KJW KP08 GBB Pistol review by Booligan
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Table of Contents:
Introduction
Ordering
Basic Gun Information
First impressions/Packaging
Included
Gun Specifications
Externals
Trademarks
Magazines
Performance
Internals
Modifications
Pros/Cons
Overall
Introduction:
KJW has long been a manufacturer of high quality GBB replicas, and one of their latest is the KP08, a double stack 1911 type pistol with a polymer frame. It's a really unique pistol design that is very comfortable to hold and shoot. I will discuss this new pistol design in this review, so keep reading for more information!
Ordering:
I obtained this pistol through Airsplat, who has it available HERE, priced at $116.99. It qualifies for Airsplat's free shipping promotion, which gets you your gun via UPS Ground. I received the gun a few days after ordering, along with a few other goodies that I'll be discussing later. Many thanks to Airsplat for sending this gun over to be reviewed!
Basic Gun Information:
As mentioned before, the KJW KP08 is a TM compatible hi-capa style GBB pistol that is unique in that it has a textured polymer frame that is a one piece design, as opposed to most other hi-capa pistols that have a multi-piece frame with a standalone grip and separate front rail. The gun feels a little bit narrower in your hand compared to a normal hi-capa, but a little bit larger than a normal 1911. It is compatible with most TM hi-capa upgrades and magazines, so tweaking it a bit is quite easy.
First impressions/Packaging:
The KJW comes packaged in a box with a foam lower to keep everything safe during shipping. My first impression upon looking at the KP08 was thinking how nice the textured finish on the frame looked. It has a moderately textured finish that feels great and gives you a good surface to hold onto.
Included:
Along with the gun itself, the box contains a small package of BBs, a manual, as well as a small catalog of KJW's products. Add some gas and additional BBs, and you're ready to roll!
Gun Specifications:
Weight: 2 lbs
Length: 9"
Width: 1.3"
Height: 5.8"
Sight Radius: 6.5"
Externals:
The KP08 is a full metal replica, as it has the same metal content as the real gun would have. It utilizes a polymer frame and grip with a metal inner frame for sturdiness. The slide is made of metal with aggressive cocking serrations for easy slide manipulation. The outer barrel and guide rod are both made of metal, and add some additional strength and weight to the gun.
From this point on, click on the thumbnails to view full size photos
Overview, left side
Overview, right side
The grip is probably my favorite part of this pistol, as the texturing combined with checkering on the front and back straps makes it extremely comfortable to hold securely. The rear of the grip has a polymer beavertail grip safety, like most other 1911 type pistols. It feels great in your hand, and the grip size makes it easy to grip the gun firmly.
Grip
The controls are standard 1911, with an external hammer, frame mounted safety, slide catch, and left sided magazine release. The magazine release sticks out a bit further than most other 1911s, making it easy to manipulate. There is no right sided safety,making this gun a bit tricky for left handed users to operate.
Controls
Hammer cocked back
Slide lock
Safety
Adjustable trigger
In front of the rounded trigger guard, you will find a 20mm accessory rail. The texturing on the frame extends to the rail, making some lights/lasers difficult to mount.
Frame rail
The metal slide is full length for the 5" outer barrel, and has an angular design similar to various modern combat pistols. The slide is finished in a satin black paintjob that matches well with the matte black frame. There is a mild orange peel effect on the slide's paint, but it's only a minor cosmetic issue.
Slide
Pulling back the slide will expose the flared outer barrel which does not require a barrel bushing. The muzzle end of the barrel is finished with an orange paint finish to meet federal importation/shipping regulations. Like most other 1911s, the barrel has a little bit of free play in the slide, but it's better than most WE 1911s that I've handled. Unfortunately, there is no threading on the outer barrel, so adding any muzzle devices will require the purchase of a new barrel.
Outer barrel
Aiming the KP08 is accomplished using the adjustable three dot iron sights. The sights have a great paint finish, and the front sight is adjustable for windage. The sight picture is fast to acquire, due to the moderately high profile of the iron sights, as well as the high contrast white dots.
Rear sight
Front sight
Sight picture
Trademarks:
The gun does not have any real steel trademarks, however it does have stylized "KJ"s located on the sides of the grip, as wel as a "Made in Taiwan" marking on the right side of the frame rail.
Magazines:
The included metal magazine holds 30 rounds and features a low profile plastic base plate. I have successfully used WE hi-capa magazines in this gun, so a wide variety of magazines are available. Some retailers are selling this with a CO2 magazine, so that is an option as well.
Magazine
Base plate and fill valve
Feeding bits
Performance:
Chrono results using Airsplat .20g BBs and propane, shot through a Madbull V1 chrono, after a 100 round break in period:
High FPS: 319.5 FPS
Low FPS: 310.8 FPS
Average FPS: 314.4 FPS
Range and accuracy are on par with other 5" 1911 style GBB pistols that I've tested, with 90' torso shots being easily attainable. It's not a race ready pistol out of the box, but with a few tweaks, it can be made into one easily.
Gas economy is pretty much normal, however with rapid fire, you may run out of gas before you run out of BBs. With some spacing between shots, you can stretch it out to about 40 shots per gas fill.
Internals:
Disassembly is a piece of cake requiring no tools, as you only need to pull the slide back part way, and pop out the slide lock. This will let you remove the slid off of the frame. You can now access the hop-up adjuster, and blowback unit for lubrication and maintenance.
Gun disassembled
Hammer assembly
The hop-up is easily adjusted once you remove the slide, using the small rotary dial located on the unit itself. The hop-up keeps its position well once adjusted, so readjustment isn't too necessary.
Hop-up adjuster
The slide houses the blowback unit, which is made of a red plastic. The piston head is made of the same red plastic, and it seems pretty sturdy so far.
Polymer blowback unit
Polymer piston head
Modifications:
As I mentioned before, this is compatible with many TM upgrades, so various slides and barrels can be made to fit. It has a rail on the frame, however, the texturing extends all the way to the rail, so some slide-on accessories may be hard to fit.
Pros:
High quality KJW construction
Affordable – sub $120
Textured frame is comfortable to hold
Includes rail for mounting accessories
Aggressive serrations on the slide for easy cocking
Large magazine capacity
Cons:
Texturing on the rail makes mounting some accessories difficult
No right sided safety
Extensive rapid fire may make firing off all 30 rounds difficult
Overall:
Overall, I really like the unique design of the KP08, as the polymer frame looks and feels great. It gives you good performance in a nice little package that is different from other guns in the same price range. It is easily tweaked using TM compatible parts, so you can make this thing as mild or wild as you want!
Many thanks again to Airsplat, and of course, Airsoft Retreat!
