TNA Improved WK Upper Info and Feedback

[Ustauk]

From the True North Arms subforum -> https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/2179944-BIG-NEWS!-New-and-Improved-WK180-C-Upper-Receiver-is-here!

We're finishing off the month with a BIG BANG!

Let's welcome, the new and improved WK180-C Upper Receiver Cam Pin combo, with integrated dust-cover and shell deflector. Featuring a fancy nickel carrier, oversized cam pin, and enhanced charging handle.

Some features include:

• Integrated Dust Cover & Shell Deflector
• Fancy Shmancy Nickel Carrier and cam pin
• Over sized cam pin
• Slick as #### cycling even dry
• Oversized Charging Handle
• Upgrade brass bushing for piston

We've been listening to what you guys want, and we're delivering it to you. This well-desired upgrade will move your WK a step closer to resembling the loved (and missed) AR.

View attachment 511527

From their retail page:

 

[Bratwurst]

Given how the 9mm uppers haven't worked out well so far from what I've seen I'll be watching this from the sidelines.

I didn't really ever think there was an issue with how smoothly the bolt rode inside the receiver, and given it sits on rails I'm not sure of the benefit of coating the outsides of it but maybe I'm missing something?

Brass brushing is nice, I'm not a fan of the oversized charging handle but sure so long as you can still use other charging handles otherwise you're limited to that.

Does the upper receiver rail allow for the use of QD mounts? From what I understand QD mounts don't play nicely with those made by Kodiak.

The dust cover certainly is nice to see but that shell deflector is massive.

I might be a bit negative when I say this but with the new charging handle from Kodiak that doesn't seem to break I'd have just been happy with an upper that takes QD mounts, has a dust cover and a less blocky shell deflector and last but not least an IWI ACE style left side dust cover if possible

 

[nelsonm64]

Given how the 9mm uppers haven't worked out well so far from what I've seen I'll be watching this from the sidelines.

I didn't really ever think there was an issue with how smoothly the bolt rode inside the receiver, and given it sits on rails I'm not sure of the benefit of coating the outsides of it but maybe I'm missing something?

Brass brushing is nice, I'm not a fan of the oversized charging handle but sure so long as you can still use other charging handles otherwise you're limited to that.

Does the upper receiver rail allow for the use of QD mounts? From what I understand QD mounts don't play nicely with those made by Kodiak.

The dust cover certainly is nice to see but that shell deflector is massive.

I might be a bit negative when I say this but with the new charging handle from Kodiak that doesn't seem to break I'd have just been happy with an upper that takes QD mounts, has a dust cover and a less blocky shell deflector and last but not least an IWI ACE style left side dust cover if possible

funny you mention QD mounts don’t work. i have a WK from 2018 and use QD exclusively. fast forward to today, my buddy just bought a magpul edition. we went to the range and, i lent him one of my QD red dots and it wouldn’t tighten up very well no matter how much i tried…

 

[MosinNagantM44]

They should just make the entire upper. Some of us don’t want to assemble the entire thing.

 

[btabin]

funny you mention QD mounts don’t work. i have a WK from 2018 and use QD exclusively. fast forward to today, my buddy just bought a magpul edition. we went to the range and, i lent him one of my QD red dots and it wouldn’t tighten up very well no matter how much i tried…

Ditto, I got one from the early batches. Everything mounts on it, even my buddy's EOTech. His newer model, however, doesn't like the EOTech or QD mounts.

 

[CP 5.3]

I don't understand why this isn't compatible with the MCR? Its 180b ... ?

 

[thegazelle]

I might be a bit negative when I say this but with the new charging handle from Kodiak that doesn't seem to break

When did they release a newer charging handle? Is this a different part that you retrofit onto your existing WK, or do you mean they reengineered it and incorporated it in recent shipments? If so, how recent was this development?

 

[Bratwurst]

When did they release a newer charging handle? Is this a different part that you retrofit onto your existing WK, or do you mean they reengineered it and incorporated it in recent shipments? If so, how recent was this development?

