HFC M190 Full Metal Version Review

HFC M190 Full Metal Version Review

By Lon

INTRO

The HFC M190 FMV was actually my FIRST real airsoft GBB (gas blow back ). I got it back in 2003, the year it first came out. Or was it 2004? Damn, I can’t remember. Anyway, my first M190 broke after a few thousand rounds when the outer barrel cracked… can you believe that? Friendly tip: DO NOT buy the CO2 version, or any of the cheapo ABS versions. Trust me, they’ll give you problems ‘till there’s no tomorrow. The standard Green Gas powered, full metal M190 is the topic of this review.

The HFC M190 FMV has become one of airsoft’s most popular pistols, and for a few good reasons: It’s affordable, full metal, built well, holds 25 rounds, and is quite efficient on gas unlike other gas guns in it’s class, most notably the WE Hi-Capa series.

ASTHETICS

The first thing you’ll probably notice when you pick up a full metal M190 is the weight. At around 2 pounds, only a few other pistols outweigh it... the only one that I can think of at the moment is the HFC Dark Hawk, which weighs around 3 or so pounds. For around ~$140, you’re getting a hefty, fairly well-built, full metal gun for a decent price. The material of the metal on the M190 isn’t the highest, and there are a few VERY minor seams (lines), but it’s more than satisfactory. This thing can take a beating, and if you know me, I treat my guns like **** for the most part. The M190 is 99% metal; the only thing on this gun that’s plastic are the grips and safety lever.

The M190 FMV comes in two different paint schemes: One is a “Special Edition” black with imitation wood grips, and the other is olive drab with black rubber composite (I THINK that’s what it is) grips. The black version scratches easy, while the olive drab finish is a little bit tougher. Whether you want the black or olive drab is up to you; the difference is purely cosmetic. I personally got myself a black, and scraped the paint off of the outer barrel for that TM Biohazard M9 look. And speaking of the TM M9, the M190 is a near 100% copy of it, but with a tac rail, a better, non-leak mag, a full metal body, and some minor internal differences. It’s extremely easy to share the same parts between the two, and the M190 can take any upgrade the TM can. It should be noted that the TM M9’s trigger pull is noticeably lighter and smoother than the M190’s, although that wouldn’t really matter in double action, as they are both comparably short (I’d say the TM is just a few ounces lighter, but a whole lot smoother) in this mode.

Like the TM it was copied from, the M190 suffers from some of it’s originators problems. First off is the fact that the trigger spring is known to break… I haven’t had this problem with my M190 yet, and I hope I don’t ever have to deal with it. It does seem to be somewhat of an uncommon problem, although I have read more than a few reports of it happening. Secondly, there are a two springs that may easily be misplaced when taking the grips off. One is the spring of the slide lock, and the other is a “shoulder” spring that is pretty much required for the gun to shoot. So when you take the grips off, be sure to be careful about those springs, as they are EXTREMLEY easy to lose!

PERFORMANCE/POWER

So the M190 is well built (as long as if you don’t tamper with the internals without know what you’re doing…) no doubt about it. But what about it’s performance? I’m glad to report it’s “good”. This thing can shoot a .20 60-80 plus feet with pretty decent accuracy. The hop up is tuned for .20’s, but it can shoot .12’s quite well if need be. Cool down is minimal, and it seems to take rapid fire well. You can expect to shoot around a mag and a half with one 10 second fill of green. The M190’s magazines are one of the best things about the gun overall, as they can hold a good amount of gas, with no leaks when filling, unlike the TM or KJW M9 mags.

The Coke… err… PEPSI can test…

KSC .20 Perfect BB’s with Northwest Territory propane. Done a foot away… as you can see from these pics, the M190 shoots through BOTH sides of the can with no problem. So from this result, we can safely say that from a foot or so away, the M190 is capable of shooting ~300 fps. Note that not all gas guns are capable of doing this; my TM 1911 can't.

OVERALL

All in all, the HFC M190 FMV is probably the best bang-for-buck Beretta 92FS based pistol out there today. If I had to outfit a team with sidearms, the HFC M190 FMV would probably be standard issue... It’s easy to maintain (basic Beretta field stripping), boasts high durability, has decent accuracy, and features high BB and gas capacity, all at an affordable price tag. It’s highly recommended by me.

PROS
+ Full metal
+ GREAT magazines
+ High durability
+ Powerful

CONS
- Sad trademarks: “Cal.6mm 2003” and “AIR MODEL FIREARMS”

- Trigger spring issues?

- Finish could be a bit better, especially on the black gun