EMG Taran Tactical Innovations JW4 Pit Viper

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 that 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!

This EMG TTI-licensed JW4 sports full-metal construction with an aluminium slide, frame, barrel, and compensator, and has laser-engraved trademarks throughout the design to showcase its brand pedigree.

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, allowing you to mount a suppressor or tracer unit using an 11mm CW female to 14mm CCW male thread adapter. If you're looking for a tracer unit to fit the Pit Viper, we recommend the EShooter Flare-M, as it comes packaged with the correct 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 reduces 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 engraved Taran Tactical markings, together with the now iconic Taran Tactical logo boldly displayed in white. The markings are flawlessly engraved and look fantastic in contrast with the matte 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 Tactical’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 licensed 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 they are 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 slide can be slid forward 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. On the standard version, it functions as expected. However, on the full-auto version, the right safety lever functions as the fire selector, allowing you to change between semi and full auto.

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 look of the JW4, and its bronze colouration discreetly 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 original 1911 platform and is still present to this day in most modern Hi-capa 2011 pistols. It works fantastically to prevent snags and negligent discharges and is very low profile in shape, which makes it comfortable to hold.

The slide release catch is located on the left side of the frame, and has an extended design with a large contact surface to make dropping the slide much easier. The magazine release is just below, where the trigger guard meets the grip, and is a large circular button which is easy to find, allowing for super-fast reloads.

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”.

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 it 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. It features a grippy texture for a reliable trigger pull in all conditions

The grip is ergonomically designed, sitting comfortably in the hand. It also has a grippy texture on all sides, making holding the pistol easy without any fear of it slipping. At the base of the grip, we have an aluminium extension known as a “magazine well flare”.

The magazine well flare is designed to help guide your magazine into the pistol during a reload and has a very wide opening. 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 snappy 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.

Internally, everything appears to be Tokyo Marui Hi-capa compatible, so if you are interested in upgrading this pistol into a seriously menacing sidearm, the JW4 won't hold you back!

If you're a fan of the movies, or you want a stylish sidearm to fill the holster, the EMG Taran Tactical Innovations JW4 Pit Viper is an excellent choice! Plus, with a full auto option, you can seriously surprise your opponents when you draw your pistol!

Features

• Full metal construction
• 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 11mm CW to 14mm CCW adapter
• Recommended tracer unit (includes the correct adapter) - EShooter Flare-M Tracer with Muzzle Flash
• 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
• Manual safety catch - Great for left and right-handed shooters
• Safety catch fire selector - On the full auto version, flip it up or down to set fire mode
• 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 - 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 Armorer Works Hi-capa GBB magazines
• OEM - Armorer Works

Package Includes

• EMG Taran Tactical Innovations JW4 Pit Viper
  • 30rnd Hi-capa GBB Magazine