Inokatsu M4A1 information wanted

I am curious if anyone can give me more information about the Inokatsu gas blow back M4A1. It is full metal and produced under 3P license, which means it is allowed to have full Colt markings (like the HobbyFix dummy M4A1).

It is not yet common here in Germany, so I would highly appreciate all info and pics.

Hey Mike,

so you have a good thousand € to drop?

Here's a few facts I know about the Ino M4:

It is based on the Western Arms M4 GBB system, which is not exactly the best out there. It's not exactly the WA system though, they have improved on it and it seems fairly reliable. It does have problems performance-wise, and the few people in our airsoft forum who own (or have owned) an Ino M4 have upgraded it with parts from a maker named Ra-Tech, who has specialized in high quality aftermarket tuning parts for GBBs.
I reckon, that you give a damn about the shooting performance (power, hopup etc.), so you probably can get around spending another several hundred bucks for tuning parts

Regarding the authenticity - which probably is the most important thing for you - what I've heard of it, the Ino seems to be the way to go.
Most airsofters go for the WeiE Tech M4 GBB (refered to as WE M4 or WETTI M4), as it is full metal, too, is MUCH cheaper and performs pretty well, but it has
a) no markings or incorrect marking and
b) a strange, brasscolored part inside the ejection port, that can be seen, then you pull the charging handle back or watch it very closely, when the bolt blows back while shooting. The part is necessary and can't be removed and it's not authentic.
So compared to the WA / Ino system, the WE system is less realistic, WA / Ino looks more like the realsteel, when the charging handle is pulled back.
Additionally, the Ino seems to have really 100% correct measurements and, as you already mentioned, correct markings. That probably is, what you pay for, the Ino really is VERY expensive.

It get's even more expensive, when you want to buy additional mags, as the Ino uses WA magazines (of course). Those are very expensive, except when you go for clones. Not sure if they work well though.
The WA system has problems with cooldown, when you fire the gun rapidly (or fullauto outside Germany), the power of the shot and the blowback drops quite a bit. Also, a load of gas seems to last for only around 30 shots, which is pretty realistic, but also a bit annoying and expensive as the gun eats a lot of gas or CO2.

It's a bit hard to find review about the Ino M4 though... Here's a short one.

For further questions and info a good site is Gasguns.info, there also is a short, reviewlike thread

Here you can find pics comparing the Ino M4 to a realsteel M4.

Hope this helps a bit. Feel free to contact me, I might get some more infos from our airsoft forums

I agree with what Pydracor has said regarding the INO.If you need an expensive Airsoft GBB M4 complete with markings then this is the one to go for.If your a serious player that's fine,if your just a collector/back yard plinker there are cheaper versions to go for.Heres a review from RedWolf Armouries

Inokatsu M4 SOP MOD0 Carbine MTW (Enhanced Version)

We've got our hands on the Inokatsu M4A1 Carbine Gas Blowback and it's a beltter of a gun! This new enhanced version is an improvement on the first version that has first hit the market and exclusively sold at RedWolf. It bears a similar resemblance to the WA gas blowback platform in that it uses the WA-type mags (not included and sold separately), but that is where the similarity ends. With a fully-licensed Colt metal body, this blowback-beauty features an all aluminum body (CNC finishing) unlike that of the WA (which has a lot of plastic parts due to restrictions in Japan) and they all look just like the real thing! The manufacturing process is the same as the real thing, which gives the Inokatsu M4 it's realistic finishing and color. Experts who have seen the gun say that parts such as the front sight and the markings on the receiver are almost indistinguishable from the real steel M4. Even the cocking lever has the same resistance when you pull back on it. The barrel and bolt are made from solid steel. This gun is very solid and heavy. This gun is of the exact design as the WA M4, except that the bolt, hop-up and barrel assembly are completely different, which results in the higher blow back recoil and shooting performance.
Everything about this gun screams quality and realism, and if you want an all metal M4 with gas blowback, then you should seriously consider one of these. It has a nice weight to it and the parts are incredibly tough and resilient. In fact, this gun can handle Red Gas, which gives a nice performance figure of over 460fps. However, the WA magazine cannot RED GAS for extended use so to avoid damage to the magazine, users should choose GREEN / TOP gas. Note that the gun will not cycle properly with the weaker Tokyo Marui HFC134a gas due to the stiff recoil spring. The piston is a solid steel piece and the blow back on this is as equally solid (and rivals a real 9mm SMG), feeling much stronger than the WA blow back and the WE M4. Cocking back on the charging handle will already give you the impression of a real gun due to the same stiffness as the real thing. Rattle-off the rounds, emptying the mag and it will lock-back just like the real thing with a loud metallic sound. Great attention has been paid to the details, for example, only when the gun is cocked does the safety lever go to safe mode. The bolt locks back when the magazine is empty, and the bolt is released forward on reloads when you press the bolt-release button on the side of the receiver. Other features include: collapsible stock and removable RIS covers (included).

