May 2005

First Factory have added details to their site fo the upcoming toys from Marui and Tanaka. The M14 will be out in mid July priced at 26,450 Yen, whilst the electric M93r will cost 12,500 Yen and be out in mid June. The Tokyo Marui 65 lumen Pro Light (M3 copy) will be out on the 20th of June at a price of 7,850 Yen. It’s best to point out that the prices on First’s pages aren’t the official TM prices (First are a good bit cheaper) which can be seen on their own page here.

Also interest is the "M24 Fluted Barrel" model from Tanaka, that comes with an adjustable stock and a larger extended magazine. The new larger magazine can take 29 BBs, will be out in June and will cost 52,000 Yen.

Jason at Anson Tactical Equipment has dropped in an email with an update from them since their last update, here’s the latest:

Hi Arnie, Just to let you know we have added a Special Offers section to our
website. Over the next few weeks we will be adding more items to this
section. Most of the items are one offs or sample products from bigger
batches. We have added a couple of pairs of Police/Special forces
overalls, but with a difference.

We had a range of overalls made for a customer as samples for use in
urban environments. We have 2 sets left; one light-grey-blue and a pair
in Olive green. These are made to the exact same pattern as our popular
Police/Special Forces Nomex and Kermel Viscose suits by the same
factory, but are made in heavyweight polycotton. They are a lot cheaper
than the Nomex ones but just as strong. Ideal for Airsofters wanting a
different look.

The Polycotton Police/SF overalls can be supplied in Black and Dark Blue
as well these are identical in appearance to the fire resistant version.

Many other new products have been added since the last update – if you
can’t see what you want just phone for a quote as we cannot list all of
our products. Jason Blackiston, (Anson Tactical Equipment)

Thanks to the guys at AirsoftExtreme (Andrew and the staff at the Torrence store) here’s some shots of the new TM SIG P226 compared to the Tanaka P226RF and the real SIG P226 (in chrome). In the shots inset the real deal is chrome, the Tokyo Marui has the orange muzzle and the Tanaka is unpainted.

As you can see the TM copy if a good likeness, the only real giveaway to it not being real is the lack of weight as it’s considerably lighter than the real thing. Detail wise the only real minor niggle is the centre moulding line underneath, although that’s much more apparent on the older Tanaka model. It should be noted that the magazine base for the standard 226 magazines are flat though without the recess found in the Airsoft models.

Airsoft GI are opening a new store in California (2116 Hacienda Blvd,
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745). The store was still being fleshed out while I was there, plus it’s all completely new so you’ll forgive the odd empty space on the wall, but Walter has been working hard (and many hours) to get the store to where it is now.

While I was over at Walter’s new shop I had a chance to get some shots of the new Trigger Happy T910 launcher fitted with a MadBull BB Shower unit. The grip is well built and from the outside you’d be hard pressed to see that it’s not a lamp unit, there’s even LEDs and grip panels built into the grip itself. Build quality and moulding are top notch (see for yourself in the shots below) and the T910 retails for 168USD.

Well it’s been another busy day here, and I’ve had a chance to catch up with some more people in the industry locally and to grab a few more shots of interesting gear that caught my eye.

First up JAG Precision have overhauled their website. It’s now much cleaner and easier to navigate. You might recognise the styling from a well known manufacturer’s website :)

JAG Precision are a major Airsoft distributor in USA and carry all the major brands made in Japan, Taiwan, H.K. USA, and China.
You can contact them at (626) 448-9879 Monday-Friday from 09:00~17:00 PST. Please do remember that they are a distributor and not a retailer, so don’t deal directly with end users.

While I was there tonight I grabbed a few shots of some completed 1911 Dragons, which are hand built from a Western Arms SV base and a Prime Airsoft upper slide kit (if I remember correctly). Build quality and finish are wonderful, as these are more than just a kit bash and require good assembly and tuning. These specific models had just been finished to order today. I quite like the dragon styling myself – it’s different from the norm which is always good, plus these are now full metal uprated models and more durable than a stock WA.