(click for a larger image)

	Stock Specifications
FPS	330fps (fps may vary)
Length:	220mm
Weight:	1.1Kg
Ammo capacity:	30+1 Round (Standard Mag)

SV Infinity 5" Hybrid
(or the Strayer-Voigt Infinity Hybrid-Comp 5", to give it its full title)

This hunk of steel is my main sidearm, and as such has dragged me out of many a tight spot. One year on, I've taked the time to review it again, thanks to the beauty of hindsight.

Western Arms have seen fit to expand the Infinity range, now covering all the main models in the real steel range. SV's by their nature are particular beasts, they're custom made to the owner's individual specs, hence the airsoft versions are copies of the basic models from which the customer can refine his choices…

The Line-Up They come in 4 different sizes, working upwards, slide models in ():
3.9" (Officer)
4.3" Compact Carry (Compact/Commander)
5" (Government/Extended)
6" (Longslide)

Ironically in realsteel, only the Longslide is available in .45ACP, the other coming in various calibres (.38, 9mm, .40S&W, .357Sig, 10mm); but the airsoft versions are all supposedly chambered for the ACP round.

The two larger guns are available as the Hybrid, as seen here. These cater for the Shiny Parts Appreciation Society Members among us (or SPASM for short J). An addiction to the 80's TV series Miami Vice is almost a pre-requisite here.

SV do both Traditional (single-stack) and Competition (double-stack) frames, however all airsoft versions are of the Competition variety.

Construction & Use The Hybrid, like the others, has a chunky, solid metal frame to it, which gives a nice feel and weight to the piece. Most of the control surfaces (safety, hammer and trigger) are metal, as is the complete trigger unit, which is a faithful copy of the realsteel trigger unit.

It also comes equipped with a genuine Bomar sight, fully adjustable and a very nice piece of kit, that rounds off an exquisite pistol. It is built like a tank, and after a year, still feels as solid as the day it left the factory.

In fact, the only changes that the ravages of time have made is the usual wear marks on the edges of the frame (which frankly make it look even more realistic), and a vastly smoother action as everything has worn in and settled.

It is a testament to the build quality of WA guns that I am able to use what would normally be a Race pistol (perfect for IPSC) as a skirmish weapon. Were I to have the realsteel version, I'd probably be strung up for crimes against pistols.

Disassembly - To remove the slide:
· Rack the slide back until the notch in the left hand side lines up with the catch on the locking pin
· Pull the locking pin out
· Push the slide off the front of the frame

Reassambly - Putting it back on:
· Pull the slide back onto the frame
· Insert the locking pin
· Pull slide back until catch on pin lines up with notch in slide
· Push in pin fully
· Let slide forward

Cleaning and Maintenance is the same as all other GBB's, keep it nice and clean, and well lubed with silicon spray.

Hop Adjustment - You will find the hop adjustment screw in the underslide of the slide. There is a small grub screw located in the hole visible just behind the spring on the slide unit. Turning it clockwise increase the hop setting. Use the larger of the 2 supplied hex keys

WARNING Do not wind the screw more than two full revolutions into the slide, otherwise you could potentially damage your gun.
(You should never need this much hop anyway, Mine requires less than a turn to run 0.25g ammo).

Changing the trigger blade - If your gun was supplied with alternate trigger blades (Hybrids definitely do, 3.9's I know do not, standard 5 & 6" I believe come with spares, Compact Carry TBC), then at some point you will want to find the best setup for you personally.
Using the smaller of the supplied hex keys, wind the grub screw into the trigger base, until you can slide the blade off the side of the base (this will take some time). Then replace blade and do the reverse.

Performance: This piece has more than enough punch to outpower standard AEG's, and goes knocking on the door of upgraded ones too. On a good day, I've seen more than 330fps out of her, though most of the time she sits at around 325. These figures were achieved using HFC22/GreenGas, and Excel 0.2g ammo. The slide cycles crisply and cleanly, and the kick is sizeable, but not uncontrollable. You are conscious that there is a fair chunk of mass moving about on the top, and this may explain why the action is not as rapid as, say, my Glock 26. This doesn't mean there's anything wrong, far from it, the action is "smoother than a Bangkok ladyboy's arse" Inspector Sweeney - Ogri Video (ask a biker, they'll know who Ogri is), it's simply a big pistol.

Thanks to the wonders of the WA Magna Valve system, this guns works faultlessly in most conditions (it can just about cope with rain), and will fire at any angle, even upsidedown

I've heard tales of a RedGas conversion for the Infinity, that takes it out to 500fps. Apparently this fearsome beast is far superior in range to an AEG, the downsides being huge costs from having to replace all the internals, and a working life of about 12 months before it throws the slide off in a tantrum.
For those seeking a little more power, go in search of a Prokiller, but be aware that this has a captive silencer, to hide the longer barrel fitted, and so is much harder to carry.

Apart from this, in terms of cosmetic tweeking, you can get metal slides, upgraded nozzles, different hammers and so on, but with the added advantage that many of the parts from the realsteel guns will fit quite happily. DENTrinity feature some very nice custom pistols, mostly based on the 1911 frame, which show what can be done with a bit of ingenuity, a workshop and plenty of cash.

In Conclusion A nice, weighty high performance pistol. Possibly a little too nice to be dragging around an airsoft field, it's really a competition race gun, but it seems to cope fine with the conditions it is frequently asked to function in.

It has very shiny bits, SPASM affiliates only need apply (Founder members - Sykobika and Hitman-AC). This really is a pimp's gun, it would have fitted in nicely in Miami Vice, with polished barrel, trigger blades, safety, beavertail, hammer, compensator etc.)
Nice sighting system, the Bomar unit is fully adjustable, and helps you get your aim spot on.
Decocking lever - there isn't one! Be careful when letting the hammer forward, or sore thumbs will result. Dropping the mag ensures this cannot happen.
Rapid Draw - Ambidextrous Safety allows you to draw the gun from safe, and fire very quickly. Mag changes need not be precise either, thanks to the large magwell; when you're in a hurry, this is a godsend.

Conclusion

Appearance	4/5
Build Quality	4/5
Performance	5/5
Value for Money	4/5
Overall Potential	5/5

External Links:

WesternArms - the offical homepage of WesternArms

Strayer Voigt Inc. - the official homepage of SV

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