Tokyo Mauri M1A1 Thompson
FPS: 290
Construction: Plastic and Alloy
Gearbox: V3
Cost: $350
The Tokyo Mauri Thompson is a Japanese made airsoft gun. It is electric powered. It shoots around 280fps out of the box. It is fully upgradable. The wooden parts are made of ABS plastic. The lower receiver is also plastic. The rest of the weapon is metal alloy of some sort. The metal finish is excellent with a blued look to it. Their are Thompson trademarks engraved on the sides of the receiver. The plastic stock is decent looking though the seams give it away. The battery is easily accessible due to a flip out butt plate. It can fit a large type 8.4 volt battery if you remove the foam spacer in the stock. Like all Mauri guns this one too is known for its durability and reliability. One known problem is the exterior barrel often breaks at this spot.
I highly recommended this weapon.
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CYMA M1A1 Thompson
FPS: 350-380
Construction: Plastic and Alloy
Gearbox: V3
Cost: $100-$200
The CYMA Thompson is a Chinese made airsoft gun cloned after the Tokyo Mauri M1A1 Thompson. It is virtually identical to the Mauri weapon in design. This gun is fairly accurate and hard hitting out of the box. In my opinion it doesn't need any accuracy or FPS upgrades. It can easily be upgraded though if one wanted to. The gearbox internals are of decent quality on par with most Chinese clones. They should last for about 2 to 3 years with no maintenance. The exterior metal parts are finished in a flat black paint which is fairly durable. Their are Thompson trademarks which are painted on. The gearbox internals are greased with the typical Chinese junk and should be cleaned and re greased. Metal bushings are highly recommended for this weapon. The wood finish is a little bit too light but it looks decent. It shares the same problem as the Mauri which is the barrel often breaks in this area.
I recommend this as a very decent airsoft weapon. It is also a very good starter gun.
Here's a review comparing it to the Mauri version
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ICS M1 Garand
FPS: 360
Construction: Alloy, Wood, Steel
Gearbox: V7 gearbox
Cost: $400
At last we have an AEG M1 Garand on the market. Internally it boasts 8MM Steel Bushings, Turbo 3000 Motor, Upgraded Steel Gear Set, Low Resistance Wires, and Mosfet system. The gun is very accurate and reliable. It has a fully wooden stock and handguards. It comes with one 30 round magazine. There are a few inaccuracies when compared to the real Garand. The gas cylinder is slightly too large as is the buttplate. Overall I highly suggest this rifle.
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Ares M3A1 Grease Gun
FPS: 330
Construction: Steel
Gearbox: Custom
Cost: $240
The Ares grease gun is a very high quality airsoft replica of the M3A1 Grease gun used very late in WW2 and in the Korean War. Ares is known as a better brand which makes its own designs instead of cloning others. This is their first WW2 release.
The gun itself is electric. The external parts are made entirely out of stamped steel just like the real weapon. The paint job is very nice and made to look like a late-war green finish. Over all the exterior of this gun is fantastic. It is challenging to disassemble though.
As far as the insides go it uses a custom type non reinforced gearbox. It is mostly upgradable. The internals are decent and well lubricated. It also has metal 6mm bushings. A strong spring is not suggested due to the gearbox being non reinforced.
The battery is in fact located in the 65 round magazine. This is the downfall of this weapon. It has metal contacts on the top of the magazine. It connects when you insert the magazine inside the gun. You need a battery for each clip you have. The best solution would be to use cheap batteries as the life would last long being they are switched around after you go through your 65 rounds. One person was able to mount a lipo battery in the pistol grip with some modification. Extra magazines are available for $24 a piece.
A Detailed review can be found on the WWII Airsoft forum by Kalbs. Link here!
