TM 93r MAEG review
NOTE: Click the images in this review for the full size.
I have long loved the 93r as a gun. It is basically a big 92fs. It is like the designer was told to make a 92fs on speed. The real steel version is justly famous for its enormous kick on burst mode and the fact that it is one of the most over the top and silly guns ever.
I mean, the nature of this gun (much like the micro Uzi) is that you are quite likely to blow your own fingers off reaching for that front grip. Crazy! I personally came to know this gun when I first saw Robocop.
Old Robo uses a modified 93r that has had a mahoooosive compensator added for that special movie effect. The idea of getting my hands on a good gun to base a copy of the Robocop gun on was a dream. Well dream no longer. TM have finally brought out a 93r MAEG
MAEG
Mini Auto Electric Guns are somewhat of an enigma. They are not a powerful as green powered gas guns, they are not as solid as WA’s, nor as simple as the large AEG’s they seek to replicate. But for all that they are:
1. Fun.
2. A player’s gun.
3. Full auto capable.
I was the proud owner of the first TM MAEG; the Glock 18c and had a long standing love/hate relationship with it. I eventually sold it on with a heavy heart. There is nothing wrong with the neither gun nor concept; I just can’t shoot Glocks for toffee.
So, come with me as I review the 93r and some of the accessories that are already out as well as expound a little on the adventure I had on the way to what is a seriously nice gun.
The Price and Box
I can never wait for new TM guns and I just have to get my mitts on them as soon as possible. Even, as in the case of the Sig, I don’t like them. The 93r was no exception and I rushed excitedly down to Wolf Armouries in Camden, London and paid very slightly over the odds to get my gun asap. £110 cash.
As before with my 18c, I asked Wolf to Mod the charger. More on this later.
The box and contents look like this:
Very nice layout.
First Impressions
First impressions of any of the new TM gun are always the same. The size weight and look of the gun is spot on. Spot on. The feel is a little plastic for those of us used to Western Arms pistols, and a little creak does exist. However, the 93r pushes all the right buttons and feels great in the hand.
It is large, very large and heavy in the grip as it should be.
Charging the battery
Listen now to the tale of woe and you too may avoid the same fate.
I asked Wolf to mod the charger. The supplied battery charger is set to US/Japan power of 110. You cannot use this plug in the UK. Neither can you use any old plug adapter that you may have used on holiday. You have to buy a step down transformer that will convert the power to UK standard. These run at something like £17 from Wolf or a tenner at the local electric shop. You can avoid all this hassle by simply having the charger cut off and the wires fitted to a standard AEG charger plug. Then you simply turn down your AEG charger and Bobs your uncle.
Or rather he might be.
I had, as I said, had this minor operation performed on my Glock and it worked fine. In fact, here is a piccy:
Simple huh? Well, I turned down my charger to 7.2v and the output to 60ma and charged for the night. Come the morning I leap from bed, and fit the battery.
Fitting the battery
Just like breaking down the real gun. Press the stud on the frame and turn the lock. Then the whole slide just comes off forwards.
Then slot in the battery arrow side first and slot it all back together.
Total time – 1 min. You could do this in 20 seconds if you rushed.
To remove the battery simply push down on the eject lever and out it pops. I say how to remove the battery because I set the fire selector to full auto and thumbed off the safety next to it to find that when…
…I pulled the trigger nothing happened.
Nought. Dead. Dodo.
So ah… perhaps it hasn’t charged correctly. I hooked it back up to the charger and gave it a quick charge (again something I did ALL THE TIME with the 18c).
Still nothing. So back to Wolf. Now, I don’t know about you, but convincing any AEG supplier that you know what you are doing battery-wise isn’t easy. They automatically assume that you blew it up. Well, finally they gave me a new one (and a couple of stern looks) and I went home and tried again.
Same thing.
Now, having got one battery out of them, I know that getting another will be impossible. I realise that the problem is the modded charging cradle, but how the hell can I prove it? Frankly I couldn’t be bothered.
Solution
TM know your pain. They have consequently brought out the PRO LIGHT BATTERY!
This device gives you two things. First it is an under rail torch for your pistol (yah!), second it is also a 5000 round battery for your MAEG (yahoo!). A fantastic and obvious invention, this little baby will solve all those running out, swapping, and multiple battery problems plaguing the MAEG players.
Only one problem. The 93r doesn’t have a rail. It has that stupid front grip thing. Cue a purchase of an accessory rail at £10. Then the torch at £60. This gun is starting to get expensive.
Anyway, it all turns up and I eagerly open the package to find another battery charger of Japanese origin. Cue a visit to the electricians anyway and the purchase of a step down transformer.
Fitting the Pro Light
The prolight comes with a replacement for the normal MAEG battery that passes through the frame to fit the torch neatly.
As well as rubber spacers to make sure that the torch stays in place on the gun. The clip is very stiff. And the final product has NO wobble whatsoever.
Impatient, I fill the thin metal mag with bbs (note none of the 18c ones will fit including the 100 round mag) and try it out.
The Try Out
The most important questions of any skirmishers gun is, does it work and will it fit my load out?
First the torch. This is operated by a ambidextrous thumb switch. It is very very good for what it is. Much better than I expected. The only niggle is that you cannot click it on permanently and have to hold it on. Second, even someone my size with big hands cannot reach the torch and fire the gun at the same time. You will have to use your other hand.
Thirdly, the shootout! Here all the birds come home to roost. Can it shoot? I load up two mags…
…setup a target using a washing basket, towel and bit of wrapping paper and let fly:
CLICK THE LINK FOR A MOVIE OF THE GUN SHOOTING FULL AUTO!
The target shows the single shots on the right and the full auto shots on the left.
As you can see, it is accurate. As accurate as the 18c on both semi and full auto.
But what about power? Well, on removing the target I saw that I had not placed the towel totally behind the point of impact and had shot clean through the washing basket!
NICE! I went for forgiveness with my wife on that one!
Fitting it to my Loadout
I already have a large frame auto on my hip; the mighty TM DE Hardkick. This pistol now has a brother in size:
So two large pistols. How to fit them. Viper have just brought out a copy of the famous Tornado Guarder holster. This cheaper model is in both OD and black and can be made to fit anything up to DE. With the torch on the 93r is very fat and unusual in shape. It takes a fair amount of playing around to fit it into the holster, but eventually it goes. I don’t like leg drops so I took off the Velcro straps and fitted the holster to my belt.
Both the Guarder and the Viper can do this.
The amount of people who don’t know that fact is amazing!
Problems so Far
The rear sight fell off!
SuperGlue to the rescue!
Also the gun fires similar when empty and full. So it is very important to count your shots/bursts.
Skirmishing
Last night I took the gun to a skirmish at Electrowerkz and gave it a full nights play. My impressions are:
1. This gun fires all its BB’s very fast on full auto.
2. BB speed in the air is FAR less than my DE and you can float shots into targets.
3. The torch is bloody fantastic and quite able to highlight people hidden by pitch blackness from a very long range.
4. The gun fires well on semi and the hop up is excellent.
5. Tactically the way to go is highlight the target and walk bb’s into him on semi.
All in all it played very very well. I had a good night and in one game got 7 people to surrender all at the same time! Breaking Situpkings record from AG-05 (nice!).
I also used the pistol in an attacking rush and it worked very well to flank the opposition side by side to my DE.
There were a lot of people there last night due to the Channel 4 Film crew turning up. So things got a little hectic.
Here is a picture of my arm after the action.
FINAL SCORE
9/10! Wow!
Fantastic, TM have done it again!
Basho
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CONTINUED HERE -> CLICK for part 2!
