There is a larger version of the 416,
chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO rifle
cartridges. This H&K 417 is basically an
up-scaled version of the 416 and is again
ergonomically similar to the M16/M4 series.
They take G3 style magazines. Enough on
the 417 though, as that is another article in its
own right.
There are other variants of the H&K 416 for
the American civilian market, again in 5.56 and
7.62. These versions, renamed the MR556 &
MR762 accordingly, are semi-auto only.
Umarex/ VFC HK416 GBB
VFC has been making high-end airsoft AEGs
for some time now. The rifles VFC produces
have generally always been robust and very
well-put-together, so when it started to
manufacture gas blowback (GBB) rifles my
hopes it could replicate this reliability with
an alternate power source were high. As I
said earlier, there will
always be the debate
about ‘AEG or GBB?’
As with everything,
both have their pros
and cons. In the past
gas has always been
at a disadvantage
here in the UK owing
to our climate, which
is normally too cold
to make a GBB a
reliable, year-round
airsoft primary. On
top of that, early gas rifles were closed bolt,
which took away the realism and thus the
whole point of owning such a rifle! However,
when WE brought out its new open bolt
system and we had the G39C running
faultlessly at -6°C, I hoped this meant that
gas rifles had turned a corner.
I have used some early VFC M4 open
bolt gas blowbacks and had been rather
disappointed by some catastrophic failures
that took some time to rectify. However,
when Umarex launched its MP5 gas
blowback SMGs (again made by VFC), I was
pleasantly impressed with build, rate of fire
and reliability. This, to me, redeemed VFC’s
reputation. So when the Umarex HK416 GBB
turned up on my desk I really couldn’t wait to
give it a good going over.
First impressions
Upon opening the very smart and now-familiar
H&K logo’d box, I was presented with the
14.5in-barrelled version, which in all honesty is
my favourite version in the range. Also in the
box is a 35-round magazine, comprehensive
instruction manual and a pistol-type BB loader.
As I took it out of the box I could already feel
how solid and weighty the Umarex HK416 is –
and once it is out of its protective plastic wrap
you have to admire how much thought and
detail there is on this version.
The ABS stock, while familiar-feeling, is
quite different to a normal M4 type (or many
other crane stocks out there, for that matter).
It is solid with very minimal wobble in any of
its four position settings and has a chunky
rubberised butt pad, which sits nicely when
the weapon is shouldered. The stock also
incorporates rear sling mounts on both sides.
are paying for top-end licensed products,
purely so you can have the realism, the
suspension of disbelief is sort of lost when
‘6mm’ is etched in big white letters down the
side of your pride and joy. The same can be
said, albeit to a lesser degree, about having
the ‘Umarex holds the worldwide exclusive
HK trademark and exterior design…’ spiel. This
appears on the right-hand-side of the receiver
in much smaller script, on the magwell under
the Heckler & Koch marking. The mag release
catch and bolt assist is also on the right-handside of the receiver.
The dust cover is made of ABS but the bolt
itself is metal, and again has a HK logo on it.
Things like that are a particularly nice touch
and take your mind off my earlier comments.
The charging handle at the rear of the receiver
is metal too and feels robust enough to take
a reasonable amount
of abuse. The upper
receiver is a flat-top
type with a rail for
mounting a sighting
system. It comes with
a H&K-style rotating
rear battle sight that
can be easily removed
with a Phillips
screwdriver.
The front free
floating rail system is
full-metal construction
and comes with a fixed front battle sight that
can also be removed. On the lower section of
the rail, just in front of the magwell, is a bolt
that can be undone with an Allan key. Once
loosened, this allows the whole rail system to
slide forward.
And why would I want to do that? Well,
because located beneath the rails is the
hop adjuster, which I must admit I am really
impressed with, in terms of how easy it is
to use. Although this process sounds quite
fiddly, it isn’t at all as difficult. It shows up the
one-piece metal outer barrel, which ends with
a standard M16A2 style flash hider.
The mag, as you would expect, is a
standard VFC M4 gas blowback magazine,
an all-metal construction with a capacity of
35 rounds.
“…when WE brought out its
new open bolt system and we had
the G39C running faultlessly at
-6°C, I hoped this meant that gas
rifles had turned a corner…”
034
February 2012
The curved pistol grip is ergonomic and feels
great when in hand. Again, made of quality
ABS, it gives you the feel that it won’t fall apart
in the first 30 minutes.
The metal receiver is very solid and robust.
It has an ambidextrous safety/fire selector
with options in ‘international’ (picture) format
and, just like the real thing, you cannot select
safe unless the weapon has been cocked,
with or without a magazine fitted. On the lefthand-side of the receiver there is a working
bolt release/hold open catch and a unique
serial number, and on the magwell is the H&K
logo with the model type (416D) etched into
the body. My only gripe here (and I know I
speak for many other airsoft players) is that
the calibre is etched in as ‘6mm BB’. While I
know that this is in fact what it is, when you