Golden Eagle Hi-capa 4.3 Dusty Snake GBB Pistol

If you like your Hi-capa with all the trimmings, you'll definitely love the Hi-capa 4.3 Dusty Snake. This full metal GBB pistol is remarkably well finished, with a dull flat bronze which makes it stand out in the safe zone and blend in in the game zone and subtle black contrasting parts to add visual interest.

The Dusty Snake sure is a looker, and when it comes to performance, it is also a killer. When put on the chronograph, the Dusty Snake has remarkable consistency for a GBB pistol and cycles as smooth as butter, pointing to tight tolerances and well made parts. The inner barrel is a 6.02mm tightbore, giving you the edge in accuracy and a slight increase in FPS, and the rest of the internals are all TM compatible, meaning aftermarket upgrades are a go!

Starting at the front end we can find a unique single-port compensator with a dynamic, swept-back look and bevelled edges for easier holstering. The compensator looks fantastic and gives the Hi-capa Dusty Snake a super modern, high speed look.

Iron sights have been completely omitted from the design in favour of an optics-ready slide machined to the RMR mounting standard. This means the front of the slide has no iron sight which reduces snagging potential and gives you a clearer sight picture once you have your red dot installed. The mount is located at the rear of the slide and is recessed to provide as small a bore offset as possible, meaning less need to compensate when shooting rapidly at close range.

The slide follows directly after the compensator and matches its dynamic, angular look with both the front and rear gripping serrations. Having serrations at the front and rear gives you plenty of options when it comes to manipulating the slide of the pistol and their depth means you don’t need to worry about your hand slipping off the slide when working in wet conditions whether you wear gloves or not. The rear slide serrations mimic those at the front with their angular shape and deep cuts for extra grip, bringing the whole design together as a completed piece.

On either side and on the top of the slide we have a pair of ports machined in which reduce the weight of the slide for a faster cyclic rate and better gas efficiency. These ports also look fantastic, showing off the contrasting black finish of the outer barrel beneath. The subtle contrast between the flat dark bronze finish of the slide and frame and the black outer barrel keeps the Dusty Snake interesting to look at and allows it to blend well with any natural environment.

At the rear of the slide is where we can find the optic mount, allowing you to mount a red dot sight to the Dusty Snake and benefit from faster target acquisition and greater accuracy at range than comparable pistols with iron sights. The mount is compatible with micro red dot sights with an RMR footprint, meaning you have access to the two most common red dot sight footprints out there. Please note, as is often the case with optics-ready GBB pistols, you may need to source new screws or modify the screws supplied with your red dot sight to the correct length for the slide fitting.

Moving downwards we come to the frame which is where we can find the controls. The manual safety catch is located at the rear of the frame and is present on either side to allow for easy use for both left and right-handed shooters. Each safety lever is textured for optimal grip and effective wet-weather use and can also be used as a thumb rest for the strong hand thumb for more effective recoil control and faster target-to-target transitions.

The rear of the frame is where we can find the Dusty Snake's skeletonised hammer which is finished in black to match the outer barrel and chamber. This hammer is significantly skeletonised to reduce weight and add to the high speed looks of the pistol. The trigger is also skeletonised, shaving off a few extra grams of weight and adding to the lightning-fast looks of the Dusty Snake.

The rear of the grip also includes a secondary safety known as the “beavertail grip safety” which needs to be pressed in to unlock the trigger. This feature is derived from the legendary 1911 platform and has remained throughout its development and is still present to this day in most modern Hi-capa 2011 pistols. This works fantastically to prevent snags and negligent discharges and is very low profile in shape which makes it a pleasure to hold.

The slide release catch is located on the left side of the frame, right where we would expect it, and is an extended design with a large contact surface to make dropping the slide after a reload easy and intuitive. The magazine release is just below, where the trigger guard meets the grip, and is a large circular button which is easy to find with the adrenaline pumping, allowing for super-fast reloads when time is of the essence!

