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I decided to write this very lengthy review of my new pistol because of the paucity of information available about it elsewhere on the internet, especially in English. In addition, the unusual purchasing methods required and my lengthy correspondence during them have thrown up some information that is not available elsewhere at all. I hope that it may prove useful to any other owners or prospective purchasers of this already rare gun.

 

Full Disclosure: This is only my second gas blowback airsoft pistol, and I have had at time of writing only limited shooting experience (a few hundred rounds) with it. This is intended as a technical exposition as much as a review; I will follow it up with skirmish reports if people are interested. All images are click-through for higher resolution, and some references are taken from the SIG Sauer Owner's Manual.

 

 

The SIG Sauer P226

 

 

The P226 doesn’t really need an introduction, so in brief; designed for the 1984 US Armed Services XM9 Service Pistol Trials, the real gun is a full-size service pistol and an original ‘Wonder Nine’. Typical examples are DA/SA and chamber 9x19mm Parabellum rounds from a double-stack 15-18rd magazine. Only the P226 and the Beretta 92F successfully completed the tests, with the SIG losing the M9 contract on financial rather than technical grounds. Original P226s were DA/SA, had an aluminium-alloy frame, a folded and pinned steel slide, and were fed by 15-rnd magazines.

 

 

The Genesis of the Inokatsu Replica

 

 

Inokatsu’s replica of the P226 is based on Tokyo Marui’s own, and the two share near-total parts commonality as a result. The pistol modelled is a post-1998 version, with modified trigger-bar spring and correspondingly updated grips, and a milled stainless-steel slide mounted on an aluminium-alloy frame. The original announced release was for a limited release of 100 slide kits, which replaced Marui parts P226-1, -2, and -4 with a CNC-milled stainless-steel slide and CNC-milled steel front and rear sights. The trademarks were correct and licensed to Inokatsu by the holder, Cybergun. Note that the front sight is dovetailed in (as per the real P226) as opposed to Marui's drop-in, and the slide also features a separate extractor, as opposed to the Marui's moulded-in imitation. In addition, it replaced part P226-18 with a CNC-milled steel outer barrel. This is, so far as I am aware, the first stainless-steel slide on an airsoft gun actually made out of stainless steel, and (obviously) the first P226 to correctly replicate the milled stainless slide, steel barrel and aluminium frame of the real SIG Sauer.

 

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Original Inokatsu adverts (2011) for the P226 slide kit. The left gun sports a non-railed frame with all-engraved markings, as opposed to the production railed frame with part stamped and part

engraved markings. The right gun has a railed frame but a different (slotted) mag release button, as opposed to the production cross-hatched design.

 

 

Shortly thereafter Inokatsu began to advertise 100 P226-02 steel accessory parts kits, replacing Marui parts P226-46, -60, -66, -57, -58 and -30 with CNC-milled steel replacements - respectively, the trigger, takedown lever, magazine catch, support plate and hammer. Note that the support plate replacing P226-58 omits screw -58 and is secured solely by the handgrip.

 

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Not advertised at all was the fact that Inokatsu were also soliciting orders for complete pistols, with Inokatsu-specific CNC-milled aluminium-alloy frames to suit the advertised parts kits.

 

 

Tokyo Marui P226 Parts Diagrams

 

 

For reference;

 

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The Ordering Process

 

 

Ordinarily there would be no need to specify something as mundane as the process of ordering and paying for an airsoft pistol; Inokatsu's guns are ordinarily sold exclusively by a well-known Hong Kong-based airsoft shop. However, as a limited-edition special, the P226 was sold directly by Inokatsu themselves, upon application for VIP status on their site. A little over a week after my request, I received an e-mail offering me all the possible permutations of parts - the P226-01 (slide) could be had in raw stainless steel or painted black, and the previously unannounced railed frame could also be had in black or silver, though the barrel and P226-02 parts kits were only available in black. The person contacting me appeared to be an agent rather than employee, speaking of Inokatsu in the third person and waiting for parts deliveries from them, and the PayPal payment I made was not to an account obviously linked to Inokatsu. Understandably, the thought of handing over in excess of $1300 to a total stranger was rather nerve-wracking, but with photos supplied I felt confident enough to place my order and pay. This faith was repaid with excellent communication, though somewhat spotty performance. On the positive side, I was forewarned that Inokatsu were late in delivering a fake trigger sear pin and that it would be sent separately. I was not expecting that my $1300 gun would be shipped in an inside-out KJW P226 box in a single layer of bubblewrap and lacking the WE/KJW magazine that was supposed to accompany it. Despite this, the pistol arrived very promptly and unharmed.

