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KingArms
IWA 2014 Booth UPDATE
by Maree & Keith


KingArms have long produced quality airsoft kit - having owned a couple of items of their gear it's always interesting to see what's coming along from these guys. So we sent along our troops on the ground to find out more intel from the KingArms Booth at IWA 2014....

'It was great to see the staff of King Arms at the IWA Show again this year. Each year we have attended to date they have always had something up their sleeve that has surprised and excited us. This year's stand was no exception. We arrived early on the first day to see some brand new AEG's being assembled on the stand floor space, which allowed us to both speculate and observe some of those goodies. We then re-attended later in the show in order to go through the entire range and developments in the way King Arms wished to present them.

It is always interesting to visit King Arms as they are always some of the most enthusiastic people at the show. The staff are always friendly and keen to illustrate the efforts King Arms are going to in Hong Kong to increase the satisfaction Airsofters are obtaining from their experience and investment in products. The majority of King Arms staff are very keen Airsofters themselves and thus apply the knowledge gained into the products that they develop. The same design team has been working in the Hong Kong design office for a number of years now, and provide consistency in development.

In recent years, King Arms products have been recognised by the industry through the contracts they have signed in Europe and with the market penetration they have made in the U.S. market.

There is a lot coming out from King Arms in the next twelve months, therefore I am going to have to divide this article into AEG's and Gas (yes, lots of gas!)

Firstly, AEG's and the King Arms Vintorez! This has been on pre-order in the Airsoft community for some time now as we’ve all been waiting with bated breath. Although there are hints of it being in stock in Hong Kong, we think that in most places there will still a bit of a wait. Now, to the AEG itself! This rifle is full metal constructed with a reasonably realistic metal receiver, with side rail system and quite a good looking real wood stock. The integrated silencer style outer barrel is one piece by design and CNC machined out of Aluminium. King Arms told us that the rear sling swivel and receiver top cover are made of steel. Those fire mode selector, safety lever and front & dummy rear disassembly button all work and are quite realistic in appearance and feel. The gearbox has 7mm bearings and is V3. The AEG seems solid enough, and watching it being put together for the stand it certainly looked very solid internally. The weight of the gun appears typical for King Arms; that is a few pounds lighter than the actual firearm. Saying that, King Arms AEG's are usually some of the most solid and heaviest, most realistic on the market. All in all an interesting package and there will be a lot more to come when we test and compare it to the G&G version in the coming months.

King Arms Vintorez

King Arms has a few other developments coming up in the AEG arena, with new AK's and at least a few M4's in development. More on that in coming months though. So, in summary, the new Vintorez is the headline grabber for KA for this year, and King Arms expect all shops stocking the AEG to start putting it up for pre-order in the next few weeks. So, why haven't I mentioned the King Arms VAL? Well that is following the Vintorez in the production line and is, well, lets say, the Vintorez with a different finish!

King Arms VAL

Now, for the part of the article many will be waiting for, gas! So, here we go. Firstly, what is coming out this year. Well, towards the last 8 weeks of the year, King Arms have 1903 Springfield Rifle to join the K98 gas and Mosin-Nagant gas rifles they are launching. So, probably expect to see it around February onwards next year (2015) for those who wish to set a personal budget to make a purchase a reality!

For those of us who are into our mid 20th century firearms, there is of course the one I have failed to mention so far in this article; the 1928 gas Thompson! Finally, the prototype that we reported on from the 2013 Shot Show is now moving into production and, well yes, my collection! The Thompson will be semi and full auto and will reach the market at approximately the same time as the other new gas gun releases. It will be green gas and Co2 suitable. As for the weight of gun, yes, it is finally, not far off the real one. It actually feels only slightly less solid that the real one, and the cocking mechanism makes that same click that makes you giggle just before pulling the trigger lol. After a long discussion with Keith, the power or fps of the gun is going to be market specific for the UK. The wood quality on the pre-production was excellent and, with a lot more coming, all I wish to say at this point is that I have invested in one of the first!

Back to one of the head turners for this year's line up; the 1903! Firstly, Co2 and green gas (oh, God!), which is joining the family consisting of the parents, Mosin-Nagant and K98! It looks great and I have to say after firing the real thing a few times over the years, I have to say that the real wood stock felt better than most of the "real steel" ones I have either picked up or fired. Secondly, I did like the bolt. Sure, it is not the true real feel of the actual rifle, but it is as good as it gets for an Airsoft version. The weight of the gas gun replica is, of course, lighter than the real one, but is very solid and the centre of mass appeared correct for the weapon and period. FPS will probably come in at over 400.

top to Bottom - King Arms 1903/ K98 / Mosin-Nagant

The King Arms M1 Carbine and M1 Para are also on the way and are due on the production line in about 3 to 4 months. In short, they will be single shot, approximately 380 fps, green gas and Co2, and at first we thought they were de-activated real steel! Having fired the real weapons, I lifted up the gas guns one at a time and cocked them and gave them a once over. All I can say is that the wood components were finished better than any real firearm I have ever owned, the metal work was finished well, the weight was not too far off, and they were two gas guns that will be added to our collection very quickly.

KA M1 Carbine & Para GBBR

Now, for the issue of RoHS compliance. After sitting down with King Arms and discussing market penetration issues, such as their growing success in the US market, the issue of RoHS compliance came up. In our coming article on the subject, we are going to rate King Arms as 7/10. That means King Arms is well aware of the issue, and is taking steps to ensure new product is tested and is RoHS compliant, through the sourcing of material and completion of tests on new models. This is where ICS is, Cybergun, SRC and may others. This is a good sign that the original UK market assessment of the shrinking of the numbers of manufacturers available domestically has already been exceeded. Well done again King Arms'.

King Arms are doing GBB in a BIG way – and are adding a great deal of quality and know how into the process and products – exciting times ahead for KA owners.


Watch out for more IWA 2014 reports from Maree & Keith.

Reports logged in so Far! - click on the link
Cybergun Update - what's happening for Cybergun Uk wise?
Armex Booth Update - intel from Armex
King Arms Booth Update - New exciting GBB rifles from King Arms
G&G Booth @ IWA 2014 - G&G an Organisation on the MOVE!
Stering SMG - SL MK4 first look - Should you be getting one?

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