��The Tanaka heavyweight Sig P226 is the Holy Grail in my quest for airsoft Sig P226 copies. I began my journey looking for the most realistic P226 airsoft gun available to facilitate off-duty training, and let me tell you, I've found it.
Appearance
��Wow. When I opened the box, I thought Tokyo Model Company might have accidentally sent me a real Sig P226 by mistake. Everything looks perfect or very nearly so on this gas blowback airsoft: the metal parts are in a soft black finish that closely copies that of a real 226, the grips could have been taken from a Sigarms production line (the metal dot-and-post sights as well), the magazine is full-size and looks a lot like a real mag, and the finish on the pistol is a super nice no-nonsense matte black. The slide and frame are made from heavy duty high-density plastic which adds weight and a solid feel to the gun in addition to allowing a nicer finish. I'd rate this pistol at about a 9.9 out of ten - my only reservation is that the finish is a bit too matte compared to the real thing, which is not necessarily such a bad thing. Better it look too real than too fake as far as training goes. The ejection port does open when the slide cycles, and the barrel moves back as the breech drops just like on the real steel. UPDATE: I inherited a non-heavyweight Tanaka P226 in nonworking order. The finish is noticeably different - the heavyweight is the dark grey matte finish and the lightweight is a glossier black finish. I think I prefer the finish of the lightweight model, though the heavyweight feels much better. The heavyweight also comes with painted sights. For a photo comparing the two, click here.
Function
��Tanaka's high standards of realism set this GBB a step above other gas guns, including KSC's high-end products. Everything on this gun functions EXACTLY as it does on the real one - the slide stop, the decocking lever, and the takedown lever (you actually have to lock the slide open and rotate the takedown lever downward and then run the slide off the frame just like on the real one). The magazine catch is solid and secure, and with the magazine in place the pistol weighs nearly as much as a real P226. The trigger pull is identical to the real thing with regard to function - there are double and single action modes. As far as trigger feel goes, it is almost identical to a real 226's trigger pull except it's a little lighter and the single action pull isn't quite as crisp. The realistic magazine holds twenty rounds double-staggered, tapering up to a single column at the top like the real thing but you can squeeze one more in if you absolutely need to. There are two things to watch out for when charging the magazine with gas, though. Number one is to make sure the bracket on the back of the magazine is pulled down and that the valve button is protruding out. The other thing is that you should warm the magazine in your hand before charging and charge it in short bursts, warming it between bursts. The magazine was built with such tight tolerances that when it gets cold enough, the O-ring can shrink and start a leak at the top of the magazine. if you hear the mag leaking, hold it in your hands or stick it in a warm pocket to stop the leak. I suppose if you ripped through an entire magazine as fast as you could pull the trigger, the magazine might get cold enough to leak then as well. Also, if you're operating in cold weather with the pistol out in the open, you could develop a leak then. This really isn't such a big deal to me since most of our training is indoors, or in situations where the gun is worn up against the body in a holster so it stays warm anyway. The recoil of this pistol is tight and feels like a reduced version of a real 226's recoil. This airsoft is a fantastic option for realism in training.
Accuracy
��The Tanaka P226 is no slouch in this department, performing almost identically with .2g and .25g BBs at seven yards. The pistol grouped better with .2g ammo, so it may be tuned for that weight. It doesn't appear to have a Hop-up system, so .2g is probably what you want to stick with. UPDATE: I just had a chance to fire the 226 under controlled conditions at 15, 20, and 25 yards. It seems to seriously lose accuracy beyond 15 yards - I had a hard time putting hits on a human silhouette target at even that distance. I'll be conducting further tests with different types of ammo to see if there are any solutions. If anyone knows if there's an upgrade hop-up barrel available, I'd like to hear about it via email.
Overall Impressions
��This is the finest quality gas blowback pistol that I've encountered. It is extremely realistic and it is accurate, so it would make an excellent training or tournament gun. The cold O-ring situation is only a problem if you don't slowly charge the magazine or if you are exposing the pistol to extreme cold. This is an excellent airsoft gun overall (except for my current reservations about long-range accuracy), and I highly recommend it if you can afford it (though it's not as expensive as a lot of other guns including most of KSC's models).
