For example, if you have an H&K SL8 rifle converted into a faux G36 via the BATFE 922r route, you'd be well aware that a genuine G36 30-round magazine costs American citizens about $60 each, plus another $30 for a "USA"-marked floorplate to make it 922r compliant. So it is with great rejoicing that I got some Magpul American-made G36-compatible magazines for $28, or less than the cost of the floorplate.
That's a few dollars more than their highly-respected but run-of-the-mill M16 mags. Save your H&K magazines for the collection, and blast away with the American ones.
In other H&K matters, I put a new faux suppressor on my faux H&K UMP, which was converted via the magic of 922r from a H&K USC. Still a semi-auto carbine, still no suppressor, but at least it looks like it has a genuine H&K factory suppressor that was designed for it.
It's a solid piece of aluminum except for the hole that lets it slip over the barrel. One nice feature is that it extends well inside the forearm, where it is screwed to the plastic, rather than using setscrews to clamp it to the barrel itself. Another nice feature is that it is detailed enough to have all the details right, including a non-working QD mount and proper markings. Mine shoots 200gr .45ACP +P rounds from a 16-inch barrel, and it's obviously not your daddy's MP5.
And for all of the Hobbit Hole gadget-lovers, a new gadget that has high gee-whiz scores, and might even be practical. It's a $5 "survival card" made of .012" stainless steel that weighs .2 ounces, and can be used as a signal mirror, or as various kinds of cutting implements. It's a tiny bit wider, and about 50% longer than a GI dog tag.
DPX Gear is a new company that makes some vey high-end and pricey fixed and folding knives. This gadget is laser-scored on the front and back to break off, making a fine or serrated edge, or a razor. You can also sight through the cut-through lettering, allowing you to aim the polished surface like a signal mirror.
The tag is obviously single-use, and obviously a last-ditch item. Still, you have no excuse no to have some stashed all over the place, which is why I wrote the manufacturer about the possibility of bulk discounts. I started out with five, used one up, kept one, and gave the other three to friends, who absolutely insisted on having one. I have ten more on order, but I could easily use a few dozen by the time I stash them away in various bailout bags and other kit.
And I really mean it when I said "last ditch". The breakaway edges are not very sharp, but much better than using your teeth or fingernails. Just cut slowly and carefully, and try to strop the edge on some hard piece of leather, like the sole of a shoe.
Still, this is superior to using a double-edge razor blade, which is wickedly sharp, but also likely to shatter in your fingers. Nothing worse than major lacerations from your "survival tool" when you're in some sort of crisis situation. Under pressure, this blade will bend, rather than shatter. That's your warning to back off, and maybe think of resharpening the edge, and taking things a bit easier.
This tag is limited in its capabilities, but is infinitely better than nothing at all. It can be stashed, and forgotten, almost anywhere, waiting for that one emergency you hope never happens. But it also brings a big smile to any gadget geek in your life, and all for a measly $5.