B&T (Brügger & Thomet) is a Swiss arms manufacturer that is known for developing weapons for different police forces around the world, especially those with higher level or counter-terrorism response capabilities. Regarding airsoft, ASG has B&T licenses for the reproduction of replica guns. In the case of the USW-A1 model, it is manufactured in Taiwan by KJWorks, who in addition to being the manufacturer is the one who sends us this model.

USW-A1 was developed to offer rapid-action police forces a weapon with greater stability than a pistol, but which could offer the same strengths, such as the size of a secondary weapon.

Slide

Its lines show the original Swiss design in which even the small details have been thought of. The most notable is the extension of the slide with two small projections in the upper area in front of the ejection port, which facilitate reloading more instinctively and allow the hand not to slip when performing the movement of mounting the weapon. This feature is reinforced by the drawings on both sides of the slide. This design is so due to the fact that we will have to mount the slide from the front area as the stock assembly with the RIS base is located at the back.

Top RIS

The RIS platform is anchored to the body itself, this is very important because it does not add extra weight to the slide. Allowing us to use a different, larger size, targeting system than for example a Trjicon RMR (very common in pistols) to be able to use larger red-dots that improve our shouldering and shooting. All this without adding weight to the slide and therefore to the firing cycle. The higher the weight in the slide, the more powerful gases are needed to move the whole assembly, therefore this system widens the use of different gases or CO2.

Aiming
systems

The replica has a front sight built into the slide that aligns with the RIS itself that works as rear sight (the material on the RIS has been removed to create a front sight. While the real model is thought to include a red-dot in the top RIS that improves firing by instinct

Stock

It offers two positions; it can be folded so it can be used as a pistol or, by using the button that we will find on the outside, you can extend the stock to have a replica in the style of the SMG with greater firing stability.

It also allows to use low quality RMR. In fact, powerful block backs end up breaking some RMR by the movement of the slide, in this case you should not worry about it, you can invest in the pistol and save on the RMR.

BEWARE: One problem that this type of design entails is how to grab the pistol, remember that even though it has a butt, your hands should be positioned in the same way as you would handle a normal pistol. Many players who have never used this type of replica move their support hand to the front RIS area. Imagine if this is incorrect even in airsoft, how many headaches can the real model cause for someone who is not used to placing their hands correctly...

An interesting fact  about the USW-A1 (the real one) is that, rumour has it, that one of the strengths with which B&T sells this model to public authorities is that it is a weapon for normal police officers without special preparation or for those who do not tend to train on a recurring basis, which happens to a greater extent in Europe than in the United States, they have a first-response weapon that offers much more firing stability due to its stock and small dimensions. In short, a weapon option so that even those who do not train much can eliminate the threat more easily, if you cannot improve the man, improve his team.

B&T markings

14mm CCW threaded outer barrel allows for silencers or tracers

20mm lower RIS for flashlights

Rubberized and non-slip area on the grip

Metal slide and body part and external barrel (the same as the real model)

Firing system: semi-automatic

FPS: 300 (with 0.20 gr and CO2) and 290 fps (with 0.20 gr and gas)

Length: 255mm / 470mm (folded / extended)

Magazine

The box includes a CO2 magazine with a capacity of 26 BBs but it also works with other gas magazines available for this model and is compatible with magazines for the CZ Shadow 1 and 2, SP-01 and CZ 75 pistols. And the big news, there will be long 50 BBs magazines available. Nice!

Internal parts

It has a 6.04 mm internal barrel with the same hop chamber that is used, for example, in the SHADOW 2 model and, as in most pistols, you will have to pull back the side pin to remove the slide and access the hop-up adjustment section. In this case, as in the Shadow model, it is a flat screw at the bottom. This system allows a greater degree of adjustment of the flight of the BBs, but requires a screwdriver to make this adjustment easier.

The spring guide is made of plastic with a silicone buffer to improve the firing cycle that is anchored to the hop-up chamber itself, offering greater stability to the spring guide itself.

Conclusions

Who is this replica for? Our honest opinion would be for those who play a lot in CQB environments or are simply looking for a different replica. Whatever your reasons, KJWorks is behind this USW-A1 model, which for us is a synonym of quality and good performance, which is simply our best argument.