Here's what I had to say about it at Propsummit:
Please note that I am not approaching this as an expert or even a relatively knowledgable collector; I'm approaching this as an average guy who buys consumer products and also loves BR. If I make any inaccurate statements, please correct me.
This blaster was sold on eBay for $275 Buy It Now, plus $16 for shipping. (The shipping wasn’t a great deal for me, considering I’m only a few cities over, but I had it the day after I paid for it, so I can’t complain.) It was advertised as an upgrade (C model) to their M2019 (what happened to B?) Part knowledge, part surmise: Based on clues like spelling mistakes, these guns are manufactured in Mainland China and shipped to Off-World in California. I have no idea who designed it or who commissioned the build. Anybody?
First impression: I paid $300 for this toy? It seemed flimsy and hollow. Within the first five minutes I was considering taking Off-World up on their 7-day return policy. However, considering that it can be completely disassembled, I decided that it would be very helpful as I modify my resin PKD. Also, REdYOdA’s Off-World shows how good this thing can look, and has inspired me to keep it. After all, one blaster isn’t much of a collection.
cons:
The ammo mag is very hard to get in (bad) and out (not so bad). The instruction sheet reads “To replace the battery, simply pull ammo plate down from rear.” There’s nothing simple about it.
Uses a CR1220 battery, which I’ve never heard of and evidently isn’t available at my local Best Buy. But $1.60 for five on eBay isn’t bad.
The on/off switch is not the correct style and the (lever? stem?) sticks out too far. I’d file it down but I don’t know whether there’s a spring inside. If there is and I cut it off, the switch will just flop around. (I know this from experience.)
Frame/body junction seems flimsy. Lots of lateral movement. My resin replica actually feels sturdier. I would like the chamber shrouds to be thicker plastic or backed with something heavier to avoid that hollow sound.
Trigger guard moves too much (rotates around front screw).
Grip panels look cloudy (or at least not as clear as the ones on my PKD); the butt plate is hollow and the edges are rough. The grip is sized for small children, not adult male Americans.
Cylinder release is not spring-loaded. It absolutely should be; even my $30 airsoft revolver has a spring-loaded release.
Bolt lever rotates up but only pulls back a bit; bolt doesn’t move. (I’ve seen pictures showing the bolt retracted, so maybe I’m just being too timid.) Upper receiver stampings are not screen-accurate. (Off-World offers a $60 "upgraded" receiver but it features an unfortunate spelling error. The markings aren't important to me so I'm sticking with what I have.)
It feels a bit on the light side. Would like to see some metal inserts to add weight. (I bought a $13 spring airsoft gun and it has metal inserts for weight; why not this?)
pros:
Looks great. Fit and finish are very good. Grip frame looks very accurate. Screw sizes and positions are pretty accurate. The only obvious mold seams I can see are on the bolt lever.
The LED wiring in the ammo mag is elegant, particularly compared to the wiring in my resin PKD.
I really, really like the idea that it can be broken down into its component parts. That to me says a lot about the designer.
final thoughts:
The idea that a $300 replica is a “starting point” to build from reminds me of certain custom handguns. You pay $1000 for the name, then have to add hundreds more dollars in parts and gunsmithing to get it up to an acceptable level of performance. For a thousand bucks, I want perfect performance out of the box. But maybe that’s just me.
All the gripes sorta go away when you hold it, though. It’s not perfect by any means, and while $300 seems steep, it’s pretty reasonable within the field, considering that the best current replica will cost you at least $1200, and a commissioned resin build-up will probably cost around $250. (You could take your chances with a recast kit and build it yourself for less, but that’s something you and your conscience would have to live with.) In the end, it all depends on what you want and where you want to start.
Pictures
HTH!