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ICS M3 Grease Gun
FPS: 330
Construction: Alloy, steel, palmer
Cost: $180
The ICS Grease gun is an electric powered airsoft gun. It fires around 350fps. It is modeled after the WW2 M3 Grease gun, unlike the Ares ,which is the M3A1 used in the after the war. The difference is the M3 has a charging handle while the M3A1 does not. Its finish is painted in a matte black color. The gun itself is made mostly of metal apart from a portion of the lower receiver and the trigger housing, which is plastic. A few of the parts are made of steel including the retractable stock. It comes with a High capacity magazine. No low capacity magazines have been released thus far. The weapon feels solid and there are not wobbles. Included with the gun is a manual which explains how to take the weapon apart. The gun is accurate to about 150 feet.
The battery is inserted in the rear of the weapon by removing the tab which comes off with a few twists, no tools required.
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Marushin M1 Carbine
FPS: 320
Construction: Wood and Alloy
Cost: $350
The
Marushin M1 Carbine is a full wood and metal Bolt action gas operated
Airsoft gun. It uses HFC134a gas. It shoots about 320 FPS. It is bolt
action unlike the real weapon. The bolt needs to be cocked manually
after each shot. The gun needs to be field stripped and screws need to
be tightened after use. It is known to be pretty reliable and accurate.
Extra magazines are hard to come by. The rifle is all wood and metal.
There are two versions available one shoots 6mm BB's the other 8mm.
Other then their caliber they are the same in design.
They are no longer available but can be found used. They were originally priced in the $350 range. I'd highly suggest you buy it if you can find one.
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VFC Browning Automatic Rifle
FPS: 380
Construction: Wood, Aluminum, and steel
Gearbox: V6
Cost: $999-$2000
The VFC B.A.R is an impressive weapon. Its electric and is very reliable. It fires at 330FPS. The receiver and barrel are high quality aluminum. The front and rears sights are steel along with the bi-pod. It comes with a real wood stock and front grip. The whole rifle weighs in at about 10 pounds. It comes apart like the real weapon.
The gearbox is version 6, with 8mm bearings and a quick release spring.
I highly recommend this gun, you will not be unhappy with it!
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ACM Clone 1918 B.A.R Rifle
FPS: 380
Construction: Alloy, ABS plastic, and steel
Gearbox: V6
Cost: $350-$500
The new clone of the VFC B.A.R is a very welcome release. Each weapon comes with the rifle, a bipod, carry handle, and one high capacity magazine. The accuracy leaves a bit to be desired. It is pretty much identical to the VFC B.A.R in design. The build quality is not as impressive as can be expected for a clone. Most of the parts are metal alloy, "pot metal". The faux wood parts are ABS plastic and include some noticeable screw holes. The paint job is a semi-gloss black. The parts made of steel are notably the bipod and the carry handle. The stock allows a lot of room for large battery packs.
I highly recommend this gun for those who love the B.A.R!
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Zeta Labs M44 and 91/30 Mosin Nagant
FPS: 380
Construction: Steel and Wood
Cost: $370
Zeta Lab's has released two Mosin Nagant rifles. The full size 91/30 and the smaller carbine the M44. Other then a few external differences in appearance they are the same which is why we combined them into one overview. They are both extremely high quality airsoft weapons.
The internal design is original to this rifle. The externals are as good as you can get. Its full steel with a high quality beautiful real wood stock. The cocking handle is heat treated steel. It also comes with a leather/linen sling and a resin side folding bayonet, which is sharp by the way(ouch).
The internals are just as good as the externals they are mostly steel and ready to take a stronger spring. It comes with a tightbore barrel. The hop up works well too. The rifle loads from the bottom. Its one downside is the loading system which is somewhat finicky. Upgrade parts are also non existent since the internals are unique in design. AEG Springs are said to work though.
Certainly one of the nicest WW2 airsoft guns around. I'd recommend it.
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HP PPSH41
FPS: 350
Construction: Steel and Wood
Gearbox: V7
Cost: $250
The Hexagon Production PPSH41 is the first large marketed PPSH41 to be released. It is an electric powered machine gun. It can fire on full and semi automatic. Its internals are a clone gearbox(M14) with metal bushings. The internals are standard clone type although they are greased well. It can be easily upgraded. The rifle is really well made. Its made of all stamped steel just like the originals and a real wooden stock. The finish is blued also the same as the originals were finished. It opens up just like the real machine gun. Opening the bolt reveals the hop up unit. It comes with one drum magazine which holds about 400 BB's.
