Ergonomics is a major selling point of the SiG P226. It has a triad of controls located strategically within reach of the right thumb without altering your grip. These include the slide lock-back release lever, de-cocking lever and the magazine release. It is just a shame that this triad of controls is not ambidextrous and is only suited for right-handed persons. The magazine release is flush with the adjacent part of the grip, which protects it from accidental  release while being holstered. No more missing magazines at the skirmish site! These three controls are all serrated for better grip and control.

Another selling factor of this gun is it being a double action pistol. It means that you can either fire the gun by pulling the hammer or from the normal/relaxed position if it has been initially cocked. While the gun is holstered, you have the advantage of firing your gun immediately upon draw with just one hand. To de-cock a loaded weapon, it is a customary practice on most airsoft pistols to hold the hammer while pressing the trigger then return the hammer to its relaxed state. A clever de-cocking lever is made just for this with the P226. Just press the lever and presto! Your gun is de-cocked and is on its relaxed and safe state. A secondary safety device is built into the slide takedown lever, which is activated by pressing it from the right side of the frame. This prevents the trigger from being pulled accidentally.

Both models are equipped with rail at the lower frame. Owners of G&P M3 torchlight would find it loose on the TM but a bit tight on the KJW. The side and back grips texture is stippled which gives it a nice grip to it. The middle front portion of the grip has got a bit of checkered texture being a part of the lower frame.

The pistol sights are fixed with white dots to aid in target acquisition for the front and rear. These could be replaced by tritium, which glows in the dark. It makes targeting in low light conditions much easier.

To adjust the metal hop-up, the magazine has to be released first, then the slide has to be pulled backwards until the take-down lever can be freely rotated clockwise. Pull the slide forward until it disengages from the lower frame. To put back is just to do the reverse procedure. The stock hop-up adjustment was found to be good already so no adjustment was made on both models.

TOKYO MA RUI SIG P226

Tokyo Marui took the airsoft world by storm when they released their P226 airsoft version a couple of years back. They did an excellent job in producing a replica, which is almost identical to the real steel. All SIG trademarks are present at the proper places on both sides of the slide and on the grip. In fact, the only markings that will give it away at a glance is the “Tokyo Marui Co. Ltd - Made in Japan” which is found on the right portion of the top slide.

The gun is almost entirely made of tough ABS plastic in matte finish. The external visible metal parts are the trigger, slide take-down lever, de-cocking lever, magazine release, fore and rear sights, slide lock-back lever and of course the magazine which also has the SIG and 9mm markings. Internal metal parts include the spring guide, inner barrel and the hop up assembly. It has the trademark of the usual high quality finish and workmanship that you would expect from a Marui product.

With an empty magazine, the gun weighs at approximately 797g. Caliper reading indicated an inner barrel diameter of 6.08mm as shown in the photo. Inner barrel length is 97mm. An upgraded inner barrel will yield an increase in accuracy and range. Out of the box, the gun was able to handle green gas at 18-20 degrees Celsius ambient room temperature. The magazine will hold 25 rounds of BBs. A load of gas will normally be enough for two complete reloads which equates to 50 rounds. Loading bb’s into the magazine can only be done one way. That is through the magazine front by either pushing a bb one at a time or pulling down the follower and using a speed loader. Other manufacturers will allow loading from the lower part of the magazine once the follower is held back. Marui’s magazine is a two-part metal sections held together by an Allen screw. Make sure that it is tight before attempting to fill it with gas otherwise it will just leak. If you find that gas is escaping through the nozzle while filling; cut a short length of rubber band and insert it on the gap at the magazine gas port. It does the trick of being a DIY o-ring and seals the gas while filling.

Despite having an ABS frame and slide, the entire gun feels solid and weighty. It has a strong and crisp blowback coupled with a metallic “ker-klank” sound each time a shot is fired. Chronograph reading is very impressive and almost consistent. It has a recorded high of 279fps and low of 276fps, averaging 277.6fps over five shots. This was done using green gas. Range practice at 10 meters shows good groupings as shown on the photo. Further tests on farther range outdoors were not suitable due to the prevailing strong winds when the test was done.

