Building Up an Airsoft for Practice

[Flatland Shooter]

Spent a lot of spare time the past few days trying to learn as much as possible about airsoft pistols acceptable for USPSA practice.

Thanks to the net I see that many upgrade parts including metal slides, comps, match barrels, etc are available. From the pictures of disassembled guns, it appears not a whole lot of difference between the frame of a real gun versus an airsoft gun with many of the parts somewhat interchangeable.

In search of the facts, I'm asking if anyone experienced in 1911/2011 real guns and airsoft guns can tell me if the top end from an airsoft can be fitted to a STI/SVI frame for practice. Unless there is something I can not see in the pictures, it looks like the problem areas will be the feed ramp and the magazine catch.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Bill

p.s. Its possible that this is the worst idea I've had all week and absolutely nothing will fit, but I won't know if I don't ask.

[A-shot]

I know a lot about airsoft, while an airsoft slide may fit the rails of a real 2011, nothing will work, they are totally different internally with amazingly different tolerances and fit for different reasons. I have never bothered to try that, nor would I, and I have a little experience with both. Some parts seem similar, like the slide stop or hammer, or magwell. But the quality of airsoft products is a joke compared to the real thing. I've spent waaaay too much $$$ on airsoft. Just build mini stages for airsoft, and if you're actually shooting bb's instead of sight tracking, use black bb's. Inside of 10 yards they are accurate enough to gain some insight while you're just playing around. Stay safe with airsoft too!!

[gdboytyler]

In search of the facts, I'm asking if anyone experienced in 1911/2011 real guns and airsoft guns can tell me if the top end from an airsoft can be fitted to a STI/SVI frame for practice. Unless there is something I can not see in the pictures, it looks like the problem areas will be the feed ramp and the magazine catch.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Bill

p.s. Its possible that this is the worst idea I've had all week and absolutely nothing will fit, but I won't know if I don't ask.

I just took my Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa slide and tried to put it on my STI frame. With some sanding, it looks like the slide will go on the frame, but then the ejector would be in the way.

I think it's definately possible to make an airsoft slide and magazine that would work with a real steel frame. But, I think it would have to be a dedicated conversion kit like the Marvel .22 conversion kit.

If someone could make that airsoft conversion kit for under $400, I would be one of the first customers!

[Skywalker]

There is no way to do it. Sorry.

The so-called "Frame" of an airsoft hosts the whole mechanism and "spike" that, upon dropping the hammer, will impact the gas release valve on the magazine.

The real frame doesn't, and this can't be adapted: the whole internal area, above the mainspring housing and behind the leaf spring, is totally different.

Besides, there's the rails and tolerance issues already mentioned.

[ExtremeShot]

I had the same question when I got into airsoft for USPSA practice. During my research I ran across this picture:

This picture can be found at http://www.pgc.com.hk (click on "Frame" on the left side).

The caption under this picture says "sv-part_to_sti-grip". When I saw this I got real excited thinking I had found what I was looking for. However, after NUMEROUS attempts to get some information from these people (supposedly in Hong Kong), I got nowhere and eventually gave up.

Maybe a year or so later they might respond differently. If you decide to contact them let us know how it goes.

Darren

In search of the facts, I'm asking if anyone experienced in 1911/2011 real guns and airsoft guns can tell me if the top end from an airsoft can be fitted to a STI/SVI frame for practice.

[ExtremeShot]

Here's another picture on their website:

[Jeffrey Yao]

In Hong Kong they make frames that will take standard STI/1911 parts (grip, safeties, mag release, etc.) with some minor fiting. The frame will use either WA pre SWC internal or WE/TM internal.

In Hong Kong they also made metal slides for either WA or WE/TM. They refer the WA system the "SV" system, and the WE/TM system is the "STI" system. A "sv-part_to_sti-grip"

means it will take a real STI grip but the airsoft internal will be WA pre SWC system.

You can have one of the cusom airsoft gunsmith in Hong Kong to build you a competiton gun in either open or limited. Price is quite high... Some of the top guys will charge between US$2000-$7000.

[Flatland Shooter]

Ok, it looks like an airsoft top end would be something nice but not currently available or feasible.