Note that internal accessory and upgrade parts designed for the Western Arms M4 will fit the Inokatsu M4 as well. All parts on the Inokatsu M4 are the same design in dimensions as the Western Arms M4, except for the bolt and hop-up unit where Inokatsu has enhanced the design and is therefore no longer compatible with the Western Arms parts. But keep in mind that most parts designed for the WA M4 were meant to improve durability and performance with steel parts. Inokatsu's M4 internals are already 100% steel!

MSRP USD 1500, our price USD 790

I chose the G&P made M4 cost around $500,basically an up modded WA,all metal body,all steel internals(hammer,trigger,selector switch,mag release etc).Fit and finish are excellent.Complete colt logo's.RS parts compatible.Easily upgraded internals if you want more accuracy.Mine has had a couple of thousand bb's through it and has only had a few malfunctions.I use a combination of WA & GHK magazines,and for $39 I cannot really fault the GHK apart from being stiff to insert when new.

As Pydracor has mentioned the best place to ask all the questions is Gasguns.info

They are a very friendly bunch always willing to help out and advise on all things gas powered.

As is with everything in life the more info you have the better.

Feel free to PM me if you need any help

Thanks for all that information Brough, pretty interesting! It certainly does sound like an awesome gun, that's worth the money.

What exactly do you mean by "our price USD 790"? Do you have a shop?

Pydracor wrote:

What exactly do you mean by "our price USD 790"? Do you have a shop?

It's copy&paste from RedWolf, it was their price:
http://redwolfairsoft.com/redwolf/airsoft/ProductDetail?prodID=26768

Hehe, d'oh, should have gone to bed earlier, sorry for the stupid question

I'm always a bit sceptical about reviews from retailers. Of course they tend to review the product as good as possible, as they want to sell it and as you can see, I fell for it, stating that it sounds like a good gun (Well, I still think it is)

Sorry for the confusion I caused in your thread Mike

Hi all,I have a friend over at Gasguns.info who owns an INO.I will send him a email asking for his views on this particular make of GBB.He has had it for some time now and seems to have ironed out all the faults that come with these rifles.
Not having owned one I can only pass on second hand info,better from someone who has first hand knowledge

Thank you all for your great information. I will have to look out for more information.

Hi 'Mike,

No doubt you've done so already but I typed in Inokatsu M4 into Google and came up with a load of "hits"

I must just say it's GREAT to see such positive and helpful responses from our members

That's exactly what this forum's all about, helping each other out.

Thanks to you all

WHS


I must just say it's GREAT to see such positive and helpful responses from our members

That's exactly what this forum's all about, helping each other out.

Hello Cerwyn!

Yes, you are right. We are all supposed to google first. I did so and found plenty of information. Anyway I was looking for "personal experiences" and information from our members here. Maybe I should have put that clearer.

Thank you all and greetings from Germany!

MadMike wrote:

Hello Cerwyn!

Yes, you are right. We are all supposed to google first. I did so and found plenty of information. Anyway I was looking for "personal experiences" and information from our members here. Maybe I should have put that clearer.

Thank you all and greetings from Germany!

