How feasible would it be to get a real firearms manufacturer to make airsoft?

[Diemaco]

I've been wondering if a manufacturer of real steel Western replicas like Uberti or Pietta could be talked into making airsoft replicas.

There must be a fair bit of (non load bearing) part commonality, and I'm sure that many airsofters would appreciate quality replicas in steel, bras and walnut, rather than the pot metal that we're used to seeing from Umarex etc.

What do you all think? Would you be willing to spend £4-500 on a proper steel revolver?

 

[SGSS]

I think the reason why licensing exists is because despite the fact the form of Airsoft is similar, the reality of the product is very different. I doubt many manufacturers would want to dedicate production to a item less profitable and more niche. The best bet would be to harass an Airsoft manufacturer into approaching real steel and have something made that way under license. ASG need let someone make a Bren 3 or get off the pot!

 

[Punisher3990]

Some of the licenced RWA Nighthawk pistols are very close to thier real steel counterparts while still being built as an airsoft gun, but they are suuuuuper pricey:

RWA Nighthawk Custom AGENT 2 CO2 Airsoft Pistol - Black (Steel Version) - Defcon Airsoft

Its design features a sleek phosphate black finish complemented by silver accents, making it visually striking. The intense felt recoil of this airsoft pistol provides a shooting experience closely resembling real firearms. The pistol is built using Tokyo Marui MEU spec parts and is specifically...

www.defconairsoft.co.uk

I have the RWA BDS9 RIF, ngl if i could get the real steel one for display, i would its a very nice pistol

 

[Anonymoose]

I've been wondering if a manufacturer of real steel Western replicas like Uberti or Pietta could be talked into making airsoft replicas.

Click to shrink...

Umarex owns Walther. Walther airsoft guns are manufactured by VFC.

Should tell you enough about the likeliness of real arms manufacturers making airsoft guns.

 

[Cannonfodder]

I can't see it happening as the costs for retooling would be quite high for a relatively small return. It makes more fiscal sense to allow 3rd parties to produce them under licence.

Funny that you mention umarex, technically they do make real guns too as they own Walther

 

[novioman]

Uberti and Pietta already make various models as air cartridge guns. They were available here for many years as you probably know.
I have a collection of steel airsoft pistols, lovely things but can be extremely expensive.

 

[Tackle]

While im sure we'd all like our toys to be made of decent steel, rather than the usual chinesium, how long would it be before some oik tries to make something lethal using these considerably stronger bodies as a base, we've already got the prevalence of moody 3d printed ghost guns in the USA (as if they haven't got enough of the proper ones already).
Even the above mentioned revolver, before you know it we're back in "Brocock" territory, all it would take would be one high profile case & they might start looking at all our other toys with suspicious minds.

 

[Tommikka]

).
Even the above mentioned revolver, before you know it we're back in "Brocock" territory, all it would take would be one high profile case & they might start looking at all our other toys with suspicious minds.

Click to shrink...

Bang on target

I’ll often say not to over worry about the antigun lobby, and just as Brococks fell foul of having self contained ammunition (pressurised air and projectile in the same cartridge) and the partially true and partially over stated ability to modify into a full firearm - an Airsoft gun with a pressure bearing capable barrel is an invitation to both the anti gun mob and also to the shed bound criminal armourer

Pressure bearing parts may be subject to being recorded on firearms certificates and are also subject to existing controls under legislation. (For example an airgun sale and the key pressure bearing parts must be sold face to face by a RFD registered firearms dealer (this can be facilitated by a postal sale on presentation of ID on delivery,

 

[Galvatron]

Tackle and Cannonfodder share my thoughts.

I'd like to see less chinesium but at the same time, it's not financially viable to make a new production line of airsoft parts that can't bear real steel pressure loads. I'd also not want to give any credence to the mumsnet false narrative that they can be converted with minimal tooling to fire actual firearm ammo.

It's easy to say without a private investor/consortium backing manufacturers but I'd like to see more of what's happened with Double Eagle raising its game. Years ago, I associated the brand with the shitty garden plinker AEGs and some OK to decent springers. Since they did the AEGs with the Falcon mosfets, my brand perception shifted greatly and now they're doing good (and improving) quality GBBRs, it's like a completely different company. A similar investment in a revolver or another pistol/SMG platform would be very welcome.