WK180C Owners Thread

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Virtual.Chris

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Is there already a recent WK180C owners thread? Everything I could find was over a year old. And I imagine with the recent OIC, this is a super popular firearm.

I just got one and I’m very interested in learning from other owners.

I love the finish (dark greyish), the AR parts compatibility, and the fact it’s Canadian and NR. Kodiak also seems to have a good reputation for customer service.

Mods I plan to do...
- Add an optic... already have another thread on that. But leaning towards a Vortex 1x-4x or x6 or an Eotech, but also would love an ACOG.
- Adding the bolt catch/release lever from Kodiak
- Need a brass deflector for sure
- Will get a reverse fake can from True North to make the barrel look a bit shorter
- I would love to upgrade the stock to the ACR stock, but can’t find any
- Maybe an upgraded trigger?

I have tons of questions...

- Does an Eotech EXPS2 Quick Release Mount work on this gun with the rail-upper clearance?
- How best to hold the barrel/gun while taking off the muzzle device?
- How hard is it to install the bolt hold/release lever?
- what brass deflector do you guys have? Thoughts?
- Any thoughts on trigger upgrades?

Anyone got any photos of their WK180C builds/mods?
 
After some research, I’ve heard many here have had good things to say about Geissele G2S triggers and that they “drop-in” as a replacement.

I’ve also found a few brass deflectors on eBay so that’s on order.

The biggest decision to make is really the optic.
 
Trapanese said:
I take my muzzle devices off by laying towels, sitting on the receiver and cranking on them with the proper tool. Works every time.
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Thanks... aren’t you concerned that you’ll torque the barrel inside the receiver? I would think calming the exposed end of the barrel in a vice with rubber vice clamps would be ideal but I don’t know enough about how the barrel/chamber is connected to the receiver at the other end.

Anonymouse said:
Here's the original owners thread.
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1761667-Let-s-See-Your-WK!!!/page59
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Hmmm thanks. I’ll go through that. I wonder why it died in Feb? You’d think since the OIC came down in May this rifle would be a very popular topic. Although based on the shortages for anything gun related everywhere, I guess everyone bought all the guns in the country back in March ;)
 
I have a friend at our range that shoots his every weekend. After awhile the brass buildup in the chamber causes a case to get stuck in the chamber. When this happens you naturally will pull on the carrier handle and in his case smack it against the wood shooting bench which in turn broke it right off at the threads.
I made him new one and also gave him a 6mmx1.0 bolt so if he gets another stuck cases he can remove the knob and beat on the 6mm bolt and save his nice bolt knob I made him.
 
Virtual.Chris said:
Thanks... aren’t you concerned that you’ll torque the barrel inside the receiver? I would think calming the exposed end of the barrel in a vice with rubber vice clamps would be ideal but I don’t know enough about how the barrel/chamber is connected to the receiver at the other end.



Hmmm thanks. I’ll go through that. I wonder why it died in Feb? You’d think since the OIC came down in May this rifle would be a very popular topic. Although based on the shortages for anything gun related everywhere, I guess everyone bought all the guns in the country back in March ;)
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No sir, I've never had an issue. It usually comes off without the need for much torque unless rocksett is added to the threads by the factory. It's one of those things that are easy with the right grip and tools and not sheer force.
 
mac100 said:
I have a friend at our range that shoots his every weekend. After awhile the brass buildup in the chamber causes a case to get stuck in the chamber. When this happens you naturally will pull on the carrier handle and in his case smack it against the wood shooting bench which in turn broke it right off at the threads.
I made him new one and also gave him a 6mmx1.0 bolt so if he gets another stuck cases he can remove the knob and beat on the 6mm bolt and save his nice bolt knob I made him.
Click to expand...

LOL... that's a good story. I may get myself a 6mmx1 bolt to put in my range bag just in case! :). Thanks for the tip.

Bratwurst said:
Happy owner of one. I now have 5000 rounds through mine. I've had some parts need replacing but Kodiak has stuck to it's promise and replaced every part ASAP
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That's awesome. Like someone else said, please share what parts you've gone through. It would be good to know what to expect.

Trapanese said:
No sir, I've never had an issue. It usually comes off without the need for much torque unless rocksett is added to the threads by the factory. It's one of those things that are easy with the right grip and tools and not sheer force.
Click to expand...

That's good. I'm probably going to get a Magpul Tools - BEV (Barrel Extension Vise) Block to ensure I don't damage the receiver.
 
Anyone have any suggestions as to what ammo this gun likes or doesn't like? I want to get some decent stuff to sight in the gun, and then some cheap stuff for plinking. Anything I should know?
 
Gatehouse said:
What parts needed replacement?
Click to expand...

