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Tokyo Marui H&K51 Carbine Review
images and review submitted by Jimmy , edited by Arnie
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Introduction: First of all I'll say a bit about the background of the real steel HK51 (if it actually exists). As you might be able to tell, this gun is based on the Heckler and Koch G3 series of rifles, of which there are quite a few official variants and even more unofficial ones, designed and made in other countries and by other companies than HK, out of HK components.
The HK Model 51 is one of these guns, originally made in America by Bill Flemming. However, if you put the actual real steel HK Model 51 next to the TM HK51 you would notice a lot of differences. The TM MC51 is actually far more similar to the real HK51, with its retractable stock and short barrel. The closest I could find on the Internet to the Tokyo Marui HK51 was an HK 51 Semi-Auto Vollmer conversion, made from an HK 91 or 94. It still didn't have the solid stock, but the rest was very close.
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If you haven't been airsofting for very long, or you always go to the same skirmish site then its altogether possible you might never have seen an HK51. The reason for this is that it was one of Marui's limited edition AEGs, with only 5000 made in the whole world (or so I've heard). This makes it a pretty sought-after gun, and I bought mine second hand for the same amount as most new AEGs. It is obviously based heavily upon the MC51, with the same receiver and cocking tube etc., however it has a nice big solid stock to put a big battery in, a smart looking vented foregrip and a big long barrel. It also has the EG1000 motor installed as standard and comes with a G3 Hi-capacity magazine. |
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As with all of Marui's HK AEGs there are lots of upgrades and accessories available for it. I have 2 Hi-Cap mags ( a total of 1000 rounds), a TM scope mount, red dot scope, maglite and holder, 3 point sling and the Classic Army metal receiver and cocking tube. The only internal upgrade I have installed is a TN FAMAS barrel. The Red Dot sight simply projects a little dot of red light onto a lens inside it, allowing quick target acquisition with both eyes open and higher accuracy. However the TM scope mount does not fit either the CA Metal body or the normal plastic TM one very well at all, meaning that I have had to use Duck Tape and superglue (on the mount itself, not the gun) to keep mine in place. |
In the future I will buy a Cyrus or B Square mount, as it apparently fits far more reliably. The Maglite and mount would be useful for FIBUA ("fighting in built up areas". Ed), but with a gun as big as the HK51, which cant be used effectively in such a situation, it is just there for looks. I will talk about the other accessories later on.
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Looks: Well I won't say much about the actual styling of the gun, as you can see that for yourself from any picture. Some people like it, some don't. I didn't particularly like the looks when I first saw this gun, but I bought it anyway, and it has grown on me since then. The finish of the actual weapon is rather nice, with all the same weld marks you'd see on any MP5 and a lovely semi-rough finish. Lovely to look at, that is. |
Holding the gun is a different matter altogether. It feels "plasticy", is FAR too light and creaks a hell of a lot, especially the foregrip. When my brother first held the gun he said to me "What a piece of #@*, you could get that kind of quality from a toy gun from "Toys R Us"." I agreed with him to some extent, and so I invested in the CA metal body. It was a bugger to fit, as I had to drill all the screw holes, and I also had to take it apart about 5 times when I forgot to put things back inside.
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It was well worth the effort, the only plastic left on the gun is the foregrip, pistol grip and stock, just like on the real thing. The creaks and squeaks are no more, and my HK51 now weighs about 5.5kg without the scope or maglite. The trigger group now reads S E F, rather than 0 1 20 as on the original body, and I had to paint in the letters with model paint, as they were black when the body arrived. One bad thing about the metal body is that the trigger group is the same colour as the rest of the receiver, unlike the original body, which had a slightly lighter grey trigger group. I don't know whether the real gun has this feature but I thought it looked pretty cool. |
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General Stuff: The HK51, like all TM G3 series, takes a 500 round Hi-Cap mag, which I've found to be as much as I'll normally need in any one game. I bought another one just in case, and have only used it once, when the bottom fell off my other mag (this happens quite a lot with G3 mags, so tape the bottom on before going into the field). Because it has a big stock you can put a nice large battery in it, the 8.4v it comes with will last you all day skirmishing and there'll still be enough left over to keep you plinking 'til the next event. To get the battery in and out you slide off the rubber butt-plate, slide the battery in and hook it up to the connector at the top, easy enough to do in the field if you ever need to. |
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Another bonus is that the stock won't wobble or squeak like the full stock MP5s will, as its secured with a nice long metal thingumy which in turn is fixed to the body with 4 big long bolts. The cocking handle works just like the real thing, and you can lock it back then slap it forward without fear of it snapping right off, as happens on the MP5s, and it sounds nice with the metal body fitted. Another thing you might want to look out for is the rear sling pin, as mine fell out, and I have had to glue a nail in its place which doesn't look quite so classy. |
(This is my SG1's stock- note the gaffer-tape keeping the pin secure, Arnie) |
Performance: With the stock barrel in the range and accuracy of the HK51 are somewhere between the MC51 and the SG-1, hardly surprising seeing as the barrel is somewhere between the MC51 and SG-1. However you can stick in an SG-1 barrel or even a FAMAS barrel easily and cheaply and you'll suddenly have a far more effective long-range weapon. OK, you're not going to be able to snipe people like you would with an APS2, but you will definitely out-range almost all other AEGs by a noticeable distance. The rate of fire is phenomenal with the EG1000 motor, and its also a very quiet gun compared to others with the same ROF (- Rate of fire. Ed).
The power is probably about 300 fps now with the TN barrel installed, although I've never had a chance to chrono it, but a stock HK51 would have much the same power as any other TM AEG, between 280 and 290 fps. There are plenty of other internal upgrades you can stick into this gun; springs, gears, reinforced boxes, pistons and all the other gubbins, but be careful, as if you put anything above an M100 spring in you'll most likely have to at least upgrade the gears as well.
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Another word of warning is that you might not want to put a sling on your HK51 unless it has a metal body, as the plastic receiver will eventually bend and crack. The sling I have on mine is a British army sling, designed for use on the SA80, and so I've had to put the connecty bit from a sports bag strap on the front end, in order to attach it to the front sling mount. This sling allows you to adjust it from carry length to shouldering length instantly, via a quick release buckle at the front. |
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Summary: Right, it's a classy gun with a high ROF, good range and accuracy, theres loads of accessories and upgrades available and, being a limited edition, it'll make you stand out from the thousands of "M4a1 wielding goons".
The only bad things I could
think of about this gun are the creaky receiver and its size, only 5 or 6 cm
shorter than an SG-1, which means fighting in buildings is a virtual impossibility.
However, if you have a backup gun for use in those situations and you want a
nice gun which you can turn into the BEST gun with a few minor upgrades then
the HK51 is your man.
Conclusion
External Links: AirsoftZone - a review of the HK51 by Skyfire Dolphin website - Another fine review of the Hk51, by Dolphin#1 BUFU Custom Gun Works - a review of the custom HK51 Sniper Version BlackRain7 - a rather nice review fo the HK51 Carbine AirsoftPlayers - A great comparative review of the oringinal TM HK51 and the custom version |
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copyright 2001 ArniesAirsoft.
This page last edited: Wednesday, February 21, 2001 7:49 PM
