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Meatball's Featured Reviews |
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Airsoft Core |
By Comrade_MP
Published: March 23, 2007
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Inokatsu Steel (Metal) Kit review
Well here goes my first attempt at a review. I will probably ramble on about this or that, so bear with me.
I was on red wolf airsoft days ago and saw the Inokatsu steel receiver kit for the TM AK47. I was like hellz yeah, that's what I want. With ebay on my mind, I put some things up for sale, including my TM MC-51 custom. I let her go for $200. During the time before I purchased the kit, I e-mailed red wolf a couple times. I was concerned about it working with metal front sets (I have the G&P) and what I would need to attach the stock. You need a part from the ABS body to attach the stock, I don't have mine and I had to get a special order for it through trinity airsoft.
I bought the kit with my ebay winnings, and I was very happy that red wolf was offering free shipping on the kit. For those interested, also free shipping on the Inokatsu wood/metal kits. With the rest of my money I got me a King Arms selector plate and the Guarder AK switch set, not to mention a nice custom patch:
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h248/ComradeMP/Santa-Ana-Mercenary-3.gif
Thanks engel!
I got my steel kit via fedex this morning. I was asleep and my parents merely threw it on the bed, this is what woke me up this morning. I joyfully ripped the brow paper off of the small box. The kit came in a rather modest little brown box with the Inokatsu steel kit promo poster on it in the form of a big sticker.
I opened up the box and found the parts in a tri-segmented air filled plastic bag. Aside from that, a couple of mini promo flyers for their wood kit and RPK kit, nothing. No directions, no nothing, I had to wing it. The parts that came in the kit include: steel ribbed cover, steel receiver, pistol grip, steel selector lever, a part that I don't know what to call, and some screws, a washer, and a spring.
The look, feel and build of the steel parts is amazing. You hold that receiver in your hands and you know it's steel. It seems to weigh more than my old G&P metal receiver, but the receiver wall seems to be thinner than the G&P one. The inokatsu finish compared to the G&P, the inokatsu wins hands down. The receiver looks like what it is, steel. The G&P seems to have a black paint job over the metal. For those of you with a love for russian gear, you in luck. Inokatsu steel receiver includes a side mount.
One difference about the inokatsu receiver is the method it attaches to the front. While other receivers use for screws to hold the front firmly in place, the inokatsu uses two in the mag well. Along with the two screws in the mag well, two inwards bent parts at the front of the receiver slide into an opening at either side at the back of the front set of the AK.
One concern of mine, and the subject of a few of my e-mails to red wolf, was the ability of the inokatsu receiver to take a non TM AK47 ABS front, in my case my G&P metal front. I was told, "No, they won't fit properly." I checked for myself and it did indeed seem to work fine with my G&P metal front. The only thing I saw as a minor problem, was a bit of a open space at the left side of front set. Other than that, I see no problem getting a metal front to go with the inokatsu receiver.
Another concern of mine was if the screw holes in the mag well would line up with the threads at the bottom of the front set. Indeed after some moving back and forth, they lined up.
Here's a bit of a comparison between my old G&P receiver and the inokatsu receiver. While I enjoyed having my G&P body, the inokatsu body adds more of a realistic feel to the AK. Another thing, the method of holding the sling loop in place is a P shaped piece of metal with an angled V shaped bottom keeping the retainer for the sling loop in place. If that piece fell away, the sling loop and retainer could fall out. On the Inokatsu receiver , there is a piece of steel on both sides of the inside of the receiver bolted to the receiver wall. This keeps the sling loop and retainer firmly in place.
Now the miscellaneous parts in that little bag. Hell, I don't know what they are for. Being that there were no instructions, I don't know if they go anywhere. And from putting my gun back together, I don't think you need any of them. Toss them in the parts bin I guess, never know when you might need a screw or something.
