��The H&K MP5K is an exotic addition to that company's peerless MP5 line. The K (which stands for the German word Kurz, which means "short") indicates the gun's main feature: its compactness. The MP5K is only 13 inches long, yet it accepts most MP5 accessories including magazines, scope mounts, and so forth. The MP5K has a five inch barrel (the same as a Beretta 92f), but due to several factors including the barrel's stationary design, a relatively long sight radius, and H&K's quality manufacturing, the MP5K is far more accurate than the Beretta. The K makes an ideal CQB weapon because of its small size and quick handling. It's also great for covert ops and protective details - U.S. Secret Service agents have been known to carry MP5Ks while guarding the President. There is even a briefcase specifically designed to hold a K, with a trigger built into the case's carrying handle that allows the K to be fired through the end of the briefcase. Ever see the movie "Replacement Killers?" As always, Marui has done an excellent job with their airsoft rendition.

Appearance:

��This airsoft is up to Marui's usual high standards in the appearance department. The finish is excellent, including the differing textures of what on the real gun would be synthetic parts and metal parts. The weld marks are a nice touch as always. The short 30-round magazine (which is a replica of a real 15-round mag) is well designed and true to the original's proportions.

Function:

��There are several notes about the MP5K which set it apart from Marui's other MP5 offerings. The first one that I noticed was the fact that the magazine release is harder to operate than on other MP5s. It's not a big deal, and it may smooth out after some use, but it is obviously harder to operate than say, the one on the MP5SD6. The second thing I noticed is that there are improved, more realistic receiver pins. The pins on the other MP5s I've seen are two-part, with one being a long section with a flat end, and the other section screwing in on the other side. This design differed from the original and was a pain to operate quickly since you need a small screwdriver to unscrew each one and it's hard to fumble with the small parts with gloves on. On the K, though, the pins mimic the real ones, being a one-piece pin with a flat head and a little spring-loaded latch at the other end. The pin simply pushes into the receiver and once it's all the way in the latch holds it in place. To remove the pin, simply push it out from the latch side. It's very easy and quick, just like the real thing. On this model, there are three receiver pins - one holding the foregrip on, and two holding the rear receiver cap on.
��Marui's K uses the long, stick-type or AK-type batteries since there really isn't any other option on this compact airsoft. In order to load a battery, you have to pull all three receiver pins and remove the foregrip and the receiver cap. Then you insert the battery, plug first, into the back of the MP5K inside the top, with the battery only fitting a specific way. As the battery moves forward, the plug will eventually emerge in the area where the foregrip used to be. Plug the battery into the gun's connector, and replace the foregrip, receiver cap, and receiver pins. Now you're ready to go. The process is a little more involved and painstaking than on other electric guns, so this is not something you'd want to do while under fire. With the battery in place, you can't operate the cocking handle (which is there only for looks anyway, but this subtracts from the K's training value).
��Other notes about function: The gun seems to work well in both semi auto and full auto firing modes. In both modes, however, there were always two BBs left loose at the top of the magazine after the gun was "empty." So when you removed the empty magazine, these two BBs would fall out and clatter around on the floor. Not a good thing, tactically speaking. But not that big a deal, either. As a bonus, Marui has included an adapter that lets you use their tracer unit on the K. This is a thoughtful move on their part, and the tracer unit makes the K look even more menacing than it does straight from the box. Add a pair of clamped high capacity mags, and you've got a badass pocket rocket for close-in dirty work. The rate of fire on full auto seems nice and quick - maybe the short barrel allows for a smaller and thus faster air piston.

Accuracy:

��The MP5K is a bit less accurate than a full size electric gun, but it's plenty accurate for its size. At ten yards with .2g ammo, I was able to get 1.5 inch groups after setting the hop-up properly. On full auto, I was able to keep a full mag's worth of BBs inside a four inch circle, which is very respectable. With the tracer unit in place, the group sizes tightened up a little probably because of added barrel stability. After hearing all the complaints about the K's accuracy in various places, it seriously outperformed my expectations of it. Please see my review of the Micro-Tec upgrade barrel for 15-yard accuracy test results.

Overall Impressions:

��This thing is a ton of fun - it looks cool, handles well, and is plenty accurate. This will definitely be a welcome addition to our team's armory for use in CQB and protective detail scenarios.