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Tanaka
M629 Review |
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Tanaka Works M629 Revolver (NATO Green) There seem to be two very distinct hands at work at the Tanaka plant, if the quality of there various handguns are to be believed. Who out there in Softeeland does not know of the, shall we say iffy, reputation of the various automatics that the firms puts out - not the sort of skirmishing pieces to inspire confindence you will admit (either grosly underpowered, or so complex that the merest scrap of dirt sends them into terminal decline). However, take a gander at their revolvers and, well, at the very least we could call them marvelous. |
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The NATO Green, the latest incarnation of Tanaka's excellently fashioned Smith and Wesson "Classic" .44 Magnums, is a case in point. Though light for a revolver - as all of the none stressed parts are molded from tough but lightweight ABS (I normally have a problem with plastics, but still…..) - the gun is solidly built and not a flimsy piece of hardware in the hands. Moreover - with exception of the metal frame parts, which have been painted with a heavy stoving enamel, the coloration in the gun has been achieved by using dyed plastic so as to avoid wear (not an inconsiderable achievement as any who have worked with plastics will know). This aesthetic touch is backed up by all the usual Tanaka trimmings - all the necessary TMs, sight trims and the most amazing set of rubber "battle" grips. |
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Loading is achieved through the usual Tanaka system of a spiral magazine which feeds BBs into rotating shell wells before passing them into the line of the valve at the top of the cylinder. It is a bit awkward to load, especially in the field, but with a 15 round magazine this isn't too much of a problem if you are packing a pistol as a last ditch defensive arm (though I do have to question the gun's viability a skirmishing primary for those "pistol and pump" days out with the lads). The gas tank itself holds enough for at least 60 rounds at full power and is filled from the rear, requiring that an adaptor (supplied) be used to do the job - a little fiddly at first, but no real problem).
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She seems to work very well with any good .25 (though I prefer Maruzen Grandmasters in her) BBs and with the fixed low hop can send accurate shots out to hit man sized targets at 30 metres (at 10 metres she makes a very respectable target piece too). Power-wise she runs at an average of .79 joules (with a high of .82 and a cooled down low of .76) - UK side peeps remember that these results were obtained at an ambient temperature of 29-30 degrees celcius. |
