Having a great hi-capa airsoft pistol will enable you to play longer before you need to refill the pistol. This is thanks to their larger magazine capacity and gas volume. However, choosing the best hi-capa airsoft pistol from the dozens of options available isn’t easy. To help you make that choice, we ranked and reviewed 5 of the best hi-capa airsoft pistols for 2023.
If you’re in a hurry:
Hi-capas are a popular airsoft pistol, thanks to the many advantages they provide on the field. They’re the type of airsoft pistols with the largest magazine capacity, as well as gas volume capacity. Because of this, you won’t need to refill the hi-capa as often as you would other pistols. Due to the larger magazine, they have a wider grip, which can also be an advantage for some players.
In essence, hi-capa airsoft pistols are double stack 1911s. There are a number of solid hi-capa airsoft pistols on the market. Another great thing about them is that there’s great aftermarket support for these pistols. The most popular brand when it comes to this type of pistol is the legendary Tokyo Marui.
On one hand, the relatively large number of hi-capa airsoft pistols is great, since it gives you a lot of options to choose from. But, it also makes it very difficult for you to choose the best hi-capa airsoft pistol, especially since a lot of the airsoft pistols available are low-quality and should be avoided. That’s why having a reliable guide in choosing a hi-capa airsoft pistol is crucial.
There are many factors to consider when choosing a hi-capa , as well as any other airsoft pistol. Some of the more important ones that we took into account when we made this list are shooting performance (FPS), accuracy, reliability, build quality (both internal and external), value for money (we made sure to only include airsoft pistols on the list if they’re definitely worth their respective price), adjustable hop up, the reputation of the manufacturer, as well as others.
If you’re not really sure what airsoft pistols are, how they are used, what to look for in them, and what types of airsoft pistols are there, you can check out our buyer’s guide on airsoft pistols.
And now, here are the best hi-capa airsoft pistols on the market in 2023.
Best Hi-Capa Airsoft Pistols for 2023
1. Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1 Gas Blowback
Best hi-capa airsoft pistol overall
FPS Range | 250-300 |
Gas Type | HFC134a, Green gas |
Dimensions | 235mm x 143mm |
Magazine | 31 rounds |
Hop up | Yes, Adjustable |
System | Gas Blowback |
Firing Mode | Semi-Auto, Safety |
Manufacturer | Tokyo Marui |
Among the many great options, we chose the Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1 Gas Blowback pistol as the best hi-capa pistol out there. Manufactured by one of the most famous airsoft companies ever, the always reliable Japanese Tokyo Marui, it can hardly get better than this gun.
While other companies have created similar airsoft pistols, this one is truly elite, fully living up to the reputation of Tokyo Marui. This pistol takes the first place not only among hi-capas, but also in our ranking of best airsoft pistols for 2023 overall.
It’s a gas blowback pistol featuring a high-strength polymer slide and frame. The Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1 uses green gas and can shoot up to 300 FPS. Its magazine can carry 31 rounds, much more than standard gas blowback pistols, so it protrudes slightly from the bottom.
The Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1 is lightweight with a comfortable grip. It features a Hi-Grouping barrel stabilization and a hop up system which make it highly accurate. Apart from its high accuracy, it also has a great range. In a nutshell, the Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1 is characterized by great shooting consistency, FPS stability, and cycling speed.
Features:
- High strength polymer slide and frame
- Optional 20mm lower accessory rail
- Double stack magazine
- Stamped style markings
- Adjustable rear sights
- Realistic blowback action
It’s an all-plastic pistol, which comes with both advantages and disadvantages to full-metal pistols. Some of the advantages are the snappy blowback, the cycling speed, as well as having great gas efficiency.
One of the disadvantages of plastic airsoft pistols is that the slide is less durable. However, the Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1 has a solid construction and has proven to be very durable in various tests. Therefore, it successfully overcomes even the biggest concerns usually related to plastic pistols.
In addition to it being great out of the box, the Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1 is also highly upgradeable and customizable, with a number of aftermarket parts available for fine-tuning it.
The Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1 is relatively pricey, but without a doubt, it lives up to the price. And due to its gas efficiency, in the long run, it’s still cost-effective. Hands down, this is probably the best hi-capa (and even overall) airsoft pistol you can get.
