Understanding the KWA Ecosystem

Newcomers to KWA products may be confused by the terminology KWA uses to designate their individual AEG systems. This guide is here to help shed a light on the important things to note so you can better understand the differences.

Currently there are two main operating systems within the KWA lineup:

• Variable Performance System (VPS)
• Electric Recoil Gun (ERG)

There are also two types of gearbox design:

• "Cutoff" style: designed to have a last round cutoff when the magazine is empty
• ETU compatible: designed to accommodate an Electronic Trigger Unit.

 KWA uses specific terminology to designate what operating system and gearbox the gun has installed:

• AEG 2.5 = Cutoff and VPS System
• AEG 3.0 = Cutoff and ERG System
• AEG 2.5+ = ETU and VPS System
• AEG 3.0+ = ETU and ERG System

Important Gearbox Distinctions:

Cutoff style gearboxes have the last round cutoff feature when used in conjunction with KWA magazines that have the cutoff feature ("C" designation in the product name). These gearboxes cannot accept an ETU. Therefore if one wishes to install a MOSFET, an inline style will have to be used, such as the Perun mini, Gate NanoASR, WARFET, etc.. You can also use conventional AEG magazines, but these will simply not activate the last round cutoff function.

Note: AEG 2.5 and 3.0 use the exact same gearbox, whether the gun has VPS or recoil.

ETU style gearboxes do not have the last round cutoff feature as the gearbox has been redesigned to accept an Electronic Trigger Unit. You can use cutoff or conventional AEG magazines. The cutoff series magazines will not activate a last round cutoff feature as the gearbox does not have the components for this. With regard to ETU's that fit, currently the Gate TITAN and TITAN II are the only "drop-in" units that fit. The Perun V2 Hybrid can be fitted with some modification. ETU's that use a gear cam sensor will not work in this gearbox; those being the Gate ASTER, Jefftron Leviathan, etc.

Note: AEG 2.5+ and 3.0+ use the exact same gearbox, whether the gun has VPS or recoil.

Important Operating System Distinctions:

VPS System is a hybrid of a conventional AEG spring guide with the ability to adjust the length to fine tune the FPS output. This also functions as a quick-change spring guide, which is easily accessed through the rear of the receiver. These use standard AEG springs and allow for great versatility, making the VPS system an ideal candidate for the user who wishes to use their rifle in both CQB and field venues that require different velocities.

As the VPS is non-reciprocal (unlike ERG), there are more gear and motor configurations that can be done with it. VPS is capable of handling higher rate-of-fire than ERG and can also be setup with a Dual-Sector-Gear (DSG) for even higher ROF applications.

ERG system is not an electric blowback system in the traditional sense. Rather, it is a heavy reciprocating brass weight that is driven by purely mechanical means from the gearbox piston. Among the major AEG recoil operated platforms - Tokyo Marui, BOLT and KWA - KWA's system is the most robust and simple of all. It should be noted that the springs used with the ERG system are proprietary and matched for tensile strength between the main spring and the recoil spring. The ERG system is a great option for users who wish to have a more realistic feeling replica with felt recoil.

Modularity Built In

KWA's modern AEG lineup enjoys great modularity - meaning components and parts from one system can be transferred to another, thereby creating combinations that exist outside of the current product offerings. For example, the popular Ronin T10 can be converted to the VPS system, and even outfitted with the cutoff series gearbox. Upper receivers can be swapped between the T6, CM4, T10, etc. Some exceptions do exist as the polymer KO series uppers cannot be fitted to the metal bodied KWA's.

Generally speaking, all of the models largely share the same internal components, save for some specific items like the cutoff switches and such. The ERG and VPS systems are simply "bolt on" components that attach to the receiver itself, and are not integral to the gearbox.