Elite Force's line of legendary Glock replica Airsoft Guns have so far been a sure fire hit since release. With the G19, Several models of G17, and the 19X all claiming top marks for build quality and performance, only one question remains.
"When do we get the Glock 18?"
It's finally here, and that means we're diving right into the nuts and bolts to see if it lives up to it's reputation.
While much of what this Glock 18 does is standard fare, it makes a couple of distinct changes to help you recognize what you are looking at from the standard model glocks already on the market.
You'll get the same high strength polymer frame and metal slide that accompanied the previous VFC-made models, but you'll find the top of the slide has now been ported, and the outer barrel vented to give the gun a more aggressive look. This is keeping in line with many of the design choices found on the real model to help decrease recoil.
As you travel further down the slide, the selector switch for the full-auto functionality appears. This switch is much more satisfying to use than the types found on other pistols. It is neither too loose nor too stiff, and clicks into place deliberately without fighting you at any point. However, it is still tight enough that during long strings of full auto fire, it does not come loose and change positions back into semi-auto mode. The Gen 3 texturing on the grip is still my personal preference for standard Glocks, though I wish we'd see a replica of the RTF2 frames Glock will produce in a limited run from time to time.
All of the controls click the way they should. The trigger still has a definitive wall. The magazine release doesn't hang up even with the included 50 round extended magazine. The quality expected of a VFC pistol in 2019 is here, exactly how you want it.
Where this pistol truly shines is in the shooting experience. While most of the internal components remain the same, and thus, the expected performance remains the same as the G19X we reviewed a while back, the addition of a full auto selector does change up the game when you go to fire.
Pulling the trigger in semi-auto, you'd be hard pressed to tell there was anything unique about this gun. However, once the fun button gets clicked into place, all bets are off.
Full Auto mode feels crispy and fresh with a heightened sense of felt recoil due to the high cyclic rate. There is hardly any lag time between shots, making full use of the new extended magazines to deliver high volumes of fire to your target. It is an astonishing thing to wield, even if you've played with other full auto airsoft handguns in the past. It is hard to qualify in words the fun factor present when shooting this replica. It doesn't have that inherent feeling that it's going to vibrate apart in your hands as you shoot like most other guns do, and that's what sells the experience. It is full auto with confidence.
Shots clocked at around 310 FPS, in line with it's semi-auto cousins, and accuracy in semi auto got us past the 100 foot mark with ease. Full auto accuracy was another story entirely, but it is to be expected. While we could still hit targets at the 100 foot distance, this gun was no laser beam like it is in semi auto, as expected. Solid performance in and out, and fun for days when you click it to fully automatic mode.
Let's face the facts here.
We loved the G19X. We recommended it with flying colors.
I actively play with the standard G19 when I hit the field. It performs admirably.
This is the best of those pistols, with a full-auto feature that doesn't feel like it's trying to send the gun to the shadow realm with every shot.
It's only marginally more expensive than the semi-auto models at $190 on Airsoft GI, and most of that is accounting for the new extended magazines, which you can buy for your other models as well.
This gun is absolutely worth your dollars. Snag one for yourself, and join the dark side of full auto handguns.
If you'd like, you can pick yours up HERE.