balance to hold, with or without the mag in it.

It is much much lighter than I imagined it to be, but that just makes it very easy to hold and point. It has a very realistic finish to it and with Marui's new way of bonding the two plastic halves of the gun together, there are no visible mould lines anywhere on the entire gun.

Nothing feels loose or wobbly and the whole gun feels very solidly built and robust. If it can take the levels of abuse that my usp gets, it will possible be the best gun I own (not that its going to recieve any where near the abuse my USP does!)

USING THE GUN

The magazine is quite small on this gun and very slender, which is the reason why a full charge of gas will only be enough for about 1.5 mags (40ish bb's) worth of shots. A spare mag is essential if you are going to use this gun for skirmishing. Compared to the usp mag, I initially found the 1911 mags very fiddly to load. You are provided with a tool to hold the spring down so you can drop bb's in, but I didnt find it perfect. I think its just something I need to practice, not a problem with the gun.

After loading the mag, I pulled back the slide. It felt stiffer than the usp slide, which isnt a bad or a good thing, simply an observation. Im sure after use it will loosen up though. Initially, the range and accuracy seem exceptional with this pistol, and at 5-8m I was able to consistantly hit a 1 inch wide pole in my garden with 0.2g bb's with hop as it was out of the box. So for me accuracy couldnt be better if I tried.

The blowback isnt as strong as the USPc, but it very crisp all the same. Whilst id prefer a harder blowback, im happy with it as it is if it means the guns not going to tear it self to pieces after time. Due to the low profile sights, it is very hard to line them up with your target, but this isnt maruis fault, its a 1911 fact of life.

SUMMARY

Pro's

This has to be the most realistic looking gun I have ever seen. It really is the most beautiful looking gun I own and was part of the reason why I chose this pistol over any others. It is very accurate and a pleasure to fire.

Con's

As much as I love this gun, it isnt perfect. As mentioned before, the gas resevoir is very small. So unless you carry gas with you into a game, you will need several mags if you intend on using this gun a lot in one game. I personally intend on using mine for pistol games only, where I find I conserve ammo and dont take pointless shots anyway, so lust having a spare mag or 2 will do me fine, and keep my usp as my backup for normal skirmishes.

Along the top of the slide, the coating on the gun seems to be thinner where the gun has been in the box. I noticed this in the shop but all their TM 1911 were the same. Whilst it doesnt detract from the overall stunningness of the guns appearence, I wont be storing it in the TM case, as nice as it is, because I dont want to rub the paint off altogether!

This is a fantastic gun both in looks and performance and I reccomend it to anyone and everyone.

EDIT Apres skirmish

I used it in its first game last weekend. Instead of 0.2g bb's I used 0.36g bb's and I used a different (possibly more powerful, im not sure just by looking at the two bottles) gas and the performance was outstanding. The range is impressive for a pistol and the blowback was much sharper and stronger. It was my first time using .36's, and the accuracy was good enough using .20's, so you can imagine how accurate and straight these bb's flew.

I did find that one fully charged mag did not empty every shot I fired if I fired them in quick succession, but I now understand why one of the guys on the team uses this gun as a primary and is so good with it.

This gun would have a 9, if it wernt for the small gas resevoir. But after having used it in a game, it fully deserves an 8 and I would completely reccomend this gun to anyone with enough money to buy the extra mags needed too.

evilliboba
Gone to a better place...

Registered: April 2006
Posts: 5,010

Review Date: 7/10/06

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: �80.00 | Rating: 10

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Powerful, accurate, strong kick, beautiful replica of the Colt M1911A1
Cons:	Loud (not for the sneaky), single stack mag=low gas capacity, sights are so-so

Okay I'm not a fan of writing long reviews so I will make this short, sweet and to the point.

Appearance/Build Quality:
This is a beautiful gun. All of the trademarks (besides the Tokyo Marui Made in Japan) are faithful to the real steel. The plastic is high quality and has no rattle. Nothing on it feels flimsy or weak. The only iffy thing is the outer barrel is a bit shiny.

Preformance:
I loaded this up with Green with no leaks. I poor-man chronoed it at 300FPS. It is loud compared to my old KJW P226 Full Metal. It also has a heck of a kick. The one negative I found is that the thin mag tends to be just on the verge of empty as you fire off the last shot. I don't consider this a negative as much as it is a single stack mag (double stack BBs)what can you expect? For a pistol this gun is very accurate compared to other GBB I have used in the past. This however is off-set by the poor military sights. Again I can't complain as it is what the real steel has.

Over all this is a very impressive gun. In my book this is the best GBB I have every shot. My future plans are to get a PGC Full Metal kit and an enhanced recoil/hammer spring set.

