G&P WOC M4A1

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G&P M4A1 WOC (Western Arms Official Custom) Review

By: Tinydata

 

 

 

So I know this review is long overdue. I just never got around to writing a proper review of the basic G&P WOC. I know some people read my AGM M4A1 review, so keep that in mind when reading about the upper end of GBB rifles.

The WOC was the first metal-bodied WA system rifle to be offered on a large scale. Prior to this, bodykits had been sold, but not pre-built WA rifles. Western Arms (of Japan) licensed their patents to G&P in Hong Kong, paving the way for well constructed, high quality GBBrs. These would incorporate metal bodies, metal outer barrels, steel internals and a metal hop-up. Also, G&P, already having manufactured so AR-15 variants in AEG form, simply adapted their designs to the WOC family for a huge variety of M4s and M16s.

 

Real Steel History

Need I really go over this? Everyone knows what a M4 is

Buying a WOC

I did not get my WOCs from Hong Kong directly, rather, I bought lightly used rifles in the U.S. Redwolf Airsoft lists the standard 14.5 inch barreled M4A1 at $494 USD. Tack on shipping and it becomes around $600. Considering the fact that the original plastic bodied M4 CQBR from Western Arms is $560 without shipping, this is one hell of a deal. I know that King Arms and VFC have released cheaper competitors, but if you want a WOC, I still say they’re nice guns for the price.

If you live in the United States, I’d caution you before ordering from overseas. U.S. Customs and BATF have their heads stuck in the wrong places and have stopped numerous shipments of WA and WE system GBBrs. Before ordering, I recommend you check that your retailer has a seizure-refund policy. Basically, order at your own risk. Otherwise, buy them used in the United States.

Initial Impressions

It was around a year ago when I got my very first WOC (a CQBR length one) so I will write from the perspective I had then. First off, it looks like a G&P M4 AEG. Big surprise. It has more heft and is much more solid than many AEGs and the AGM GBBr line, but is still much lighter than a RS AR-15. The selector switch clicks firmly into each position (unlike an AEG) and feels very real. While the buffer spring is there, it is considerably weaker than that of a real AR-15. Overall, a good start for a nice gun.

Out of the box look

Score: 10/10

Externals

Gun:

The G&P body is just about the same color and quality as what you find on their AEGs: a flat, dull gray finish with Colt trademarks. (on the ones I’ve had at least) The barrel is anodized in practically the same color. The plastic handguards, while far nicer than AGM ones, are still too plasticky for my likes. They do have fake heat shields but the handguards still creak a bit when fitted to the gun.

Yes, I know, it’s a bit worn from skirmishing . Note the Colt trademarks. (not licensed)

Reverse side

Barrel and Handguards

The outer barrel also has engravings, namely the standard NATO 1:7 marks.

The stock is your standard polymer LE stock, doesn’t wobble much, no complaints.

The barrel nut/delta ring are solid and hold the handguards/RIS firmly in place. The handguard cap is metal so no worries about it cracking. The front sight is metal and typical for an AR-15. It is held in place like an AEG’s with two pins and a grub screw.

 

Magazine:

*Sorry, didn’t get pictures yet as my camera ran out of juice. I’ll get pics up later.*

The magazine that comes with the gun is a gray magazine. (though the ones that come with newer WOCs, like the steel barreled editions, are a darker grey, close to black) Everything is metal, resulting in a nice hefty weight. (still only around half of the AGM mag though) The feed lips are metal and easily replaceable, meaning that in case they do break, there are available replacements. Nothing special about the fill and release valves. They work and hold gas. The same goes for the reinforced O-rings. These mags take green gas out of the box and work like a champ!

Extra G&P magazines, without the trademarks, are available from Hong Kong for $45 apiece. I highly recommend them as they work extremely well.

Score: 9/10

 

Internals

The internals of this gun are ROCK SOLID. As mentioned before, the pot metal internals of the WA were replaced with steel counterparts. (At least the trigger group and bolt stop) The bolt carrier is still some nameless metal as is the hop-up chamber. Don’t worry though, they are still solid and will go forever. To field strip the gun, punch out the rear pin, separate the receiver halves, and pull the charging handle and bolt carrier straight out. Then press down the buffer lock and let the buffer/buffer spring come out.

