ROSSI GUARDIAN
Rossi has taken the commitment to offering us a new collection of replicas very seriously in recent years. After the Redwings and Open Class, they return to the attack with this new series of secondary replicas, the Guardian. This very recognisable design has become so popular that it would be hard to see an elite police or military force today that has still not fallen under its charm. The good thing is that Rossi now introduces it to Airsoft at prices that will be difficult to beat.
DESIGN
This is a pistol grip with the usual shape for our fingers, which will make the position of our hand on the grip more intuitive. This is quite characteristic of Gen.3 and Gen. 4, although as it doesn’t have the remodelled magazine release, we could include them in the Gen.3.
SIGHTS
This series comes with sights that remind us of Steel Night, only without the tritium treatment that would make them glow green in dark conditions. We can solve this by attaching a torch to the Picatinny slot, which we will find in front of the trigger guard.
GUARDIAN COMBAT POLYMER
This model has a competition-type, longer slide (238 mm). Unlike the other three, it is made with a resistant polymer slide, just like the frame, which in turn has a Magwell to make reloading easier.
GUARDIAN SA
This pistol has a metal slide, with a bevelled bottom part, front and back grooves to facilitate cocking and openings on the sides to reduce its weight. It is also made using a stippling technique, which is an abrasion process carried out by hand on the frame that makes it non-slip.
GUARDIAN BLACK & GUARDIAN TAN
This replica has a very recognisable profile and it’s the only one we can find in both tan and black. It is made with a resistant polymer frame together with a metal slide as its real benchmark.
Haven’t we seen them in John Wick or were they different?
Ok, they might not be the same but they look really similar, right? Even if you don’t think so, keep reading our review.
Let’s see, this John Wick scene: Chapter 2 in Santino’s gallery has turned into a real meme with how famous it has become. And we ask ourselves: is that a Guardian Black he’s carrying or are we out of our minds?
And do you remember this John Wick scene: Chapter 3 – Parabellum? Is it a Guardian Black here too or does it look similar?
You can call us crazy, but in John Wick: Chapter 2 when the Sommelier offers it to him, or in the conversation he has with Gianna, or in the Catacombs fight.
Wait a minute. When he takes one of the hitmen’s pistols while fighting against Shinobi in the Glass House? Is that a Valian Guardian SA or does it just look like it?
And lastly in John Wick: Chapter 4, when he is following the old man in Morocco or when they attack The Osaka Continental, it’s not the Guardian Polymer Combat in any of those three, right? Or is it?
Or in this John Wick scene: Chapter 3 at The Continental.
INNER PARTS
The whole series assembles a classic rotary hop-up unit that will require us to disassemble the slide in order to adjust it. Metal spring guide and single recoil spring, as we can find in similar models. The inner barrel is 6.03, which is really good, but if there’s one thing that hasn’t managed to convince us, it’s that the Combat Polymer assembles the same 97 mm inner barrel as its sister models, meaning that it fails to take advantage of having a longer slide.
ROUND HAMMER
Unlike the “pointed” hammers that we can see in some models of other brands, in this series Rossi goes for a round hammer with bearing in an attempt to reduce blockage of the slide and ensure that recovery of the slide is smoother. This is something we will notice more in the long term when the pistol has fired a good few shots, as we will be surprised by how well it is preserved.
MAGAZINE
The four models with which it launches the series share the same gas magazine with a capacity for 23 bbs. This makes it attractive as it will save us investing if we want to have various models from the series. And what makes it extremely attractive is that these magazines are also compatible with the G17/18s of brands like Tokyo Marui and WE.
CONCLUSION
Rossi updates its catalogue of secondary replicas with this series, including four new pistols that you might like if you’re after a replica of a model different from the classic 1911 or HiCapas. And the best thing: the price. This will make them extremely competitive and will allow us players to have many more options available when it comes to making changes to our equipment. What’s the verdict? There will always be room for improvement with a replica, but bearing in mind its value for money, these new Rossi models are a great option for the average player looking to enjoy the hobby.