Hi,

Apologies if this has been asked and answered before, but I am looking for a compatible replacement set of cartridges for my old MGC .44 magnum.

The original MGC cartridges are hard to find now, so I was wondering if anyone knew if any other types were a suitable replacement...Marushin, Kokusai..etc

Thanks!

Sean.

Hi Sean,

Mullberry field make a replacement "real look" cartridge for the .44 magnum.Francky or Shazhib should be able to source these for you,and i'm sure they could still get some of the originals too!,give them a P.M. they are always willing to help.

I hope this helps

Kickback

Welcome to the forums Sean

Always great to see a new member joining up.

As Kickback rightly says Francky and shazhib can both source whatever you're likely to need and they're both members here

Francky can also be found at http://franckys-modelgun.com/

Thanks guys.

I have seen the Mulberry rounds, but wasn't sure if they were just inert (dummy) cartridges or good for caps. Set of 6 is about 4,000 yen here. Not cheap, but actually look better than the old ones.

Sean.

Hiya Sean,

For comparison, these cartridges are just over £2.00 each here in the UK so 4000 Yen or US$40 for 6 works out less expensive.
I had a look at them and agree they do look very realistic, wish I had a decent Magnum now

Cerwyn,

If there were plenty of model guns for sale in the UK, it would actually be cheaper for me to buy things from home and have them shipped back to Japan!

The pound has fallen through the floor against the yen this year...it has gone from 240 to the pound to around 140; which means everything in the UK is now a whopping 40% cheaper for Japanese shoppers. Of course, the reverse is also true - anyone looking to buy from Japan will find everything 40% more expensive than it was at the start of the year.

UK economic news focuses mainly on the US$ and the Euro, but the sterling depreciation against the yen has been huge and it may even fall further. If I were living & working in the UK, I would be seriously concerned about this.

Sean.

Hi Sean,

The pound has definately gone through the floor, you're right there. It ain't that long ago a Pound was worth 2 US$ but now it's about 1.55 US$. Prices have gone up but modelguns sold here are sourced from Japan and dealers quite understandably add on their mark up so retail prices here tend to be substantially higher than those charged in Japan. These dealers are making a living after all.

Cartridges e.g. cost about twice as much here as they do in Japan. Caps are a third of the price and some guns are as much as 50% less there.

Even taking shipping costs into account, it's still much cheaper to buy from Francky and shazhib. There is the chance of course that HM Customs could add on Import Duty and VAT but even so...

Where are you buying from? There is one Japanese retailer I know of that is very expensive ...

Cerwyn,

Like most people in Japan, I do all of my online shopping through Rakuten.

Imagine something with the ease of use as Amazon, and then imagine that it was so massive that it sold absolutely everything, all linked to a very sophisticated search-engine. Now imagine that whatever it was you were buying was immediately displayed from individual retailers the length and breadth of Japan, with real-time inventory and a "one-click" buying system: that is Rakuten. The fellah who started it is a billionaire now; I believe he has plans for a US and a UK version.

Apart from that, Yahoo! auctions is great for the odd bargain and things that are no longer produced. It can be accessed from outside Japan, but you wouldn't be able to register or bid on anything.

Sean.

Cerwyn,

I'll give you a little price comparison:

I just bought a new Kokusai 6" .357 Python.
That was 16,800 yen, delivered (from Rakuten).

A few months ago that would have worked out at about 70 quid.
Now, with the pound falling through the floor the same gun would cost about 120.

Sean.

Hi Sean

Sounds like e-Bay on steroids . It does sound extremely good, a Nationwide catalogue with One Click purchase. If that arrives here there'll never be a need to leave the house

Have you had a look at Francky's site? I know both he and shazhib use Yahoo Auctions and I wonder how their prices compare with other Japanese retailers

Take a look at this http://www.modelguns-worldwide.com/357python.htm

How does £265 grab you

Expensive...but then it is an older model, so rarer and a wee bit heavier too than the current production.

Will have a look for the other sites you mentioned later.

Sean.