Shoei and Escort Team Up to Make GBB G43

[Faded Mars]

Shoei has updated their Facebook page with a few pictures and posts regarding a G43 rifle using Escort's "new" system (not exactly sure what this new system is compared to their old one).

 

It will be blowblack, and it will use a proprietary Shoei hopup, probably one much like in the MP44 would be my guess.

 

It won't be a GIM system, although that point is also slightly unclear due to translation issues. HPA of some variety.

 

Here are a few quotes from Shoei on the announcement:

 

We construct with Escort again. And new air blowback system of Escort is used for our new G43. We will exchange arguments and will go in the one direction. The specification of the power source planned is not liquid charge to a magazine. It is not also CO2 mini cylinder. We compress the atmosphere and choose the method of filling up a magazine!!!

 

Will it be a normal production or a special, limited edition? They're not sure:

 

Oh oh! Thank you! We need to discern whether there is any demand of this model however. Although we would continue liking to manufacture this model forever as a maker's position as long as it sells.....

 

I'm guessing it will be comparably priced to the MP44, which means I hope you're willing to shell out $2K USD or so for one, with $100 plus magazines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hitmanNo2]

Is there really a market for a $2K G43 GBB?

[Faded Mars]

Yes.

 

There are already people on their Facebook page asking to reserve theirs. Also, plenty of people have purchased their MP44 and MG42 airsoft guns, not to mention their sales of non-firing prop guns.

[hitmanNo2]

Fair enough.  It's cool a niche gun like that is so successful I suppose.

[Bando]

god id have this in a second but 2k is just too rich for me.

[renegadecow]

Even just 1k is too rich for most. But that's not saying this isn't worth the 2k they're asking. I just wish WE would expedite their R&D and fill the gap for us plebs. 

[Faded Mars]

$2K is just my ballpark estimation of their price. Could be higher, but will probably be lower. I think you can pick up a new MP44 for under $1500 from Shoei or from retailers who carry Shoei guns. But it will still be pricey, regardless.

 

Is WE working on more WW2 stuff like G43s and MP44s? I know there are a couple Thompsons in the works and an MP40 from KWA...

[renegadecow]

Just the Thompson and a C96 carbine from WE and they've posted images of pre-production units used in a private game they had so at least we know that ball is still rolling. Not sure where KWA is with the MP40.

[DarkLite]

HNNNGH

 

If only I had won the lottery. If only.

[swatti]

Another niche market over-priced gun that no-one is ever gonna skirmish with.

 

As much as I don't like hurting hungry collectors, I really do wish these kind of makers go bust.

 

They could make it usable and very good for both collectors and skirmishers, but no, they just wont

[renegadecow]

Why the hate? It's not like their existence is impeding other manufacturers from making something similar but cheaper and/or functionally better.

[TheFull9]

Irony is, the real thing was actually quite poor all-around, had a lot of weaknesses.  Nazi-era guns are popular as hell though, Forgotten Weapons showcased an original FG-42 that went for about $250k at auction in the US last year.

 

Got no issues with this thing at all, obviously there is some niche that wants it.  Pretty niche even within WW2 airsoft though, they weren't used much comparatively, yet we still don't actually have decently skirmishable and commonly available replicas of probably the majority of by far the most common small arms of the war.

[Faded Mars]

I think it's a bit disingenuous to say that they weren't used much comparatively. Comparative to what? The MP40 and the Kar98, certainly. But production numbers for the G43 are only a little under production numbers for the MP44 (402K and 425K respectively). Somewhat small numbers compared to other small arms, yeah, but they were still used and will be great for late war impressions.

 

Maybe a Chinese manufacturer will snag a few and use them to make AEGs. Or WE or someone could make a gas-in-mag GBB version.

 

And yeah I agree they had a plethora of problems in real life.

[TheFull9]

I think it's a bit disingenuous to say that they weren't used much comparatively. Comparative to what? The MP40 and the Kar98, certainly. But production numbers for the G43 are only a little under production numbers for the MP44 (402K and 425K respectively). Somewhat small numbers compared to other small arms, yeah, but they were still used and will be great for late war impressions.

 

I was saying comparative to the K98, yeah, in which case, no they weren't used much within the context.  Pretty basic...

[Faded Mars]

I think we're going to have to agree to disagree here. There were "only" 423K MG42 machine guns made, for instance. I hope you're not going to say they weren't used much. Over 14 million Kar98ks were produced. There aren't many other guns aside from probably the Mosin-Nagant that saw similar or higher numbers. Comparatively, "only" 6.25 million M1 Garands were produced. Less than half the Kar98k production. There are modern examples with even lower production runs than the G43, too. Like the L85 (there are "only" 350K or so of those). Compared to the 98k, many of the other common guns in WW2 weren't used much.