I guess its time to look for a complete airsoft pistol that can be used for practice.

Bill

[ExtremeShot]

Bill,

I wouldn't give up if I were you. I have the WA SV Expert and it is very realistic when it comes to weight, feel, etc. I even use my normal competition holster with it without making any changes.

Darren

Ok, it looks like an airsoft top end would be something nice but not currently available or feasible.

I guess its time to look for a complete airsoft pistol that can be used for practice.

Bill

[Flatland Shooter]

Bill,

I wouldn't give up if I were you. I have the WA SV Expert and it is very realistic when it comes to weight, feel, etc. I even use my normal competition holster with it without making any changes.

Darren

Thanks Darren.

I started a new thread asking what airsoft guns work well for practice. Can you advise where you were able to purchase your airsoft? Is it a 5.0 or 6.0?

Bill

[ExtremeShot]

I purchased my gun last year. At the time it seemed to be the best. It is a Western Arms SV Infinity Expert 5".

I bought mine from www.uncompany.com. It is a company in Hong Kong. I also purchased an upgraded metal slide and a few other upgraded parts. I also bought the propane adapter from airsoftinnovations.com (I think) which allows me to use the small propane tanks from Walmart (very cheap). Propane is stinky so I only use it in the summer in the garage. During the winter when I want to shoot in the house I use the more expensive "Green Gas" (which is also propane, with less smell).

Due to practicing with the airsoft at home I have been able to increase my draw times, practice focusing on the front sight, practice shooting on the move, etc., etc. One of the biggest improvements has been just switching from strong to weak hand and getting use to shooting with my weak hand. ..My strong-to-weak transfer really sucked before and I always forgot to practise it at the range.

The only negatives that I've run into is that the heavier BBs are hard to find (you'll have to order them) and they will bounce back and hit you if they hit something hard. The more powerful airsoft guns like mine require the heavier BBs. The BBs at Walmart are around .20gram or less. You'll need 0.25gram or heavier. I order mine through evike.com.

Hope this helps,

Darren

Bill,

I wouldn't give up if I were you. I have the WA SV Expert and it is very realistic when it comes to weight, feel, etc. I even use my normal competition holster with it without making any changes.

Darren

Thanks Darren.

I started a new thread asking what airsoft guns work well for practice. Can you advise where you were able to purchase your airsoft? Is it a 5.0 or 6.0?

Bill

[ExtremeShot]

PS: There was an article in Front Sight many months ago about airsoft. I thought it was a pretty good article with the exception that I think the author was a little short sighted on the advantages of using airsoft for IPSC practice. Sure, using a real gun is king, but I place a lot of value on being able to practice in your basement for a very small fraction of what it costs to shoot a real gun.

[RSP]

I happen to be an airsofter who 'lurks' here for the fun of looking at the beautiful open and limited guns seen in the Gallery forum, to get ideas on my own, less expensive, 'builds'. Here is everything I can give you on airsoft that may help. I will be talking mostly in terms of SVI/STIs and Glocks if I mention anything specific, since these are the most popular for both airsoft, and, as far as I can tell, firearm competition shooting.

The main reason for using an airsoft pistol to practice is that you can do grouping tests and other exercises beyond the limits of dry-firing, without having to leave your home. But, just secondary to that, there is the much lesser cost of pistol and ammunition [although you will find that magazines are often much more expensive!]. It's up to you to decide what pistol and upgrades, if any, you will choose that makes the practice worth it to you, since many of the parts available for these are quite expensive and might not be worthwhile for a firearm shooter.

General information:

There are three types of airsoft pistols - those powered by a gas such as propane, those powered by a hand-cycled spring, and those powered by an electric motor. Electric and 'springer' models both rely on using a spring to rapidly push air out of a compression chamber. 'Springers' are usually very cheaply made and are of course unrealistic in operation, and electric models are usually limited in power and there is a delay between pulling the trigger and the firing of the shot. For this reason the serious shooter will want a gas-powered model.

