So about these WE pistols...

[FireKnife]

Good morning all,

 

First I will explain. After hearing many opinions about WE pistols over the years and how they have 'changed' or 'upped there game' I have always be skeptical due to their past history and designs like the M&P that seems to have been given up on and plagued with issues.

 

Now I am usually one for relying on TM and shoot (for the most part) just pistols so I thought for once I will take a different approach. I will buy a WE pistol, feed it the same gas and ammo as all my other guns and see just how it fares when I take it out on games or just to play around and shoot generally. I will document it over the coming months and see just how long such a pistol lasts. I will not be nice to it and I will make it suffer as much as my battered, bruised and constantly under use TM 1911A1 that is now sporting a Series 70 body. Any time I have to change a part, something fails but it keeps on going or the magazine needs opening and re-lubing it will be pointed out, this is a test to see how the gun does, particularly after a good deal of use (given how often we all see reviews of the gun out of the box but so few after 1000's of shots and dovens of games or shoots).

 

With that in mind on to the pistol I have selected. It is a WE XDM 3.8 Compact. I have chosen this model as it is:

 

1. A design that I have heard and seen mixed reviews about, some swearing by it and others swearing at it.

2. It is a design that I like and can easily find a place for to make sure it is used often enough.

3. It has screwed mags and looks to be relatively easy to fix if / when it all goes wrong.

4. This one has been used for a few games previously so I know it is not an out of box lemon which helps.

 

So with the idea, the gun and a lot of spare time (when my car isn't in the smegging garage) I hope to prove to myself and others that maybe it is better to simply try for yourself and see what results you get. Might this change my opinion of WE? Maybe, but still I want to see just how 'upped' a game can be.

 

'FireKnife'

[LordElpus]

If nothing else, should prove interesting

[fabio]

Always been a Marui Pistol Man Myself. Owned 2 WE pistols in the past (p226 & PX4), Both ended up dieing on me unlike any of my Marui Pistols.

Have had the Urge to give the WE M&P a go but i keep telling myself to wait for the Marui.

Shall be Interesting

[Wild_XIII]

WE have been a mixed bag for me. My XDM's hammer disintegrated, my 1911 didn't handle the cold at all and my Glock 18 liked eating loading nozzles (a TM issue as well!). Saying that though, my HK3 (WE with trademarks) Glock 17 has been performing brilliantly. Time will tell how long it lasts, but so far it shoots just as well as my old TM ever did. I'd even say the action is snappier on it.

 

This will be interesting to see how it lasts.

[FireKnife]

Wait I get spammed in my own thread?

 

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/irony

 

'FireKnife'

[Wild_XIII]

... That wasn't a reply I was expecting to see!

[TnL]

I've got a bunch of we XDMs, I ended up having steel takedown levers and sears custom made for them, and then put a steel pin into the hammer to interact with the steel sear

[NonEx]

Troll post of the year

 

I think whatever the results may be it will be disappointing compared to a TM pistol from your standpoint. WE offers other "things" which have been covered before.

 

I predict this will end with failure and rage

[Skarclaw]

This sounds eerily similar to  writing a review

[Habakure]

Wait, this isn't a review. . . . ?

[spetsnazdave87]

WE are bringing out a gen 2 range of their pistols from next month so I'd wait a few weeks.

[starburst]

Gen 2? Whats known to be different between those and the currently available ones?

 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[FireKnife]

Ignore my insane rambling, found that the culprit was the pin and plate that tell you it is cocked.

 

With them all removed the gun works, sort of, well enough to fire normally.

 

The months of testing is back on!

 

(and no, I don't expect it to break again as I am going to be positive from here on out)

 

I was wrong and actually I am kind of glad I was.

 

'FireKnife'

[TnL]

are yoiu sure your safety isnt on?

[Seraphim989]

You definitely got a lemon.  Either it's a lemon, or that performance is average, and the average WE gun isn't biting the dust after 50 rounds.

