Most reliable Pistol...

[mikebarkski]

hmm

[BioRage]

Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa or Glock 17.

[Datawraith]

Seconding the age-old workhorse of the TM Hi-Capa, although the TM HK45 with it's new design is quite robust and sexy as well.

[mikebarkski]

People really swear by TM...can you say from experience and recommend those two guns? if TM is that durable it may be worth the extra 200 to have one that i know lasted others a life time....do they have any pistols that take a universal mag...so they can have a one mag fits all?


in addition to airsoft i also DJ as a hobby...i own a pair of Technics1200 mk2 turntables...i bought them used knowing that they would last me a lifetime because thats just what they do...drop one down a flight of stairs and it may have a dent but still turns records like the day it came off the line.....Im looking for the tech12 of airsoft pistols...like a washer or dryer from the late 50s early 60s that runs better then the one built yesterday...

[Sputmilk]

3rd for TM. G17 is great. The newer TM systems like the HK45 and USPc are the best. If you get AV'd you can get a good deal on TM guns every once in a while instead of having to buy new. No universal mags.

[Drakker]

The 1911s are more durable than Hi-Capas, mainly thanks to a much better reinforced slide stop system. They "ported" that system over to the Hi-Capa gold match, but not the ohers yet. On the other hand the 1911s have small magazines and do not work very well in cold weather.

The plastic TM pistols are incredible. Since they are plastic they don't wear as fast as full potmetal pistols from other brands, which is why most experienced players swear by them. You can get them around 250-270$ if you know where to look.

[BioRage]

Nothing last's a lifetime, only if you don't use it. Any airsoft toy is wear and tear, more you use it, the obvious. You're better off starting with the best "base" pistol, which is TM

That being said TM 1911/Hi-capa/Glocks have a ton of aftermarket support.

HK45 and USPC are nice pistols, but there's been no support for them in the past 1-2yrs + :|

Also the TM M&P9 is a great comfortable pistol aswell.

You could consider a WE Glock 17, if you're on a budget, they ain't that bad.

[uncle_benny12]

To be honest, I haven't encountered an airsoft pistol that will last a lifetime. This is just not feasible as parts are prone to wear and tear. I understand you want something relatively durable but the focus should be on spare parts availability. In this aspect, TM is one of the best out there as there is usually a ton of aftermarket parts available for them.

Part of the reason why TMs are so expensive is because it is manufactured in Japan where costs are higher. Manufacturing tolerances are very good so parts fit together better which results in generally better performance and reliability, as well as aftermarket parts compatibility.

The TM Glock 17 is awesome but IMO it's more of an upgrade platform. The frame was not designed for propane/green gas and will crack by the front screw post that holds in the front chassis (mine broke after about 500 rounds or so). I now have a metal slide and Guarder frame installed, this seems to be the most common upgrade path for most TM G17 users. There are also extended magazines that have a capacity of 50 rounds, but personally I find them to be cumbersome to carry for a secondary weapon.

I also have a TM 1911 that I've left basically stock (other than inner barrel and hop up rubber) for probably 6 or 7 years now. The ammo and gas capacity is a bit lacking since it's a single stack magazine but it's one of the best pistols I've owned.

If you get age verified, I think there's actually 2 or 3 upgraded TM Glock 17s posted up on the classifieds at the moment.

Best of luck.

[Datawraith]

Originally Posted by BioRage

Nothing last's a lifetime, only if you don't use it. Any airsoft toy is wear and tear, more you use it, the obvious. You're better off starting with the best "base" pistol, which is TM

That being said TM 1911/Hi-capa/Glocks have a ton of aftermarket support.

HK45 and USPC are nice pistols, but there's been no support for them in the past 1-2yrs + :|

Also the TM M&P9 is a great comfortable pistol aswell.

You could consider a WE Glock 17, if you're on a budget, they ain't that bad.

Pretty much what Bio said here. And when it wears down, you just get a nice metal kit and drop all those quality internals into some very nice externals of your choice and it's good as new again

I disagree on the HK45 and USP-C having no aftermarket support though... I'm sure you've seen E's builds of both pistols Bio; those are some sexy beasts.

Second the M&P9 as well, a good buddy of mine put one in a Detonator kit and it shoots pretty sweet.

To OP, regardless of which one you end up getting, make sure it fits your hand and feels the way you like. I absolutely can't use Glocks, so see if you can figure out what works and doesn't work for you by going into a store and holding them.

[BioRage]

Originally Posted by Datawraith

Pretty much what Bio said here. And when it wears down, you just get a nice metal kit and drop all those quality internals into some very nice externals of your choice and it's good as new again

I disagree on the HK45 and USP-C having no aftermarket support though... I'm sure you've seen E's builds of both pistols Bio; those are some sexy beasts.

Second the M&P9 as well, a good buddy of mine put one in a Detonator kit and it shoots pretty sweet.

To OP, regardless of which one you end up getting, make sure it fits your hand and feels the way you like. I absolutely can't use Glocks, so see if you can figure out what works and doesn't work for you by going into a store and holding them.

ok ok, what I meant was "internally", I know there's slides :P - I have yet to see anything fail on the HK45, but in terms of spare OEM parts, they may be hard to source - for let's say the USP-C.

