Don't know if you guys have seen this yet or not.

[reaver]

tokyo-airsoft-gun.com/content/view/14/26/

All metal and capable of 3 round bursts.

one word comes to mind and that is sweet.

[The Shootist]

I loved this bit: "With upper/lower die-cast use, actualizing electromotive cancer/gun highest rigidity together."

Which I choose to read as "This gun gives you really virulent cancer!"

My thoughts:

(1) Beautiful looking gun, and they're claiming the damn thing has a solid outer barrel- which is great, if it's true.

(2) 3-round burst? AWESOME!

(3) If the thing is metal that means TM is only, what?, 4 years behind CA?

(4) A new version 8 gearbox? There isn't much in the way of version 7 support- from the way I understand it (though that might be 2+ year old intel). Either way, a new gear box version means pricey when things break- and things always break, especially when they add a feature like 3 round burst.

(5) It's still TM, and that means they gun is decent, but CA is still better.

(6) Now we enter the standard 2 to 3-year "That gun is too pricey", "Wait until it comes down to about $300 before you buy it" phase.

(7) Again, the 3 round burst is awesome, especially if the thing is metal with a solid one-piece outer barrel. That means this will be the weapon of choice to mod into a really good, metal, TM M4/M16.

[haslinger]

Oh prepare for the argument...

TM IS MORE 1337 than CA, SNARF...i don't know what snarf means, other than from thundercats, but thought it apripori.

The honest problem with TM is that they engineer their latest set of replicas, TOO well. My TM1911 got ONE, 1, EINS grain of dirt in it...hell just near it, and it took a ton of cleaning to get it right. Frankly this is a problem for me, as well, it's combat simulation (sort of) and I don't believe in carrying your replica like a baby. I toss mine around as if they won't break. The 1911 is the only one that's become sensitive.

[prometheus]

star airsoft is developing one, thats the one I would buy. I just know too many folks with TMs

there was another AEG in the past that has 3shot bursts, but it was an electrical circuit that counted out the 3, then stoped the gear box from cycling. this TM (don't know about the star) has a mechanical feature that does the counting. this is much better than the old one where the circuitry would go bad very easliy. never had any problem with my M93RII's (mechanical) 3 shot burst, other than sometimes shooting 4........which I don't mind.

[The Shootist]

I won't argue about which is better. I've never owned a TM and probably never will.

But seriously, if the whole thing is metal that means TM is just now doing something CA was doing back when they made horrible crap. Plus the gun looks very similar to the M16, so if they've put a reinforced, single piece, outer barrel on this thing it means they've fixed an issue that has plagued their M16/M4 variants for years.

Wow. The biggest thing, in my opinion, is to just wait till there're more aftermarket parts for the new gearbox, wait for better info from trustworthy reviewers, and wait till the gun itself comes down to equivalent AEG prices. Or go with the Star, maybe.

Honestly, though, I'd be more hesitant to buy this due to new gun cost and a new gearbox version than anything.

[fallout11]

I had a chance to handle one of these and shoot it down at OP: IJ a couple of weekends ago. Really nicely made, good heft, and solid as a rock, no squeaks, creaks, or wobble of any kind.
On the flipside, the real steel weapon was designed for a very small "niche" market, that is the Japanese Self Defense Forces. As as result, it's really being marketed to the Japanese airsofters.
Who in the US does a JSDF impression? It feels awkward to shoulder (I'm a big well-fed gaijin), and except for the 3 round burst feature, which may, at some point, show up in other TM models, and that, like the RS, it will also take M16 magazines, I cannot see any reason to purchase it.

As for TM vs CA, until last year or so TM's plastic bodied models were built better than CA's metal ones. Lately, it's much closer to a dead heat, but TM is still the benchmark to which all the others compare. As I've owned both, I can actually compare apples to apples.

[mongoman]

Bought a TM m733 M4 variant from dogsoldier. Great gun. Shoots great, range is outstanding. Supposed to have the barrel wobble issue resolved. Got barrel wobble. Klook put his metal retainer ring on and gorilla glued the crap out of it. No more barrel wobble. Riddle me this, why haven't they fixed the issue? Mainly because of this, my next gun is going to be an CA m4 cbq.

Mongo

[The Shootist]

I don't compare against TM; but I can- thanks to trustworthy reviewers. (Though, it's not exactly the same as having had, used, and, screwed-with the actual gun). I think Systema is a better comparison brand, personally.

Except for their price, I haven't heard nearly as many bad things about systema as I consistantly hear about various TM components, etc. My feeling is that TM was badass back in the days when CA sucked. The tide has shifted around, and TM is still an innovative company; but if they weren't then they wouldn't be nearly as popular. Just my opinion, though.

[prometheus]

in the past year I have seen 4 TMs with broken bodies, and 3 ICS....never seen a CA break or bend. I have never heard of a stock TM malfunctioning either.

who wants an AEG that only shoots a projectile at one Joule?
not me

I hear that the TM type 89 was developed as a training device for the Japs, and that is why there is a metal body on it. and should explain the elevated price as well.

also, from what I understand, the 1000 dollar sytema AEGs are made using differant parts from what what is sold as "sytema TM compatible parts". the gearbox in those true training weapons, are differant, take differant mags, and have a few really cool functions like not dry-firing, and having to hit the bolt release after a reload. also the grip, along with the rest of the gun, has the exact dimentions as the real steel.

[haslinger]

Not to get too far off subject, but I've broken TWO metal bodies. My logic is baby your replica and it will last forever, treat it like a lady, and it will last a long while, treat it like a dirty whore {my personal favorite} toss it around use it as it was meant to be used, and it will last a year or two.

The coolest feature of the type 89 is the mag's with ammo count built in.

wait for the VFC hk416 or AK varient...VERY NICE!!!

[prometheus]

yea, don't forget these are toys