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RWA MG34
Dec 30, 2013 17:12:39 GMT -5
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Post by gunner79 on Dec 30, 2013 17:12:39 GMT -5
Just received the MG34 from WGC. I'll post a more detailed review as time permits.
In short, it is a reasonably well-built AEG gun. Has some quirky things to it, i.e saftey lever appears to be decorative only (not even referenced in manual!) and safety relies on lower trigger 'button' being depressed. In that same vein, the double half-moon trigger is also cosmetic - there is no semi-auto function on this gun. The GB allows for QC of spring and I had mine supplied with the 430fps one. Shoots well BUT is prone to stoppages and occasional short shots (due to bucking used it appears). Further use will determine how much a problem this will be and any obvious solutions re same.
In a nutshell - it looks like a reasonable facsimile of the real MG34. It is also skirmishable in construct and potential.
It also falls FAR short of the old and very rare Asahi MG34, of which I own two. The Asahi is an exact replica of the real gun while the RWA has numerous dimensional abberations and soft detailing. The Asahi is a better performing gun albeit gas operated. And the Asahi is constructed to strip very much like the RS whereas the RWA does not.
Being perfectly objective though - no one really would want to bring a Asahi to the playing field and chance breaking a gun that is as much a collectible as that gun is - not to mention a gun that has no source for spare parts, etc. In addition, the ammo supply available to the RWA is vastly superior at 1500 rounds vs. the Asahi's 150 - 250 round drum supply (the Asahi drum can take varying lengths of tubing, up to tubes that hold 100 rounds more than the stock drum tube).
So - if your able to overlook some less-than-great attributes, particularly the lack of a 'safe' safety, select-fire restrictions and less than authentic dimensional issues/soft detailing and no stampings/ordnance markings - the RWA will likely suit one just fine. Is it worth the going price? Well - I'm not going to wade into that debate given the prices I paid to collect my Asahis;)
More, later!
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shiftysgarand
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Post by shiftysgarand on Dec 30, 2013 17:32:26 GMT -5
Sounds like a prettty nice gun, but I wouldn't want to have to sell my brother for it.
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RWA MG34
Dec 30, 2013 20:57:02 GMT -5
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Post by gunner79 on Dec 30, 2013 20:57:02 GMT -5
Roughly, on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give the RWA a seven. Not great, but neither mediocre either. The safety issue is really a big turnoff for me as I am a big believer in gun safety, particularly when someone else is holding the gun.... There is no reason, in my mind anyway, for RW to slide on this -especially with a gun that is capable of shooting over 400fps. It is an accident (and bad press) waiting to happen in a sport that really needs no more than it already has.
As to cost - methinks it may come down some. I paid 1380 shipped due to knowing someone who has a wholesale license.
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Post by labrador on Dec 31, 2013 10:04:28 GMT -5
Ours also experienced the occasional short shot from a few bursts but what was really disturbing was a crunching sound coming from within the gearbox. The gun is now back in the store for inspection.
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RWA MG34
Dec 31, 2013 11:30:14 GMT -5
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Post by gunner79 on Dec 31, 2013 11:30:14 GMT -5
Ouch. Given RW's hype (and they've been shouting out a LOT of it), particularly their 'our gun is handbuilt by our experienced technicians, assuring the finest in quality product' puffery - I certainly was not terribly impressed with the inconsistent nature of the gun's operation out of the box!
A little less chestbeating and more thorough QC of product would seemingly be in order by RW and it's 'experienced techs'.
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RWA MG34
Dec 31, 2013 11:51:23 GMT -5
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Post by gunner79 on Dec 31, 2013 11:51:23 GMT -5
Do let us know what the shop finds - it 'sounds' like a piston failure and/or the tooth rack has become desynchronized, or a gear failure, neither of which should occur in a brand new gun after firing a few bursts (particularly a gun whose sole purpose, arguably, is to lay down suppressive fire)! No one needs to lay out the kind of cash required to purchase a gun that breaks after firing a hundred rounds in short bursts..... I'm going to be watching my RWA '34 a lot closer after hearing your story. Hopefully, y ou will have yours back in operation w/o too much hassle! Ours also experienced the occasional short shot from a few bursts but what was really disturbing was a crunching sound coming from within the gearbox. The gun is now back in the store for inspection.
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
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Post by 2nd Bat on Dec 31, 2013 12:04:32 GMT -5
So Gunner you have two asahi German Mgs and now this one? Yikes! I thought I had an extensive armory. i want you on my team!