CplHicks

State of the Badass arts

Registered: September 2004
Location: Stoke On Trent UK
Posts: 1,234

Review Date: 28/1/07

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: �110.00 | Rating: 10

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Looks, accuracy, kick
Cons:	None

The other reviews pretty much covered all of the aspects of this gun.

I've had one of these befor but like an idiot i traded it. But i will be getting a second one shortly.

I'd only taken it to one skirmish at a local woodland sight and managed to get 3 kills. This pistol is extremly accurate to boot.

If your thinking of getting a 1911 and the WA price tag is a little steep then theres no better alternative than the TM 1911a1.

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Signature over forum limits

backfire

Registered: June 2006
Posts: 53

Review Date: 10/8/07

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: �100.00 | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Balance, accuracy, outstanding build quality
Cons:	Minor things that will concern few people

I always liked the 1911 and when i finally decided to get one, i had to choose between the WE1911(on the grounds of it being full metal) and the TM1911(for it's performance). In the end i decided to go with the TM but ironically even though i thought that i'd be disappointed with the TMs look but be awed by it's performance, it turned out to be the other way.

When the gun finally arrived i quickly shredded the cardboard box to reveal the very nice TM packaging. The olive box has a very nice feel to it and is made of some sort of soft cardboard. Inside there is the nylon cloth which covers (i believe a polyester) mould that fits the gun, mag and a little box containing BBs, barrel plug and the plastic wrench thing.

The gun itself is of the highest quality i have ever seen. The finish is incredible and it has a very nice weight to it even before the mag is inserted. The steel parts are distributed along the points of contact with the gun, so that i stop thinking about this gun as plastic. The whole build is very solid and balanced. The gun even feels sturdy without the mag in and you can actually make it stand without any external support. The slide has ribs put through its length so that it doesn't clank when you tap it. The only quarrel i have with the physical aspect of the gun is the outer barrel. It is made out of light weight plastic and painted plain black and just creates a general feeling that the only part giving weight to the front is the inner barrel.

This gun is very accurate but i found that neither the kick nor the bang were anything special. Maybe i was expecting too much but i was still disappointed. Using 134a it will empty between 1/1.5 mags. The blowback is not sluggish but at the same time not very crisp. Testing it with Predator Ultra proved to be a failure; the blowback became very fast and sharp, there was a bigger kick and a very nice sounding loud snap but the gun could not refire, as for some reason the slide would keep on locking after every shot even though there was still plenty of BBs in the mag. Also the blowback itself seemed a bit harsh on the gun and even if the refire problem was not there i doubt i'd use a stronger gas.

Edit: I tested the gun with Predator Ultra again and the problem seems to have disappeared, this may be temperature related.

Overall this is a very good gun and i would definitely recommend it. The build quality is fantastic and you will not be disappointed. I don't believe that my problems with the gun are it's shortcomings at all. Having owned a GBB from the lower end of the market i think i simply expected too much of this already amazing piece of hardware.

nine

Registered: August 2007
Posts: 423

Review Date: 20/8/07

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	great accuracy, mag capacity, looks amazing, cheaper the WA 1911s
Cons:	read review

Finally a good 1911 that is accurate, has good mag capacity, and is overall great.
First off,

1. WE 1911S ARE NOT COMPADABLE WITH TM 1911
2. TM 1911 MAGS ARE NOT SINGLE STACK, they are staggered
3. I paid $150, not Euros
First impressions

when I got the box in the mail , I was surprised to find all of the trade marks on the box were gone, I guess because I live in the US. The inside of the box is green cloth, overall the presentation of the gun was better then most guns.

In the box:

1: TM 1911
2: TM 1911 mag
3: A bag with some bbs
4. Barrel plug
5. Brushing tool

Looks: the gun has full trades, light grey finish, with all black internals

Performance,

The gun is very accurate. I hear a lot of complaints about the military sight, in my opinion it�s not that bad.
The blowback is nice, and like most 1911s field stripping is easy. About the 26 round mag, the TM mag has a small gas reservoir, by the 26th shoot its performance suffers. So I usually put 22-24 rounds instead of 26. And that is the only problem with the gun. This gets better the more you use it (breaking it in) However you can compare that to WE and WA 1911's low mag capacity

2 month report: still has great preformance, an amazing gun. BUY this gun over the WE it is much better

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done with airsoft... i dont plan on coming back on this site

Atty

Registered: August 2008
Location: California
Posts: 231

Review Date: 2/8/10

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Perfect balance, accuracy, range (for a pistol), looks, durability
Cons:	Low gas capacity

Overall an amazing pistol with almost no shortcomings. Originally, I bought this as a secondary for my Echo P90. It by far outlived the P90 and has become the primary weapon that I swear by. For about a year now I've run around using only my pistol, and it's served me well, never once breaking down on me.

