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part 2 will come later :P

 

INTRODUCTION

I got this gun off of WGC a few days ago, I went to the depot and picked it up myself, when I got home, I looked in the box and I immediately fell in love with it (much like every gun I own :D )

 

(Please note that as I only had 1 mag off gas worth before this review, I will add accuracy test ECT at a later date)

 

Also note that about 2 days before I got this gun, WA released a new Bob chow special (version 1.5)

 

INITIAL IMPRESSION

 

The gun comes in all the usual WA packaging, black box that says Bob Chow Special in big letters on the side, and inside the gun wrapped with bubble wrap and all the usual stuff (like manual, mini targets, safety manual, 200 .2g bb's, and some weird orange thing that I have no idea what to do with it)

 

After I opened up the box and picked up the gun, you immediately feel how heavy the actual gun feels, it nearly rivals the weight of my full metal kimber with a 3000X laser.

After closer inspection this is because a lot of the parts are made from very heavy weight materials, for example the barrel, it weighs about twice the amount as normal WA barrels.

This is so that the gun feels very balanced in your hand, and is very easy to handle and aim with.

 

the gun has all the same dimensions as a usual WA 1911 (except the belt clip of course, but I will get to that.

 

the finish on the gun is quite special, it has a matt black finish, and no visible seam lines whatsoever.

 

the gun has loads of trademarks, they are quite special tho, as they are the custom trades of custom gun makers.

here is a little list of the trades and where they are.

1. on the slide, on the left side of the gun it reads-NM7791435

2. on the slide, on the right side of the gun it reads-COLT'S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD. CONN. U.S.A

3. on the right side of the frame it reads-COLT'S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD. CONN. U.S.A-and-ASGK-and-13365B70

4. on the chamber it reads-.45 AUTO

NM 7791414

CHOW

The gun also has trades on the belt clip, and the grips, of their respective makers (BROWNE & PHARR, and HERRETTS)

 

the gun is made from heavy weight plastic and the metal parts include, safety, mag-catch, trigger, hammer, slide stop, outer barrel, and the grip safety.

 

SHOOTING IMPRESSIONS

 

I only had 1 mages worth of gas, so shooting impression will be updated at a later date

 

FIELD STRIP

 

this gun field strips in the exact same way as normal 1911's do, but the only difference is, because the gun is designed to be as sleek and smooth as possible, WA have decided to make the slide stop not poke out the other side of the gun, this means you need something to push it through to the other side, I personally use the magazine lip.

after the slide stop has been removed, you just slide the slide off the frame, simple.

 

CONCLUSION

 

in conclusion, the Bob Chow special is one hell of a nice gun, if you can afford it's $300 price tag, this is mainly a collectors piece however, I wouldn't use it in a full blown skirmish as the is no replacement parts that will work, for example, the slide stop, safety, slide, outer barrel, bushing, chamber, and frame are all a 1 of a kind, that only the Bob Chow Special has, which means if it breaks, you have to buy a new one.

Edited by phoenix360mute
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perhaps you could mention the parts that can be replaced.. I understand the structural parts cannot be replaced, but how about the internals compared to a regular WA?

 

functionality of the extra bits (proper grips, belt clip, the non-slip parts on the front of the grip, etc.) and cosmetic quality too, does the gun look real and does it have presence..

Have they made any of the internals any more robust? (apart from making things heavier)

 

 

then of course theres all the things that you'll be able to do once you get some gas ;)

 

cheers, hbc.

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to n00b, i cant as i havent shot my kimber on any thing but green, and i dont have any gas at the moment, i just ordered some

 

to HBC, without complete dissasembly, it "appears" that you can replace all of the slide internals, but it wont be the same (like the barrel and chamber), but the inner barrel, breech ect looks the same as the SCW3 (havent seen the inside of a magna), but it doesn't have an adjustable hop-up.

 

functionality of the new parts is very good, the belt clip for example is a joy to use, i was standing up for 10 minutes yesterday just unholstering and hostering it to the front of my belt :P

 

the frame internals do look exactly the same as SCW2/3

 

the grips and the non slip groves on the front of the frame give the pistol a really good grip, it wont slip out of your hands even if you are dripping with sweat.

the gun doesn'y look real, but thats only because i know it isn't real, sort of a subconciouse thing, even my full metal kimber and 1911 dont look real to me, but all three look the sechs :D

 

oh and the intermanls make the gun feel more robust, but that may just be because they are heavier, but the good thing is there are no rattles whatsoever, and because the whole gun is black (except the safety) it would be really stealthy for night time play

 

 

EDIT:its hard to tell if the internals are better without total dissassembly, which i really dont want to do

 

oh and hbc, if you want a gun that you can customise in a million different ways, get the pare, if you want a limited edition, sexy as hell, suberb stock gun, get the CHOW

Edited by phoenix360mute
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sounds really good.. so if something little breaks it should be fixable..

I've seen images in a Japanese review and I have to say that (at least from my eyes) it does look quite realistic.

 

Im also willing to bet the gun is made to very high tolerances, and as such it should be more robust..

