Unbox the Marui Steyr GBB Pistol! This is a vintage Marui GBB pistol. It uses green gas.
When discussing Tokyo Marui and the Steyr name, it is important to clarify a common point of confusion. Tokyo Marui never produced a gas blowback (GBB) pistol under the Steyr brand. The airsoft pistol associated with this name is the Steyr Model GB, a now-rare and discontinued model that operates on a completely different principle. Unlike the dynamic, slide-cycling GBB pistols Marui is famous for today, the Steyr Model GB is a fixed-slide gas gun, meaning its slide does not reciprocate upon firing. This makes it a fascinating artifact from a different era of airsoft design, prized today more for its novelty and collector’s value than its performance on the modern skirmish field.
The real-steel Steyr GB is a fascinating firearm in its own right, developed by the renowned Austrian manufacturer Steyr. It was a large, robust handgun that employed a unique “gas-delayed” blowback system, a design intended to reduce felt recoil while maintaining excellent accuracy and handling. This innovative system used propellant gases to delay the slide’s opening, which in theory allowed for a lighter slide and more controllable shooting. The Steyr GB was a serious contender to become the standard-issue sidearm for the Austrian military, eventually competing with and losing out to the more famous Glock 17. Its distinctive design and relative obscurity make it a fascinating subject for a replica, and it is this unusual pedigree that Tokyo Marui chose to immortalize in its fixed-slide gas gun.
Tokyo Marui’s Steyr Model GB is a faithful recreation of this unusual pistol. The manufacturer’s attention to detail is evident, with the airsoft version accurately replicating the dimensions and intricate details of the original firearm. One of its most distinctive features is its dual-action trigger mechanism. It can be fired simply by pulling the trigger, which cocks and releases the hammer in a double-action motion. For improved accuracy, it can also be operated in single-action mode by manually cocking the hammer before pulling the trigger. The model was offered in two variations over its production run. Early versions feature “MADE IN AUSTRIA” markings on the slide, while later models were updated to read “JAPAN”. This subtle difference makes the earlier versions particularly desirable among collectors.
Finding a Tokyo Marui Steyr Model GB today is a significant challenge, as it has been out of production since the 1990s and is not listed in the company’s active catalog. It has become a cult classic, a “holy grail” item for collectors of vintage airsoft guns. Its obscurity is such that many modern airsoft enthusiasts have never even heard of it. When examples do appear on the second-hand market, they are often found on Japanese auction sites or specialty forums, sometimes sold as “junk” or untested items. This scarcity, combined with its unique operating system and connection to a legendary real-steel firearm, cements the Tokyo Marui Steyr Model GB’s place as a true piece of airsoft history, a quiet and unusual gem from a bygone era of the hobby.
