A few months ago, JungleToy (yeah, those guys) had a deal on the Mk I Pistol, made by KJWorks, with some other goodies, for a pretty good price, 79.95 +tax. This also had bbs, gas, a "grenade" bb holder and a mask with it for this price.


picture of gun and package on the bench
Having owned the real steel version of this pistol (it is NOT a Luger, but a Ruger Mk I Target Pistol, in .22), and having a couple of friends with the "sniper" rifle version of this gun, I decided that I would get one.

On the recommendation of the guy at the store (who isn't there any more...) I also purchased the metal hop up for this for an additional $4.95 (don't know if that was a JT thing, or if it was something he had gotten himself... JT doesn't show it on their website). This item is supposed to make the gun more accurate and less variance between shots.

I took it home and shot it with the plastic hop up in it for 2 or 3 mags, then pulled it out and put the metal one in. The difference was incremental as opposed to exponential. In other words, you had to be looking for a difference to see it. I went from a 4" pattern at 50 ft, to a 3-1/2" pattern at 50 ft. This was one handed snap shots on a normal Kansas day (ie 10 mph winds). The winds here play more of a factor than the change of hop up did. Inside, 30 ft shots from rest were in the 1-2" range, with an occasional (< 1 in 10) flyer of 4-6 inches. Very acceptable.


picture of barrel with metal hop up installed, and plastic hop up beside it

I went ahead and left it in, though, for durability (which was the other reason it was suggested to me)

A little more tuning on the hop up trim (using a 2mm allen key thru the hole in the top) got quite a bit more range out of the girl. I was able to get a verified hit on target at 50 yards with no problem (on a particularly calm day in July, a real rarity around here.) I used it in a couple of small skirmishes with my friends, and was well pleased with the range and accuracy out of a pistol. It had better range than my FA-MAS rifle, and nearly as accurate (steady firing stance helps)


picture of hop up access hole

time out a sec....
Last weekend (Jan 1, 06), I test fired a brand new one with the plastic hop up against mine, and there was much more variance between shots with the new gun compared to mine. This variance may or may not be from the hop up, as my hop up change didn't cause the amount of variance we were encountering, but may be some
thing else with the gun. Or it could be... Weather was perfect, 65 F day, on New Years... so not a factor... anyhow back to the story...

Took it out in July to a game with a chrono (thanks Scott!) and it averaged 399.5 fps, over 1 magazine of bbs. Very hard hitting. This backs up the "pop can" chrono results that I had performed earlier. This gun is very close to being too hard on the field with green gas, especially on a hot day. I speculate that R134A would drop it to the 350-360fps range, but I have not tried it.

It has been 6 months now, and has been skirmished at our local field over a dozen times now, sometimes with me using, but mostly loaning it to 1 or 2 people who I trust to not take that 5 ft shot with it (it simply hits too hard at that close of a range) and the results have been very solid. We had an issue a few weeks ago when it was about 20 F and the gun just had very little to no power and the trigger group got "wierd", probably frozen gas in it... nothing in the springs etc to cause issue, and it works fine after it was warmed up.

UPDATE!!!

I just got an Alpha Chrony tonight (I love my wife!) and chronoe'd it (and everything else, including a spit ball... don't ask) and it chrono'd (on a warm KS evening) at 455 fps on green gas and .20's. YIKES! I thought that this might be wrong, but my M4 chrono'd consistent 310 fps, and my G3 only chrono'd at 320... so the chrono is definitely working correctly. It dropped off to 440 after 5 shots (cooling of the mag)

R134 in this gun dropped it to 350 fps, and it dropped to 345, 344, 338... again, cooling of the mag.

This gun is not going to be skirmed with green gas... that I can assure you.

These guns vary widely. This is a different mag than the one used last July that chrono'd at 399. I have another gun here to try, but won't get a chance to check it for a while. Will update further as I get them.
end update



Other issues:
1. Design of the mag release. This is a target pistol, not really a speed gun. Reloading is deliberate. The other side of that is, you never have to worry about the mag falling out. This is Ruger's design, not KJW, so it's not their fault.

I have had a mag get lost, however. Just not out of the gun. Loaned it to a guy, and he managed to lose my spare. He's going to replace it...(of course)

2. Plastic of Upper body rear and rear site. A friend of mine has lost her rear site because the screw that is supposed to adjust the height of the rear site also holds it in. I have "fixed" mine with a drop of superglue and recommend the same to anyone who has one of these. It makes the rear site non removable, but it also keeps it from falling out. NOTE: It does not affect the adjustment of the site, as the screw adjustments still allow for both up and down and left right adjustments by screws.

