THE AIRSOFT MP40
Unsurprisingly, the MP40 has seen various
incarnations designed for airsoft gaming.
The simple grace and cinematic lure of the
machine pistol and mid-caps suit those who
want a more realistic experience.
Marushin
The Marushin gas blowback, which replaced
the über-rare Asahi model from the mid1990s, with an asking price of £300+, is the
kingpin of MP40s. The GBB magazines are
expensive and six magazines holding 32
8mm BBs will cost more than the gun. Also,
rearming and gassing each magazine in the
field is a major pain.
SRC
The SRC Gen 3 MP40 has earned a decent
reputation for reliability, and also features
an impressive electronic blowback feature.
Those with sausage fingers will find the
magazines are a bitch to wind though. That
said, the SRC is much loved by the MP40
community; expect to shell out £250.
A collector’s condition Marushin MP40
The original classic: Asahi’s MP40
TOP
The TOP, at £200 with a bellows and nozzle
system, is plagued by rusting complaints and
less than stellar internals and performance
– think of it as a wall hanger, if you think of
it at all.
CHINA: ASG/AGM/AEG
The bargain basement MP40s are
more convoluted, however. The
ASG MP40, priced around £150,
is a rebranded AGM model with a
single/full-auto fire selector that is
hardly authentic to the real steel.
AEG surprised all with a cheap
and cheerful MP40 available in
black and Bakelite versions. I use
the latter on the field with glee.
After removing the fire selector
and power switch on the grip
for a more realistic imitation, the
range and hitting power surprise
most on the airsoft killing fields.
Also, there is a modification that
will allow for a crisp and clean
blowback. A major benefit of the
AEG is that its Sten magazines
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February 2012
are compatible with the MP40. And to finish,
gently rub the externals with iron wool for
a ‘distressed’ and authentic appearance.
Just make sure you’re packing at least eight
magazines for the Schmeisser sub-machine
gun cha-cha! ■
DID YOU KNOW?
The MP40 is incorrectly referred to
as the ‘Schmeisser’. Although Hugo
Schmeisser’s factory manufactured it, he
had little to do with the design. Heinrich
Vollmer was the designer of the MP40; it
was produced by Erma Werke.
Where Eagles Dare and Kelly’s Heroes
(1970), both directed by Brian G Hutton,
who gave up filmmaking to be a plumber,
are available in a double Blu-Ray set that
is cheap as chips. Go. Buy. Now.