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Maruzen NEW PPK/S Initial Impressions Review


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Maruzen NEW!!! PPK/S Initial Review:

 

The Box:

 

A very typical and standard affair here, polystyrene, gun shaped and secure enough without much space for anything other than the typical pack of BBs you get with most guns out of the box.

Included is a pistol, magazine, manual and a little piece of plastic tubing. This tubing appears to be for unjamming the pistol or removing BBs when cleaning. As I already have a better tool this was thrown out but it is nice to see it was included.

 

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The Gun:

 

Well this is the main feature and I must say what a main feature it is for such a small gun. First it fits the hand very well; nothing about it feels sloppy or cheaply made. The plastic is engraved well; the fit between frame and slide is perfect; it just all fits too well to be true. In fact I will go so far as to say that I had to check it was a Maruzen in my hand and not a Marui, everything about it felt to the quality of a Marui (a plus in many peoples book).

 

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Shooting the Gun:

 

This was a big surprise. The kick from this thing is fantastic. I had a Maruzen Movie Prop PPK/S a while ago but that jammed every now and then while feeling weak and giving little to no gas efficiency. I can safely say Maruzen have come a long way since and this thing kicks but it feels like it can handle the kick too (and this is only running on 144a). It shoots well to point when using it at short ranges (around 5m) but I did not have time to test range but given the fixed hop and lower FPS I doubt it will be breaking any records. Oh and one thing (unlike the fabled TK VP-70) it has a fully functioning slide lock which works much better now than the older Maruzen’s did, probably as it now pushes against a well seated piece of metal inside the frame (like many Marui’s).

 

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The Magazine:

 

An often overlooked by some but also very important part is the magazine. There is a lot to say about this magazine so I will simply make it easier and list the big features:

 

1. The magazine holds a grand total of 22rds or 6mm bb.

2. In one fill the magazine can easily fire off around 50 shots, over double the already massive 22rds for such a gun of this size.

3. The magazine sadly does not come with the option of being used correctly without the baseplate as it holds the loading spring in while also looking awful without it.

4. The magazine sits perfectly in the gun with a firm click. After that you get zero wobble (think more tight fit of Marui and not unhealthy wobble of some WE’s)

5. Fast firing off 7 rounds at a time I found both no real cool down and no issues with shots not feeding. This was the same across both magazines and I am still surprised how efficient this gun is, it is that hard to put into words without shooting it yourself.

6. I have been told it takes Green happily now but given the performance on 144a I don’t really see why you would need Green.

7. There is a little lock on the spring so you can set it to fire without being loaded with ammo. An invaluable feature for dry-fire practice and film prop use.

 

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Conclusion:

 

This really is a strange little gun but main thing to mention is that it is a vast improvement over the older PPK/S that Maruzen have made in the past. I don’t know quite how ‘NEW!!!’ the newer model is but they have really ironed out the issues that the model used to have.

 

The easiest way to sum it up would be that I had to check I wasn’t using a Marui, it felt like everything I was used to with my 1911s in a small, Bond style package.

 

I will try my best to use this in as many indoor games as I can while looking for a nice IWB holster for it too. It is a worthwhile purchase for anyone looking for a little pistol for back up reasons. Also I shall have to do another of these once I have passed the 6 month mark, see if it is holding up (seeing as it will be fed the full can of 144a I have lying about I don't see why not).

 

EDIT: IWB holster bought, now to get it to games.

 

'FireKnife'

Edited by FireKnife
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I am not sure. The internals look near identical from what I recall.

 

However the new models have a fixed hop while the Movie Prop had that silly grub screw adjustable hop that never really worked well anyway. I doubt it would make a difference but you never know.

 

Though I found that the suppressor on the Movie Prop was part of the issue and that the new one is better off without it. I mean it doesn't really matter on a gun this size given the crack it makes when it firea anyway.

 

Finally only thing to note is that when using the decocker to drop the hammer sometimes you get a little 'put' sound as though the hammer has lightly struck the valve. It seems to be mostly when loading a fresh magazine and holding the pistol in an aiming stance or parralel to the ground. It is not really an issue as it doesn't fire or even make it less efficient, it is just odd the first few times it happens. But then I recall some other guns that are much larger and have more room for springs and mechs to stop the valve knocker have similar issues so at this size I can't complain.