Gas airsoft pistols come in two varieties, NBB [Non-BlowBack] and GBB [Gas-BlowBack]. NBBs are less desirable as they have terrible trigger pulls, non-cycling slides, and generally lesser quality. Essentially they work by having the trigger work in a very crude double action manner to not just cock the hammer, but actually chamber each round. For reasons of availability, quality, upgradability, and similar operation to a firearm, it is reccomended that you choose a GBB pistol. Here's how a GBB works:

-A magazine, filled with both gas and plastic .2 or .25 gram BBs, is inserted into the gun, and the slide is racked to the rear and released forward. This 'chambers' a BB in the barrel, where it rests behind a small rubber nub. This nub holds it in place, and imparts a backspin on it when fired, which helps the BB travel farther. On most guns the position of this rubber nub can be easily adjusted for optimal trajectory. This is called hop-up.

-At this point, the gun is ready to fire. Pulling the trigger operates the hammer in a similar manner to a real firearm, on either DA/SA or SA only principles [it should be noted that airsoft Glocks operate with an internal SA hammer, rather than a striker]. The dropping hammer hits a 'firing pin' in the frame, which presses in on a valve on the rear of the magazine, releasing gas into the slide area.

-From here, the exact method of operation varies for different makes and models of GBBs, but works by first directing the gas towards the BB and down the barrel, then diverting the remainder back towards the rear of the slide. The slide 'blows back' toward the shooter, just as it would cycle on a firearm, cocking the hammer once again and releasing pressure on the magazine valve. Obviously, this all happens quite quickly. The slide is pushed forward by a recoil spring, chambering the next BB and restarting the process.

Although GBBs vary in appearance, quality brands usually have similar performance. Some quick information on factory GBBs follows:

-There are two main types of gas: Japanese HFC134A and Taiwanese 'Green Gas'. HFC134A is the wimpy gas, made for guns with weak plastic slides that may break with more powerful gas. Most stock GBBs shoot around 200-230 FPS [Feet Per Second] with 134A, and 280-310 FPS with the more powerful 'Green Gas'. Green is essentially propane with added perfume so that it smells less like dead fish, and more like dead fish with perfume. For this reason it is cost-effective to purchase an adapter which allows filling of GBB magazines with small propane containers, since Green is fairly expensive.

-A typical quality GBB will provide about 40-60 shots for one fill of the magazine with gas. This 'gas efficiency' will vary with most power upgrades, which often focus on increasing the amount of gas that goes into each shot. As you fire the gun, the magazine will cool from rapid fire. On days below about 40 degrees F, you won't be able to get many shots through the magazine before it 'vents' gas and ceases to function. GBBs are a summer or indoor thing in most cases. Luckily, however, years of design have made sure that the cooling of the magazine simply from firing the gun rapidly does not have an effect on the power of each shot; only the temperature of the firing area does. Don't ask me how because I am not Western Arms and I don't know!

-On no airsoft gun is the 'blowback' of the slide sufficient to simulate the recoil of even a .22. You may be able to practice front sight tracking, but I warn you to be careful not to slip into a firing grip or stance that does not absorb the recoil of a real firearm as you practice with an airsoft gun. Other than this much of the operation of a GBB is obviously very similar to that of a firearm, so as long as you watch out for this pithole you should be fine!

-Resist the tempation to buy a 'full metal' airsoft gun! The 'metal' is complete junk and is die cast without exception. Instead, buy a good plastic gun and get the metal later if you want it from quality companies that make aftermarket CNC-milled aluminum parts. Basically, on a factory airsoft gun any metal part is cast pot metal. For cost reasons, I like to leave most of the controls and other small parts as they are, and change out frames, barrels, and slides for CNC'd parts.

-The term 'heavyweight' means that the slide and/or frame of the pistol in question is made of plastic mixed with metal, which gives a nice feel that some find more 'realistic' [typically those who do not handle real pistols!], but leads to lesser durability since the part is more brittle than flexible. Other plastic parts are ABS.

-Airsoft GBBs use an outer barrel that replicates the barrel of the real pistol and is made of metal or plastic, and an inner barrel of metal. Although BBs are supposed to be 6mm, they are closer to 5.95mm, and inner barrels are closer to 6.08mm. I will cover this in detail in upgrades. If I say 'barrel' and do not specify inner or outer, I mean outer barrels.