The Drum magazine has some problems but HP released a Youtube Video on how to fix it. The modification takes about 15 minutes with a dremel tool. The video on How to Fix it can be viewed here. No need to worry as these problems have been fixed on newer versions of this gun.
I highly recommend this SMG.
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AGM Sten MKII
FPS: 310
Construction: Alloy
Gearbox: V3 custom
Cost: $150-$200
The AGM Sten is an electric airsoft gun. It fires on full auto only just like the real weapon. It uses a modified V3 Gearbox which is upgradeable except for maybe the nozzle and tappet plate. It uses standard clone internals, which are ok quality but poorly greased. The hop up can also be replaced with a standard M4 type. The hop up is adjustable and is done so with an allen wrench which comes with the gun. It uses AGM MP40 magazines. The mag well can be rotated into a straight position or sticking out from the side like the real sten. It comes with a 7.4 volt lipo battery. Over all the gun is pretty solid feeling except for the stock which has a slight wobble to it. I'd suggest you buy this weapon.
Battery Compartment shown below
FPS: 520-540
Construction: Aluminum and Wood
Cost: $500
The Tanaka Kar98 is a gas operated bolt action rifle. It is an extremely hard shooter at 520-540 FPS. Its an all wood and aluminum construction. The wood and metal finish is very nicely done. It runs on Green Gas. There have been reports of the receiver warping after extended use. Some suggest not pulling the bolt back all the way. Instead only pull it back a about a inch to prevent wear. It functions well in the hot and mildly cold temperatures. These are no longer made but can be found used. Its one of the best performing WWII airsoft guns made though the durability can be lacking sometimes. I'd recommend it.
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Redfire Kar98
FPS: 360-400
Construction: Steel, Alloy, and Wood
Cost: $215
The Redfire Kar98 is a clone of the Tanaka K98. It is gas fire as the tanaka is. It features a wood stock and steel bolt. The wood stock is very solid, of good quality. It functions well in the hot and mildly cold temperatures. I'd recommend it.
AGM MP40
FPS: 330
Construction: Alloy and ABS Plastic
Gearbox: V3 custom
Cost: $100-$200
The AGM MP40 is an electric airsoft gun. It fires on semi and full auto. It uses a modified V3 Gearbox. It is mostly upgradeable. It uses standard clone internals, which are decent but poorly greased. The hop up is on the poor side unfortunately and is the guns main downfall. It can be replaced with an AK47 type hop up. This requires modification though. It also uses a custom two piece barrel which results in air leaks. I recommend customizing the hop up unit with this guide.
Its metal parts include barrel, front and rear sights, upper receiver, Handle, Magazine, and folding stock. All the metal parts are alloy. Its ABS plastic parts include the handle grips, and the lower receiver portion. On the real MP40 The grips and lower portion were constructed of plastic Bakelite so the non metal construction of these parts is authentic. The metal finish is dark flat black. The Bakelite finish is OK but a bit plastic looking. The main unrealistic thing about this weapon is the semi auto option which was not present on the real machine gun.
This is a decent starter weapon.
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SCR MP40
FPS: 300
Construction: Steel and Plastic
Gearbox: V3 modifed
Cost: $330
The SCR is a very high quality airsoft replica of the MP40 sub-machine gun. It is the best MP40 on the market. The receiver is made of stamped steel. The grips and lower body are ABS plastic, realistic to the real weapon which used Bakelite. It comes with a greyish looking metal finish. It also has engraved authentic markings.
The internals are high quality. The gearbox layout is much like the AGM MP40's but is a upgraded design. It uses a Mosfet circuit control, 8mm Metal bushings, along with a metal spring guide and a high torque motor. The trigger system is electrical not mechanical. Overall it is very nicely designed weapon with quality internals. It is not suggested that you install a spring higher the a PDI 170%, as the gearbox does have some weak points. The hop up is made of metal though one concern is the hop nub is also metal, which could cause excessive wear on the hop up rubber. It may be wise to install a plastic or rubber nub.