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RWA MG34
Dec 31, 2013 13:25:45 GMT -5
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Post by gunner79 on Dec 31, 2013 13:25:45 GMT -5
I also now have two Shoei MG42s, one with the new upgraded engine installed and the other kitted out to a G3 configuration (bought the aftermarket upgrade kit - just have to install it). Also now have two different versions of the ZB26 (the Rock/Inokatsu and the AY versions) plus two VFC M1918A2 B.A.R.s (cnc versions, both internally upgraded). I guess I could start a war, or two;)
Btw - will eventually be putting one of the Asahi and one of the Shoei's on the market. I just have too many guns in the collection and really should start paring it back a bit (but it's really difficult for me to let my guns go - which is why I have procrastinated over doing so for quite some time).
I've some pictures over on the CA board taken when I 'only' had the two Asahis and the one '42.
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Post by labrador on Jan 2, 2014 22:33:09 GMT -5
So, here are our gunsmith's findings. The crunching sound was the piston getting ground up by the gears. A BB got stuck because the hop was set too tight (we never touched the hop) and jammed the piston which stopped and got ground up. The hop adjustment is very sensitive, a slight turn can be too much so careful when adjusting it. best to thread lock it to make it less moveable. The piston was a cheapo plastic one (really???!!!!!) and was replaced with a metal one. Also disturbing is when we tested the magazine, the motor refused to wind. powering up the motor directly by bypassing the IC worked which means....after just a little use, the IC burned out or failed. the seller is emailing the findings to RWA. So sad that we were only able to test fire it and it failed before the game.
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
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Post by 2nd Bat on Jan 3, 2014 1:40:45 GMT -5
Incredible. It only goes to show that with airsoft you don't neccessarily get what you pay for. Some of my worst guns have been my most expensive guns and some of my favorites have been very low cost. So great having this forum where we can share the good the bad and the ugly. Sometimes all on the same gun!
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RWA MG34
Jan 3, 2014 2:30:08 GMT -5
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Post by gunner79 on Jan 3, 2014 2:30:08 GMT -5
I'm sorry (and really sorry for the events that you are facing re your RWA MG34! ); but RWA should be taken to task for basically BSing the airsoft community with the release of a substandard and obviously low grade gun in connection with it's internal components. This kind of nonsense is really unacceptable. While I've not experienced the extent of the troubles you are/have faced with your gun, it now makes sense for me to open my RWA up and see what kind of deal I'm in for here.
Guess RWA thinks very little of it's customer community to pull such nonsense - literally duping it's customers by inferring that the product in question is top-of-the line, hand-crafted and tested. What was just described here, cheap pistons, possibly equally cheap gearing, second-line motor, etc. (and the other less than great things I found in my '34), and God knows what else - well it seems the initial verdict is out and it ain't good!
RWA - if you have anyone assigned to review of the public reception of your newest release, I really hope they see this thread. It seems that you have a lot to answer to. If you really care about the folks who purchase from you. Seeing what's really up with your self-professed 'best of the best, ever released MG34 airsoft gun, it appears that ya really don't care much at all now, does it....?
Sheesh.
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stuka
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Post by stuka on Jan 5, 2014 1:04:08 GMT -5
I wonder...didn't viva arm's make one?if so, wasn't it fairly good?
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2nd Bat
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Post by 2nd Bat on Jan 5, 2014 13:12:39 GMT -5
i think the VIVA release ended up vaporware due to a government shut down in China or had such limited release as to be essentially non existent. No doubt some of their work ended up in this product or the upcoming Matrix offering as that often happens.
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DRK
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RWA MG34
Jan 5, 2014 15:31:32 GMT -5
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Post by DRK on Jan 5, 2014 15:31:32 GMT -5
There was one viva mg34 for sale on an airsoft website in Spain. They were price gouging at $1900 plus shipping. It was marked in stock, so I slept on it if I wanted to blow that much or consider another another Shoei mg42. Next morning I woke up and it's marked "out of stock". It's not wrong calling it vaporware, it's just produced in such low numbers it's practically vaporware. They did make the sten, which was cloned for AGM. Try finding the viva sten now if you can.
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stuka
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Post by stuka on Jan 5, 2014 20:07:06 GMT -5
well I was just trying to point out that their mg's are less then a grand and are pretty solid from my understanding
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Ersatzjack
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Post by Ersatzjack on Jan 6, 2014 12:13:10 GMT -5
The RWA gun does look 95-percent like the Viva. The only differences I see are the feed mechanism into the hop-up and the drum magazine looks nicer. We have the Viva and it comes with a Version 6 gearbox (Thompson) and that cracked once and had to be swapped out. I think the Li-poly 11v option that RWA is pushing could be the cause of feeding problems. Too fast. Slow it down and maybe it would work better. With the Viva, it took some tweaking but now it is working pretty well. It is the only MG-34 build out there so if you want it you live with the imperfections and work to improve it to your requirements. I mean it is skimishable with a little TLC. The seller should have more concern for the buyer but in this hobby we've seen little of that in the past. I am hoping that the AGM-42 is better build quality. Concerning the vaporware comment the Viva's only came into this country in very small numbers I believe.