 

'FireKnife'

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#AWOOGA# #AWOOGA#

 

Hot off the press info.

 

After some (extensive) testing I have come to the following conclusions.

 

1. It fires amazingly well for such a small gun (bar one small defect mentioned below).

2. Accuracy is not perfect, if it had a 5 inch tightbore barrel, but it doesn't, it has a 3 and a bit inch 6.05mm and is fine.

3. It can double feed once on the last 3-4 shots. It happens about the time the follower passes the little cutout for dryfiring as a prop. This only happens about 33% of the time and often when firing faster than one round every half second. However it only seems to happen on these last few rounds. Oddly it only really seemed to happen on 144a and the few tries I did on Ultra didn't repeat the issue but that may be down to luck or the fact I was waiting for it to happen. Happened with both .2g Maruzen ammo and .25g Aim Top ammo. Will try with bios later.

4. Target box has been well and truly used, room now has random bbs everywhere (95% of the below holes are due to the PPK/S):

 

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Still really liking this gun and the one minor flaw is something I can live with as it isn't a jam, just means that towards the end of a magazine I might get the odd two in one shot.

 

'FireKnife'

Edited by FireKnife
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Gah... More and more tempting to get another PPK to float in my boxes... :D

 

Currently pondering if I want to order the Army Force shoulder rig for PPK off UnCompany for *suitcase*, giggles and Bonding. :D Only $27+postage,,, Hmm.

 

Could make for 'fun' setup, having one PPK on belt, another in shoulder holster, then magazines wherever I have fitted them. Just would need to mark mags so I know which mags go with which gun... :D

Edited by sandstorm
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Well I think my PPK/S can hear my thoughts.

 

Went to test the double feeds again. Did it once when I did a sloppy slide release but after that I shoot through magazines at various speeds (including a dump of 14 shots after I had barely even given it two seconds of gas from empty) and bloody nothing. Feeds perfectly, every last shot.

 

I think the issues comes from storing it with the mag follower in the 'prop firing' position so yeah must remember to avoid that.

 

Either way it has still to be skirmished. I would ideally like to see just how far and well it shoots down a nice long corridor. :)

 

'FireKnife'

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From a guy who has owned 2 Maruzen PPKs:

 

- Get the metal slide.  The Plastic slide will break.  First time it broke at the BBU retraction tab (that resulted in double feeds), 2nd time it broke at the front.  Yes I have been using green gas, but thats really the only gas to run it on, since 134a results in no kick or hitting power otherwise.

 

- Carry the PPK in a PPK holster.  I held the PPK in a mag pouch, and mags just keeps falling out.  I have a Serpa. 

 

- Accuracy isn't bad, just needs to get better hop nub or mod the rubber.

 

- O-rings and magazine base will leak.  No way around that.  if you can find a O-ring shop, get spares.  Magazine base can be fixed with teflon tape AND/OR gasket sealant (let it settle for a few days).

 

- Keep spare floating valve springs.  The Maruzen floating valve springs are situated at the top of the mag and can fall out.

 

- To increase the power, clip the magazine gas release spring a quarter notch at a time.  I got mine outpowering a WE M1911/TM 4.3" Hicapa.  Its pretty good for a noisy cricket.

 

And Finally:

 

- ACM PPKs are junk and uses a different blow back system and magazines, but good source for cheap Chrome plated slides.

Edited by 3vi1-D4n
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From a guy who has owned 2 Maruzen PPKs:

 

- Get the metal slide.  The Plastic slide will break.  First time it broke at the BBU retraction tab (that resulted in double feeds), 2nd time it broke at the front.  Yes I have been using green gas, but thats really the only gas to run it on, since 134a results in no kick or hitting power otherwise.

 

- Carry the PPK in a PPK holster.  I held the PPK in a mag pouch, and mags just keeps falling out.  I have a Serpa.

 

Huh, firing it on 144a is actually doing pretty damn well. Not sure which models of PPK/S you have owned but this is meant to be the 'new' one where Maruzen have made a few changes to the setup.

 

However for now I am going to stick to 144a as the longevity feels there on this one (so much more so than the rather average older Movie Prop guns). It just feels a vast improvement over the rather imperfect older models.

 

As said though I plan to use it at sub 15m ranges and indoors so the lighter shots (kicks out about 220-225 on 144a) and fixed hop are not an issue as it has enough to carry the shots.

