- Probably the greatest 1911 you can get in this price range, January 01, 2009

I got this weapon for Christmas, and after some testing and screwing around, here's my take on the gun.

Construction: Classic 1911 design. It's a clean, uncluttered, single stack .45, which you will either love or hate the feel of. The big hand thing is crap, as I have big hands and find no problem with this. It's got weight similar to a real steel (unloaded). The barrel grouping has a slight rattle to it, but nothing that should prove troublesome. All safeties function as on the real steel, including the slide lock (if you have one and the lock engages when the hammer is down, congratulations, your 1911 is broken). It is even possible to knock the action out of battery, but this isn't practical for airsoft, therefore I will not go into detail further. Only the gas port is plastic from what I've seen. The magazine is bigger, due to the CO2, but nothing like your typical gun where the magazine looks like one out of a Mac 10. 5/5 for construction.

Loading: The magazine will hold 25, but I recommend only loading 24. The bottom of the magazine has a "cap" for the CO2 which must be removed for cartridge installation. This can be done with a quarter. Tighten until you hear a hiss. (The hiss should stop. If it doesn't, you have a defective mag. If this happens, contact Shorty's. From what I've heard, they should provide a replacement. The catch for the magazine will be a little stiff at first, so you will need to push it in a little harder. However, this should stop after ten or so loads. Cock and snap the slide lock up for safe carry. (It is only a single shot, so don't carry with the hammer down.)

Performance: All safeties function as on the real steel, as mentioned before, so be sure you have a good hold so the grip safety disengages. The noise it makes is loud, which can be good for your intimidation factor. It wreaks havoc on a pop can at intermediate (20-40 feet) and is very accurate, even without hop-up adjustment. Adjusting the hop up is a real chore, as the gun must be field stripped to do so. (NOTE: avoid adjusting the hop up too far. On the WE's, and I have yet to try it on this weapon, over-adjusting the hop-up leads to the bb jamming, which leaves the slide partially open and bleeds ALL of the gas out). The recoil is crisp, and I honestly don't see how blow back is a con, but to every man his own. CO2 gives marginally better performance than propane, and the gun doesn't cool as fast.

Cost Effectiveness: Two words here. Opportunity cost. For the same price you can get a WE full metal with a spare magazine. But consider this (to quote Duracell). Out here in lovely Colorado, most desolate place for airsoft retailers on the planet most likely, a bottle of green gas costs 15 dollars, propane costing 10-12. However CO2 at the local ... runs 15 dollars for 25 cartridges. The trade-off here is the cost of magazines. Clips for this fine model run 40 a pop. Also, WE offers an Operator (tactical 1911) as well. So the trade-off is this:
-KJW 1911: Cheaper gas, less cooling problems than the gas model. Downside is the price of spare magazines and the lack of a single stack tactical model.
-WE: Cheaper magazines, option of a tactical model in single stack. Downside is cost of gas and the inherent cooling problem that green gas/propane weapons have.

Overall: The KJW is a reliable performer and a worthy alternative to the WE 1911, though the choice falls to the buyer as to what is practical. Properly maintained, it will serve you for many fights to come. A great sidearm for anyone that needs a sidearm, particularly a nice companion for an M14. Educate yourself properly before you buy, as nothing is worse than buying something you wind up hating in the long run.

If this review was helpful in any way, please rate it so. I'll see you on the battlefield.

- really good gun!, November 10, 2008

ok so i got this gun a few weeks ago and i love it. Hasn't jammed, and shorty has back up mags with it!

Pros: not so much of a gas guzzler
co2
metal (almost full)
high mag cap
extra magazines are availible

Cons: Blow back
pricey for some
that's about it...

good gun, get it
hope this helped

BLACKHAWK OUT

- Solid Performer, January 14, 2009

I actually own this gun...not just posting to spout what i think.

There are certainly more physically appealing guns to be had, but for the price you're not going to get the pure function and performance this thing packs.

I've owned GBB guns in the past but this is my first CO2 pistol and i have to tell you that I'm never going back to green gas. The price of a 12g cartridge is offset by the availability and shear performance. I would say that the FPS estimate is accurate at 300 ish (though i haven't chron'd it) There's a solid recoil and good pop too. I haven't had any gas consumption issues. I never run more than a mag on one 12g anyways. The gun is easily field strip-able. All controls are fully functional (grip safety, thumb safety, mag release) One more thing. If you've ever used a green gas GBB....you may have noticed that the gun won't cycle as fast as you can pull the trigger, with this pistol you don't have to worry about that, nice and crisp. Overall i feel this is a solid sidearm that will reach out there like your AEG when you need it.

OK this is the end of my rant

- M1911: The Beast, November 26, 2008

This is an amazing pistol! It has outstanding power and will scare the heavens out of any foe you encounter on the field, and it's loud :) The blow back makes it an amazing gun to shoot, too. I would recommend this gun to you if you love the 1911 (which is used by special forces in some cases) and are looking for a pretty good sidearm. If you're into target practice or combat training, this will also be a great sidearm for you to shoot.

Pros -
Good accuracy
Full-metal design, just like the real 1911
Doesn't guzzle gas as fast
Mag is pretty decent (26 rounds)
Realistic (design-wise)
Can use CO2 and standard gas (2 mag types)

Cons -
Blow back
Pricey
CO2 mag needs lots of work
Firing fast eats up more gas

Good sidearm. You will not be disappointed. OORAH!

- Very Nice Pistol , December 25, 2008

the m1911 is a great side arm which is reliable and because it is full metal it will not break under stress. looks very realistic just like the original colt which in my opinion is always good. uses co2 so you won't have to have a huge hassle with green/red gas propane.

Pros
full metal
nice mag cap.
uses co2
nice fps
very nice firearm

Cons
Blow back (but if you fire smartly that won't be a problem)
A little pricey but if you are looking for a reliable firearm this would be the one.

Hope this review helped

Get it if you need a nice sidearm or if you want to excel in pistol wars.

- broken already... really??, January 07, 2009

the gun looks and feels great, however the second time i shot it the only plastic part of the gun, the piece which receives the bb out of the magazine, broke off and now it doesn't shoot.

- bad gun, January 31, 2009

this gun breaks after about 130 shots

- KJW M1911 Single Stack, September 10, 2009

This is a great gun. I think that the fps is higher than the 330 Shorty claims, 'cause i have been putting .25s through it and it seems to be in the 300s. I am not sure because i don't have a chrono, but this is my best guess. This gun is very accurate and realistic, as my friend jumped back when i fired off a shot. The fear factor on this is simply amazing because of the blow back and the sound that comes out of this gun. The fact that this fires on co2 is awesome because co2 is so much cheaper than gas, and in my opinion better.

Pros
Accurate
Realistic
Co2
Fear Factor
Weight*

Cons
Weight*
mags are pricey

*could be a plus or negative to some people. i like the weight it is very close to the real thing