 

Skipping ahead somewhat, I was later informed by this agent that Inokatsu had managed to sell only about 50 of the complete, assembled pistols, of which number 80 (mine, serial UU00080) was the last. The remainder of the unassembled parts kits were sold to the licensing body, Cybergun Hong Kong, who are retailing them unassembled after adding $10 each to the prices of the frames and parts kits. As of 30/03/12, all parts except the silver lower frame were available; please PM me if you'd like the relevant contact e-mail address.

 

 

Gallery

 

 

Please note that at this stage the pistol lacks both the extant trigger sear pin and a front sight, which I have not bothered fitting as I will shortly be replacing both sights with Trijicon's Bright & Tough Night Sights. Included with the pistol was a second hammer, described by the agent as a spare - but it is slightly different from the one installed (the spare is the one from the parts kit, whereas the installed hammer is an incrementally different type). The magazine is Tokyo Marui's SIG Sauer P226 magazine, loaded to a realcap of 18rds, and the speedloader is also Tokyo Marui's own.

 

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The pistol is extremely well made, as befitting its very high price. Fit and finish is thus far completely flawless, and devoid of machine marks or mould seams. It is likely that the slide has been painted rather than subjected to the SIG Sauer OEM 'Nitron' process (actually a PVD DLC coating) but as that could add several hundred dollars to the already high price its probable omission is understandable. The correct trademarks on the slide are deep and crisp, and look to have been engraved. The outer barrel's '9mm Para' script has been deeply stamped into the steel. The frame's markings are mostly engraved ('SIG SAUER INC EXETER-NH-USA') but the first half of the serial number looks to have been stamped or machined into place while the second half (the numbers that would be modified in a pistol run of 100) appear to have been engraved afterwards, as per the individual serialisation of the guns.

 

 

Operation

 

 

The Inokatsu P226's controls operate almost identically to the real P226's. Much like the real gun (and the Marui) the pistol strips using its takedown lever, and both the decocker and slide release are fully functional. The slide locks back when the magazine is empty and the pistol can be fired in both double and single action, as well as manually cocked using the hammer. The only difference between the Inokatsu and the Tokyo Marui is that the Inokatsu's takedown lever (as per the real gun) does not also function as an external safety. The only difference I have thus far ascertained between the Inokatsu and the real P226 is the ability to lock the slide back without a magazine inserted; I have seen this demonstrated on the real gun but cannot work out how, or if, it can be done on the airsoft equivalent.

 

 

Performance

 

 

The weight of the Inokatsu (some 300g, or 60%, heavier unloaded than the largely ABS Marui) is within a few grams of the real P226 both when both are loaded and unloaded. This is particularly impressive as the Inokatsu reaches its target weight without resorting to lead ballast in the grips or magazine of the gun. The pistol clicks, cracks and snaps in an through its various operations as metal strikes metal in an extremely convincing fashion and the gun feels incredibly sturdy, with the only rattle even when shook hard coming (as per the real 226) from the separate extractor. The pistol is startlingly heavy at 1.1kg fully loaded and the blowback kick of the heavy slide assembly is very strong even with propane. The gun is out-of-the-box accurate and consistent (even without its front sight!) and I expect that to further improve when I have time to correctly tune its hop-up. When run on Green Gas average fps in relatively warm conditions (c.17 degrees Celsius) is low at around 285fps with Blaster .25g BBs - predictable for an unmodified heavy, full-metal gun. Gas efficiency is about the same as the Marui original and even after rapid fire the pistol will lock the slide back with a fearsome bang.

