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When AirSplat had their "What the Buck II" deal, I couldn't resist. The deal was to buy $100 worth of stuff and get a WE F226 GBB pistol for $1. That's a full metal gas blowback (GBB) airsoft pistol for a buck! I jumped on the deal.
The pistol came in a plain brown box (see photo below). There are no markings nor design, making me wonder if this is a refurbished unit or something along that line.
Much like many computer accessories box, it has a flip-top box that is reusable. So you can take the gun out and put it back in the box for storage.
The box contains the WE F226 pistol and the gas magazine in styrofoam packaging (see photo below). Instruction sheet is not included.
The WE F226 feels nicely weighted in the hand. The handgrip is comfortable to hold. Aiming and firing seems intuitive.
In the photo below, you see that "SEAL TEAMSIX" is stamped to the handgrip. The real Sig Sauer P226 is used by the Navy Seal Team 6. This airsoft pistol replicates that gun. Inside the slide, there is a "9mm Para" marking.
The WE F226 replicates the real Sig Sauer P226 Picatinny weaver rail under the front barrel. It's curved so that it provides a very pleasing look. It is a double-edge sword, though, because the curvature disallows for some accessories to be attached.
The orange tip is glued on permanently to the front of the gun. I have tried to unscrew it with a plier. That basically rips the orange tip off the front. The glue is quite permanent on the internal thread.
The P226 hammer is faithfully replicated on the WE F226. Other than replicating the P226 function, it actually has no real function on an airsoft pistol.
Note the rear iron sight has two white circles. The front iron sight also has a white circle. Aiming is done by lining up the three circle to create a sight picture.
In the photo below, you'll see five actuators. There is obviously the trigger. Just behind the trigger is the magazine release. That leaves three switches just below the slide.
The left most switch is the slide disassembly. When the slide is locked back, you can rotate this switch downward 90 degrees. Then when you unlock the switch, it will snap forward off the gun.
The switch in the middle is the hammer decocker. When you push the switch down, it decocks the hammer. On a real gun, it prevents the hammer from striking the firing pin. On this replica, it doesn't do much other than replicating the real firearm function.
The right most switch is the slide lock. When the slide is locked back, you push this switch down to release the slide.
The WE F226 magazine has a matte finish. It is smooth to the touch and quite heavy. The magazine is made fully out of metal. It is far heavier than a metal AEG magazine.
The bottom of the magazine is indented. A green gas feeding port is at the center of the indent. To feed it, turn the magazine upside down, turn the gas canister upside down, and push the canister nose down into the port. Let the gas and liquid flow into the magazine for a few seconds. Then release the gas canister from the magazine.
The top of the magazine is the standard BB feeding hole and the Gas Route Rubber Seal (see photo below). The gas release button is on the back, just slightly below the top.
Loading the gas magazine practically requires a speed loader. Otherwise you will have to load one BB at a time. But even with a speed loader, loading BB's is not an easy task. First, you have to hold the spring down with one finger while holding the magazine. Then, you'd have to hold the speed loader with your other hand while feeding BB's into the magazine. And you need to have a pistol magazine adapter for your speed loader, too. It is doable, as I have done it a few times already. But it is not as easy as loading an AEG mid-cap magazine.
The magazine can hold 23 rounds. The real Sig Sauer P226 has various magazine variants, holding 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, or 20 rounds; depending on bullet type and magazine size. Therefore, you can use the WE F226 magazine to emulate any of the real firearm magazine by loading the same amount of rounds as the real magazine. Nice thing about the GBB magazine is that all BB rounds in the magazine will fire, unlike an AEG magazine where some rounds will be wasted.
Cross-Reference
I also have a KJW P226 magazine. It works perfectly with this WE F226 GBB pistol. You can read about it here: WE F226 Magazine vs. KJW P226 Magazine.
There is no real easy way to unload the magazine like the unloading switch on an AEG magazine. Therefore, the easiest way to unload the magazine is to pop it into the P226 and fire off all the rounds.
The WE F226 airsoft pistol has a double-action trigger. When you pull the trigger, it cocks the hammer and then releases the hammer. When there is no gas in the magazine or when the magazine is not inserted in the gun, there is only the hammer action. But once you fill the magazine with green gas, or propane, and then inserting it into the pistol, the action changes entirely.
With no BB's in the magazine, pulling the trigger when it is filled with gas cause the gun to fire with blowback. But the slide stay locked toward the back (see photos below).
On the other hand, if the magazine is filled with BB's, the BB if fired and the slide moves back into position. It's very similar to a real firearm.
The recoil is not terribly strong, but is definitely stronger than an airsoft electronic gun (AEG). The gun is fairly accurate even with the recoil. In semi-automatic mode, I have been able to empty the entire magazine as quickly as possible into a BB trap 20 feet away without missing.
Green Gas vs. Propane
Green gas is propane with silicone lubricant and no smelly perfume. Propane has the smelly perfume added so that you can smell it.
When I tested this airsoft GBB pistol, I used propane in order to be able to smell the gas. In my indoor test area (the garage), I found the smell sticks around. I also made the mistake of releasing the gas magazine inside the garage. Even after opening the back door to the garage and the window, the smell was strong for more than half an hour. I was only able to dissipate it by opening the garage door.
The gas is denser than air, so that it will sink to the floor. Therefore, hard for it to dissipate as most windows are above ground. "Breathing in or swallowing propane can be harmful. Propane takes the place of oxygen in the lungs. This makes breathing difficulty or impossible." (See "Propane poisoning" in "Related Links" below.)
I highly suggest that you do not use GBB airsoft guns indoor for health reasons. Use them outdoor.
- Amazon User Reviews
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