HK G36: which internal parts are NOT common with SL8

[UncleWalther]

One of the disconcerting things about owning the G36 is knowing you may not be able to find parts if something breaks. There are a few SL8 to G36 conversion superstars on the boards, and I am hoping they can help me with this question:

Which G36 internal parts can NOT be replaced with parts from an SL8?

Thanks!

 

[CNADNSL8-5]

You can use all of the trigger parts from the SL8 in a G36 semi-auto trigger. You do not need to use the the locking lever or slide. In the pic of the G36 trigger there is a hammer catch shown, they are only for burst and full auto G36 triggers.
G36

SL8

 

[UncleWalther]

Cool! So for trigger parts I should be fine. How about the firing pin, bolt assembly, and recoil spring. Any of that specific to the G36?

 

[oenone]

The entire bolt assembly of the SL8 can be used on the G36 if you remove the catch-release from the G36 trigger group. If you have an SL8 trigger group, you are fine. Otherwise, you can use the entire bolt assembly except for the bolt carrier, which must be from a G36 to operate the catch-release.

Note that the inverse is not true, as the SL8 can not use the G36 bolt carrier under any circumstances, however all other parts of the bolt assembly are the same.

The recoil spring rod and recoil spring are the same on both, however the recoil spring backplate is a part unique to the G36.

Barrels, hand-guards, rails can all be shared, no problem, and piston and oprod/spring is common between the SL8 and the G36E.

 

[CNADNSL8-5]

If you swap barrels you have to also swap gas block and the gas block pin because of the barrel diameter.

 

[oenone]

If you swap barrels you have to also swap gas block and the gas block pin because of the barrel diameter.

Ha, got me there you did . By "barrel" I was thinking the barrel including the gas block assembly, the bayonet lug (if so equipped), and the barrel nut all together. Should have been more specific.

A note about this is that in some G36 hand-guards there is a heat-shield. If you try to install such a hand-guard on a barrel that has the SL8 gas-block (be it a true SL8 barrel, or an SL8 barrel used to manufacture a new barrel to G36CQB, G36K or G36C lengths), because the SL8 gas-block is larger than the G36ANYVERSION gas-block, it will not fit. You must remove the heat-shield to get it to fit onto an SL8 gas-block.

But you are not firing on full-auto, so loosing the heat-shield should not be that big a problem.

 

[UncleWalther]

It sounds like there is really not much to worry about. Practically every moving part is the same in each gun.

 

[CNADNSL8-5]

It sounds like there is really not much to worry about. Practically every moving part is the same in each gun.

There are even a few SL8 common parts shared between the G36, USC, UMP and even the 416.