Jing Gong HK 416
Anonymous (not verified)
02 Oct 2008
As my team has been playing more and more CQB/Urban type games I have been planning to get myself a reliable CQB type Rifle or SMG. My choices were the MP5-RAS, the G36 and the HK416. So on I dreamt about having one of these to use in CQB skirmishes then one day Popularaisoft.com (in Santa like fashion) contacted me about a shipment of JG HK416 that arrived from RSOV.com and needed to be reviewed. I immediately said yes.
REAL STEEL
The HK416 is an assault rifle designed and manufactured by Heckler & Koch (HK). HK is a German weapons company famous for such products as the MP5 series, G3s, and G36 series submachine guns and assault rifles. The 416 is said to be an improved version of the M4 Carbine. It is designed to be available as a complete firearm, or as an upper receiver kit that fits on any AR-15/M4 type lower receiver.
This weapon was originally called the HKM4. HK however had to change this due to a trademark infringement suit filed by Colt Defense. It is suspected that 416 is a reference to the M4 and M16 it has been designed to compete with. The HK416 has reportedly been tested by the United States military and some law enforcement agencies. As of the moment it’s only available to government and military organizations but there are plans for a semi-automatic civilian version to be released sometime in 2008. The real steel version comes in different versions (for barrel length) the D10RS, D145RS, D165RS, and D20RS. RSOV.com supplied us with what appeared to be the equivalent of the D10RS which indicates that it has a 10.4 inch barrel. Perfect for CQB skirmishing.
FIRST IMPRESSION
The packaging box looks and feels like any other AEG box supplied by Jing Gong (JG). It is packed in a simple unbleached cardboard box. The lid has the usual white printed on box that contains the line drawing of the AEG it contains. It has the Eagle logo for JG on the left side and the text HK416 emblazoned on the lower half of the front of the lid. It also boasts of an all metal gearbox. There is also a warning that says users restricted to 18 years and older. This type of packaging is very reassuring and it adds support to the thought that JG manufactures everything in uniformity and that every AEG that rolls out from production is as good as the other.
Opening the lid I got my first glimpse of the AEG. It looked beautiful. It is packed in moulded Styrofoam. As with all other JG AEGs it came with a cleaning rod, a 300-round hi-capacity magazine, an 8.4v 1500mAh custom battery, a trickle charger and a manual. Upon removing the AEG from the moulded Styrofoam it felt and probably weighed almost like its real steel version. There is a little Hop Up tag attached to the trigger guard by an elastic. It also has the customary Warning sticker attached to the side of the upper receiver.
A CLOSER LOOK
After removing the tag and sticker I proceeded with a closer inspection of the AEG. It is impossible to miss the all metal construction and the overall hefty feel of the AEG. Starting from the front it has the usual M4 type flash guard then immediately aft is the foldable front sight. Then you will come across the trademark proprietary accessory rail forearm with replica MIL-STD-1913 rails on all four sides. This allows one to add more bling in the form of sights, lights, and grips used on M4/M16-type weapons to be fitted to this AEG. The rail forearm is of the 'free-float' variety; meaning it does not touch the outer barrel at all. This rail forearm locked to the outer barrel with an allen screw which was quite lose. Tightening it did not help as the “bolt” that it tightens to is made of aluminum and quickly lost its grip on the screw. Putting Teflon tape on the screw did not help one bit. I guess I need to use extra strength glue to keep the screw in and the rail in place.
The upper receiver is the flat top rail version. On it sits the rear sight, which is also made of metal. The sight however is not the same as you would expect to see on an M4/M16 type rifle but rather that of the MP5 type rear sight, also made of metal of course. Aft of this you have the cocking mechanism, which pulls quite easily to open the flap that covers the hop up mechanism. Moving on to the lower receiver, the front of the mag well contains the text “Warning: Read operator’s manual before use”. The left side contains the HK logo as well as the markings HK416 D and cal 5.56mmx45.
The selector switch is located on the left side as well (again as a show of power by the predominantly right handed universe). Instead of the usual M4 selection text markings by Colt of safe, semi, and auto we get the illustration/icons most commonly found in other HK weapons to stand for safe, semi, and auto modes. The right side of the mag well contains the marking which state “Heckler and Koch Defense Inc. Sterling Va.”.
