Anybody have experience with Vector Arms?

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Night Guy

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I'm looking at buying one of these in the near future...

www.vectorarms.com

V532.gif


V53Closeup.gif


I want to buy one, run a bunch of ammo through it to test its reliability, and possibly pay the $200 to SBR it if I'm satisfied with it. Then if (when) the AWB goes away, slap a telescoping stock on it just for giggles.

Does anyone have any direct experience with any Vector Arms guns? I've read some pretty encouraging things about their Uzi and AK clones, but can't seem to find much on these HK53 clones. I've read the horror stories about the Special Weapons/Bobcat MP5 clones and certainly don't want to experience anything like that myself. I've also looked at the www.ohiorapidfire.com guns, and can't find a justifiable reason to pay the extra money at this point. Any input you guys can provide will be greatly appreciated, though I'm pretty sure I'll be a guinea pig with this gun regardless.

Thanks.

I should mention that this will be a range gun(toy), so I can excuse some problems, but I do want a rifle I could rely on if the need ever arised.
 
Sorry about that, I thought something didnt seem quite right about the name..... :p (its late, forgive me)

Vulcan is the one to stay away from.

I have heard nothing but good things about Vector stuff, especially their Uzi's.
 
Vector in Utah is NOT Hesse or Vulcan or whatever they're calling themselves these days.

Vector is NOT Vektor, the South African weapons manufacturer.

Vector IS a well run company, with excellent customer service and high quality products, making Uzi and HK clones.
 
From what I've read you'll want to go with either

www.ohiorapidfire.com

or

www.investmentgradefirearms.com



I've read several comments that these builders are as good or better than the originals. I have an H&K33E clone on the way from Investment Grade Firearms. I will let you know how it turns out if I get it anytime soon.
 
I have one and like it very much. The roller locks did not engage the first 3-4 times I dropped the bolt, but after that it was fine.

I have fired about 200-300 rounds thru it, both semi-auto and full-auto with absolutely no jams so far. It is very smooth, and uses a buffer in the bolt rather than in the stock like a factory HK53. I think it is smoother because of that. My friend's HK53 is not as smooth firing, esp on full-auto.

I have not SBR'd mine yet, so it looks like the pic you have above.

The magwell is very tight initially, but once the finish inside wears a little, the mags slip in more easily. The stock is also very tight, but wears some after you take it off a few times. Same with the triggerpack. It's very difficult to get it out of the grip frame the first time.

Overall I'm very happy with it, and think it was a good deal.

Look at HKPRO for more talk about them. Others have had some jams, and some have replaced springs to improve reliability. I have not had to do that on mine. :cool:
 
There are some reports at HKPRO, if you would like to search through the board archives. There are even some favorable side by side comparisons of factory HK53s after someone claimed the Vector had sloppy welds.
 
Thanks everyone. I've read the archives over at HKPro, but didn't find much on Vector. Everything seems pretty positive, so the odds are good that I'll take the plunge here soon. It's good to hear that a full auto version of the V53 has run well without any jams, kinda makes my decision easier. I don't plan on going through the trouble and expense to buy a FA receiver, but at least it'll have a good chance of running right straight out of the box.

How common are these guns? Think I actually have a chance of finding one at a gunshow?
 
There isn't a full-auto version per se.

The gun that you get from the factory is the same. I just put a full-auto sear in it to make it go full-auto. It comes with the FA bolt carrier already, so no mods or extra parts are needed.
 
The gun that you get from the factory is the same. I just put a full-auto sear in it to make it go full-auto. It comes with the FA bolt carrier already, so no mods or extra parts are needed.
Click to expand...


Any legalities by dropping in a full auto sear?
 
Obviously the sear must be registered.

If you have a registered sear, you can put it into any of the HK guns that will fit it (HK91, MP5, HK93, HK53, SP89, etc). The host gun then becomes the machine gun.

When you take the sear out, it is no longer a machine gun. This can cause problems if the gun w/o the sear is not legal in its own right. IE an MP5 or HK53 must be resitered as an SBR if the sear is not in it.
 
how does this relate to the whole not made after 1986 deal???
 
It doesn't.

Once you put a sear into a gun, it is a machine gun as long as the sear is in it. You can do whatever you want with it (Flash suppressor, short barrel, collapsable stock). If the gun is post ban, then the FS and stock then become illegal if you take the sear out. The short barrel becomes illegal regardless of whether the gun is pre or post, unless it is registered as an SBR.

You have to be very careful about the laws. It's not always clear what is and is not ok to do.

The Vector is not subject to the 89 import ban, b/c it's a US made receiver.
It IS subject to NFA laws and the AWB. The AWB will hopefully go away, so the part about the FS and A3 stock will be moot, but the SBR law will not go away.
 
You guys have me all excited about this now.:D

I just want to wait and see if I can find one locally before I order it direct from Vector.
 
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