Tanaka Smith and Wesson M500 8 inch
Review Author:
Seth E.
I’ve always been a fan of revolvers in “real steel;” the sheer simplicity, elegance, and awesomely devastating power of the larger framed magnums have created for them a special place in my heart. This preference of mine carried over into airsoft, where various manufacturers have created all sorts of makes and models of “wheel guns.”
The real-life model M500 is manufactured by Smith and Wesson, and has been dubbed “the most powerful production revolver today.” Boasting an 8-3/8 inch barrel with a recoil-absorbing muzzle compensator, the fearsome M500 is chambered to take the S&W 500 round developed by Cor-Bon Ammunition. A .50 caliber magnum cartridge, the 500 is designed for hunting large game which requires the high stopping power (2600 ft/lb. of muzzle energy, to be exact). To offset the fearsome recoil of such ammunition, Smith and Wesson’s M500 includes a vented muzzle compensator and Hogue Sorbathane recoil-absorbing grips. With a smaller 4 inch model also available in silver with plenty of accessories, how could this gun NOT have an airsoft counterpart?
As of right now, you have a choice of revolvers from several differing brands: Tokyo Marui, Ho Feng Company, Kine Well Company, Marushin, and of course, Tanaka. The gun in question under review is the Tanaka S&W M500: one of the newest “PEGASUS-II” system revolvers, but I’ll touch up on that later....
First Impressions.
Weight
At a first glance, Tanaka’s M500 revolver looks to be a fine piece- slightly front heavy due to the gigantic barrel and cylinder, but nothing too distracting. The weight and heft is significantly greater than my loaded TM Hi-Capa, and what’s more disturbing, similar in weight compared to my TM VSR-10 G-Spec without scope and silencer. Tanaka’s heavyweight ABS plastic on the outer barrel and and frame is tough and hardy; I’ve accidentally “bumped” this monster on a few walls while plinking with it, with no ill effects. Metal parts include: cylinder, cylinder swingarm, trigger, and hammer.
Fit & Finish
The finish on the frame is of good quality from Tanaka, and is similar to the older M29 .44 and .38 police models; smooth, with a dull black powder finish. Full trademarks are present, including the S&W emblem on the grips and frame, along with “M500 Smith and Wesson Magnum” across the barrel. There are black rubber Hogue grips on the gun, but I’m not sure if they are the actual recoil-absorbing “Sorbathane” grips that the real M500 has. It doesn’t matter though, as the grips are comfortable, and an airsoft revolver has zero recoil to absorb, anyway.
Gas Charging/BB Loading
The M500 loads like any other Tanaka revolver; since the shells are non removable and set into the cylinder itself, you load your pellets of choice through the open cylinder mouths via Tokyo Marui “clickloader” or your hand. Push the cylinder release tab forward and gently pop the cylinder out of the frame, it may take your other hand to ease it out as its a tight fit (which is a good thing). You have two choices here at this point. You can either handstuff 5 Bbs into each mouth for realism and ease, or you can use the internal cylinder reservoir. To use the latter, simply handstuff 4 Bbs into each consecutive cylinder opening, rotating as you go along, until you come to the last hole. Line it up approximately at a 45 degree angle, parallel to the gun’s frame when looking at it from the end of the barrel. With a clickloader or fingers, load your additional pellets one by one into this hole. If its too tough to insert, either you have over-loaded or are not perfectly aligned with the cylinder and reservoir opening. This reserve holds 9 Bbs, and with the 5 already loaded in your cylinder, you have a total of 14 rounds available for use. If you’re in the middle of a game, I recommend snapping the cylinder open and handstuffing like mad; you DO NOT want to be stuck loading the reservoir while under fire.
To load the gas, simply pop the cylinder out and rotate the it until you see the “gas” shell- it is one of the fake cartridges that says “GAS” and has a hole in it, which allows you to reach the filler valve located inside. Once you align the gas opening with the valve, insert the nozzle of your gas can into the hole, keeping it as perpendicular as possible. The gas chamber isn’t very large, so I’d recommend a 3-4 second squirt at the most. Revolver fans may note that unlike other Tanaka revolvers, the M500 doesn’t force you into using the annoying “gas pipette” which is both a pain and a waste of gas to use. The cylinder swings out far enough for you to use your gas can directly, which is a blessing because the Tanaka gas valve is well built and doesn’t leak out gas at all when filling. Refer to the picture.
Performance Factors
Sights
The sights on the M500 are the standard notch and post as seen in the picture above; the rear sight is painted “Glock style” to allow a better contrast with the front notch. The front sight is a nicely accentuated blade that is easy to to acquire when aiming. Both sights are removable, and the rear sight is adjustable up and down.
