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    SOCOM Gear Gemtech Oasis Pistol


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    SOCOM Gear Gemtech Oasis Pistol review by Booligan
    Discuss this review HERE


    Table of Contents:
    Introduction
    Ordering
    Basic Gun Information
    First impressions/Packaging
    Included
    Gun Specifications
    Externals
    Trademarks
    Magazines
    Performance
    Internals
    Modifications
    Pros/Cons
    Overall

    Introduction:
    The Gemtech Oasis is a replacement integrally suppressed top end for Ruger MK2/3 .22lr handguns, and SOCOM Gear has used their licensing rights with Gemtech to manufacture an airsoft NBB replica. This is a gorgeous pistol with a unique upper designed like the real Gemtech Oasis, complete with licensed trademarks. I will discuss all of the various aspects of this unique pistol in this review, so keep reading for more information!

    Ordering:
    I was sent this pistol directly by SOCOM Gear, which is a subsidiary of Madbull Airsoft, distributed in the US through Jag Precision. It is available at most major US airsoft retailers, such as Evike, priced at $80. Spare magazines are available for about $28, and it uses the same magazines as the KJW Ruger, so mag availability is no problem at all. Jag Precision will be able to assist you with after-sale support in the US if you have any issues with your gun.

    Basic Gun Information:
    As mentioned before, the SOCOM Gear Gemtech Oasis is a non blowback airsoft pistol with an integrated Oasis front end, and licensed Gemtech trademarks. The NBB firing mechanism is very robust and relatively maintenance free, making this a very reliable airsoft replica. It comes complete with fully adjustable iron sights and a tool free disassembly for easy cleaning and maintenance.

    First impressions/Packaging:
    The Oasis comes packaged in very basic cardboard box with a cutout liner to keep the gun secure during transportation. The box comes decorated with a sticker showing the gun and some information about it. My first impression of the gun was how clean the laser engraved trademarks looked, and how realistic the gun looked overall.

    From this point on, click on the thumbnails to view full size photos
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    Box art

    Included:
    Along with the gun itself, SOCOM Gear includes one magazine, a manual, and a sticker. It's a very basic package, but it's pretty much everything you need to run the gun, aside from gas and BBs. The manual is quite thorough, showing the functions of the gun as well as including an exploded parts diagram.

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    Everything included

    Gun Specifications:
    Weight: 1.6 lbs
    Length: 11.2"
    Width: 1.25"
    Height: 5.5"
    Sight Radius: 9.75"

    Externals:
    The SOCOM Gear Gemtech Oasis is a hybrid metal/polymer replica, with polymer lower frame and upper receiver, and a metal barrel extension. The whole thing is finished in a matte black color for a shine free tactical appearance. It is a relatively compact pistol, and it fits well in your hand regardless of hand size.

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    External overview, right side
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    External overview, left side

    The grip is one of the most critical parts of any gun, as it's the part that you'll spend the most time with your hand on. The Oasis has a narrow grip, indicative of a .22lr real steel pistol. It has a pretty shallow grip angle, so if you're used to the grip angle of a 1911, you may need some adjustment with this, otherwise you'll find yourself looking at the top of the receiver/barrel whenever you aim. The magazine release is located on the heel of the receiver, and is fairly easy to manipulate with some practice.

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    Grip
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    Heel mounted magazine release

    The grip is a single unit with the lower frame which houses all of the fire controls. This is a basic pistol, only equipped with a safety lever/button and a simple trigger. Due to the NBB mechanism, the trigger pull is long and heavy, but it is very predictable. The take up is the longest and hardest part of the trigger pull, but it is very easy to determine where it will break and fire. I prefer to get a general sight picture and pull the trigger to the breaking point, and then hold it. I can then make my minute aiming adjustments and complete the trigger pull, to avoid any missed shots due to the heavy trigger pull. The trigger guard is quite small, so users wearing gloves may have problems using this pistol.

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    Lower frame
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    Safety switch
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    Trigger unit
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    Trigger pulled back to the breaking point
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    Trigger pull completed

    The upper receiver, like the lower frame, is made of plastic, however it is a high strengh plastic and strength is not an issue. The upper receiver serves as a housing for the barrel unit and a place for the rear iron sight to mount to. The hop-up adjustment screw is accessible through a hole at the front of the upper frame. The mock bolt and charging handle cannot be pulled back while the gun is fully assembled.

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    Upper receiver

    The licensed Gemtech Oasis barrel extension is the big selling point of this replica, and it looks fantastic on the gun. For the US models, the barrel extension is a simple tube without any baffles or foam, keeping it free from any BATFE problems. The orange tip is a metal screw-in muzzle that I've painted black for the review photos. The barrel extension can be removed by unscrewing the bottom mounted grub screw and sliding the extension off the gun.

