..: Background
Before I get into the real world history behind the piece in question there are a number of different models which are manufactured by KWC but licensed and released by different companies, predominantly under the auspices of trademark licensing. You can find as definitive list as I can make it in the guides section.
The particular model I’m looking at here is named the “1911 Railgun” – making reference to the modified portion of the front of the frame to include a 20mm weaver rail. At least, that’s what makes sense to me as try as I might I couldn’t find any trace of either electromagnets nor projectile a velocity several times the speed of sound. Yes, the real world equivalent is called a Rail Gun by Colt – but I’m nothing if not pedantic. Its the space here that’s important.
Whilst we’re in pedant mode this version is technically a 1911A1 in real world parlance. The A1 referring to the shorter trigger with a cut out in the frame immediately behind it and … at this point you’re probably loosing the will to live. Let’s just assume for the purposes of this review that we’ll be referring to it as a “1911” throughout and let others worry about that particular rabbit hole.
External cosmetic variations aside, my findings here apply to any of the 1911 variations manufactured by KWC.
The Colt 1911 will be familiar to just about anyone who has seen a modern “action movie” or with a passing interest in firearms. Designed by John Browning as a reaction to the U.S. Army’s requirement for a sidearm of “not less than .45 calibre A.C.P.” it won out over submissions from six other manufacturers and was formally adopted in 1911, hence its moniker. It is still in use and is immensely popular handgun with most modern semi-automatic pistols cocking a snook of the proverbial hat to it in one way or another.
There has always been some confusion in the world of airsoft about 1911’s, with many referring to both 1911 & 2011 under the combined moniker of “1911”. They’re actually two separate groups – 1911 referring to a RIF based around a “single stack” real world gun – 2011 referring to a RIF being based around a “double stack” model. These terms simply refer to how the ammunition is stored in the magazine. In a single stack offering the bullets sit one on top of another, in a double the arrangement is staggered forming two vertical lines. A 2011 will have a much higher ammunition capacity, necessitating a heavier, bulkier magazine & frame. In the real steel there are other perceived pros and cons of both platforms but as this is neither the time nor the place, we’ll move on.
The implications for airsoft are two fold. The first is the form factor – a 1911 will be by its nature a lighter, less bulky affair and able to contain fewer rounds in the magazine. The second being that the magazines contain a smaller gas reservoir meaning they can struggle to fully empty a magazine on a full charge. Whilst the smaller number of rounds isn’t an issue for me, the gas reservoir was. That said I absolutely adore how single stack 1911s feel in the hand and shooting one feels instinctive.
When it comes to airsoft there are a range of different manufacturers offering 1911’s – many with their own proprietary internals. For 2011’s the vast majority are based upon Tokyo Marui’s hugely successful “Hi-capa” internals. You’ll generally hear the non-TM ones referred to as “clones”. Whilst copies of and mainly interchangeable parts wise with the “Hi-capa” they generally are of a lower quality – especially in terms of reliability and consistency. The world of 2011’s, upgrades & maintenance is as a whole and not one you will find dealt with in the hallowed pages of this website.
Back to 1911’s proper then. Every three years or so I’ve made exactly the same mistake. Back in the 00’s I was seduced by the extra gas & round capacity, not to mention all the super sexy upgrade parts of the SV Infinity only having sunk a small fortune into it to realise that, nope, 2011s were not my back baby. Metaphorical tail between my legs I’d then spend another inordinate some on a 1911 and pootle off into the woods, burbling happily to myself.
So determined not to make the same mistake as before (the less said about the erroneous and quickly sold on purchase of a TTI JW4 the better) I started to research going about sorting out a sidearm that I’d actually use.
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere – kit has moved on. You no longer need to spend a large chunk of your disposable income on importing a Western Arms GBB, a metal slide, upgraded internals, a metal frame & hours filing the damn slide to make it fit. Full metal RIF’s (TM aside) are the new standard.
In the end it came down to a choice between KJW & KWC. I also wanted to give CO₂ a whirl. A sidearm is an essential part of my kit and being unable to use it in winter was always a compromise made betwixt clenched teeth. I also hoped that it would get over the eternal problem (even with my beloved Western Arms which I still dig out in summer) over actually being able to empty a magazine fully without needing a recharge.
I decided to pick up a KWC as it offered a platform for less than the price I would have paid for a CNC Aluminum slide. Along with extra magazines, they are also considerably easier to find here in the U.K. than the KJWs.
Having now owned and skirmished one hard since the start of this year I think I’m now in a place to give you an honest appraisal.
..: Build quality & cosmetics
Everything is metal. The slide, the frame, the outer barrel, the hop unit (more later), the trigger, the hammer. The only part not – hop rubber aside obviously is the blowback unit in the slide. The sights are non-adjustable “novak style” in black with white acquisition dots.
Sure it’s not steel – it is a magnesium alloy rather than the awful brittle pot metal found on what I refer to as the “disposable” options (Raven, WE, Nuprol etc.) Speaking from experience it is not prone to shattering from drops onto or against hard surfaces. There are no signs of wear from the (significant) blowback.
The two models that I own show the main difference in markings and you can clearly see that they are dependent on whether or not you have a KWC branded piece, or one licensed and marketed by a third party.
The KWC gun has the moniker “1911 TACTICAL RAIL” engraved in a modern (but thankfully not obtrusive or showy) font on both sides. The rail itself is a matt brushed silver dual tone – with the black finish matching exactly that found elsewhere on the piece. The overall look and feel is excellent – easily comparable to my WA with a Shooter’s Design slide kit.
The lower frame contains on one side the “Ⓕ” as required for replicas in Germany, a unique serial number & on the other “CAL 6 MM” in small, white font. It is noticeable only if you are aware of it.
