KWA HK45 Initial Impressions and Real Steel Comparison

[UrPeaceKeeper]

Greetings from the "not dead yet" me!  I realize it has been ages since I last posted on Arnies but life changed and I was unable to airsoft with any regularity.  I sold most of my guns but recently acquired something new, the KWA HK45.

 

Why? Why would someone who hasn't been able to airsoft in so long decide to purchase another airsoft gun that he can't necessarily use?  Well the reasoning is simple:

Work, or training, or both.

 

I have been given the privilege of becoming a Police Officer and our department issued side arm is the venerable HK45.  While I could bore you with the details on the original gun, I think anyone with access to Google can find out plenty enough.  Suffice to say, the HK45 is meant to be a sharper USP.  I bought the KWA HK45 to give me something to plink around with and maintain muscle memory.  Of course KWA was kind enough to make this gun available so I could purchase it for just that reason!  Thanks KWA!

 

I've been out of the game long enough to not really feel comfortable diving into the nitty gritty performance details but I will do my best to give an external overview.

 

The box, it's generic, and gets tot he point.  Who cares anyway, I just want what is inside!

 

Step 02, open the box:

 

The box contains:

1x KWA HK45

1x KWA HK45 magazine

1x bag of unknown quality BB's (tossing in the trash)

1x HK trigger lock tool

1x KWA hop up adjuster arm

1x Medium backstrap

1x Baggie containing the manual (in multiple languages!) and Umarex registration card

 

 

Taking it out of the box the first thing you notice is the plastic used by KWA is very close in texture and feel to the real HK45.  Obviously there are some differences as KWA is offering this at a fraction of the cost of the real thing.  All things considered, I'm pleased how close it actually is.  The stippling on the grip is smoother than the real HK45 which is more like holding onto skateboard tape than it is a plastic framed handgun.  The plastic itself is shinier than the real one, but not shiny enough to look or feel fake or cheap and chintzy.  Aside from the hideous orange tip (looks to be removable with a large enough hex key), the details on the KWA are pretty good.  Certain things are accurately represented, such as the O-ring supported barrel.  I think the Gen 1 HK45's came with a green O-ring on the barrel but mine has a black one.  Not that it matters that much.

 

 

 

The trademarks are what I'd call the typical "Umarex" affair in that they are bright, and copious.  I understand that there are some legal issues with trademarks but did we really need the giant WARNING NOT A TOY on the side?  Seriously who thought these were toys?  The Licensed Trademark of H&K GmbH is kind of annoying as well.  Some of the import stamps are missing on the left hand side and others added to the right hand side.  In general, because this is a training device and not an implement of anything else, I'll overlook these "added visual features".

 

Here is what they look like on the real one:

 

Side by side:

 

 

The keen observer will note that the KWA replicates the standard trigger unit for the HK45 while my HK45 has the "Law Enforcement Modification" (LEM) trigger on it.  The LEM unit is quite nice and I have to admit, coming from the Springfield XD45 Tactical and the Beretta M92A1 to the HK45, I was a bit skeptical of the LEM trigger at first because it's technically a double action only trigger.  Having put more than a few hundred rounds down range it is REALLY nice and shoots exactly like the XD45 Tactical does in pull weight but it breaks like my M92A1's trigger does which brakes like glass.  One thing the LEM units do NOT have is the ability to decock the gun, nor do they have the safety.  

 

The KWA DOES and the trigger unit operates differently as a result.  While it is no surprise that an airsoft gun's trigger is light in pull weight, it is a bit frustrating.  The KWA still has a reasonably distinct area in which a shot will break free, but there is no solid "stop" like there is on the LEM trigger where you can pull to and then break the shot when ready.  The reset on the KWA is extremely vague as well where on the real firearm it is quite loud and distinct.  I'm not sure if that will "wear in" or if there is a cure for it or not, but it certainly is a bit of a "detractor" from a training standpoint.  The different trigger assembly produces a significantly lighter trigger pull.  This is expected in an airsoft gun but I want to add that the real HK45's double action pull with the LEM trigger unit, is extremely heavy.  Heavier than the M92A1's double action pull and just as long.

 

KWA on the left, real on the right

 

One other feature that isn't replicated are the night sights.  I'm not sure if the TruDot sights are standard on the LEM HK45's or not but it would have been nice to have them on my KWA as well.  I'm aware of the cost associated with proper night sights, but an attempt to make them glow in the dark is a step in the right direction.

