Jump to content

Boyi HK416 Review


Recommended Posts

I'm pre-posting this unfinished review just to get some quick feedback on it since I have a good week or two till I can finish it (I dont have a battery/charger for the gun yet as my LiPolys are on backorder and need to be "built") so I figured since the opportunity is here, let the grammar Nazi's and any others who want to see more pictures and whatnot have at it:

 

D Boys H&K 416

 

Introduction

 

Heckler and Koch, to airsofters and gun lovers alike it’s a name that brings out all sorts of emotions, some good, some not so good. Love them or hate them though, the fact is a significant number of their designs are found in regular use by soldier and airsofter alike and one of the most coveted designs in both worlds is that of the H&K Model 416.

 

HK41679.jpg

 

With M-type guns dime a dozen in the airsoft world one more, so called “slightly” innovative design shouldn’t make that big of a swell, as when one version of an M series comes out, forty other companies do their rendition. The HK416 isn’t much different in this respect, but there is however a much greater difference between the versions. There doesn’t seem to be a real true middle ground on price or quality. You’ve either got the low end AGM and JG guns, which aren’t terrible but need work in many areas, or you have the overzealous $450-$1000 VFC and HurricanE kits. Well it seems the DBoys is trying to fill this space in the middle with their version of the HK416. At roughly $120-$130 in price and coming with a full metal body, rail kit (not sure if one can actually call this a true RAS, but it’s definitely not a RIS http://www.quarterbore.com/kac/kacrisras.html ) steel body, FULL H&K trademarks (this is an issue for those Stateside however), adaptor for both 10 and 14.5 inch length barrels, vert grip, and a pretty decent looking PEQ battery box, this is a pretty decent package, but no airsoft gun should be graded just by its cover so let’s look deeper into this newest player in the HK416 series.

 

Real Steel History

 

*Taken from Modern Firearms a.k.a. world.guns.ru

 

HK41669-1.jpg

HK41670.jpg

 

“Following the revision of the OICW Block 1 / XM8 program, the Heckler & Koch company decided to enter the US military and law enforcement markets with the alternative design, which, in fact, looks quite promising. Based on the experience, gained during successful upgrade program of the British SA80 / L85A1 program, HK decided to cure the existing M16 rifles and M4 carbines from most of their problems, inherent to this 40-years old design. The key improvements, made by HK, are their patented short-stroke gas piston system, borrowed from HK G36 rifle. This system replaced the direct gas system of standard M16 rifle, so no powder residue will remain in the receiver even after long shooting sessions. The "new" gas system also is self-regulating and will work reliably with any barrel length. Other improvements include new buffer assembly, improved bolt, and a cold hammer forged barrel, as well as free-floating handguard with integral Picatinny-type rails. Originally developed as a "drop-in" upper receiver assembly for any standard M16/M4 type lower receiver, HK416 is also available as a complete weapon, with HK-made lower receivers. Current (late 2005) models include carbines with 10.5" and 14.5" barrels, and 16.5" barreled carbine and 20" barreled rifle will be added later.”

 

HK41668-1.jpg

 

Personally I love the H&K 416, and really any piston driven M-Series. Having shot the M16A2, M4A1, Bushmaster with modified piston, and the H&K 416 itself, I can say that there is an absolute difference; the H&K is deserving of its “throne.” Firing the weapon feels the same as an M4; a .223 is a .223, that’s not going to change, and military loads (5.56 NATO) are heavier than their civilian counterparts (.223 Remington, and yes, there is a distinction between the two despite appearing to be the “same,” green tips are considerably stronger and will cause a civilian rifle’s chamber to wear twice as fast if not break right away), I’ve never felt any real difference between AR’s. The reliability is noticeable after a few mags (with no SPORTS) though and the cold bolt is really cool (oh yeah I shotgunned it and did the future weapons thing). Also the fact that the barrel feels twice as heavy as a normal M4’s is interesting (I found the HK416 to be much more barrel heavy than my M4A1), but probably a nice feature in the long run. Now because HK famously will only distribute the weapon to the military, and to VERY few units at that has somewhat slanted this guns image, don’t pass it off straight on. There is a damn good reason why this weapon is gaining more and more favor in the military community.