The shape of the trigger guard matches the standard Hi-capa squared profile, allowing for extra recoil control by positioning the weak side trigger finger on the front of the guard in what is known as the “European grip”. The bottom of the trigger guard also has what are known as "trigger guard undercuts", recessed areas designed to provide a comfortable index point for the hand. The undercuts allow for a higher grip than the standard Hi-capa trigger guard, meaning more instinctive pointing and improved recoil control.

Just ahead of the trigger guard, we are treated to a 20mm Picatinny frame rail, allowing you to deck the Dusty Snake out as a primary pistol with a tactical flashlight or laser aiming module if the mission requires it. This rail is nice and long and covers the entire dust cover but only has a single attachment slot in the perfect position to keep the controls of your flashlight well within reach when holding the pistol in a firing grip.

The trigger is a skeletonised design with 3 ports and is a straight-back pull like other Hi-capa and 1911 pistols, making for an easy transition from older pistols of the same family to this ultra-modern platform. The trigger pull is light and crisp like other Hi-capa offerings, providing some serious rapid-fire potential for this slick and quick design.

The grip itself is hand-stippled across the front and sides to provide excellent gripping qualities whether you wear gloves or not and guarantees your Hi-capa Dusty Snake will stay firmly in your hands as you sweep the muzzle back and forth to engage multiple targets. The stippling is very aggressive and will provide superb grip, whether you wear gloves or not.

At the base of the grip, we have an aluminium extension known as a “magazine well flare”. Present on many race gun style Hi-capas, the magazine well flare is designed to help guide your magazine into the pistol during a reload and has a very wide opening to eliminate fine motor movements and effectively allow you to throw the magazine into the magwell when your ammo supply runs dry. The magazine well flare also functions as a palm rest, keeping your hand in the perfect position to access the controls and control the snappy recoil of the Dusty Snake during rapid strings of fire.

On the inside, the Golden Eagle Dusty Snake has a nice surprise in store for us. The inner barrel is a tightbore 6.02mm example, improving gas efficiency, FPS and accuracy when compared with the standard 6.08 barrel bore. We love it when an affordable Airsoft gun gives us more upgrades than we deserve!

The HOP-up is adjustable and a perfect copy of the Tokyo Marui system, meaning aftermarket HOP-up bucking and nub upgrades are a go as long as you use the GBB/VSR type. The HOP-up can be adjusted by removing the slide which can be done by removing the magazine, cocking the slide, aligning the slide lock lever with the smaller of the two cutouts on the left side of the slide, and pushing it through from the right. After this, you can push the slide forward and off the frame, revealing the HOP-up adjustment gear located on the bottom of the outer barrel.

If you are ready to move to an ultra-modern optics ready handgun and have moved past any attachment to iron sights, the Dusty Snake is the perfect pistol for you. With surprising performance, a super smooth slide and a gorgeous flat dark bronze finish, this pistol brings the looks and the effect on target!

Features

• Full metal construction
• 6.02 Tightbore inner barrel - Superb accuracy potential
• Compensator pre-installed - Aggressive racegun styling
• Slide ports at the front - Reduced weight, faster cyclic rate
• 20mm Picatinny railed frame - Ready for tactical flashlights or laser units
• Optics ready slide - RMR Mounting standard compatible
• Forward slide serrations - Easy to rack the slide from the front or rear
• Ambidextrous manual safety - Accessible for both left and right-handed shooters
• Beavertail grip safety - Prevents the pistol from being fired when not gripped firmly
• Hand-stippled grip - Very grippy texture, perfect for gloved or ungloved shooters
• Trigger guard undercuts - Allows for a higher grip for better recoil control
• Skeletonised trigger & hammer - Modern Hi-capa styling, reduced weight
• Flared magazine well extension - Helps guide your mags in, speeds up reloads
• Tokyo Marui compatible internals - Ready for aftermarket upgrades, compatible with TM mags
• Supplied in a hard pistol case - A nice touch, looks very smart!

Package Includes

• Golden Eagle Hi-capa 4.3 Dusty Snake GBB Pistol
• 25rnd Green Gas Magazine
• User manual
• Speed Loader
• Hard Case