The MP5 evolved from the MG42 as a 9mm pistol calibre platform utilising a delayed roller blowback mechanism. The simplest way to explain this is that the blowback is delayed using rollers resulting in a drop in the pressure of the chamber. The bolt then unlocks & the gun cycles, resulting in much less recoil than seen from a traditional gas operated system. There has been a plethora of M4-based submachine gun platforms chambered in 9mm in recent years. Compared to the venerable MP5 they suffer from much more recoil & are therefor less accurate especially in burst or full-auto mode.
The disadvantage of the H&K mechanism is that being internally more complex, it is more expensive to manufacture & requires much more maintenance with regular use. This goes a long way to explain why you generally only see it in the hands of more experienced special forces operators.
So onto the airsoft version – which inherits the superb handling of the real-steel. It really is a tool expertly designed for its intended purpose & one which I have always got on with well. With the step forward in magazine tech, unreliable mid-caps are a thing of the past & I loved the ICS version I skirmished with in the mid 2000’s.
ICS are a Taiwanese manufacturer of airsoft guns who have been around since the very early days. Initially their offerings were a case of “lovely externals, shame about the internals” but as time progressed they upped their game, gaining a reputation for providing some of the best metal bodied RIFs your money could buy with internals to match. They pioneered a split gearbox in their M4s allowing the top half (containing the spring) to be quickly swapped. This meant you could easily manage different power configurations before the “quick change spring” systems that are ubiquitous today.
Fast forward to 2025 & if you can find one, the ICS CES series (the naming is due to them not having a branding license from H&K) still are some of the best MP5 replicas with a metal receiver available today. I was lucky enough to be able to pick up the A4 (solid stock) model as they are a lot harder to source in the UK than the cheaper Chinese Tokyo Marui clones.
There are two lines in the CES range – one without a MOFSET & one with ICS’s version featuring a 3 round burst. I really dislike the design of the burst mode model with the “unique” solid stock; It doesn’t look right having a RIS incorporated into the handgrip & the addition of a “special forces” stock makes no sense. Why change the tried & tested design? I much prefer a solid stock. They better suit my shooting position plus being able to plug in & forget my battery for the day means I have one less thing to worry about.
I made for me what was the obvious choice & went for the CES A4. Being an older MOFSETless design, my tech fitted it with a Gate NanoAAB 3rd gen Active Brake. This was to allow me to run an 11.1 Li-Po without worrying about frying the trigger for a faster ROF or encountering overspin in semi.
Before I jump into the externals I’ll mention that you won’t find any H&K trademarks on her. A brief explanation of why involves the ownership of the license for airsoft replicas of H&K models. This has led to UK retailers even going to the extent of removing trademarks from Tokyo Marui RIFs before offering them for sale. Not having a license for any territory, ICS have clearly played it safe. That said, there are now a number of businesses offering to laser engrave your replica if they’re something you can’t live without.
Externally, the ICS is built like a tank. Everything that is metal on the real steel is. What this means is that you have an ABS foregrip, pistol grip & solid stock. Metal parts are constructed from an aluminum alloy meaning the MP5A4 is both strong & light.
From the foregrip through to the receiver there is absolutely no creak or give. Having held & shot pretty much everything else there – including the Tokyo Marui NGRS model – this is still for me the benchmark, Nothing else feels quite like it so if you’re after a solid & realistic feel to your MP5 it has to be the ICS for me.
The receiver/grip set features the navy configuration with pictograms for safe, semi & full auto. This has the advantage of being fully ambidextrous, unlike the “SEF” alternative – which, as its name suggests, features the letters “SEF” & a right hand only safety. The “SEF” designation comes from the German:
Sicher – Safe
Einzelfeuer – Single Fire – Semi auto
Feuerstoss – Fire – full auto
Why is this particular trigger grouping set referred to as “navy”? Simply, the US Navy specified a number of changes to the MP5 platform when they were procuring it for their SEALs teams. This required moving from the German “SEF” selector indicators to pictograms & converting the trigger grouping to an ambidextrous layout.
A standard MP5 is laid out for a right handed user. The selector switch on the navy alternative can be operated on both sides. The “SEF” model’s grip is moulded with right handed finger grooves. This is replaced by a smooth, stippled alternative which means the gun can now be held securely in either hand & while wearing gloves.
I would have preferred the fire select to be a bit more “positive” as it feels mushy to the extent where its not possible to move from full to semi by feel alone. The refined pistol grip however works well, offering a comfortable & secure purchase.
