A pistol that has been around for a hundred years, the Colt M1911A1 is revered by its owners and foes alike and no other handgun in modern combat has such a profound impact. For those who see it, they give it respect, for those who wield it, an aura of power. Let's go back and go over once again the replica that Tokyo Marui has given its due attention and dedication which became an all-time favourite gas blowback pistol among airsoft players.

The TM M1911A1 Colt Government has been reviewed so many times, and no time is wasted going into its intricacies and details. I have gone over it, giving it the loving eye and holding it with reverence. This is the handgun that has been called "the man stopper", with its .45 calibre bullet ensuring that anyone charging at you gets stopped when it hits its mark.

While it is a revered handgun, nowhere else is it most respected than in the Philippines where it made its debut in wide-scale combat. During the Philippine-American War of 1899-1913, the .38 calibre revolver was ineffective during the Pacification Phase of the war: American soldiers were unable to stop Moro Rebels rushing at them in the island of Mindanao ; running "Amok" or "Berserk" with their sharp and deadly Kris and took a toll on the troops. General John J. Pershing took delivery of the developed .45 Colt Model (not the revolver which the name became famous for) and proved its mettle, ushering in the American Colonial Period in the Philippines until independence was granted in 1946. Politicians with their private armies and gun enthusiasts in the country deemed it a "must have" as it denotes power and authority. It is the most popular handgun and commands a good price whether it comes with a carry permit or not.

Over the years the M1911 has seen combat in major battlefields from its inception during the Philippine-American War until now. Even if it has been replaced by the M9 .9x19 parabellum in the US Army, many in the service still seek the .45 Calibre pistol if given the chance. It is also the most iconic handgun, seen in many war movies such as those World War II, Korean, and Vietnam War movies. One memorable scene was in the "We Were Solders" movie (2002) in which Sgt. Major Basil Plumley (Sam Elliot) refuses to use the newly issued MA61A1 armalite rifle and sticks with the 1911 ("Ahh, lotsa plastic. Feels like a BB gun to me. Believe I'm gonna stick with my pistol."), shooting Vietcong and NVA soldiers who had overrun their positions and seeing him shoot one bullet to make one fall. Although his memorable quote in the movie, according to me, was "If any of you sons of bitches calls me grandpa, I'll kill you."

In practical shooting circles, the 1911 has its own division, which no other handgun class has. This was created due to the number of fans the 1911 has.

THE TOKYO MARUI M1911A1 COLT GOVERNMENT

The Tokyo Marui M1911A1 Colt government is a replica based on the World War II Model, which became the standard 1911 pistol. Many an airsoft player would remark on the classic packaging of the replica, with its olive drab box, and more olive drab upon opening it. As always, it comes with the Japanese Manual, a packet of BBs, paper targets, cleaning rod, barrel plug, and a plastic barrel tool for twisting the barrel bushing at the front end during take down. The first impression you'll get when opening the box is that it looks metallic,  very metallic and solid. However, it's ABS and you can always replace the plastic slide with a metal one from other third party after-market sellers.

It is solidly built and produces no rattles, it's the craftsmanship that really counts, and Tokyo Marui has been known for its finishing of gas blowback airsoft handguns. With bakelite grips, and parkerised finish, the sights are fixed just like the standard M1911A12, Tokyo Marui wasted no detail in this pistol. If you are used to other GBB pistols such as the Hi-Capa and M9 ones, gripping the M1911A1 makes you think it's very slim. Overall, the gun is well-balanced and light. It is not as heavy as the Western Arms HW, which is almost a hundred (100) grams heavier (the TM version is 795 grams).

Everything you can expect is there, that is, if you have handled the real one yourself: Safety. Check! Trades. Check! Chequered grip. Check! Slide movement. Check! Though the bit spoiler in the look of the handgun is always the TM markings engraved on the right side of the pistol. How we wish that Tokyo Marui should have engraved it in the inside rather than outside.

Insert the magazine and it slides easily. Release the magazine catch, and it falls off easily for fast magazine reload. It is very comfortable when holding it as the grip is thin enough to enable a single hand give it a full wrap, even if your hands are as small as mine.

For those finicky with the trades, you get the full trades, down to the stallion on the left side. The engraving is basically milspec just like the real thing. The way Tokyo Marui has treated the trades gives it the upperhand compared to similar 1911 offerings from other airsoft manufacturers.

There are two safeties here which are faithful to the real thing, which is famous for the "cocked and locked" and attested to by may real steel users as good to go while having a cocked pistol in your holster, though it may sound or look scary (and I would rather have mine de-cocked when not in the dead zone). One is the non-ambidextrous safety lever on the left found near the hammer and the other is the grip safety which allows you to fire if and only if you have a firm grip. You can push the safety lever only when the hammer is cocked and try firing the gun, with the safety lever off, and not pushing the grip safety with a proper holding grip, it won't fire.

Now loading the magazine is easy. While it is a 26-round single-stack, you don't really need the loader when filling it up. Just slide the spring down to the bottom and insert the BBs in the slit big enough for these to come in. However, most players, including me, are able to fill the magazine up to 24-25 rounds and I would rather recommend filling it up to 24 rounds which should not put much strain on the magazine spring. Since  the magazine is slim, it is easy enough to fill it up. I lacked green gas when I was writing this story, so I had to content myself with the Abbey Predator 134a at 10 degrees Celsius and firing it around 190fps and should go higher with green gas and warmer temperatures.

The TM hop-up feature is really good. You can find it by removing the slide and access the hop-up knob on the left side. To add more hop-up, just turn the knob counter clockwise, and clockwise for less hop-up. Thus, depending on the range and weight of the bbs, you can adjust the hop-up to how you want your gun to fire.

Accuracy is good for the TM M1911A1. The photo here shows the groupings achieved at 10 metres. Not bad at all.

FIELD STRIPPING

Stripping the pistol is easy, but not totally great as you'll still need the provided tool but you can manage without it. I am sure you have seen videos and photos giving you details on stripping your TM M1911A1, but nevertheless, I will reiterate the steps:

1. Remove the magazine and ensure that there is no BB left in the chamber. Cock the hammer.
2. Move the slide until the slide lines up with the second notch of the slide (where you also lock the slide). Push the slide lock out by depressing the end of the slide lock on the right side. Push the slide out via the right side of the pistol.
3. Remove the recoil spring and spring guide. Compress the spring first before removing these.
4. Pull the bushing out and remove the barrel bushing by moving it counter clockwise then pull it out.
5. Slide the outer, inner barrel and hop-up assembly out via the front end.
6. You can dismantle the hop-up unit by using Philips screws

A WORKHORSE INDEED

The TM M19A11 is great for skirmishing. The only caveat with this pistol is its slim magazine, that it does not carry enough gas and thus, you will need to fill it up again after firing around 24 rounds. You can always get extra magazines, and two magazines will always suffice and these cost US$25 each if ordering from Hong Kong.

I prefer playing with this, together with my 4.3 Hi-Capa during pistol and CQB games where it is a handy weapon for going inside rooms and around corners. Just point it in the general directio  and it will go as as it can while achieving desired results. No stoppages; it will keep on going until you run out of BBs or gas. Furthermore, the balance and lightness of this makes it a very comfortable backup weapon or even as a primary weapon in CQB games.

I highly recommend this airsoft pistol giving a 9/10 and a 10/10 if it's full metal. The TM M1911A1 Colt Government is a must have in any serious airsoft player's arsenal. I will be insulted if I get to ask you if you have it in your personaly armoury and getting a negative reply. Moreso, it's a collector's item being a classic one representing a model that's a century old and works just like the Energizer Bunny...it keeps on going and going and going...