Review- HFC M190 (Beretta M9) - lots of pics! - Select Fire Edition

[Bob the Angry Potato]

Review- HFC M190 (Beretta M9) - Select Fire Edition (1/3rd complete)

I’m afraid, due to a lack of gas, that this portion of the review will be rather short- also, a lack of a digital camera (for now) makes it even worse. However, I’ll be updating constantly.


(Taken from Gazchap, as a filler until I can get some pictures up)

First Impressions

Anyways, I’ll tell you- by no long shot, is this a shoddily put together pistol. The metal certainly isn’t pot-metal- the functions of the real-steel are replicated to the best possible abilities. The slide will lock back when there is an empty magazine; the gun will take apart just like the real-steel. Considering it is an exact copy of the Marui Beretta M9 (with metal), this is understandable.

The gun is quite hefty, as well, and I must say has the most amazing sound when the slide is racked.

Pulling back the slide and letting it go, you’re treated with an amazingly loud ‘Ka-CHINK’ sound. This is by far the most realistic sound I’ve heard yet with an Airsoft pistol, so my first thoughts were ‘niiiiiice.’ The rail is a nice touch as well, so lasers and other things can be mounted at the bottom.

The gun feels very solid, and is rather hefty. I’m quite impressed with that.

The grips of the pistol are made of textured ABS, which is made to feel like a very, very solid rubber. They’re a pleasure to hold- I don’t like the HFC logo in the center, where the Beretta should be, but that’s just me. Besides, unless you’re a realism nut, it won’t affect you at all- and the grips are 100% interchangeable, other folks have put Hogues and Tac-Master grips on theirs.

The gun feels very, very solid- on par with my WE Hi-Capa 3.8, if not better. It’s certainly not KJW’s sort of metal.

The mag feels very strong, and is a copy of Marui’s, except with reinforced valves. The gun’s mag can take Red Gas without any problems, and actually feels a bit heavier then the Marui counterpart, which I also purchased a mag from.

The colour is a gun-metal grey, and I rather like it. Unlike the picture above, my gun had a nice serial number, A051125, painted in white.

The only downfall I can find, so far, is the trademarks. The ‘M190 Special Forces- Cal 6mm 2003’, and on the other side, ‘Air Model Firearms- Read Instructions Before Use’- don’t really look very good. However, the engravings are very light, and are not noticeable from a short distance- even from a few feet, you’ll have a hard time making them out. Some people, though, like these trademarks, and even colour them in white. However, I didn’t buy the gun for the trademarks- it’s a solid, full-metal pistol that is supposedly very accurate, and a very good performer, and was highly recommended whenever asked about, and whenever I looked into it all I got were good comments. So far, I find these comments were true- the gun is a tank.

The gun takes apart just like its Marui counterpart, and is compatible with parts from the Marui series of guns (silencer adaptors, tightbores, et cetera). So, there are many replacement parts in case something goes wrong, or if you want to upgrade.

The sites are fixed, yet are rather nice. Also, upon close inspection of the gun, I found pretty much no mold lines or creases- only a small one on the bottom area of the hammer, yet that didn’t matter.

So far-

Pros-Full metal
Rugged construction
Hefty, feels realistic.
Plenty of aftermarket parts, and replacements
No mold-lines
Not pot-metal, like the KJW counterpart
Single-action/Double-action

Cons-Trademarks are unrealistic
No working decocker (but the Marui doesn’t have it either, and I decock the gun using my thumb)

This will be updated constantly- within the next few days, I’ll PM Madmax about a Propane adaptor and some silicone, and get a digital camera to take some snapshots with. It fits right in with my holster, and personally, I love it. The WE Hi-Capa 3.8 it came with is quite nice as well, however, I choose this as the first. It’s very solid, and has a ‘no-nonsense’ feel to it.
My overall verdict, right now, is ‘excellent’.

Another thing-

The Manual

The manual was fairly comprehensive, and had all the safety warnings, instructions, takedown, and explosion diagrams you'd expect. However, there was one thing I noticed.

When comparing the manual next to my WE Hi-Capa 3.8's manual, it was almost the same- done in the same format, with the same pictures (generic safety pictures are reused), and the same texts. The only difference was the gun it was for...

I have a suspicion that WE and HFC are related in some sort of way.

EDIT- Yay, pics! Scroll down.

[^Hyperion^]

very good review Nate , once again 8)

Don't like this model much , though. I prefer Glocks 8)

[Bob the Angry Potato]

Thanks, man.

Another thing-

The Manual

The manual was fairly comprehensive, and had all the safety warnings, instructions, takedown, and explosion diagrams you'd expect. However, there was one thing I noticed.

When comparing the manual next to my WE Hi-Capa 3.8's manual, it was almost the same- done in the same format, with the same pictures (generic safety pictures are reused), and the same texts. The only difference was the gun it was for...

I have a suspicion that WE and HFC are related in some sort of way.

