Tokyo Marui gave a lucky handful of airsoft enthusiasts, including a representative of Hyperdouraku an early poke at their upcoming Type 20 5.56mm rifle gas blowback (GBBR) on 21 June, setting up shop at Brave Point Shinjuku for what the company says was its first ever pre-launch test-fire event. Rather than the usual routine of squinting at brochure photos and hoping for the best, attendees got to walk two indoor courses and actually shoot the thing at target plates, which feels like a reasonable way to find out if a rifle works.

The rifle itself uses Type 89 magazines (35 rounds, HFC134a gas), and reviewers found it comfortably weighted rather than suspiciously light, with a telescopic stock and adjustable cheek pad for tailoring to different builds. The cocking handle's position took a bit of adjusting to for anyone used to an AR-pattern layout, and apparently more than one Marui staffer has picked up a bruised finger from absent-mindedly resting a hand too close to it — a small occupational hazard of muscle memory. Even so, testers managed to land hits on plates over ten metres away in a dim indoor setting, helped along by the bundled MTD dot sight, in both semi and full-auto.

Side-by-side with the older Type 89 GBB, the Type 20 reportedly handled with noticeably less fuss in the tight corners of an indoor field, and stripping it down for a look at the internals suggested maintenance won't be a chore, save for a front pin that was a touch stubborn on reassembly. Marui is aiming for a summer release, with staff quietly hoping to have stock ready before the Obon holidays, though anyone dreaming of an official PMAG-compatible magazine may have to keep dreaming a while longer, as that's apparently not on the cards just yet.

The Tokyo Marui Type 20 GBB will be available only in Japan when it gets released.

Read the full story here and below is the video: