GHK KAC PDW Initial Impressions/Review

[gtamobster]

Adding my review to this forum.

 

Dated: May 20, 2011

 

 

Gas Blow-Back Rifles are sweet. They have the ability to take the game called “airsoft” to a level which AEGs simply can’t—or at least haven’t been able to reach. While Gas Blow-Back Pistols have become the universal standard for a sidearm, GBBRs are a rarity. You don’t see them on the field, instead, more-or-less you see them in an expensive airsoft collection on an online forum or in a thread troubleshooting problems. They seem naturally flawed.

 

Taking a step back to the norm, it’s hard to not mention Tokyo Marui, KWA, and WE when talking about Gas Blow-Back Pistols. Change the subject to Gas Blow-Back Rifles and swap the Western Arms system for Tokyo Marui. Now before I go on I may have lost you with that last sentence. In this write-up, the KWA MP7 will be considered a rifle and considering that the KWA MP9 is around the same size as the MP7, it is comparable to a rifle. Basically, Western Arms system guns, KWA, and WE are the main choices on the market, each utilizing a different system.

 

The last year and a half have been an exciting time for GBBRs. There have been numerous releases in this time frame, unlike any other before. As WE started producing numerous lower-priced GBBRs, interest in this category grew stronger and higher price (higher quality I must say) companies such as GHK, KWA, and King Arms announced/released their own products. And this—well, this is where the GHK KAC PDW review starts.

 

I’d first like to thank SAMOON for their service. They are the official distributor of GHK and are the number one retailer I recommend to purchase GHK products from. They offer competitive prices, fast shipping, and guarantee you support after your purchase should you ever need anything.

 

I’ve owned this gun for about 3 months now, however I have really only used it for the last month. Since I was exposed to the KAC PDW, it has become my favorite gun. I’ve owned a WE PDW before, but I’ll tell you right here that WE GBBRs are simply junk. That is something we can talk about later (hint hint). As I developed to shooting nearly every day, airsoft got put on the back-burner and I decided I wanted out. The closest airsoft field being 75 minutes away vs. multiple ranges under 20 minutes away probably had something to do with that. However once I started playing CQB I found it to be very different from the usual outdoor and very enjoyable. Seeing the GHK KAC PDW got its initial poor-paint defects out, I researched and thought for about 4 months if the gun could work as a simulator and if it would be reliable enough.

 

So far I am pleased to say I have been nothing but happy with my decision. I have had no major issues with the gun, it still looks mostly like it did new after around 2000 shots, and it’s a blast (literally and pun intended) to go out and run The Sledgehammer (nutnfancy satire) with.

 

 

The gun comes in a Plain-Jane brown box with everything securely packaged inside the box. Inside you will find the gun with a QD sling mount and an orange, plastic flash-hider attached to it, one 42rd magazine, a dark-grey, steel KAC Triple-Tap replica, a bottle of silicon oil, a speed loader with adapter, and the manual. Speaking of which, while the manual is considerably short, it features full English, helpful information, and a very detailed part-break-down diagram. I ordered the 8 inch steel-barrel version with fixture, which is exclusively sold by SAMOON, and Green Gas magazines. The second magazine you see there is an additional one I ordered and the KAC styled rail covers and PDW foregrip are made by VFC and do not come with the gun.

 

 

As you can see the guns finish holds up very nice. It actually reminds me of the same finish found on Real Sword Type 97s. It is rough, scratch resistant, and very durable. The magazines feature a similar phosphate finish—except in grey.

 

The magazines run off a WA-based system which is real nice if you own other WA type guns. This means you have many options for sourcing magazines such as Prowin, Bomber, and of course, GHK. Speaking of which, GHK magazines come in two variants—Green Gas and CO2. I choose Green Gas because I don’t play in the winter, the Green Gas magazines get more shots out of them, the Green Gas magazines feature a favorable FPS, and the versatility of being able to use Duster Gas.

 

The magazines do need a little break in time (as does the gun), but once they do, the bolt locks back every time and they feed with no issues whatsoever. While the system is the same and cross-compatible, the breakdown of the magazine is bit different from the WA. It is much simpler on the GHK. Because the design of the magazine is so simple, the magazines are much less prone to leaking. I have let to experience the slightest bit of leaking.

