So, how come I bought a Tokyo Marui MP5SD5?
The answer is simple... price/value... and a little bit
of fame as it's been proven worthy by the Navy Seals and
pretty much every major police department in the western
hemisphere. Also, though I'm not into customization, the
MP5 series is one of the most upgradable in the market with
the option to install different silencers, flashlights,
red dot sights, scopes, collapsible stocks, you name it.
If it's been made, it's available for the MP5.
First Impressions
The first thing I said when I opened the shipping packaging
was "NOOOOOO".... Why? 'cause the gun was packaged
in a Steyr Aug box (sick, but tasteful joke by the friendly
staff at the Italian retailer Campobase).
As soon as I held it I couldn't help but smile. The excellent
weight distribution, the sturdiness, the nice paint finish
that makes it look like metal, and the overall looks of
this gun really make it a wonderful piece to have.
The gun has 2 firing modes, Semi and Full Auto, which are
easily selectable from both sides of the gun as it has an
ambidextrous design.
The Tokyo Marui MP5SD5 comes standard with front
and rear metal sling attachment points which are a must
in order to install a 3-point tactical sling for greater
mobility and versatility.
Trademarks
The left & top sides of the gun show some branding as
shown in the images, and the right side, the side you don't
see if you're right handed, is where it says "Made
in Japan Tokyo Marui". On the left side, on top of
the magazine, it reads "Kal.9mmx19" and on the
top it reads "HK MP5", "32569", and
"210" with a pair of symbols before and after
it.
Weight/Balance/Battery Size
With battery and full standard magazine, this AEG weighs
around 2.5 kgs which are nicely distributed in the gun.
The fixed stock tightly accommodates a large 8.4v 1800mah
battery (I didn't have it around for the picture, but it
was actually smaller than the featured Tamiya 7.2V 1700mah)
leaving the front of the gun virtually weightless, which
is ideal for long hours of play and greatly improved accuracy.
I tested this gun in CQB and long range and it performed
better than I had hoped. Hitting human targets was no challenge
even at sniping distance. The external hop-up adjustment
setting is very convenient and allows you to modify the
bb's spin by simply pulling a small pry to the left of the
barrel. Always go for the compact, lighter gun when making
a purchase decision. A day after about 6 hours of gross
playing time (but under 1000 bbs), my shoulder had already
felt the effects of the gun's weight and at only 2.5kg,
this AEG is even lighter than some full metal pistols.
I'm not a big fan of visual upgrades as I believe they
just make the front heavy and instead of improve, would
actually deteriorate my aim and comfort. Though it may sound
negative, this is actually a compliment to the MP5 since
I believe it needs no upgrades to excel in every combat
setting... specially compared to the long G3s, M16s, Steyr
Augs, and AK47s, and even the G36 which I felt pretty heavy
at the front. The MP5SD5 even with the silencer installed,
is 10cm to 15cm shorter than any of the models mentioned
above (G36C excluded).
UPDATE IN AUGUST 10
<<< Begin
I bought it used and apparently the previous owner had attempted
to upgrade it, which causes it to overheat and kill batteries
after a few hundred rounds. I wouldn't have had this problem
with a new AEG since I know people who have it and theirs
work great. No problem though, I will simply return mine
and get another piece. Campobase has been great as usual
and they're backing me up.
End >>>
Aiming/Accuracy
I tested the gun at about 8 steps distance from a target
drawn on one of the shipping cardboard boxes and let it
go in full auto... I swear that out of 30 BBs I may have
shot, at least 25 of them went into the same hole. I was
also impressed by the high rate of fire, which I read somewhere
that it shot an average of 750 rounds per minute and travel
straight for about 30 meters with a 0.20gr BB (if you've
adjusted the hop-up correctly). The iron sight works pretty
well and you can rotate it for different accuracy levels.
With it, I could plink small pieces of glass of about 2
inches in diameter from a distance of about 7 meters with
two or three of shots. If your aim is better, you could
do it from the first shot without the need of any expensive
super scopes, which in my opinion, are an absurd waste
of money (unless you can find a cheap one). I used .20g Tokyo Marui BBs for the test.
As you notice above, when you have the charging handle
on, it interferes a little bit with the iron sight. So,
for sharp shooting, I suggest you switch the handle to the
off position and rotate the sights to the smaller hole as
shown on the third image above. On the real steel, you actually
pull this handle back, change the magazine, then pull the
handle down and let it spring back into place. So, you're
not suposed to be able to shoot with the handle locked up
anyway.
Nevertheless, back to the airsoft version, no aiming will
be worth anything unless you have good grade BBs and you
have properly calibrated your hop-up, which on this gun,
is as easy as pulling a pry at the left side of the gun
(I've circled it in yellow).
All this reminds me to mention the purpose of the charging
handle of the Tokyo Marui MP5SD5. It's there, it springs,
you can cock it on and off, but it serves as a perk since
it doesn't actually "do" anything.
Magazine
The standard magazine capacity holds 50 BBs, but I'd still
advise everyone to get an extra Hi-Capacity
magazine. However, depending on the scenario you're
playing, as in low ammo CQB, the standard 50rd Mag would
DEFINITELY be your favorite choice. The standard magazine
won't jam and it's 100% quiet as the BBs tightly fit in
a single row, as opposed to hi-cap magazines where the BBs
rattle all over giving you away at every step of the way.
The casing is made out of metal, on which after lots of
action, the paint at the edges will start wearing off making
the gun look even more realistic.
In the Field
The MP5SD5 by Tokyo Marui is so accurate and quiet that
it allows you to snipe from medium to long range and see
your enemies go down puzzled trying to understand where
they even got shot from. Its quietness along with its compact
size allows you to excel in surprising enemies around tight
corners, making it pretty obvious why it's the favorite
weapon of special forces around the world.
I've read in other reviews of other guns that some pieces
fall off during combat, etc... nothing will fall off this
gun I can tell you that. The most common parts that fall
off other guns are the pins that secure the foregrip. On the
Tokyo Marui MP5SD5 these pins fit tight and there is no
chance of them falling. In fact, you don't ever need to
take them out unless you need to disassemble it by sliding
out the foregrip.
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The metal parts of this gun aren't
many, but you can hardly tell unless you touch it.
Even the welding points are simulated and together
with the excellent paint job, you could swear the
body is made out of metal. Because of small comment
in the MP5's description at Redwolf, which could be
said to be a little misleading, some people are under
the impression that the silencer is made of metal
and/or that you can take it out to expose the barrel.
Both are untrue. You CAN indeed take out the PLASTIC
silencer, but it will make your gun look incomplete
and I'd only recommend it when you store your AEG
away.
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Conclusion
The MP5SD5 is an Automatic Electric Gun that's very accurate,
maneuverable, lightweight, upgradable, easy to maintain,
and with a great rate of fire that comes handy in both CQB
and Open Field scenarios. Hand in hand with the M4A1, the
MP5SD5 is probably the most versatile gun in the market
for both rookies and pros, but is quieter and offers greater
maneuverability than the M4A1. So if you're stuck in a dilemma
between buying an M4A1 or an MP5SD5, my vote goes for the
MP5 and if you get it, believe me when I tell you, you will
be glad you did.
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Credits/Acknowledgments
This review was brought to you
by this website's administrator, Alex Alvarez (aka TripleA).
July 7, 2005. Athens, Greece. |
