HK and Tokyo Marui Samurai edge detailed comparison (56k viewers, put the kettle on)

[Senden]

So, HK came out with a full metal Samurai edge under half the price of the Marui version, How does it stack up?

 

 

 

Tokyo Marui on left, HK on right by CrimsonRoamer, on Flickr

 

(You can see a customised my Marui 'Edge by adding a lanyard ring)

 

 

Tokyo Marui on left, HK on right by CrimsonRoamer, on Flickr

 

 

As you can see in the pictures, the plastic grips have a more visible and convincing wood grain effect ( made with fibres embedded in the plastic, and the colour of the slide and frame are more consistent.

 

 

 

magazines by CrimsonRoamer, on Flickr

 

 

The Magazine appears to be a WE model, with generic trademarks and solid retaining pins rather than roll pins. The fit in the magazine well is secure but a little loose with some rattle. The Marui magazines have a much better fit with no rattle but will still drop free.

 

 

frame internals by CrimsonRoamer, on Flickr

 

The frame is nearly identical, but lacking the locator dimples from drilling to attach a rail.

 

 

field stripped slides by CrimsonRoamer, on Flickr

 

Inside the slide things start to get interesting. the HK comes with a differing recoil spring and guide, and lacks the separate (and fiddly) barrel bushing. The barrel assembly includes a rubber bumper to salve the plastic parts from metal slide.

 

 

 

Barrel assemblies by CrimsonRoamer, on Flickr

 

Even fully assembled you may notice some forward and back play in the outer barrel, closer examination reveals they have neglected to pin it in place.

 

However there is a method to this madness...

 

 

 

 

barrels by CrimsonRoamer, on Flickr

 

 

Your eyes do not deceive you, the HK samurai edge has an adjustable hop-up! To access it you need to lower the faux locking block until it clears the outer barrel and slide the outer barrel forwards

 

 

 

inner barrels by CrimsonRoamer, on Flickr

 

And the inner barrel has a bevelled muzzle crown unlike the Marui.

 

And though I forgot to photograph it, the outer barrel has internal threads which are compatible with the WE/Socom Gear 1911 silencer adaptor, rather than the faux rifling of the Marui.

 

 

And here's another improvement on the Marui, you remember that ambidextrous safety switch it used to have, the one secured by a grub screw and a shallow dimple that worked loose under recoil.

 

 

Ambidextrous safety by CrimsonRoamer, on Flickr

 

HK have deepened the dimple by half a millimetre but the results and transcendental. That switch isn't going anywhere.

 

 

 

internals by CrimsonRoamer, on Flickr

 

The blowback mechanism seems pretty similar, but the cross-head screw which secures it seems softer than the Marui one, and if you gouge it, it will take chunks out of your hammer, LFMF.

 

 

And now we come to what is really the only drawback to this pistol over the Marui, the safety.

 

 

Inexplicable fire selector by CrimsonRoamer, on Flickr

 

 

 

It seems that HK used the same brigadier type slide pattern as HFC's full-auto M190 because the slide has three (3) positions machined into it, causing the safety to stick irritatingly between fully up and fully down (and no, it does no do full-auto, the middle position is just another semi-auto position)

 

Now this would be a niggling complaint except that the only way to fix it is to dremel superfluous depression out.

 

 

 

One last thing. Like the marui the front and rear sights and dovetailed into position so they may be replaced (or lost, some light thread-lock probably wouldn't go amiss)

Edited February 20, 2012 by Senden

[Libris]

Excellent review. I'm a Marui fanboy when it comes to handguns but this convinced me to go for the all metal version.

 

Ah,internets to Hong Kong plus Paypal! Lethal combination.

[Armourpiercing]

If it is (supposedly) a WE or at least from the same factory in parts, does it go full auto when it feels like it & vent gas horribly?

[Isamu]

Impressive review, will you update it with performance testings?

 

Not a fan of the beretta pistols, but this surely is growing on me

[intinerious]

If it is (supposedly) a WE or at least from the same factory in parts, does it go full auto when it feels like it & vent gas horribly?

 

There is a suspicion that WE is using the HK3P factory to produce new guns...or maybe even HK3P are WE themselves. Nevertheless, the HK3P stuff is pretty damn solid. So far the PX4s I've seen are damn good and functional, hardly anything breaks off like pot metal (there's a case of a broken chamber on this forum but it's only been 1 guy; I wrote a lot on the review thread, check it out ). The newwer WE G17 (which is internally the same as the SG Timberwolf and HK3P Glock 17) also seem to be pretty good...I'm sure some people on this forum bought it already and if they had problems they'll have voiced out

 

The samurai edge also seem to be very good; some people on this forum besides the OP have it already and they only have glowing reviews from what I remember.

