SIG P210-6 - Marushin
hkssr20det kindly provided his review of the Marushin SIG P210-6 - You can read his other reviews at Airsoft Barracks.
Up for review is the Marushin replica of the famed Sig P210 semi-automatic pistol. Used by the Swiss Army from 1949-1975, the Sig P210 is one of the most collectible hand guns out there, due to its robust nature, and inherent accuracy. Examples trade hands for well over $2,000 and are prized examples of the pistol craft. The replica we will be reviewing here is the Marushin Sig P210-6 (or sport version) Maxi in 8mm. Marushin also produced a 6mm version, with new Heavy Weight versions of both being released early next year.
Right now this is the only replica of the P210, and it is a good example of Marushin craftsmanship and a faithful replica of the model it is based upon. Marushin has pulled out all the stops on this replica, fully endorsed by the Swiss Army, the replica come with complete trades and some truly collectible packaging that includes a hard case for storage, the P210 is a great collector’s piece with enough performance to take her out and shoot a few targets as well.
Purchased new from Dentrinity for $142, it is not the cheapest replica available. While the trades are cleared with the Swiss Army, they have not been cleared with Sig Arms here in the US, so be careful when purchasing. It would be a shame to lose the trades since they are one reason to purchase this model.
In the Box
The P210 comes boxed in a tasteful, yet colorful outer box. Complete with a glossy picture of the replica inside, you will be surprised by how heavy the package is.
Inside the glossy outer box, is a hard case emblazoned with the Swiss Army cross. Tasteful and tactical at the same time, this is a good indication of the lengths that Marushin have gone to really make this a true collectable piece. Inside the hard case the gun is held firmly in place in a strong foam cutout, with three other cutouts for tools, BBs and a cutout for a spare magazine. Underneath the foam insert on the top is a bag containing all the manuals and other assorted paperwork.
Along with the replica, Marushin has provided a full manual (in Japanese of course), a recent catalog of Marushin’s wares (some of which have never made it to Hong Kong), some sort of plastic straw that could be a barrel cleaning rod, an allan wrench, and two weights of 8mm BBs (.34g and .27g). Very complete, the only thing missing is some lube and gas.
First Impressions
Moving on to the gun, I must say that in terms of looks a few things pop out at you. It is much slimmer and delicate looking than a 1911. It looks more like a Browning Hi Power or CZ75. The finish is a nice solid black, maybe a little too shiny, but the gun is constructed from ABS plastic, not a heavy weight material. In the hand, the gun feels pretty light (670 grams), but not too light. Again, the feeling is more target oriented, less brute force. The grip fits smoothly into the hand, with the angle being between the more upright 1911 and the drastically angled Glock series. The whole gun is very slim and easily point-able, with a bit more of the over all weight centered on the grip. Due to the low slide height, and the deep scallop in the grip area, when firing your hand is very close to the bore line.
The frame and slide are made entirely from ABS plastic, but the finish is right up there with KSC and Western Arms. There are no visible seam lines anywhere. The gun has the usual metal parts, the slide lock, recoil guide rod, hammer, magazine, mag catch, safety lever and most of the internals. The outer barrel is made out of plastic, but it has a very good chrome look to it, with crisp clear trades on the chamber cover.
The grips are plastic with weights (which lend a good balance to the gun, even when the magazine is removed). Unfortunately the finish on the grips is incredibly toy like, with very fake wood grain. They are also smooth to the touch, even the checkered portions. I have considered swapping them out for Real Steel, but they are very hard to find and very expensive when you do. Even reproduction army grips are almost $100. Interestingly the 6mm version comes equipped with black plastic grips, that appear to be the better choice.
On the whole, the gun is worlds better than most Marui and KSC guns, but probably not up to the same level as Western Arms. I have high hopes for the finish on the Heavy Weight guns.
Closer Look
As stated before, Marushin has produced this model with the cooperation of the Swiss Army. As such the trades are very clear and well laid out. All serial numbers match each other and match the fact that the replica is not an Army surplus weapon, but one produced later for the sport segment.
The left side of the gun has crisp trademarks that have been filled in with white paint. A word of warning, the white paint used is water soluble, so don’t be washing the gun with a wet towel, the white markings will be lost. The 6mm version makes do with just black engraved trades. The only missing trademark from this gun is the Made In Switzerland mark on the rear of the frame.
Unfortunately Marushin has stamped the right side with a very noticeable Marushin trademark, there is no hidden builders mark like on KSC guns.
The chamber has nice clear trades, with the Sig logo and a matching serial number.
Since this is an authorized replica they have also added a Swiss Cross on the top of the rear sight.
On the left side of the frame within general reach of your thumb is a trigger block safety. Flip the safety down for firing and up to make the gun safe, it moves smoothly and clicks positively into place.
The P210 comes with metal front and rear sights. Dove tailed into the plastic slide, they are fixed and provide decent low light target acquisition. One thing to notice is that the front sight is rather large, while the rear cutout is more average in size. They are quick, easy to use, and perfectly serviceable sights. Some Prime metal bodies include replacement Novak sights.
Marushin has chosen to replicate the more traditional magazine catch configuration of the P210. Like other circa WWII side arms, the mag catch is located in the rear of the grip. Made out of metal, it is a solid catch with little chance of accidental release. Spring loaded, the mag catch will naturally close over the magazine once it has been inserted far enough. You can also see the metal lanyard loop on the side of the grip.