 

Anyway on to the toy, which, in its own way, has its own black mark attached to it thanks to the piety of the VFC users who pedestal the gun and its manufacturer above all others. It would appear at first glance that this Boyi HK416 will be a fair middle ground between the VFC and Chinese MPEG’s.

 

Oh and btw its gona be in Terminator 4 in the hands of Bale, so that’ll be kickass…

 

First Impressions

 

Living in the US sucks if you like to have trademarks on your airsoft guns, and as I’ve said countless times, “What’s the point of buying a replica without the real trades?” Well searching around I found one Chinese store that would ship the gun as is, RSOV. I asked in the buying instructions to place black electrical tape over the trades which they claimed they would do for no extra charge.

 

I purchased the gun and a dual autowinding M16 mag (it was $30, I couldn’t resist) for almost exactly $200 shipped (the gun itself was $108) which turned out to be an Odyssey of itself. The shipping tracker never seemed to update and it appeared that the gun was stuck “Awaiting Custom’s Inspection” for upwards of a week and a half. Despite this the gun arrived

 

HK4161.jpg

HK4166.jpg

 

Tearing through to the box I held my breath, praying that the trades were intact. Low and behold they were. Covered by masking tape (w/e) the trades on both sides of the receiver were indeed fine.

 

HK41610.jpgHK41613.jpg

 

With that heart attack done away with I was able to look over the rest of the gun. Nice. That’s the best description I can use. It’s not perfect. A trained eye can spot some basic issues, but it is pretty nice.

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Replies 92
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

HK41614.jpg

 

Tucked into the Styrofoam packing is the rifle itself, battery, battery box, charger, flip up sight, 14.5 inch barrel extension, vertical grip, cleaning rod, manual, and magazine. Additional mounted on the gun there is the H&K RIS front and rear sight.

 

Appearance

 

Well, what can I say? The trades make a huge difference here to me. I can’t help but find myself looking at them right away and just loving it.

 

HK41622.jpg

 

On each side of the receiver, the front, and the barrel, there are HK markings and trademarks.

 

The right side:

 

HK41633.jpg

Heckler & Koch GmbH

Made in Germany

 

Heckler & Koch

Defense Inc.

Sterling VA

 

The left side:

 

HK41660.jpg

HK

 

HK 416 D

Cal. 5.56mmx45

 

Additionally on the left side there’s an HK symbol under the top rail with various manufacture symbols after it, plus a serial number on by the fire selector.

 

And on the front of the receiver:

 

HK41635.jpg

Warning:

Read

operators

manual

before

use

 

There are additional markings on the gun including ones on the barrel:

 

HK41639.jpg

Might be hard to see but it says HK 5.56mm x 45

 

The stock:

 

HK41675.jpg

 

The bolt cover (nice touch IMO):

 

HK41674.jpg

 

And the magazine, which has:

 

HK41672-1.jpg

 

5.56mm x 45

RESTRICTED LAW ENFORCEMENT

GOVERNMENT US ONLY 10-94

Heckler & Koch GmbH Heckler & Koch Defense

Made in Germany Sterling VA

 

Also there’s an HK symbol on the bottom of the magazine, which is the correct SA-80 advanced type; AKA, no dogleg.

 

HK41651.jpg

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Moving along the rifle though you find a few other things to look at, namely the finish on the rifle itself. While the RIS, outer barrel, and magazine have an absolutely beautiful finish on them, the receiver is… well it’s pretty damn rough. Not bad, don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen FAR worse, but not the best I’ve seen either. It’s very rough in both feel and looks, and fails my “scratch test” (switch blade) terribly. Personally I don’t mind this THAT much as I like the weathered look on some guns, so as long the areas around the trademarks stays intact, I’m happy.

 

HK41652.jpg

 

The same metal used on the receiver is used on the stock tube, the RIS sights, the gas block, and the rotating front sight.

 

HK41672.jpg

HK41676.jpg

HK41651-1.jpg

 

A word on the stock tube, it’s too short. That or the LE stock is too long. Either way there is a space at the end of the tube with the stock fully retracted. A strange oversight that doesn’t really detract from the appearance of the gun but will confuse you at first.