Buying a base model airsoft pistol:

Selecting a GBB is typically quite easy. Ever done a google search to find a part or gun you were looking for, and instead were greeted with 'that damn airsoft crap'? Use that to your advantage.

There are quite a few brands of airsoft pistols, but you should focus on three of them for a serious effort: KSC, TM [Tokyo Marui] and WA [Western Arms].

KSC produces a wide variety of models, typically in the $100-$150 price range. Although their selection is good, some models should be avoided. Typically, praise goes to their USP and Glock pistols, while their CZ75s and SIG Pro line are criticized. The remaining models are alright, but upgrades are sparse. KSC pistols are usually finely finished, and each model is available in heavyweight or ABS versions. Keep in mind that KSC pistols can be Taiwan version or Japan version, the latter of which is the same but goes through stricter quality control. Note, guns sold under the KWA name inside the USA are KSC models fitted with metal slides and outer barrels from the factory. As mentioned earlier, the metal is trash. KSC has a following, but I prefer the other manufacturers because KSC's hop-up system, which uses a rotating ring to adjust the pressure put on the rubber 'bucking' by a small metal ball, is imprecise and hard to adjust for serious accuracy. The interior metal KSC uses is pretty garbagey even by factory airsoft gun standards.

TM also has several pistols worth a look at, and, aside from their Berettas, which have poor external finish, they produce solid pistols in the $100-$130 price range. Their hop-up system is excellent and very consistent, allowing for precise adjustment, and their brass inner barrels may be better than KSC. All TM guns have ABS plastic slides and outer barrels, but for most models aftermarket CNC parts are available. I am a big fan of TM for this reason, since they typically make the parts I replace anyway cheaply and everything else pretty well. For competition practice, their DA/SA P226, SA Glock 17, and SA 'Hi-Capa' models are worth a look. The Hi-Capas are STI/SVI esque pistols with a wide variety of available upgrades. Generally, TM guns are affordable with great performance, but a lacking external finish. I reccomend them to the guy who likes to replace a lot anyway, since you are starting from a cheaper base.

WA is the top of the line, making pistols in the $180-$230 range. They have a huge line of 1911s including everything from SW1911s to SIG GSRs to Springfields to Kimbers, and an extensive line of licensed SVI replicas. Aftermarket support is big. WA guns look nice but perform similarly to their TM/KSC counterparts, and the metal is no better [although the finish on it is]. Still, if you plan to get a pistol with zero upgrades and leave it that way, a WA SVI running HFC134A is probably the one for you. WAs can be hard to find in stock since they have smaller production runs, so look for a new model that you like rather than digging around for a discontinued one. Hop-up system is good but I prefer TM. WA is very big on the heavyweight slides, so don't run Green or propane in them without a metal slide. The slide will snap.

Upgrades:

Upgrades for airsoft guns are extremely extensive, in some cases maybe even more than for their real counterparts! Because there is so much to write, I'm afraid I'll have to recycle an old article I wrote towards the airsofting community. Some of it, like magwells, will be well-known to the IPSC shooter, but bear with me! Here's the full text of it:

Introduction: What this guide is about, and why it's here

When you're new to gas pistols, upgrades may seem unusual. Most people, who are used to AEGs, might be confused by the entirely different upgrade process and parts. Some of the most common questions about GBBs revolve around upgrades - what's worth it, what's a gimmick, and what you really need for your gun to operate on certain gasses.

In this guide, I'll cover some of the most common upgrades, both functional and cosmetic. I'll be going over the basics of each type of upgrade, and then going in-depth about the various brand options and so forth. Whether you're buying your first gas gun or whether you're an experienced player just now getting into the upgrading side of things, I hope that this guide will be a great initial read.

Part I: Internal Upgrades

Of all the upgraded parts available, internal upgrades are the most confusing - you can't see them. Some, like tightbore barrels, carry over from the AEG side of things, and are likely to be straightforward. Others, though, such as reinforced loading nozzles will make the electric gun user emit a profound "What?".