 

As you probably already can tell, the magazines are AR-15 type. The reason GHK doesn’t produce the PDW magazines is that they do not want to produce a product that will not perform well. The PDW magazines are simply just too small in volume too hold the gas. Additionally, the actual PDW magazines are actually made out of an aircraft alloy. WE, VFC, and other clones that produce the replica magazines are not correct. While KAC has said that if this gun goes into production stage the magazines will be polymer, they also said it will actually be a semi-transparent design.

 

 

There are two design strengths that I really like about the magazines. The first is that the fill valve is in the back of the magazine up at the top. This means that you don’t see it when the magazine is seated into the gun. The second thing is that the magazines will not come out of the gun when the bolt is closed. This reduces the chance of the magazine falling out of your gun when you are playing and hitting the ground. At $40 dollars a mag, it is a nice feature. The magazines will only easily come out when the bolt is locked back (which means you are out of ammo and it’s time for a mag change).

 

 

Moving back to the gun, you will see they have replicated Knights Armament’s PDW very nicely. Measuring at about 17” with the stock folded, you can easily fit this into a backpack. For me, it feels just about the right size. The stock is extremely comfortable, full length, and is of the perfect size—at least for someone around 6’ tall. As with the newer designs from KAC, this gun features an ambidextrous fire selector, ambidextrous mag release, combat trigger guard, and a full-featured rail system. Unlike the SR-15E3 however, this gun does not feature an ambidextrous bolt release, uses a micro flip-up front sight, has a monolithic railed upper receiver with a chamber meant for a proprietary 6x35mm round, and has a dimpled barrel to reduce weight and increase surface area for cooling. The rear flip-up sight is their 200M with an optic riser.

 

 

The stock is foldable and locks extremely firmly when folded. You cannot shake the stock loose which is a huge plus as it won’t come undone when you’re playing and want it folded. When locked into shouldering position the stock has just a slight, slight wobble due to the paint on the latch having worn down after some use. As seen in the photo the QD sling mount can be mounted in the back for easy use with a one-point sling.

 

 

The QD sling mount can also be mounted on the left side of the receiver and the left side of the stock. The sling mount is made of steel and will securely suspend the gun. Other steel parts include the flash hider, the outer barrel (on my version), the bolt stop, and pretty much all the other little parts on the gun. The receivers and magazine housing are a type of aluminum alloy with the upper being CNC made. As stated before, the paint is really durable. This is because it features a heavy anodizing application.

 

So what kind of performance can be expected out of this little monster? Well the gun on green gas chronos at about 360 FPS, gets enough gas efficiency for two mags on semi (use $75 Prowin mags to nearly double the gas efficiency) and has a confident range of 120 feet. Any distance further out would be too risky as the BBs would start to spread. Still, I found the precision to be exceptionally good. At 30 feet, I had no problem consecutively hitting rubber duckies off my fence. It makes me wonder if the inner barrel SAMOON uses in their 8” custom version is a tightbore. While, we’re talking about them, it’s worth to mention that if you get the 8” version from them like me, they also Loctite your two barrel set-screws and install this rubber fixture that securely holds the barrel with no chance of wobble. Originally, you had to keep making sure the screws are tightened down as the recoil (which we will get to in a minute) will loosen them up.

 

 

There are two things no matter how much you read about this gun, you will not completely understand until you actually fire it—this gun is loud and the recoil is unimaginable for a toy and kind of scary how realistic it is. Often I use earmuffs when firing this, especially in full auto as I start to get a headache after a while. In a something like a big garage or a warehouse, this thing is even louder and the sound echoes throughout the room. You will turn heads with this.

 

I did an accuracy and precision test indoors and confirmed the great performance that I see when using this gun outside. I fired 10 shots from 31 feet away and yielded pretty good accuracy with the shots being little left and even greater precision with 2.25 MOA throwing away the top outlier and sub 2 MOA when additionally throwing out the bottom most shot. This gun features a non-adjustable hop-up and while at first that may seem like a turn off, it is dialed in for .25 gram BBs (the only kind I use), it works really nicely, and it means no toying around or worrying about the hop-up unwinding—you just pick the gun up and it works. It should be noted that I’ve only fired “Firepower” .25s through this and in my older guns, I found these BBs to shave off anywhere from 10-15 feet that my guns would normally shoot with Airsoft Elites, KSC, or G&G BBs. I also found these “Firepower” BBs to cause my old Tokyo Marui MAC 10 to jam (an issue that Tokyo Marui explains with the design and cheaply made BBs in the manual).

