I'll start putting pen to paper and build up some considered opinion in this first post, feel free to ask questions or add your own personal experience, I'll add my stuff to the first post to keep it all in one place.
Build quality
Well, it's pretty much a Tanaka in most respects. There were issues with a pot metal hammer but with the new steel version there shouldn't be any problems with wear.
The hop adjusting system is more refined with separate adjuster and lock screw so it should be set and forget. I've had a look at the hop system and it looks much like the Tanaka out of the box but I can't work out how to change the hop rubber - this will be investigated later.
The woodwork is OK but has a sprayed on lacquer so easily marked and looks obvious too. As with my old Tanaka, I'll strip this at some point and re-finish with something more durable.
Metalwork is fine - usual airsoft flat black paint finish that doesn't look particularly like steel but meh.
Magazine
The unique thing is of course the CO2 gas charging. On the face of it it has benefits - convenient to change gas but most importantly should be usable at low temperature and be less susceptible to massive power changes as temperatures increase. In theory then, no messing about with various cans of different gas to suit the time of year.
First impressions are that I'm struggling with consistency - but I did with the Tanaka as well. With a high powered magazine the power drops in the fifth loading, very low power on the sixth loading and it won't make it to the end. By combining this with the unique feature of having the 'clip' separate from the power source it brings into play a rather nice concept. Use one magazine body and five clips. You will be able to use K98 pouches - the mag stays in the gun, the clips and spare bulbs in the pouches. Once you have emptied five clips, swap out the bulb and reload the clips. Nice and easy - no discovering you have run out of gas mid-mag. So, 45 shots per bulb. I bought 30 bulbs for £14.30 incl.postage on ebay (I'm sure with effort they can be found cheaper) so that works out at 1p per shot. Including 0.3g ammo this works out at £1.60 per 100 shots - a day or even weekend's shooting so next to nothing really.
There is on the market now and alternative mag (same price as CO2) that uses conventional green gas charging, should you prefer to go down that route (or use it as an alternative).
Accuracy
Range testing indoors at 9.5m (31 feet) was spot on - every shot of a clip of 9 within a 6inch target, seven within 4inch group, five within 2 inch group. Iron sights, no scope.
Gas power and consistency
Initially I had a very frustrating time with serious inconsistency and mis-firing but I took apart the bolt and reassembled and this did the trick (remember, this rifle was previously owned). The next issue was that the variety of mags are mixed up and there is no way of telling which magazine is high power or lower power. Indeed, after testing to see which was which I couldn't see what makes a mag high or low power and this remains a bit of a mystery. What I can say is that the absolute maximum power I got with one mag on the first shot or two was 426fps with a 0.34g bb (equiv 2.87J or 555fps with a 0.2g).
What is clear is that the power available drops shot by shot until there is no power to expel a BB. On a low power mag you can get through six clips of 9 before becoming hopeless, on a high power mag five clips.
This raises a tricky problem when defining a role as with a skirmishable low power mag the power goes from about 390fps (0.2g) to 262fps. It isn't so much a problem in WW2 games where players are trusted to be sensible but may be at an open day when absolute and unmovable power limits are enforced. See table below for example data.
Now, have absolutely no idea whether the same sort of results can be found on a Tanaka - I never bothered to do the analysis before and I've never seen anyone else's results either. So, the phenomena may well be the same with Tanaka. Or it might not.
The dropping in power doesn't seem to affect the shootability of the rifle though, which is fab, but if you are the sort of person that hides at the back and takes all shots at maximum possible range then it might as obviously reach drops as the power drops.
Green gas mag
Well, got meeself a 'conventional' gas mag today so ran some tests. The only gas I had lying around was a can of "Super Power Green Gas" that comes in a camo pattern 1100ml can.
Overall results show reasonable predictability. There wasn't the even and consistent decline in power of the CO² as the shot-to-shot fps jumped about a bit but there was a noticeable decline as shots went on. There was a marked end to the fireable shots though and the end of the gas power was sudden. Four clips (36 shots) is all you can get out of a gas filling.
At 12.5ºC the average over 4 clips per mag filling and three fillings with 0.2g bbs was 1.15J or 349fps, with a max reading of and a minimum of 105fps
So, better rate of power drop-off than CO² at the expense of less predictable gas filling and low temperature performance.
Which is better? I really don't know but I really like the predictability and convenience of popping in a CO² bulb a rather than carting about cans of gas. I'd say there isn't a 'better' mag as there are pluses and minuses to both and that the deciding factor comes down to personal preference.
Changing mag power
coming soon...
Thanks for the info mate!
How do you think the conventional gas mags will compare to the C02 mags?
And how much do you find the fps varies roughly shot to shot?
Shot by shot data added to first post.
No idea about whether gas mag will be different - the only way is to buy one and see, which I shall do...
That variation looks rather worrying.
At the top end you are well into the realm of needing a minimum engagement distance. At the bottom you are running at a very low power level.
As an organiser (whether at a WWII event or an open day) I'd not be able to see any alternative to inflicting the minimum engagement distance on the gun for all the shots, which is rather a shame.
Yet another reason for us needing decent spring powered guns!
Edit:
Out of interest what fps are they quoting for the "green gas" mag?
I'd like to see exact equivalent analysis of a Tanaka mag-full before jumping to conclusions - this may always have been the way, and at all events in the past 5 years!