Trigger Group:

The trigger group looks just like that of a RS M4/M16. The notable exceptions are the hammer roller and the design of the buffer lock. The parts are made of steel and among the three WOCs I’ve had, nothing has ever broken.

Hammer down, cocked

Hammer up, decocked

 

Bolt Stop:

Nothing exceptional, it’s just made of some really nice steel. Doesn’t wear down at all and I’ve had one actually wear down an aftermarket steel bolt carrier!

Inner Barrel/Hop-up:

The G&P hop-up unit is probably the best/most convenient unit out on the market. It is unbreakable for all intents and purposes. It also clicks firmly into position on each setting and holds the setting until manually changed. The hop-up rubber in the gun will handle anything from .2g BBs up through .3g BBs probably. Accuracy is exceptional considering the 6.08mm barrel and the range is phenomenal. (well past 150 feet, some users report kills at ranges far greater)

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Bolt Carrier Group:

The bolt carrier group (BCG) of this gun is the biggest let down. Let’s start with the charging handle. It WILL break after a couple thousand rounds, so make sure you replace it. That being said, it’s a SPR type handle, so not completely correct for the M4A1. The bolt carrier is an appealing dull gray and does its job. The nozzle is a light colored polymer and works well, but it needs modifications. (very simple ones) Simply disassemble your nozzle and move the tiny flute valve spring from behind the flute valve to in front, in effect converting it from the troublesome positive pressure system to the reliable negative pressure. The nozzle is very durable for a stock part, though you should expect it to fail under prolonged green gas use. Using G&P magazines will slow this process down as they fit better with the nozzle tip. Pro-wins and GHKs are a great way to smash your nozzle tip.

Score: 8.5/10, just because the stock charging handle sucks

 

Compatibility

Internals:

The G&P uses a WA-spec receiver, meaning it is slightly shorter than a RS or RS-spec receiver like Prime or Inokatsu. Make sure to purchase the correct length bolt carrier to avoid fitting issues. The barrel socket will take just about all WA system hop-ups, but I don’t see why you’d want a different one.

The delta ring is RS spec and will take RS handguards and RIS systems, as well as similarly speced airsoft copies. One of my WOCs had slim Colt handguards and the other has an Inokatsu KAC RIS.

The trigger pack/fire control group can be swapped out with a RAtech 3 rd burst system easily. Chinese made parts may require a little work to fit, so check forum reports carefully before buying. However, that being said, I wholeheartedly recommend the 5KU SPR-style charging handle as a replacement part. For around $20, you get an unbreakable handle. It fits out of the box and works great.

Stock part on right, 5KU on left. Note the PRI markings.

For magazines I’d say stick to G&Ps. They have replacement parts readily available and seat perfectly in the WOC. Pro-wins are ok, but the feed lips crack and tend to wreck the nozzle tip. GHKs are a REALLY tight fit in the WOC magwell (they require sanding just to get in) and the feed lips are plastic. Again, these also wreck your nozzle tip. Avoid like the plague.

As for externals, it take RS pistol grips, milspec stocks (I think), and RS rails.

Function and Performance

This gun works like any other gas gun with one exception. The valve knocker protrudes into the magwell when the hammer is decocked, so make sure you cock the rifle before inserting a magazine, which results in venting the gas and damaging your release valve/valve knocker.

The magazine holds something like 53 BBs, so use a speedloader and fill them up. Then fill the magazine with your choice of gas, either green or duster. Don’t try red gas, I don’t think it’d work well. I won’t even go into the effects of CO2.

After inserting the magazine and either hitting the bolt stop or racking the handle, flip the safety off and blast away. In warm weather, with the stock bolt carrier, you can fire well more than a magazine’s worth of BBs with green gas. Efficiency is better with duster, but at the cost of FPS and recoil/ROF. The gun chronoes at around 380-400 fps with green gas (depending on the temp) and roughly 290-ish FPS on duster. With the hop-up dialed in, you can easily reach 150 feet with .2s. I haven’t tested any further. Full auto is not like that of an AEG. Expect to lose power very quickly with bursts longer than 10 rounds or so. Trigger discipline is needed to get the maximum performance out of the gun. The recoil is crisp and heavy (not as heavy as an Inokatsu but still substantial) and the rifle’s report is an easily recognizable metal on metal bang.