 

On weight, the real HK45 is no lightweight kick boxer, it's a brute and quite heavy for a poly framed gun.  The KWA is noticeably lighter and the balance is noticeably rear heavy.  The real HK45 is more evenly distributed with the 10 round magazine and 1 in the chamber.  This is to be expected as KWA has opted for a light weight slide, relatively soft recoil spring and a plastic barrel.  Certainly not a huuuuge deal but one to point out for the hardcore enthusiasts.

 

Back to the KWA, the build quality is pretty good.  It has been a while since I have used an airsoft gun but in general things are pretty tight.  The slide does not wobble, much, on the frame rails and the parts seem put together reasonably well.  I'm not expecting HK quality from a $156 airsoft gun and for what I paid, I'm reasonably impressed.

 

One interesting thing to note is that the slide from the real HK45 will go on the KWA frame but you can't get the slide catch back in due to the difference in barrel cut.  The KWA slide will NOT go on a real HK45 frame.  The magazines are also different in size and shape.  A real HK45 mag is too long for the magazine well and the KWA magazines are too wide for the HK magazine well.  Good news on that front, no chance of mixing up the parts!

 

 

That said, the magazines feel heavier than the gun itself.  I'm not sure how I feel about the thinner magazine plate, but it is thinner.  The markings on the magazine are very basic.  It has the round count indicators on it but they obviously don't function and it has the stamped interlocking metal portion that the real magazine has.  It also says "MANUFACTURED IN TAIWAN" instead of "MADE IN GERMANY".  Small point to overlook!

 

I would comment on how the KWA shoots but sadly I have not shot it yet.  I will try and do that tomorrow if I can.  From what I can tell by the hop up unit, it should be a reasonably accurate handgun with the KWA hop up rubber being a split nub.  How accurate has yet to be seen.  AirsoftGI says my gun chronoed at 335 before leaving California.  Since I'm not intending to use this gun for anything but training, this is sufficient.

 

Before I recap, I do want to talk about holsters.  This is something that was critical to me as the gun needed to fit in my duty holster.  The goal is to develop that muscle memory further without putting the wear and tear on my real HK45 and my wallet (.45 ACP is expensive!!).  The good news is that it does indeed fit in my Safariland holster however I can't get the trigger strap to latch.  I managed to get it latched once but was unable to get the over the top strap to latch.  I compared the profiles of the two guns and they are identical, as are the lengths and angles of the trigger guard so I'm not sure why it wont holster fully.  My Safariland is still relatively new so it may loosen up some still and eventually work.  My holster is a Safariland 070-91 (Safariland says it fits the USP40 and USP9) and is the issued level III holster.

 

Alright, lets recap!

Pros:

+Quality polymer frame

+Easier on the wallet

+Minor details present (O-ring supported barrel, HK trigger lock, disassembly and backstraps, loaded chamber indicator)

+Less than a real HK45

 

Cons:

-Vague trigger unit

-Lighter weight than the real thing and rearward weight bias

-Fits in holster but can't be strapped in around the trigger guard

-No night sights

-GIANT ORANGE MUZZLE (I hate US import/Toy rules!)

 

Neutral:

~Trades (meh)

~No LEM trigger!!

 

Gun Prons:

 

 

 

I'll try and get a shooting report some time tomorrow.  If you have an questions, feel free to ask!

[AliceHKfan]

I vaguely recall someone putting LEM bits into a KSC/KWA USP Compact...

[UrPeaceKeeper]

I vaguely recall someone putting LEM bits into a KSC/KWA USP Compact...

 

Sounds expensive for what I plan to do, I'll have to go looking to see what all was involved in doing so!

[bankz5152]

Anyone know if USP mags fit this?

[bankz5152]

USP Tactical magazines do fit. The rest do not.

 

Mine just arrived today, its absolutley stunning. Ive never held a pistol that is so god damn comfortable to hold and fire. Super snappy recoil, exellent weight, well balanced.

 

The build is outstanding and lucky me got a tan lower and NO ugly umarex paragraph of tripe down the side

 

I did manage to get two mags from WGC shipped for £60.00 which isn't too bad considering they are £46.50 here!

 

Its dark so havnt managed to do much of a range/accuracy test yet, but with a torch from my window I can here the rounds hitting a tree which is approx 160ft away so thats impressive to say the least.