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Tokyo Marui – Detonics Combat Master

Up for review is the most recent GBB from Tokyo Marui, the Detonics Combat Master. Released on October 9th in Japan, I was lucky enough to pre-order my example from Dentrinity in Hong Kong. With a favorable wind, Marui’s latest and greatest was in my hands on October 12th.

Released after their M1911A1 model, the Detonics is a compact 1911 design based on the classic Detonics Combat Master. With a weight of 634grams, while quite small in the hand, it has enough heft to it to feel like more than just another toy.





Packaging

The packaging is pretty decent, it certainly does a good job at looking serious while still providing more flash than the rather drab and glum Western Arm’s boxes. Proudly proclaiming the contents, my box had to be “sanitized” to clear US Customs.



Inside we are greeted by the replica, magazine securely held in place. Like the 1911, but unlike the latest GBB, the contents are secured by cutouts in cardboard covered by a black cloth. Most TMs make do with black Styrofoam. The bbs are hidden inside a little cardboard box made to look like spare ammunition for a real gun. This is not as believable as the one included in the 1911, but is still a bit classier than just another cutout in the base.



Also included is a full package of papers. The usual spare targets, a few warning pages in helpful Japanese, the Manual for the Detonics, and a brand new TM Catalog.

Features

Trades

TM chose to replicate the trades from the earlier versions of the Detonics. With just “Detonic .45” on the left of the slide, the latest ones made by the now defunct Detonics USA had “Detonics USA CombatMaster” on their slides.



The right side of the gun has an ASGK marking on the rear of the frame, and Detonics .45, Tokyo Marui, Made in Japan where the makers mark would be. Concise and to the point, but not as true to real steel as I would like.



Sights

The sights on the gun are a good replica of the real steel, with the rear sight blade being set further forward on the slide than usual for a 1911. The front sight is a simple blade. Both are unmarked and unfortunately made out of plastic. The front sight is actually cast as part of the slide.



Safety

Unlike conventional 1911s, the Combat Master makes do with only a single thumb safety. While it appears to have the grip safety, like the real steel, it is actually pinned and does not serve as any form of safety. TM did choose to cast the thumb safety out of metal.



Ejection Port

Marui replicated the enlarged ejection port with the little down turn toward the rear of the port. The more current Detonics USA model has a more conventional straight cut port.



Mag

The magazine is a cut down version of the full size 1911. It uses the same valve, mag lips and follower design, just at a fraction of the total height. These little mags hold 18 shots in total. Another nice touch is the fact that Marui replicated the way the floor plate of the Detonics magazine does not sit flush with the bottom of the frame.



Like most of the latest Marui magazines, bbs can be loaded one at a time through the top, or you can pull the follower to the bottom and load more easily through the flared opening.



Just to show the compatability of the design, the Detonics can use the full size magazines from the M1911A1.



Main Spring Housing

The Detonics master uses a flat main spring housing. With a checker patterned rear panel, Marui chose to fabricate this piece out of plastic. A bit of a let down, since there is no real reason for it other than cutting costs.



Front

The Combat Master was one of, if not the first, 1911 to use a bushing-less design. Marui replicates this well, with a bull barrel and flat recoil guide bushing.

Recoil Spring Guide

Here we can see the rather unique recoil guide rod and spring system. Like the real steel, Marui has replicated the unique system of rod, bushing, and springs all being connected as a single piece, more like a Glock guide rod. They have also replicated the use of multiple recoil springs, pioneered by Detonics to tame the .45 cartridge, here just another piece of realism.



Hop Up

The crown jewel of any Marui, is the ultra reliable, and ultra consistent hop up unit. Unlike some other manufacturers guns (KSC, Western Arms) you must at least field strip the gun for access. The trade off is, that once set, you don’t need to ever reset it unless you are changing gasses or bb weights.

Easily adjustable with a small dial underneath the chamber, counter clockwise adds hop, clockwise reduces the level of hop. Simple by design, but easily, without question the best hop up in the business.



Barrel Center System

A new feature on the Detonics, is the use of a secondary barrel centering system. Like all other Marui GBBs, the outer barrel has a shelf inside that provides a place for the inner barrel to center and rest on, but the Detonics also has what looks at first glance to be a version of Western Arms barrel weight/centering system. This helps to keep the barrel centered through the blowback process. I don’t really understand why they need it with the outer barrel design, but this is a new feature for Marui.



Take Down

The Combat Master field strips just like any other bushing-less 1911. The first step is lining up the rear of the slide stop with the second notch (half moon shaped) on the slide.