 

My P226 has been mostly reliable, but is suffering from an intermittent sticky trigger that occasionally fails to return to battery. I have yet to examine the problem but it seems likely that parts have yet to bed in correctly; a stronger spring may be required. Further, I don't think that the installed hammer is the correct Inokatsu one (I think the 'spare' one is) but I will conduct a close examination of other brands' P226s (especially Marui's, as a donor probably gave most of its internals to mine) before making any outright accusations.

 

The agent reported in advance that blowback action with propane would be comparatively weak, and that the pistol should be run on Red Gas (more properly HFC-/R-22) for proper operation. I have yet to purchase Red Gas (which depletes ozone, is a greenhouse gas and general environmental catastrophe) but will give it a try at least once, especially to trial it for winter use. The gun appears (apart from Inokatsu's parts substitutions and presumably appropriately stronger springs) to be entirely stock. I'm open to suggestions for modifications to improve performance without resorting to Red Gas; a tightbore barrel and high-flow modifications appear to be next on the list as I'm happy to partially sacrifice gas efficiency to avoid using an altogether more harmful gas.

 

 

Specifications

 

 

Gas: Preferred Red Gas, capable on Green Gas.

FPS: c.285fps (Blaster .25s, Green Gas, c.17 degrees, measured on Skan chrono.)

Weight (Unloaded): 800g

Weight (Loaded): 1.1kg

Magazine Capacity: 23 + 1 (According to TM, their P226 magazine holds 25rds – mine holds 23.)

Cost: USD$1329 inc. express shipping (P226-01 slide kit $730, P226-02 parts kit $200, frame $300. Complete assembled gun $1284.)

 

 

Conclusions

 

 

Plainly, the Inokatsu SIG Sauer P226 is a very niche weapon. The ABS Tokyo Marui replica it is based on is highly successful in its own right and is approximately one-sixth of the cost. Reliable (if poorly-trademarked and finished) full-metal alternatives are already available from KJW and other makers; much cheaper metal body kits for the Marui are also widely available that produce much of the Inokatsu's clanking demeanour without the excessive cost. Worse, the Inokatsu's huge cost is almost all sunk into the external body of the gun and the seemingly stock internals, while robust, do not produce high fps. More personally, the trigger issue is annoying but the lack of the sear pin and the suspicious differences between the two supplied hammers are downright troubling.

 

However, I don't feel cheated by my purchase. The Inokatsu is very, very rare - and limited production, hand finished guns are not cheap. It would be more accurate to compare this pistol in terms of materials and finish to a high-end custom than to the mass-produced Marui gun - and while there are a few pistols more expensive than the P226 most of them are built to a similar standard from much less exotic metals. Further, the Inokatsu is extremely well engineered - and in an industry rife with hyperbole, it is a pleasant surprise to get a gun that really delivers on its claim of being the most realistic replica available. It is based on a very reliable platform, and being made of such sturdy materials means that it will not just survive but flourish with any imaginable internal upgrade, which in short order mine will be receiving. More personally, it is (unlike other high-end pistols) a skirmishable tactical weapon, not a shiny and fragile race gun. And I intend to skirmish the ever-loving s*** out of this thing.

 

Ultimately I personally choose quality over quantity - and will update you, if you're interested, as to how the P226 performs over the coming months.

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What do you mean by "stock" internals? Did they put Marui internals into a steel frame? In my opinion, that's not good engineering. The stock Marui internals are specifically designed to work with their frame. It's like putting Honda Civic engine into a Ferrari body and expect Ferrari performance.

 

High flow valves usually does very little of anything (it occasionally reduces power output as they don't perform nearly as well as the regular valves). You can try modifying the floating valve and/or its spring. The slow blowback might also cause the valve knocker lock to trip very late causing an excessive amount of gas from being vented. I suggest experimenting with weaker hammer spring and recoil spring to see if it quickens the cycle.