As with most Tokyo Marui Pistols, the only thing I would whine about this model in for not being a full metal. There is always that psychological, if not material, superiority of a model being full metal from an ABS version of an airsoft gun. Unless the real steel version is actually a real steel and resin model just like the famous Glock, we would always ask, “Is it full metal?” Other than that, all its features are all testaments to the high quality and workmanship that Tokyo Marui is famous for. Another thing that is worth mentioning is the manual that comes with it. It is a known fact that TM products are made in Japan but exported worldwide. Why can’t they supply a manual in full English version? Chinese clones do! It is understandable if you buy the model in Japan to have a Japanese manual. But a Japanese manual for a model legally exported to the UK? We deserve a better deal.

With some on-line retailers selling this gun at 80 pounds lately, this gun should be on top of your shortlist if you are eyeing for a back-up weapon or just for collection. This would not disappoint in terms of form and function. Stock specs are already superb for skirmish use. If you are a pistol modder, there are loads of aftermarket parts and upgrades that would further enhance the beauty and brawn of this stock pistol.

Another Tokyo Marui airsoft pistol that is highly recommended.

KJ WORKS SIG P226 FULL METAL

As with most clones, they will improve on a feature on the original that is obviously lacking. KJ Works just did that by making their own version of Tokyo Marui’s SiG P226 but in full metal. What we have in feature here is the compact version that is MM shorter. There is another version that is exactly the same as the TM’s. Having already mentioned the common features that it share with its original brother, the first thing that would visually strike you is the absence of trademarks. This helps lower the cost since no copyright owners to pay.

Externally this model is made almost entirely of metal except for the visible ABS handgrip with “KJWORKS” markings on both sides instead of the P226 on the TM’s. The metal parts are finished in matte black that is a little bit shiny. The metal top slide has got an indention on its entire length unlike the TM’s that is just one. The serration is only on the lower part compared to the TM’s full-face serration. The inner barrel diameter is a bit tighter at 6.06mm compared to the TM’s 6.08mm.

With an empty magazine, this compact model weighs at 892g, outweighing its original brother by a mere 87g. Out of the box, the gun was at ease with green gas being a full metal. There was no problem of leakage when filling the one-piece metal magazine whose only marking is “KJWORKS” at the bottom. The magazine would hold 22 rounds of BBs. Loading the magazine with bb’s can be done in two ways. You either load it through the front of the magazine or by the lower part when the follower is at its end of travel. The option is yours depending on your convenience. Testing the gun at 18-20 degrees Celsius ambient room temperature produced an almost perfect chrono reading as shown on the photos. There is that distinct metallic “ker-klank” sound that is music to your ears everytime you pull the trigger. It is just like firing real steel without the loud bang and the sound of empty shells dropping on the pavement. It recorded a high of 266 fps and a low 262 fps, averaging 263.4 fps over five shots. Target practice 10 meters away yielded an impressive result on a 140mm x 140mm target as shown on the photo. A load of gas would suffice for two reloads, which equates to 44 rounds.

Being a clone of TM’s P226 does not exactly mean that both parts are inter-changeable. In fact, the only parts that are exactly the same are the hop-up assembly. The slide, grip, magazine and lower frame can not be interchanged. So if you intend to upgrade some parts of this from TM’s after market parts, don’t. That is because this is the compact version while the TM is a regular version.

There are two minor negative things that are prominent with this model aside from the absence of trademarks. Firstly, the clearance between the slide and the lower frame is too much that it makes a rattle when you shake the pistol from side to side, but not vertically. Lastly, the magazine also is a bit loose at the magazine well that also makes a rattle when the pistol is shaken. I reckon that a wrap of electrical tape would solve the problem. These are just minor flaws that do not affect the performance of the pistol as shown in the target practice. A plus factor for this pistol is the English manual that comes with it. Good work, KJ Works!

CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

A pistol side arm is not as heavily used in a skirmish as that of a primary weapon, an AEG. Most of the time, you never had a chance to use it at all except for target shooting during lunch break or in between scenarios. The likelihood of a pistol being used extensively is if you prefer pistol games or CQBs. This makes the choice of a pistol more relevant.

If you are looking for a SiG P226 that has upgrade potentials, a trusted brand name, a proven track record of dependability, reliability and accuracy, you should go for the Tokyo Marui model especially if you are an extensive pistol user.

On the other hand, if you prefer a full metal model straight out of the box, don’t mind about trade marks, whose reliability, dependability and accuracy is almost at par with the branded models, go for the KJ Works model. You may pay a little bit for this model but it is still competitive for a full metal version.

The only upgrade parts that I would recommend for both models is a tight bore inner barrel that will further increase power, range and accuracy. It is also a wise investment to have an extra magazine or two for that longer engagement duration.

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Review done with the assistance of MIGH2R.