3. Gas Usage. Hi Power has a price. 1 mag of bbs = 85% of mag of gas. I just refill both each time. I have heard of reports of 2 or even 3 mags of bbs from one fill of gas, but I have not had this kind of efficiency.

4. Hop up adjustment... 2 mm allen is not always easy to find. Also, JT didn't supply one with the gun.

Overall Ratings: 1=junk 10=Awesome

Fit/Finish 8. The plastic top piece where the site mounts takes away from an otherwise very solid gun.

Accuracy 10. This gun does deliver the goods.

Durability: 9.5 Up until the cold weather "wierdness" I would have given it a 10. It simply keeps on shooting. Now, having had that... have to knick a 1/2 for whatever caused it...

Detail to original 8. This thing looks and feels just like a real Ruger Mk2 pistol. The only thing is the plastic on the reciever cover and top that run the effect of the real steel. That, and it's not blowback.

Servicability 9. Easy to tear down and lube internals. Easy to convert to metal hop up (if you can find one) Sites easily adjustable.

Ergononics: 9, Nice grip design (made after the 1911) to be easy to handle. Only miss is the mag release, which is an old Euro kind of design.

Value/Price: 9.5. This was a very reasonable gun, and it shoots very well.

Skirmishablity: 7. Ok, so why only a 7 you ask? It is awkward in most holsters, so it's a slow draw. Once out, however, it's up at the 9 +level, only held back by being too powerful for most CQB with friends that you want to keep as friends :)

Overall, I love this gun, as do several of my friends, who have purchased theirs after using mine. The other reason I purchased this gun in the first place was to eventually get a rifle version of this gun and have mag compatablity. I may still do this, but haven't yet.

In the end, you won't go too far wrong with this gun, esp. if you buy it in the value pack...

This post has been edited by Paisley Pirate: Mar 14 2008, 05:14 PM

comments and suggestions welcome

Nice review very informative . so the metal hopup improved accuracy? I got the same package from Jt but there was no mention of a metal hopup and I don't know where to get one

I cannot in honesty say that it did improve hop up. I will say that I am sure it will outlast the rest of the gun.

I know there was some variation, but, seeing as how I was shooting outside in Kansas (from the Indian name Kansa, which means "People of the South WIND" (emphasis added :) ) it could have been just wind gust variance, or zingers...

Some people claim the metal hop up cures everything up to and including male pattern baldness and bad smelling feet, but I haven't noticed any change :) :) :)

AFA where to get: the guy who used to work at JT had a friend who went to Taiwan a lot (family) and had a line on where to get them over there. He now works for a new store that just opened up, and I think he said he had to install a bunch of them in the Mk1's they got there, as they won't sell them any other way... I'll try to get by there and see if they got it, and if so, how much and if they'll ship to you.

When I got it before it was 4.99 so I imagine it's about the same now...

AFA the new gun shooting different than mine... mines been apart a bunch, and I've done some adjusting on it (have done a lot of gunsmithing on real steel, so I understand that stuff), I imagine that's why mine shoots better at this point... will probably have her's on the bench before too long to work on it.

Thanks for the comments...

do you think you could buy a few of them if he still has them and sell some here?

Pretty nice deal for 80$.

yeah I have a question, well first of all thx for the nice review :) but where would I get R134A? I mean I want the gas sniper but I don't want to hurt any of my friends in the meantime lol...If you were to Pm me back that would be appretiated, thx much :D

Thanks for the review. =)
Now I was looking for the carbine sniper version, but I guess it prob. just like this one, right?

Thanks in advance

The sniper/carbine version is very similar, the only differences are the length of barrel (which increases fps) and the body.

The shoulder stock is one thing, but there is also a rail on the carbine version for mounting a scope.

Also, you can get a longer tightbore barrel for the carbine to make it even more powerful and accurate.

But the adjustments, etc. are identical. They are the same gun basically.

ty

Fun gun to mess around with, I use this as a sidearm because of its low cost but strong capabilities. Funny thing is I wear flecktarn and a german flak vest and everyone assumes it's a luger.

Good review.

I'm still thinking about getting one of these as an extra sidearm. Or as a sniper pistol, . I think Jt has these for $50 now.

would you reccomend this for an assualt sidearm/sniper's side arm?
I'm buying one from MtnDew so I was just wondering

I just bought this gun and I am planning on getting metal hop up and tightbore barrel.. I'm not sure what length/size tightbore barrel to get.

Check your gun, all the newer ones have been coming with the metal hop up already.

AFA tight bore barrel, on the pistol you will be severely limited, as the hop up hole is different than most regular AEG's (it's round instead of square)

You could get the 23" and cut it (carefully!) down to fit.

the only way to get a tbb really is to have edgi custom make you one as for the hopup bucking, I have no idea where you would find an aftermarket/upgrade bucking.