Building Out the WELLPRO WE23: Tracer Install, MOLLE Carry Rig, and Whether I Went Too Far

I picked up the WELLPRO WE23 — “The Gauntlet” — knowing full well it’s not a conventional airsoft platform. Five barrels, electric drive, and a form factor that looks more at home on a movie prop than a loadout. But the real question wasn’t whether it’s ridiculous. The real question was whether I could make it work on the field with a tracer unit and a practical carry solution. Here’s what I found.

The Orange Tips Have to Go

First thing out of the box: those orange tips are awful. They’re molded onto the barrel assembly with O-rings holding a top plate in place. The WE23 ships with this plate covering the barrel cluster, and the orange tips sit on top of it. Getting them off is the first step, and it’s also the step where most people will get stuck if they don’t know the trick.

The WE23 comes with an O-ring removal tool. Use it. Each barrel has an O-ring at its base that secures the top plate. Slide the tool under each O-ring, pluck it off, and set it aside. Once all five O-rings are removed, the top plate pulls straight off. Underneath, you’ve got the five bare barrels ready for the tracer setup.

Pro tip: WELLPRO includes a spare set of five O-rings. Don’t lose them. The original O-rings take abuse during removal, and you’ll want the backups if you ever reverse the mod.

Installing the Tracer Unit

This is where the WE23 build gets specific, and it’s the part I couldn’t find documented anywhere before I did it myself.

After removing the stock top plate and O-rings, here’s the sequence:

1. Install the tracer collar. This comes with the tracer unit. Slide it over the five barrels — it sits where the old top plate was.
2. Swap in the flat plate. The tracer unit includes a replacement plate that’s identical to the stock one minus the overhang. Drop it into place over the barrels.
3. Reinstall the O-rings. Press all five O-rings back onto their seats. The flat plate is now held in position by the O-rings alone — no screws. It’s secure enough for field use, but it’s worth checking before each game day.
4. Thread the 14mm CCW rings. Each barrel has threading at the muzzle end. The tracer unit includes five 14mm counter-clockwise threaded rings that thread onto the barrels. These act as spacers and alignment guides for the tracer unit itself. Thread them on with the unthreaded section at the base, closest to the plate.
5. Mount the tracer unit. With the collar, plate, O-rings, and spacer rings all in place, the tracer unit screws onto the barrel cluster. Check that it’s centered and sitting flush. If it’s off-center, one of the spacer rings is probably misaligned — back it off and reseat it.

The whole process takes about fifteen minutes if you’ve done it before, thirty if you’re figuring it out for the first time. The tracer unit adds noticeable length to the front of the WE23, but it doesn’t throw off the balance as much as I expected.

Battery Pack and Tracer Settings

The tracer unit runs off its own battery pack. I set mine to green tracer mode for the BBs I was running, but it cycles through the usual options — green, red, and UV. The battery pack tucks into the rear of the WE23’s body shell, and I didn’t have any issues with it rattling loose during handling.

One thing worth noting: the tracer draws power independently from the WE23’s main drive battery. You’re running two separate power systems in one platform. Keep both charged, or you’ll have a tracer that doesn’t light and a minigun that doesn’t spin.

The Carry Problem — and a MOLLE Solution

Here’s the honest part. You can’t really aim the WE23 in a traditional sense. It’s a suppression platform — point it in a direction and let the rate of fire do the work. That means mobility and deployment speed matter more than precision.

I built a carry rig using MOLLE strap material attached to my skeletonized cummerbund. The WE23 hangs from the MOLLE loop at the rear, and the front tucks against my side. It pulls on the cummerbund — no way around that — but it’s manageable for short sprints and repositioning. The key insight: you’re not carrying this like a primary. You’re carrying it like a specialized tool that you bring to bear when the situation calls for it.

I also ran a secondary airsoft pistol in a holster on my support side. The WE23 is your “oh, they’re all over there” option. The pistol is your actual primary for 90% of engagements. The MOLLE rig lets you transition between them without setting either down.

Paracord Retention

Later in the build, I experimented with a paracord loop attachment as an alternative to the MOLLE strap. The paracord loops through the rear of the WE23 frame and clips to a carabiner on my belt. It’s lighter than the MOLLE setup and gives you more freedom of movement, but it also lets the WE23 swing more during aggressive movement. For a casual game day, paracord works. For a competitive round where you’re sprinting between cover, the MOLLE strap is the better choice.

Did I Go Too Far?

Honestly? Maybe. The WE23 with a tracer unit and a MOLLE carry rig is a lot of effort for a platform that’s fundamentally a novelty. But here’s the thing — it works. The tracer install is clean, the carry solution is functional, and the rate of fire with green tracer BBs at night is genuinely intimidating. If you’re the kind of player who enjoys building out unconventional platforms and you’ve got a field that allows this kind of rate of fire, the WE23 build is worth doing.

If you’re looking for a practical primary platform for competitive play, this isn’t it. The WE23 is a support piece, a conversation starter, and a whole lot of fun — but it’s not replacing your AEG or GBBR for general play.

What You Need for This Build

• WELLPRO WE23 “The Gauntlet” — the base platform
• Tracer unit — compatible with the WE23’s five-barrel cluster (14mm CCW threads)
• O-ring removal tool — included with the WE23
• MOLLE strap material — for the carry rig
• Skeletonized cummerbund — or any plate carrier with MOLLE attachment points
• Paracord — optional, for the lighter retention setup
• Secondary airsoft pistol and holster — because the WE23 isn’t your primary

Watch the full build video: My Custom WELLPRO WE23 Build — Did I Go Too Far?

The WELLPRO WE23 is available from major airsoft retailers. Check the video description for current pricing and availability.