 

You might eventually need to go to something stronger than red when it gets cold (especially if they are recommending such powerful gas in the summer). It sounds like the gun was designed for summer use and tough for winter (the Marui P226 is a summer gun).

 

High FPS is not always desirable. What does the FPS look like for each of the 23 rounds? I wouldn't change anything if the output is stable even if it's in the 280 range.

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What do you mean by "stock" internals? Did they put Marui internals into a steel frame? In my opinion, that's not good engineering. The stock Marui internals are specifically designed to work with their frame.

 

I need a Marui pistol to compare it to, but I think the most fundamental guts of the gun - the hop, inner barrel, blowback unit etc - are either Marui or a KJW clone thereof. They're probably (barring the mag) less than 10% of the gun by weight. The stock Marui internals are well supported by the Inokatsu parts and I suspect other parts (springs, most notably) have been altered to compensate too - but most importantly, the Inokatsu kit is specifically designed for the Marui gun. Given the quality of the engineering and manufacture of the kit I'm assured that the Marui parts' original design parameters have been taken into account by Inokatsu.

 

The slow blowback might also cause the valve knocker lock to trip very late causing an excessive amount of gas from being vented. I suggest experimenting with weaker hammer spring and recoil spring to see if it quickens the cycle.

 

Sorry if I gave the wrong impression - blowback isn't slow - it's snappy enough. That said, Inokatsu recommended Red Gas for the full-on experience; I'm going to have to really hold onto it if I can boost it up to more like 330fps.

 

You might eventually need to go to something stronger than red when it gets cold (especially if they are recommending such powerful gas in the summer). It sounds like the gun was designed for summer use and tough for winter (the Marui P226 is a summer gun).

 

I think they're showing off that the gun can take almost anything you can feed it in any weather you like - i.e., that you can feed it Red Gas in the summer and it won't break. You're right that I haven't tried it in cold weather yet, and I may have to have custom CO2 magazines machined for that eventuality (or get chemical handwarmers for my magazine pouches). Proper Red Gas (that is, R-22, not propane in red bottles) is apparently impossible to get in the UK so that will have to wait for the moment.

 

High FPS is not always desirable. What does the FPS look like for each of the 23 rounds? I wouldn't change anything if the output is stable even if it's in the 280 range.

 

FPS is so consistent throughout the shot range that initially the staff at Pro Airsoft Supplies thought that their new Skan chrono wasn't working - it was, it's just that the difference is very small between shots; a few FPS at most. I'd be happy with 280fps in the dead of winter, but frankly I bought such a rugged gun with the intent that it would survive whatever I had to do to make it work well all year round. I'm thinking at the moment that the first thing to try is Nine Ball's magazine valves and tightbore, just to push a bit more power so I can enjoy even harder recoil and gain some fps.

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Typically you can increase fps or increase recoil, you can't always have both. Most methods of increasing fps in gas guns involve shunting a portion of the gas meant for blowback to the barrel instead.

 

Have you looked at Guarder Power Gas? It's higher pressure than propane at 20C but is more readily availible in the UK than Red gas (Firesupport stocks it last i checked there) Only down side i found was that it was a very dirty gas.

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I don't recommend the magazine valves - I've personally tested a bunch of them (even the Nine Ball) and it doesn't do a thing. The valve is supposed to be "high flow" because there is more material cut out of the main body of the valve. However, the way the Marui P226 magazine is designed, the actual amount of gas released by each shot is dictated by how long you keep the valve open (the slide moving back actually closes the magazine valve) and the shape of the gas routing channel in the upper magazine shell. The shape of the Marui main valve actually seems to provides the most efficient output.

 

If the FPS output is stable, I usually assume the gun is "normalized". It may even naturally improve as the excessive silicone oil inside the blow back unit and the hop chamber starts to dissipate. You paid a lot of money for the gun and to me it doesn't make much sense to throw more money in it to get another 100 or so FPS. Also, changing an internal part can potentially throw something off or even damage another component leading to an endless cycle of upgrades (upgrade part X which weakens part Y, so you replace Y, which effects part Z, etc...). Once it "breaks in" more, the trigger issue might even go away (I think it might be a sticky trigger bar).