 

Did more soldiers proportionally use the 98k? Yeah, that's inarguable. But production runs of over 400K in just a few years are nothing to sneeze at and does imply significant use. 

 

Back on topic:

 

Shoei has a few more Facebook updates.

 

A couple new photos, only one of which I think is worth sharing.

 

Price will be 200,000JPY (approx. ~$1900USD)

 

There won't be a model (non-firing) version produced, although they seem receptive to the idea if enough people request them.

 

I will keep the thread posted as I find more information.

[Skarclaw]

Tbh if the g43 was my favourite gun of all time ever, and if shoei and escort teamed up to make it, I'd be interested!!! Lets see whats up with this new system.

[Katotaka]

Dat action...... impressive...... and I'm not even into WW2 stuff.

[TheFull9]

Did more soldiers proportionally use the 98k? Yeah, that's inarguable.

 

Which was literally my entire point.  Apologies if that wasn't made clear enough.

 

Vaguely-related(ish); far as I'm aware though there's still no airsoft replica of any G98 variant that's commonly available, decently built and practical for skirmishing.  Same story with the SMLE and the Mosin.

[renegadecow]

PPS makes a kar98k for around $260. Not bad for the price and decently built. Horrible hop though as I'm working on one now and might end up just putting an r-hop in.

[TheFull9]

I've seen it, but I'd heard way to many negative reviews along those sort of lines to put it in the 'decent and skirmishable' category to be honest.  It's not like it's hard to build a decent hop system in to a gun these days, all you've got to do is make it TM pistol/VSR compatible, WE manage it.  Plenty of room to fit/hide any hop unit inside the faux chamber of a 30 cal bolt action.

[Faded Mars]

Which was literally my entire point.  Apologies if that wasn't made clear enough.

 

Vaguely-related(ish); far as I'm aware though there's still no airsoft replica of any G98 variant that's commonly available, decently built and practical for skirmishing.  Same story with the SMLE and the Mosin.

 

 

And my point is that your point is both an equivocation (hence all the production numbers I quoted) and trivially true, and therefore not a good point to try and make.

 

The PPS Kar98k is a good replica. Kind of pricey but still less than the Tanaka that it both clones and improves upon. It takes VSR style hop up rubbers and barrels out of the box and the bolt integrates a lockable NPAS system to allow for a very wide range of power adjustment. It is gas powered though, and the magazines only hold 10-11 rounds a piece. Though they're pretty easy to reload with the included speed loader.

 

Being a gas rifle also makes it buttery smooth and easy to cock compared to a springer. I owned one and took it to a few games and people just constantly cooed over the thing. Not my play style though. Prefer my AEG MP40.

 

I just wish PPS would release one with a properly tower mounted 4X scope instead of just allowing the use of the dinky 1.5X side-rail scope from G&G/Tanaka.

 

There is also now a DIY kit available to convert PPS/RedFire/etc. spring Mosin-Nagant rifles to be magazine fed using the innards of VSR magazines, making those rifles a little more palatable to use in a skirmish situation.

[TheFull9]

And my point is that your point is both an equivocation (hence all the production numbers I quoted) and trivially true, and therefore not a good point to try and make.

 

Well then, my apologies my lord.  Please accept them in my most sincere manner for saying things I happen to want to say but which you deem to be 'not good points to make'.  Rest utterly assured I'll run absolutely everything I want to post through you via PM in future, lest I dare tread upon your personal delicate interpretations of things.

 

   

 

Bye bye now.

[Gunnman]

^

 

This is the gayest online disagreement I've ever seen.

 

Congrats!

[DarkLite]

^

 

This is the gayest online disagreement I've ever seen.

 

Congrats!

 

Was it particularly homoerotic? Silly, perhaps, but not really 'gay' by any measurable degree as far as I can see.

 

Perhaps you meant 'gay' in the archaic 'happy' sense?

 

But even then, it didn't seem particularly cheerful. Maybe you're just using the wrong words.

 

Might I suggest a few that you could use instead:

 

ludicrous

discombobulating

pointless

futile

arbortive

inutile

inimical

guche

maladroit

bizarre

[blobface]

This is completely off topic but the lack of GIM makes me wonder why they're making a G43 (which are mag fed) instead of something like an SKS or whatever other magless gas blowback semi-autos out there, with weird BB speed loaders in the shape of a clip.