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    TSD/WE M92 Extended Slide GBB Pistol


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    TSD/WE M92 Extended Slide review by Booligan
    Discuss this review HERE
    Table of Contents:
    Introduction
    Real Steel History
    Ordering
    Basic Gun Information
    First impressions
    Included
    Gun Specifications
    Externals
    Trademarks
    Magazines
    Performance
    Internals
    Modifications
    Pros/Cons
    Overall
    Introduction
    A friend of mine told me that I needed to do more Gas BlowBack pistol reviews, as I usually tend to focus on AEGs and some of the more offbeat accessories and weapons. I take advice well, and decided to set my sights on a pistol that I was interested in since the day it was announced. That brings us to today, where I'm staring at the new TSD/WE M92 extended slide version GBB courtesy of Pyramyd Air, and really contemplating how far these “other” manufacturers have gone. WE has always impressed me with their 1911/HiCapa series, as they're the base guns of two of my favorite project pistols, so I was hoping their entry into the M92 field would impress me. I can tell you now that it has. As is my M.O., I'll be going through all of the different aspects of this pistol in separate sections, so let's dig into this fine airsoft replica!
    Real Steel History:
    The Beretta 92 is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. It is one of the most instantly recognizable firearm models in the world. The 92 was designed in 1972 and production of many variants in different calibers continues to the present day. The M9 version replaced the M1911 .45 ACP pistol as the standard sidearm of the United States armed forces in 1985. This model is closest to the “S” variant, with the slide mounted safety.
    While it may not be “real steel”, this specific model with the extended slide and barrel appears to be based off of the KSC “Sword Cutlass”, a specialty model based off of a firearm used in the Anime “Black Lagoon”. The slide and barrel length are the same, although the finish and grips are obviously different between the two.
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    Real Beretta M92 (FS version)
    KSC-CUTLASS-DT1L.jpg
    KSC Sword Cutlass
    (Taken from www.wikipedia.org and www.redwolfairsoft.com)
    Ordering:
    I contacted Pyramyd Air about obtaining this GBB replica to review for my favorite airsoft forum, Airsoft Retreat. Their customer service was spot on, as usual, and the gun arrived at my doorstep less then a week later from across the country. It is priced at Pyramyd Air at $129.99 HERE. I have also seen it at most other airsoft retailers priced about the same.
    Basic Gun Information
    This is a TSD imported model, so it comes with their 30 day warranty against manufacturer defects. It is one of 3 models that I've seen from WE in their new M92 series, with one standard length and two extended length models. The ones that I've seen straight from TSD are this, with the extended black slide and faux wood grips, and a standard all black M92S. Evike has the extended slide, but with polished flanks and with black grips; whether it's a custom job by them or not has yet to be decided.
    First impressions:
    The gun arrives in a normal TSD GBB box, made of brown cardboard with images of the gun and tacticool operators, and some basic information about the gun. Inside the box, WE did their now standard treatment of putting a piece of black fabric down over the stryofoam lower to make a nice presentation. The effect works, although if the fabric comes out, it's a royal PITA to get back in properly.
    From here on, click all pics to enlarge
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    Box
    Included:
    This is a fairly bare bones package, only including the gun, one magazine, and a manual.
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    Everything included
    Gun Specifications:
    Weight: 2.4 lbs
    Length: 10.5"
    Width: 1.75"
    Height (Sight to mag): 5.52"
    Sight Radius: 7.2"
    Externals:
    As with their 1911 series, WE has made this gun full metal leading to a great feel and weight. Everything that should be metal is metal, and the gun feels well balanced because of it.
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    Profile
    The frame is a normal non-railed M92 frame, and it houses the magazine release, slide lock lever, takedown lever, and of course, the trigger. It is finished in a semi-matte black finish with just a hint of gloss. The controls are all metal and easily operated.
    th_DSC_4718.jpg
    Controls
    The slide lock lever is extended over a normal one to allow for easier slide release after reloading. The slide does lock back after firing all of the rounds in the magazine, and I haven't had a failure to lock back yet.
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    Slide lock
    The magazine release is a push button type and is pushed from the left side towards the left, easily operated by the right thumb of a right-handed shooter. Lefties have it a little tougher, but you can learn to release it quickly with some practice.
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    Magazine release
    The trigger can be fired double action upon inserting a magazine without cocking the gun, with a long and somewhat heavy travel, which would result in firing a blank round, loading the first round due to the blowback, and then having a single action trigger. The single action trigger action is fairly smooth and light, and pretty short, with a tiny amount of uneven spring resistance when pulling.
    The grips are made of plastic and feature a faux wood finish. They are nicely checkered and feel pretty good in your hands. The faux wood effect is pretty believable as there is an actual 3-D texture and look to the grain due to the molding process.
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    Grips
    The slide is one of the parts that is extended on this model, and it houses the ambidextrous safety and blowback mechanism. It is finished in the same semi-matte paint as the frame, which seems fairly sturdy and should stand up to normal airsofter abuse. There are serrations at the front and rear of the slide for easy cocking action. There are some mild casting pits in the finish on the slide, but it's only noticeable upon close inspection. I have no clue as to the material of the slide, but it's fairly heavy.