A few months ago, it's just a new charging handle that you screw in to replace the previous screw in one. It has a shoulder of additional metal that strengthens it and has HT for Heat Treated written on it so I assume something changed there (I might be wrong).

TNA sells them and Kodiak will replace your 2nd Gen if it breaks (tbh if you just tell them it's broken I bet they'll replace it without asking).

Kodiak seems to fix/improve things but not publicise it. I like that they fix things without trying to appear heroic for doing it but I also think it doesn't help them combat years old inaccurate statements that are still thrown around based on the very first models.

 

[thegazelle]

A few months ago, it's just a new charging handle that you screw in to replace the previous screw in one. It has a shoulder of additional metal that strengthens it and has HT for Heat Treated written on it so I assume something changed there (I might be wrong).

TNA sells them and Kodiak will replace your 2nd Gen if it breaks (tbh if you just tell them it's broken I bet they'll replace it without asking).

Kodiak seems to fix/improve things but not publicise it. I like that they fix things without trying to appear heroic for doing it but I also think it doesn't help them combat years old inaccurate statements that are still thrown around based on the very first models.

I bought my WK in February or March of this year, I think - I will check it for the HT mark. Good to know there is a difference. If anyone has a photo of the new handle beside the old one, it may be helpful owners can identify the difference.

Thanks for the point about Kodiak improving things. I was wondering for a while whether they are doing this. Some companies don't - my German car has an electric water cooler which it is not a matter of if, but when it will die. Known issue. Problem is the replacement part is still the same, so once it gets installed, the clock starts ticking on when it will eventually fail.

I think it would be helpful if Kodiak at least advertised this so people can see they are taking quality and customer feedback seriously. But then I think a number of owners will call or write them demanding the retrofitted part regardless if it is broken or not on their rifle.

EDIT: Arrrgh, removed charging handle, don't see any reference to HT...

 

[Bratwurst]

I bought my WK in February or March of this year, I think - I will check it for the HT mark. Good to know there is a difference. If anyone has a photo of the new handle beside the old one, it may be helpful owners can identify the difference.

Thanks for the point about Kodiak improving things. I was wondering for a while whether they are doing this. Some companies don't - my German car has an electric water cooler which it is not a matter of if, but when it will die. Known issue. Problem is the replacement part is still the same, so once it gets installed, the clock starts ticking on when it will eventually fail.

I think it would be helpful if Kodiak at least advertised this so people can see they are taking quality and customer feedback seriously. But then I think a number of owners will call or write them demanding the retrofitted part regardless if it is broken or not on their rifle.

EDIT: Arrrgh, removed charging handle, don't see any reference to HT...

Here is the Charging Handle, it may look ever so slightly different

 

[thegazelle]

Here is the Charging Handle, it may look ever so slightly different

Oh I see...yes, mine must be the old one as the handle piece has the bumps/dots on it, not smoother like the newer version.

For the handle, TNA is $2.00 more than what Kodiak Charges, but their shipping of this handle is only $7.95, as opposed to the Kodiak whopping $14.00. TNA is the better deal for sure.

Now to decide whether to pre-emptively replace this or wait till it breaks and get Kodiak to replace it. I don't really want to contact them if it's not broken.

 

[Bratwurst]

I think it would be helpful if Kodiak at least advertised this so people can see they are taking quality and customer feedback seriously. But then I think a number of owners will call or write them demanding the retrofitted part regardless if it is broken or not on their rifle.

There are many highly qualified engineering keyboard kommandos on this site who will thrash and wail till death that the WK180C is "junk" and will never ever accept anything but the Tier 1 operator grade equipment at $1000 that they "deserve". Maybe Kodiak spent some time on this forum and just thought "F-it why bother trying with this crowd when it jumps all over everything to no-benefit?" and then just stuck to making guns and making them better as best they could while making money.

 

[Bratwurst]

Oh I see...yes, mine must be the old one as the handle piece has the bumps/dots on it, not smoother like the newer version.