Not at all 'Mike, I'm sorry for being unclear and giving a false impression
The forum is here for exactly that purpose, asking for, and getting personal experiences and friendly advice.
Goggleing does often bring up lots of information and advertisements which will tend to be favourable... these guys want to Sell their wares after all.
Asking here will give you honest and personal experiences, both good & bad

Personally, I think I'd be asking for honest opinions right here first

I'm sorry for causing that misunderstanding.

Taken from Gasguns.info

by OGGY » 25 Aug 2009, 15:52

The 2009 version should be completely different from the 2008 version, so I really don’t know why you are looking for information on it.

Anyway, I thought the consensus on the 2008 Inokatsu was that it was good but for the money it should have been much better than it was. Some people like it, but others have tons of problems. This suggests that the quality is not where it should be. Others have complained about the receiver, saying the finish was to shiny and the trades were too shallow. Not to mention the fact that there was no magazine.

IMO Inokatsu could not survive with another sub-par release like the '08 MTW. Hopefully the realize this and put a lot of time into research of their own gun to find what people liked and didn't like. If they did their homework, I would look for these improvements on the '09 MTW:

-Better Receiver Finish/Trades
-Better Overall Fit & Finish
-Better Attention to Detail
-Improved BCG, Barrel Extension & Hop-Up('08's had some problems where BB's would literally be crushed)

Just from looking at the current pictures of the Inokatsu circulating, it appears that the are on the road to success because they have already made several key improvement I listed:

-Better Overall Fit & Finish (In the RA-Tech receiver test video, the receiver had no wobble; hopefully these tight tolerances carry over to the other parts of the gun.)
-Better Attention to Detail (In the Inokatsu promotional pictures, they show that they have made all the little things like the shell deflector, bolt stop, magazine catch, charging handle, etc. to RS spec)
-Improved BCG, Barrel Extension & Hop-Up (In the Inokatsu promotional pictures, they show their new nozzle. The new nozzle is much improved compared to the '08 version. Hopefully the Bolt Carrier, Barrel Extension, and Hop-Up are also improved.

Hopefully this post helped!

NOTE: I am not an Inokatsu owner, but I considered buying the '08 version of the Inokatsu so I did a TON of research on it.

Thanks Brough, interesting to know (I might be interested in one of those Inokatsus, too ).

I'm not sure, which version they offer here in Germany but I reckon, it's the 2008 version. Thus it would probably be wise to wait a bit longer and have a look at the 2009 Inokatsu.

Also, VFC announced their own M4 GBB which is said to be based on the WA system, too. VFC has produced some very nice, high quality airsoftguns in the past, so this might have some potential...

A little off topic as it's not an INO,but a few shots of my G&P M4A1 GBB and KSC Beretta M9A1
You might notice no rear sight on the M4,just waiting on my MAGPUL MBUS to arrive from the states.

G&P WOC M4A1
Front Ras rail,covers and ladders
Steel barrel,flashider and front sight post
RS Never quit grip
RS MAGPUL MOE grip
RS MAGPUL trigger guard
Anti rotation pins
GHK magazines with RS ranger plates

They're very expensive. Jeffrey at Redwolf did say that they are the Rolls Royce of the GBB M4 series. Lower down the range, KJ M4 are very good, and the metal composision is close to steel, but the internals do not relate to the real M4 which the Inokatsu does.

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=zh-TW&u=http://www.ruten.com.tw/&ei=o1XgSquzHMaOkQW884we&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&ved=0CBUQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Druten%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

Updated version of Inokatsu's M4 reviewed by RedWolf Airsoft :-

I've got the WE GBB M4 CQB. That comes close to the Inokatsu, but the WE has more upgrades such as steel cocking handle, bolt, barrel and a few others.

They're worth a purchase. Here in Taiwan, they don't use GBB rifles due to the power, only AEGs - but you can use a GBB pistol.

Hi Cerwyn,

Yeah I'd love to do a wite up on both M4s that I have; KJW and WE. I recently purchased the KJW P226 and 229. The P226 is upgradeable to steel outer barrel and others steel items.

Anyway, I'll get back to Harry Brown.

Please refer to

https://mp40modelguns.forumotion.net/gbb-videos-f46/inokatsu-m4-sopmod-gbb-video-new-t1891.htm#12868

for Videos...