WFA1-L First thoughts- Short Review

[bladeracer]

Pump action mod for the Warwick by iceng looks cool. Only works on v2 though I believe.

This is a thing? If it is... is it legal?

In Victoria it should be fine as you aren't changing the category. Definitely not legal to do this to a shotgun though.

[Medb]

Looking at pictures of the new model I'm a bit dissapointed the handguard is still overly tall.

Since the old model had the quad rail it wasn't as big of an issue since you would use the pic rail to mount whatever accessories you wanted, but with the new m-lok and keymod models the fact that there is all that empty space at 3:00 above the m-lok/keymod slots means that any mounts and accessories that are designed to wrap around the 1:30 angled section of the handguard simply won't work on the Warwick.

Seems like kind of a lazy(cost cutting) design decision to just use the old handguard and basically rip off the quad rails and drill some m-lok/keymod slots, instead of making it to spec with every other AR style handguard...

It still looks a decent improvement over the old model, and no doubt helps keeping the weight down, but I still find it a bit sad they didn't fix this design flaw.

For all I know though, maybe they had to do it that way to keep it legal in some states and prevent it from looking "too much" like an AR platform rifle.

On that note it would of been absolutely amazing if they had made the handguard removable, so that if you were so inclined you could just swap it out for a nice handguard made by Geissele or Daniel Defense or any other manufacturer of your choosing.

[InisBineest]

As it was the lighter version of the original I was supprised by this two, and frankly I think that is what adds a lot of unneeded weight. A removable for end would have been ideal, but I do note that the absence of this keeps the appearance relatively recognisable as a Warwick, and with appearance laws being as, Let's say, selectively enforced as they are, I recon it is to keep them from being made into full AR lookalikes. It is a shame for weight and function, but they fact they haven't been pounced on by some desk driver and banned is a plus!

[Medb]

Speaking of what we were just discussing, it seems there is another company who shared similar thoughts and is releasing their new straight pull rifle which is basically a Warwick clone but with a detachable forend.

https://www.3gt.com.au/product/oceania-precision-sf-25/

Not being offered in 223 though which seems odd to me considering the type of rifle it is.

16" 308
20" 308
or
20" 6.5 Creedmoor

[InisBineest]

Yeh I saw this shortly after I picked up my Warwick. Still happy with what I have given the calibres. I imagine the larger round involves significant enough changes to the upper so as to make it a whole different rifle from 223 to 308 sized cases. (think Ar-15 vs Ar-10) Or it could be that they considered the (limited) market saturated with a similar rifle (Wfa1) that they stuck with the larger calibre and Warwick stuck with the smaller? Who knows. I do like the detachable for end on them though, it looks good.

[MontyShooter]

I much prefer the first version in looks. Yeh it's heavy but I'm not sure you could keep doing this with the pencil barrel on the new one:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4EqyPLAm4G/?igshid=8osc84f5eooq

[InisBineest]

Fair call, but given how heavy the "Light" version is, i'd hate to think how heavy the original was:P That said, it wouldn't be difficult with the Mlok or keymod arrangement to have the original look with far less weight, assuming you installed polymer rails.

[bladeracer]

Fair call, but given how heavy the "Light" version is, i'd hate to think how heavy the original was:P That said, it wouldn't be difficult with the Mlok or keymod arrangement to have the original look with far less weight, assuming you installed polymer rails.

Polymer and aluminium are virtually the same weight.

[InisBineest]

To be fair i haven't compared them, could be. In any case, if that is the look you are after, it is doable.

[bladeracer]

To be fair i haven't compared them, could be. In any case, if that is the look you are after, it is doable.

Racing motorcycles and weighing _every_ single component in them taught me the pros and cons of various materials to weigh strength against weight - magnesium, polymer, aluminium, titanium, steel The only time poly really gets used is for anything that might be dangerous if the bike hit somebody, otherwise aluminium is stronger for the same weight, or even lighter if you don't need as much of it for rigidity.

[InisBineest]

Neat, I'll have to remember that!

[vmaxaust]

But there is that fun factor and that's the beautiful thing about an open market you can buy such things and its great for the user if they enjoy it and also for Australian manufacturing. And if you enjoy it that's all that really matters.



That's why I have 2 of them. One 223 14" and the other 300BLK is 14"
Ambidextrous bolts, lightened from the original heavier WFA1 to the WFA1-L spec.
I have two because a very close friend I did lots of range time with bought one right after me and passed away shortly after. I bought it from his wife.

They are lots of fun, a pleasure to shoot. I love supporting local manufacturers and most importantly they are beautifully made. Both are very accurate considering the short barrel length although I only shoot them on targets up to about 150 metres. Have Leupold VX-R Patrol 1.25-4x20 Firedot scopes on them which are brilliant at acquiring targets instantly.

I don't hunt but they would be an amazing shorter distance carry rifle in the bush with very fast cycling. Yes, they are useless value for money but the positives far outweigh that one negative for me. My best value for money rifles are the Ruger Ranch Rifles but that doesn't mean everything in life needs to be "best value".

My friends tell me I never got over Howards by back where I had to hand in my Colt AR15, maybe they are right.

[InisBineest]

Finally got some pictures up!