Kodiak Defence WK180C Gen 2 Review: A Canadian 5.56 Tactical Rifle

The Kodiak Defence WK180C Gen 2 rifle is a very capable and reliable firearm for the Canadian who wishes to get into recreational sport shooting, small game hunting, or practice their tactical drills. Everything about this rifle looked and felt and functioned like the familiar and muchly missed AR-15 platform.

If your AR-15 has been sitting in a safe for the last 2 years, the Kodiak Defence WK180C Gen 2 will give you that satisfaction that you’ve been missing.

All you need to do in order to obtain a non-restricted firearm in Canada is to take a weekend long Firearms Safety course and then purchase your Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL). When I took my course I did it in conjunction with the Hunter Education course, which I highly recommend taking! The course for both will cost approximately $100, as well as the two books which are roughly $10 each.

I’ve also reviewed the 7.62×39 variant of this rifle. You can read up on it here.

Specs

Weight: 7.25 pounds
Chamber: 5.56 NATO
Caliber: 5.56 NATO / .223 Remington
Barrel Length: 18.7”
Twist Rate: 1:8
Receiver Set: 6061-T6 Aluminum
Charging Handle: Non-Reciprocating
Trigger Pull: 7 – 8 pounds
Magazine: AR-15
Butt Stock: AR-15
Colour: Black
Classification: Non-Restricted

Cost of the Kodiak Defence WK180C

The Kodiak Defence WK180C Gen 2 is a very affordable rifle at around $1500 CDN at the time of this article.

Cabelas (Canada)
The Gun Dealer (McAdam, NB)
Tendra Canada (Richmond Hill, ON)
Gun Store Canada (Markham, ON)

First Impression

Everything about this firearm looks and feels like an AR-15 platform. The moment I picked it up I was overtaken with joy! A couple friends of mine next to me were talking, and one guy asks, “So what’s the difference between this firearm and the AR-15 that was banned by the Liberals?” To which the other guy replies, “Exactly…”

Of course, there are subtle differences between the Kodiak Defence WK180 Gen 2 and your banned AR-15, but based on the way it feels, looks, and functions, there is almost zero differences.

The trigger is very smooth, the magazines feed great, recoil is nothing, it’s just an all-around fun rifle to take out and shoot on the range. So much fun that you have to be careful with how much ammo you’re shooting, because that can get expensive quick!

Walkaround

Stock

The stock used on the Kodiak Defence WK180C Gen 2 is an AR-15 style stock. Very basic but familiar, which is what I like.

The stock functions like you would expect, having different lengths to adjust to. There is also an vertical slot and a 45′ slot for attaching a sling. I have noticed slight differences in stocks depending on where you purchase the rifle from, but they’re pretty similar. Each has the ability to be extended to your preference.

Barrel & Handguard

The barrel of the Kodiak Defence WK180C Gen 2 has a length of 18.7″ and has a twist rate of 1:8, which means the bullet does one complete rotation down the barrel every 8 inches. This is a common twist rate for rifles shooting 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington. The ideal grain for this combination of barrel and ammunition would be around 60 to 80 grain.

The handguard extends the entire length of the barrel pretty much, which is a new feature compared to the previous Kodiak Defence WK180. I really like having the option to extend my hand to the end of the barrel.

Chamber & Ammunition

The Kodiak Defence WK180C is chambered in 5.56 NATO, which is an excellent choice so you can safely fire both 5.56 NATO rounds as well as .223 Remington ammunition. If you would like to know how or why a rifle chambered in 5.56 x 45mm can shoot .223 Remington, but not the other way around, check out my article here answering that question.

Although it’s considered safe to shoot .223 Remington ammo, I always recommend shooting the ammunition that the firearm was chambered for.

I’ll touch on recoil here and quickly note that the recoil is very little. Of course it’s only shooting 5.56 / .223 but it felt very comfortable firing. With the rising cost of ammunition these days, 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington are going to be your lower cost ammunition.

Accuracy / MOA

I haven’t been able to find online how accurate this rifle is on paper, but I can say that the Kodiak Defence WK180C is very accurate at 100 meters. It’s got to be close to 1 MOA. Others who have reviewed this rifle online have also stated how accurate it was for a carbine rifle.

It’ll all come down to the user, but if you want to use this rifle in a hunting capacity, you won’t have an issue. Especially if you put a Vortex scope or something similar on the rails and even attach a bipod to the end, then you’re gonna be some accurate for sure.

Conclusion

I was very pleased when I picked up the Kodiak Defence WK180C Gen 2. Everything about it felt familiar to the AR-15 platform. With minor differences in how the bolt functions, it is in every other aspect an AR-15 platform.

You can have multiple 5 round magazines on the go, practice your marksmanship, reloading after expending a mag, all with relatively low spending and a ton of fun on the range, in the quarry, or the back-country.

If you’re in Canada and looking for an extremely cost effective AR-15 style firearm, the Kodiak Defence WK180C Gen 2 is going to give you what you’re looking for.

I can’t say enough how much fun this rifle was to shoot. And the many reviews I’ve read online from people have said the same thing.