Off-World M2019C Review

[Combaticus]

Off-World M2019C


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

[Photech]

I totally agree with the " I just paid $300 for this toy?"

Thats the reason mine sat on a self for 2 years before I decided to rebuild it completely.


good luck with your build.
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No! 4, 2 - 2, 4.

[Deckard]

my friend, this is what I was hoping to find when I came here! a good review of the C model.
I bought one last week and it should be arriving to me sometime soon.

I plan on doing a lot of modding to it and this post gives me an excellent idea f what t start with!

thanks a lot for the post!
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"... Like tears... in the rain."

[joberg]

Thanks for the review Combaticus. Good gun for the price (IMO) and could be transformed to be even better.

[propsjonnyb]

I completely agree, a good basic gun for the price , would I display it ABSOLUTELY NOT ! as there's too much wrong with it - now I'd totally dissassemble it and rebuild it using 'metal' replacement parts available from a number of forum member's here ( including myself) or parts from a Coyle Resin Kit ( $495 USD or £295UKP) or replace parts as and when you want ( hybrid style) eventually you'll have something worth displaying when you finish !!

[Combaticus]

[Deckard]

I appreciate it!

thanks a lot!
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"... Like tears... in the rain."

[cratercritter]

[andy]

My biggest beefs with the Offworld, are....
1-The loose cylinder. It may be able to be fixed with a stronger spring and some bushings in the crane.
2-The paint job. This is relatively easy to fix, but the old paint should be stripped first.
3-The weight and lack of metal on it. We have some members that make replacement grip butt plates, which I highly recommend, also needed though are a new barrel and end cap to the Steyr bolt. Mostly a new Trigger guard would go a long way to to helping this version out. Also the base gun is based off of a real Bulldog 38. It may be possible to replace some of those parts with the real thing.
4-The size of the grips. These are the same size as Rich Coyles old guns, and even though it looks to be a copy of the Hartfords, it seems a bit smaller. The new butt plates do help a little bit in this though. Since it is based on an accurate grip frame from a CA Bulldog, another grip such as a RAC and maybe even a Sidkit might be able to be retro fitted to it.

Still since it is made of a much more durable material than resin, or even pewter, it makes a great costuming gun, and fits the holsters perfectly. It can be field stripped too, making it pretty easy to customize and well, just play with.

Andy

[Deckard]

Amazing list Andy!

I was thinking about changing the trigger guard and the outer grip frame and butt with aluminum and was just about to ask who should I contact for prices on these parts!

Propsjonyb was amazing enough as to offer me a replacement Steyr receiver for it and and I know that will help the gun look a LOT better.

I might be able to get a spare real .38 drum, if so I will change it to add weight to the prop.


question. does this model comes with fake bullets too? If not...where can I buy a set that will fit a .38 drum??
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"... Like tears... in the rain."

[andy]

I got my dummy rounds at a gun show. The are solid dummies, not hollowed out rounds. You should be able to get them from a gun dealer. For the record they are .38 special. .357 Magnum should also work if they are hollow point.

Andy

[Combaticus]

It doesn't come with dummy rounds. In addition to dummies or expended brass, you might consider snap caps, which have a rubber or spring-loaded primer. The downside is that they're usually made in bright (non-brass) colors.

If you're considering them, check the type of fake primer used, as some are inset rubber pieces and look worse (less accurate) than dented primers.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=11927/pid=5176/sku/Fits__38_Spl___6_pack

[Michael]

I second the beef with the grips, if it weren't for this I'd be very happy with mine