So to add context:

- My WK180C was purchased in Oct 2019
- I run the gun through target shooting steady rates of fire, fire and move drills consisting of up to 120 rounds in one go and also 2 gun style shooting. I haven't done silly mag dumps or any other style of pointless rapid fire that over-heats a rifle
- I am ex-infantry, enjoy competition, target and other styles of shooting and so I like to think that I have an idea of what to expect from a rifle

Within the first 4300 rounds I had the following breakages (all occurred after the first 1000 rounds):

- 3x broken cocking handles
- 1x piston and piston spring
- 2x Bolt Carrier Groups (BCG) due to broken cocking handles being stuck in the BCGs (I put the cocking handle on the left side, when it breaks (leaving part of it within the BCG) and I can't put a new one in the BCG needs replacing)
- The buttstock came loose twice, after taking it to a gunsmith we found some threading had broke, we fixed that and double staked it, no problems since
- The Upper & Lower joint broke (where the retaining pin joins the upper and lower)

I then received a brand new upper (including barrel) and fired 300 rounds through the rifle non-stop at a steady rate of fire (average one round every 6 -8 seconds).

I then a few days later fired 10 rounds, at that point the rifle failed to extract, the gas block had moved forward and the set screw had fallen out (most likely during the 300 round shooting). A quick tap of the gas block to get it back in position, some red loctite and a replacement set screw set everything to be as it should be.

A further 360 rounds later and I noticed that the return spring plate had a chip missing form it, it is still perfectly functional, as I have since fired a hundred or so more rounds through it. I have requested a replacement and I have no doubt that I will get it.

So that's the bad news, but I clearly am a proponent of the rifle. Why is that?

- Kodiak customer service: Owen from Kodiak has been incredible, they have responded with shame and great speed to every issue I have had and replaced broken parts immediately. I have extra spare parts now that they sent free, a bolt release/hold catch and a brand new upper (Inc barrel). In all seriousness my rifle has been an absolute lemon from what I understand.

- Accuracy: 2MOA with bulk American Eagle 55gr, 2.5MOA with 62gr Barnaul ammo

- Reliability (wait what!?), outside of when the rifle has had a parts breakage the rifle functions reliably. It's a range, competition and hunting rifle not a combat rifle. All the parts are easily replaceable, any hard run gun should have spares with it.

- Function for purpose, it's not a battle rifle, it's not designed to perform in the same manner as a genuine fighting rifle. If you want an accurate, dependable rifle that can be customized to your preference with ease for taking to the range or hunting with then it will perform absolutely fine

- It's Canadian made. Now normally I don't care where something is made so long as it's from a free country and made to good standards. However with the ongoing events it makes sense to purchase a rifle made in Canada. My reasoning for this is that while some companies can survive by not importing black NR rifles the makers of the WK180C have to make them or die. For that reason I believe going Canadian made is best.

Its a $1100 rifle (that now sells for $1300 so perhaps things have changed)

So that's it, probably not what you expected to get but an honest one and hopefully given how I still am a proponent of the rifle it should say a lot of good things about the rifle.
 
Virtual.Chris said:
Anyone have any suggestions as to what ammo this gun likes or doesn't like? I want to get some decent stuff to sight in the gun, and then some cheap stuff for plinking. Anything I should know?
Click to expand...

Barnaul and Federal bulk ammo do absolutely fine through this rifle and will give you 2-2.5MOA with an appropriate optic (Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8x24 for the win)
 
Bratwurst said:
Barnaul and Federal bulk ammo do absolutely fine through this rifle and will give you 2-2.5MOA with an appropriate optic (Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8x24 for the win)
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Thanks for your detailed account of breakages above.

I'll be honest, if I could have bought a higher-quality American made AR-15 I would have (even if it was restricted). As it stands, I have little choice if I want AR part compatibility and customization. As you point out in your other thread on current black rifle options, it's really the WK180C or the MCR and the MCR is no where to be found. So yeah, we may not have the most reliable rifle around, and we may need to replace parts regularly, but that's really the hand we've been dealt. I'd rather have a semi-auto tactical sporting rifle that needs maintenance and occasional parts, than nothing. And my gun will be a range queen. Living in Vancouver without an off-road vehicle or a lot of spare time, the most this gun will ever see is an outside range so harsh conditions are not at all in its future.

Strangely, if someone made a more expensive, higher quality semi-auto tactical sporting rifle in Canada, it would probably sell very well. I did not buy this rifle because it's cheap, I bought it because it's available.

Having said all that, owning a rifle like this is a bucket-list accomplishment for me. I'm super excited. I plan to deck it out on all the tacticool stuff... optic, sling, handguard, fake suppressor, weapon light, maybe a longer handguard, new trigger, etc. Not because I need all that, but because I want it and love tinkering. I can't wait to get out to the range with it.
 
My take after owning and shooting one for a spell:

It was a $1000. For a NR semi-auto rifle manufactured in Canada, the price was right.
It was bound to be cutting corners, however it's design followed the AR-180, so it should have been a reliable design.
The fact it isn't falls back to the maker.
cudos to them that they stand behind the design.