Then you can push the slide stop out from the left side of the frame. Once the slide stop is removed you can push the slide off the front of the frame.



To remove the recoil guide assembly from the slide, you need to push the guide rod off of the post it sits on. Push it all the way forward into the guide bushing until you can pull it out the rear as one piece. Then push the inner barrel as far forward in the outer barrel as you can, then slide the entire barrel assembly out through the front of the slide.

Shooting Impressions

So how does she shoot? Well I must say that I am pretty surprised with the action and feel of the little gun. Now, let’s all be clear, this is an incredibly short barreled gun. With a shorter barrel than even the Hi Capa 4.3, I was never expecting huge power, and with a tiny ABS slide I knew kick was never going to be up there with a WA Heavy Weight. But in comparison to like sized guns, the TM puts out a respectable amount of power, more kick than a Maruzen PPK/S, and a quick, snappy action that is fun.

Efficiency wise, the tiny mag really shows its’ true colors. With 134A I managed to get 38-39 shots from one fill. Not bad for the size, but the efficiency plummets when you swap to green gas. On green I have seen no more per fill than 15 or 16 shots, the price of higher power and recoil that is fun is rather steep. As seen earlier, if this dismal efficiency scares you, it is possible to use the full size mags.

Results on 134A. .20 Toytecs @ 65 degrees.
1 – 197
2 – 194
3 – 194
4 – 194
5 – 195
6 – 192
7 – 191
8 – 193
9 – 190
10 – 191
Avg = 193.10

The power and fun picks up with the use of Green Gas.

Results on Green. .20 Toytecs @ 65 degrees.
1 – 256
2 – 259
3 – 258
4 – 256
5 – 256
6 – 256
7 – 250
8 – 253
9 – 252
10 – 250
Avg = 254.60

Just a friendly warning. This gun is “designed” for use of 134A, but I have chosen to shoot it on green, pretty much all of the time. I have found the latest generation of TMs to be more than up to the pressure of Green, but I am willing to replace anything that breaks. In truth not many of my guns stay stock long enough to really definitively answer the question of long term green use. But in this case, no one can answer it, so if you believe me shoot green and have fun.

Accuracy

Accuracy wise, the little gun does pretty well. Again hampered by its’ short barrel, and the rather plain sights, the Detonics manages to shoot fairly well.



Shot at 5m using Toytec .25s, the green dot was the point of aim. The spread over 6 shots was a decent 2”. Throwing out one outlying shot the grouping tightens up to an even 1.5”. Not as great as a full size 1911, which can continually shoot 1.5” or tighter groupings, but more than adequate for a true back up on the skirmish field. I might have been able to shoot a tighter grouping using 134A, but I just can’t get myself to use 134A, I am a green gas user. You can also see that with the stock hop up setting the gun shoots a bit high. You can either use a heavier weight bb (.30 will probably be right on the point of aim) or adjust the hop up down a little bit.

Conclusion

In conclusion I think the Detonics is another quality GBB, which certainly continues Tokyo Marui’s run on producing arguably the finest GBBs in the world. In stock form it is a great back up option, and for general plinking fun it is certainly accurate enough.

There are a few things I have noticed already which are bit disappointing. The stock hammer spring is pretty weak. It really doesn’t have the strength to activate a hi flow valve on green gas (I tested it with one of my full size 1911 mags with a Guarder Hi Flow). The plastic main spring housing is a bit of a drag. There is no reason other than cost savings for them to have chosen to use plastic. The stock plastic sights are a bit of a disappointment as well.

In the end, I think it is certainly worth the cost, and since it is a Marui, the aftermarket will certainly start kicking out upgrades to both looks and performance.

Pros:
TM Hop Up
Accuracy
Correct Trades
Unlimited Upgrade Potential and Aftermarket Support

Cons:
Limited Gas Capacity
Only decent power on green gas
Meager Stock Sights (not really TM’s fault)
A little light weight compared to a WA Heavy Weight

Great review. I shall be picking one of these up shortly =)

Is that a metal slide an barrel installed by you? Or is it just the stock slide with metal barrel?

BTW great review glad you made one so soon.

That's a sexy little gun. Nice review.

Gunnerman47 Wrote:Is that a metal slide an barrel installed by you? Or is it just the stock slide with metal barrel?

Nope, the gun is completely stock. In real life the slide looks good, but the barrel is pretty obviously plastic. TM quality is not bad.

wow that looks great.

nice as a mini hidden backup gun. haha

Long slide anyone: