| ✅ Very durable and well made | ❌ Not exactly a stealthy gun |
| ✅ Very cool to look at | ❌ Grips a bit on the smooth side |
| ✅ Full metal, CNC aluminum construction | |
| ✅ Replicates Black Lagoon design very well | |
| ✅ Accurate with great range | |
| ✅ Powerful | |
| ✅ Good kick |
Black Lagoon is one of the more famous anime out there, and Rebecca “Revy” Lee’s custom twin M9s – the Sword Cutlasses – are probably nearly as popular as the characters and storyline.
The WE Tech Sword Cutlass is an airsoft homage to these pop culture favorites, popular thanks to their highly detailed looks and capable GBB performance.
To find out if it lives up to its reputation, and is worth your time and money, we decided to take a closer look for ourselves.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | WE Tech |
| Power | Green Gas, CO2 |
| Action | Semi Auto |
| FPS | ~ 360 FPS @ 0.20g BBs |
| Hop up | Adjustable |
| Inner barrel | 6.1 inch (155 mm) |
| Total Length | 10.15 inches (258 mm) |
| Weight | 2 lbs (0.9 kg) empty |
| Construction | CNC aluminum |
| Rounds | 25 |
How Much Does A WE Sword Cutlass Resemble The Real Steel M9?
| WE Sword Cutlass M9 | Beretta 92F/M9 | |
| Overall length | 10.15 inches (258 mm) | 8.5 in (217 mm) |
| Weight | 2 lbs (0.9 KG) | 2.1 lbs (0.97 KG) |
| Action | Semi automatic | Semi automatic |
| Caliber | 6mm | 9mm |
| Capacity | 25 | 10-15 rd |
| Construction | Nickle-style polished aluminum frame, slide, custom polymer grips | Steel slide, frame, polymer grips |
| Sights | Fixed | Fixed |
| Rail | None | None |
The WE Tech Sword Cutlass is based on the Beretta 92f (M9) pistol.
In fact, at least broadly speaking, the Sword Cutlass maintains many of the design features of this legendary firearm, such as its open slide design, roomy trigger guard, rear serrations, double action trigger, takedown lever, red-dot safety and more.
It’s also pretty close to a real steel 92f in terms of weight, thanks to the significant use of metal in its design.
From there, however, the gun does take a significant departure from its real steel inspiration and becomes an extremely accurate replica of the twin guns sported by Revy in the famous Black Lagoon anime.
The gun features a very shiny chromed up/nickle-plated style, an extended 5.9 inch slide, an outer barrel that projects an inch or two from the slide’s end and smooth, ivory-style grips with a metallic skull and crossbones motif affixed to them.
In terms of trades, the WE Tech Sword Cutlass eschews the usual Beretta markings in favor of replicating those found on their animated counterparts, something that may give pause to firearms enthusiasts and airsoft collectors but will definitely delight fans of the series.
For example, the words “9mm Sword Cutlass” are rather prominently engraved on the side of the slide.
On the right hand side, meanwhile, the gun sports a “MOD 92F” (the only real remaining nod to this airsoft pistol’s real steel inspiration) and a cool, piratey skull and crossbones design laser etched into its metal.
Interestingly, WE Tech has even accurately recreated the gun’s Thai writing from the show, which is similarly etched into the slide and demonstrates a fine attention to detail in our opinion (and is something that will definitely confuse opponents unfamiliar with the anime).
How Does The Sword Cutlass Perform As An Airsoft Pistol?
Build-quality and Construction
Although an airsoft tribute to Black Lagoon’s arguably most famous weapons, the WE Tech Sword Cutlass is actually a surprisingly well built gas blowback pistol.
The gun is a full-metal airsoft pistol, making extensive use of highly polished, chrome-like CNC aluminum for its slide, and a somewhat less shiny but equally durable aluminum frame, outer barrel, trigger and hammer.
In fact, the only use of plastic on this gun is in its faux-ivory grips, making the gun extremely sturdy and far more durable than rivals made from alloys or plastic.
The gun is also well put together, with the Sword Cutlass being pretty well lubricated, showing no signs of wobble or looseness when we handled it (notably with no slide or barrel play) and its various controls were nicely fitted and thumbed solidly into place.
The gun’s rather large aluminum slide even drew back smoothly and easily when we tested it, which is something that we appreciate given its relative weight.
In terms of accessories, the WE Tech Sword Cutlass is a replica of a pop culture pistol and is therefore really intended to be used as is.
As with other classic Beretta 92f replicas there are no rails on this gun, so adding flashlights, lasers or other accessories isn’t really going to be an option without some modification.
The gun comes with the usual Beretta-style fixed metal sights that are functional.
Unlike real steel M9s, they don’t come with white dots on the rear, which would help when aiming at low contrast targets or in low light conditions.
That said, the front sights do come with a cool red dot, which serves a similar purpose to some degree and looks pretty cool in our opinion.
The gun does, however, come with a 14mm threaded outer barrel, which makes it a lot easier for users to freely and more readily attach their choice of barrel accessories, such as mock suppressors or tracer units, should they so choose.
WE Tech’s attention to detail and quality also continues on the inside of the Sword Cutlass.
Internally, the Cutlass sports a lot of thick reinforcements around the slide, which is logical and perhaps necessary given its size, solidity and relative weight.
The gun features WE Tech’s typically high quality M9 gas blowback parts, although it does sport an extended inner barrel and metal recoil spring assembly, which helps the gun stay snappy and lets it deal with the increased pressure and stress that gas blowbacks often go through.
In fact, due to the extensive use of solid metals and reinforcements, the Sword Cutlass can even occasionally be run with CO2 mags, which gives it a bit more kick and flexibility of operation (although we’d probably stick to green gas for longevity’s sake).
The gun also comes with a pretty capable adjustable hop up unit that provides excellent spin, especially with 0.23g and up middle weight BBs.
Like other M9 replicas, the unit is located under the gun’s slide, which is fine but does make it a bit trickier to adjust in game since accessing it requires field stripping the gun.
Performance and Accuracy
While the WE Tech Sword Cutlass makes for an excellent collectable for fans of Revy and Black Lagoon, it’s also a pretty capable airsoft pistol on the field.
Using green gas and 0.20g BBs, we saw the gun chrono at around 360 FPS, which makes it a pretty good all around option, although perhaps a bit hot out of the box for some fields with stricter FPS limits.
Due to the use of a large, CNC aluminum slide, the Sword Cutlass’ blowback action is quite impressive, with each shot accompanied by a pretty strong kick.
The Cutlass’ trigger is also pretty responsive, with a relatively short travel, smooth break and a decent enough reset.
Due to the slide’s weight, the gun’s cycle is a little slower than some other options but this is mitigated to some degree by its use of a stronger and larger recoil spring.
Range and accuracy for this gun is actually pretty impressive.
Loaded up with mid-weight BBs, the gun groups very well sub-100 feet (30m) and is actually capable of hitting targets pretty reliably past 180 feet (55 m) with minimal effort, thanks to its refined and extended inner barrel and strong hop up.
In fact, some users report even being able to hit targets at the 250-300 foot range (90 m) with this gun, although we haven’t tested this for ourselves.
In terms of gas efficiency, the gun is fairly average, getting around 2-2.5 mags per fill (50-60 rounds or so), which is actually decent enough given the weight of the slide and the gun’s strong blowback action.
Handling and feel
There are two things you notice about the WE Tech Sword Cutlass when you first take it out of the box.
The first is its size.
At just over 10 inches long, this is an intimidating gun, bigger than a typical M9 replica, a 5.1 Hi Capa, a Glock 17, the WE F226 Mk25 and other typical full-size airsoft sidearms.
As a result, it isn’t necessarily the most compact and easy airsoft pistol to strap on as part of a loadout, although at only about an inch and a half longer than its closest rivals, it’s not so massive as to be unwieldy and its size definitely will make opponents think twice.
In fact, with a full mag the gun is quite well-balanced in terms of weight, sitting comfortably in hand, and its full metal design makes it feel very much like an actual firearm, which is always nice.
The other thing you might notice about the Sword Cutlass is the chromed-out finish of its slide.
This is a shiny and beautiful looking gun and it certainly attracts attention on and off the field, even if it’s not the most tactical or stealthy option out there.
If you’re a fan of Black Lagoon or just want to make a statement, the gun’s highly reflective surface is probably a good thing, but if you’re intending to creep around the field, you’ll probably want to opt for something a little more subtle.
In a similar vein, the gun’s grips, while made of a beautiful flat ivory plastic and very true to the anime, are a bit smooth for our liking.
The only real grippiness to them comes from the skull and crossbones metal pieces attached to either side and a bit of texturing around the front and back of the frame, which can make things a bit slippery in wet weather.
These grips can, however, be pretty easily swapped out for one of the many WE Tech M9/92f-compatible grip sets out there.