First off are hi-flow valves. Surprisingly, a lot of new users aren't quite sure what the "valve" is, especially those who are planning to get upgrades along with their gas pistol, rather than later, after they've had a chance to examine it. For your information, the valve is the shiny brass button on the back of the magazine, which is hit by the striker to release gas into the system. A hi-flow valve simply has a larger area for the gas to travel through - which means more gas and a more powerful shot. The various brands of valves will all be about the same, so don't worry about that. Like spring upgrades to increase power in AEGs, valve upgrading has its disadvantages. The amount of gas your gun uses for each shot is increased, giving you less shots per fill of a magazine. Plus, some users report being able to simply use a dremel tool, widening the valve originally included in the magazine. You can change a valve in a couple of ways. The easiest, but most costly, is to use a valve key as produced by Guarder. You can also just use a large flathead screwdriver, but only if the valve button will depress enough for the screwdriver to get a good fit. Be sure to put the valve back in so that the holes in it are lined up correctly to hold and release the gas.

Other magazine parts include reinforced magazine lips, which are reccomended if you plan on dropping your magazines straight out of your pistol, and gas route buckings, replacing the rubber piece that directs gas from the magazine into the pistol itself. Such buckings are great if you have torn your original ones up, but otherwise unimportant.

A sort of subcategory of hi-flow valves are rocket or floating valves, which can be used in addition to or instead of a hi-flow valve and accomplish the same goal. Since floating valves are in the blowback assembly of the gun rather than the magazine, you don't need to buy one for every mag you have. I also reccomend aftermarket floating valves as a reinforced part for those who own full auto pistols, though they aren't necessary per se. The KSC Glock 18C and 23Fs are perfect candidates for rocket valves.

Another internal upgrade is the tightbore or twist-barrel. These precision inner barrels aren't made for all pistols, but are still fairly common. Primarily made by First Factory (Nine Ball), KM Head and Tanio Koba, they are similar to their AEG-intended brothers, but shorter and made to fit the often-unique hop systems of their respective GBBs. Tightbore barrels for pistols are usually 6.03mm in diametre, and have questionable effectiveness. Some claim greatly improved groupings, while others find no difference between the tightbores and stock barrels. These varying opinions may be explained by the second user having had a better original barrel, or by the second user's accuracy problems caused by other factors. See my accuracy theory article for more. For the most part, though, a tightbore barrel is always a plus, and not too expensive either. As a first upgrade it's not reccomended, since it's more of a "final touch". The more refined version of a tightbore is the Tanio Koba twist barrel, which carries distinct rifling grooves. Make no mistake, these grooves don't impart a spin on the BB, and aren't intended to - that would counteract the effects of the hop-up. Instead, they create a stabilizing cushion of air superior to that of a plain barrel, or so the modern theory is. No matter how they work, it seems that they function best below roughly 340 fps, which is perfect for most pistols. Most TK twist barrel users report improved accuracy, and in some cases better range.

Hop-up upgrades such as new buckings, chambers, and metal balls of various sizes are available for some gas guns. Most are more of replacement parts than upgrades; although a better bucking or a ball of a different size can make a difference, it's more to solve a problem than to better the accuracy of an already good pistol.

Reinforced loading nozzles, sometimes called loading muzzles in Hong Kong stores, replace the plastic part that picks up the BB from the magazine and is attached to the blowback assembly. They're usually made of a tougher plastic-fiber compound, or simple metal, and are unimportant in my opinion. Most pistols will work just fine with the original nozzle, and the reinforced versions should be bought as a reactive, rather than preventive measure against nozzle breakage.

It's often said that upgraded recoil springs are a must for those seeking to add a metal slide to their pistol. Keep in mind, this is subjective - one pistol may cycle fine with its stock spring and a metal slide, while another one suffers from lazy blowback. As a rule of thumb, if your pistol has a plastic slide and is cycling snappily, you don't need to upgrade to a stronger recoil spring. If your gun has a weak recoil spring already, or if the metal kit you're looking at is steel, you might want to throw one in just for kicks. "Enhanced", it should be pointed out, means strengthened, as in the First Factory/Nine Ball enhanced recoil springs. Remember too that you can go too strong if you are using 134A gas - the Guarder 150% springs have prevented slide lock-back in my experience. On Taiwanese gasses, however, you'll be fine.

