Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. AirsoFT As far as function, this 1911 will also astound. The traditional single-action trigger was crisp and responsive. The grip safety is also there and works as in the original. Ditto for the manual safety catch at the left rear of the frame. The basic fixed rear sight and shallow front blade are also there. Of course, this airsoft pistol can also be field-stripped just like the real McCoy, a valuable feature handy for training purposes. Surprisingly, this softie is devoid of any markings, something not terribly important unless you want no-holds-barred realism. The P-38 the real deal, with a gas-powered double-action blowback mechanism. The metal magazine takes up to 12 6mm BBs and also doubles as the gas reservoir. All controls operate just as in the real P-38. The manual safety catch drops the cocked hammer safely and blocks DA operation of the trigger, again as in the real thing. The slide reciprocates rather vigorously as well. Also like the Colt softie, this P-38 clone can be fieldstripped like the original. Incidentally, the airsoft P-38 weighs a comfortable 13 ounces, in contrast to the approximately 2.1 pounds of the real P-38. The airsoft copy of the Walther P-38 tested is the version produced by Maruzen in Japan and distributed in the U.S. by Umarex USA. The Maruzen company is also famous for their many gas-powered airsoft pistols and a few subguns such as an amazing select-fire blowback copy of the compact Czech Skorpion. The airsoft P-38 features molded ABS construction throughout. Unlike the airsoft 1911A1, the P-38 softie bears realistic wartime markings. The left side of the slide, for instance, has the P.38 model designation clearly marked, followed by the German wartime production code ac41, indicating Walther production from 1939 to 1945. There’s also a serial number on both the slide and the frame. The right side of the slide bears the German “F” proof mark within a pentagon, as well as two tiny German eagles above the number 359. The brown plastic grip panels of the softie also faithfully imitate the original bakelite panels of the real wartime P-38. Function of the airsoft P-38 is like Do They Work? Both models performed flawlessly during tests, with remarkably similar results. Both printed groups averaging 4" across at seven yards, with enough oomph to scatter lightweight plinking targets such as empty pop cans. Loaded with .2 gram (3.08 grain) airsoft BBs, they even managed to drill some of the Here’s how you fill the magazine reservoir with Green Gas. cans fairly consistently. Both pistols averaged two to three magazines per filling of gas. Their subdued “pops” on firing are not likely to attract attention in a backyard setting, so long plinking sessions should not be a problem. Incidentally, both of these models have adjustable “Hop-Up” mechanisms allowing shooters to impart variable backspin to the BBs in order to obtain flatter trajectories. There’s no doubt both of these very different, but nevertheless brilliantly designed handguns have earned prominent places among the world’s top autoloading pistols. The airsoft versions of these famous sidearms truly offer extreme sophistication and realism in almost every respect. * For more info: Airsoft Colt 1911A1 ($184), www.umarexusa.com; Airsoft Walther P-38 ($129), www.AirsoftAtlanta.com. The P-38’s metal magazine has capacity for up to 12 6mm BBs. The P-38 can be fieldstripped the same way as the real gun. Surprisingly, the airsoft KWA Colt 1911A1 sports a metal slide devoid of markings. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 47