The magazine is crafted out of metal and holds 8, 8mm bbs, exactly the same capacity as the real steel. Held in a single stack, the magazine is easy to use. Just pull down the follower on the left side of the magazine and load 8 bbs through the lips. It could use a locking mechanism on the follower, but the magazine is easy to load even without that feature.
Now this Marushin comes equipped with the rather controversial (ie hated) LD-2 hop up system. What this means is that the gun actually has two hop up rubbers. One is located in the traditional place, near the end of the barrel. This hop up is adjustable via a screw located below the Hop UP unit. Yes, you will need to field strip the gun to adjust the hop.
Now further down the barrel, there is another cut out in the barrel to make room for a fixed Hop Up rubber. I have never found a reliable resource for explaining to me the actual design purpose behind this second hop up, but accuracy results have proven that it doesn’t work very well. That proof can be found later in the review.
One of the most interesting design details on the real firearm, and Marushin’s replica is the slide-in-frame design. Unlike most other auto loading pistols, which have the slide riding outside an internal set of frame rails, the P210 has it’s slide fit to ride inside the frame. This is often cited as the reason for the incredible natural accuracy of the gun, and also explains how they can have such a narrow slide profile. Marushin has faithfully replicated this design feature and is one of the main reasons I had to own one these.
Below (right) you can see how the rails have been built onto the outside of the slide, rather than on the inside in a more traditional design.
From the rear (above left) you can see how the slide fits into a channel built into the frame. This design ensure a tight fit and smooth action, it also explains why new versions are still some of the most expensive pistols made.
Shooting Impressions
So, how does she shoot?
Well the shooting experience is actually pretty decent. Due to the light weight slide, recoil is quick and sharp, but lacking in the oomph department.
It feels similar to the way a stock TM Hi Capa fires.
Sights are good, target acquisition is easy, coupled with the high cycle speed and low recoil, it is very easy to squeeze off a mag and keep the gun on target. The feel of it is very good, and it is easy to see why they have such a reputation as a shooters gun.
Chrono results where taken at 65 degrees, inside, using a Guarder Speeder 2000 chrono, green gas, and .27g 8mm bbs.
| Shot | FPS |
| 1 | 279.0 |
| 2 | 284.0 |
| 3 | 282.0 |
| 4 | 285.0 |
| 5 | 286.0 |
| 6 | 283.0 |
| 7 | 283.0 |
| 8 | 283.0 |
Average – 283.12
As you can see the gun puts out a decent amount of power. With .34g bbs the fps falls down to the mid 230s, but even that is a decent output for an 8mm bb. Not a powerhouse, but people will feel the hits. It is actually on par with a stock TM P226 and .20 bbs.
The target itself is a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper (target used is from AAPS).
Click on image for bigger version in separate window.
Now accuracy is where a real shortcoming of the gun is made clear. The truth is the LD-2 system is not a good alternative to a well designed, traditional hop up. The test target below was shot at 5m, off hand, using green has and .34g bbs. Needless to say you can see that the grouping is nothing really to write home about. The 6 shot spread was at 2 ½”, if we throw out the outlier, it only drops down to 2”. Now on the whole that is not terrible accuracy, but this was easily the best grouping from the five or so targets I shot by a good ¼” – ½”. The real problem in terms of accuracy is the LD-2 systems need to throw out a flier every few shots.
Editor's Comment : There are an increasing number of tightbore barrel coming onto the market from Tanio Koba for 8mm Marushin's which dispense with the LD2 system, which should tighten up the groupings significantly if they are as good as they claim to be.
Take Down
Field stripping the gun follows many of the same guide line as a traditional 1911. First you remove the magazine, cock the hammer, and pull the slide all the way to the rear.
With the slide held in the rear, turn the gun over and push the slide lock out of the frame via the pin on the right side of the frame.
Once you have removed the slide lock, you can push the slide forward and out of the frame.
To remove the recoil guide rod, you need to pull the metal sleeve that fits over the recoil spring all the way back until the spring is completely compressed. Then you can push the guide rod forward enough to clear the rear of the guide rod that is pointed so it can sit inside the front of the hop up unit. The recoil spring, guide rod and bushing will all stay together as a single unit.
Once you have removed the guide rod assembly. You need to remove the barrel assembly. First push the entire assembly forward off of the nozzle. Then it needs to be tilted upwards a little bit so you can turn the inner barrel a quarter turn clockwise (to clear a pin on the outside of the hop up unit that rides in a cutout on the outer barrel/chamber cover). Once it has turned far enough for the pin to clear the outer barrel, remove the inner barrel assembly. Then you can gently pull out the outer barrel.
Conclusions
So how does the Marushin stack up when all the dust has settled? Well it is another mixed bag. The build quality is very high, the look and feel of the replica (minus the terrible grips) is top notch, plus the incredible packaging really does justify the price tag. The gun exhibits good shooting feel, with great efficiency (I usually get 4 or 5 mags out of a fill) but the accuracy is abysmal. The gun can take green gas, and has held up well to at least 800 shots so far.
In the end the real question is, how much do you want a P210 in your arsenal? My answer is more than enough to justify the purchase, as well as justifying the purchase of a heavy weight model when they become available. But there is almost no aftermarket support for the P210 or Marushin guns in general. The price tag is high enough that it could be swapped for a nice KSC or Tanaka, so for most players I see no point. For the collector this is the only option, but be prepared that it is much more of a looker than a shooter, which is ironic since the real steel gun has been renowned through its history for its accuracy.
Weight : 670g
Realism : *****
Quality : ****
Power : ***
Accuracy : **
Information on the Real Steel SIG P210
Read more of hkssr20det's reviews at Airsoft Barracks.
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