Kriss Vector, Thoughts?

Big JD-From the hills

Big JD-From the hills

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Thinking on pistol cal carbine , maybe a Kriss vector? I have put a few rds down range on a real one and liked it. anyway if any owners can chime in and give the low down on this 'black rifle' That would be awesome. is the bbl removable? would like one that could pack down for motorbike transport. or should I look at a Thureon defense?


newb(me) firing it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQbSHlkP9W8
 
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If you're going to get one, Restricted>NR. The long barrel and shroud ruin the ergos of the gun on top of looking absolutely ridiculous.

Also, if you're considering the .45/1st gen, just know it's a little picky on ammo. There is actually a list of "approved" brands of ammo in the user manual. I found the cheap stuff like Norinco didn't function well. For the price of "approved" .45 you may as well be shooting .223/5.56.

I'm personally waiting on the gen 2 9mm restricted ones to come in.
 
Grapeshot said:
If you're going to get one, Restricted>NR. The long barrel and shroud ruin the ergos of the gun on top of looking absolutely ridiculous.

Also, if you're considering the .45/1st gen, just know it's a little picky on ammo. There is actually a list of "approved" brands of ammo in the user manual. I found the cheap stuff like Norinco didn't function well. For the price of "approved" .45 you may as well be shooting .223/5.56.

I'm personally waiting on the gen 2 9mm restricted ones to come in.
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Pretty much my same thought on it. With the long barrel the ergonomics of it is all front heavy. I honestly prefer a Glock with a KPOS then shooting a Kriss Vector.
 
I was after a NR pistol caliber carbine as well. Got the Kriss Gen2 in .45ACP.. I love mine. Lots of fun to shoot and not anymore front heavy than an AR-15 with optic and light.


 
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I had a gen 1 non restricted Vector and it would shoot every type of ammo I tried including handloads. The only time I ever had issues with it was when I still had it greased from summer shooting and I took it out in the fall when it was below zero it was too stiff to cycle. A quick wipe down and some oil and it was back to cycling everything I fed it. The Vector was also surprisingly accurate, I was able to ring the 200 yard gong with mine fairly consistently once I figured out the holdover.
I liked the carbine but just found that it was a lot of cash tied up in something that really served no purpose to me. I was considering buying a restricted version but decided against it. I get bored of PCC's fairly quickly and have owned the Vector, a Sub2000 and an HK USC and of the three I think I liked the HK the best (with the 10 inch barrel I bought for it). But I ended up selling it as well.

The barrel is not removable on the Vector. The new gen 2 models may be different though.
 
I had a gen 1 and although I enjoyed shooting it, when it worked, it was just too unreliable with ammo. Even ammo on the 'approved' list.
 
I owned one a couple of years ago and posted a thread with more details back then. I liked it (the extractor pin worked a bit loose but that was an easy fix). I sold it but bought a second one last fall with the new upgraded bolt. Neither of mine have had any failures. They are fun to shoot, although as mentioned above I think the restricted version fits the philosophy a bit more—I think of them like a pistol with a stock, rather than true carbine.

The recoil reduction system works surprisingly well--here's my current one.

[youtube]YmgnmQjZcdA[/youtube]
 
I've got the Kriss in a gen 2 9mm NR. Really a fun gun to shoot and cheaper to shoot than an AR or even a .45 Kriss. And IMO, I think they look cool ! The barrel can't be taken apart for transport, so that may be a negative for you.
I say "Get It !! "
 
I've got a Gen 1 .45acp, warranty service sucks (all north sylva no option), you can't buy parts (I had to smuggle a friggen mainspring in from the US), the firing pin is staked into the bolt (no idea why they do that), there are lots of documented FTF and FTE problems, especially with Canadian-legal glock mags in .45acp. I just paid $75 for a very worn bolt just to have a spare.

That said, they shoot really accurate, and there is no recoil. I think kriss just dropped the MSRP on these (another kick in the teeth to previous owners), so there's that, and those new shrouds do look a whole lot better than the round ones.

So there you go. Would I sell mine? No. Would I buy it again knowing what I know now? No.
 
I got to fire the full auto version and with someone else paying for the ammo, impressive little gun. I think it will be very unique in a generation and will get a good price. If I had money to spare I would get one.
 
I finally got out to the range today with my new, GEN2 Kriss (in 9x19.)

The bad:
I ran some factory S&B 124gn ammunition through it and the brass was being launched 15' away. Seriously.
The recoil spring is captive, but only held in place with a bolt. So, an excellent aftermarket accessory would be a much stiffer spring.