Accuracy
Loading 5 .25 lubed pellets into the M500, I began two accuracy tests: one for single action, and the other for double action semi automatic mode. I took 1 second breaks between firing to minimize “cooldown” and accuracy discrepancies. Tests were done 20 feet away from target indoors, two handed, on a room-warmed cylinder and green gas.
As you can see, accuracy was amazing compared to other Tanakas. This is due in part to the PEGASUS-II system (actually, its just a refined design of the PEGASUS, I dubbed it PEGASUS-II and caught ZenMastaT and Zip3400 of ASR “freudian slipping” it into our conversations!) The PEGASUS gas system involves storing both the gas and Bbs in the cylinder for maximum power and efficiency. However, the older versions suffered from barrel twisting, valve to barrel misalignment and shoddy hops which caused poor accuracy and consistency; my old 6 inch Umbrella revolver was notorious for not being able to hit my 10 inch diameter mailbox from a mere 15 feet away! With the new PEGASUS design present in the M19, M66, and M500 series, Tanaka added adjustable hopup and barrels that aligned perfectly to the valve, adding considerable accuracy.
Single action and double action results were similar, but I attribute this to having the time to slowly squeeze the trigger on double action each shot. Firing rapidly, the gun “jerks” up and right, due to the heavy trigger pull and size of the gun. With the exception of the stray shot in single action, accuracy was excellent at a 2 inch grouping at 20 feet.
Accuracy isn’t worth mentioning with .2 Bbs and green gas; the power of the gas causes plenty of stray shots. The most consistent gas and ammunition combinations after testing revealed a minimum BB weight of .2 for HFC134a gas and .25/.3 for Green Gas.
General Performance
According to chrono results kindly provided by Kenny/888, the M500 hits at 450+ FPS on green gas and .2 Bbs on a cold cylinder. Warmed, I am projecting 475 FPS on green gas and beyond.
The action is smooth and precise, the cylinder is seated tightly in the frame, and the accuracy is surprisingly good. However, the trigger pull is EXTREMELY heavy; tougher than the TM Mk23 SOCOM NBB and Tanaka M29, but less so than the KJW MK1. The grips, while of exceptional Hogue quality, are seated on a handle a good distance away from the trigger. Due to these ergonomics, you'll find that instead of your finger curling comfortably around the trigger like a GBB, people with small to medium hands will find themselves “stretching” to reach the trigger. In the end, more barrel “jerking” during firing on both double and single action, causing decreased accuracy.
Measured maximum distance in feet was approximately 110 feet on green gas and .25 Bbs and factory set hopup. Effective range, that is, the capacity of hitting a man-sized target, was measured at approximately 90 feet. All range tests were done outdoors with little cross wind and on a full charge of gas. Not bad for a pistol.
Skirmishability:
Even with the the heavy trigger pull and poor ergonomics the accuracy is acceptable enough to score headshots in a CQB type situation and short-range field play. Don’t expect to have the rate of fire, precise aim, and accuracy over a standard GBB; although the sights are of high quality, I found it easier to raise the gun quickly at a man-sized target 10-20 feet away and simply pull the trigger, letting my old Kempo Karate target dummy eat plastic. Overall, I’ve not had the chance to skirmish with it yet, but with enough practice, its definitely usable in Player vs. Player situations. As the venerable Power Edge manager and revolver expert, Lance, once stated, “[with revolvers] you have to take your shots and be patient.”
Conclusion
Although the real M500 is silver, this black matte finish will withstand holstering and field use just fine. The M500 is a nice replica of the real .50 cal magnum, and Tanaka has fixed many of the problems in this revolver that plagued their older models. A true “point and shoot” weapon, the M500 propels pellets at extreme FPS and is a lot of fun to use. The report sounds like a loud "CRACK!" compared to the boring "pop" of the TM mk23 and Maruzen P99. With the trigger pull and price tag, I wouldn’t get into this if you’re just looking for a “pain” gun (the Maruzen P99 NBB would be a better bet!). Remember, the real thing is a big-game hunting handgun, not a self-defense weapon. If you love revolvers, or want to try something new to stand out from the 1911/Glock crowd, consider the Tanaka M500 to be a reliable weapon in all your airsoft endeavors.
Purchased for 168+shipping from WGCshop.
Special thanks to Kenny (888) and Alan of Zero-Ops for the information on Tanaka's new PEGASUS system.
Links:
The Real Steel:
http://www.firearms.smith-wesson.com/store/index.php3?cat=293531&item=831462
Zero-Ops
http://www.zero-ops.com/
Power Edge USA
http://www.poweredgeusa.com/
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