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A VFC PPSh PSA
🕑 Added 2025-08-05 00:40:43 +0000 UTCWe've received VFC's new gas blowback PPSh with intent to review it. But not only have we run into problems on this sample, we're also seeing a lot of issues in our online communities.
Most of them are fairly straightforward issues that can be chalked up to poor QC- inconsistent use of threadlock, odd tolerancing, screws snapping (!) during disassembly- but there's one problem in particular that is a showstopper.
The takedown latch, as shown in the close-up photos, is a C-shaped hook that grabs onto a lug on the lower receiver and keeps the gun closed up. However, it is only attached to the takedown button (the rounded piece with horizontal grooves) by an extremely thin, apparently brittle weld, just visible in the third photo.
I say 'apparently' because at least two people we know of have already had theirs break during normal use. If/when this happens, there is nothing holding the receivers together short of zip tying them. One of these owners reached out to the retailer they ordered from, only to be told that 'the issue stems from improper disassembly' and thus VFC will not offer replacement.
'Pulling the trigger wrong', anyone?
The takedown latch is the only piece keeping the receiver halves together during normal operation. Anything that applies downward force to the muzzle in turn applies all that torque to the takedown latch- this is a problem all the time, not just during disassembly. With how thin the weld is, it clearly does not take much force to crack it. And while this could potentially be preemptively addressed by just globbing epoxy into the gap between the takedown latch and the takedown button, there are other problems.
In addition to the random QC problems noted above (in our case, including excessive threadlock on the nozzle retaining pin screw, which has so far made it impossible for us to disassemble the bolt), it also appears that VFC has not included any sort of solution for the open-bolt problem that we've described in a couple of videos and will likely address specifically in an upcoming post.
The result is that, to put it bluntly, this thing can't hit the broad side of a barn. Replacing the bucking with one better suited to open-bolt guns may help, but so far we've been unable to swap in a new bucking without it insistently flinging all its shots to the left, so more remains to be done there.
In conclusion, for now we highly advise against buying this GBBR. Whether that resolves into a set of recommended fixes or a hard no remains to be seen, because there are some really nice aspects to the gun that may be worth some effort. We do intend to make a video once we come to a conclusion one way or the other, so stay tuned for that.
Comments
Bigruds69
dammit vfc
Tom Wire
Excessive thread lock seems to be a common problem with VFCs. It took a heat gun, receiver block and two of us to get the barrel nut off my 723 (I broke my workbench in the process!). I gave up trying to take the stock hop apart after rounding one of the screws (again, excessive thread lock) so have had to replace the entire hop up and inner barrel. It's incredibly frustrating to have these sorts of issues on parts that should be user-serviceable.
Flotsam
Seems to be a perennial issue with VFC that they let a really cool design down by rushing production. Hope later examples aren't bitten as bad by that I guess.
Alexy
It's a shame that such a cool gun has such major issues. I've got one and while, fingers crossed, I haven't had any show stopping issues yet I have run into issues with the nozzle putting serious wear on the bucking in just one day of use (my guess being due to a slight defect in the nozzle), and regularly letting off two or three shots despite being on semi auto. I heard a lot of people were having issues with that latch. Supposedly they were improperly brazed instead of welded. I (hopefully) preemptively fixed the issue with mine by putting some tiny reinforcement TIG welds on the sides of the latch. It's crazy that it seems to be necessary to preemptively weld a part of an airsoft gun to keep it from breaking. Really it's a huge shame that this gun has such major issues out of the box. Aside from the serious problem with the latch it's built like a tank and as someone whose handled a ton of real PPSh's at reenactments I can safely say it's dead on to what the real ones feel like.
