WK-180C piece of junk

I mean, don't get me wrong, i'd still buy one if it was like $800, parts flying off or not! As the price rises ever closer to 2K it comes closer to the strata where people can go "if i save a bit more, i can buy this much better rifle". I mean if the choice was between a T81LMG and MCR (cartridge notwithstanding) the choice is absolutely clear. Some people will say "you're paying for CANADIAN MADE!! TRUE NORF STRONK AND FREE!" yeah dude, i don't really care. Make a $2,000 all-canadian made version to buy if you want; if you outsourced production of some parts to China or something (they already make AR parts) and brought price down under 1K you would sell a lot more of them and that's what counts: getting as much of them out there as possible.
 
beltfed said:
The initial business model was a semi auto blaster in .223/5.56 that took stanag mags for $1000 Canuckistani pesos. Pretty basic.
They could have (and probably should have considering the falling out between Wolverine and Kodiak) spent a bit more on quality stuff, parts, QC, jigs, etc. - whatever - to get an overall better product.
That doesn't equate to every part - just the stuff that matters most. That also doesn't mean going from $1000 to $3k - that's just ridiculous.

So now that they've learned their lesson and have paid for it in lost sales, dycking around with returns and warranty claims, soured business dealings, etc. quality has gotten worse and prices have risen....yeah, it went from great idea that was a little under-done to full-on half-baked.
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1000% agree.
I love the oh so typical pathetic Canadian Stockholm syndrome applied to any product made in country.
Excusing something that's garbage because it's Canadian made garbage and "we should just be thankful!" nonsense.....
No thanks.
I'll give and have given credit to any products that are solid. But I don't make excuses for junk because it's somewhat affordable junk, the only kind of its junk available or junk made in my hometown.
Junk is junk and the WK180C is a dice roll piece of junk. I'm sure every 3 out 5 rifles may be alright. I get it, some people are into playing scratch tickets and lotteries. Not me.
My positive points on the rifle:
- Looks cool
- Light weight
- Decent balance
- Decent accuracy
- Price was good (but its not really because even if it cost $500 it doesn't work)

It was a fun rifle to shoot for every round that fed before it jammed up, didn't feed, failed to extract, light primer strikes etc etc lol Aint nobody got time for that....

Cost cutting is great. Not when you cut costs on things that result in a consistent reliable product. Then blaming magazines and users to try and hold onto your profit margins as a company is pretty ####ing greasy. Paying shipping to return a defective product you cut corners on and didn't make well is greasy.

The WK180C; GREAT idea very VERY poorly executed.
Would have been nice to see them slam out a reliable stamped sheet metal clone of the AR180. After dealing with my WK180C and the garbage victim blaming attitude and warranty nonsense along the way I'd have gladly paid $2k for a reliable stamped steel rifle.
 
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The WS-MCR should not be confused with the WK-180C and vice-versa. Since parting company, the WS-MCR has undergone a significant redesign to address all of the known issues which still plague the 180-C. The incorporation of a press-fit steel "Wear Plate" on the Left side of the Upper Receiver eliminates steel-on-aluminum accelerated wear. The Cocking Handle is fully-machined with a beefy stem that fills the Cocking Slot and a deep recess in the Bolt. There are no reported issues with the MCR Pistons to date.

I was quite predisposed to write-off the WS-MCR as a cheaply-made econo-plinker, however since receiving mine I must say that I am instead increasingly impressed. Compared to my original Sterling-manufactured AR-180, the MCR is much tighter and sturdier-feeling overall. The recoil impulse is mild, the rifle is well-balanced, and reliability has been 100% out of the box for the first 200 rounds. Accuracy hovers around 2 MOA for 5 rounds of 62 gr PMC X-Tac ammo at 100m. What's not to like?

The WS-MCR is a solid, well-designed and built, Product-Improved AR-180 platform. Although I wanted to diskike it as a cheap knock-off, it is far from deserving of derision. To the contrary, with the latest factory upgrades (eg. a Cotter Pin now secures the Firing Pin within the Bolt-Carrier), the WS-MCR is every bit the raw perfornance equal of a similarly-priced AR15. The AR is still the more refined and ergonomic rifle/carbine by far, however their are some available upgrades that reaļly improve the WS to narrow the gap. The Magpul Zhukov Buttstock with aluminum adapter from SFRC for $200 is outstanding in all regards. The External Bolt-Catch and Release also works very well and integrates nicely into the look of the firearm. A Geissele Trigger to replace the heavy (but crisp) mil-spec example is also a must. I consider those 3 aftermarket upgrades to be essential for the WS-MCR. YMMV....