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
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Post by 2nd Bat on Jan 6, 2014 17:55:56 GMT -5
Let us hope the AGM functions and holds up as it should. The battery may very well be the problem. With most ww2 airsoft guns like the Thompson and the BAR I am a fan of a somewhat weaker battery that will slow down the ROF to a more authentic tempo but of course with the German MG a blistering ROF is correct.
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RWA MG34
Jan 9, 2014 14:14:16 GMT -5
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Post by gunner79 on Jan 9, 2014 14:14:16 GMT -5
Well - much as I hate to admit it, I've used (as much as I could) my 'new' RWA MG34 to the point that I can reasonably conclude the following scientific conclusion:
It is a piece of junk. Period.
It CAN be made into a decent gun, but out of the box it's performance and function are pathetic. Seriously, a used $250 A&K M249 outperforms this expensive, much touted 'vundergun' from RWA!
It started off quite nicely, shooting well and hard, with it's upgraded spring. That little period of happiness lasted for about 200 rounds. Then things started to go wrong. Quickly. Badly. Started with a few short shots, here and there. By the time appx 500 rounds had gone through the gun, it is literally dribbling out bbs a couple feet from the muzzle. Likely, the piston head or related component has failed. Now I have the pleasure of spending more money to repair what is essentially a brand new gun.
I did not expect a work of art from RWA - but neither did I expect to have a $1300 gun that performs like a cheap springer.
RWA better pull it's head out of it's collective rear-end and address what is obviously substandard work and materials in it's newest flagship product. This kind of craftmanship, or rather, lack thereof and the cheap materials used in this gun is simply unacceptable.
I'll have more detailed specifics of what is going on inside this gun, once she has been pulled apart and repaired. Until then, I simply cannot recommend that anyone buy, or consider buying, this gun, at this time.
G79
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stuka
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Post by stuka on Jan 9, 2014 21:27:30 GMT -5
have you tried to contact them?
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2nd Bat
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Post by 2nd Bat on Jan 10, 2014 19:14:14 GMT -5
Yikes! Saddened to hear it but I think I speak for everyone when I say thanks for the heads up.
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RWA MG34
Jan 15, 2014 8:19:11 GMT -5
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Post by gunner79 on Jan 15, 2014 8:19:11 GMT -5
Well, when life throws lemons at one - one makes lemonade
I have a spare Polarstar v.3 engine and latest model FCU.
I'll let all know how the world's first (I believe) MG34 operates:)
If it's anything like my P* Socom Gear Barrett M82 or Ares WA2000, I shall be pleased indeed.
I'm thinking of mailing the RWA '34's cracked piston and fractured sector gear (!) to RW with a little note by way of a thank you for all the excitement the 200 rounds or so worth of firing time that the gun provided me. Have to find out the name of that smug little so and so who appears in the RW video so I may, more properly, direct the parcel.
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RWA MG34
Jan 15, 2014 8:20:05 GMT -5
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Post by gunner79 on Jan 15, 2014 8:20:05 GMT -5
Well, when life throws lemons at one - one makes lemonade
I have a spare Polarstar v.3 engine and latest model FCU.
I'll let all know how the world's first (I believe) Polarstar MG34 operates:)
If it's anything like my P* Socom Gear Barrett M82 or Ares WA2000, I shall be pleased indeed.
I'm thinking of mailing the RWA '34's cracked piston and fractured sector gear (!) to RW with a little note by way of a thank you for all the excitement the 200 rounds or so worth of firing time that the gun provided me. Have to find out the name of that smug little so and so who appears in the RW video so I may, more properly, direct the parcel.
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stuka
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Post by stuka on Jan 15, 2014 10:15:34 GMT -5
Well it's not his fault, he is just following a script
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RWA MG34
Jan 15, 2014 17:32:14 GMT -5
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Post by gunner79 on Jan 15, 2014 17:32:14 GMT -5
Oh, I seriously doubt I would waste my time, or money, actually doing that - but the thought is tempting nonetheless.
The guy who is doing the video is supposedly one of the company's lesser principals. I think that information is arguable, but..who knows?
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stuka
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Post by stuka on Jan 15, 2014 17:35:39 GMT -5
I doubt he is much more then a "pretty face"
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