2. KJW 1911 Tactical HI-CAPA
Best value for money hi-capa airsoft pistol
FPS | 340-370 |
Gas Type | Green Gas / CO2 / Propane Adapter |
Dimensions | 228mm x 150mm |
Magazine | 30+1 rounds |
Hop up | Yes, Adjustable |
System | Gas Blowback |
Manufacturer | KJW |
Another airsoft pistol you can’t go wrong with is the KJW 1911 Tactical HI-CAPA. It features a full metal construction, and a rail to which you can attach lights or lasers. The KJW 1911 Tactical HI-CAPA has an upgraded ergonomic grip and fully reinforced internal and external parts.
When it comes to the performance, few hi-capa replicas can match it. It’s powerful, reliable, very accurate, and with a light trigger pull. The FPS of the pistol is between 340-370. It also provides you with flexibility when choosing the gas to power it, since it can use both green gas or CO2. In addition, it has great gas efficiency.
Features:
- Full metal slide and lower rail
- Hard polymer genuine Tanio Koba grip / trigger frame
- Accessory ready railed frame for lights and lasers
- Ergonomic grip
- Reinforced internals (suitable for use with green gas, red gas, co2)
- Front and rear slide serrations
- Ambidextrous safety
- Light 3-hole trigger with on frame and grip safety
The KJW 1911 Tactical HI-CAPA comes with a magazine capacity of 30+1 rounds. It features a strong blowback and a loud sound, which further adds to its realism.
With a price significantly lower than the Tokyo Marui, the KJW 1911 Tactical HI-CAPA is very affordable. In fact, given its high quality and lower price, it’s probably the pistol that offers the most value for money from all the items on the list.
3. Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 4.3 Gas Blowback
Another great Tokyo Marui
FPS Range | 250-300 |
Gas Type | HFC134a, Green gas |
Magazine | 31 rounds |
Hop up | Yes, Adjustable |
System | Gas Blowback |
Firing Mode | Semi-Auto, Safety |
Manufacturer | Tokyo Marui |
It’s not at all surprising that there’s another Tokyo Marui in the top three hi-capa airsoft pistols. Hi-capas are almost synonymous with Tokyo Marui. There’s simply no better hi-capa than a Tokyo Marui when it comes to performance, accuracy, and FPS consistency. So if for any reason you’re not convinced by the Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1, a great alternative is the Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 4.3.
The two Tokyo Marui’s are similar in many aspects. Just like the 5.1, the Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 4.3 features a magazine with a capacity of 31 rounds, an adjustable hop up, and is powered by green gas. It shoots with a FPS of 250-300.
The main difference is in the length of the barrel. The Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 4.3 has a barrel that’s 4.3 inches long, as suggested by the name. And as you probably guess, the barrel of the Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1 is 5.1 inches long.
Features:
- High-strength polymer slide and frame
- Optional 20mm lower accessory rail
- Double stack magazine
- Stamped trademarks
- Light weight trigger
- Adjustable target style rear sight
- Rear slide serrations
- On-frame safety
Due to the shorter barrel, the TM Hi-Capa 4.3 doesn’t have the range of the 5.1. Another shortcoming is that there aren’t as many parts for upgrading and customizing available, in comparison to the 5.1.
The TM 5.1 and the 4.3 have a similar price. So, it’s up to your preferences if you want a more compact airsoft pistol, or a larger one with more range and aftermarket support. You can’t go wrong with either one anyway. For more guns like these, check out our list of best Tokyo Marui guns.
4. WE-USA Full Metal Hi-CAPA Airsoft Gas Blowback
FPS Range | 300-330 |
Gas Type | Green gas |
Dimensions | 234mm x 135mm |
Magazine | 30+1 rounds |
Hop up | Yes, Adjustable |
System | Gas Blowback |
Firing Mode | Semi-Auto, Safety |
Manufacturer | WE-Tech |
Apart from Tokyo Marui, another great manufacturer of hi-capa airsoft pistols is WE-Tech. It has a couple of very solid options, among which we chose the WE-USA Full Metal Hi-CAPA as the best.
This pistol is another one based on the Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1. It comes with an aluminum slide, barrel, and frame, as well as reinforced internals which help in reducing wear.
Features:
- Aluminum slide, barrel, and frame
- High cycle rate and high performance
- Full length spring guide
- Beveled magazine well
- Textured polymer grips
- Beaver tail safety as well as ambidextrous safety switch
- Rail for laser or flashlight
- Pre-upgraded with Maple Leaf tightbore inner barrel, and hop-up unit
The WE-USA Full Metal Hi-CAPA is powered by green gas, has a magazine capacity of 30+1 rounds, a hard kick, is gas efficient, and features an adjustable hop up. And it even has a higher FPS of 300-330 compared to the TM 5.1 and 4.3 models. This pistol has a great accuracy, solid range, and is very reliable.
