Club Obi Wan

So, I'm revisiting my costume, upgrading various parts and such. I plan to get a new hat (Akubra this time), and probably a better whip (I don't like my swivel-handle bullwhip with the wooden handle).

On my list is also a pistol. For years I've been going around with no pistol in my holster (my common response is that I lost it while fighting Thugees), and I'd like to finally fill it.

However, I'm not looking to spend much more than $50 or so. So, what're my options? I've seen some airsoft guns, but they look like they have bull barrels and this weird plastic "conforms to your hand" thing on the grips, so they're pretty much out. Ideally I'd like as many authentic-looking moving parts as possible (Which is why I shy away from resin guns).

So, anyone have any ideas? Anyone?....Anyone?.......Bueller?

You might be interested in my recent thread viewtopic.php?t=19156

Yeah, I'd seen that, but the problem is that I'm in the states and am looking to keep my purchases stateside to cut down on costs. The Avenger model did intrigue me, but I'm trying to see what else is out there, too. Still, thanks for the heads-up.

There's this, the Daisy Model 44...and there's also this, the HFC FBI Issue .38 (though it doesn't quite look exactly right).

I skimped; instead of going with a gas revolver, I got the UHC 1911 spring pistol, which could pass for the Browning to the untrained eye, was $30 cheaper, and is one of the best spring-powered airsoft pistols for...well...airsofting.

Does the grip countour come off of the HFC .38? If so, I may have found my gun.

One of the reviewers says that it does...

If you are an Indiana Jones fan and want a gun like the on he had in Raiders, then this is the one for you. It looks almost exactly like it if you take off the plastic black part of the grip. You can easily change out the grips with real wood grips if they fit.

Mind you, I don't own one myself, so I can't verify.

As an aside, I wonder when the UHC models referenced in this thread will be out...as evidenced by the catalog pics, there's not much need to mess with the grips.

BTW, that reviewer, that was me. I've got one, obviously, and love it, although I had to upgrade to an Artsee 1. The only thing I don't like is the barrel, which I plan on replacing as it has a bolt holding it, and the black part is very easy to take off. Just uncrew the grips and bingo. In comparison to my Artsee, it is very good. You could use sculpey to clean up the site a bit too.

Well, aside from removing the black grip part, I probably wouldn't mess with it much. It won't see much action outside of the holster (I don't think, anyway), I just need something to act as a prop gun to weight the thing down so I can stop using my "Lost in a fight with Thugees" line.

Thanks for the tip guys! Just out of curiosity, do the grips screw off easily or is there some trick to getting them off?

Just a philips head screwdriver. Just unscrew each one. Actually, it should work just taking off one and putting it back on.

Sold! Thanks for the info guys. I really appreciate it.

Update:

I purchased the HFC FBI .38 Special in black from ShortyUSA yesterday and it arrived literally overnight. Now, apparently, it shipped from Newark Delaware to Philly (where I am), so that's no surprise, but for folks in the region, expect VERY fast shipping. I'll take pictures tonight when I get the thing home.

Solo4114 wrote:Update:

I purchased the HFC FBI .38 Special in black from ShortyUSA yesterday and it arrived literally overnight. Now, apparently, it shipped from Newark Delaware to Philly (where I am), so that's no surprise, but for folks in the region, expect VERY fast shipping. I'll take pictures tonight when I get the thing home.

For shipping, Shorty USA is the best. They always ship within two days or less with no extra charge. If you lived on the moon, they'd find a way to get it to you. Customer service is great too. Please, this is not spam, I'm just a loyal customer.

Yeah, I was seriously impressed. Anyway, here's two pictures. I can take more if people want specific views.

Overall, the gun is an excellent "Good enough" revolver. The front grip thing comes off in literally a matter of seconds. The screws were regular flatheads on mine and came off with just a few twists. The grips themselves are simply situated around the gas chamber, so they pop off easily. Run your thumbnail in between the seam on the grips and they come off no problem.

The gun feels weighty, but obviously lighter than the real thing. It's sizeable, but not a hand cannon. The metal parts are the barrel, hammer, cylinder hinge, and trigger. The cylinder, grips, and most of the frame is plastic. It comes with size shells, which help with profile shots, but obviously don't look real in the cylinder. As you can see, the front of the barrel is blaze orange, which I'd personally leave if you live near especially protective cops or are going out on the town where cops might show up. You want to be able to show them that it's really just a toy without them getting worried. Without the blaze, at a quick glance you'd probably get shot.

Here's some pics. Resolution's crappy because I took 'em with my phone, but I can use my digital camera once the batteries recharge. Really, the websites pretty much show you exactly what you get. You can just use these shots to get a sense of scale.

Wow - I'm blown over by their incredi-fast shipping, and impressed with how much better that airsoft looks without the front grip.

I'll buy some Aldens for walkin', and a Wested for wearin', so I've got to ask you gents: how well does the revolver shoot?

The cylinder flips out just like a real revolver. It's got a working cylinder release at the side. It'll spin when opened, but won't spin when closed, even with the hammer cocked. It works in single action or double action.

With the BB cartridges, two of mine had loose rubber rings (which is what holds the BBs in place) which continually fall out. A dab of 2-part epoxy or krazy glue will probably do the trick, although I don't intend to use it for airsoft so it's a moot point (I didn't even buy any gas).

The action's pretty smooth, though I think the fram may be a bit large for my hand. My trigger pull feels like I'll either be pushing to the left or pulling to the right, which probably means my finger isn't sitting square enough on the trigger (that's with and without the grip extension). Again, not a big deal for me, since it's a costume piece.

Sights aren't adjustable, despite what the instructions say (mine didn't come with an ajustable sight, anyway).

The hand ejector bar (is that the technical name?) can get loose from turning, which can make the cylinder not want to sit snugly in the frame when closed. If you twist it back tight again, it fits in just fine. Actually, you can flip your wrist to snap it all back into place when the hand ejector is properly tightened.

You might be able to replace the grips with wooden ones if you could find them in the right size, but I'm not sure about that. The plastic looks ok, though (but obviously looks plastic).


Any other questions?

None at the moment! Thank you -- you are a scholar and a gentleman.

How it fires. Well, it is definately a close range weapon. It is not very accurate but for a show peice, it is great.

I think the reviews I saw said the thing's got a max range of 90 feet. Not sure if that's max range period or simply max range before you have to start adjusting for elevation. But basically it's a close range "weapon". It houses one BB in each chamber that sits at the tip of a hollow brass "cartridge". Gas flows from basically where the hammer would hit the primer to where the primer would be, through the cylinder, and out the barrel.

I can't speak to how well it operates, since I didn't get any gas for the gun and haven't had occasion to test it. As said, though, as a show piece it's great.

And don't thank me. Thank IndyParise and Longinus for bringing it to my attention.