The trigger and the grip do not seem to be any different from other JG M4 types. This one supposedly houses a hi torque motor similar to an EG1000. Now, to the next distinguishing mark of the HK416 the clubfoot buttstock. Like its real steel brother the extendable butt stock can be locked in various positions, thus allowing adjustment to the individual, of length of pull and eye relief. The butt stock has a single metal loop for attaching a carrying sling. In the real steel version the butt stock has compartments for storage of spare batteries and tools. Here on its AEG cousin it houses the custom 8.4v 1500mAh battery that it came supplied with.
INITIAL VERDICT
Overall in terms of looks and feel I give this a rating of MUST HAVE. In terms of reliability and durability is still to be decided. However given JG's reputation for dependability I think this AEG won’t let you down.
ABORTED SKIRMISH
After I initially wrote the above section I took the HK416 to skirmish. I was somewhat hesitant to actually use it as JG AEGs are known to be HOT AEGs straight out of the box. My eagerness to use it got the better of me. I decided to use it and had it chronoed. Both the marshal and myself were well surprised. It initially chronoed at 450fps on the first shot. 420fps on the second, 430fps on the third and finally 438fps.
Needless to say I did not get to play with it that day and had to settle for my old M4 instead.
HK416 TAKEDOWN
THE PRE ASESSMENT
The JG HK416 being modelled along the JG M4/M-16 variants makes it easy to get to its gearbox. Very much like any other M4/M16 type AEG it can be taken apart in a few easy steps.
NOTE:
Before starting maintenance or disassembly of your AEG please remove magazine, pull trigger once of two times ensuring that there are no BBs left inside the inner barrel. Lastly disconnect and remove the battery from the AEG.
Also make sure you have the following at hand prior to starting:
1. small phillips screwdriver
2. flathead screwdrivers
3. lubricant
4. gear grease
5. No.10 Torx driver
6. clean surface to work on
To start with one needs to remove the clubfoot stock. This can be performed by lifting the spring loaded mechanism. (See Fig 1.0)
Once lifted, it will easily slide off the butt stock buffer tube (fig. 1.1) which is screwed to the upper receiver. For this model replica of the HK416 the buffer tube serves as a conduit for the wire that runs from the gearbox to the battery. This screw has to be removed first in order to facilitate the removal of the gearbox later on.
Just like its real steel cousin this AEG has 2 pins (See Fig 1.2) that keep the upper and lower receiver together. First is the rear takedown pin located aft of the fire selector switch and then the front pivot pin just below the ejector port. Removal of the gearbox cannot be facilitated without the removal of the rear takedown pin. The pivot pin can however stay in place if one chooses to do so. We however prefer to remove this.
After these pins are removed we proceeded to remove the trigger grip which houses the motor thereby revealing two more screws that attaches the gearbox to the lower receiver. (Fig. 1.3) Of note is the unmarked (hi torque) long motor which, in my opinion looks much like a TM motor.
Another thing that has to come off in order to proceed further is the magazine release button. (Fig. 1.4)
Before thinking that you’re set to remove the gearbox from the lower receiver please note that there is one more crucial pin to remove. This pin just sits in the lower receiver just above the trigger. (Fig. 1.6)
THE SURGERY
Now that we have removed all the things that hold the gearbox to the receiver all that’s left is to actually separate it from its casing. The mechbox once removed it’s difficult not to notice its all metal construction, and it is also light in weight.
As everyone who has ever dared open a mechbox would know you’ll need a torx screw driver for the 6 sided screws that are used to keep the mechbox closed and safe from the curious eyes/hands of an enthusiastic tinkerer.
WHAT WE SAW (Fig 2.0)
The spring guide is made up of metal which is quite impressive. The spring itself looks and feels very sturdy (could be an M120 spring considering it failed the chrono test at 438fps). The full toothed plastic piston sits snugly in the metal chamber it also has the metal tooth as standard. The metal chamber has the usual air release port on the side which is common in most short and medium length barrelled AEGs. The tappet plate looks quite identical to a TM. While the cylinder head and the nozzle is quite ordinary and nothing to write home about the gears on the other hand are impressively made of metal but with plastic bushings. One thing noteworthy of mentioning is that the bevel gear has a bearing in place of the usual plastic bushings. (Fig. 2.0-2.1).
POST SURGICAL ASSESSMENT
The JG HK416 is definitely a robust AEG both in the outside even more so on the inside. It has proven itself to be a beautiful and enviable AEG to have. As with the First Impressions write up u highly recommend this AEG as a must have.
The last thing that this AEG would probably need in order for it to become playable is a change to a less powerful spring.
