Mexar 
Mexar 
Umarex and VFC have released a licensed airsoft replica of the Heckler and Koch HK33 rifle. Airsoft Milsim News first reported the gas blowback rifle on 18 February 2026, and reported its official release on 23 March 2026.
The replica
The replica is a 6mm gas blowback rifle. The receiver is made from stamped steel, as on the real rifle, and other parts are made from fibre reinforced polymer. The charging handle is steel. The hop up is Umarex's adjustable Shoot-up system, and the rifle uses NPAS so the gas output can be tuned. The stock is fixed.
The action uses a roller delayed system taken from VFC's G3 replica. According to the release report, the rifle combines features from VFC's G3 and MP5 V2 gas systems.
Umarex says the replica carries full Heckler and Koch and Umarex authorisation. It says this covers the design, the materials, how the rifle works, its appearance, its engravings and its trademarks.
No price was given in the release report.
The real rifle
The HK33 is a scaled down version of the G3 battle rifle, chambered for .223, or 5.56mm. Heckler and Koch designed it in the 1960s and it was used by a number of armed forces and police units around the world. Like the G3, it uses a roller delayed blowback action, which gives the rifle its distinctive charging handle above the barrel and its sharp recoil.
What it means for players
The HK33 has been rare in airsoft, while the G3 and MP5 have been common. A licensed gas blowback version fills a gap for players who build Cold War and 1970s and 1980s loadouts, or who want a Heckler and Koch rifle that is not a G36 or HK416.
Using parts of VFC's existing G3 and MP5 gas systems should help with spare parts, because some parts may be shared. Players should check with the maker which magazines fit, as this was not covered in the reports.
As a gas rifle it will use more gas and work less well in cold weather than an electric rifle. NPAS lets owners set the power to the site's limit. In the UK, any realistic replica must be bought with a valid defence, such as being a regular skirmisher at an insured site.