 

 

One thing that became even more prevalent of an issue during this test was the recoil. I know this gun has even stronger recoil on CO2, but even on Green Gas the darn recoil made me have to reset the gun every time I went to fire during the test—and this was using gun rests and a seated position! The amount of recoil is actually to the point of a nuisance. It is a disadvantage and it’s hard to control anything longer than a burst when on full auto. It has more recoil than the Inokatsu, WE guns, KWA guns—anything I’ve seen with the exception of the newly released GHK AKM. The very first shot I took with this my brother startled going, “Woah.” I answered back with a stupid grin knowing exactly what he was thinking, “That’s a lot of recoil, huh?” He took the gun and fired it and I saw what he saw. You distinctively see the gun go back into the shoulder and the barrel rise. It’s that strong.

 

I don’t want to leave you with the impression that this gun is flawless—it’s not. Contrary to the real design, the trigger resets even when the gun is not cocked which means the selector switch is able to be moved into safe when the gun is de-cocked. Additionally, the bolt catch only works 90 percent true to form. On the real PDW or an AR-15, you insert an empty magazine and pull the charging handle and the bolt locks. On this, that only works if in the previous stage the bolt was locked back. Meaning you run out of ammo, the bolt locks back, you change magazines, put in another empty one, and rack the charging handle and the bolt stays locked back. However, the gun is de-cocked, the bolt is closed, you put in an empty magazine, and you rack the charging handle and the bolt cycles. That is not correct—the bolt should have locked. From this point you pull the trigger, now the bolt locks back as the mechanism is activated and inserting empty magazines and pulling the charging handle will not free the bolt.

 

 

But my biggest gripe with the gun is the darn pistol grip. It is not of the correct design as there is this weird oval kind of pattern on both the left and right sides of the grip and for some reason it is made of merely ABS plastic. While it is thick and durable, it feels cheesy and easily the lowest point of this gun. I’m still on the hunt for a grip that has the correct design and is polymer make…

 

The last nitpick that I will criticize this gun for are the trademarks on the front left and right lower receiver. They are extremely thin and look like they were only gone over once. Still, it is better than nothing I guess.

 

 

Overall, I am very pleased with this gun. I have had no issues with it and it is a blast to shoot (again, pun intended). While it has a few external issues, it preforms exceptionally well. I think it is a great achievement for this new and relatively small company GHK to produce something that preforms so well and overall looks fantastic. While they currently only have two guns that they sell (GHK PDW and GHK AKM), they are working on future releases and will surely continue to captivate the GBBR market. They make a quality product (at least in my experience so far and the fact that I have not seen any major issues with their products online, ever) and do so by quality over quantity, unlike a different company out there in the same market. Furthermore, you have the assurance that you will always be able to get the parts you need with SAMOON’s great service. Check their website out. They even have a link section where they have many YouTube video instructions on how to do something. And if for some reason they don’t, send them an email and they will make it. A really great company, in my honest opinion.

 

Stay tuned for the next section of this review. It will be coming within the next week and I will go over the internals and a little something extra. I have yet to expose to you the intelligent engineering GHK has done with this gun, from how they got it to be so loud to how they have made it so durable. Thanks for reading!

[gtamobster]

Dated: June 9, 2011

 

 

 

PART 2

 

After a short period absence, the GHK KAC PDW review returns to reveal its internal structure and a few tricks up its sleeve. Additionally, GHK’s PDW will be compared to WE’s and you will see why (once again) WE guns (GBBRs at least) are junk. Having owned a WE PDW before, the only bias opinion I can be accused of is from the sting I felt wasting my money on it.

 

Taking down the GHK KAC PDW is pretty easy. Like any AR-15 or AR-15 variant, there are two pins that hold the receivers together. The fit is very snug so you’re going to need a couple tools to pop them out. They do self-retain, however it can be easy when you first get the gun to accidentally push them all the way out. No big deal though, it’s fairly easy to get them back in and you’ll soon learn when to stop tapping with the hammer. I would imagine that over time they will both become able to be pushed out by hand as my front-most pin has.