VERDICT
LOOKS – Excellent
ROBUSTNESS – Looks and feels sturdy
RELIABILITY – Good
SATISFACTION – very satisfied
VALUE FOR MONEY – JG has always made value for money AEGs and this one is no exception
REAL STEEL
The HK416 is an assault rifle designed and manufactured by Heckler & Koch (HK). HK is a German weapons company famous for such products as the MP5 series, G3s, and G36 series submachine guns and assault rifles. The 416 is said to be an improved version of the M4 Carbine. It is designed to be available as a complete firearm, or as an upper receiver kit that fits on any AR-15/M4 type lower receiver.
This weapon was originally called the HKM4. HK however had to change this due to a trademark infringement suit filed by Colt Defense. It is suspected that 416 is a reference to the M4 and M16 it has been designed to compete with. The HK416 has reportedly been tested by the United States military and some law enforcement agencies. As of the moment it’s only available to government and military organizations but there are plans for a semi-automatic civilian version to be released sometime in 2008. The real steel version comes in different versions (for barrel length) the D10RS, D145RS, D165RS, and D20RS. RSOV.com supplied us with what appeared to be the equivalent of the D10RS which indicates that it has a 10.4 inch barrel. Perfect for CQB skirmishing.
FIRST IMPRESSION
The packaging box looks and feels like any other AEG box supplied by Jing Gong (JG). It is packed in a simple unbleached cardboard box. The lid has the usual white printed on box that contains the line drawing of the AEG it contains. It has the Eagle logo for JG on the left side and the text HK416 emblazoned on the lower half of the front of the lid. It also boasts of an all metal gearbox. There is also a warning that says users restricted to 18 years and older. This type of packaging is very reassuring and it adds support to the thought that JG manufactures everything in uniformity and that every AEG that rolls out from production is as good as the other.
Opening the lid I got my first glimpse of the AEG. It looked beautiful. It is packed in moulded Styrofoam. As with all other JG AEGs it came with a cleaning rod, a 300-round hi-capacity magazine, an 8.4v 1500mAh custom battery, a trickle charger and a manual. Upon removing the AEG from the moulded Styrofoam it felt and probably weighed almost like its real steel version. There is a little Hop Up tag attached to the trigger guard by an elastic. It also has the customary Warning sticker attached to the side of the upper receiver.
A CLOSER LOOK
After removing the tag and sticker I proceeded with a closer inspection of the AEG. It is impossible to miss the all metal construction and the overall hefty feel of the AEG. Starting from the front it has the usual M4 type flash guard then immediately aft is the foldable front sight. Then you will come across the trademark proprietary accessory rail forearm with replica MIL-STD-1913 rails on all four sides. This allows one to add more bling in the form of sights, lights, and grips used on M4/M16-type weapons to be fitted to this AEG. The rail forearm is of the 'free-float' variety; meaning it does not touch the outer barrel at all. This rail forearm locked to the outer barrel with an allen screw which was quite lose. Tightening it did not help as the “bolt” that it tightens to is made of aluminum and quickly lost its grip on the screw. Putting Teflon tape on the screw did not help one bit. I guess I need to use extra strength glue to keep the screw in and the rail in place.
The upper receiver is the flat top rail version. On it sits the rear sight, which is also made of metal. The sight however is not the same as you would expect to see on an M4/M16 type rifle but rather that of the MP5 type rear sight, also made of metal of course. Aft of this you have the cocking mechanism, which pulls quite easily to open the flap that covers the hop up mechanism. Moving on to the lower receiver, the front of the mag well contains the text “Warning: Read operator’s manual before use”. The left side contains the HK logo as well as the markings HK416 D and cal 5.56mmx45.
The selector switch is located on the left side as well (again as a show of power by the predominantly right handed universe). Instead of the usual M4 selection text markings by Colt of safe, semi, and auto we get the illustration/icons most commonly found in other HK weapons to stand for safe, semi, and auto modes. The right side of the mag well contains the marking which state “Heckler and Koch Defense Inc. Sterling Va.”.
The trigger and the grip do not seem to be any different from other JG M4 types. This one supposedly houses a hi torque motor similar to an EG1000. Now, to the next distinguishing mark of the HK416 the clubfoot buttstock. Like its real steel brother the extendable butt stock can be locked in various positions, thus allowing adjustment to the individual, of length of pull and eye relief. The butt stock has a single metal loop for attaching a carrying sling. In the real steel version the butt stock has compartments for storage of spare batteries and tools. Here on its AEG cousin it houses the custom 8.4v 1500mAh battery that it came supplied with.