 

HK41677.jpg

 

The plastics used have a very nice matt color. Additionally the textured pistol grip replicates the HK416 look quite well. Thus I’d say overall the Boyi HK416 has quite a nice look to it. Personally I prefer the 145RS (14.5 inch) over the 10RS (10 inch barrel) so I plan to keep it in this configuration and replace in the inner barrel to match.

 

Another realism point is the lipped mag well, a trademark for the 416 type weapon.

 

HK41667.jpg

 

Look Grade: 9/10

 

If not for the cheap paint used on the receiver (and therefore having a very unfinished metal look) I would give this a 10/10, although there is something to be said of this look, as the real HK416 has a slightly lighter finish on it than the standard M4A1.

 

Looking over the accessories, the PEQ-2 is a pretty good looking replica to be honest. They did a pretty good job replicating the VFC version and it comes out quite nice. Complete with clear plastic lenses under the caps the battery box has its own say in form and function.

 

HK41626.jpg

HK41625.jpg

 

Feel/Aesthetic

 

It’s fun to hold, no other way to say it. I’ve held the VFC HK416 and the HurricanE kit as well as a JG HK416, and out of the three I’d say for sure this is a clone of the VFC, and a damn good one at that. The metal body has, as mentioned, a very rough texture. It feels okay, somewhat like the VFC, but just a little cheaper, which given a $108.00 price tag, isn’t that bad of a trade off. Although I worry that the word “rough” will put some people off. A fair comparison would be the feel of unpainted aluminum siding, which actually might be what this thing is made of. Another fair comparison would be the metal used in many bolt covers in even high end M-types.

 

On the forums Darklight and others mentioned an issue with the mag catch, being too closely copied of the VFC and therefore taking the stock mag and very few others. On mine this seemed to be kinda true as well, but to be honest I switched the mag catch out with one from my CA M15A4 and to be honest I found that the stock one was nicer. I think the trick is to not be a wuss about slapping that magazine into the gun. You really gota push it in there with some force for the catch to engage. Once it does its fine. I would however, as Darklight suggested, switch the hopup chamber out, something that’s wise to do on any airsoft gun, but on this one the hopup feels and looks like crud. Functionality I’ll cover later.

 

HK41665.jpg

 

Another note on feel; this gun is VERY solid. There is 0 play anywhere in this gun barring the actual stock (not the tube) itself. The RAS is held on with the same single pin retention screw as the real steel and has the interlocking nub on top of the receiver that keeps it and anything towards the barrel, feeling very solid and 0 wobble. Complete with correct numbering the goes all the way to end of the top of the receiver makes for a nice, appreciable detail.

 

HK41654-1.jpg

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Additionally the forward sight post, which comes unattached, is very strong. A word to the wise; decide whether or not you want the sight post attached or not as a permanent idea, because I’ve found once it’s one there, it’s next to impossible to take off. It’s held in place by a two sided pin which once it has its head attached really can’t be removed without serious work. This may bother some users but to be honest I prefer the look of the forward sight and it is foldable should you choose another optic system.

 

HK41617.jpg

HK41668.jpg

 

A nice copy over from the VFC: functional bolt catch.

 

HK41642.jpg

 

This is a fun one to play with and makes hopup adjustment much easier, and while yes, this feature is apparently becoming more and more common among airsoft replicas, it’s still a fun thing to play with when you slap in your first mag.

 

The modifiable outer barrel is a nice touch, giving the user the option of changing the weapon between the D145RS with a 14.5 inch outer barrel and the D10RS with a 10 inch outer barrel. The change out is very quick and easy and the aluminum outer barrel extension has a nice sturdy thread on it that should stand up to a fair amount of switching. A word of advice would be to buy a 363mm barrel for when you put the longer barrel on to take advantage of the additional space afforded by the extended outer barrel.

 

HK41614.jpg

HK41672.jpg

 

I like the look of the 14 inch model better. Plus the advantages of having an extra long barrel are always a nice thing in a match.

 

HK41654.jpg

 

The plastics have a nice feel to them. Strong and sturdy, no bend in the stock and the pistol grip feels like it will remain firmly in place with no issues.