Another spring which is sometimes included in a package deal with the recoil spring is an "upgraded" hammer spring. This little spring is a great source of confusion: its mere existance tends to make players wonder if they might need one in their next upgrade. It appears that in some guns they can increase power by holding the valve open longer, but others report no power difference between high power springs and stock ones. These springs can also fulfill a problem-solving purpose if your current hammer spring is too weak to strike the valve on your magazine with enough force. A magazine filled with "red" gas often has a lot of resistance in its valve, and the hammer may not be able to cut it with a stock mainspring. In general, save this spring for a later upgrade unless you are going to use red gas a lot, or are worried that your current spring is worn out: the constant compressing and decompressing of the hammer spring during blowback can take its toll after an unusual amount of use. Note that once again Guarder 150% hammer springs may hamper blowback. Finally, dry firing with a strong hammer spring and the magazine out of the pistol can put a lot of wear on your gun's magazine-striking component, so watch out.

Part II: External Upgrades

External upgrades are sometimes just cosmetic, sometimes functional, and sometimes both. There's a plethora of these, and occasionally an entire type of external upgrade only applies to one type of pistol, for example 2011 grip assemblies. I'll try to cover what I can in a reasonable space.

For starters there's the good old metal kit. Ranging from a TW (Taiwanese made) cast pot metal slide, through Guarder cast aluminum kits, all the way up to Shooters Design and PGC aircraft-grade alumuinum, CNC-milled slides, these kits are an extremely common upgrade for both aesthetics and function. Besides the obvious look and feel benefits, a good metal kit is superior to a plastic slide in handling powerful "red" gas - with which stock plastic or cheap metal slides could break. You pay for quality: $40 slides are made much more poorly than $100 ones, and may dissapoint. Here's my rule of thumb for slides, both kits with outer barrels included and kits without:

Less than $70: Cast, of either aluminum or poor quality metal such as zinc. If you're going to be buying an aftermarket metal kit, you're looking for a quality look and feel above all, and these really won't do it in most cases. I usually don't reccomend these.

$70-130: CNC milled of good quality aluminum. Good finish, feel, and wear. Definitely reccomended.

Above $130: Generally the realm of CNC milled steel kits. These are very cool, but might have fitting issues. Upgraded recoil springs are reccomended due to the extra weight of steel.

As for full kits including frames and slides, look for kits exceeding $150 in price if you want quality. In all purchasing of metal frames, slides, and outer barrels, your best bets are Shooters Design, PGC, Trigger Happy, BoomArms and GRS. Guarder is good with outer barrels and steel kits, but not so great with everything else. Remember that outer barrels, outer chambers, and frames are only cosmetic additions and aren't necessary for the use of powerful gas.

When it comes to metal slides, outer barrels, and frames, decide how much you're willing to pay for a good quality metal part with the look and feel you want. If you can't find such a slide within your price range, you may be happier sticking to the plastic component. But remember, just like with AEGs, once you go metal you may never want to go back - except with gas guns the quality of the metal is better.

A special form of outer barrel is the threaded style, which allows you to attach a false suppressor of appropriate threading. Such barrels sometimes have the threading integrated, but other times are internally threaded to accept an included adapter piece. The latter style is more versatile, allowing you to have a completely normal looking pistol when the suppressor is off.

Mock suppressors as mentioned in the paragraph above come in many styles and sizes. After making sure the threading matches that of your selected threaded outer barrel, look at the dimensions of the suppressor, which are usually right in the product description on your retail store of choice. In pictures, suppressors can look decievingly smaller than they do in real life, so try to imagine how they'd look on your gun using these dimensions. The numbers are usually in millimetres and describe diametre-by-length of the suppressor. Note that even foam filled suppressors only change the sound of your gun a little - they don't make it much quieter at all since so much of the noise of a GBB is from the slide's movement.

