Hey guys, got another review for you.
A while back I purchased a KWA Kriss Vector (also known as the Kriss Super V) from So Go. I've waited a while to do a review on it because I wanted to be able to give an honest and knowledgeable opinion on the gun; so lets get started.
First Impressions:
The Vector comes with all of the standard extras that you would expect from a KWA gas gun including: an instruction manual, one magazine, a small bottle of oil, and of course, the gun. Also included is a fore grip and a black thread protector identical to the one on the real Kriss, which hides the majority of the orange-painted threads. The gun itself very closely mimics a real Vector (my family owns one, which led to my decision to buy the airsoft version in the first place). The iron sights are pretty much spot-on with the real version and lock into place nicely. I was initially surprised by the gun's weight, it is heftier than it looks. It is still lighter than an all metal carbine, but it's no paperweight. The feel of the gun takes some getting used to but once you've played around with it some, tricky corners are a thing of the past. This gun is VERY compact.
Build Quality:
The main portions of the upper and lower receiver are made of a very dense feeling polymer, similar to a Magpul product. The metal parts include all of the smaller bits like the charging handle, bolt catch/release, magazine release, etc. The pistol grip feels similar to a Magpul MOE grip and even features a compartment on the bottom like the MOE. One thing that many people do not realize about this gun is that KWA would have released it much earlier if not for the release of the newer generation REAL Kriss Super V which had several improvements over the old design. KWA postponed the release of their Vector so that they could incorporate these new features including: a more angled safety lever that doesn't bite into the shooter's trigger finger, a redesigned stock, and a sling mount. This delay made many airsofters including myself very impatient, but I feel like it was worth the wait.
Features:
If you've done your homework on this gun, then you already know that the bolt system works in the same way as its real-steel counterpart. Basically, this system reduces muzzle rise by directing the bolt back and then DOWN into the receiver, as opposed to straight back towards the shooter. So no, this thing does not kick nearly much as an LM4. I have heard complaints that the KWA Kriss is not as much "fun" to shoot as other gas rifles, so my only response to that is "Why would you complain about the lack of recoil on a gun that is designed to have less recoil?" All personal tantrums aside, the gun is about as close to a real Kriss Super V as an airsoft gun is going to get, including the weight. Im not 100% sure, but I would guess this thing is around 5 pounds with the magazine. The stock folds to the side and secures to the receiver in the same fashion as a SCAR or G36 stock. With the stock folded, the Kriss is barely longer than an MP7 with it's stock retracted! This thing is a corner-cutting BEAST. Along with its compact size, the Vector has the option of firing on semi, auto, or 2 shot burst. Towards the front of the gun, there is one side rail included which can be swapped to either side if you decide to mount a laser/flashlight. But keep in mind that the Kriss has a hidden compartment above the barrel for a specific flashlight type (available from airsoft manufacturers or more expensive brands like SureFire).
Performance:
Anyone who has ever fired a KWA SMG before knows that they tend to have great range and accuracy despite their short barrel length. They have a very efficient hop up which sends BBS at targets over 150 feet away like a laser guided rocket. Long story short, no tightbore needed. My only modification to the gun so far is an NPAS that allows me to lower the gun's FPS, as it was shooting around 370 with a .25 out of the box. After taking it down to around 300, my range was just reduced a little bit but my groupings remained consistent. I've played a few games with it so far and I honestly have never had a better CQB gun. I will attempt to post some game footage below if I can find it.
Final Thoughts
I thought for a while to see if I actually had any issues with this gun. Other than the high FPS out of the box on a gun that is obviously made for CQB (an annoying habit that KWA has picked up over the years) I struggled to find any real issues with the gun as of now. My only real complaint is the awkward magazine release. By the way, if you have smaller hands good luck removing the magazine without dropping it. Other than that, I would say that there are no issues as of right now other than those issues that apply to ALL gas guns (cold weather performance, possibility of dropping/breaking magazines, cost of extra magazines, etc…). My final opinion on the KWA Kriss Vector is that it was well worth the $365. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions you are more than welcome to send me a PM.
If you want a two-tone Vector like mine, you may want too hurry and snag the other one at So Go (They are not sold like this, the receivers have to be swapped on two different Vectors).