In a nutshell, the WE-USA Full Metal Hi-CAPA is one of the best hi-capa pistols out there. If for any reason you want a hi-capa that isn’t Tokyo Marui, this is a great option to consider.
5. EMG / Hudson H9 Gas Blowback
FPS Range | 315-330 |
Gas Type | Green Gas, Red Gas, Propane |
Dimensions | 194mm x 133mm |
Magazine | 25 rounds |
Hop up | Yes, Adjustable |
System | Gas Blowback |
Firing Mode | Semi-Auto, Safety |
Manufacturer | EMG / Licensed by Hudson Mfg |
To complete our list of best hi-capa airsoft pistols for 2023, we chose the very solid EMG / Hudson H9 Gas Blowback. A great airsoft pistol which is ranked fifth only because of its relatively higher price (it’s the most expensive pistol on the list). It’s a highly realistic replica of the Hudson H9 pistol.
The EMG / Hudson H9 Gas Blowback shoots with an FPS of 315-330. Powered by green or red gas, this pistol features an adjustable hop up, hard kick, high-quality aluminium slide and frame, as well as an accessory rail for attaching lights or lasers. When it comes to magazine capacity, it’s actually the pistol with the lowest magazine capacity on this list, with 25 rounds.
Features:
- Highly detailed CNC machined aluminum slide w/ front / rear serrations & officially licensed deep engraved Hudson Mfg. trademarks
- CNC machined aluminum frame w/ front / back strap knurling & removable textured polymer grips
- Ultra comfortable slim profile feels great in hand; True to life, accurate 1:1 size
- Ultra crisp 1911 style trigger with light uptake, crisp break, and short tactile reset; on trigger safety
- Ambidextrous slide lock
- Accessory rail for mounting lights and lasers
- Ultra low bore-axis helps mitigate recoil to stay on target for rapid follow-up shots
- Combines everything great about a 1911 and striker fire style pistol
All in all, the EMG / Hudson H9 Gas Blowback is a great airsoft pistol. Still, we don’t think the difference in price is worth it over the other pistols on the list. However, if you don’t mind paying a little bit more, than the EMG / Hudson H9 Gas Blowback can actually be a great alternative to consider.
Comparison Table of Best Hi-Capa Airsoft Pistols
Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1 | KJW 1911 Tactical HI-CAPA | Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 4.3 | WE-USA Full Metal Hi-CAPA | EMG / Hudson H9 | |
FPS Range | 250-300 | 340-370 | 250-300 | 300-330 | 315-330 |
Gas Type | HFC134a, Green gas | Green Gas / CO2 / Propane Adapter | HFC134a, Green gas | Green gas | Green Gas, Red Gas, Propane |
Dimensions | 235mm x 143mm | 228mm x 150mm | 234mm x 135mm | 194mm x 133mm | |
Magazine | 31 rounds | 30+1 rounds | 31 rounds | 30+1 rounds | 25 rounds |
Hop up | Yes, Adjustable | Yes, Adjustable | Yes, Adjustable | Yes, Adjustable | Yes, Adjustable |
System | Gas Blowback | Gas Blowback | Gas Blowback | Gas Blowback | Gas Blowback |
Manufacturer | Tokyo Marui | KJW | Tokyo Marui | WE-Tech | EMG / Licensed by Hudson Mfg |
How We Made This List
In order to make the reviews as reliable as possible, I’m continuously testing the products we recommend.
Out of the 5 pistols reviewed in this list, I’ve personally tried and tested 4 of them. I’ve also consulted many other experienced airsofters.
All of this is done to give you the best possible recommendations for your next airsoft pistol.
Conclusion
With hundreds of hi-capa airsoft pistols out there, it’s difficult to distinguish the quality from the junk. So, we took into account the shooting performance, accuracy, reliability, build quality, value for money, and the manufacturer of the numerous pistols on the market to create a list of the best hi-capa airsoft pistols for 2023.
In this article, we presented the 5 best airsoft pistols currently on the market. Some of the best of the best are the:
- Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1 Gas Blowback – best hi-capa airsoft pistol overall
- Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 4.3 – another great Tokyo Marui
- KJW 1911 Tactical HI-CAPA – best value for money
- WE-USA Full Metal Hi-CAPA – another great pick
Although there are many options on this list, you really can’t go wrong with any of these picks.
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The founder of Airsoft Freaks and a passionate airsofter for more than 15 years. Get to know me better on my about page