Army Armament Taran Tactical Innovations JW4 Pit Viper GBB Pistol

The JW4 Pit Viper is the latest and greatest combat-optimised Hi-capa pistol from Taran Tactical Innovations, and naturally, it had to find its way into the hands of the main man himself, John Wick. We aren’t going to lie to you and tell you with this pistol you will shoot like Baba Yaga, but its combination of enhanced and extended controls and the plethora of speed-based modifications should give you your best chance!

As with Army Armaments’ other TTI-licenced offerings, the JW4 sports full metal construction with an aluminium slide, frame, barrel and compensator and has laser engraved trademarks across the design to show off its brand pedigree. To make matters all the sweeter, the JW4 Pit Viper also comes with a 6.03mm tightbore inner barrel which raises its FPS and gives superb accuracy potential, giving you one less thing to upgrade if you are a performance seeker!

Starting at the front end we can find the JW4’s unique single-port compensator with a dynamic, swept-back look and bevelled edges for easier holstering. This is a big part of the Pit Viper look and is flawlessly executed by Army Armament. The compensator is also threaded at the front, giving you the opportunity to mount a suppressor or tracer unit using a 11mm female to 14mm CCW male thread adapter.

The light-enhancing front iron sight mounts to the compensator itself and remains static during firing, meaning less work to find the front sight after each shot and faster follow-up shots with better accuracy than other designs with a slide-mounted front sight. Light-enhancing sights are god’s gift to the CQB skirmisher who operates in low light and makes acquiring targets when you can’t see your hand in front of your face far easier than standard pistol iron sights!

The slide follows directly after the compensator and matches its dynamic, angular look with both the front and rear gripping serrations. Having serrations at the front and rear gives you plenty of options when it comes to manipulating the slide of the pistol and their depth means you don’t need to worry about your hand slipping off the slide when working in wet conditions.

On either side and on the top of the slide we have a pair of ports machined in which reduce the weight of the slide for a faster cyclic rate and better gas efficiency. These ports also look fantastic, showing off the bronze-coloured outer barrel beneath, a prerequisite of the Taran Tactical look.

To the rear of the ports on the left side of the slide, we can find the first of our laser-engraved Taran Tactical markings, together with the now iconic Taran Tactical logo boldly displayed in white. As with previous Army Armament TTI pistols, the markings are flawlessly engraved and look fantastic in contrast with the matt black finish applied to the slide.

Over on the right side, we can see the Taran Tactical logo proudly displayed once again, together with the model name, “Pit Viper” in Taran Tacitcal’s unique font surrounding the chamber. This pistol definitely is not ashamed of its lineage and wants everyone to know this is a TTI Pit Viper, and who can blame it when the real thing costs around $7000 USD? The Army Armament version is far more affordable but its licenced markings are still a massive flex over other Hi-capas!

The chamber is marked with “9MM” engraved into the right side, appropriately mimicking the real TTI Pit Viper, and the barrel and chamber are bronze coloured as it is in the real thing. The rear slide serrations mimic those at the front with their angular shape and deep cuts for extra grip, bringing the whole design together as a completed piece.

At the top rear of the slide, we can find our rear iron sight which is fully adjustable and has a flat and featureless rear notch which combines perfectly with the light-enhancing front sight to prevent any chance of mixing up the sight dots under pressure and pulling your shots off left or right. The sight can be adjusted for elevation by tightening or loosening the screw on the top, and the screw on the right side of the rear sight notch will adjust the windage, moving the notch left to right when turned.

The adjustable HOP-up unit of the JW4 Pit Viper is located on the bottom of the outer barrel and is accessible with the slide removed, in "field stripped" condition. To remove the slide you will first need to remove the magazine and rack the slide to cock the hammer. With this done you can pull the slide back to align the slide lock lever with the rearmost cutout on the left side of the slide. With the slide in this position, you can push the slide release catch through from the right side of the frame, after which the side can be slid forwards and removed from the front of the pistol. The adjustable HOP-up allows you to tune the JW4 for different ammo weights and extend your range, adjusting the dial until the trajectory is as flat as possible.

Moving downwards we come to the frame of the JW4 Pit Viper which is where we can find the controls. The manual safety catch is located at the rear of the frame and is present on either side to allow for easy use for both left and right-handed shooters. Each safety lever is textured for optimal grip and effective wet-weather use and can also be used as a thumb rest for the strong hand thumb for more effective recoil control and faster target-to-target transitions.

At the rear of the frame, we can find the hammer of the JW4 Pit Viper which is bronze coloured to match the outer barrel and chamber. This hammer is significantly skeletonised to reduce weight and add to the high speed looks of the JW4 and its bronze colouration discretely ties the pistol together and gives it a balanced look.