 

 

Starting with the lower receiver, the first thing you will notice is that the paint has held up extremely well for an airsoft gun. Search a bit more and come to the conclusion that you can’t find any structural wear. Needless to say, the internal parts are well designed, feature a strong anodized paintjob, and are composed of steel and some other blend of fairly strong metal.

 

 

Looking more closely on the lower receiver, you will notice how beefy the back is where the recoil guide hits. On the WE PDW, this spot is much thinner, complicated, and coupled with the lower quality metal, creates an all-out disastrous design that has led to receivers cracking at this point. I’m happy to report and show that this is and will not be the case with GHK’s PDW.

 

 

Moving to the upper receiver, you can see again that the paint has held up nicely. The assembly looks pretty empty without the bolt, recoil spring guide, and charging handle. It also feels much lighter. Not much else to say about it. Again, the gun features a nonadjustable hop-up set for .25 gram BBs.

 

 

However, look into the chamber and you will see the dual dummy pistons. They may look like they are extended farther than they should be. Well, that’s because they are. They’re spring-loaded, work in a reverse piston manner (compared to the real KAC PDW), and enhance the gun in a variety of ways. Reducing stress on the upper receiver and bolt, increasing the cyclic rate to a realistic number, strengthening the recoil, and making the sound louder and more realistic are all enhancement that this reverse piston system provides.

 

 

In the image above you can see me using an Allen key to exemplify the spring-loaded manner of the dummy pistons.

 

 

Taking a brief look at the charging handle shows that it’s nothing special, just standard. Some wear on the paint is visible on the section that grinds inside the receiver, but as far as what you will see when the gun is assembled, it still looks as new.

 

 

Change focus to the recoil spring rod and notice the steel rod and spring. You can’t really tell from the picture but the buffer that the rod and spring are connected to, is constructed of solid plastic with a rubber layer glued to the back. The setup is simple, strong, smart—everything you want at such a troublesome part so it will not fail. To remind everyone, this part is metal on the WE PDW and is one of the reasons why the receivers crack aside from the construction being of lower quality metal.

 

 

Moving to the last, major internal component, we see the bolt assembly. Like everything on the gun, it is also a very simple yet proven design. You can see wear on the paint on the grooves which determine its path but as for the part that is exposed when the gun is assembled, it looks good as new. The bolt is constructed of some type of metal blend and the loading nozzle is plastic making it strong and less prone to cool down effects. The WE’s loading nozzle is metal, however, and is one of the main reasons why WE GBBRs experience such terrible cool down effects.

 

Having taken down the magazine, I can also say it incorporates a simplistic design, consisting of pins and Allen screws. In fact, the whole gun is this way, making these little parts a lot less prone to stripping. As you probably expect, WE’s version uses Phillips screws made of low quality metal creating a double dose of nasty stripping (No, I’m not talking about that inbreed strip club you visited last night!).

 

So far the gun’s been a dream. It still looks well and performs well, and it’s been very reliable. In fact the only things that have needed to be replaced were the two o-rings on the loading nozzle as I noticed one became torn and the other one became worn and loose. I contacted SAMOON and they gave me the dimensions of the two o-rings. For anyone who may need the specs. in the future, the thinner o-ring is a standard P15 and the thicker o-ring is 3mm thick with a 12mm ID. They are both of metric spec. and can be purchased (or any gas blowback o-ring) at http://www.rocketseals.com/ for the cheapest price.

 

In conclusion, this is high-quality and very realistic gun. It does come at a somewhat high price at almost $400 for just the gun and one magazine, but if you want realism, you’re going to have to pay the price. As expected, it crushes the WE PDW in almost every way, making it laughable to even consider the WE brand an option. The only areas GHK loses to WE are the price and the fact that the selector switch on the GHK is able to be set to “SAFE” when the gun is not cocked. Hopefully this comparison can save some people from wasting a few hundred dollars on WE garbage. There’s a reason why AR-15s cost around $1000. If you want one that shoots plastic BBs instead, be prepared to spend at least half that. As with brands like Inokatsu, King Arms, G&P WOC, and KWA, GHK has proven itself with its PDW and its recently launched GKM. The GHK KAC PDW is fun, built well, performs well, and overall a great product. It’s not perfect with its minor appearance problems (though it looks exceptionally nice overall) and I’ll have to report back, over time to fully evaluate the reliability, however, as for now I can say that I am extremely pleased with the product and SAMOON’s service. Like how the KAC PDW is my favorite gun, the GHK PDW is now my favorite airsoft gun. 9/10

[gtamobster]

Dated: June 10, 2011

 

 

 

Camera didn't take the lighting very well when I shot the pictures indoors. Took one outside today and while better, still doesn't look the same as in real life. It's plain black in person. In this photo, it looks a bit grey.