Appearance:
If looks are important to you, you won't be disappointed. The body is technically plastic, but I frankly don't notice that anymore. It's extremely high quality, and Tokyo Marui did an outstanding job. There is no visible seam and they nailed the trademarks. Only minor qualm is the outer barrel, which is slightly cheaper plastic that doesn't look as great. I have accumulated few scratches, although the outer barrel shows some wear and tear (which is to be expected skirmishing with it for a year).

Performance:
What can I say? It's my primary. The gun is incredibly well balanced, and especially once you get a feel for it, easy to point shoot. Personally, I like the 1911 sights. Although small, they seem to fall perfectly into place and are accurate enough once you get used to them. I rarely have to aim down the sights consciously anymore. The gun is quite comfortable to hold, I prefer these thinner bodied single stack 1911s. The problem this creates (the one noticeable con with the gun) is the magazine's gas capacity. This is simply a result of having double stack BBs with a single stack gas capacity. I've always run it on propane, and I can usually get off all but two or three shots. Solution: load a few less BB's. I can get off at least 20 shots or so without fail. Stock accuracy was amazing, and range rivaled some lesser AEGs. I put a tightbore in it (the only modification I've bothered with) and it became all the better. TM's hop-up is legendary.

Durability:
Probably one of the things I most look for in an airsoft gun. I've certainly gotten my money's worth. I've dropped it, bumped it (once literally knocked the slide half off, pushed it back on and it shot as if nothing happened), fired thousands of rounds and played in mud and rain. All with very little maintenance (I do a basic cleaning/lube periodically). It's still sound, almost no rattle after a year. I had a leaky magazine, which was an easy fix actually. They're easy to disassemble, soaked the O-ring and fill valve in silicon oil overnight and it was good to go. (handy video on that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VleqmHU-HzE)

Highly recommend it.

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"I don't know, this is a world where we need a safety label on a chainsaw warning people not to stop the chain with their genitals, so anything could happen..." -- Kraut

Perks:
< Expert Negotiator - 1 hostage put out of his misery> < Parasite>

FireKnife

I always carry Condition One.

Registered: October 2006
Location: Just Google Map me.
Posts: 5,184

Review Date: 17/1/11

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: �100.00 | Rating: 10

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Look, accuracy, magazine capacity and consistent power.
Cons:	Not one hundred percent realistic.

Well having owned 4 of these pistols i thought a review is really in order.

Well what can i say about this gun, it is without a doubt the best pistol i have fired to date (better than the TM MEU which had sight issues) and i have used it for a total of 11 skirmishes as a primary (that's right, with 5 mags) of which 6 where indoor and 5 outdoor.
The reason for using it outdoor is that on an average day with some Ultra gas, say 250fps, it is outranging or equaling 328-350fps AEG's just down to the incredible hop up unit. Added to this i can comfortably get people out at ranges of 25-30 metres with the 1911A1.

Now for the gas consumption and magazine capacity. A lot of people claim that it is hard to empty a full magazine on any type of gas and i must say i have put about 100 magazines full of rounds through the four pistols i have owned and only once has this occured with me but it was my fault not the guns. As for the amount of rounds it holds, it has space for 26 at a push. I personally load 21 but that is to simulate 3x the standard 7 round real steel capacity.

Now for the bad bits. Really this gun only has one, the weight. Now a fair bit of the weight is hidden in the grips by way of metal inserts so when putting on after market grips you lose about 100g of weight from the gun. If you are after realistic looks then it does look good but if you are a person that wants real weight get a metal kit for it.

So to sum this one up it is a great pistol that is on par with many AEG's accuracy limits and has never let me down when i needed it the most. I would recommend this to anyone, even if they don't like the 1911A1 design, it is just that good.

'FireKnife'

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49 Pistols owned and still counting in five years of airsoft. Hopefully more to come soon.
They are (best at the top working down): 2x TM Night Warrior Custom, TM Foliage Warrior, 4x TM 1911A1, 2x TM MEU, 3x TM Detonics, 3x TM P226, 3x KSC USPc, 3x TM M9, TM Glock 17,TM 5.1 Hi-Capa, 2x TK VP70M, 2x KSC USP .45, KWA USPCT, KSC SP2340, Maruzen PPK/s, Maruzen P99, KSC M8000, HFC M190, Army Detonics, KJ P14-.45, KJ Ruger Mk.1, 3x KSC Glock 18c, 2x KSC Glock 26, HFC Desert Eagle, KJ M9 Vertec ABS, ACM Beretta 1934, Marushin PPK SAS, Unknown M93R, WE 3.8 1911, 2x KWC Colt Python.
Wanted: Suppressor, around 100-150mm x 25mm, CW threaded and around or under a �10 all in, preferably black, can offer MP5 mags or a pistol mag pouch in trade. If you have one then PM me.