There are a lot of airsoft manufacturers that are making replicas of Heckler and Koch firearms. They vary in quality from not so great to very good. One problem recently with tracking down really good samples for me has been a series of high profile, at least in the airsoft world, lawsuits levied by HK against many of the retailers.
It’s an odd move to attack retailers since they do not actually create the gear but it’s easier since they are located in China, Taiwan, or some other country most lawyers have never heard of. This doesn’t seem like a good idea since any positive brand recognition is a great thing to have and it’s not like someone will skip buying a real HK USP .45 because the already scored the plastic bb shooting one. That’s an absurd train of thought but it is the stance that HK is taking and they are attacking major distributers such as Airsplat, Evike, and Airsoft GI.
Some of the manufactures in those far flung lands have even started to change things in response to this line of lawsuits. A lot of them are simply removing the HK logo and changing just enough that the stateside retailers can still market and sell their guns. To me this is a smart move and will keep the companies production lines rolling until this whole thing is straightened out and the lawyers finish their game of who can lie the most convincingly. The majority of these products that I’ve seen from the established manufacturers still hold a great resemblance to the actual HK product.
I personally like the HK pistols myself and have an HK .45 airsoft pistol that I received as a gift. It’s a clear plastic and I’ve been unable to test and review it as yet because I am having troubles getting the co2 not to purge whenever I load it. I’m thinking it’s something I knocked loose or messed up but I look forward to testing it and getting you all a full review. One thing that makes me very happy about it is that it has HK clearly stamped on it and I just like the fact that it does.
I’m still baffled by the fact that HK feels that they need to make such a bold statement about a product that is not taking any of their sales and is seemingly only doing them good by increasing their brand recognition.