For the handle, TNA is $2.00 more than what Kodiak Charges, but their shipping of this handle is only $7.95, as opposed to the Kodiak whopping $14.00. TNA is the better deal for sure.

Now to decide whether to pre-emptively replace this or wait till it breaks and get Kodiak to replace it. I don't really want to contact them if it's not broken.

Does yours have the shoulder?

 

[thegazelle]

Does yours have the shoulder?

Hi there, not sure what you mean by the shoulder, but since I have a propensity to not explain things well at all, I just retrieved it from the safe and took a couple of photos. Maybe this will be of assistance to past and present WK owners to determine what version theirs is.

 

[Bratwurst]

Hi there, not sure what you mean by the shoulder, but since I have a propensity to not explain things well at all, I just retrieved it from the safe and took a couple of photos. Maybe this will be of assistance to past and present WK owners to determine what version theirs is.

If you look at the new one via the link I sent you'll notice that after the threads there is now a "shoulder" or "rim" of additional material. This increases strength and rigidity at the same time at the place where the 2nd gen CH most often broke.

 

[thegazelle]

If you look at the new one via the link I sent you'll notice that after the threads there is now a "shoulder" or "rim" of additional material. This increases strength and rigidity at the same time at the place where the 2nd gen CH most often broke.

Oh I see. So if it breaks there then, how do people normally get the "stump" out, unless it is not recommended to tighten it more than hand tight - or once it happens, send the whole thing back to Kodiak. I tightened mine hand tight and then used a thin allen key to tighten it more. I wonder for those of us who have the older charging handles whether hand tight would be sufficient, so that if/when it breaks, getting the residual stump out won't pose an additional problem.

 

[Bratwurst]

Oh I see. So if it breaks there then, how do people normally get the "stump" out, unless it is not recommended to tighten it more than hand tight - or once it happens, send the whole thing back to Kodiak. I tightened mine hand tight and then used a thin allen key to tighten it more. I wonder for those of us who have the older charging handles whether hand tight would be sufficient, so that if/when it breaks, getting the residual stump out won't pose an additional problem.

You either use any tool you can to unscrew it. If you can't unscrew it you have to send it back to Kodiak or find someone else who can get it out.

I skipped this issue by asking for the original magnetic CH & bolt then when I got a few more WKs I just switched to the new CH

 

[Dexter Morgan]

Oh I see. So if it breaks there then, how do people normally get the "stump" out, unless it is not recommended to tighten it more than hand tight - or once it happens, send the whole thing back to Kodiak. I tightened mine hand tight and then used a thin allen key to tighten it more. I wonder for those of us who have the older charging handles whether hand tight would be sufficient, so that if/when it breaks, getting the residual stump out won't pose an additional problem.

Just spend the $20 and get the newer handle with a shoulder.

It's worth the small amount of money to not have to worry about such things.

 

[JUSTPROVEITSAFE]

What about a stop plate back in the pistons with a hole that accepts ar charging handle, and an improved bolt carrier that accepts ar charging handle, if there is space? Maybe not

 

[Deckard]

Given how the 9mm uppers haven't worked out well so far from what I've seen I'll be watching this from the sidelines.

I didn't really ever think there was an issue with how smoothly the bolt rode inside the receiver, and given it sits on rails I'm not sure of the benefit of coating the outsides of it but maybe I'm missing something?

Brass brushing is nice, I'm not a fan of the oversized charging handle but sure so long as you can still use other charging handles otherwise you're limited to that.

Does the upper receiver rail allow for the use of QD mounts? From what I understand QD mounts don't play nicely with those made by Kodiak.

The dust cover certainly is nice to see but that shell deflector is massive.

I might be a bit negative when I say this but with the new charging handle from Kodiak that doesn't seem to break I'd have just been happy with an upper that takes QD mounts, has a dust cover and a less blocky shell deflector and last but not least an IWI ACE style left side dust cover if possible

What is wrong with the 9mm uppers?