 

HK41662.jpg

 

Feel Grade: 9/10

Aesthetics: 9/10

 

It feels good. If not for the somewhat unfinished texture of the receiver I would say it’s perfect. The feel of the RAS and plastics is solid enough though that you don’t really care about the receiver, which you rarely touch anyway.

 

HK41656.jpg

 

Aesthetics wise the only reason it doesn’t get a 10 is the stock tube thing. It’s a rather confusing oversight that I’m pretty amazed wasn’t noticed. It doesn’t really detract from the gun but it is something that should have not existed.

 

HK41682.jpg

HK41684.jpg

 

Shooting

 

Well I had an issue here at first. The gun does come with a battery and charger, but they’re both pretty junky, the charger not working on American outlets anyway. Also, recently, I had switched to LiPoly batteries and I have to say their a true dream, but unfortunately I had no LiPolys on hand and as such I wasn’t sure if it was fair to the gun to use the subpar battery.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Alright so that's what I have so far, minus the unfinished "conclusion" and "credits" section. Any suggests would be nice if more pictures or info will be asked. One thing though, no disassembly will be done. While I know how to, I dont like taking guns apart, and M-types with wires to the front ESPECIALLY as I've only manage to take apart a forward wired gun twice with stripping 1 or more of the wires.... just not good at it... so with this one I won't open it except once.... maybe... to trade out the hopup and barrel, and even then I might have a buddy do it instead since I really dont wana ruin my baby.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Nice review, Ranger Captain :D . I actually own a D-boys M4A1 before, and I can tell you that guns from D-boys are quite versatile for upgrading. I have upgraded my gun on the internals to increase its performance to the level of a TM M4A1. A good motor (G&P M120 for example), wiring, piston set (Area 1000), cylinder set (Area 1000) and a new hop-up rubber (Guarder, Firefly or Prometheus) can increase this babe's performance :) .

Btw, do you reckon' these H&K trademarks are accurate? From what I heard about the H&K USP .45 pistol from KSC (which I actually own one), many people still thinks that the H&K trademarks on the USP are just look-a-likes rather than strictly accurate :o .

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well I've fired an HK416 before and while I wasn't looking at the trades, I've seen HK trades on other guns and these look spot on. And Dboy's was VERY thorough, even going so far as laser engraving HK and the calibre on the outer barrel, barely noticeable through the RAS unit.

 

Oh and upgrade wise I plan to keep this gun fairly weak, as I don't intend to really use this gun that often, I mainly bought it as a collector's piece of sorts, kinda just to have. I'm gona bring it to about stock TM ability by taking the whole box out of this one and replacing it with one out of a used/newish TM M4A1 I just bought, and adding in a promo tightbore and an element hopup unit. I might replace the air nozzle as well but I'll test the gun first to see if it's shooting about 150 feet. If it is, then I see no reason to really do anything else.

Edited by Ranger_Captain
Link to post
Share on other sites
By the way, Is the magazine supplied to this HK416 a hi-cap or a low-cap?

Another question (not about the HK 416): Is that clothing you often used as the background of your gun the ACU?

 

The magazine is a hicap with no wheel. You use a small provided tool to wind it (I will have to add that to the review). As far as the background it is indeed a few pairs of ACU's. Mainly tops I think. If you closely at the full length pictures you can see my knees in the pics wearing ACU's. It's all I've got to wear while I'm on leave. That and PT's.... my parent's threw out all my normal clothing :S

Edited by Ranger_Captain
Link to post
Share on other sites
That and PT's.... my parent's threw out all my normal clothing :S

 

Darn, that's kinda bad :mellow: . Does your ACU really change color when viewed through night vision goggles?

 

And also, From Gunners Airsoft's information I think the magazine can be winded by an allen key. Is that right?

Edited by The S.C.A.R.
Link to post
Share on other sites
Darn, that's kinda bad :mellow: . Does your ACU really change color when viewed through night vision goggles?

 

And also, From Gunners Airsoft's information I think the magazine can be winded by an allen key. Is that right?

