Tokyo Marui M93R AEP (WIP)

Tokyo Marui M93R AEP

By Captain Crunch


Ok, well here I am sitting at my computer with a Dr. Pepper, writing another review. I’m sure most people are familiar with Tokyo Marui’s AEP (Automatic Electric Pistol) line, but I’m going to be reviewing one of the lesser known ones, the M93R. Here is a Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Real Steel History
3. First Impressions
4. Appearance
5. Build Quality
6. Battery & Charger
7. Performance
8. Skirmish Report
9. Pros & Cons
10. Overall



1. Introduction




Well, the story of how I came to own this AEP starts out in early December, when I’m just starting to think about what I want to put on my Christmas list. One Saturday, we were in Knoxville, so we decided to stop by at my local airsoft store, Airsoft Knoxville (www.airsoftknoxville.com). After a couple of minutes browsing around the full size AEGs, I decided to see what pistols they had in stock. So, I walked over, and saw the usual: gas pistols. However, a few pistols caught my eye more than any others there. They were three all in a line: a G18, a USP, and a M93R. At first I thought they were just some cool looking gas pistols, but as I looked at the description card under each pistol, I learned that they were Tokyo Marui AEPs. I asked a worker if I could see the G18 and the M93R, because those were the ones that I liked the most. So he unlocks the glass case and pulls them out. First I handled the G18. I found it to be pretty uncomfortable for me, in my opinion. Next I handled the M93R, which felt much better; almost the same as a regular M9. So, long story short, I pulled out my list, and wrote “Tokyo Marui M93R AEP”.
Fast forward to Christmas morning. I saw a box that looked suspiciously familiar to the shape of a pistol box, but I opened it last so I could have a rush of anticipation the whole time. As I opened up the brown cardboard box, I was actually a little disappointed. That was because all the places on the box that are supposed to say “M93R” are cut out, leaving ugly blank spots on an otherwise good looking box. Even with the blank spots on the box, I didn’t really care that much, because my parents spent $160 on the gun, not the box.
But before we get into the details of the gun, let’s take a look at the history of the real M93R…




2. Real Steel History




“Beretta 93R automatic (or machine) pistol has been in development during the second half of the 1970s, and first appeared circa 1977. The index 93 stands for "9mm, 3rd model", and the suffix "R" means "Raffica" - burst[-firing] in Italian language. This special purpose sidearm was intended for police and military forces who may require improved firepower in compact weapon during the close-quarter combat, such as room-to-room search or VIP protection. Because the compact size and relatively powerful 9mm Parabellum ammunition necessary resulted in high cyclic rate of fire, Beretta designers decided do limit the practical rate of fire by introducing a burst limiter, which allowed only for three shot bursts, in addition to the standard semi-automatic fire. To further improve the control during the burst fire, the pistol was fitted with folding forward grip, and the detachable folding shoulder stock. Early production pistols also featured a ported barrel to decrease barrel climb, but later this feature was dropped. The Beretta 93R is no longer listed in Beretta military & law enforcement catalogs, but it is used by some Italian police and anti-terrorist forces, such as Carabineri's GIS and NOCS, and by some other paramilitary forces. The burst fire mode is of dubious value for anybody but the most professional shooters, who need the improved effectiveness at very short to short ranges; the folding shoulder stock probably can help for long range single shot accuracy.

The basic design of the Beretta 93R machine pistol is based on the famous Beretta 92 pistol; The 93R uses the same short recoil operated, locked breech system with vertically cammed lock. The slide retains typical Beretta-style open-top design. The trigger mechanism, however, is somewhat different from Beretta 92, as it is a single action only, with non-ambidextrous frame mounted safety and additional fire mode selector (both mounted on the same axis, with the selector lever pointing forward and safety lever pointing backward). The mechanism which controls the length of the bursts is located behind the right grip panel. Beretta 93R pistol is supplied with proprietary 20-rounds magazines but also can use standard Beretta 92 type magazines.” – world.guns.ru




3. First Impressions


When I first pulled the Tokyo Marui M93R out of the box, the very first thing I noticed was its weight. It’s very hefty for a pistol, weighing in at just a little over 2 pounds, with a full magazine and battery. Another thing I noticed was the lack of metal parts. The only metal parts on this AEP are the trigger, hammer, safety switch, fire selector switch, take down lever, the magazine, and finally, the fore grip. This lack of metal parts was what surprised me about the replica’s weight.

The next things I noticed were the imitation wood grips. I have definitely seen better, but I have also seen worse. The grips are also nicely textured, which makes the Marui M93R very comfortable to hold and shoot.

So, I put the battery on the charger, and proceeded to examine my new replica a little more closely…




4. Appearance

Ok, let’s face it: Some people absolutely hate the M93R’s looks, and some people love it. Personally, I’m with the latter on this one, I think the M93R looks very good and well designed.

The paint used for the Marui M93R is a matte black paint, which isn’t shiny, and gives the replica a more realistic appearance. However, one complaint I did have about the Marui M93R’s appearance was the orange tip’s paintjob. It’s painted on half of the outer barrel, and looks very sloppily painted. But, I did find a solution to this, which you will read about a little later.

So, I’m going to rate the Tokyo Marui M93R’s appearance an 8/10.




5. Build Quality