By zip3400
Published: 21 November, 2003
First Impressions
The 93R comes in a thick Blue cardboard box with a black and gray Styrofoam lining in it. The box has no artwork on it, just “M93R II” and then some other writing. The box is much sturdier than most KSC boxes. When you open up the box, you see the gun, magazine, and loading rod all secured in the Styrofoam. There is also a little space for the bag of BBs and Allen wrench.
I picked the gun up out of the box and noticed how heavy it was. I have had quite a few GBBs before the 93R, some KSC Glocks, and KJW M9s, but the 93R’s weight really impressed me. Even though it had an ABS slide, the gun felt very solid and well built. The amount of metal on the gun is about average. The hammer, trigger, selector switches and safety are all metal, as is the fold down front grip. The finish on the gun is very nice, and the fake wood grips actually look decent. Overall, I’m very impressed with the look and feel of the gun.
Features
The 93R II has 3 fire modes: Semi, Full, and 3-round burst. This is contrary to what some people think about the 93R II not having full-auto. You just have to put the selector switch between semi-automatic and burst mode. The gun’s safety is on the frame under the selector switch, rather than on the slide like on the 92F series. The metal front grip folds down to allow a bit more stability when firing in burst or full-auto mode. It folds down with a snap, and stays in place well. The magazine is longer than a regular 92F magazine, holding around 38 rounds. The plastic lower portion of the magazine also provides more grip area for those with larger hands. The ported outer barrel is much longer than usual, extending around and inch past the slide. The right hand side grip panel is quite large, providing space for the select fire mechanism. For the most part, everything else on the pistol is exactly the same as on a 92F, so it should feel quite familiar.
To strip the gun simply remove the magazine, press the button on the right side of the frame, than swing the takedown lever down 90 degrees, and off comes the slide. Reassembly is the same process, just backwards. After the slide is removed, taking out the slide internals is fairly straightforward. After stripping the gun I noticed how realistic the internals are. Compare them to pictures of a real 93R (or 92F) and they look nearly identical.
Removing the two screws on each grip panel allows them to be removed. Underneath the right panel, as I said, is the select fire mechanism. I never took the pistol apart further than that, seeing as I didn’t want to hassle with the tiny parts of the select fire mechanism. One thing I noticed when removing the grip panels is how heavy they are. They must be made of a very dense plastic.
Performance
After checking out the gun for a while, I decided to gas it up and fire it. Loading BBs into the magazine is a simple process, just attach the BB loader to the magazine, fill the tube, and push all the BBs into the magazine with the rod. Filling with gas is very simple; just press the nozzle onto the fill valve. Inserting the magazine into the gun gives a nice click, telling you it’s secure. Racking the slide is very easy, smooth, and satisfying, giving off a few clicks and clacks.
Pointing the gun at my target about 20 feet away, I switched the gun into semi. I let off a few rounds, and was very happy with the sound, and the strength of the recoil when using Green/TOP gas. I switched the gun into 3-round burst, and folded the front grip down. The gun cycles quite fast, releasing all 3 rounds before I even realized it. I first thought that it wasn’t working right, but after another burst, I realized it actually was shooting three times. I fired a bit more in burst mode, and with about 10 rounds left I emptied the magazine in full-auto. Firing the gun was very satisfying, and the 38 round capacity was much appreciated.
After using the remainder of the gas in the magazine, I filled it up with some HFC134A. Shooting the gun with HFC134A was nothing to be excited about, which made me glad I picked up a metal slide with my 93R so that I could use Green/TOP gas without worrying too much.
I filled the magazine back up with Green/TOP gas to get an idea of the power and range of the 93R. I don’t have a Chronograph, so the best I can do is shoot at a Coke can. From 3 inches away the 93R would consistently shoot through both sides of the can. I was very impressed. I know it’s not an accurate gauge of power, but considering my Glock 19 would only go through one side, I figure the 93R shoots at least 320 with Green/TOP gas. I shot at my garage about 40 feet away and noticed the BBs dropping right before they got to the garage. I went back inside to get the Hop-Up tool, and after a few minutes trying to get the setting just right, I could place rounds out to about 130 feet. Very good for a pistol. Overall, I am very impressed with the performance of the gun.
So how does it compare to other similar pistols? Very well to say the least. Many people like the 18C for its select fire capabilities, but it has quite a few problems that can lead to a rather unreliable pistol, which isn't something you want in a sidearm. I am happy to report that the 93R does not share these same problems, which would make it a much more viable backup weapon than the Glock 18C.
Upgrades
There is a metal slide and barrel available, as I just explained, which retails for around $65. There are hi-low valves, upgraded recoil springs, Compensator kits, and other misc. things. There are a decent amount of upgrade parts for it, but if you are looking for a gun with huge aftermarket support, the 93R is not for you. The majority of the parts are interchangeable between the 93R and the other 92F series pistols from KSC. Among them are Barrels, Recoil Springs, Recoil Rods, and Magazines. One thing I would like to talk about is how the 93R compares to the KSC Glock 18C. Many people like the 18C for its select fire capabilities, but it has quite a few problems. I am happy to say that the 93R does not share these same problems. The 93R would be a much more reliable alternative to the 18C. The quality of the 93R seems better than the 18C, and the overall performance is at least the same. As I said earlier, I also purchased a metal slide for the 93R. The metal slide didn’t really cross my mind until firing a good 300 rounds out of the gun, so I hurried back to my kitchen and went about installing the slide. The slide comes in a small blue box, with white outline of the slide on it. Taking it out of the box, I looked it over for a bit. I was impressed how nice this $65 Taiwan made metal slide appeared. The finish is an attractive matte black, where as the barrel has a sort of strange colored glossy finish. It is quite heavy compared to metal slides for the KSC Glocks, and KJW M9s. The slide’s trademarks are perfectly engraved, and look amazing. Everything on the slide is machined very well, with crisp, clean edges. Installing the slide and barrel is a straightforward process for the most part, with the barrel requiring a bit more work than the slide. The right of the slide where it meets the frame needed a bit of sanding to get it to cycle smoothly, which only took about a minute. After installing the slide and barrel, the gun’s weight was very impressive, well over a Kilo I would say. The sound of firing the gun has also changed quite a bit. It is a more metallic “clack” and “clank” instead of a popping noise. The ROF with the metal slide slowed a bit, but this was remedied with an upgraded recoil spring. The recoil seems the same, if not a better, and the gas consumption didn’t seem to change. I would whole-heartedly recommend the metal slide and barrel kit for anyone with a 93R.
Problems
Every gun has a few quirks, and the 93R is no exception. On very rare occasion the 93R will fail to cycle correctly in semi-automatic mode. I don’t know what this is caused by, and I think it has only happened 3 times in a good 3000 rounds, but I thought it was worth mentioning. One thing that may be a problem for some is the fact that the 93R is a very bulky gun. It would be much harder to find a holster for than a Glock or something similar, but I’m sure there are some available. The last thing I will complain about with the 93R is how much gas it uses. It is by no means a gas hog, but it uses more than many GBBs out there.
Final thoughts
I would say the 93R II is a great gun any way you look at it. It’s powerful, accurate, well made, and fairly cheap. There are an acceptable amount of upgrades for it, and will last quite awhile if taken care of. If you are looking for a Glock 18C alternative, or just a good, solid sidearm, the KSC M93R II is a great choice.
You can see more pictures right here.
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