The gun’s rear serrations, thankfully, are nice and deeply cut, which lets users get a firm grip on them (even when wearing gloves) and allows them to draw the gun’s slide back quickly and easily.
In terms of ambidextrous use, the WE Tech Sword Cutlass is pretty much a standard Beretta M9/92f in this regard and is a mixed bag.
The gun’s slide and mag release are right handed, but the safety can be activated from either side.
Maintenance and Upgrades
As with a standard M9, the WE Tech Sword Cutlass is pretty easy to take down.
Users simply turn the gun’s slide lock counterclockwise and pull the slide forward to detach it from the frame.
This exposes the gun’s spring guide, hop up unit, barrel and hammer assembly, which can then be lubed and checked for wear and damage.
The WE Tech Sword Cutlass is broadly compatible with other WE Tech M9 parts, making critical upgrades and repairs fairly easy, although users should keep in mind that the gun’s extended slide, barrels and spring guide are somewhat unique to the model.
Magazine type and Capacity
The WE Tech Sword Cutlass comes with a 25 round nickel-plated metal magazine.
Overall, we found this magazine to be pretty good, inserting smoothly, holding its gas well and feeding quite reliably throughout our tests.
The Sword Cutlass is, however, broadly compatible with other M9 magazines, such as those from Tokyo Marui, WE, KJW and others.
As a result, replacement costs can be pretty low and users have their pick of a broad array of magazines to choose from, such as 50 round extended mags.
Price
Note: All prices correct as of writing, all prices in USD.
Although it can depend on the retailer in question, the WE Tech Sword Cutlass generally comes in at just under $150.
This actually makes it a fairly affordable gas blowback pistol option, being less expensive than comparable Glocks and Hi Capas and more in line with M9s from KJW, a TM PX4 or a P09 and only a little more expensive than a standard WE Tech M9 replica.
And for that money, you do get a gun that’s not only inspired by a popular anime series but is also quite solid, beautiful to look at and very capable on the field.
Advantages of the WE Tech Sword Cutlass
Extremely durable construction
The WE Tech is mostly made from durable metals, with a metal frame, reinforcements, trigger, hammer and even a CNC’d aluminum slide.
As a result, the gun should be able to withstand most of what a typical airsoft game can throw at it.
Really nice to look at
With its extended barrel, pirate-themed accents, faux-ivory grips and nickel-plated aluminum slide, the WE Tech Sword Cutlass is a gorgeous airsoft pistol to look at and can make a fine centerpiece for a collection.
Accurate replica of Revy’s Cutlasses from Black Lagoon
Perhaps most importantly for its intended audience, the WE Tech Sword Cutlass manages to replicate the look of its anime inspiration pretty closely, with all of Revy’s markings and skull and crossbones etched into or affixed to the gun and even recreating the anime version’s Thai script.
Good power
Chronoing at around 360 FPS once settled in, the WE Tech Sword Cutlass certainly has enough power to be used outdoors and can certainly keep up with 1911 rivals.
Highly accurate
The Cutlass is also quite accurate at range, being able to hit targets well past 180 feet with minimal effort.
Excellent blowback action
With its power and long, heavy-ish aluminum slide, the WE Tech Sword Cutlass has an excellent kick to it, even compared to other M9 GBBs, which adds a good deal of realism and fun to its use.
Disadvantages
Isn’t going to be a low-key stealth pick
Let’s face it, with a pretty reflective slide and white ivory grips, the WE Tech Sword Cutlass isn’t exactly the best option as a sidearm for stealthily moving around unnoticed on a field.
Grips are a bit smooth for our tastes
Although they are really nice to look at and hold, the WE Tech Sword Cutlass’ grips have minimal texturing to them, which can make them a bit more slippery to hold when things get wet.
Probably should be a fan of the show
Although based on an M9/92F, the WE Tech Sword Cutlass is really a replica of Revy’s guns from Black Lagoon and retains only a passing resemblance to the legendary Beretta.
As a result, it may not be the best option for those unfamiliar with the show and may raise a few eyebrows on the field from airsoft firearms enthusiasts.
Bottom Line
With its capable action, beautiful looks, excellent construction and relatively affordable price, if you’re a fan of Black Lagoon or just want a pistol that is going to stand out in a sea of 1911 clones, the WE Tech Sword Cutlass M9 should definitely be at the top of your list.
Ted Clark– Hailing from Florida, Ted has been an avid airsoft enthusiast since he was in middle school. When he’s not checking out and reviewing airsoft guns, he enjoys picking off his enemies one by one on the field as a sniper.