As per the real firearm the A4 comes with open sights. The rear is a rotating diopter drum, adjustable for both windage & elevation while the front post is installed within a hooded ring. These reflect the real world application of the MP5 as a 9mm close quarter platform. Whilst 9mm may lack the stopping power of heavier calibres, it has the advantage of not being as likely to overpenetrate targets or supporting structures in tight urban environments. The sights work very well at the kind of range & accuracy found in airsoft, but should the operator want to use optics this is handled by the application of the H&K “claw” rail mount. When attached this converts the top of receiver to take standard picatinny compatible platforms. The mount is also compatible with H&Ks G3 series.
Opening the top of the receiver via a body pin reveals the V2 compatible split gearbox which incorporates a quick change spring system. The A4 is rear wired & the stock happily takes an 11.1v 3000 maH nun-chuck style battery. There is also plenty of room in this case to incorporate an inline MOFSET.
Firing is crisp, with the gears well shimmed & lubricated as stock. The metal casing on the gearbox damps the noise nicely & adding a supressor gives it a lovely, quiet bass tone. Running an 11.1v Titan battery increases the fire rate to around 15 per second – so just over that of the real steel equivalent. With a 7.4v battery you’re looking at a figure of 10 instead. This is with the supplied spring provided the equivalent of 310fps with 0.2g BB’s.
The hop unit is controlled via an external lever. My initial concern was that it would be liable to catching on brambles/gorse/prone opponents but this has not been my experience. The lever is flush against the receiver so is not prone to knocks. The hop unit is propitiatory to ICS so aftermarket rubbers will need some work to fit. That said, I’ve found it to be easy to set (towards the back of the gun, more, forward less) & stays where you want during play.
I tend to utilise small hop adjustments as required – especially when dealing with snipers at extreme range. Gradually dialing in some over-hop until the rounds drop onto a static target is easy, as is then setting it back to normal. The unit hops my round of choice 0.25s well giving a consistent range & grouping. Similar excellent results were seen while testing 0.28 & .3 rounds.
The addition of a supressor to any airsoft RIF is a must in my book. Obviously the replicas are much quieter then their real steel alternative so from purely an aesthetic point of view, one makes sense. They also confer a small but noticeable advantage by dropping the pitch & volume of the report. When shooting from either dense cover or at least medium distance this makes it harder to locate the operator, especially if non-supressed RIFs are being used in the vicinity.
Your initial choices are limited – either to choosing a base model with an integral suppressor (designated as “SD” short for the German “schalldämpfer”) or silencer compatible with the MP5’s “tri-lug” flash hider. Be aware that the ICS “lugs” are a propitiatory size so you will need to dremel them in order to obtain a fit.
You can widen the options in the case of the ICS series by picking up a converter made by ICS themselves. This replaces the tri-lug flash hider/outer barrel, adding a thicker 14mm CCW thread. From here you can then choose from the vast array of aftermarket ones. I
The replica comes with two hi-capacity 200 round wind type magazines. I much prefer the rattle free non wind alternative of a mid-cap & the King Arms 100 capacity ones so far have proved trouble free. I tend to use a mix of single/short burst fire – interestingly one complete pull & release of the trigger sends 3 rounds target bound in full auto. The ROF when combined with a heavy trigger finger means they do empty very quickly. A fellow player lent me a Guay Guay 1500 clockwork drum mag for an afternoon (this also fed flawlessly). Whilst it felt wrong to be employing this on the MP5 platform it was fun to be able to embark on an unsubtle bit of woodland landscaping.
In conclusion the major downside of the ICS for many will be the lack of trades. My advice would be to consider instead the advantage of an absolutely rock solid grip, body & stock. I don’t have any concerns about dragging her through whatever mess I find myself in.
You will need to search out an adapter or be happy to dremel in order to utilise a suppressor & external parts such as the charging handle/rear sight can be difficult to source. Having taken her on a number of half & full days skirmishing she has held up flawlessly. I’ll admit to having done the “HK slap” with the charging handle once or twice – but not enough to comment on the longevity of a part notorious for breaking on other replicas.
The other downside is the lack of a MOFSET & active breaking. Having only tested the ICS briefly before the device was fitted I can’t comment on response, overspin etc. I have not experienced any issues since the trigger was rewired to support the inline “Gate” solution.
As of the time of writing (early 2025) the ICS is still the best looking/handling MP5 replica available. It includes a high quality, well QA’d gearbox, polished inner barrel & finishing, more than capable of handling whatever upgrades you throw at it.
The stock hop, inner barrel & rigidity all contribute to consistent results at all ranges. While traditionally employed as a CQB tool, the excellent hop means it performs well at long range engagements.
It strikes an excellent balance between realistic feel, handling & performance as a more than skirmish capable airsoft replica.
Fraggle, February 2025. 🐾
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