 

Score: 8/10

Recommended Upgrades

As mentioned earlier, the first things to do are changing the nozzle to negative pressure and replacing the charging handle. At this point the gun is skirmish ready. (well, maybe you need more magazines) A new nozzle is also a must later on in the gun’s life. I recommend the RA-tech plastic NPAS nozzle with a metal nozzle tip. It provides durability and adjustable FPS without a huge amount of weight. If you go for the aluminum NPAS nozzle, be prepared to have a broken nozzle lock plate and broken bolt carrier. (You need a metal side lock piece and a steel bolt carrier to take the beating)

For running on duster, I recommend the black G&P negative pressure nozzle and an Element Aluminum bolt carrier. This comes out to about $120 and will never break. Cycling on duster is fast, crisp, and prolonged burst on full auto (even around 30 rounds) are a real option. You can easily empty all 50 rounds on semi even if you are pulling the trigger AS FAST AS YOU CAN. Try doing that with a heavier set up!

Conclusions

What a fine M4A1 replica! I love this thing to death and it has proven to be a reliable CQB gun. (outdoor skirmishes coming up) It is a solid base gun to use as a start and has limitless possibilities.

Overall: 9/10

My WOCs and the 6 magazines:

[sacairsoftsn00py]

Your gas inlet lip for the loading nozzle is starting to wear down already.

 

That's one of the down-falls for the WA system. If you want to prevent/slow down the wear on the loading nozzle, you'll have to disable the bolt lock feature.

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Magazine:

[Schaap]

That's one of the down-falls for the WA system. If you want to prevent/slow down the wear on the loading nozzle, you'll have to disable the bolt lock feature.

 

I think, like many, we'd rather buy a new nozzle shell every 3-6 months than disabling the bolt catch mechanism.

 

I have no clue how many rounds I have put through my WOC, but here is the list of broken parts:

- Broken bearings (both) on the hammer, sizes 3x6x2,5 and 4x6x2,5 if anyone wonders...

- Broken buffer retaining pin (G&P steel one is available)

- Milled a small piece of the bolt carrier so it would lock back again... I think it's up for another couple of thousand rounds.

- "Magic Pin" to eliminate receiver wobble

- Original nozzle tip is damaged, but still shoots very consistent, seals perfectly, but does not feed 100%, currently using $10 AABB, waiting for RA-Tech.

- Using 5 original WA magazines with G&P seals.

 

Overall, if you compare the realism and fun versus AEGs, this limited amount of repairs are more than worth it.

[sacairsoftsn00py]

The issues that the WA system has is what pretty much turned me away.

 

I don't like worn bolt carriers (where the bolt catch latches on to)

I don't like leaky magazines (with green gas)

I don't like broken bearings (on the hammer)

I don't like wobbly receivers (even if it doesn't affect performance)

I don't like the nozzle wearing down (from the bolt catch feature)

I don't like twangy recoil springs (stock recoil spring)

I don't like having to use .30g+ BBs when the gun is shooting about 420 FPS

 

All of those things may need $$$ to fix or address. That I especially don't like.

 

For those reasons, I ended up getting a KJW M4 GBBR last October/November and have not looked back since. I have had tens and thousands of rounds (over 20,000 rounds) through one of my KJW M4's and after some Cradle Airsoft upgrades (which cost me under $50 shipped for 2 parts), I have only managed to break 3 elastic bands. One was when it was freezing, the other was after I had left the gun in my car (so it was probably 100 degrees in there).

 

Anyhow, there's a dedicated thread for the KJW M4 platform so I'll just leave it for others to read about it there.

[tinydata]

My bolt carriers still work fine... (all four of them)

All of my G&P magazines are rock solid and don't leak

The bearings don't make much of a difference

The wobbly receiver is fixed by shimming or a cheap locking pin

The nozzle still works fine after wearing

Twangy recoil springs are common to even real ARs, you just don't hear it over the sound of a 5.56 discharging

And I can use .2g BBs on green gas perfectly fine...

 

The WA and KJW both have their strong points. It just so happens that the WOC is more appealing to me. More aftermarket support, more models to begin with, better externals, more realistic bolt carrier, and magazine options. (I don't have to use bulky thermold mags, I have STANAGs and can convert mags to PMAGs)

Edited August 29, 2010 by tinydata