Amusingly, this model is marketed under the cringeworthy name of “Milbro” & you may see it listed as a “Milbro 1911 Tactical Rail” or similar.
Onto the licensed “Cybergun KWC Colt 1911 Rail Co2 Pistol Stainless”. This model also has a two tone slide. It is brushed matt silver with the trademark colt logo and text “GOVERNMENT MODEL – COLT – AUTOMATIC CALIBER .45” on one side & a small “COLT RAIL GUN” under the ejection port. The top is finished with the same grey exactly matching that found elsewhere.
On the lower frame, underneath you’ll find the “Ⓕ” & a unique serial number. There is no “CAL 6 MM” at all.
Access is quick and easy, align the slide stop with the take down notch and push the raised nurgle1 and the push the slide forward. This give you access to the hop up and inner assembly. Repeat the process in reverse to re-assemble.
The gun is an absolute joy to fire – the blowback from the CO₂ is considerably loud with a real kick, enough to recommend re-acquiring your target before a follow up shot. It’s a unique sound – louder & harsher than other GBBs. You can easily distinguish it in a firefight. There is also a noticeable puff of gas to the face that may well take you by surprise.
Also surprising, to me at least is that the stainless model comes with a threaded outer barrel allowing to use a standard 11mm to 14mm adapter to affix a silencer should you so wish. Doing so does suppress the sound – deepening it & making it more like a “regular” GBB.
On the bottom right of the frame is a solid & always welcome lanyard loop.
Grips are the standard ABS affairs. They do the job, provide good enough & at anything other than a close inspection will pass as “real”. The faux rosewood ones which come as standard with the stainless model are as good as any I’ve seen out of the box on a RIF, however the first thing I always do is replace them with real steel aftermarket ones. Please note – the grips pictured in this review are obviously not the supplied ones!
See my thoughts in the guide as to what is available as well as recommendations.
..: Hop
The hop is accessed via taking down the slide. It operates via a small cog. Turning it forward (towards the end of the barrel) increases it. It is a proprietary system, the cog depressing a lever onto the hop rubber to provide the necessary backspin.
It is aggressive enough to hop 0.3s (my round of choice for my 1911)s but it does exhibit a tendency to “unwind” and reduce over time. For me, this is the only weak point of the piece. So far I have not had it affect me in game, although I always do a check & set the night before I play.
For some reason, the cog is simply not “tight” enough to maintain the required pressure for an extended time which is a real shame. The hop unit is also extremely difficult to access – as there are workarounds, but this is covered in my guide.
..:Magazines
The magazines are made of the same alloy as the rest of the piece, with a capacity of 14 rounds and whilst it is possible to cram more in it highly recommended that you don’t.2
There is a large space for the CO₂ capsule which is fitted by loosening the hex screw on the bottom and then tightening it past where a “hiss” of gas under pressure is heard.
Keeping the valve o-rings lubricated is essential – as indeed is keeping the slide & blow back assembly equally the same. As is widely detailed elsewhere CO₂ is a “dry” gas with no lubrication. I recommend putting a small drop of silicon oil (this has no negative impact on the hop) on the piercing valve before inserting the CO₂ capsule.
As a rule, I get 3 mags per capsule with no performance issues. Dumping the excess gas is best done by gently unscrewing until gas slowly escapes. This way you can empty the capsule without risking dry firing or the magazine o-ring. Its a lot nicer to be able to reload a magazine in the field without having to refill it with gas!
Each magazine comes with a hex key for loading the CO₂ capsule so you will soon amass a small collection. Should you loose it, a replacement is a standard 6.5mm hex drive/allen key.
..: Power
Ambient temperature 14 °C
New capsule, 3 shots fired before, 10 seconds between shots. No hop applied. Blaster Devil 0.2g BBs
297 fps
303 fps
298 fps
305 fps
313 fps
304 fps
6 shot average : 303 fps
..: Aftermarket parts, recommendations & maintenance
Being proprietary you will need to source specific KWC parts. Only KWC magazines and parts will fit. With regard to hop rubbers I can only avouch for the one mentioned below.
The following are widely available – please message me to save broken retailer links if you require sources:
Complete inner & outer barrel (including hop unit & rubber) black/silver
Slide stop
Red wolf airsoft Airsoft Surgeon upgraded KWC 1911 hop rubber
Replacement magazine valve
Replacement magazine piercing seal
Magazine inner valve o-rings – standard size 8mm OD (outer diameter) 6mm ID (inner diameter)
6.5mm hex drive/allen key
Real steel grips, holsters etc. for single stack 1911s
**If you have gas leaking either from the top of the mag or from the piercing valve it is more than likely to be a dry or perished o-ring. Every time I’ve experienced this I have been able to fix it by taking out the magazine hammer vale, lubricating the o-ring with silicon oil & re-assembling**
..: Conclusion
Considering the price – both the models I own can be had for around £100-£120 in the U.K. at the time of writing (May 2024) I am more than happy with the build, finish & performance.
I have found the power and consistency to be more than adequate for CQB and sub 40 metre range in woodland. Parts are easily sourced (I hope to add retailer links once I have a response from them) and provided you religiously clean & lubricate after every use they will serve you well.
It is a lovely looking RIF, a joy to fire and is perfectly suited to hitting head or person sized targets in CQB or the sub-40 metre range. With the hop however it’s not really possible to effectively use it to engage at further distances.
Be aware of the limited magazine capacity if that impacts on your style of play.
If you’re after a full metal single stack 1911 this is a great choice (with or without trades) at an excellent price without having to purchase a TM model and upgrade accordingly.
It is light years ahead of the awful “monkey metal” budget options offered by Raven, WE, Nuprol etc.
Highly recommended if you can’t find the KJW alternative.
Fraggle, May 2024 🐾