LDT MP7A1 GEL BLASTER
Saturday 13th of November, Martin stood outside WAT International waiting for the doors to open. He was taken in by the owner and got what we believe may have been the first LDT MP7 sold over the counter.
He was under instruction from me to only go ahead with the purchase and pick it up for review if it feels good in the hand. We now have the pleasure of conducting this review.
One of the first things I did upon receiving the MP7 was to compare it to one of the early Bingfeng branded ones we had back in the beginning of Gel Ball here in Australia. Thankfully there is no comparison as this new addition from LDT effortlessly smashes the original out of the park in looks, feel and performance.
Although lighter than most other current gel blasters the MP7’s nylon body feels sturdy and combined with the metal LDT proprietary V6 gearbox with metal gears makes for a great little package. Its build finish is superb; in the UK before emigrating here I owned two Tokyo Marui electric MP7’s and from memory the LDT gel ball MP7 actually feels a little better. Naturally this made me very excited.
The battery compartment is limited and the BIGRRR battery is recommended by WAT International. The compartment located at the front of the blaster above the barrel; although tight it can hold an EYOU 7.4V or 11.1V battery with comfort but I would advise converting the usual Tamiya connector on the battery to a XT30 not only to fit the connector on the blaster side but also to fit all the wiring into the battery compartment. The front cap of the blaster is clipped in on both the top and bottom of the cap. To release it, push in underneath and pull it away from the MP7.
The magazine has two conductive plates that contact opposite plates in the mag well rather than springs that are commonly used. This is a nice touch as springs can at times get twisted and at worst short themselves out if they contact one another. It is considerably smaller than an AK or M4 style magazine so the magazine capacity is less at around 180 gels but they are cheap enough to buy more magazines.
The MP7 features are all present and functioning including a working replica bolt release. However, unlike the Tokyo Marui electric Airsoft MP7 the LDT gel blaster does not have side picatinny rails. This gives it a fresh look but if you do want them there are threaded holes to put them on. Beyond this the metal picatinny rail across the top, folding fore grip and retractable stock complete the MP7 feel.
Firing the LDT MP7 gel blaster through the chronograph gives a muzzle velocity ranging between 250 – 290 FPS. Although not hard hitting this isn’t bad for a CQB specialised blaster. Furthermore, the size of the MP7 makes it a very viable choice for close quarters. It also features a BIGRRR mosfet that allows for automatic magazine prime to ensure reliable feeding before you fire and the ability to set semi-automatic to binary, 3, 4, and 5 round burst and back to semi-automatic. I must admit, this put a smile on my face. In terms of gels, I have been using it with Ausgel Ultra Elite’s, the harder AKA’s (suitable for over 300 FPS) and XTAC Booms.
Another nice touch with the LDT MP7 is the free suitcase style, soft carry bag you get, perfectly made to fit the MP7, Batteries and can hold extra mags. It even has the HK emblem sewn onto the front and a poster with a cool Image on one side and a detailed drawing of the MP7 pulled apart for reference on the other side.
Obviously, I have to admit I am an MP7 fan boy but that being said my experiences with the TM electric MP7 made me rather fussy with wanting the same standard or quality. The original gel ball MP7 I held once and never looked at again, but this version from LDT thankfully has what so far is the quality, look, feel and performance I have been wanting in an MP7 Gel blaster.
In addition to this the retail price from WAT International of $399.00 makes it almost impossible to deny buying. For me the LDT MP7 gel blaster completes my collection by fulfilling the role as my go to close quarters skirmish blaster. I look forward to continuing to run this as my CQB primary blaster. IG.