 

As for carrying it, it will be in a IWB holster designed for "small, compact pistols such as the P230/232, PPK, Colt Mustang and P238". The mag catch seems light but then it is quite flat and hard to really push accidentally. Plus if the mag does come out it will just hang up on my shirt or jacket and will be easier to notice it falling out.

 

I am so tempted in picking one up and painting the grips brown right now. Makarov, where art thouthou?

 

KWA: Coming soo since 2012 with a KWA rep saying "it will be out by the end of 2014".

 

WE: Protoypes shown and some progress made. Saying that it is a PPM and not a PM.

 

Plus lots of films back in the Cold War days just had it as a flat stand in with the PM, brown grips or not ;).

 

EDIT: I also tested Bio, seemed to fire just as well and only double fed once when I shot it far too fast on the last 3 shots. Still can't wait to go home and carry on testing it out.

 

'FireKnife'

Edited by FireKnife
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There is the old version, the "new" version and now the new new version.

 

I had 2 of the "new" version.  It features:

 

- Maruzen's flute valve system in the magazine and a brass weight piston in the slide/BBU.

- Maruzen's dodgy variable hop up.

- The slide lock pushes against a piece of metal

- Outer barrel is stainless steel, threaded internally.

 

Actually yours looks and sounds exactly like the one I have except for variable hop and outer barrel. Mine kicks pretty well outputs 270-300fps on 0.25g at 13*C , except for the first round.  I can never figure out why my first round always falls short even on single action.

 

I am using the first generation of the Chinese PPK mags, which are Maruzen replicas but never versions aren't.

Edited by 3vi1-D4n
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Based on what I have seen it looks more like the 'latest' version but I am partly judging that by the fact that the manual references '2011' and that I haven't seen this particular looking model before about 2012.

 

Either way it is a good performer. Only seems to double feed on the second to last and last round (so feeds both those at the same time for a single double feed).

 

Also it helped get rid of a wasp in my flat, only one I have seen in there all summer. First shot missed, second shot split the body and head, stupid useless wasps.

 

'FireKnife'

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Really interested in getting one of these. Is there any real difference between the three available colours? Is the 'metalled' one just a shiny black?

 

Not really. The metal one just uses a special finish and a silver barrel but beyond that it is really down to 'do you want to pay more for the non-black look?'

 

And to report it fits the generic IWB holster I picked up for it fine enough. It is easy to conceal in the SOB position and the magazines still flawlessly get off all 22 shots in one fill.

 

Not like I have been dressing up and practicing drawing with it from various stances or anything :rolleyes:

 

'FireKnife'

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I'm not sure it depends on where has it in stock and what colour is available. I really like the look of yours FireKnife, it's the matte black one right? Is the finish good?

 

I would say the finish is about as good as a TM MEU / Detonics / SIG P226 E2 / XDM. It is functional but not quite the amazing blued Series 70 or parkerised A1 look.

 

Also stock wise Airsoft World have them in at the moment, plus they are lead by a new bunch that don't seem as bad as the old lot (as in your stuff will actually turn up ;)).

 

And it has stopped double feeding after a clean and re-lube (well at least for now). It actually looked like it was the over lubed slide that was causing it. Still got an amazing OOTB single action trigger and a surprisingly smooth double action.

 

'FireKnife'

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  • 3 weeks later...

Ok, so I managed to both field it and hit someone with it.

 

The range on the fixed hop and .25s with 144a was about 3/4 the range of my tightbore'd up TM Series 70 so I would not call it bad at all.

 

Though the day was rather mild, say around 13-16C and it performed well in the short game that I ran just it. Emptied the entire magazine in one fill and without issue.

 

It is a competent little shooter and one I would gladly have as a back up for dashing into small rooms. Too bad that the IWB gets in the way when I have it at my back meaning I plan on carrying it at my side as a one handed back up when I run out of ammo for my Series 70.

 

'FireKnife'

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well so much for it being so great.

 

The decocking lever is now a nub, with the lever having sheared off. Not good given that it has hardly seen heavy use as a decocker.

 

Aside from this the gun still works, it just means that the hammer has to be dropped by way of the trigger rather than via the safety.

 

Will pop by Airsoft World with it tomorrow and see what they say about it. The sales and shop may have improved somewhat but lets test the customer support.

 

'FireKnife'

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