I have a EG1000 motor, burned out my EG700, and the wires run to the motor a bit different. There was a bit of pressing against the wiring when I put the gearbox in the receiver. It was a tight fit, but it went in. As you can see, the trigger guard pushes against the gearbox. Also, the way the receiver takes the pistol grip is a bit different so any other pistol grip besides the Inokatsu would require some modding, even then it might not fit quite right. The Inokatsu provided pistol grip seems to be made of Fiber glass/nylon. When I tried to get it on, the threads at the bottom of the motor mount didn't quite line up with the screw hole on the pistol grip. I took a large cutting utensil and bore out the screw hole, now this made keeping the pistol grip in place impossible. So I took the screw from the old selector lever assembly and used it to screw the pistol grip in place. It's easier to put in the pistol grip if you remove the trigger guard.
I removed the inokatsu trigger guard while I put in the pistol grip and I decided to put in the old TM trigger guard. Not only did it cover up a bit more of the gearbox seen by the trigger, but it doesn't push against the gearbox. Though, if you press down on the part of the trigger guard by the pistol grip, it will go down and then come up, but that's not a problem. I suggest leaving on the new trigger guard if the movement from the TM trigger guard bothers you. The new trigger guard requires you to remove the small spring and trigger release latch from the old one and put it in the new one.
The stock mounts to a part similar to the one at the end of the G&P metal body. The inokatsu relies that you transfer that part from your TM ABS body to the inokatsu receiver. It's part AK-38 if you would refer to your TM AK47 manual. Now the part on the G&P body DOES NOT COME OFF, it's integrated into the body. One the TM body it is not integrated and comes off with the removal of a couple screws. Most after market metal AK receivers need you to remove that part and place it on the new metal body. The G&P body did not, If it wasn't for the G&P body I would have kept that all important stock mount from my ABS body when I sold it. DAM YOU G&P!!!!! For those of you looking to purchase a receiver, keep you ABS body!!! It's been one hell of a time looking for that part, which I managed to special order through Trinity Airsoft.
I've made it this far, the stock is not attached to the body since I am still waiting on that part from trinity, the top cover is a nice modern ribbed cover. Compared to my old Guarder ribbed cover, the inokatsu is much better looking since it doesn't have these marks and lines from the finishing. The cover was hard to get on, so hard that I gave up because I had things to do. The body does not have these little hooks that the plastic bolt carrier attaches to or the screw hole for the screw that seats the bolt carrier in the gun. I would suggest a Guarder steel bolt carrier, since it doesn't use the plastic bolt carrier like the TM and it's more realistic. Guarder steel bolt carrier not to be confused with the Guarder Auto Back steel bolt carrier.
A couple things about the inokatsu receiver:
The slots that the selector lever stops on to OK, the only thing is that on mine, it doesn't stop on the full auto notch and it does not have a notch for the safe setting. Nothing major, but it could bother some. The original TM selector lever could work better with the body, but it's not as good looking as the inokatsu selector lever. It's hard as hell to get the cover on. Getting the mag in is easy but if you don't do it a certain way, the lip of the mag doesn't stay in place and comes out.
All in all, the kit is great. If you don't mind doing a few things here and there then go for it if you have the money and the will to sport a realistic AK. The body adds a bit more weight to the gun, a little more so than my G&P body. There's a feeling of sturdiness, and the of steel will make you feel good.
Pros:
Steel construction
Free shipping on this item from red wolf (at the time of my purchase, who know how much longer it will be offered as such)
Adds a more realistic look to you gun
Sling loop is held in place by a bolted metal part
Comes with a side mount
+/- Give your gun a bit more weight
You need part AK-38
Cons:
May require some adjusting here and there
Cover is hard as hell to get on
Proprietary pistol grip
Selector lever could be a bit iffy
Mag insertion can be a bit iffy
Nice, AK74 NSTA2. I'll use both AK74 and AK47 mags. If you ask why, AK74 NSTA2 can switch between both calibers with a quick barrel change so there!
UPDATE:
Here' the finished Product
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