Overall I would highly suggest this weapon as I think its pros out weigh its few cons.
Here is a great review on it done by Kalbs on WWIIAA. Click here for link
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Shoei Stg44
FPS: 400
Construction: Metal and Wood
Cost: $1,550
The Shoei Stg44 is a superb all wood and metal airsoft replica. It shoots at 400fps. It is gas operated blowback using green gas. It fires full auto only. The all wood and metal construction and the blowback system adds much realism to your play. After Lubrication is applied it can be an extremely effective airsoft weapon. An external Green gas adapter is needed. You can buy it on Airsoft Extreme for $1,550. It comes with 3 extra mags, 2 feet of 6mm hose to connect to your remote system, and an SP Green Gas Adapter.
I highly suggest you buy this airsoft gun.
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AGM MP44
FPS: 400-430
Construction: Alloy and Plastic/Wood
Gearbox: V3 modifed
Cost: $200 for Plastic version- $250 for wood version
The AGM MP44 also known as the Stg44 or Sturmgeweher 44 is an electric airsoft gun. Overall the internals are very nice for a Chinese made airsoft gun. The bushings are metal 8mm. I'd suggest that one downgrades the spring to something less powerful. This will put less stress on the gearbox and also decrease the unnecessarily high FPS. A new shim job and a re-grease of the gearbox would also be wise too.
It has a few inaccuracies to the real weapon such as the pistol
grip being a bit to long, the trigger guard is a bit too small, the
fire selector doesn't work like the real one, and the grips are metal instead of wood and are also not removable.
The outer parts are all alloy with a few steel parts. I've known two people that had the outer parts start to crack on them near the stock. It weighs a hefty 8 pounds. The metal finish is flat black. It can look pretty good with some aging. They come with one 300 round High Cap wind up magazine. It's accuracy is a bit low with a 4ft spread at 50ft. This is an assault gun with a high rate of fire so accuracy isn't a big issue. It definitely has a lot of upgrade potential.
I'd recommend it.
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G&G C02 G-98/Kar-98
FPS: 350 version and 450 version
Construction: Alloy and Wood
Cost: $400-$450
G&G's G98, a replica of the WW2 Kar98, is a CO2 powered airsoft weapon. It fires 6mm BB's. It is the first CO2 powered Airsoft rifle to hit the market. The good thing about the CO2 is it can be used in cold weather. This weapon has a few downsides. The FPS is all over the place. The power can leap to or decrease to as much as 50 feet per second every shot. Many of the early releases had weak pot metal sears which wear down quickly however later ones have fixed this problem. On the positive side it has a good hop up.The rifle has decent quality wood construction although its not up to par with the wood you'll find on real Kar98s. The metal construction is alloy with a simple flat black finish. A leather WW2 style sling comes with each rifle too.
The
rifle overall is very similar to the Tanaka Kar98 design despite it
being CO2 powered. The FPS is adjustable by using different magazines.
One magazine gives it a lower FPS firing around 350fps and the other a
higher one which fires around 450fps. Each magazine holds a 8 gram C02
Capsule, which are good for several reloads. The magazine feeds from the
bottom and holds 9 BB's. The hop up bucking and O- rings are
anti-freeze for cold weather battles.
I would suggest this rifle.
Magazine design shown below.
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Dboys Gas Kar98
FPS: 450
Construction: Alloy and Wood
Cost: $110-$169
This is a Gas operated, shell ejecting , bolt action rifle. Little known about this rifle as far as reliability goes. It fires about 450 FPS. The gas is loaded into the bolt. Its full wood and metal. The wood finish is very poor looking. It has an orangish color and almost looks plastic. It feeds the shells much more smoothly then the spring version. Real Kar98 stripper clips can be used to make loading more easy. Probably could be decent sniper rifle with some hop up modifications and a new tight bore barrel.