 

 

Some miscellaneous things:

-Recoil was cool at first but after a while it just gets annoying. It's really strong, unlike anything I've ever seen from a toy, and will throw shots way off.

-Really like the simple design. Changing the o-rings was a breeze as it's really easy to get to everything.

-The T.S.C. grip I got is really nice, it's polymer, looks good, nice color--but the darn thing is wider than it should be. I don't like it and trying to sell it to get one of the new Troy CQB Ax grips. The Troy grip will take away from the KAC PDW look, but there are no better alternatives and I figure the Troy grip will give it a distinctive look.

-I love the fixed hop up. The gun shoots nicely, I don't have to worry about correcting the hop-up, I don't have to worry about it getting offset cause of the recoil, and it's set for the weight of BBs I normally use; .25s.

-When I started using the King Arms gas, it seemed a lot less gas efficient. Turns out the King Arms gas nozzle is harder to push down and I wasn't pushing down hard enough. Now I know to push down harder and my mags fill as normal. I felt so stupid.

-Gas efficiency is higher than I initially said. More like about 100 BBs out of a fill when using semi. Bursts of auto will give you about 80 BBs per fill.

-The shallow trademarks and mere ABS pistol grip are in my opinion the consequence of a smaller company. As GHK grows, hopefully they will go back and correct them.

-Lastly, this is one of the funniest, coolest things I've ever bought in my life.

 

Also, thanks for all the positive comments!

[gtamobster]

Dated: July 23, 2011

 

 

 

I'm proud to update this thread as I was recently sent two new upgrades that are now available on the market from FG Airsoft.

 

 

Currently, the two parts are the only ones they have to offer but I would imagine more products are on the way.

 

 

The first product is a barrel fixture. The GHK PDW originally suffers from slight barrel wobble and Samoon had pre-addressed that on mine as my PDW came with Samoon's rubber barrel fixture piece. However, I must say, FG Airsoft's design is much better. It is metal and is positioned down inside the rail system instead of at the end meaning that the fixture addresses the problem without taking away from the realism aspect of the gun. With Samoon's version there is a big rubber spacer at the end of the rail system that alters the look of the gun. With FG Airsoft's design the piece is seated deep into the rail system meaning you are still able to see inside the rails like the real KAC PDW. FG Airsoft's version simply does the same job without compensating the realistic look.

 

 

The other product that FG Airsoft has developed is an adjustable hop up unit. Like the barrel fixture, it is well engineered and fairly simple to install. It is controlled by the use of a small Allen key which I really like as it works like one off of a Systema. The adjustment piece is a screw which means you can adjust it to where you want it and then use the gun. The hop up won't unwind itself on you like how the big wheel designs of other companies do. With the hop up set, it stays set as if it were fixed, and I can now take 150 feet shots with the confidence that I will hit the target with one shot. And if for some reason you don't want to use the adjustable hop up, going back to the fixed one is simple. Just like the barrel fixture, the hop up unit installation is reversible.

 

I really would like to take a minute and thank FG Airsoft. When I saw their products, I was interested, but just like any other consumer, skeptical about spending the money. Just like any good company that stands behind their products would, they sent me their products for testing, confident that they are of good quality. I'm happy to report that both products are not only well engineered, but also really a must have for anyone who has or is looking to purchase this gun. It will be interesting to see what the company releases next. They have told me that they will be releasing parts for gas guns other than the GHK PDW so we will have to wait and see what they come up with. Hopefully they will be releasing parts that are actually useful like these ones and they will not overdo themselves like how RA Tech did, making steel parts that have no business being steel and the sort.

