34m 1s: Lenght

This is a very long awaited review of the Tokyo Marui MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) 1911 airsoft pistol. MEU(SOC) potted history: In the late 1980s, USMC Colonel Robert Young laid out a series of specifications and improvements to make Browning's design ready for 21st century combat, many of which have been included in MEU(SOC) pistol designs. In 2002, an article in American Handgunner stated that "Marine armorers from the Precision Weapons Section, MCBQ" are making 789 MEU (SOC) 1911's. The revised parts list included barrels, bushings, link pins, sear springs, ejectors, firing pin stops, mainspring housings and mainsprings, all from Nowlin Manufacturing. Slides were ordered from Springfield Armory, with front sight pins, beavertail safeties and recoil spring guides from Ed Brown. Novak was contracted for rear sights, Wilson Combat provided extractors and mag release buttons, while King's Gun Works supplied ambidextrous thumb safeties. A Marine operator may shoot as many as 80,000 rounds from this pistol during a training-cycle and subsequent deployment. However, it is more common for a Marine to return the pistol to the PWS at Quantico for a rebuild after 10,000 rounds have been fired. A rebuild entails discarding almost all of the gun's parts except for the frame, which prior to 2003 was a U.S. Government frame last manufactured in 1945. The frame is inspected and reused if it is still within military specifications. There are frames in the USMC inventory that have had as many as 500,000 rounds fired through them. The Officer In Command of the Precision Weapons Shop in 2001, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ken Davis, stated that the M1911 is "the only pistol that can stand up to this use". The original pistols were hand-selected standard government issued Colt M1911A1s that were gutted, deburred, and prepared for additional use by the USMC Precision Weapon Section (PWS) in Quantico, VA. They were then assembled with after-market grip safeties, a rounded hammer, ambidextrous thumb safeties, lighter triggers made by Videcki, improved high-visibility sights, accurized match-grade barrels made by Bar-Sto, Pachmayr rubber grips, front cocking-serrations, and improved stainless steel magazines made by Wilson Combat. The airsoft replica: The TM version of this pistol is to my mind the better of the flurry of copies and clones done by the likes of WE, ARMY and others, yes they have the correct markings whether licenced or otherwise and are full metal. but the TM plastic version seems to just look right and is built far better in terms of reliability and quality. Its look and layout are accurate to the RS pistol, with look-a-like Pachmayr grips, licenced 'Novak' sights, Kings ambi-thumb safety, Videcki trigger, Springfield Delta hammer, Nowlin marked outer barrel, Springfield design grip safety and a good copy of the Springfield slide and frame, though without markings. The action is crisp and hard kicking as the gun cycles with a strong blowback. Accuracy, range and function are all up to the best, it being a TM it goes without saying. Though gas use can be a problem for colder climate countries as the magazine is thin and the gas reservoir is therefore small, using Green gas can help though. The mags themselves are a very good copy, though unmarked, of the Wilson Combat 47D style brushed steel 8 round mags issued with the RS pistols when bought by the Marines. The gas magazine holds 28 BBs. Sights are black with a serrated foresight vane with no white dots at all but this is as the RS version depicted by TM so they are accurate in their fitting of them. Upgraded sights with Tritium inserts are available however along with numerous correctly marked metal body and slide kits by Prime, Guarder and Nova. Trigger pull is smooth and not 'grindy' like the WE or ARMY versions can be. All controls click on and off with ease. The Kings style ambi-safety is rather big and can be an issue for some in use but you could always fit the Ed Brown copy from the 5.1 Hi-capa as the RS pistols had these fitted too along with the Ed Brown grip safety (from the 5.1) and Combat hammer from the 4.3. Grips are copies by TM of the excellent Pachmayr wrap around rubber grips, however these are in hard plastic and though good aren't the best for those with small hands. RS Pachmayr grips will fit if you so wish to purchase some with the correct markings. Conclusion: An excellent all round 1911 pistol with very good upgrade or custom potential. It has everything you need for a modern out of the box 1911 design. Look no further if your after a classic icon pistol that will do all its asked. Recommended. As a footnote all parts are interchangable with the Night Warrior by TM. Thanks for watching guys and girls and remember... Stay sharp but stay safe ;-)