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FPS: 400
Construction: Alloy and Plastic
Cost: $500
This is a custom airsoft gun made to look like a Ka98. Its internals are from a JG Bar-10. The JG Bar-10 is a decent spring rifle that has a lot of upgrade potential. It uses external Dboys K98 parts. The stock is plastic and the rest of the parts are alloy. It takes standard 25 round BAR-10/VSR-10 magazines. Schwerpunkt is a one man business based in the US. It is only for sale on the WW2 Airsoft forum in limited numbers. I would suggest this weapon.
It is available here.
Marushin M1 Garand
FPS: 280
Construction: Alloy and Wood
Cost: $500
The
Marushin M1 Garand is a Gas operated rifle. It is all wood and metal.
The rifle is very much identical to the real one. It runs on HFC134a.
Unfortunately it is known to be a very problematic gun. The blow back
mechanism among other parts is known to break easily. There is another
version of the Marushin M1 Garand. Its know as the export version or the
SI version. It shoots closer to 380 Fps and has less problems then the
original version.
Although I know of a few people who seem to have decent luck with these I don't recommend either rifles as you will run into many problems with them.
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Marushin M2 Carbine
FPS: 260-280
Construction: Alloy and Wood
Cost: $400
The Marushin M2 Carbine is a Gas operated rifle. It can shoot both Semi or Full auto just like the real weapon. The weapons construction and finish are very nicely done. The M2 Carbine was not used it WWII so its not proper for a WWII event though. It has a blow back mechanism. It is made of all wood and metal. Though the exterior of this weapon is very nice the internals are known to be horrid. The blow back, among other parts, is known to break after limited use. It is known to have gas leaking problems too. Due to its many problem I do not recommend this weapon unless you only want to use it for display purposes.
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Dboys Kar98
FPS: 400-430
Construction: Alloy and Plastic/Wood
Cost: $80-$150 for Plastic version- $120-$180 for wood version
The Dboys Kar98 is a spring shell ejecting bolt action rifle. It comes with the rifle and 5 metal shells. All black painted parts are metal. The faux wood finish on the plastic version is pretty convincing though the seams give it away. The shells are a big down fall on the gun they cost $6.00 for just two shells. The shells are also known to jam and feed poorly. Real Kar98 stripper clips can be used to make loading more easy. Another downside is it has a two piece barrel and a poor hop up. Combined with not being easily upgraded with its low FPS, its not a good skirmish weapon. It can be made to fire pretty nicely with a some hop up modifications, a new tightbore barrel, new spring(takes an AEG spring I think), and a new piston head. This takes a lot of modifying though and the shells are still a big problem. Its a nice plinker weapon but I wouldn't suggest it for skirmishing.
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Matrix MG42 The Matrix MG42 is reportedly soon to be released. It took a long time for their B.A.R to come out but it did eventually. Hopefully this will come out sooner.
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G&G 1903 Springfield
G&G released pictures of their new 1903 Springfield. Evidently it will use the same internals as their new Kar98.
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G&G M1 Garand Coming Soon
G&G Show cased their soon to come AEG M1 Garand at the IWA 2012 Show. As of now the release date is unknown. The magazine is said to hold 23 rounds. It will be full wood and metal. With G&G's great reputation I am sure this will be a fantastic airsoft weapon. As usual they keep pushing the date back further. Who knows when it will come out.
See Airsoft2day.com for more information HERE.
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Zeta Labs Gas Kar98
It looks like Zeta Labs is going to be making a gas powered Kar98. It looks like it will be very nice from the pictures. It will include a real wood stock which looks very nice. They said it will use a Mauri VSR-10 hop up. Otherwise the internals are unknown. Who knows if it will actually be released.
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SRC MP41
SRC Announced they are making an MP41 which was seen at the IWA show It will of course use the same internals as their MP40. They had a model at the IWA 2012 show. The stock proportions seem to be off. Hopefully they will fix this before its release. The stock will be real wood.
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Ares 1928 and M1A1 Thompsons in the works
Ares has announced on their website that they are in the process of making an electric blow back 1928 and M1A1 Thompson. This video has been released showing it being fired.
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