Review: KWA HK45

[e-luder]

Haven't done a review in while.
Recently got this in the mail. So here is my quick review of the KWA HK .45

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Credit: PICs are not mine. Taken from the internet.

Introduction:

The HK USPs have always had a special place in my heart and hands. I love my USP Tactical Compact w/ SD kit. I love it so much that I’ve started to bring it back into my loadout instead of my G17. Jack Bauering it every game is always the best way to let off some steam.

That said, I had very high expectations for the KWA HK45. It’s not a USP but it shares some of the character traits that USPs have. And I was not let down. Not only did the HK45 handle well in the field with a powerful 345fps muzzle velocity, but it was deadly accurate at 35 feet target clearance.

First Glance:

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Overall Length = 20 cm [7.87"]
Overall Height = 15.2 cm [5.98"]
Inner Barrel Length = 103 mm
Inner Barrel Diameter = 6.05 mm
Weight = 0.87 kg [1.92 lbs]
Caliber = 6 mm
Magazine Capacity = 28 rounds
Velocity = 104-107 MPS [340-350 FPS]
Energy Output with 0.20g BB = 1.07 Joules
Gas System = NS2
Propellant = Gas

At first, I was very skeptical about HK45. It looked funny in the pictures that KWA initially released. But after receiving it and opening the box, I was like “holy shit!”

The pistol is looks amazing. It comes with all the standard KWA stuff like a silicone bottle, a sample pack of BB’s and it’s manual. It also comes with the grip straps. The weight of this pistol is amazingly distributed and feels comfortable in my hand.

Details and Fabrication:

As you would expect from KWA, the HK45’s craftsmanship is super. Essentially, the HK45 is a modernized version of the USP line.

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Let’s start with the slide.
The slide is made out of the same material as the KWA’s USP line, an alloy material. There are forward cocking serrations on both the front and rear of the slide.

On the left side you’ve got some typical KWA style trades that are somewhat engraved with a white paint overdub much like its USP predecessors. On the right side of the slide are the HK .45 trades. This is also present on the chamber. I've always hated the paint jobs from KWA. Everything seems so baren and cheap. Sadly, this pistol is no different.

The outer barrel on this slide is polymer. I hate this ‘feature’ of the gun. Though KWA is known for their durable products, these polymer outer barrels are horrible. They tend to crack right down the middle on the chamber area. It has happened twice on a USP Match and USP compact I’ve previously owned forcing me to spend money on expensive aftermarket parts.

The sights of the gun are much like that of the USP Tactical with the rear combat sights. They are clearly marked three-dot sight picture. I love these sight BTW.

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The frame is made out of the same polymer material that KWA has been using on most of their USP line. I found that on the HK45’s frame, there was little to no flex at all when I pushed my palm down on it against the ground.

The grips on the frame are quite unique to the KWA line of pistols as they offer interchangeable grip straps like the one the XDM and PX4. These aren’t as easy to take off though as you have to remove a locking pin every time you want to swap out for a different grip strap. The grip texture is much like the ATP texture. Its rugged and registered well in my hands and didn’t slip on my gloves.

The hand controls of the frame are made out of an alloy material and are ambidextrous. This is the first pistol that I’ve held that was completely left-hand friendly. This makes the gun easier to operate when switching from left to right and right to left stances.

The trigger guard is has a wider inlet than the USPs on the market and makes it easier for gloved hands to slip into the trigger.

The frame also offers a standard rail system that can now fit under rail attachments such as lights and lasers without the use of rail adapters. For some, this may not be an issue. But if you’ve owned its USP predecessor, you’d know how hard it is to find the damn adapter for a good price. Yeah, it took me a while anyways.

The internal set up of the HK45’s assembly is essentially the same as the NS2/System 7 guns except for the hop up unit.

The HK45’s bucking is much smaller or shorter than that of the USPs and doesn’t use the ball bearing to apply pressure to the bucking. It still has the rotary hop up but instead of the bearing, it has a ring around the barrel and an arm clip to apply pressure to the bucking to get the same effect. The bucking is also very thin so be careful when you’re fiddling around with it.

The inner barrel is also different from the USP. It has different cuts to accommodate for the bucking ring.

Other than that, the pistol is pretty much the same as the USP.

Features and Ergonomics:

The main feature of the gun is that every hand control is left-hand friendly. This is a very nice ergonomic feature in my book because it gives you a smooth transition to either side to favor whatever stance you prefer to use in the situation.

The HK45 has a de-cocking safety much like the USPs do.

The gun also offers additional grip maintenance by offering a set of different grip straps to cater to whatever sized hands. These straps have the same texture as the grip.

The grip angle on the gun is very nice. It offers a nice angle such that every hand control is easily accessible. What I probably hate the most about this gun is the magazine catch simply because you have to push vertically rather than horizontally to drop the magazine. It’s awkward is all.