 

Does it accept standard 1911 mags?

 

I'll probably end up buying both.. however I really would prefer a kimber to the para..

 

Does the gun look a little odd floating off your belt, or does it look wicked cool ;) ?

 

how much did your kimber cost in terms of import tax/customs charges (since they dont have it in stock at guns n guys)...?

 

cheers, hbc.

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i actually got up infront of the mirror to see how it looks, the answer, wicked cool :D , i put my tshirt over it, and you could only see about an inch of the gun, and it looks sweet.

 

it accepts most mags, sttandard 1911, kimber, and S&W mags

 

and i got my kimber off n00b, for (thinks abit....

 

 

...thinks abit more) i have no idea :P , but i didnt pay import or custom charges on it, got luck i suppose

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i got charged import, but they werent really big orders, so it wasn't alot

 

you can get a magna for about $110

and a full metal kimber kit for $246 of WGC

linky http://www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?i...03B_srch_kimber

 

so all in all 356 for a full metal kimber :D , but it will require lots of working

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so all in all 356 for a full metal kimber :D , but it will require lots of working

 

heh, yeah.. I was afraid of that..

 

I was looking to get the swat II custom, it's about £110 at Uncompany.. but the Bob Chow was £140 at GnG so I couldn't resist that + no import charges..

Edited by hardboiledcop
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li know all about trying to get things to work.

 

example, the last 4 hours i have been filing the following, new safety

END OF LIST

 

heh, good luck mate..

 

im too lazy for work.. speaking of laziness *yawn*..

 

hopefully there'll be an invoice from GnG in my hotmail in the morning..

 

hbc.

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I just recieved my Bob Chow Special from Guns'n'Guys without any hassle at all by customs or parcelfarce (methinks they may have marked the package 'gift', which is a welcome surprise).

 

Straight out of the box it looks amazing, and when you pick it up, be ready to think to yourself "is this metal?.. I swear they said HW Plastic", the gun is really heavy and superbly made without any visible seams and custom trades all over the place, it is also very cold to the touch for HW, and if it were left in a cold room, you'd be forgiven for picking it up and assuming it is full metal.

 

To look at, it's beautiful, the gold colt emblem really shines out from the matte black/grey frame, and the real wood grips are lurvly :wub:

 

There are even some trades on the gun that are obscured by the belt clip :D

 

the ASGK writing is cunningly hidden under the right side of the safety switch, and the only writing bearing the name western arms is on the rubber mag bumper, which I believe is removeable.

 

To fire, this thing is a dream, very refreshing blowback and a nice sound.. not quite cha-chink, but very nice indeed. You definately feel the gun kick back in your hand..

 

It seems to be made to far better tolerances than any regular WA's I've handled..

the grip safety makes a nice metallic clink and moves back and forth fluently, the ambidextrous safeties also work like a charm, and the steel belt clip is a work of genius! (complete with trades of course ;) )

 

In terms of performance it seems on par with my SVI Experts, so around 270+ depending on what gas you use (though you'd better stick with 134a!) is probably about right, on a hot day like today I'd sas it was easily 290..

 

I had a slight bit of trouble with the hop.. seen as it is non-adjustable (this is what I heard, if I'm wrong please call me on it it), there wasn't any sort of adjusting tool in the box apart from the tool to take apart the slide..

With the BB's in the box (which I think were .25's) there is a slight upturn in the flight of the bb after about 20 feet, the same occured when firing Excel .20's, I think that this will either wear off with use, or can be counteracted by heavier bbs (I am assuming this would work, if physics arent on my side then please call me on it)

 

Once you get it in your hands, you really don't want to damage it, it really is a collectors piece.. but at the price I payed for it, it might as well not be..

 

I made an order from GnG on sunday, and recieved it this morning..

 

The Bob Chow from GnG was only 2000HKD, which is a full $50USD cheaper than I could find it anywhere else, for any Uk buyers wondering, that's around £141, just the price of a regular WA then?

 

Because of GnG 's infinite wisdom, I also recieved no import fees and no holding charges.

 

For an order of...

 

Bob Chow Special

Aimpoint Red Dot Sight (listed in the 'other' section, but fantastically well built and sturdy with a highly visible dot)

1 x P90 Lowcap mag

1 x Intellect 1400mah mini battery

 

... It cost me a mear £225, including Delivery..

 

so I'd have to be forced to give both Western Arms and GnG 10/10 for effort.

 

Pictures coming soon, I'll chuck a few beauty shots in the 1911 pictures page also.

 

Cheers, hbc.

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thats a good one, I can't really compare since I dont have them both anymore <_<

 

In total they're probably very similar..

 

the Bob Chow is weighted more in the gun itself, especially the barrel, whereas with the Infinity the weight is far more in the grip, that is to say, the magazine and the metal frame.

 

of the two, the SV Expert probably feels nicest in your hand in terms of weight distribution. however the expert I owned was 4.3, and the Chow has a much longer barrel..

 

I'm not used to holding single-stacked 1911's so I'm sure it's something that I'll have to get used to.. not that I'm planning on muddying up this thing ;)

 

hbc.

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