Reviews

KJW Tactical Elite M9 GBB Pistol

Moondog

The KJW Tactical Elite M9 is a full metal derivative of the Tokyo Marui M9 design. It comes in a cardboard and styrofoam box with a KJW catalog, manual, sample BBs, allen wrench and what looks like a spare inner barrel but is actually an old school BB speed loader. The Beretta M9 has been the standard pistol of all branches of the US military since 1985 when it replaced the .45cal Colt 1911. It is a double and single action semi-automatic pistol with a capacity of 15+1 rounds of 9mm parabellum.

This KJW pistol is modeled after the Elite 1 variant of a Beretta M9A1. This variant is identified by a wider reinforced slide with front serrations, a skeletonized hammer, a stainless steel barrel, thinner grips, a straight rear grip, a Picatinny rail and the removal of the lanyard loop. A few minor details are missing from the KJW rendition, such as the removable front sight and beveled magwell.

My only pet peeve is that KJW puts an overly thick and shiny black paint on their metal. Though this probably does make for a more durable finish, it's a far cry from blued or parkerized steel. In this case, the pistol will look more realistic after its been scuffed and worn down a bit.

Overall, the pistol feels solid and well built. The frame and slide area nicely detailed without any mould lines or rough edges. It has a realistic weight of 2.09lbs which is identical to an unloaded M9, though its a bit more more front heavy.

The magazine holds 25rnds in a staggered stack. The front of the mag has a loading hole near the base of the mag. When the magazine is empty, a pin on the side of the mag locks the slide back.

The pistol breaks down realistically by removing the mag, pressing the button on the right of the frame above the trigger guard and rotating the slide release. Under the slide is the assembly and a tiny hole. This is the hop-up adjustment screw which is adjusted with a 1.5mm allen wrench.

PERFORMANCE

  • 336.6 fps average with .20g BBs and green gas at 75º F

ACCURACY

  • Bench rested, the pistol produced a 2.5" group at 25ft.

CONCLUSIONS

The KJW M9 Elite has a reputation for being more durable and reliable than HFC and WE. Unlike the KWA M9, the KJW is T.M. compatible and mags are cross compatible with TM, HFC and WE. If I had to pick an M9 as a standard sidearm, I'd probably pick this one for the summer and the KWA in winter. The WE may look better at first blanche but the WE M9 has some issues with the mould when you look closely at the slide (its uneven). I've done a head to head test and the KJW produced a tighter groupings. The KWA doesn't make an Elite M9 but the M9's they do have costs 50% more and the spare mags cost twice as much.

Overall I'm very pleased with the performance and it feels very good on the draw. If not for the thick, shinny, black paint job, I would give this a 10 out of 10.

 

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Moondog is the founder of Moondog Industries and New York's definitive guide to airsoft: NYCAirsoft.

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