 

Stay tuned for an installation guide of these parts. Both are relatively easy to install but the instructions are in French and translated English so some might have a little difficulty deciphering them. No worries! I'm here to help!

 

Thanks again for reading!

 

 

 

 

Note: All images are property of FG Airsoft. I'm am in the process of recovering my images thanks to my good 'ole Android phone deleting most of my images by itself. When I recover the photos, I will be using them in my installation guide.

[gtamobster]

Comment and response I thought was significant

 

Dated: August 24, 2011

 

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by

quezanart

First off I want to thank Lou for this incredibly well put together and detailed review of the GHK PDW. I actually just purchased one of these for myself (thank you Atlantic City roulette table

). I chose this WA GBB M4 style platform over the many others in part because of this review. I can't wait to start enjoying this platform as much as Lou obviously has.

One thing I wanted to add was that I found YouTube videos of how to install both of the FG Airsoft products that Lou posted about previously. The videos are provided by FG Airsoft and are very well done. The walkthrough is given in both French and English and is all very easy to understand and follow. I don't even have the gun yet and I feel confident that I know how to install both of these parts when I get them.

Barrel reinforcement installation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQd1dtLG_1s

Adjustable hopup tuner installation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bz0hYG7OyM

 

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Thank you.

 

I was going to put together an installation guide but since the instructions diagram and videos FG Airsoft seem to be enough, I won't. If anyone does need help installing the two kits, feel free to send me a PM. The most important thing to remember is that the silver screw that comes with the hop-up kit has a temporary use. It is a tap screw and is only used when making the threads for the adjustable hop up. Remember to continually apply silicon oil as you dig in and back out with the tap screw.

 

I said in my review that the GHK PDW is a good simulator. It is, in fact, a fantastic one. One of my minor gripes was that the recoil is a disadvantage. However, I didn't scale the level of recoil. Without using any instruments to measure, I can at the very least tell you it's a good amount more than a .22 AR but less than a standard AR. Regardless how you look at it, it's pretty impressive for an airsoft gun.

 

Of course the GHK PDW acts best as a simulator when comparing it to KAC's SR-15 E3. That's one of the major reasons why I got it. Aside from the difference in build quality, the GHK PDW is a little lighter in its shade of black compared to the KAC SR-15 E3. As it usually is the case, the PDW's charging handle is much easier to pull back as a result of a much weaker spring. The magazines have the same finish, color, and even weight when both are fully loaded. In fact, even the triggers are similar with minor pick-up before the breaking point - well, as similar as they can get when you're talking about a toy trigger vs. a $300+ trigger. The real difference is in the crispness, the PDW's trigger being best described as "mushy".

 

Keep in mind one's a toy and the pricing difference between the two is pretty significant. All in all, the PDW hold's it's ground pretty well and certainly is a "simulator".

 

As for the function of the PDW, it's still kick'in like it did brand new (actually better with the FG Airsoft Barrel Fixture and Adjustable Hop-up). CQB game coming up real soon, stay put for a quick report in the next few days.

 

 

Thanks again all!

Edited October 6, 2011 by gtamobster

[gtamobster]

Dated: August 28, 2011

 

 

 

Played some Steel City Airsoft today with some friends. As always, we had lots of fun. PDW performed flawlessly and clocked in at around 330-345 FPS. In-game gas consumption was good with each full-fill lasting a little over 2 mag fillings (80 BBs). It was a bit funny to see some people intimidated by it and I actually was asked by staff to re-chrono my GHK PDW as some people who got hit by it felt like the PDW was shooting "hotter" than the field limit. No change in FPS. I think the intimidation factor made it feel like it was shooting harder than it really was. Doesn't help that the loud and distinctive noise becomes even louder in the arena since it's an echoing warehouse. Again, it should be noted that I wear ear pro when using it as the firing mechanism really does make your ear start to ring with your ear being so close to the bolt.

 

As for the field itself, Steel City Airsoft is still the best field I've ever played out, the thing I like most being that they are always changing and adding things. It's also pretty big and well set-up, especially the safety hallway on the side.

 

With another arduous school year vastly approaching, that's it for now. I look forward to grabbing my GHK KAC PDW and heading back to SCA sometime in the not too distant future!

[gtamobster]

Another game coming up this weekend. Bought another new GHK PDW magazine. Another update to follow shortly.