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On the grip, there is also a lock mechanism for added safety. It is accessible once you eject the magazine and can be turned via the tool provided by KWA.

The HK45 is a bulkier version of a standard USP. The weight of the gun is very well distributed and can swing around acquiring or re-acquiring targets with ease.

Performance:

Here are the readings that came out of the chrony test. I was using 20’s with green gas.

Shot1: 350 FPS
Shot2: 350 FPS
Shot3: 361 FPS
Shot4: 356 FPS
Shot5: 350 FPS
Shot6: 345 FPS
Shot7: 344 FPS

Yup. That pistol is pretty hot. Utilizing the NS2 system in the mag is quite unique. I suspect that the new hop unit has also increased power a little bit because it created a better airseal around the bb.

For accuracy, from 25 feet away, I switched to 25s and watched the bbs fly into the target creating a tight grouping to the upper center that were 3-7cm apart with one outlier that didn’t even hit the target.

That’s a good sign.

Some other stuff to know:

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1). The magazines are interchangeable with other USP mags however, the buttplate of the standard USP magazines prevent it from properly locking into place and thus, the standard magazine will just drop out of the magazine chamber.

2). The weight of the pistol is very nicely distributed.

3). Gas consumption on this thing is quite efficient. I was able to run 2 full mags on a single fill.

Upgrades:

The only upgrade I would make to the gun is the outer barrel. Like I said, I’ve had two USPs that cracked their chamber and had to spend money of proper metal barrels. As far as I know, there aren’t any aftermarket parts available yet for this gun. Being a KWA gun, I would suspect that the parts may be proprietary however, knowing that KWA is KSC compatible will probably open up the choices for a plethora of aftermarket parts.

But we’ll see.

Final Summation:

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Pros:
-Good gas consumption
-Powerful
-Accurate
-Ambidextrous everything
-good ergonomics

Cons:
-Magazines are not interchangeable with standard USP mags unless the floor plate is removed
-Hated the Mag catch
-Plastic outer barrel

Overall, I love this pistol. It’s nice a upgraded, modernized USP and I love me some USP action!

At a revolutionary price, I would definitely recommend it.

[manaman]

i took the butt plates off the regular KWA usp mags, and they click in, feed and shoot. haven't field tested it yet so i'm unsure if they would slide right out like u say.

also, the hk45 mags will not click into place properly if u take the butt plate off.

the comfort level of this gun is not exaggerated. it's fkin awesome!

[Wendigo]

Probably old news, but the USP Match NS2 magazines will work without modification. I own a few pistols, but this is by far my favourite. For the record, I prefer the magazine release style on the HK45 over others. Again this is not a statement of one being superior over the other, just my preference.

[pitivier]

very good review!
I'll wait for returns on security and availability of holsters before buying

[racharoel]

where did you buy this? because i've been looking to buy this gun at revolutionairsoft but it has been out of stock for a few months.

[Evil_yd]

where did you buy this? because i've been looking to buy this gun at revolutionairsoft but it has been out of stock for a few months.

same here

[jordan7831]

Haha useless post is useless.^

[Wrath144]

Compared to a regular KWA USP, I prefer the HK45 greatly. Trigger pull is smoother, and the action cycles faster.

[Scrivah]

This is a great review! Damn I want this gun so bad! I know revolution airsoft has it for $195 i believe but currently out of stock so I can wait it out. Any luck finding a compatable holster? I hear the p30 holster fits it like a glove.

[Mandalore]

I read on the KWA forums that the Blackhawk P30's fit perfect, so I picked one up. Still waiting for the HK45 to be restocked...

[BennyBoy]

fek, now I want to get one to go with my USP Tac and USP MK23!

[JerryMcGoulBerry]

I picked up one of these. This thing feels great. By far the most comfortable handgun I've ever held. Unfortunately, the slide catch fell off, and is gone forever. I tried ordering a part via Imperial airsoft, but they said that they have problems shipping only parts from KWA. I also saw a website that sells KWA parts from the USA, but they don't have any HK45 parts, so my questions are
are any of the KWA USP slide locks compatible? (I tried the regular USP, no luck)
do you know a way I can get parts straight from the manufacturer?

[MultipleParadox]

Kwausa.com
Proshop
Call them to have parts shipped to Canada (you can't order online outside US but they'll ship)

[BennyBoy]

did you lose the spring too? My slide catch popped out but I noticed it as it fell but the spring was lost. Had to fabricate one with a Bic clicky pen spring

[JerryMcGoulBerry]

Originally Posted by MultipleParadox

Kwausa.com
Proshop
Call them to have parts shipped to Canada (you can't order online outside US but they'll ship)

I can't find any HK45 parts, would any of these be compatible?
http://store.kwausa.com/kp8kp45series.aspx
I tried a regular USP one, but it was too small.