I was looking at an HK416D vs. MR556A1 comparison thread on an RS forum and came across the two pics immediately below.
The MR556A1 is the civilian version of the HK416D and is different in a number of ways.
One of those differences I’ll be speculating on here, with specific reference to observations made from in the wild Tier 1 USSOF pics.
Note the selectors:
Now, the thread didn’t mention the selectors as a point of interest, but:
- The MR556A1 lower exhibits a Heckler and Koch-style selector, as I’d expect.
- The HK416D, however, is fitted with an M4-style one.
In addition to this difference, pics on Heckler and Koch’s US website show the MR556A1 with ambi selectors and I’ve always assumed the 416 family is ambi, out of the box.
All this conjecture got me thinking.
So, I thought I’d check out what is arguably the most famous HK416D on the planet as a further point of comparison:
What can we see?
Well…
- An M4-style selector is clearly displayed.
- And it is a resolutely non-ambi setup at that.
Because shit like this matters to me more than it really should, I decided to go through a pile of in the wild ‘AOR1-ish’ HK416D pics, all of which confirm non-ambi controls.
I’ve never really looked before, so I’ve never really noticed this.
I’ve included a sample here:
Anyway, if there’s a point to any of this, I suppose it’s this:
If you’re pushing an NSW HK416D impression, you’re probably not doing the wrong thing by sticking to a non-ambi M4-style fire selector.
This is just as well if you’re a PTW user, because Systema’s ambi mechanism is a pile of shit.
However, if yours is a dedicated civilian build, you won’t be going far wrong by fitting a Heckler and Koch-style selector for that additional badge of difference.
The Reptile House 