I wish the barrel was tapered/lighter as it is very front heavy (BTW I removed the fake-can to reduce felt-weight.)
In fact, most of the weight of this rifle is in the barrel (a shame.) The barrel also cannot be removed easily (nothing is impossible, but unless you have a decent shop, not worth attempting.)

The Kriss didn't come with a fore-grip and it absolutely needs one. I accidentally locked the bolt open twice and released the magazine once.


The good:
Aside from my 3 fails (my fault), I otherwise put 50-rnds through it with zero problems. The rifle as far as I can tell is very accurate and recoil was non-existent (it's like a big .22lr.)
The design is cool. The take-down pins are great. The GEN2 trigger is decent (I'm a GLOCK guy so every trigger feels great in comparison) ...and that's it.


Still on the fence with this one.


If the short-barrel was non-restricted in Canada it'd be a no-brainer, that is the version to have.
However, I think with a stiffer recoil spring, the folding stock and vertical foregrip I could find myself enjoying this rifle much more. If the barrel was tapered or a light-profile then things would have been fantastic!

As is, it's just good. ;)

I'm of the same mind as posted above... would I sell it? No, at least not yet. Would I buy another? Probably not.


BTW: Forget running anything HOT through the Kriss; because the bolt doesn't lock (and the spring is so weak) you run the risk of a KB if you exceed book value MAX. I ran a couple +P reloads and all the brass experienced some disconcerting case bulge. So, stick to factory with this one.


Cheers~
 
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G37 said:
BTW: Forget running anything HOT through the Kriss; because the bolt doesn't lock (and the spring is so weak) you run the risk of a KB if you exceed book value MAX.
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That's unexpected...the spring on the .45 Gen 1 version is quite stiff.
 
G37 said:
Thanks for that... Going to try and obtain a 45ACP spring :)
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I would be apprehensive about changing the springs without being completely sure that what you're doing will work. I have no idea if .45 springs will work with a 9mm Gen 2 or not. You don't want to run the risk of a kaboom.
 
Master-G said:
I would be apprehensive about changing the springs without being completely sure that what you're doing will work. I have no idea if .45 springs will work with a 9mm Gen 2 or not. You don't want to run the risk of a kaboom.
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Hey thanks for the concnern.

Obviously, I'd ensure the .45ACP spring is in fact heavier than the spring being removed; providing that it is a heavier spring (I really hope so)... the worst thing that would happen is the bolt would not properly cycle. No chance of a KB at all.

It's exactly like swapping springs on a pistol.

As I said in my first post, the factory 9mm brass (S&B 124gn) is being launched into outer space (not quite) but I saw some landing 20+feet away from where I was shooting. Crazy!

I like what I am reading with regards to the .45ACP version. I hope it is all that. :)

FWIW: A glock recoil spring will fit into the carrier, but it is obviously too short. So this leads me to believe that KRISS went with a realtively standard sized recoil spring in terms of OD and ID.

Cheers~
 
G37 said:
It's exactly like swapping springs on a pistol.
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It sounds like you've got things well in hand. I'll disagree somewhat with your statement above though. Since most pistols have locked breeches, changing springs is unlikely to cause a catastrophic problem, just accelerate wear. But since the Vector is a blowback firearm all that's keeping the bolt closed is the mass of the bolt and the recoil spring. Just be cautious, especially if there are any differences between the Gen 1 and Gen 2 bolt assemblies.

I think that you're right and if things go badly it'll be on the side of ejection failures rather than kabooms but I'm still a little leery.
 
Great discussion Guys,
I am a new owner of a Gen 2 in .45 ACP. NR
Have about 350 rounds through her now.
I have mixed feelings but mostly positive.
1) I expected less recoil, and muzzle lift. It's not harsh, but it's not virtually absent either. But, I still getting used it it.
The recoil is definitly different and distinct. After 200 rounds on a cooler day, I could feel the stock attachment hammering into my hand. That is the direction of the force after all.
2) running smooth, and zero failures- has been an awesome experience. The more I shoot her the smoother she gets, so not broken in yet.
3) cleaning her is a dream. 4 pins, and everything is readily accessible.
4) accuracy- pleasantly surprised at 25 yards and under. Tight groups and relatively rapid follow up. Struggling with accuracy 50-100 yards, probably my big MOA dot. I am definitly hitting paper, but even on a bipod groups are groups are 5-6 inches. But, I expect that will improve with playing with optics and ammo.
5) ergonomics and looks. Absolutely loving it. Feels great, points naturally. Still getting used to ergonomics.
Without question if the short barreled version was non restricted it would a no brainer. But the laws being what they are, and my love of shooting at least some of my guns off the grid, the NR version is the right one for me for the time being.
 
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