 

So basically anything that is made by the HK3P factory seem to be very good for the price

[adadqgg]

If it is (supposedly) a WE or at least from the same factory in parts, does it go full auto when it feels like it & vent gas horribly?

It is a wallhanger; and it is more well-made than TM externally.

 

More than enough reason to buy one.

Edited February 22, 2012 by adadqgg

[vilerk]

Does the HK's hop up use a green plasticky nub like the WE?

[Isamu]

just curious, did someone tried to install KJW internals so this beauty can be run in CO2?

 

Thanks

[millettepatricia]

Really awesome write up!!! It proved very helpful for me as i was in this dilemma only which one to get!!

cheers! Thanks!!

[p0inT]

just curious, did someone tried to install KJW internals so this beauty can be run in CO2?

 

Thanks

 

If the gun is a WE as people say, you could just use the WE CO2 Beretta mags!

Edited March 14, 2012 by p0inT

[Isamu]

Arent these from another brand/factory? which I hope they are because my experience with WE pistols has been... well, not pleasant, I prefer to use KJW internals as Im 100% sure they can take CO2 reliably (I own a 1911 CO2 version, god bless it)

[intinerious]

Arent these from another brand/factory? which I hope they are because my experience with WE pistols has been... well, not pleasant, I prefer to use KJW internals as Im 100% sure they can take CO2 reliably (I own a 1911 CO2 version, god bless it)

 

Well it seems to be a complete TM clone so I think as long as the WE CO2 mags are okay and they fit the original TMs I'd think they'll fit the HK3P M9

 

Plus it's more like WE is rebranding their new pistols from the HK3P factory now, as far as I can tell every HK3P gun are good value and performance for money compared with the horror stories I've heard of the WE pistols in the past

[Isamu]

Yeah, mags should be no problem, im just a bit worried with internal parts as I tried to fit the KJW BBU and nozzle to an Army Kimber and it was not possible with some serious modification...

 

These guns are really growing on me, must resist the urge to buy them inmediatly

[intinerious]

Yeah, mags should be no problem, im just a bit worried with internal parts as I tried to fit the KJW BBU and nozzle to an Army Kimber and it was not possible with some serious modification...

 

These guns are really growing on me, must resist the urge to buy them inmediatly

 

Well I can't say whether the gun can hold up to CO2 use since the only one I have is the Glock and so far it's been great on green gas. Hopefully someone with the Sam Edge can give you an answer since I'm curious myself as to whether the guns can hold up to CO2 too

 

As for the ARMY Kimbers; a friend of mine who bought a few Kimbers in boxes disassembled said that even between ARMY's own guns some slides don't fit onto some frames. The tolerances of the China guns seem to vary a lot in that case.

[Isamu]

I think this will be my birthday present and will put some KJW internals and mags

Edited March 15, 2012 by Isamu

[Senden]

More updates

 

The grip has a cut out on the right side, possibly for a full-auto sear

 

 

P1000439 by CrimsonRoamer, on Flickr

 

I noticed that even when on safe pressing the trigger to left and pulling could actuate the hammer. I swapped the trigger bar with the one from my marui which fixed the problem, look like it was simply bad alignment between the safety and the trigger bar.

 

Good news though, remember the trigger bar spring on the marui?

 

P1000440 by CrimsonRoamer, on Flickr

 

That little brass knot is only held in by friction but at least it no longer shoots of into an obscure corner every time you remove the grips.

 

Though if you want to upgrade the hammer spring you're SOL, unlike the marui there is no spring holder, and the spring is longer to make up the difference.

 

P1000443 by CrimsonRoamer, on Flickr

 

 

 

This resulted in a lot more creative cutting to perform the mod I wind doing on all my pistols that don't have lanyards to make them skirmishable.

 

P1000444 by CrimsonRoamer, on Flickr

Edited March 23, 2012 by Senden

[Panoptes]

Great review - spurred me on to getting mine:

 

 

[Isamu]

Silly question, how this pistol perform OOTB? i dont expect torso hits at 60m or TM precision, but, is it a good pistol or it will need the tipical Tightbore + bucking if not a complete hop chamber replacement?

 

Thanks

[Vuddha]

Great review, there should be more comparison reviews like yours, it speaks volumes when you are able to compare and contrast sde-by-side. I just wish that this was based on the KSC/KWA M9, which I presonally prefer, it being more true-to-form and function. I also wish the STARS grips were available separately, I love that style of grip, and unfortunately, there isnt a real steel equivalent I can use.