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    Slide racked
    The safety has three positions, but only two fire modes. The top two selections are semi-auto and the bottom is safe, but the trigger can still be pulled fully without firing. It clicks firmly into these positions without any noticeable hang-ups.
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    Firing positions
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    Safe
    The outer barrel is metal and is extended about 1.5” over the normal M92 barrel. I has some front to rear movement when cocked, but it doesn't seem to affect performance or functionality at all. The orange tip is a plastic plug inserted and glued into the muzzle, adding another .25” or so to the outer barrel length.
    The sights are molded into the slide, and as such are not adjustable. The front sight is a post marked with a white dot, and the rear is a notch with no painted markings. Target acquisition is fairly quick and easy.
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    Front sight
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    Rear sight
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    Sight picture
    Overall, the externals are quite nice, although I think the casting and paint application was slightly better on the 1911 series by WE. Since this is their first attempt at an M92 series gun, I'm sure they'll improve on their techniques and materials, like they did with the 1911.
    Trademarks:
    There are some molded in markings on the gun, but nothing that could really be called a trademark. On the left side of the slide, it states “MILITARY SPEC. Cal. 6mm”, and on the right of the frame it says “READ MEANAL (sic) BEFORE USE”. Gotta love the mistranslations on guns... Lastly, there's a small “R” on the trigger guard and “WE” on the magazine base.
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    Trades
    Magazines:
    Speaking of magazines, this one uses TM compatible M92 mags, so spares shouldn't be a problem. The included one fills easily and has no leaks on mine after 15 or so fills. It holds 25 rounds (it states 15 on the box, but it holds more) and feeds them all on one gas fill. According to the box, this will accept a CO2 magazine, but I don't like using that high pressure on a GBB pistol, due to the potential failure points and parts flying towards your face if there's a slide failure.
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    Magazine
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    Functional bits
    Performance:
    I chronoed this model using TSD .20g BBs shot through a Madbull chronograph on a ¾ full bottle of Propane.
    Results came in as this:
    High FPS: 354.5 FPS
    Low FPS: 315.8 FPS
    Average FPS: 335.15 FPS
    An interesting note; if you use low powered gas, or a propane/GG tank that's less than ¼ full, the gun will shoot full auto. I believe it's due to the heavy slide and lower pressure of the above mentioned gasses. On a full-1/4 full (estimated) tank, I can fire with no issues on semi, but on a fairly empty can of GG or Propane, it would fire full auto with every trigger pull, but stop when the trigger was released. Fun, but when it's not predictable, it's not so fun.
    Short range accuracy is good for a pistol, owing to the long inner barrel. Longer range accuracy is also acceptable for a pistol, giving me 110' torso shots 90% of the time.

    With regards to gas efficiency, I am able to get 32-38 shots out of one fill of propane with approximately 1 second between shots.
    Overall, I'm happy with the performance of the M92, but the occasional full auto issue has me slightly concerned. This could be an issue just with my gun/gas/ambient temps, but it's something I wanted to note in the review.
    Internals:
    GBB internals aren't my normal area of knowledge, but I'll pass along what I can see. The blowback chamber is plastic, with a metal piston inside. The hop-up chamber is metal and is adjusted by a small flat head screw visible upon disassembly.
    Disassembly instructions can be found in the manual, but I'll show the basics here.
    Push the plastic button on the right side of the frame, and rotate the takedown lever clockwise. If the magazine is removed, the slide will now slide forwards off of the frame.
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    Remove the guide rod by pushing it towards the front while rotating it to clear the barrel.
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    The barrel can now be removed by pulling it down and out of the slide. You'll notice the rubber bumper on the bottom to lessen impact damage while firing.
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    You can access the hop-up and inner barrel by pulling the lever down and sliding them apart.
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    Hop-up is adjusted by this screw.
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    That's about as far as I take GBB internals, so if you have any other questions, post them on the boards.
    Modifications:
    The gun works with TM compatible M9/92 parts, so you can change grips, add custom frames, etc...
    Mine will be getting sandblasted and polished in order to further resemble the KSC Sword Cutlass. It's too practical as is and needs “Boolification” in order to be impractical enough for my tastes.
    Pros:
    Full metal
    High FPS
    Good accuracy
    Good gas efficiency
    Firm recoil while firing
    Unique style
    TSD Warranty
    Cons:
    Barrel movement
    Occasional full auto
    Slight casting defects
    Misspelled trademarks
    Paint finish could be slightly better
    Overall:
    If you're looking for a normal sidearm that fits normal holsters, the extended slide M92 by TSD/WE isn't for you, but the normal one would be a good option. If you want a unique gun for skirmishes, than this gun would be great for you. For race gun or other custom projects, it's a great base with its full metal construction and solid performance. Overall, I'm happy with mine, and keep watching the boards for its future projects.
    Many thanks again to Pyramyd Air, and of course, AirsoftRetreat!