[sam0182]

Excellent review!

[stokes]

Nice Review dude!

Sorry to jack your thread but I really need help!

I tried to place hogue grips on my gun but the damn trigger release spring keeps on popping out. Does anyone know how to remedy this situation?

I was thinking of making the area which has contact with the trigger release piece thicker with pieces of metal or some other material.

[Carvs]

Originally Posted by stokes

Nice Review dude!

Sorry to jack your thread but I really need help!

I tried to place hogue grips on my gun but the damn trigger release spring keeps on popping out. Does anyone know how to remedy this situation?

I was thinking of making the area which has contact with the trigger release piece thicker with pieces of metal or some other material.

Ill Pm you about that shortly. Nice review BTW Bob.

[Bob the Angry Potato]

Hmm- I'm guessing this is your thread, but oh, well.

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forum...howtopic=57577

Anyways, I'm afraid I can't help much with that- I've taken the gun apart repeatedly, yet I haven’t taken off the grips- that’s the main part I left alone.

However, from what I understand, perhaps form-cutting some sturdy Plasticard, then gluing it appropriately, would help.

Odd, that- Sledge installed some Hogue grips without a problem. I’ll have to ask him about that.

EDIT- Ah, just noticed your reply, Carvs. Thanks- I assume this is a problem in the Marui and KJW Berettas too, judging from what I've seen.
Thanks!

[Carvs]

Originally Posted by Bob the Angry Potato

I assume this is a problem in the Marui and KJW Berettas too, judging from what I've seen.
Thanks!

Not that I can see. The hogue grips fit on my KJW Full Metal M9 flawlessly. Every so often the slide catch pops out a bit and doesnt lock the slide when the gun is empty but thats not really that big of a problem. The only thing I can think of is, there is this little peice that the hogues come with, its taped on a peice of paper. The gun didnt work properly until I popped that sucker into the grip. Perhaps you didnt install it? But yea, other than the occasional slide catch problem, they install fine... I guess Ill post a pic of what the slide catch does, in a bit.

[Bob the Angry Potato]

Hmm- at least on Marui ones, then. I've seen some complaints- I assume it's because of that bit taped on a piece of paper.
Anyways, I guess not.

[Bob the Angry Potato]

Hmm- at least on Marui ones, then. I've seen some complaints- I assume it's because of that bit taped on a piece of paper.
Anyways, I guess not.

Anyways, I’ve just PM’ed Madmax. Anyways, once his new site is up (a couple of days), I’ll be ordering a Propane Adaptor and some silicone oil from him, so I should have some shooting info and stats fairly soon.
I’m borrowing a camera from Jordan either tomorrow or the day after, so pictures will be here fairly soon. I’ll be as comprehensive as possible, and take as many as I can without flooding it (my pictures are highly compressed, as seen in the FA-MAS thread- they’re of a decent size and 56K friendly). Pictures will include comparisons to other guns, slide locked back, normal, different angles, mags, if it can be used as a bottle-opener, and all that stuff.
Any requests of a certain picture to take, please, post your request here. I’ll do it and post it here as soon as I take it and upload it to Photobucket.

[yanhchan]

Looks really nice how much are magazines?

[Bob the Angry Potato]

The mags are 36 dollars (or 26? Sorry, I forget) on WGC- for Marui ones, they work too. They carry them at most retailers.

Anyways, Sam0182 (look at some of the previous posts, he's there) is planning on bringing some of these in, in a few months.
Check the review of him or ask Yanchan/other buyers about his reliability- he's a great guy.

Anyways, there's a compensated version of this gun, and special-editions (darker metal, and simulated wood grips designed to look like the TM Biohazard) in semi-auto and select fore.

[Bob the Angry Potato]

The mags are 36 dollars (or 26? Sorry, I forget) on WGC- for Marui ones, they work too. They carry them at most retailers.

Anyways, Sam0182 (look at some of the previous posts, he's there) is planning on bringing some of these in, in a few months.
Check the review of him or ask Yanchan/other buyers about his reliability- he's a great guy.

Anyways, there's a compensated version of this gun, and special-editions (darker metal, and simulated wood grips designed to look like the TM Biohazard) in semi-auto and select fire.

UPDATE-

Just took an assload of pictures.
They should be up tonight or tomorrow.

[v82slo]

Thanks BTAP.

I've got the special forces full, semi auto version on order and appreciate the review. Hoping it's of the same build quality if not better. Will add pics and some differences to your review if you don't mind, once it arrives.

[-Rubix-]

Originally Posted by Bob the Angry Potato

Anyways, Sam0182 (look at some of the previous posts, he's there) is planning on bringing some of these in, in a few months.
Check the review of him or ask Yanchan/other buyers about his reliability- he's a great guy.

Several people I know, as well as myself, will vouch for this. Excellent guy.

Very nice review- When you get more gas, I'm interested to know it's efficiency on green. (I'm also awaiting the pictures :P)