[mikebarkski]

Originally Posted by Sputmilk

3rd for TM. G17 is great. The newer TM systems like the HK45 and USPc are the best. If you get AV'd you can get a good deal on TM guns every once in a while instead of having to buy new. No universal mags.

Whats AV'd?
And i've heard that TM guns are mostly plastic yet people still swear by them BECAUSE THE PLASTIC LASTS LONGER?? huh thats interesting cause some many other brands seem to boast there full metal products..
Any complaints or warnings about the tm g17? so far everyone likes it with high expectations for life span

[nardac]

Originally Posted by mikebarkski

Oh age verified.....that whole concept is retarded but i guess it protects us in case there are Undercovers on here....if airsoft grew to be big in my small town, i could totally see the powell river rcmp coming on here to sting a seller...no offense to any cops on here who just wanna play airsoft while off duty, but in my experience cops just wanna ruin a good time.
i guess ill go get AV'd

Wow, really? You must be new here, maybe do a bit of research/reading, and please lose the attitude. There are lots of law enforcement on here who play, and I find your comment rather disrespectful.

[e-luder]

/Start spoonfeed

"Full Metal" is not necessarily a good marketing point.
Full metal just really sums up the externals of the gun.

There's a youtube video of the stupid idiot from RedDragon Airsoft blowing off the metal slide off of his WE "Full MEtal" Biohazzard M9. Jared is his name. Spring melding FTW!!

The most important things are the quality of the internals. If the body is metal but your internals are crap quality pot metal then... well you know how that ends.

This is why some people choose Marui products, tho plastic, over products like Bell or Army, or WEs and KJWs. Marui Internals are superior, IMO, to the latter.

Again...

The only pistol that will last you a "lifetime" is the one you make with your fingers and go PEW PEW PEW.

In airsoft, you always get what you pay for. And in airsoft, something always goes wrong.

Believe it or not, Maruis do not appeal to everyone. The plastic just turns a lot of people off. That's why there are metal body kits and aluminum slides out there for most of their guns.

Think about it this way:

There's always a bar to raise for any consumer product out there. And there is always a manufacturer that is able achieve this feat. Marui is both the standard and the bar raiser. Just like how Tanio Kobayahsi fathered the model gun, Marui modernized it.

There is a reason why there are copies of Marui's product design being sold under different brands. The problem is when clones are made, they are not as great as the original.

A nice example of this was back in the day when WE cloned the Marui Hi-Capa. It was was disastrous. Mags leaked. In Canadian specific WE Hi-Capa's the mid frame would crack. There were trigger issues. Plain and simply, they just weren't too reliable (to speak in your terms).

To their credit, WE has stepped up their game but in my opinion, still lacks the certain...."finese" that Marui guns seem to exude.

The suggestions made here are valid and resonate within the community because of the proven track record of these Marui products. Particularly, the Hi-capa and 1911.

From your criteria, the tried and true hi-capa looks like its what you're looking for. Having a plethora of parts to choose from give you the flexibility to literally make a "reliable" gun from the ground up (i don't recommend doing that tho if you're new at this). You can possibly improve just about anything.

You can modify trigger functions like the take up, weight, etc just as an example. This is why they have a distinct advantage over most pistols in most competitive shooting arenas. In fact, they often have their own division.

If you want a full review and list of known issues with the Hi-Capa, read this long thread. It's filled with operators that have issues with their hi-capas: http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthread.php?t=94413

This is another point to make about the hi-capa (and perhaps guns that have been around for a while). Because it's been on the market for a while, there are more than likely enough operators that can offer troubleshooting tips, techniques and solutions to almost any failure you may encounter in the future. That's a big plus.

And I'm not talking about JUST Marui Hi-Capas here. I'm including the KJWs. They have proven themselves to be very good starting pistols for someone who aren't willing to go the Marui route. The good thing about KJWs are that they have strong parts inside already fitted. And if they break, KJW is pretty easy to get a hold of to get replacements.

The downside is, the pretty slides that you may want to put on there, does not 100% fit correctly as they are tailored to Marui specs.

A second viable option is to have someone put a gun together for you. This is a fairly expensive venture as labour and parts add up really fast. But the rewards are always worth it. Just look for a really good pistol smith in your area.

I do not recommend you buy guns that have just been released unless they have good market support, as Biorage explained. Externals, fine. But if the guts break, you SOL soonnn.

The Glock 17 is good but not as great as a Hi-capa/1911.
The Gat is lot more brittle. However, due to its ergonimics (grip angle, bore axis, etc), ease of parts maintenance (how easily you can tear everything down and put back together), how easy you can re-inforce the brittle parts (like the frame) make it an attractive option to many operators.

Here's another thread that may help you decide. This one is about the glock:
http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthread.php?t=140496

Ultimately, as Datawraith said:

To OP, regardless of which one you end up getting, make sure it fits your hand and feels the way you like. I absolutely can't use Glocks, so see if you can figure out what works and doesn't work for you by going into a store and holding them.

/End Spoonfeed

[ThunderCactus]

Marui 226
Marui hicapa almost purely because at least 3 companies make every single part of the gun
Marui M&P so far so good, nice design, takes glock recoil springs fyi
Ksc usp compact theyre actually pretty darn good left stock

Try to leave the gun as stock as possible, and leave the plastic slide on it.

[lurkingknight]

not sure if troll.