 

If you really itching for upgrades, install the E2 rear chassis components...it works on the P226R and designed a bit better than the original. Also, the E2 magazines are so far holding up a bit better than original R (although they're more or less the same, none of the E2 have split apart yet)...so maybe spend some money on spare E2 magazines.

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I don't recommend the magazine valves - I've personally tested a bunch of them (even the Nine Ball) and it doesn't do a thing. [...] The shape of the Marui main valve actually seems to provides the most efficient output.

 

Thanks for the advice! Did you test them on Marui P226 magazines, then?

 

If the FPS output is stable, I usually assume the gun is "normalized". [...] You paid a lot of money for the gun and to me it doesn't make much sense to throw more money in it to get another 100 or so FPS.

 

I'd settle for 50 more fps, to be honest, and I'm happy to throw a reasonable amount of money at it to get it working at somewhere between 330-350fps. If the magazines and valves are no-go, what do you reckon about a tighter inner barrel? I figure that's purely an increase in gas efficiency and should increase fps without hurting anything else - am I right? The trigger bar issue is going to be investigated when I have the gun broken down for a bit of cleaning (as the parts wear in, metal dust is mixing with the silicone oil - not a healthy mixture) and while I'm at it I think I'll switch the magazine release over to suit my left-handedness.

 

If you really itching for upgrades, install the E2 rear chassis components...it works on the P226R and designed a bit better than the original. Also, the E2 magazines are so far holding up a bit better than original R (although they're more or less the same, none of the E2 have split apart yet)...so maybe spend some money on spare E2 magazines.

 

I umm'd and aah'd over which grips I wanted (the better the replicas of the updated P226 grips are, the worse they suck because of how bad the originals are). I'm not a fan of rubberised grips, and while I don't like what the E2 grips do to the lines of the gun I did like the idea of no grip screws. In the end I ordered a set of Hogues' Extreme series aluminium grips for a bit of extra bite. The idea of having to pick up yet more gun parts (real-steel mainspring housing, new-style bar etc) which I know the E2 grips require wasn't that attractive, but I think the Hogues might need them too (or at least some milling work done on the Marui mainspring housing). However - all metal gun.

 

Most importantly - how do I tell the E2 magazines apart from the originals, since I'm buying another three today?

Edited by PureSilver
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I'd settle for 50 more fps, to be honest, and I'm happy to throw a reasonable amount of money at it to get it working at somewhere between 330-350fps. If the magazines and valves are no-go, what do you reckon about a tighter inner barrel?

 

Most importantly - how do I tell the E2 magazines apart from the originals, since I'm buying another three today?

 

A tightbore and a Nineball hop rubber are usually the best upgrades you can add to a TM based GBB. I've had excellent results with the PDI 'Raven' 6.01 bore barrels combined with a Nineball purple hop rubber - The better seal the nineball rubber provides combined with the tighter bore of the PDI (or any other reputable brand barrel) can add anything from 20-50FPS. As a guide, my TM PX4 came stock at 250FPS on Green Gas. The addition of a PDI Barrel and Nineball rubber increased that output to around 285, which helped sling a .3 a good distance further.

 

As for the E2 magazines - The original P226 magazines are identifiable by the join about 1/3rd of the way up from the baseplate; The E2 mags don't have this join (It's a pretty obvious line going all the way around the magazine about 1/3rd up from the baseplate on the original mags).

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Yes - I tested a bunch of high flow valves on a stock Marui P226R pistol (it's the only airsoft pistol I own now so I'm not sure what the results are on other magazines). High efficiency does not always result in high FPS. I've found it to be actually reversed...with a series of upgrades on the P226R, I was getting nearly 100 shots/single charge, but was only getting about 270 fps. Increasing FPS typically drops efficiency as it might use more gas to push the BB. Your mileage will vary depending on temperature, propellant, etc.

