The real deal MP7A1 is made by the German manufacturer Heckler and Koch and is a small but deadly machine pistol intended as a PDW or Personal Defensive Weapon that fires 4.6 x 30 calibre rounds. It was produced to compete directly with the FN P90 in the PDW market. It boasts of three great characteristics: fire power and size of a submachine gun, range of an assault rifle and small size CQB dimensions.

MP7A1 IN AIRSOFT

Different variants are already out in the market and TM or Tokyo Marui have actually already released their own version of this PDW  previously as an Automatic Electric Pistol or AEP powered by a 7.2volt battery. The TM MP7A1 AEP is very popular in the airsoft market and still in production.

Recently, other manufacturers released their GBB versions of the MP7 and sold very well to CQB enthusiasts as a main weapon or as a secondary weapon for airsoft snipers and for those wanting to have a U.S. Navy SEAL Impression. Now one of the latest releases from the Tokyo Marui assembly line is the much anticipated MP7A1 Gas Blowback PDW.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Tokyo Marui is well known for their superior quality airsoft products and the MP7A1 GBB is no exception. The packaging is great with a photo of the product on the cover of the box. Inside, you will find the TM MP7A1 GBB, the magazine, a box with a small bag of BBs, a silencer adaptor, and a safety cap, also included in the package is a cleaning rod and the user manual.

The first thing that I noticed when I first handled the gun is its weight without the magazine in place. It has a nice weight and the entire gun feels solid and sturdy and the high quality of the product is immediately noticed by simply looking at it. This replica is said to be the closest thing you can get to the real one

The flash hider installed is a bird cage style flash hider. It is made of metal and is attached very firmly to the gun without any noticeable movement or wobble. The receiver is made of high grade polymer material. The colour is matte black which is preferable as it adds a lot to the realistic appearance of the gun. The gun has a set of three metal rail mounts located one on each side and a long rail that runs throughout the top of the gun. The front and rear sights are both mounted on the top rail and therefore can be removed if the user prefers to only have an optical sight mounted. Both sights are adjustable, front for elevation and rear for windage. Also both sights extend and flip upward to switch from pistol and SMG mode.

The foregrip is made of the same material as the receiver and it is released by a lock located on its side. Pull the lock down or backwards depending on the fore grip’s position and either pull up or down the grip to use it or fold it back. The foregrip is solid when activated and there is no wobble or any movement when it is locked in place. The grip lock is also solid and has no unnecessary movement. The pistol grip is molded as part of the receiver and is well textured to prevent accidental slipping. The marking “ HK MP7A1” is found on each side of the pistol grip.

One very clever and useful feature of the MP7 A1 is that all the controls as ambidextrous or  they can be accessed from either side of the gun making it user friendly for both right and left handed shooters.

The bolt release catch is located right above the trigger. As the bolt locks back and a new magazine is put in place, push the bolt release catch upwards to release the bolt and charge the gun. Right behind the bolt release catch is the fire selector switch which has three fire modes: safe, semi and full auto and are marked by the trademark HK fire selector markings.

The magazine release catch is located at the rear side of the trigger guard and is easily accessible with the thumb of the shooting hand.

The bolt release catch, fire selector switch and the magazine release catch are all ambidextrous. The trigger has a safety feature similar to the Glock pistols which prevent accidental firing if the trigger is snagged or caught on something.

Accessing hop-up system can be seen as weird or clever on this version of the MP7. Unlike its counterpart where the hop-up is accessed via the front of the gun with a special tool, this gun’s hop-up is located or even hidden within the shell ejection port and only reveals itself if the trigger is pulled forward.

The charging lever located right at the rear of the gun. To charge the gun, simply pull the lever fully backwards and release. One thing that worries me is that the charging lever is made of plastic and I wonder if this will give in and break from frequent usage.

The skeletal retractable stock has four position and can be extended by pressing the lock located on the rear right side of the gun. Press this lock once will release the stock so it can be pulled to its second position and press it again to extend the stock further. The stock is fairly solid with very minimal movement when fully extended.

FIRING MECHANISM

The MP7A1’s firing mechanism is a simple assembly. Pulling the charging lever pulls the bolt back cocking the internal hammer back and on return chambers the first BB into place. Gas is also released from the magazine into the firing chamber. When the trigger is pulled the BB is fired and the bolt is blown back repeating the above sequence of events again.

THE MAGAZINE

The TM MP7A1 magazine is full metal and adds a fair bit of weight and balance on the gun when inserted. It is a 40 BB capacity double-stack gas magazine. The magazine is charged from the bottom and an escape of gas from the charging valve indicates that the magazine is full. A nice addition that TM added to the look of the mag are the markings which are accurate to the real deal version.

MARKINGS

I read somewhere on the internet that TM does not have any trademark permission for this replica and they call it an "NP7A1" which I found odd as TM already released an electric version of this gun. The gun does bear HK markings particularly on the pistol grip as mentioned earlier. On the left side of the receiver the marks “Cal 4.6mm X 30” and engraved and on the opposite side, the markings “ Tokyo Marui Co., Ltd. Made in Japan ASGK” can be found.

Also at the bottom rear end of the receiver, a serial number plate can be found. As of this time, I am unsure if the serial number stamped on this is unique with every unit.

PERFORMANCE

Loading the magazine is easy. As with other TM GBB magazines, the BBs can be loaded through the gap in the middle of the magazine instead from the top. This makes loading easier and faster. Being full metal, the magazine does unfortunately suffer quite a bit from “cool down” effect from the gas used. I used green gas and the magazine was so cold it was almost painful to hold. It should be noted that it is currently a colder than normal here in the UK at the time of this review.

The blowback is very crisp and hard. From what I have read, the TM blowback is crispier than the other competitor's MP7A1 which I am hoping to review as well in a few weeks' time.

Shouldering the TM MP7A1 is comfortable. I was a bit unsure about this when I first saw the rifle as I am quite long limbed. Surprisingly, the extendable stock is solid and sturdy enough to do its job. The weight of the gun is well balanced and as with most Tokyo Marui GBBs, the metal gas magazine plays a big role in this.

Shooting the TM MP7A1 on single semi auto mode is very crisp. I used green gas at a room temperature of around 18 degrees Celsius and an outside temperature of 6 degrees Celsius. The very cold temperature here in the south of England had a very adverse effect on the performance of the TM MP7A1, I experience bad gas leaks caused by the cold temperature. Indoors, the gun performed much better emptying the entire magazine with a single gas load. Same with full auto mode, in a warm room, it can empty the entire mag in one continuous burst.

CONCLUSION

The Tokyo Marui MP7A1 is another testament to the highest quality airsoft products that TM makes. From the external looks to the superior performance, this MP7A1 is no doubt a full bloodied Tokyo Marui.

I have read a few reviews stating that this is a great MP7 variant but they get put off by the price but as far as I am concerned, with anything that we buy nowadays, you get what you pay for and quality does come with a price.

So if you are looking for a very playable airsoft RIF with the quality in looks and performance that is currently superior among its counterparts, then go for the Tokyo Marui MP7A1.