To avoid MED (with this mag) an easy solution would be to bang off the first 10 shots or so. Or just have done with it, don't attempt to drop the power and just use it as a 500fps rifle.
No idea on the power of the 'green gas' mag - I'll attempt some tests with various gases when I get hold of one...
Here's what a fella here in Canada did to maintain a consistent fps for over 200 shots!
HPA anyone? Lol.
http://www.historicalairsoftalberta.ca/ ... f=21&t=428
Tanaka Kar 98k, AGM MP44 x2, Marushin MP40 GBB, AGM MP40, Maruzen Walther P38, WA Walther P38.
That forum requires membership to view.
aka Stigroadie
AFRA
better by design
"Truth is a shining goddess, always veiled, always distant, never wholly approachable, but worthy of all the devotion of which the human spirit is capable. "
It's an external CO2 rig.
Try here for his review on an open forum:
http://ontarioairsoftwwiireenactors.com ... php?t=1583
Oh dear!
You have been banned from this forum.
But yes, I've seen the rig piped from a gas bottle via an adapted bulb. Seems to be create as many problems as it 'solves' though.
Could someone record fps from a Tanaka mag from fresh filling to the last shot possible on a single charge, without breaks so the effect of gas cooling can also be seen. Please?
That forum requires membership to view.
Ah damn, my apologies. The other link posted is a better description anyways. I looked for that one but wasn't able to locate it.
He seems to be having very little issue as yet though. I've been considering doing this as well myself but then I have to get the G&G to try it.
Tanaka Kar 98k, AGM MP44 x2, Marushin MP40 GBB, AGM MP40, Maruzen Walther P38, WA Walther P38.
unfortunatly any gas system that relies on a knock open valve will be inconsistant.
hammer spring pressure stays constant, but gas pressure behind the valve reduces slightly after every shot allowing valve to hold open longer.
airguns that use co2 get over this by having a secondary valved chamber that stabilizes pressure so regulates power from shot to shot.
the other option is to have a chamber in the stock that takes two powerlets, then the feed pipe to the gun becomes the regulator, as the umarex winchester air rifle uses.
So exactly the same phenomena exists with an ordinary gassed Tanaka mag then. So, the benefits of a CO² bulb system come down to a better usability in low temperatures, less power fade due to freezing effect, more convenient gas charging - the principle 'biggy' being that there should be less problems with winter use.
First post updated with 'Green gas' magazine test
Is there any where you could buy the clips on there own?? Rather than having to buy the whole mag
easier to have a pocket full of co2 bulbs than a big gas can and better low temp performance seem to be a plus ,witch mags are dearer?
armoury
m1a1 Thompson,sten mk2,mp40,stg44,sterling,mk2 bren gun,lee Enfield no4 mk1,Mauser Kar98, Walther ppk,smith and Weston m10 and Mauser m712
Give me a big enough hammer and a place to stand and I could fix the world.
i'll kill a man in a fair fight or if i think he's going to start a fair fight or over a woman or.......
a problem shared is a problem halved ,but an advantage shared is no advantage at all
if a job's not worth doing then its certainly not worth doing well
As far as I'm aware you can't buy the 'clips' on their own - I wish you could 'cos using one mag with a CO² bulb and running through four clips then lobbing the CO² bulb worked VERY well at the last game and was an efficient, practical and realistic-ish way of working (more practical than carrying a gas can or loose DBoys ammo rounds). What's more the whole lot can go into a single 37 ammo pouch.
Cost of both types of mags is the same and the clips are interchangeable.
Oh, and Tanaka mags definitely won't fit (at least not without a bit of fettling).
I did have big problems in the day with mis-firing (no BB coming out) or shots punting 10ft out of the barrel. Whether this was an over-adjusted hop or as a result of me crippling the mags to drop the power down to under 350fps I don't know as I haven't had a chance this week to investigate. Typical, works ace under testing but the moment you use it in battle things go tits up. 
Typical, works ace under testing but the moment you use it in battle things go tits up.
not just me then 
armoury
m1a1 Thompson,sten mk2,mp40,stg44,sterling,mk2 bren gun,lee Enfield no4 mk1,Mauser Kar98, Walther ppk,smith and Weston m10 and Mauser m712
Give me a big enough hammer and a place to stand and I could fix the world.
i'll kill a man in a fair fight or if i think he's going to start a fair fight or over a woman or.......
a problem shared is a problem halved ,but an advantage shared is no advantage at all
if a job's not worth doing then its certainly not worth doing well
Mr CW - do the mags need the 8g versions co2 or 12g, i got this in my head for some reason that its 8g. if so where do you/did you purchase the bulbs, as airsoft world had them but not any more? and i can see any 8g on ebay?
It is the smaller 8g. Bought mine on eBay. Can also be got from home brewing shops and the chap who I bought the gun from said he got his from Lidl. This sort of thing: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-Packs-Of-10-x-8g-CO2-Soda-Siphon-Bulbs-For-Re-pressurise-Beer-Barrels-New-/170881988741?pt=Home_Brew&hash=item27c95c3885
I've been able to buy the clips separately. I emailed G&G directly and bought 4 off them. 8gCO2 cartridges are easy to find, you just need to know where to look. They are also known as soda chargers.