 

As Hwagan mentioned, a tight bore barrel and Nine-Ball hop chamber are about the only effective upgrades that I've found on my Marui 226R that doesn't effect efficiency all that much. Modifying the valve and valve spring in the blowback unit does help - when you strengthen the spring or expand the fence on the valve, it will slightly delay closing of the valve and allow a bit more gas down the barrel (once the valve closes, the gas is directed rearward to push the slide back). However, this will slightly slow down the cycle and result in a less efficient gun (again, you gain something at the loss of another). The slowdown is very slight, but I noticed I was not getting as many shots per "full" charge.

 

A Dyna piston head can also help. This will create a better seal between the nozzle/cylinder and piston - if this seal is poor, a very small amount of gas will begin to vent out the chamber and slow down the blow back cycle. Again, as soon as the timing of the slide moving back is slowed, you're going to get a less efficient gun. I found that the Dyna head worked best with the stock plastic Marui nozzle and didn't work at all with reinforced POM nozzles (not really sure why...the seal was just way too tight and didn't cycle properly).

 

Apologies, when I meant rear chassis, I'm talking about the component that holds the valve knocker, hammer, sear, knocker lock, etc. not the grip (I actually use SIG plastic checkered grips). In the original 226R, this was a weak point and the knocker can crack after a certain number of strikes. The Marui changed the design in the E2 so it can handle rapid strikes a bit better.

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Yes - I tested a bunch of high flow valves on a stock Marui P226R pistol (it's the only airsoft pistol I own now so I'm not sure what the results are on other magazines). High efficiency does not always result in high FPS. I've found it to be actually reversed...with a series of upgrades on the P226R, I was getting nearly 100 shots/single charge, but was only getting about 270 fps. Increasing FPS typically drops efficiency as it might use more gas to push the BB.

 

Thanks for the empirical research, that's a lot of help. To be honest, as long as I don't have to resort to Red Gas to bump the fps a bit I don't mind getting fewer shots from each charge.

 

A tightbore and a Nineball hop rubber are usually the best upgrades you can add to a TM based GBB.

 

As Hwagan mentioned, a tight bore barrel and Nine-Ball hop chamber are about the only effective upgrades that I've found on my Marui 226R that doesn't effect efficiency all that much. [...] A Dyna piston head can also help. This will create a better seal between the nozzle/cylinder and piston - if this seal is poor, a very small amount of gas will begin to vent out the chamber and slow down the blow back cycle.

 

Cheers. I'll pick up a Nine-Ball inner barrel and a Dyna piston head tonight. I don't think my local (Pro Airsoft Supplies) stocks Nine-Ball rubbers but I'll check; if not, I'll get one at Wolf Armouries.

 

Apologies, when I meant rear chassis, I'm talking about the component that holds the valve knocker, hammer, sear, knocker lock, etc. not the grip (I actually use SIG plastic checkered grips). In the original 226R, this was a weak point and the knocker can crack after a certain number of strikes. The Marui changed the design in the E2 so it can handle rapid strikes a bit better.

 

Ah, interesting - I'm sorry, I was basing it on the mostly unchanged (other than the short-reset trigger) real steel version of the E2. I'm still not quite sure what's currently installed in mine - as in the review above, the installed hammer is not an Inokatsu part, and I think it might help me identify the internals of the gun. It's metal and has a round mould mark in the right hand side, as well as a circle with a '2' inscribed in it. I'm leaning towards the conclusion that it might be from a KJW donor, rather than a Marui. If it is a KJW, should I discount the Dyna piston head?

 

As for the E2 magazines - The original P226 magazines are identifiable by the join about 1/3rd of the way up from the baseplate; The E2 mags don't have this join[.]

 

Cheers, now I know what to look for.

 

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I'll get her all built up and see what the effect is.

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Thanks for this. The steel slide kit is certainly the most expensive steel slide kit I've ever encountered (I thought $300 was a lot for the RA-Tech KSC USP kit).

 

I'm really tempted by the parts kit, even though $200 is somewhat ludicrous: it has that low profile trigger and the finish on the Marui hammer wears out very quickly.