INITIAL VERDICT
Overall in terms of looks and feel I give this a rating of MUST HAVE. In terms of reliability and durability is still to be decided. However given JG's reputation for dependability I think this AEG won’t let you down.
ABORTED SKIRMISH
After I initially wrote the above section I took the HK416 to skirmish. I was somewhat hesitant to actually use it as JG AEGs are known to be HOT AEGs straight out of the box. My eagerness to use it got the better of me. I decided to use it and had it chronoed. Both the marshal and myself were well surprised. It initially chronoed at 450fps on the first shot. 420fps on the second, 430fps on the third and finally 438fps.
Needless to say I did not get to play with it that day and had to settle for my old M4 instead.
HK416 TAKEDOWN
THE PRE ASESSMENT
The JG HK416 being modelled along the JG M4/M-16 variants makes it easy to get to its gearbox. Very much like any other M4/M16 type AEG it can be taken apart in a few easy steps.
NOTE:
Before starting maintenance or disassembly of your AEG please remove magazine, pull trigger once of two times ensuring that there are no BBs left inside the inner barrel. Lastly disconnect and remove the battery from the AEG.
Also make sure you have the following at hand prior to starting:
1. small phillips screwdriver
2. flathead screwdrivers
3. lubricant
4. gear grease
5. No.10 Torx driver
6. clean surface to work on
To start with one needs to remove the clubfoot stock. This can be performed by lifting the spring loaded mechanism. (See Fig 1.0)
Once lifted, it will easily slide off the butt stock buffer tube (fig. 1.1) which is screwed to the upper receiver. For this model replica of the HK416 the buffer tube serves as a conduit for the wire that runs from the gearbox to the battery. This screw has to be removed first in order to facilitate the removal of the gearbox later on.
Just like its real steel cousin this AEG has 2 pins (See Fig 1.2) that keep the upper and lower receiver together. First is the rear takedown pin located aft of the fire selector switch and then the front pivot pin just below the ejector port. Removal of the gearbox cannot be facilitated without the removal of the rear takedown pin. The pivot pin can however stay in place if one chooses to do so. We however prefer to remove this.
After these pins are removed we proceeded to remove the trigger grip which houses the motor thereby revealing two more screws that attaches the gearbox to the lower receiver. (Fig. 1.3) Of note is the unmarked (hi torque) long motor which, in my opinion looks much like a TM motor.
Another thing that has to come off in order to proceed further is the magazine release button. (Fig. 1.4)
Before thinking that you’re set to remove the gearbox from the lower receiver please note that there is one more crucial pin to remove. This pin just sits in the lower receiver just above the trigger. (Fig. 1.6)
THE SURGERY
Now that we have removed all the things that hold the gearbox to the receiver all that’s left is to actually separate it from its casing. The mechbox once removed it’s difficult not to notice its all metal construction, and it is also light in weight.
As everyone who has ever dared open a mechbox would know you’ll need a torx screw driver for the 6 sided screws that are used to keep the mechbox closed and safe from the curious eyes/hands of an enthusiastic tinkerer.
WHAT WE SAW (Fig 2.0)
The spring guide is made up of metal which is quite impressive. The spring itself looks and feels very sturdy (could be an M120 spring considering it failed the chrono test at 438fps). The full toothed plastic piston sits snugly in the metal chamber it also has the metal tooth as standard. The metal chamber has the usual air release port on the side which is common in most short and medium length barrelled AEGs. The tappet plate looks quite identical to a TM. While the cylinder head and the nozzle is quite ordinary and nothing to write home about the gears on the other hand are impressively made of metal but with plastic bushings. One thing noteworthy of mentioning is that the bevel gear has a bearing in place of the usual plastic bushings. (Fig. 2.0-2.1).
POST SURGICAL ASSESSMENT
The JG HK416 is definitely a robust AEG both in the outside even more so on the inside. It has proven itself to be a beautiful and enviable AEG to have. As with the First Impressions write up u highly recommend this AEG as a must have.
The last thing that this AEG would probably need in order for it to become playable is a change to a less powerful spring.
VERDICT
LOOKS – Excellent
ROBUSTNESS – Looks and feels sturdy
RELIABILITY – Good
SATISFACTION – very satisfied
VALUE FOR MONEY – JG has always made value for money AEGs and this one is no exception
