{"id":69754,"date":"2021-01-29T07:00:02","date_gmt":"2021-01-29T13:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/?p=69754"},"modified":"2026-01-05T14:44:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T20:44:16","slug":"hands-on-with-the-voodoo-innovations-witch-doctor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/hands-on-with-the-voodoo-innovations-witch-doctor\/","title":{"rendered":"Hands-on with the VooDoo Innovations Witch Doctor"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adams Arms is known for refinements to the AR-15 platform. The Adams Arms P-Series rifles are built around a short-stroke piston that keeps the internals clean and cool\u2014at least when compared with their direct-impingement counterparts. Their parts kits are essential upgrades for custom AR builders. Now they\u2019re making a new line of guns under their VooDoo Innovations\u2014and they\u2019re not piston guns.<\/p>\n

The Witch Doctor and the Dark Moon (the two new VooDoo Innovaitons guns) are both direct-impingement ARs that are hitting the market at just the right time. These guns are filtering into gun stores now and are available for those lucky enough to find one.<\/p>\n

\"VooDoo
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang, walla walla, bing bang.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I was fortunate enough to pick up a Witch Doctor to review, and here\u2019s what I\u2019ve found.<\/p>\n

Off-the-Shelf<\/h2>\n

To begin, the Witch Doctor is a rock-solid starting point for anyone looking for an off-the-shelf rifle that is ready to run, as-is.<\/p>\n

It also provides an adaptable platform for those looking to begin the process of customization. The time is right for tinkering\u2014it is a fantastic way to stay engaged when there\u2019s a shortage of ammo and a shortage of available guns.<\/p>\n

\"VooDoo
This VDI Witch Doctor is built on an Anderson lower. Others are marked VDI.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Witch Doctor Bones<\/h2>\n

The upper and lower are forged aluminum. They\u2019re 7075-T6 aluminum with a Type III Class II hard-coat anodized finish. This is a standard for ARs. 7050-T6 has a healthy mix of zinc in the alloy. The mechanical properties are sound.\u00a0 As aluminum goes, 7075 shows good ductility, strength\u2014it is durable and resistant to fatigue, and reasonably light, so everyone uses it.<\/p>\n

\"VooDoo
All of the controls on the Witch Doctor are standard but functional.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

VooDoo Innovations has set this up as a working platform that is easy to customize. That makes sense for a company like Adams Arms\u2014their piston kits are a popular upgrade to the AR-15.<\/p>\n

The Witch Doctor is chambered in 5.56 NATO. With its 1:7 twist, it will favor the mid-to-high range of bullet weights. If this were 2018, and I had my seemingly unlimited stock of 5.56 flavors on hand for testing, I\u2019d run better numbers. As it is, I can talk about 55-grain options and 62-grain accuracy from Hornady Black.<\/p>\n

\"VooDoo
Accuracy is what you’d expect from a solid carbine. I’m just over 1 MOA with 62-grain 5.56 off the bench.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Parkerized barrel\u2019s M4 profile will manage heat well enough for repeat accuracy on follow-up shots. This is not a rifle that\u2019s set-up to take on extreme long-range targets. It isn\u2019t impossible to make 500-yard shots with a 16\u201d barrel, but it is hardly easy. I\u2019m keeping the Witch Doctor in a defensive role, so I\u2019m looking for center-mass hits at 100 yards from the iron sights, and an ability to engage multiple targets while moving at distances from 5 to 150 yards. And even the 55 grain Tula rounds hit their mark.<\/p>\n

The Witch Doctor’s Other Parts<\/h2>\n

So once you get beyond the basic build (as in the elements you\u2019re least likely to change out), you\u2019ll find solid standards.<\/p>\n

They describe the trigger as a \u201cstandard G.I.\u201d model. If you\u2019re accustomed to out-of-the-box AR triggers, this one will feel familiar. The trigger shoe has a typical curve to it, and there\u2019s no creep or grit. It breaks at 4 pounds. All-things-considered, this trigger is a solid place to start. If you did swap it out, I\u2019d keep it and its parts in your toolbox, just in case.<\/p>\n

\"VooDoo
Standard GI style innards.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The rest of the furniture follows this theme.<\/p>\n

The Witch Doctor has a free-float M-Lok rail. This is perfectly functional as-is, and a solid step up from the clam-shell handguards on many entry-level rifles. This rail is aluminum. To cut weight, it has a rail above the low-profile gas block and a small section of rail where the handguard mates with the upper\u2014but the center is cut smooth.<\/p>\n

\"VooDoo
The long handguard gets you close to the end of the barrel. The railed section, though, is slightly raised. A front sight will serve as a hand stop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I like this design better than the traditional A2 front sight found on many carbines. It allows me to stretch out more with my support hand. And it is not going to flex much during recoil, so adding a light or a laser is reliable. And the smooth cut on top of the rail provides a positive ergonomic hand hold for thumb-over-bore shooters.<\/p>\n

Maybe the most appealing option is the ability to put whatever sight you\u2019d like up front. There\u2019s nothing to obscure optics\u2014any kind of sight, back-up sight, or canted sights would work.<\/p>\n

\"Witch
The rear stock is pretty standard. If you are swapping parts, this may be a good place to start.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The standard 6-position stock and A2 grip are going to get less ink. If this rifle stays in the stable, I\u2019m likely to swap out the stock pretty quickly. The tube is Mil-Spec, so finding available options should still be easy enough.<\/p>\n

Shooting the VooDoo Innovations Witch Doctor<\/h2>\n

Naked, the Witch Doctor comes in at an industry-standard 7 pounds. It could be lighter with a polymer forend and a minimalist stock, but it would lose the robust feel. With the stock collapsed, it comes in at 33\u201d. Again, this is all straight-up standard for the platform.<\/p>\n

\"shooting
The long free-float handguard is a great addition.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Like most AR-15s, the Witch Doctor isn\u2019t picky about mags. I ran a variety of mags (some aluminum, some polymer) with no hiccups. The gun ships with an Amend 2 mag.<\/p>\n

\"Witch
The DI Bolt Carrier Group.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Witch Doctor Basics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\n\n\n\n
Features:<\/p>\n