Yas of Hyperdouraku Airsoft Blog does a review on the Western Arms M9 Hurt Locker Battle Damage version. This M9 airsoft replica was announced last May 2011, and Yas has finally gotten his hands on one to give us his take on this airsoft gas blowback pistol which is based on the Hurt Locker movie.

If you haven't watched the Hurt Locker, better do so now, a movie about a US Army EOD team in Iraq and have one six Oscar Awards (82nd Academy Awards), among other awards that it has won during the course of its showing. It is indeed a gripping movie, whilst not your typical slam-bang military action movie.

The M9 in the movie can be clearly remembered when Sergeant First Class William James (Jeremy Renner) stops a taxi from proceeding through his area when he was disarming an IED. According to the IMFDB.org, the M92 used in that scene came from a Jordanion General as it was filmed in Jordan. It was supposed to be a Beretta 92FS, but it was stuck in customs and thus they had to use the 92. The 92FS appears later on the film.

The WA 92 Battle Damage Version HW (Heavyweight) is made of high density resin, also known as carbon black. It was aged to give its "Battle Damage" look and according to Yas the edges show wear due to "heavy fighting" which he likes. The finish to the "Battle Damage" slide used black liquid bluing, which I am a little bit confused due to poor Japanese to English translation.

It has all the markings with stapmed "US 9mm M9-Beretta USA-65490" and the HW plastic grip panels are matte black military. The left side of the hammer has an engraved realistic serial number just like in the real steel version. There's good balance and the weight is over 1kg. On the right side it has realistic miliatry engraving, with the patent markings on the right side visible. The lower frame shows ASGK, which of course you will be familiar with as these are reflected in airsoft guns mainly made in Japan.

Even the outer barrel shows aging with the rear sight containing the white dot marking to aid in aiming whilst the ambidextrous safety lever also shows the same aging throughout. Removing the slide reveals the hop-up on the lower frame of the pistol which can be adusted with the hop-up adjustment screw.

The magazine can be loaded with around 25+1 BBs. Made from die-cast zinc, which Yas says may rub off soon to make it looked aged, and on par with the rest of the gas blowback pistol. The blowback recoil gives a heavy feel. It fires at 244fps which is typical of gas blowback pistols from WA.

Getting the pistol will be easy when it is available at airsoft retailers, but if you want to the full "Hurt Locker" look, good luck in finding the "EOD Ensemble" or Bomb Suit, much less want to wear it. Sgt. James himself would rather remove it rather than be weighed down by it.

If you can understand the review better in Japanese and see more photos, better proceed to the Hyperdouraku blog.