Airsoft Action - January 2021

feature
THE MP7A1
have yet to meet one
that can match the 350
fps-plus of most AEGs.
That however could
simply be because I
haven’t met the right
MP7 yet, and I have an
admiration for those
that can upgrade those
tiny gearboxes and get
them running reliably
at higher fps.
In stock trim, output
is similar to the AEPs,
but slightly better – muzzle velocity is stated to be
240fps and combined with a Marui hop unit, this
should give decent, if unspectacular range. The
issue with both the compact AEGS and the AEPs is
not some much one of absolute range, it’s more to
do with how long it takes the BB to get where you
want it to be. As mentioned last month, if your
intended target sees you shooting at them, they have
a reasonable chance of being able to dodge the fire
with no suspicion of cheating required! On the other
hand, if your play style leans towards the sneaky and
subtle, these are excellent weapons being compact
and fairly quiet. They also have the advantage of not
delivering outrageous welts – an advantage if that’s
something that matters to you I suppose!
As with the AEP these rely on relatively small
batteries and I have seen a few modifications to allow
the use of LiPo packs or external battery options to
improve in-game life. Magazines are generally low to
mid capacity – Marui do manufacture wind up hi-caps,
as do the Chinese clone makers but I always found
these to feed less reliably than the lower capacity
alternatives.
If you forego upgrades, other than possibly
improving battery life, the MP7A1 is a bit like my
beloved TM shotguns – an airsoft gun that will
absolutely do the job but requires that you do some
work to get the best from it. You will need to get
closer to your target than with your tricked-out AR15
variant, you cannot easily become the equivalent of
a squad automatic weapon and dump lots of ammo
to cover advances or retreats, these are guns that
demand greater subtlety.
Given their compact size they do make great CQB
guns, an environment where range is usually a lesser
concern and where slapping a decent red-dot onto
the top rail can pay dividends as even with a rather
simple stock, the MP7 points well and comes onto
target quickly.
Like most of Marui’s guns (and the real thing) it is
made largely of ABS plastic but it’s a solid little beast
that shouldn’t cause any undue issues. With AEPs and
the compact AEGs I habitually hacked the supplied
charger off and soldered a connector onto the wires
to allow the use of a decent charger. I found this
improved the levels of charge and protected the
batteries – certainly with the pistols I never felt the
need to source alternative power sources. Were I
running the MP7A1 I might fit a compact dummy
LAM unit to hold an external battery, in part just to
make it a little easier and quicker to change batteries
in game, as removing the front end to do so is less
convenient than the “slide off, battery in” method
pioneered with the AEPs.
While I have a huge soft spot for the FN P90
(frankly I have a huge soft spot for anything FN
develops) there is no escaping the fact that the MP7
series is far more compact and easier to carry. You
can’t, sensibly, holster a P90 whereas that’s a definite
possibility with the H&K weapon. With its magazinein-grip
layout the MP7A1 is an intuitive gun to use
and the control layout will be instantly familiar to
nearly all airsofters – less thinking more shooting!
Would I personally run one as a primary weapon?
I honestly don’t know – just because I could doesn’t
necessarily mean I would, and I have used Marui’s
Tactical launchers with their dubious range extensively
in the past. As an alternative to a sidearm it’s a more
flexible option – yes AEPs are selective fire – but
stocks and red-dots make a significant difference to
the probability of hitting what you’re aiming at and
that is an advantage that’s worth something. The
larger ammo capacity of the MP7, combined with the
‘properly’ sized magazines (compared to the Glock
AEP with its stick mags) makes it overall an easier
weapon to use and if I found myself having to rely on
a secondary I would much rather it was one of these
than a pistol. AA
www.airsoftaction.net 79