[FireKnife]

are yoiu sure your safety isnt on?

 

Yep, it was not on. The plate was locking into the hammer mech (at least I assume that is what happened, only thing I can think of).

 

You definitely got a lemon.  Either it's a lemon, or that performance is average, and the average WE gun isn't biting the dust after 50 rounds.

 

Sorry, had to change my post, but a breakage / part removal after 50 rounds is still not amazing really. But I will soldier on and am actually happy to see it chugging along now .

 

'FireKnife'

[Curly68]

I use a WE Hi Capa and I can't fault it (apart from half the dual safety lever falling off but a spare was bought easily for £7). I also use a TM 4.3 Hi Capa and you can tell the quality is better than the WE but you would hope so with a price tag almost half again, then I paid out for a metal slide, upgraded springs etc for the TM.

Had a TM XDM and it ate the loading nozzle, so replaced that with an Airsoft Surgeon part. Now have bought a WE Glock 17 and will see how that lasts.

Good luck with your trials, hope the WE holds out for you.

[3vi1-D4n]

I think the answers to the WE dilemma is to make friends with the store sales peoples and techies to find out which model gets returned for repairs the most.

 

I have the newest WE TT33 and while the gun kicks great and cycles fine, the hop was so poor it was impossible to hit anything.  WE always just misses its mark, even with the newest models.

 

Good for trying something new, I wouldn't be discouraged from WE just because they are WE, as they do improve over time.  I have had every type of Marui GBB fail on me also, and when Marui's break, they are harder to fix than your average WE.

[Deadmeat]

Ignore my insane rambling, found that the culprit was the pin and plate that tell you it is cocked.

With them all removed the gun works, sort of, well enough to fire normally.

'FireKnife'

Those of you who know me I love my TM XDM but that had the exact same problem where the rear pin and plate combination failed, jammed and in the end I had to yank it out. But otherwise runs fine but just because it is WE, doesn't mean that it doesn't happen to TM too!

P.S. I still love my dual silver WE Glock 18c's #dualakimborocks

[FireKnife]

Well as I have posted this elsewhere here is a short video to show what the indoor blow-back was like and on Ultra I was a tad surprised by how sudden and hard the kick is .

 

 

Those of you who know me I love my TM XDM but that had the exact same problem where the rear pin and plate combination failed, jammed and in the end I had to yank it out. But otherwise runs fine but just because it is WE, doesn't mean that it doesn't happen to TM too!
P.S. I still love my dual silver WE Glock 18c's #dualakimborocks

 

Hmm, perhaps a general design flaw then and one to watch out for?

 

'FireKnife'

[aznriptide859]

Be careful of the rear sight screw getting loose; once it does, the rear pin/plate gets jammed in the hammer assembly, and it turns into a PITA to get out. Loctite that *suitcase* to be safe.

[FireKnife]

That is what I have already had to do with it.

 

In the end it was easier to simply remove the plate that pushes the loading indicator pin but I do need some thread locker and superglue (thread locker for the rear sight screw and super glue for the underside of the front sight).

 

'FireKnife'

[Pdubyuh]

I'm reluctant to comment in case i curse myself but i've always had TM pistols but got the XDM compact as I loved the look I have had mine for about  12-18 months and so far (touches wood) it hasn't had any problems at all, granted its a back up and doesn't get used as a primary weapon.  I also bought the little stubby PX4 Bulldog and thats been fine as well.

[FireKnife]

Well I must admit there is one thing I do like about the WE compacts from what I have seen and that is the magazines with screw base plates. Makes them a lot, lot easier to work on.

 

If this goes well I might also consider the smaller PX4 (I would also say the same for the M&Pc but the VFC one looks a lot better).

 

'FireKnife'

[Habakure]

The vfc one does look and feel really nice. Though, I do find the (full size) WE M&P has a much snappier slide and it also cycles better (maybe my compact by VFC is a bit of a lemon).