TSD Gen III 517-D14.5 HK416

[Knuckles]

Provided by:
Publish Date: March 6, 2008

Team SD has been working with Sun Rainbow Corporation (SRC) and has recently released the TSD/SRC 614 AEG. This is a replica of the Heckler & Koch HK416 assault rifle. The real steel version is built to mimic the controls and accept the same magazine as the M4, but that's about the end of the similarities. Instead of the direct-gas impingement system used in the M4 rifles, the 416 employs a short-stroke piston driven system to eliminate the fouling created by the gas blowing back directly into the receiver. The result is a cleaner, cooler firing rifle with less stress placed on critical parts.

Out of the box, this AEG is truly an impressive piece. It is surprisingly heavy because of its nearly full metal construction with flat black finish. The only plastic pieces on this replica are the pistol grip and the 6 position stock. There are no trades whatsoever on the replica, save "SRC Taiwan" and a serial # on the left magazine well. The only other markings are the SEF indicators which are embossed and then filled with paint: white for safe and red for both single and full auto. There are no seam lines, and no movement or rattle. I noticed that in sunlight, you can see a visible (not drastic) difference in color of the finish of the foregrip and the receiver.

The sights are a bit different than what you would normally expect on an M4 type rifle. The front sight is a folding post with ears protecting the M16 type sight post. The rear sights are familiar if you're an H&K shooter. They are H&K's patented rotary diopter system giving you four different apertures to choose from by simply rotating the sight The front sight folds down to allow the RIS/forearm to slide off nicely. I found my sight picture to be quick and easy to obtain, and the #4 aperture gives you a familiar "MP5 halo" for rapid target acquisition.

The controls were standard as compared to an M4. Selector lever rotates from safe to semi to full. Magazine release is on the right side of the receiver with no ambidextrous option. The charging handle pulls back a bit to drop the dust cover and reveal the fake bolt and hop-up controls. There is a nonfunctional forward assist on the right side of the receiver.

This replica cannot take a battery in the foregrip. Not a stick, not a mini, not a nunchuck. They just will not fit. Team SD/SRC has supplied a VITAL2 style battery box to combat this issue. The issue with the VITAL box is that it will only fit a stock 8.4v mini battery. Any other options to fit this box will have to be custom made. Finally the VITAL, although designed to fit on top of the rifle must be worn on the left side of the foregrip as this is where the small type connector is located. Also, if you put the battery box on the top rail it completely obstructs your sight picture.

Disassembly is standard for an M4 replica. It took me less than five minutes to get the major assemblies out. The hopup and barrel are solid looking. While my version shipped with a standard brass barrel, the production models feature a 6.03 tight-bore as well as an M120 spring to for 400FPS firing. The black hopup bucking was flimsy and could use replacement right out of the box. The hop-up itself is a one-piece metal unit with little play in the adjustment knobs. Incidentally, my hop-up control knobs were poorly cast and I had to open up two of the cogs for the gears in order to get them to rotate.

The gearbox bears an "SRC" logo and looked clean from the outside. Immediately you notice the metal bearings and shiny blue parts. The cylinder is a non-ported blue anodized aluminum. The switch plate and nozzle are both made from a black polycarbonate. Once inside I noticed a not-too-heavy coating of clear silicone grease throughout the gearbox. The gears themselves bore no markings and appeared to be finely cast from steel. They were shimmed nicely with metal shims giving very little lateral movement. The spring is a tapered version with nice bluing and I would put it in the M100 range. The bearing spring guide is blue anodized aluminum and much higher quality than I would expect to find in a stock gun. Likewise, the piston and cylinder heads were far above par. The piston head is a sexy ported purple aluminum with a bearing, and the tapered cylinder head is all brass with a dual O-ring seal. The piston is made of black polycarbonate to match the tappet plate.

Chronographing, accuracy and field results will be added to this review after I have had a chance to test them in action.

I would like to extend a personal thank you to Team SD for supplying Airsoft Pacific with this replica for review. Please be sure to visit them at <a href="http://www.teamsd.com" target="_blank">www.teamsd.com</a>.

Additional Photos