HK Offers 416 .22 Pistol but No 5.56 Pistol

[thegreyman]

HK makes quality firearms, but the MR556 A 1 is a heavy 5.56 firearm; I am holding one right now. When it comes to a semi-auto 16 inch rifle, I much prefer my
DD M4 V7. However, if the barrel length is reduced to 10.4 inches (like the HK 416 C), the weight is dramatically reduced and the result is stunning.
It becomes a great suppressor host; it handles so much better; and it is one of the hottest numbers on the beach. One might trade his MK 18 and ante up the money - maybe...
It is amazing to see the Germans offer a HK 416 .22 pistol while the only available HK 5.56 available to civilians is a 16.5 inch, 8.6 lb. MR556 A 1. Ponder that.
The felllow could be correct; they may hate us.

[SteyrAUG]

Is it actually HK or Umarex?

[Quiet]

Umarex makes them for H&K.
.22LR, rifle and pistol versions of the HK416 and MP5.
Umarex was also suppose to make a .22LR pistol version of the MP7, but they never got around to releasing it.

[thegreyman]

It is my understanding that German civilians have much better HK choices - correct?

[SteyrAUG]

It is my understanding that German civilians have much better HK choices - correct?

Not really. And the Umarex is not a HK 416 chambered in .22, it's an airsoft 416 with a .22 barrel and HK logo and promotion. Same with all the others. You really aren't missing anything, check out the Umarex Colt M4 in .22 LR and you will see what I mean.

[thegreyman]

[QUOTE=SteyrAUG;2725225]Not really. And the Umarex is not a HK 416 chambered in .22, it's an airsoft 416 with a .22 barrel and HK logo and promotion. Same with all the others. You really aren't missing anything, check out the Umarex Colt M4 in .22 LR and you will see what I mean.[/QUOT

SteyrAug, I don't have any interest in Umarex .22's, airsoft video arms, etc. I agree with you; some of my friends own Colt Umarex .22's, and they run well. I am simply surprised that the only alternative to a 16.5 inch HK MR556 A 1 is a .22 HK 416 clone.

The MR556 is a quality 5.56 rifle that has an accurate, heavy 16.5 inch barrel, a trigger that is not appropriate for a quality accurate hammer forged barrel, and a firing pin safety designed to address slamfires on a selective fire weapon. That is about it. For the money, it lacks all the great features available on a Radian Lower Receiver. On the other hand, I think the HK 416 C used by police and military special operation teams possesses a desirable combination of reliability, accuracy, weight, and handiness.

It is my understanding that HK offers centerfire semi-auto versions of the HK 416 (that would be more appealing) to German civilians; this is not the case?

[MountainRaven]

SteyrAug, I don't have any interest in Umarex .22's, airsoft video arms, etc. I agree with you; some of my friends own Colt Umarex .22's, and they run well. I am simply surprised that the only alternative to a 16.5 inch HK MR556 A 1 is a .22 HK 416 clone.

The MR556 is a quality 5.56 rifle that has an accurate, heavy 16.5 inch barrel, a trigger that is not appropriate for a quality accurate hammer forged barrel, and a firing pin safety designed to address slamfires on a selective fire weapon. That is about it. For the money, it lacks all the great features available on a Radian Lower Receiver. On the other hand, I think the HK 416 C used by police and military special operation teams possesses a desirable combination of reliability, accuracy, weight, and handiness.

It is my understanding that HK offers centerfire semi-auto versions of the HK 416 (that would be more appealing) to German civilians; this is not the case?

The MR223 is virtually identical to the MR556. The only benefit is, I think, the MR223 has been upgraded over time to mirror upgrades to the HK416, while the MR556 has not. But will otherwise be the same basic barrel, &c. The MR223's uppers - unlike the HK416 and MR556 - are not interchangeable with standard AR-15 uppers and same for the MR223's lowers. H&K changed that about the MR556 in response to negative reactions from the US market before the rifle was introduced to the US.

You can buy gray market HK416 uppers, if you're patient and have the coin, and Brownell's has HK416-pattern receivers machined by PWS from H&K forgings (that Brownell's found in Germany and then imported). Brownell's also has sufficient small parts to assemble those receivers into complete rifles, although it will cost you about the same as just buying an MR556.

[MountainRaven]

The other problem is HK is a "state owned" arms factory that has export restrictions, that along with our import restrictions found in the 1968 Gun Control Act (specifically the sporter clause) and the 1989 Bush Import Ban (pretty much all of it) means we get some really stupid firearms when it comes to rifles.

HK can get away with selling a semi auto MP5k as a pistol (even though the original SP89 is still banned from import) but HK has a lot of problems with rifles going out the door that aren't for "sporting applications" which is why the SR556 is stupid and annoying to those of us who simply wanted a 1:1 semi auto version of the 416. But we also wanted a 1:1 semi auto G36, UMP and a few others while we are at it.

In the greatest irony of all, we might have purchased the MSG90, which would have been importable as a precision rifle, except those shitheads at HK designed it with a swing down trigger group thus qualifying the receiver as a machine gun. Might have also bought more PSG1s if they weren't considered "too deadly for civie use" and sold for less than $5,000 when they were available for retail purchase.

Even MKE was smart enough to send us a few 43P handguns so we could SBR a factory contract 33k.

Worth remembering that H&K also wanted to import SP5 pistols - full size MP5 pistols - and while the ATF would allow it, Germany's government won't. IIRC, there's a maximum barrel length in Germany for pistols and the SP5 doesn't fit in that box.

[Diamondback]

Worth remembering that H&K also wanted to import SP5 pistols - full size MP5 pistols - and while the ATF would allow it, Germany's government won't. IIRC, there's a maximum barrel length in Germany for pistols and the SP5 doesn't fit in that box.

Seems to me that if HK were serious about it, they could open up US facilities to make the barrel here, ship a no-barrel SP5 parts set and marry to an HK USA-made barrel... just for one example. But they won't, "Becauss You Suck Und Ve Hate You..."
http://monsterhunternation.com/2007/...d-we-hate-you/

[MountainRaven]

Seems to me that if HK were serious about it, they could open up US facilities to make the barrel here, ship a no-barrel SP5 parts set and marry to an HK USA-made barrel... just for one example. But they won't, "Becauss You Suck Und Ve Hate You..."
http://monsterhunternation.com/2007/...d-we-hate-you/

You assume the German government would let them ship a no-barrel SP5 parts kit over here.