The rear of the grip also includes a secondary safety known as the “beavertail grip safety” which needs to be pressed in to unlock the trigger. This feature is derived from the legendary 1911 platform and has remained throughout its development and is still present to this day in most modern Hi-capa 2011 pistols. This works fantastically to prevent snags and negligent discharges and is very low profile in shape which makes it a pleasure to hold.

The slide release catch is located on the left side of the frame, right where we would expect it, and is an extended design with a large contact surface to make dropping the slide after a reload an absolute piece of cake. The magazine release is just below, where the trigger guard meets the grip, and is a large circular button which is easy to find with the adrenaline pumping, allowing for super-fast reloads if you have practised as much as Keanu Reeves!

The shape of the trigger guard matches the standard Hi-capa squared profile, allowing for extra recoil control by positioning the weak side trigger finger on the front of the guard in what is known as the “European grip”. The bottom of the trigger guard also has a stipple texture to provide extra grip and control when firing rapidly.

Just ahead of the trigger guard, we are treated to a 20mm Picatinny frame rail, allowing you to deck the JW4 out as a primary pistol with a tactical flashlight or laser aiming module if the mission requires it. This rail is nice and long and covers the entire dust cover but only has a single attachment slot in the perfect position to keep the controls of your flashlight well within reach when holding the pistol in a firing grip.

The trigger is a skeletonised design with 3 ports, just like the real JW4 Pit Viper and is a straight-back pull like other Hi-capa and 1911 pistols, making for an easy transition from older pistols of the same family to this ultra-modern platform. The trigger pull is light and crisp like Army Armaments' other HI-capa offerings, providing some serious rapid-fire potential for this slick and quick design.

The grip itself is stippled across the front and sides to provide excellent gripping qualities whether you wear gloves or not and guarantees your Pit Viper won’t get thrown across the site after a fast draw in wet weather. The rear strap of the grip is also checkered and at the base of the grip, we have an aluminium extension known as a “magazine well flare”.

This part is designed to help guide your magazine into the pistol during a reload and has a very wide opening to eliminate fine motor movements and effectively allow you to throw the magazine into the magwell. The magazine well flare is also extended around the grip to function as a palm rest, keeping your hand in the perfect position to access the controls.

From a performance standpoint, the JW4 Pit Viper is slightly snappier than its predecessor, the JW3 Combat Master thanks to its slightly shorter slide and the reduced mass of the moving parts. Access to the sizeable Hi-capa magazine design gives the Pit Viper a 'uge gas reservoir, meaning plenty of gas to provide snappy, satisfying recoil and effect on target downrange. The Pit Viper is also equipped straight out of the box with a 6.03mm tightbore inner barrel for a lift in FPS and accuracy compared to standard bore barrels. Internally everything appears to be Tokyo Marui Hi-capa compatible, so if you are the type who likes to dabble in internal upgrades, the JW4 won't hold you back!

Whether you are a John Wick fan or you simply appreciate a cutting-edge design based on the pistol that won two world wars, the JW4 Pit Viper is a fantastic choice whether it adorns your wall or accompanies you into skirmishes as a primary or sidearm. Get your black suit on, grow out your hair and beard and be the one you send to kill the boogie man!

Features

• Full metal construction
• 6.03mm Tightbore inner barrel
• Officially licenced by Taran Tactical Innovations
• John Wick's sidearm in John Wick: Chapter 4 - Get your evening wear loadout ready!
• Light-enhancing front iron sight with adjustable rear sight - Easy to shoot in low light
• 11mm CW threaded compensator - Ready for a tracer with 12mm to 14mm CCW adapter
• Adjustable HOP-up - Accessible with the slide removed
• Front and rear slide serrations - Easy to rack the slide however you do it
• 20mm Picatinny frame rail - Ready for a tactical flashlight or aiming laser
• Ambidextrous manual safety catch - Great for left and right-handed shooters
• Enlarged slide lock/release - Easy to reach, even for those with smaller hands
• Extended magazine release button - Easy to find when things get frantic
• Stipple textured grip - Comfortable and grippy with or without gloves
• Magazine well flare - Faster and easier reloads under pressure
• Squared trigger guard with textured surfaces - Great for the "European grip" technique
• Skeletonised hammer - Reduced weight, pairs well with the high speed look of the JW4
• 3-Port skeletonised trigger - Crisp and light straight back pull like a 1911
• Compatible with Army Armament Hi-capa GBB magazines (R60x series)

Package Includes

• Army Armament Taran Tactical Innovations JW4 Pit Viper GBB Pistol
• 28rnd Hi-capa GBB Magazine
• User manual