Tactical lights mount to the rails underneath many airsoft pistols, and can be bought either as parts made for real firearms by companies such as Streamlight and Surefire, or as replicas by airsoft companies like King Arms and Star. Replicas will work, but the real deal is much better, and not too much more expensive. Plus, you can sell the real lights without too much depreciation - the same can't be said for knockoffs. Remember that not everyone needs a tactical light: you should use them to see where you are and where your opponents are in dark CQB areas, but in other environments they're better suited to checking your equipment.

Another external upgrade is the addition of aftermarket sights, whether ironsights or red-dot style. King Arms and Samurai make replicas of the Doctor type miniature red dot sights, small enough to mount right on the slide with the appropriate Shooters Design base, however those bases are made only for Hi-Capas and Western Arms SVI pistols. Frame mounts with weaver rails for red dot sights are available for many pistols, but only "look right" on all-out IPSC open gun styled 2011s. As for the various iron sights, they won't improve your shooting. A fiber-optic front sight may work well for a while, but it tends to be more of the newness of the sights, which makes you look at them more, that helps you hit your target. Tritium night sights do help you see your sights in the dark, but you'd have to modify real ones to fit if you want to use them in airsoft. Similarly, while laser pointers mounted under the barrel might look cool and be fun to plink with, they're useless outdoors and you'll often find yourself unable to find the dot even in CQB situations. Definitely not reccomended until you've reached the point at which you're just dying to spend more money on your pistol.

That brings me to my next external upgrade point - control sets. Generally made for 1911s and 2011s, these consist of various grip safeties, manual safeties, slide release levers, triggers, hammers and magazine catches, often in attractive finishes or designs. Besides adding a bit more shine to your gun, these can help you better reach or get a grip on certain controls, or reinforce plastic parts. In a Glock pistol with a plastic magazine release, you might want to add a metal one to prevent wear, and if you can't reach your slide stop lever you could get an extended one. Triggers and hammers, similarly, tend to come in fancy designs (think 2011 triggers and hammers) which can sometimes help ergonomically.

For some pistols, you can purchase aftermarket loops which allow the attaching of a lanyard, to keep your pistol with you if you drop it or it falls from its holster. Most people can do without these though - it's like having a second sling on your rifle just in case the main sling falls off. Still, you might want to look into them just for kicks.

Magwells are available for 2011 pistols in many styles, notably by Shooters Design. They add a rather attractive lump of metal to the bottom of your pistol's grip, which is beveled on the inside to give you a larger margin of error during magazine changes. These can definitely speed up reloads, but because of their flashy nature are a competition pistol accessory rather than a combat one. 2011s are, realistically, all competition pistols anyway though, so it shouldn't be a problem. Buy them if you like the look, but remember that they are bigger than they look, and also that you need a large magazine bumper like the one on the Hi-Capa 5.1 to be able to get your magazine all the way in.

Speaking of such magazine bumpers, Shooters Design and other companies produce aftermarket bumpers in many styles, which can add length to your pistol's magazine in some cases, plus make it look a lot better. Don't expect such bumpers to actually cushion your magazine, since many are metal or plastic rather than rubber, and often fairly thin.

Aftermarket grips are offered for Berettas, 1911s, SIG pistols, and many others. These can either replace the grip panels of guns such as 1911s, wrap around the grip, as the Hogue Handall for real firearms does, or replace it completely, like the Shooters Design and Tanio Koba grip assemblies for 2011s. Wood grips, and many other designs for 1911s serve a cosmetic purpose, while others are there to help you maintain a firm grip on the pistol. The former are reccomended for those who want them, while the latter are reccomended for those with sweaty or shaky hands.

Finally, there's the external accessory that you should weigh every purchase against: the BBs, gas, and magazines. Looking at buying a new metal slide? Make sure it's worth its cost in BBs, gas, and magazines. Thinking of getting a shiny new control set? Compare the price to what you could do with some more BB/G/Ms. That's not to say that these accessories aren't worth it: I love to change things on my pistols both functionally and cosmetically. It's just that you should wait until you're bored of getting more BBs, gas, and magazines before you take the plunge into accessorization - it is after all a bottomless pit.

Conclusion: What have we learned?

