Alright, guys, this is Tang again, and I know many people have been asking for an in-depth review of the new Elite Force MP7 AEG. I previously gave my first impressions of it, which still hold true. Now that I've had a little more trigger time behind it, I can help you decide if this gun is right for you.
First, let's get into the history of the gun. You've seen it everywhere in the media, in movies, games, and the news. The MP7 was released in the early 2000s by H&K to meet NATO's requirement for a personal defense weapon (PDW) that fired a cartridge that could be easy to control, like a pistol round, but give some improved performance and range without being a full rifle round. What you have is an intermediate cartridge that could be fired in a weapon that could defeat body armor but was easy to use in a PDW capacity, which is where a pistol would fall short. Usually, this role is taken by pistols or pistol-caliber submachine guns, and the MP7 would be a much easier-to-use and more effective option. This gun can be seen in the hands of police forces, counter-terrorist units, and military units worldwide.
Now, let's talk about airsoft guns. The MP7-style guns have been around for a little bit in the airsoft world as gas guns, low-cost/low-performance versions, or unauthorized replicas in the form of AEP (automatic electric pistols). The gas guns that are currently available are made by KWA and then later VFC, which is more the correct size. The performance of gas blowback submachine guns is not too different from a pistol. Still, the bigger magazine and full auto, while fun, do make some shortcomings you typically experience with gas guns more apparent. Essentially, these are not good for skirmishing for longer rounds because you have limited ammo, the performance suffers in cold weather, parts wear down faster on guns like these, which have nice recoil and realistic function, and overall this limits how you can play.
(Top: Elite Force KWA gas blowback MP7, Elite Force VFC AEG MP7)
AEPs are a weird category on their own that is not popular here in the United States. You take what you know about a normal AEG (automatic electric gun) and scale it down substantially to fit the body of smaller guns. The gun performance is so-so, and the rate of fire and trigger response leaves much to be desired. Though they are often built to hold up pretty well, the overall performance is where you are lacking. A low-cost LPEG (low-powered electric gun), aka the guns running off AA/AAA batteries that are almost always clear, is terrible in terms of performance and not something you would want to take into a skirmish. Then, there is the problem of scale, too. For those who seek realism, with the exception of the Elite Force/VFC MP7 Navy gas blowback, all the other aforementioned MP7s out there are smaller than the real thing. This is not acceptable if you want to look legit.
So, what is this MP7 exactly? Well, this is your first full 1:1 scale proline AEG option. For those who desire the most realism, the scale is essential. The next important consideration is the actual performance. Making a full-powered electric gun resembling an MP7 is not easy; VFC and Elite Force have achieved this perfectly. If you have not heard of VFC, which stands for Vega Force Company, they make high-end electric guns and gas guns out of Taiwan. They partnered with Elite Force and Umarex internationally to bring us licensed guns like these H&K MP7s.
VFC's reputation for quality and innovation is well-established in the airsoft community, and its collaboration with Elite Force and Umarex further enhances the appeal of the MP7. This model stands as a testament to what can be achieved when cutting-edge technology and a passion for realism converge. The airsoft MP7 is designed for those who demand the best in appearance and performance, offering an unparalleled airsoft experience that is as close to handling the real MP7 as possible. Whether for competitive play, training, or collecting, the airsoft MP7 by VFC, Elite Force and Umarex sets a new standard in the field, embodying the spirit of innovation and excellence that defines the best of airsoft weaponry.
Starting with the outside, the MP7 is completely ambidextrous. There is an integrated folding front grip, and the side of the body can accept add-on rails. The top rail is the standard picatinny type, and it has flipping front sights which can work either folded or flipped up. The magazine is a 110-round mid-capacity type. The stock is textured and can collapse and slide to a total of four positions. There are integrated sling loops throughout for you to secure the sling. The charging handle exposes the adjustable wheel for the hop-up. The front of the gun pops off to reveal the battery compartment. Ideally, you will have to use a buffer tube style for short/slim Lipo batteries, such as the Elite Force 11.1v 900mah Lipo. It is still a somewhat tight fit, so be cautious about using a swollen battery. The barrel is threaded and takes aftermarket accessories that interface with a 12mm+ thread. This means that any MP7 accessories currently existing work with this new gun.
Inside the gun is where the magic happens. The MP7 AEG uses a proprietary 8mm ball-bearing gearbox to do the work. Remember, to make this kind of gun, you are going to have to design a completely new gearbox. People who require a gun to be compatible with everything will scoff at this and should stick to the M4/AK type of guns if they want that. The gearbox uses 8mm ball bearings, which means it can handle some serious work and shoot smoothly. This gun is pre-built for CQB, shooting at 330-350 fps with 0.20g BBs out of the box. It utilizes a factory-installed 6.03mm tight bore as well. The gearbox has a quick-change spring guide, so you can do some fine tweaking with different springs if you are brave. Accessing this requires popping the two pins in the back and removing the stock. The gearbox also has some nice electronics to give the gun some neat features. The gun has a MOSFET for protection, but the MOSFET also provides better electrical efficiency, which makes the gun shoot a higher rate of fire and make it snappy in response. We tested it at 22rps with an 11.1v Lipo battery. The trigger response is good, though the pull is long. The accuracy is excellent thanks to the tight bore, and the velocity is incredible for CQB and decent for mid-range engagements. Shooting the gun until empty will trip the last round cutoff, which prevents you from dry firing the gun and simulates being out of ammo correctly. You must insert a fresh magazine to continue or manipulate the functional bolt catch to signal to the gun that you intend to override this function or dry fire.
There are two things to note about this gun. The magazine contains a special follower that protrudes from the magazine when empty. This follower can be damaged if you insert the empty magazine back into the gun without pushing it down and locking it. The follower signals to the gearbox that your gun is empty. It takes some getting used to, and if you are not careful you can break that part. I wouldn't say it's a bad design because other guns with protruding followers have existed before. If you intend to dry fire the gun, this is the only time I could see this being a problem but as long as you are extra careful, I think this is a minor quirk about the gun.
Next to that is the limited battery capacity. True to PDW form, this gun with a smaller battery is good for limited engagements. Bring extra batteries and magazines if you wish to run this hard as a primary. You can see in my video that I have rigged up an external battery box, which will allow me to run this gun much longer.
There are some additional good things worth mentioning: the gun's weight is pretty nice and balanced and not heavy at all. The gas gun versions tend to be very heavy toward the magazine, making the gun feel weird. Then you have all the practicality of an AEG, which a gas gun cannot match for skirmishing. The magazines are less expensive, not to mention lighter, and hold more ammo. The gun will be reliable, as any top-tier AEG should be, whereas a gas gun will wear out fairly quickly when you shoot it the way you would want to shoot an MP7.
Moving past that, this high-tech gun performs awesomely, and I can see many people enjoying it as long as they are the careful type. For people who are rough with their gear or are not very attentive, this is not a gun you can just grab and go. If that sort of stuff scares you, I'd say you are better suited to an M4 or AK. I think this gun is fantastic, and the fact that it is a skirmish-able MP7 replica is fascinating to me. As long as you have realistic expectations about what this new type of AEG platform can do and its limitations, I think you will be pleasantly surprised when this gun rewards you with speed, maneuverability, and performance. Whether you want something different or exotic, or you are trying to complete a specific loadout, the MP7 AEG is good to go.