Nevermind the argument that it isn't a combat rifle; that as an argument is a non-starter.
Mil standards are pretty bare-bones and there are a ton of manufacturers and firearms made that surpass military standards.
Again, step back to the proven AR-180 design and couple that with modern manufacturing techniques, and it should have been a slam-dunk.

I had mine for around 1700 rounds.
I put everything from bulk, brass cased store bought ammo to carefully crafted hand-loads that have won multiple provincial service conditions matches through it.
Best I could do with 10 rounds was around 2moa at 100m. To say it is a 2 to 2.5 Moa shooter with bulk ammo?....yeah, that is some dream world.
But - 2 Moa is fine for a rifle of this price point. I'd go so far as to say it is more than fine and perfectly within the expectation of the price of the rifle.
Except it is more like 4-5moa with bulk ammo, which if compared to say a mini-14, is still ok. If one is ok with that...
While there were no breakages, I consider myself a fortunate exception, as opposed to the rule.

They are not a complete POS, but I would have gladly payed extra for something more dependable, more accurate and generally better thought out and executed.
 
I know 2 other people with one who constantly complain about theirs. I've been lucky I guess. About 2500 rounds through mine and nothing outside of a couple of failure to feeds and failure to eject, which have been rare, and usually after heavy use.
 
beltfed said:
My take after owning and shooting one for a spell:

It was a $1000. For a NR semi-auto rifle manufactured in Canada, the price was right.
It was bound to be cutting corners, however it's design followed the AR-180, so it should have been a reliable design.
The fact it isn't falls back to the maker.
cudos to them that they stand behind the design.

Nevermind the argument that it isn't a combat rifle; that as an argument is a non-starter.
Mil standards are pretty bare-bones and there are a ton of manufacturers and firearms made that surpass military standards.
Again, step back to the proven AR-180 design and couple that with modern manufacturing techniques, and it should have been a slam-dunk.

I had mine for around 1700 rounds.
I put everything from bulk, brass cased store bought ammo to carefully crafted hand-loads that have won multiple provincial service conditions matches through it.
Best I could do with 10 rounds was around 2moa at 100m. To say it is a 2 to 2.5 Moa shooter with bulk ammo?....yeah, that is some dream world.
But - 2 Moa is fine for a rifle of this price point. I'd go so far as to say it is more than fine and perfectly within the expectation of the price of the rifle.
Except it is more like 4-5moa with bulk ammo, which if compared to say a mini-14, is still ok. If one is ok with that...
While there were no breakages, I consider myself a fortunate exception, as opposed to the rule.

They are not a complete POS, but I would have gladly payed extra for something more dependable, more accurate and generally better thought out and executed.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think we all wish we had more choice. But I think buying this gun with appropriate expectations should mean you're not disappointed and can actually derive some fun from it.
 
DVX said:
I know 2 other people with one who constantly complain about theirs. I've been lucky I guess. About 2500 rounds through mine and nothing outside of a couple of failure to feeds and failure to eject, which have been rare, and usually after heavy use.
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Awesome... thanks for chiming in! I hope my experience mirrors yours!
 
beltfed said:
My take after owning and shooting one for a spell:

Nevermind the argument that it isn't a combat rifle; that as an argument is a non-starter.
Mil standards are pretty bare-bones and there are a ton of manufacturers and firearms made that surpass military standards.

I had mine for around 1700 rounds.
I put everything from bulk, brass cased store bought ammo to carefully crafted hand-loads that have won multiple provincial service conditions matches through it.
Best I could do with 10 rounds was around 2moa at 100m. To say it is a 2 to 2.5 Moa shooter with bulk ammo?....yeah, that is some dream world.
But - 2 Moa is fine for a rifle of this price point. I'd go so far as to say it is more than fine and perfectly within the expectation of the price of the rifle.
Except it is more like 4-5moa with bulk ammo, which if compared to say a mini-14, is still ok. If one is ok with that...
While there were no breakages, I consider myself a fortunate exception, as opposed to the rule.

They are not a complete POS, but I would have gladly payed extra for something more dependable, more accurate and generally better thought out and executed.
Click to expand...

Having worked in the Defence industry for 6 years I completely disagree with your statement in regards to mil-standards and believe you are not aware of the amount of standards those rifles have to meet. You dismiss the combat rifle argument but provide no sustinence as to why. Let me be clear, civilian rifles for range, hunting and competition purposes don't get made to the same standards as military rifles because they don't need to be. is it good when they are? yes, are there many good reasons to do so? Yes. Are there many good reasons not to do so? yes.

Here's a thread where I produce picture evidence showing that 2-3moa is achievable after drinking far too much coffee and using the cheapest ammunition on the market. I'm not even a particularly good shooter even when in my "Dream world"
 
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