Don't bother with the WK-180C if you have not already conmitted. Although priced a bit higher, the WS-MCR is manufactured to a higher standard IMHO. The 2 rifles are night and day in terms of performance and reliability. Go with a current-manufacture MCR and you won't be disappointed.


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My WK-180C has worked flawlessly so far. Aside from bolts loosening as well as the charging handle. A little loctite and the problem was solved.
It's definatley not my M4 but at least it's not restricted. Made in Canada is a plus in my books.
 
Myar15 said:
My WK-180C has worked flawlessly so far. Aside from bolts loosening as well as the charging handle. A little loctite and the problem was solved.
It's definatley not my M4 but at least it's not restricted. Made in Canada is a plus in my books.
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Who cares,its still a piece of Canadian trailer park trash!!!

JK..lol
 
I think there are some valid points here and as a new owner of a WK, it is natural to want to defend the choice of choosing it.

I own a German car, and always had this impression that German cars are reliable and well engineered. All the ads about the car are indicating what an incredible experience the handling is (which it is), the well appointed features, the sleek look, etc.

But you know what? It has been a huge money pit, all sorts of electronic problems, module problems and the parts are insane and can't get many third party or after market. I don't want to sell it now since I have put so much into fixing it. There was a point where I was so defensive, BECAUSE I spent all that money, and so it would be a natural eating of humble pie to admit maybe I was maybe wrong and should have gotten a Toyota Camry instead. But in time, I have come to realize that while I do like my car, that doesn't exclude it from being a constant work of fixing it and I have to come to that realization and accept that despite what the market and ads and other owners who may be in denial suggest, there are reliability problems with this car, despite the shiny exterior and the ###y curves.

I haven't shot my WK yet but will in 1.5 weeks, so I will have a sense of how it feels. But as other posters mentioned, it is hard to see problems early, just like you don't see the car issues (in general) within the first couple of years of ownership, unless it is a complete lemon. But when I got my car, many people advised me to maybe consider that Camry instead, but just like most people, you will like what you like (sometimes in the face of contrary evidence indicating maybe what you thought was a good product may not be after all). There are some butt ugly cars (in my opinion) out there where I would scratch my head as to why the owner bought that, and I would never buy it and I heard it has problems, but each person has to make their own decisions.

I do think there is great validity in supporting local industry even if the quality may not be superb. My Dad bought domestic made cars for years for this reason - just to support the local economy. I would rather give the local companies my business and a chance to keep my business with good customer support. I know not everyone has this view and it is fine.
 
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thegazelle said:
I own a German car, and always had this impression that German cars are reliable and well engineered. All the ads about the car are indicating what an incredible experience the handling is (which it is), the well appointed features, the sleek look, etc.

But you know what? It has been a huge money pit, all sorts of electronic problems, module problems and the parts are insane and can't get many third party or after market. I don't want to sell it now since I have put so much into fixing it.
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FWIW I have immediate family that works at BMW in Toronto. My wife & I are lucky enough to have had quite a few employee lease vehicles. Always turned in at around 16,000km. The last 5 have all had some serious electronics issues before we returned them. Especially in the winter. I can’t even count amount of times I would get angry phone calls from the wife saying “the %?*!+]€ dash has gone black on this car”.

I feel seriously bad for the owners who end up buying late model German vehicles after the warranty period ends. The newer, say 2017+, electronics filled cars are most definitely built with first owners in mind with no consideration for longevity. Apparently it’s common among all German automakers these days, Audi unfortunately being close behind BMW in the race to the bottom.

Sorry to derail. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.
 
Wal-Mart Greeter said:
FWIW I have immediate family that works at BMW in Toronto. My wife & I are lucky enough to have had quite a few employee lease vehicles. Always turned in at around 16,000km. The last 5 have all had some serious electronics issues before we returned them. Especially in the winter. I can’t even count amount of times I would get angry phone calls from the wife saying “the %?*!+]€ dash has gone black on this car”.

