When you pick up this Umarex replica, you immediately start living a full experience. It’s not just about feeling the quality of its materials or the solidity of its construction; it’s about firing this GBB, feeling the recoil through your body, and even enjoying the sound of the bolt cycling. All of this, combined with a level of similarity to the original model that goes far beyond licenses (which it has, and you can see them all over the replica), has spectacularly surprised us—and that says a lot, considering how many replicas we test in the office! 

Licenses 
Umarex holds the HK licenses, and thanks to that we can enjoy the original markings on this airsoft replica. In addition to being present all over the lower receiver (the Germans must have thought “if there’s space, put something there”), we also find them on the upper receiver, the bolt, the magazine, and even the stock. The only “license” taken is the marking “Cal. 6 mm BB” instead of the real firearm caliber, which doesn’t clash at all. 

Big brother 

The HK 417, simplifying the story, is the 7.62 mm version of the HK416 (5.56 mm). That’s why it looks so similar, but with a larger magwell to accept the bigger magazines, which in the real firearm hold larger rounds. In this case, the replica weighs 3.7 kg and measures 81 cm, as it is the shortest version of the model, closely matching the dimensions of the HK 416 (730–805 mm). 
  
Ammunition 
The magazine, just like its real counterpart, has a capacity of 20 rounds (6 mm BBs in our case). It is made of translucent polymer which, in the real firearm, would allow us to see the remaining ammunition (on the 416 or on the 417 AEG we can see this as a dummy effect), but not in this case. However, it’s easy to find stickers online that can be placed inside the polymer shell surrounding the magazine—accessible simply by removing the base plate—to achieve the same visual effect. 

Bigger caliber, bigger everything 

By replicating a larger caliber, we also find that the bolt is a “resized version” of the 416’s, and therefore the stock recoil is also scaled up (which, by the way, comes with a metal spring guide, not plastic like on TM MWS models, resulting in a sharper recoil). This also means the buffer tube is larger, causing that—even though it uses the same system—stocks from replicas that replicate a 5.56 or M4 (and some 7.62 models that don’t take this realism detail into account) are not compatible. 

Watch out for maracas 

The pistol grip on this model is very comfortable if you have large hands, but not so much if that’s not your case. What is comfortable, however, is having an empty cavity inside since it’s a GBB and doesn’t need to house a motor—something similar to the real model (although the replica’s cap lacks the O-ring that provides better sealing). This allows us to store batteries or maintenance tools. We find similar spaces on the sides and bottom of the stock when removing the butt pad. And while this may seem very useful, care must be taken to avoid the “rattle” effect as items bounce around inside while playing. 
  
Construction 
This replica is fully CNC metal, if we disregard the pistol grip and the stock, of course. The handguard is RIS; the HK417 A2 is KeyMod (yes, we didn’t say M-Lok—they’re among those who still resist that trend), numbered on the top to make it easier to reinstall accessories in the same position. The tolerances are so tight that when we try to disassemble it, we’ll need to apply a lot of force at certain points. 
  
Performance 
Players who tried the first version of the model often complained about gas efficiency and double-feeding issues—something VFC (who manufactures this model for Umarex) quickly resolved in later versions. Currently, it offers between 70 and 90 shots per gas fill, at an average of 355–375 FPS (at 18°C and with 0.20 g BBs), which can vary depending on ambient temperature and rate of fire. Even so, we can assure you it’s one of the strongest recoils we’ve ever tested.  

Magazine tricks 

The magazine is an important component—not only because it already accounts for nearly half a kilo of the replica’s total weight. On the top, we find a lever that can be moved to prevent the bolt from locking back when the magazine runs empty, allowing us to fire dry. This can be very useful, for example, if we want to practice dry fire or, as “sneaky” players, try to confuse opponents by not letting them see that we’ve run out of BBs. What we don’t recommend is removing the plastic piece inside the magazine that limits capacity to 20 BBs; while removing it may seem to increase capacity, it also reduces the compression and force of the spring that feeds the BBs. 
  
Internals 
The entire firing mechanism assembly is finally made of steel (thank you, VFC!), and if you’ve never owned a GBB before, you might be surprised to see that the body is slightly slimmer than an AEG. This is because its firing mechanism is very similar to that of a real firearm. However, hop-up adjustment is not as convenient as on an AEG. Speaking of which, it uses a VSR-10 style bucking and a 320 mm inner barrel. As for the magazine, the fill valve is very similar to other M4-type GBB models, but the striker valve is noticeably different. 

CONCLUSION 
There’s no doubt about it. Special forces operators don’t doubt it, our favorite action movies don’t doubt it, and neither do the players who have tried this GBB replica in an airsoft game: the HK 417 is awesome. The shooting feel, the realism in appearance and operation, and its efficiency make it an investment that’s worth every euro it costs.