by YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAWWWWWWWW!
Howdy pardners! Looking to add a high quality airsoft revolver to your holster before hittin’ the old dusty?
Today we’re taking a look at Elite Force’s Smoke Wagon CO2-Powered Revolver — a bit of a rarity in the airsoft world, to help you decide if the Smoke Wagon is as functional as it is purdy.
Without any further ado, 🤠 giddy up 🤠
The Real Deal: History, Design, and Operation
While the Smoke Wagon traces the familiar silhouettes of many iconic wheelguns, it’s not a direct clone of any one in particular…but it’s definitely closest to Colt’s legendary Single Action Army.
Colt’s Single Action Army is easily one of the most well-known revolvers of all time, becoming the US Army’s standard issue sidearm from 1873-1892. It’s been offered in over 30 different calibers throughout its lifetime.
The SAA, while having its production cancelled twice, has been brought back by Colt every time due to its cherished historical status and demand from enthusiasts.
The Airsoft Model
One of the downsides of attempting to replicate a gun with so much historical notoriety is that it can sometimes feel like some big boots to fill for an airsoft replica.
But, thankfully, Elite Force’s take on this cowboy legend does a pretty dang good job of nailing the look, feel, and weight of the original!
And yes…the weight is perfect for getting your Shalashaska on 😎
Fit, Feel, and Finish
One of the first things you might notice is just how attractive the reflective finish is on the Smoke Wagon!
It’s a fantastic looking fake nickel finish that lends a bit of lustrous mystique to the Smoke Wagon’s overall “legendary” status.
What’s more, the metal plating on the Smoke Wagon lends an overall weight that really makes the whole thing feel authentic. As you might be aware, perfect weight balance is exactly what you want if you’re getting into the fancier revolver spinning tricks! (Try to hold one without at least attempting it — we dare you).
The Smoke Wagon also comes equipped with some pretty nice faux wood grips. Although, rumor has it, a little elbow grease and some DIY spirit might allow for real revolver grips if you’d rather get real fancy with some pearl inlays!
The Smoke Wagon’s trigger feels fantastic! It’s pretty much what you’d expect from a single-action revolver!
In case it wasn’t clear, manipulation of the trigger is going to require that you physically pull the hammer back. This feels nice and intuitive thanks to the curvature and small amount of knurling on the hammer itself.
Every full cycle of the hammer and trigger will rotate the gun’s cylinder forward one slot, giving you access to your next shot!
Speaking of, compared to the vast majority of gas-driven airsoft guns, the Smoke Wagon utilizes replica shells to load your ammo instead of a standard magazine.
Each shell holds one round, and they can be ejected out of the cylinder with the gun’s functional ejection rod!
A hinged cylinder cover keeps the shells and BBs safe and free of debris when in use.
As one might expect for a replica of a gun that’s over 100 years old, the fire controls are simplistic to say the least!
You’ve got a relatively primitive bladed front sight at the end of the barrel, with a small v-notch on the rear of the frame. This is only revealed once the trigger is pulled.
However, real hombres are going to master the ancient-cowboy art of shooting from the hip anyway, so it shouldn’t really be THAT big of a hindrance 😃
So How Does it Shoot?
Here’s where the road might get a little bit bumpy for those of you looking for performance above all else…
While the Smoke Wagon does okay, there’s a few important things to keep in mind here.
The first is that, obviously, you’ve only got six rounds available…which is quite low compared to the vast majority of other gas guns out there.
Right off the bat, that means that the Smoke Wagon is going to be relegated to themed games, role-playing, or period-correct events for the most part if you’re going to want to actually be competitive with the revolver.
That said, it still clocks in right around 350 to 400 FPS with .20g BBs and CO2!
This also means that one CO2 cartridge, inserted into the pistol grip of the Smoke Wagon accessed by a large Allen screw in the base, is going to give you a ton of reloads!
Although, keep in mind that reloading the Smoke Wagon is going to require physically inserting a new BB into the rubber seal at the back of the fake shell.
So it’s not the fastest thing in the world to reload, but at least you won’t have to take the Smoke Wagon apart to replace the CO2 cartridge very often! It’s the small things.
Upgrades
Perhaps another downside to very niche, historical replicas like this is that…there’s not a ton of accessories on the market for them but fret not, we’ve dug up at least a few!
Holster: Look, if you’re serious about picking up a shiny silver revolver, you’ve got to have it live in an equally swagged-out holster, right? We thought so.
Magazines: Mags? No, not quite, but if you’re trying to fill up a bandoleer with a ton of extra shells to complete the entire look… We gotcha 😎
By the Numbers
Reliability: 9 /10
Outside of one strange incident where a shell got stuck because of a half-rotation of the cylinder, we had no issues whatsoever! We’re not sure what caused this exact incident, but we’re willing to chalk it up to being a fluke.
Accuracy: 7/10
The Smoke Wagon is going to hit targets up close with ease, but it actually lacks a hop up. That means you’re not going to have the fine control over your BB’s flight trajectory like you would with a standard GBB that allows you to adjust the hop up unit. But hey, you’re probably not worried about taking sniper shots with a revolver, are you?
Effective Range: 6/10
Again…unfortunately, not really the Smoke Wagon’s forte. But it’s still going to be skirmishable if you’re using it for themed events!
Rate of Fire: 5/10
FAN THE HAMMER – for all six rounds! 😂 You should be catching on to a theme here…
Ergonomics: 8/10
While certainly not what we’d consider “modern” at this point, the Smoke Wagon is definitely comfortable! The pistol grip fits the palm swell of your hand just fine, and has a bit of antique charm to boot!
Looks: 10/10
It’s easily the most attractive airsoft revolver we’ve seen in quite some time — second probably only to the old unobtanium Tanaka revolvers! It’s a looker for sure.
Customization: 3/10
There’s sadly not a ton of aftermarket support for the Smoke Wagon. But if you’re an enterprising nerd, you might be able to get custom grips to fit!
Overall 7/10
Conclusion
As long as you’re snagging one to ride off into the Amarillo sunset and slam sarsaparilla rather than go head to head with your local speedsofters, we think you’re going to have a hell of a time 😎
Have you tried out one of these beauties? Want to? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below! And since you’re here, check out some more great gas pistols!
We are here just for this.