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AC
HK21 'Custom'
"Chocolate
gears and biscuit pistons"
What? Well, it’s basically a G3SG1, with a shortened A3 front end, and a PSG stock. It was made to replicate as closely as possible Heckler and Koch’s HK21 support weapon, with a few personal touches.
Following
the HK numbering system, this gun is a belt-fed machine gun, running 7.62x51
ammunition. Obviously the belt-feed
is hard to achieve with an airsoft weapon, however I intend to try and solve
this partially by using a C-mag on the weapon, which would be feasible on
the real thing.
Why? My reasons for purchase were simple: I needed a long-range gun, and my MC51 clearly wasn’t going to cut it. It was available there and then, and at a good price.
I had the accessories from the MC51 that would remain compatible, and although second-hand (normally I try to stay well clear of used rifles), it was coming from a trusted friend, and therefore I knew the gun’s history.
This also meant that all the hard work had already been done, the rifle was broken in, upgraded and ready to roll. So, for the princely sum of £300, I secured myself a ferocious piece of kit, with loads of bits thrown in (Thanks, Alex). Oh, yeah, and running about with an LSW kinda suits a nutter like me J
Technical waffle: How can I build one? Thanks to the modular design of the G3 series, all the parts from the other weapons fit with little work. Hence the addition of the A3 front end, and the PSG butt is merely a bolt-on job.
Fitting
the bipod is a little more difficult. The A3 grip is not designed for bipod
use, and so leaves no gap at the front for one. Hence you have to cut into
the foregrip, and place a collar on the barrel, from which a stud protrudes
- you can then bolt the bipod to this. Do this, and you’re pretty close to
the appearance of the real thing.
Personal Touches – My particular one has been shortened slightly, by removing the metal barrel extension, and simply refitting the flash-hider flush with the foregrip. The PSG butt has also been gutted, and an 8.4V, 1700mAh battery pack built into it.
A penny for my thoughts… The moment I got hold of this gun, I loved it. The firepower, the range, the rarity of the custom build. As far as I’m concerned, it’s as good as an M60, more versatile, and a damn sight cheaper. The shortening work has made it slightly easier to swing about, especially for nutters like me who insist on using it in urban environments. It has made the weapon slightly less accurate, but it’s a support weapon; since when did accuracy matter?
Open up
on the enemy with it, and they soon go scurrying away looking for an easier
time. Due to the upgraded motor and
high-speed gears (see problems), it sent a storm of plastic towards the unlucky
target. It also came with a nice Firefly red-dot sight (see
review), and a whole stack of hicaps.
After two years, the gun is showing signs of use, the usual scrapes and knocks, but works as well as ever, with exceptional reliability (except for a small glitch last summer). It’s had a hard life, but keeps going regardless.
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Details
At time
of purchase:
