WE GBB quality

[Scoots]

I'm looking to purchase a single stack (non high-capa) 1911.

What is the general consensus on the quality of WE brand of 1911s? I like the idea of an all metal barrel on their 1911 4.3 carry model.

Should I really be looking at some other brand? KWA? KJW? etc

I've done a search on here and google, and couldn't find much beyond 10 yr old kid airsoft reviews to answer my question.

Thanks in advance

[Eeyore]

WE offers affordable full metal pistols, but the quality is not stellar. If you can afford the few more dollars go KJW or KWA. The System 7 KWA are very nice, but so are the KJW actually. I have actually heard nothing good longer term about WE pistols.

[Spawn28]

Originally Posted by Eeyore

I have actually heard nothing good longer term about WE pistols.

Well then let me tell ya one mine is a WE 3.8 Highcappa All stock and was bought when A&A were still in the game. I have done nothing to it other then normal maitanance and its still going strong i have put well over a 144,000 rounds through it as i use it daily for stress relief and its just a hell of alota fun. So in short its been like 4 years and its still kickin at 285FPS with .20's. Now im not saying that WE are the BEST! but i really can say that mine has stood the test of time and is still alive.

I also game it as well.

Oh yeah and the Mags arent the best go with TM mags a little more money but worth it

[Eeyore]

Originally Posted by Spawn28

Well then let me tell ya one mine is a WE 3.8 Highcappa All stock and was bought when A&A were still in the game. I have done nothing to it other then normal maitanance and its still going strong i have put well over a 100,000 rounds through it as i use it daily for stress relief and its just a hell of alota fun. So in short its been like 4 years and its still kickin at 285FPS with .20's. Now im not saying that WE are the BEST! but i really can say that mine has stood the test of time and is still alive.

I also game it as well.

Oh yeah and the Mags arent the best go with TM mags a little more money but worth it

Corrected.

[Spawn28]

I just re read what i wrote and i didnt mean for it to sound rude if you read it that way i was just sayin 8) I added a smiley so nobody would take it wrong....lol



Squeeeeeeeeek

[Eeyore]

Originally Posted by Spawn28

I just re read what i wrote and i didnt mean for it to sound rude if you read it that way i was just sayin 8)


Squeeeeeeeeek

Nope, didn't take it as sounding rude at all.

[SHaKaL]

I don't think Kjw make single stack 1911... but i could be wrong
Best one are WA but are rare as hell.

I still regret selling my WA SV Infinity 5''... worst move i ever made since i play airsoft.

[Spawn28]

I guess sounding was the wrong word i hope it didnt read rude.....lol

Anyway back on topic i will say that the slide after a while has gotten a slight wobble to it because of wear but i would assume that would probably happen to even a high end slide. And the reason its stock is because its hard as hell finding parts for the 3.8

[Eeyore]

Originally Posted by SHaKaL

I don't think Kjw make single stack 1911... but i could be wrong
Best one are WA but are rare as hell.

I still regret selling my WA SV Infinity 5''... worst move i ever made since i play airsoft.

I carry a KJW single stack 1911.

[Kuro_Neko]

I also carry a KJW 1911 and I love it.

I would advise against the WE, they tend to literally rip themselves to pieces. I've never personally owned one, but if you look in the Doctor's Corner section, you'll see thread after thread after thread of people having trouble with WE guns, the 1911 in particular. And I understand replacement parts are a bitch and a half to source.

When it comes down to the 1911, you have to ask yourself one question: is full metal a must? If the answer is yes, then KJW is probably the best bet. If the answer is no, then go with WA or TM.

Really the only downside you'll hear about KJW GBB's is they have finicky mags. Though I have personally owned two different KJW pistols and never had mag problems. That said, for the KJW 1911 its really a moot point since TM mags fit even better then KJW mags and no one questions the quality of TM mags. Replacement parts for KJW guns are really easy to source as well, you can order them directly from KJW with virtually no hassle and very reasonable prices.

Full metal is great, and I would never go any other way. But for the 1911 the smaller gas reservoir in the thinner single stack mag added to the heavier metal slide is going to limit how many shots you're going to manage. On a warm day and relatively slow firing I can usually manage about fifteen shots. That's not a problem for me since I real-cap my mags to seven rounds anyway, but it's something to keep in mind.

[Crunchmeister]

WE 1911s are horrible guns in every way. They're sort of a proprietary hybrid design that's a cross between WA and TM. That means that there are very few replacement parts available for when the gun breaks. And it WILL break. It's just a matter of time.

I have 2 WE pistols - the 2011 (Hi Capa) and Luger. The Hi Capa is ok. Not great, but works. However, parts started getting loose after some use, stuff started not working properly, etc. The goos part about them is that they're 100% TM compatible, therefore you can easily find QUALITY replacement parts if needed.

The Luger is surprisingly good, although the mags are utter junk. In my case, I don't care as it was bought as a collection piece.

If you really want full metal, then you can go for KJW for a 1911. However, as was already mentioned, you get very limited gas mileage out of a metal slide because of the low gas capacity in the mag. I would prefer get an all plastic TM and get a super-lightweight after-market aluminum slide since it keeps the slide weight down, helping gas use. KJW tend to use heavier pot metal, so their slides tend to be heavy, reducing gas mileage somewhat. However, I will still second KJW if you want an inexpensive all-metal 1911.

[ThunderCactus]

Everyone will tell you something different based on their experiences. The fact is, most companies outside of marui have a decent lemon rate.
Lots of people hate or swear by KJW, WE, even WA. Lots of people hate HFC, but I had a stock HFC beretta and it outperformed most fully upgraded pistols and some upgraded AEGs. But I don't deny that there are no replacement parts for them, and they have a high lemon rate.

The best advice that I can offer, is to buy a pistol that WORKS, and that has replacement parts readily available. Don't buy something that looks cool like a WEcapa dragon, and don't focus on metal bodies and such. Buy something that is reliable and will fill the proper role of a pistol (and that is to save your bacon!).

Honestly I'd recommend a marui P226. IMO they're ugly as sin, but they WORK. And they work WELL. Otherwise, KSC and KWA are great brands for metal pistols.
Like Crunch said, stay away from thin mag pistols, they have very limited gas capacity to begin with, which means they're less likely to save your bacon.

[aZn_triXta07]

My advice is SAVE UP.

If you want a reliable GBB stalk the classifieds, folks are selling off their custom GBBs all the time at pretty remarkable prices all sorts of upgraded TMs and even WAs pop up once in a while.

If you're impatient and have more $$ to spend buy NEW

[m102404]

Save up...and if this is your first gun...do yourself a favour and buy a TM 1911/TM MEU/TM Desert Warrior.

Shoot it stock until it dies (which might be a very long time). Then replace this/that/other with whatever you want.

[Crunchmeister]

Originally Posted by ThunderCactus

Honestly I'd recommend a marui P226. IMO they're ugly as sin, but they WORK. And they work WELL. Otherwise, KSC and KWA are great brands for metal pistols.

Quoted for truth. P226 is one of those love/hate guns. People either love the looks or hate them. There's rarely any middle ground. But they're generally excellent pistols out of the box with good mags and great parts availability. And the gas capacity is exceptional.

KSC / KWA are the other good option. My KSC Glock 17 has been a workhorse pistole for years and has never failed me, regardless of the abuse it's been put through. Again, parts are readily available (although not as available as TM) and they're likely to last a long time before those parts are required. Just be careful to use silicone oil sparingly in KCS / KWA mags, as their hopup rubbers tend to swell easily if they come in contact with too much silicone oil.