No matter how experienced you are, you may have been confused about some upgrade parts. The common question of new players, "What should I get with my gas pistol" has, I hope, been answered here fairly well. Buying accessories is fun: this guide's purpose is to tell you what they do, and which are important. Above all, have a good time buying the accessories, and a better time shooting with them.

Here are some good links to a few big places to buy guns and parts - look around because there are way more than just these!

Stores in the US have limited selection but easier shipping:

http://www.airsoftatlanta.com

http://www.trinityairsoft.com

http://www.airsoftextreme.com

Stores in Hong Kong have extensive selection but shipping is a pain. It's fast, but you'll have to deal with Customs. If you like your guns to look good, check the store's policy on replica trademarks. Some stores burn them off or dremel them to get through customs, others put putty or tape over them - even licensed ones. My favorite, personally, is DEN Trinity. The search functions all suck, badly. Hint - put your search terms in the precise order that they will appear in the product description, and don't leave out words in between search terms:

http://www.dentrinity.com

http://www.uncompany.com

http://www.wgcshop.com

http://www.gunsnguys.com

http://www.redwolfairsoft.com

Site with hundreds of pistol reviews by a fellow in Britain where they've got a bit of trouble with owning real handguns:

http://justpistols.co.uk/

And finally, some of my own stuff. I'm not a big spender compared to some:

TM Hi-Capa base with Shooters Design Limcat replica kit and sight mount, Aimpoint replica, other misc stuff and internal upgrades. I did the stippling:

A KSC Glock mess-around-with-gun, G&P metal kit polished for fun, my stippling:

Shooters Design CNC-milled AL7075 metal kit, nicely made. Finish is powdercoat; although some kits are available anodized:

Ejection port area of die-cast G&P slide kit. Crappy spray-painted and really bad serial number stuff. Also as you probably know casting is heavier, uglier, and more brittle:

KWA RPB M11A1 replica with Lage Mfg. grip for a M11/9 modified it to fit. This one is running at 2,109 RPM and dumps the magazine in under a second. Not exactly competition gun material but cool:

This hi-res pic shows a 1cm group rapid-fired at 5m, with my open gun before upgrading the inner barrel. This is the best I have seen before a tightbore upgrade:

http://www.maj.com/gallery/RSPMOC/Limcat/imgp3443.jpg

Scan of a parts diagram of TM Hi-Capa. Clear differences in frame from firearm [relating to your initial question]. Extremeshot, PGC is a manufacturer rather than a retailer, and I have not heard of anyone outside of Asia who has been able to get in direct contact with any Hong Kong or Tokyo manufacturers:

http://www.maj.com/gallery/RSPMOC/sdlimcat...icapamanual.jpg

I hope this is helpful and that I am welcome here.

Edited July 1, 2007 by RSP

[Kingman]

Now thats some information.

Thank you

[Front Man]

Good Stuff RSP!

FM

[Flatland Shooter]

WOW, what an excellent post.

RSP, you've put forward all the information I was able to find in many hours of searching the net plus a lot more. Thank you for your input and the effort put forth.

Bill

p.s. I made the plunge with a WA SVI 5.0. Installed a C-more on an Allchin mount. Since it is a little shorter than my compensated real gun, I manufactured a small wooden piece that velcros onto the bottom of my ResComp holster to hold the barrel steady.

And its a blast.

[shred]

FWIW, I found a spare Dawson Ice magwell to drop right onto my $100 Airsoft STI (PHX or whoever)

[RSP]

FWIW, I found a spare Dawson Ice magwell to drop right onto my $100 Airsoft STI (PHX or whoever)

I am running a Ice Glock magwell on a Tokyo Marui G17. The frame has some slight dimensional differences to a real one so a little filing was required [replacement frames are $30 so no big deal] but it fit fine. Interestingly Tokyo Marui partially filled the backstrap channel on their G17. This meant the brass slug would not fit, but it would make it easy to do a grip reduction.

I detail-stripped the gun and took a pic. You can see some of the differences and similarities between airsoft pistols and their firearm counterparts.

http://www.maj.com/gallery/RSPMOC/Glock34/...y/imgp23571.jpg

Here's what the gun looks like put together:

Edited August 6, 2007 by RSP