 

The magazine is winded by an included key, and that's all. It doesn't possess and external wheel. And as far as the uniform goes, no. It... just doesn't look all that different, just darker and harder to see lol. The only thing I noticed was we exposed our IR tabs on our shoulders they do actually twinkle... I thought it was cool lol.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well I finally shot the thing and.... I've never seen an airsoft gun do what this one does before. I tried it at first with a MAG midcap and it double fed every shot, which isn't THAT abnormal for a brand new gun so a I switched to the included HK mag, which double fed as well, and then gave it a few good sprays (hopup and barrel) with some silicon spray, wound the mag, and I swear, I took one shot, and about 14 bb's came out the barrel... Needless to say that's a serious issue. I believe it is all because of the cruddy hopup chamber but.... well true to form I can't take apart forward wired guns and while attempting to disassemble the gun I think I pinched the wires, yet again, and now the bloody thing won't fire.... Oy vey...

Link to post
Share on other sites

IMG_1032.jpg

IMG_1031.jpg

IMG_1030.jpg

IMG_1029.jpg

IMG_1028.jpg

IMG_1027.jpg

 

Some pics with the upper receiver/RAS removed. Nice faux gas system lol.

 

Range, with my new Element hopup chamber, is a solid 120 feet for accurate body shots, 130 max possible (16 inch spreed (think 800m 3 MOA M16)) and pretty fast bb travel. Personally I dont care for high FPS guns but this thing is fun to shoot. Admitidly I'm using the stock 8.4v only so far, so possibly when I get my LiPoly in the mail there might be a slight increase in range but probably not much.

Edited by Ranger_Captain
Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm using a Systema black, and granted, those are measurements with 0 hop and probably the worst quality BB's ever made, but to be honest I don't expect much higher range than 140 feet at the SUPER MAX from a stock Dboy's weapon, and to be honest that's not that terrible when the average range on even a decently upgraded AEG never really peaks over 175-180 ft.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Alright I finally got my Lipoly and got it up and running so the final max range, on a standard FBI target (center mass shot) with madbull .25g bb's is peaking at about 160 feet... not bad for a stock Dboys.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Ranger Captain, why don't you extend the inner barrel's length to a 14.5 inch one :huh: ? I swapped my stock D-boys M4A1 inner barrel for a new Guarder 6.04mm inner barrel with the same length as the short one...It's so different after the modification :D . And also, the hop-up chamber needs some tuning as well. Is your HK 416 using the same hop-up as the M4s? If yes, than this problem is easier to correct.

Edited by The S.C.A.R.
Link to post
Share on other sites

I may do that eventually. Right now my funds are locked up in a three day match coming up on the 22nd-25th, (which includes buying a new pair of goggles :S ) I'm looking at the Madbull series or the Promo, I've had very good experiences with both in the past. As far as hopup goes if you read above you'll see I already traded out the hopup for an Element one (including the hopup nub for an H type), and the rubber for a Systema. I may switch out the shoddy air nozzle as well but I do sooo hate opening gear boxes so unless it really seems like a hazard I may just leave it the way it is.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I figured out the problem with the stock mag catch. It comes from the factory too lose. It needs to be tightened one rotation and then will be quite fine in holding mags of almost any type. I notice even after changing the hopup that mags still seemed to fall out sometimes. Now they stay in VERY securely and feed fine. So far I've used (with no fall outs or feed issues) the stock mag, MAG midcaps, the battleaxe electric winder, CA highcaps, G&P midcap, and AGM midcaps.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 4 weeks later...

Well it is cheap plastic but it doesnt bother me much. I got the one that uses 4x AAA so that I dont need to remember to charge anything. I actually dont use it that much and I got it for 2 to 3 day matches where on the third day I dont feel like carrying mags or anything and just wana carry all my ammo for the day in one magazine. For that, the magazine is perfect. For "practical" use though it's not good since it jingles twice as bad as a normal magazine.

Link to post
Share on other sites

But it feeds fine and all that? As much as I like actually having to reload and using nice metal midcaps, everyone else has hicaps and box mags. Don't really have much choice but to fight back with even higher cap. Personally I'd love to see a field with a realcap or midcap only rule and buy those suckers at bulk and sell them at the door. See some real shot placement instead of spammed "suppressive fire."

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and the use of session cookies.