 

You stated that you will be replacing the sights with Trijicons. If the sights attach in the same manner as in the Marui, then it is not at all drop in, I believe there is actually a great deal of work that is required.

Edited by slu
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STOP PRESS

 

After closely examining a KJW and Marui side by side today, I've come to the conclusion that my Inokatsu was built with a KJW donor - possibly the same gun that gave its box to mine. The hammer mine is currently sporting is definitely a KJW part - it has the same stamping and encircled '2' and it's obviously not a high-quality part. Does anyone know if there are any other significant downsides to KJW guts?

 

In other news, I've got my Dyna piston head and hop rubber but not my inner barrel. Roll on tomorrow for professional installation of all three.

 

Thanks for this. The steel slide kit is certainly the most expensive steel slide kit I've ever encountered (I thought $300 was a lot for the RA-Tech KSC USP kit). [...] You stated that you will be replacing the sights with Trijicons. If the sights attach in the same manner as in the Marui, then it is not at all drop in, I believe there is actually a great deal of work that is required.

 

Cheers. Stainless steel is an industry first, I think - and because such limited numbers were made the I think they were probably CNC'd individually, rather than tooling being created for them - hence the stratospheric price. The sights are a slightly different matter. The new slide has replaced the front Marui sight slots with a simple dovetail, which I'm betting will fit the proper sight just fine. The rear is more of a problem - unfortunately there are two screws mounting the BBU (the third, up towards the ejection port, doesn't have a screw through it or a hole in the new slide to accommodate one) and I'll need to have holes drilled and tapped in the base of the rear sight to accommodate those. (For those that have an unmodified front sight slot, GunsModify sells tritium-filled machined-steel replacements for the Marui parts that should fit without the need to modify either slide or sights.)

 

Range report tomorrow, with any luck.

Edited by PureSilver
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Why are you getting a Dyna Piston head installed? You only really need a ported piston head in hotter climates where there is a danger of the piston seal being overpowered, definitely not one for the UK. A standard TM "Cup" piston seal is fine.

 

Also, on the KJW donor - that's pretty shocking for a $1300USD gun.

Edited by DarkLite
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Why are you getting a Dyna Piston head installed? You only really need a ported piston head in hotter climates where there is a danger of the piston seal being overpowered, definitely not one for the UK. A standard TM "Cup" piston seal is fine.

 

Because red and shiny. And hopefully also for (1) durability, (2) a better seal, (3) to test the strengthened spring and (4) with the correct O-ring, compatibility with the Shooters Design strengthened nozzle (there's going to be as little KJW in this gun as possible when I'm done with it).

 

Also, on the KJW donor - that's pretty shocking for a $1300USD gun.

 

You're telling me. I'm distinctly unimpressed and a rather unpleasant e-mail is winging it's way to them now. We'll see what they have to say. Marui parts may be in this pistol's future.

Edited by PureSilver
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Well, the KJ Works P226 is rated for green gas and probably CO2 (I forget if they make a dedicated magazine, they certainly do for the Beretta and the 1911s), whereas the TM may be able to handle green gas.......... Obviously the TM hop-up etc. is going to be better, but I'm guessing they went the KJ route because of the gas that's likely to be used in it, given the weight of the beast, and the--theoretical--greater sturdiness of the KJ internals.

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Well, the KJ Works P226 is rated for green gas and probably CO2 (I forget if they make a dedicated magazine, they certainly do for the Beretta and the 1911s), whereas the TM may be able to handle green gas

 

The TM'll handle propane just fine over here (maybe not in Utah!) and they don't make a CO2 mag for their standard P226s - I wish. I'll need a closer look but I reckon the TM's internals to be at least the equal of the KJW ones - I thought it was the TM's plastic slide above all that made it vulnerable.

 

Obviously the TM hop-up etc. is going to be better, but I'm guessing they went the KJ route because of the gas that's likely to be used in it, given the weight of the beast, and the--theoretical--greater sturdiness of the KJ internals

 

The hop up will be switched out along with the inner barrel and the hop-up rubber, so basically the entire assembly. We'll see about the rest of the trigger grouping and the hammer assembly after that.

