No SG team uniform is complete without an M9 Beretta sidearm, and luckily for the value minded costumer there are plenty of inexpensive options on the replica market. In this article I will go over the features of the KWA airsoft pistol, along with a complete disassembly guide.
In the world of airsoft guns, only the Western Arms gas operated pistols are officially licensed by Pietro Beretta. So most other spring operated (and indeed gas operated ones as well) do not have accurate Beretta markings. The KWC, however, has been granted by Western Arms to produce this spring operated version of their fully accurate Beretta M92FS. So, the KWC airsoft pistol blends the authenticity of a Western Arms pistol with with the budget price of a spring operated gun.
In terms of looks, the design is very accurate, with all features of the real gun appearing (even if only for looks). The scale is truly 1:1, and the gun will fit into any Beretta holster, including the Blackhawk Omega VI as used on Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis.
The gun is well built from sturdy plastic, and packs a punch when shot. The manufacturer rates the gun at 230 fps at an effective range of 100 feet. While I didn't test its limits, I did have great success test firing one magazine at 30 feet. The gun fires hard, and as with all airsoft guns should not be fired at anything you don't want to damage.
As with most airsoft versions of the Beretta M9, the KWC features a removable magazine which carries the 6mm BBs. The safety switch, slide lock, and decocking lever are all cosmetic only, and do not function. As a replacement for the non-functional safety, there is a small switch on the right hand side of the gun which prevents the trigger from being pulled.
In disassembling the gun, the first step I took was to remove the hand grips. This is done just as on the real gun by removing two screws for each grip. Hidden below each grip is a small metal weight which simply lifts out. Removing the magazine release involves unscrewing and removing a copper strip, and then lifting out the mag release button.
Removing the slide is fairly simple, and is done in a similar way to field stripping the real gun. The slide release switch on the left side of the frame can be rotated 90 degrees downward when the slide is held in the rear position. Once rotated, the slide release can be pulled out, and then the slide can be removed. The cosmetic slide lock can then be lifted straight out.
Once the slide has been removed it is possible to remove the trigger unit. Start by removing the screws on the left side which go through the trigger unit and hold a black lever in place. The lever can now be removed. Next, locate and gently tap out a small metal pin. I used a pair of pliers to remove it once I had it pushed out enough to grab. The next step is to lift the trigger unit up back so the trigger clears its opening. The unit can be removed and set aside.
Going back to the hand grip, there is an additional weight which can be removed by first tapping out a metal pin near the bottom of the grip. Once the pin is removed the weight carrier can be released by gently prying it with a flat head screwdriver.
The last of the disassembly that I did was to break down the slide. This was the most difficult to do, and requires some forcing of the internal parts. The most important step is to take your time to identify how the parts interact, and then to slowly remove them. Also, be cautious of the spring - you don't want parts flying everywhere!
To disassemble the Beretta's slide, start by using pliers to gently twist and pull the rear spring carrier. You should be able to remove it from it's track within the slide, and get it to pull out. Once it has been removed it's a simple matter of removing the rest of the contents from the slide. Though before removing the barrel you will need to grasp the orange barrel plug with pliers and gently twist it to break the glue holding it on. You will end up with the slide, brass inner barrel with air chamber, firing spring with round spring guide, a plastic piece which holds the spring guide, and a metal outer barrel with recoil spring.
Assembling the gun can be completed by following these instructions in reverse. As with all assembly projects, just make sure that you don't end up with spare parts when you're done putting it back together.
So there it is, the best alternative to carrying a Zat gun with your Stargate uniform. The KWC airsoft Beretta M92FS makes an excellent prop gun, and should be in every SG-1 or Atlantis armory.
