A good friend of mine who is a machinist and avid shooter, recently examined my new WK180C.
I was fortunate enough to scoop up the last one with the help of Morgan at Firearms Outlet Canada (awesome customer service) after I posted asking if any CGNers knew of any Dealers stocking them? I did get an infraction for posting in the wrong Forum area, as I did not think Dealers look in the EE, but oh well.
Yesterday I broke in the barrel using all kinds of .223 I had lying around, found the WK 180C just ate everything without a hiccup. BUT while I was just really putting rounds downrange I was noticing the barrel getting hotter. When I wet thru some steel cased lacquered Russian ammo shooting fast, I had FTE!!!!!
So back to my friend at Blackworks. I was really wondering if I bought a bad gun, after inspection he noted a gummy baked on heavy crude in the chamber! Acetone and a chamber brush too care of the problem. I felt bad because I immediately called Wolverine and Kodiak whining. Both were super tolerate and said to just clean it and try it out, if there were any problems to contact them. SUPER service from these guys.
One thing I found weird was not all my AR magazines worked?? In fact the Hera magazines from Kodiak would not allow the bolt to move into battery? The machinists from Blackworks immediately noted the bolt hold open was in fact too wide and did not seat properly in the Hera mags but worked fine with the LAR poly magazines and my metal old school USGI CAR 15 magazines. So we squared off the rear notch of the magazines and they work flawlessly.
Okay what did the machinist who is an longterm AR and XCR owner think about this $1000.00 rifle?
1. It is a bargain for the price, and frankly does not think the price point can be maintained due to the barrel, machining, and overall build design.
2. He liked the barrel.
3. Liked the receiver design except thought it could have a bit narrower profile as not enough of the AR trigger protruded to get the full length of the trigger.
4. Trigger was way too heavy, way to griity due to the surface mating. He really wants to stone the mating surfaces to remove the gritty feeling and lighten the trigger as he has done on many rifles, but said Kodiak would void the warranty. (Wish Kodiak woud let me just to see how nice the trigger can be improved).
5. He was really impressed with the bolt, rails, and beefiness of the receiver, but noted the cocking handle was a tad sloppy and may machine me a better one.
6. Found the top long rail and rigidness of the handguard to be great, as the bipod is rock solid!
7. The extractor spring coils in the bolt were binding, so he stretched the spring and now the extractor really grips the brass.
I found the gun has potential, while I am trying to find what ammo it likes, the 75 grain Hornady (6 round group) worked well, but being impatient I did not allow the barrel cool and my groups started opening up, if I can hit a grape at 50 yards using a bipod, I am happy.
Being used tight groups with my .223 Savage I was disapppointed, but after seeing a few other semis shooting at 50 yards like me, the WK180C outshot all of them at the indoor range!! 119 yards, this is a dime with my Savage not the WK.
Magazine challenges:
My WK with some parts I had in the bin:
My buddy did end up moving the scope way forward and adjusted the Russian tactical sling as well.
All in all, I like it!
Going to see if Kodiak will allow us to stone the trigger without voiding the warranty, so Kodiak, if a skilled gunsmith tunes the trigger can I still have support on the rest of the firearm?
Thanks
I was fortunate enough to scoop up the last one with the help of Morgan at Firearms Outlet Canada (awesome customer service) after I posted asking if any CGNers knew of any Dealers stocking them? I did get an infraction for posting in the wrong Forum area, as I did not think Dealers look in the EE, but oh well.
Yesterday I broke in the barrel using all kinds of .223 I had lying around, found the WK 180C just ate everything without a hiccup. BUT while I was just really putting rounds downrange I was noticing the barrel getting hotter. When I wet thru some steel cased lacquered Russian ammo shooting fast, I had FTE!!!!!
So back to my friend at Blackworks. I was really wondering if I bought a bad gun, after inspection he noted a gummy baked on heavy crude in the chamber! Acetone and a chamber brush too care of the problem. I felt bad because I immediately called Wolverine and Kodiak whining. Both were super tolerate and said to just clean it and try it out, if there were any problems to contact them. SUPER service from these guys.
One thing I found weird was not all my AR magazines worked?? In fact the Hera magazines from Kodiak would not allow the bolt to move into battery? The machinists from Blackworks immediately noted the bolt hold open was in fact too wide and did not seat properly in the Hera mags but worked fine with the LAR poly magazines and my metal old school USGI CAR 15 magazines. So we squared off the rear notch of the magazines and they work flawlessly.
Okay what did the machinist who is an longterm AR and XCR owner think about this $1000.00 rifle?
1. It is a bargain for the price, and frankly does not think the price point can be maintained due to the barrel, machining, and overall build design.
2. He liked the barrel.
3. Liked the receiver design except thought it could have a bit narrower profile as not enough of the AR trigger protruded to get the full length of the trigger.
4. Trigger was way too heavy, way to griity due to the surface mating. He really wants to stone the mating surfaces to remove the gritty feeling and lighten the trigger as he has done on many rifles, but said Kodiak would void the warranty.
(Wish Kodiak woud let me just to see how nice the trigger can be improved).5. He was really impressed with the bolt, rails, and beefiness of the receiver, but noted the cocking handle was a tad sloppy and may machine me a better one.
6. Found the top long rail and rigidness of the handguard to be great, as the bipod is rock solid!
7. The extractor spring coils in the bolt were binding, so he stretched the spring and now the extractor really grips the brass.
I found the gun has potential, while I am trying to find what ammo it likes, the 75 grain Hornady (6 round group) worked well, but being impatient I did not allow the barrel cool and my groups started opening up, if I can hit a grape at 50 yards using a bipod, I am happy.
Being used tight groups with my .223 Savage I was disapppointed, but after seeing a few other semis shooting at 50 yards like me, the WK180C outshot all of them at the indoor range!! 119 yards, this is a dime with my Savage not the WK.
Magazine challenges:
My WK with some parts I had in the bin:
My buddy did end up moving the scope way forward and adjusted the Russian tactical sling as well.
All in all, I like it!
Going to see if Kodiak will allow us to stone the trigger without voiding the warranty, so Kodiak, if a skilled gunsmith tunes the trigger can I still have support on the rest of the firearm?
Thanks
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