I feel seriously bad for the owners who end up buying late model German vehicles after the warranty period ends. The newer, say 2017+, electronics filled cars are most definitely built with first owners in mind with no consideration for longevity. Apparently it’s common among all German automakers these days, Audi unfortunately being close behind BMW in the race to the bottom.

Sorry to derail. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.
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You are on point, my man.

My point in making the car comparison is that high cost doesn't necessarily equate to reliability, nor does brand affiliation.

I also don't understand the lack of support for Canadian products and content. In the 1980s, when Canadian bands and artists were getting some traction, there were always people who slagged Canadian talent as second rate compared to the US (and I am not talking about the CFL vs NFL comparison, since there is a clear talent difference). I always supported Canadian products wherever possible. I am glad to see we have companies like Challenger, who can compete in the shotgun shell market, but for some people, they see Canadian and automatically write it off and choose to buy the US or international brands. I wonder to a degree whether part of the scrutiny of the WK is BECAUSE it is a Canadian product. I don't know - there are a number of US based manufacturers that have had some rifle models that have had some QC problems - and when the person contacts them for support....crickets. Or for international firearms, having to send it to a domestic distributor for service, rather than the manufacturer. I think it is a huge plus we have our manufacturer right here in Canada. Turnaround time should be quicker and we have the people who made the product working on fixing problems (and hopefully learning from them) rather than subcontracted to a third party which did not design the product.

I don't work for Kodiak, I am not being paid by them. I did buy their product, and like anything else, I have come to not expect perfection. I do expect if they come across problems in an initial batch of guns, that these problems are taken seriously and rectified in the later productions. Further, I expect them, especially knowing the current attitude towards guns by the government, that these manufacturers would endeavour to make their guns are reliable and safe as possible and if that problems are addressed promptly and fixed completely. So far from what I have seen, Kodiak has supported their customer well.
 
Bartok5 said:
The WS-MCR should not be confused with the WK-180C and vice-versa. Since parting company, the WS-MCR has undergone a significant redesign to address all of the known issues which still plague the 180-C. The incorporation of a press-fit steel "Wear Plate" on the Left side of the Upper Receiver eliminates steel-on-aluminum accelerated wear. The Cocking Handle is fully-machined with a beefy stem that fills the Cocking Slot and a deep recess in the Bolt. There are no reported issues with the MCR Pistons to date.

I was quite predisposed to write-off the WS-MCR as a cheaply-made econo-plinker, however since receiving mine I must say that I am instead increasingly impressed. Compared to my original Sterling-manufactured AR-180, the MCR is much tighter and sturdier-feeling overall. The recoil impulse is mild, the rifle is well-balanced, and reliability has been 100% out of the box for the first 200 rounds. Accuracy hovers around 2 MOA for 5 rounds of 62 gr PMC X-Tac ammo at 100m. What's not to like?

The WS-MCR is a solid, well-designed and built, Product-Improved AR-180 platform. Although I wanted to diskike it as a cheap knock-off, it is far from deserving of derision. To the contrary, with the latest factory upgrades (eg. a Cotter Pin now secures the Firing Pin within the Bolt-Carrier), the WS-MCR is every bit the raw perfornance equal of a similarly-priced AR15. The AR is still the more refined and ergonomic rifle/carbine by far, however their are some available upgrades that reaļly improve the WS to narrow the gap. The Magpul Zhukov Buttstock with aluminum adapter from SFRC for $200 is outstanding in all regards. The External Bolt-Catch and Release also works very well and integrates nicely into the look of the firearm. A Geissele Trigger to replace the heavy (but crisp) mil-spec example is also a must. I consider those 3 aftermarket upgrades to be essential for the WS-MCR. YMMV....

Don't bother with the WK-180C if you have not already conmitted. Although priced a bit higher, the WS-MCR is manufactured to a higher standard IMHO. The 2 rifles are night and day in terms of performance and reliability. Go with a current-manufacture MCR and you won't be disappointed.


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How much that thing weigh? Looks like at least 15lbs.
 
Bratwurst said:
Why? the current model gives you access to ten round magazines
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Some people like the Red Rifle style look. A lower that could take VZ or AK magazine people have stockpiled would be considered useful. And it is unknown if ten round magazines will continue to be available in the standard lower, with potential regulation changes possible.
 
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