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    Barrel extension
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    Muzzle
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    Extension removed

    Aiming this pistol is accomplished using the fully adjustable iron sights. The rear is mounted onto the upper receiver and is fully adjustable for windage and elevation. The front sight is mounted onto the barrel extension and is not adjustable, however it can be removed by tapping out the pin securing it to the barrel. The sight picture is a little bit tricky to quickly acquire, due to the shallow rear notch, but it's still able to be aimed well for precision shots.

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    Rear sight
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    Front sight
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    Sight picture

    Trademarks:
    One of the perks of this gun are the fully licensed trademarks. The integrated can on the front end has some laser engraved markings complete with a unique serial number for each gun. The right grip panel also has Gemtech's logo molded in, completing the look.

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    Laser engraved markings
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    Gemtech logo

    Magazines:
    The included magazine holds 17 rounds and houses pretty much the whole firing mechanism. The gun has a direct flow valve system that is self contained in the magazine itself. When the hammer strikes the valve at the rear of the magazine, gas is expelled through the front of the magazine, shooting the BB out of the barrel. It's an interesting system, and the self contained design reduces inconsistency through the elimation multiple seal and failure points.

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    Magazine
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    Fill valve
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    BB feed channel
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    Valve button

    Performance:
    Chrono results using Matrix .20g BBs and propane, shot through a Madbull V1 chrono, after a 100 round break in period:
    High FPS: 411.9 FPS
    Low FPS: 391.2 FPS
    Average FPS: 402.6 FPS

    Rapid fire consistency isn't too great with this gun, due to the small gas tank, however if you pace your shots, you will stay within a few FPS for consistent accuracy and range. Due to the high FPS, I recommend higher weight BBs, in my case Echo 1 .28g ammo worked fantastically. Feeding it the E1 ammo, I was able to hit my standard torso sized target at 125' very consistently. The hop-up is a bit tricky to adjust, but once dialed in, it keeps its position well.

    As far as gas economy goes, if you keep your shots spaced out, about 4-5 seconds between shots, you'll get about 45 shots per magazine fill. If you lay on the trigger and rapid fire the entire magazine, you'll be lucky to run out of BBs before you run out of gas.

    Internals:
    Disassembly is a piece of cake and is totally tool-free. To take the gun apart, you must flip the little lever at the rear of the grip, freeing the locking rod to be pulled out from the upper receiver. Once you've removed the locking rod, you can pull the upper receiver off of the lower frame to access the inner barrel unit as well as the hammer/trigger assembly.

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    Flip the little lever in the middle of this piece to take out the locking rod
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    Flip the whole assembly up and pull it down, out of the gun
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    Locking rod/lever removed
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    Gun split into its major components

    Inside the lower frame you'll find the hammer and trigger assemblies. The hammer is fairly simple with a long, high strength valve knocker. I highly doubt you will have any issues with this robust hammer system. The trigger pull does several things, including pulling the barrel assembly back to seal up with the magazine as well as cocking back the hammer. This is why the trigger pull is so heavy and long.

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    Hammer assembly
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    Valve knocker

    The hop-up and barrel assembly are held within the barrel extension by a small metal lever. By pulling that lever down and sliding the barrel out, you can access the inner barrel and hop-up.

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    Hop-up unit
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    Inner barrel and hop-up removed from gun
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    Standard nub

    Modifications:
    Honestly, this thing is pretty much good as is, however there are internal upgrades available due to the shared parts with the KJW Ruger. Externally, I'd like to see a small rail available to mount optics, as this would work quite well with a small red dot like a Doctor or T1.

    Pros:
    Incredibly affordable - $80 or so
    Solid construction
    Licensed Gemtech trademarks
    Unique serial numbers
    Aluminum barrel extension

    Cons:
    High FPS makes it relatively unusable for CQB use
    Heavy, long trigger pull
    Full metal frame and receiver would be nice additions

    Overall:
    I REALLY have a soft spot for .22 lr replicas equipped with cans, and the SOCOM Gear Gemtech Oasis fits that need perfectly. It looks just plain mean, and the licensed trademarks are the icing on the cake. It looks similar to the AWC TM-Amphibian S model used by the Navy SEALs, so with the right coat of paint, it can be a realistic gun for a SEAL loadout. Otherwise, it makes you feel like an assassin on the field, and the performance can back it up. Overall, I really like what SOCOM Gear did with this pistol, and I look forward to seeing what else they whip up!

    Many thanks again to SOCOM Gear, and of course, Airsoft Retreat!