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I've never had any experience with the KJ pistol, but I read that it's not quite a 100% copy of the Marui and there some slight differences. It can't be all that bad especially if it's chorno'ing so consistently. I highly recommend keeping it as is unless it begins to fail (who knows, it may never).

 

The TM slide actually performs very well for me - I've found that the stock Marui P226R and E2 performs exceptionally well. Depending on the temperature, it can easily perform on 152A, 134A, and propane (I've never seen it on CO2 or N2). As you said, it starts to fail when you try and use a propellant with an extremely low boiling point in an extremely hot environment. I think it was a post here where the upper and lower halves of the magazine burst apart because of the heat after being charged with propane (the threads for the screw that hold the two parts together on the Marui P226R are notoriously weak).

 

Regarding the piston, in my opinion the o-ring performs better than the lid, specifically how it hooks onto it using the screw head. I'm not certain how much environmental factors effect it, but I can believe how it might. Again, the way the original lid attaches to the piston, I think it starts to loose its effectiveness after rapid cycling. I can't quantify the "reliability" aspect of the lid, but the FPS stayed more consistent with the o-ring.

 

I did test the Dyna piston with the SD POM nozzle and it unfortunately didn't work - it created a seal that was too tight. PDI also makes two different types of piston lids - the "summer" one worked inside the SD nozzle (about 70 degrees w/152A) and made some measurable improvements to FPS while the "winter" version was way too strong (I think it was about 40 degrees using propane) and didn't work at all.

 

Again, your mileage may vary.

Edited by BaBaBooey
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I think it was a post here where the upper and lower halves of the magazine burst apart because of the heat after being charged with propane (the threads for the screw that hold the two parts together on the Marui P226R are notoriously weak).

 

I'll have to keep an eye out for them. Apparently, Marui made a very small number of P226 E2s (there are almost none in the UK, and retailers' orders haven't been fulfilled) and the magazines that were supposed to come with them didn't arrive either. I've now got three brand new 'old' (civilian 10rd style) P226 magazines, and I'll just have to keep an eye out for the new (military 16rd style) E2 magazines in UK shops.

 

Regarding the piston, in my opinion the o-ring performs better than the lid, specifically how it hooks onto it using the screw head. I'm not certain how much environmental factors effect it, but I can believe how it might. Again, the way the original lid attaches to the piston, I think it starts to loose its effectiveness after rapid cycling. I can't quantify the "reliability" aspect of the lid, but the FPS stayed more consistent with the o-ring.

 

The builder assembling all the new parts into the gun approved of your choices, so I'll let you know how (if) performance has changed when I get the pistol back. Having the hammer changed for the correct one, figuring out why the trigger's reluctant to return, and general cleaning as well has having the Nine Ball inner barrel, hop-up rubber and piston lid installed. Hopefully I'll get an 18+1 load from one mag at moderate speed now.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Personally i have no idea why Inokatsu build steel slide for TM P226. If it was build to fit on KSC P226 SYS7, fps and blowback will be way better than TM based one(of course, TM is more accurate though..).

 

Also, if Inokatsu 1911 made with WA or KSC SYS7 internal, it would be fantastic. At least you don't have to see hex screw every time aiming with 1.4k usd 1911. And maybe does not need to use co2 mag to run it.

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Just got the airsoft surgeon p226 elite stainless for $1500 including shipping and import tax, compared to the ino p226 its better looking for sure, with marui internals and airsoft surgeon upgrade parts Im pretty sure it will out perform the ino as well. I was very close to getting the ino but Im not paying $1200 for and upgraded kjw. I will do a review soon.

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What's the Airsoft Surgeon made of? Aluminium? If so it probably will outperform the Inokatsu - it doesn't have all that real stainless steel to push around. Depends upon your definition of value - mine's $1360 for an Inokatsu-kitted KJW, yours is $1500 for what I think is a PGC/Pro-Win-kitted Marui. Looking forward to the review - and tell us how it handles with a beavertail!

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