Hello,
A few folks mentioned interest in a Range Report for my (then) unfired, non-Restricted HK G36E, so here it is. Most of the G36 Rifles in Canada are former movie firearms that were "repurposed" as civilian shooters, much to the dismay of HK, who are prohibited from German export for civilian sales. As a result of their relative rarity, G36s have generally been reserved for Canadian collectors with deep pockets. There are a number of HK SL8 Target Rifle Conversions which mimic a genuine G36 to greater or lesser degrees available to those of more modest means, as described in this excellent CGN thread by CGNer Polskadude: https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1673143-HK-SL8-243-G36-FAQ-Mods-And-Info
My rifle shipped with 2 magazines for the selling price and I purchased 4 additional mags with the package. All of the additional accessories pictured below were in my possession prior to purchasing the G36. OF note is the fact that my rifle shipped with the new-style HK Rail with folding BUIS, however the previous owner did not have the Rail Mounting Hardware which I have had to source elsewhere. For that reason, in the photo I have mounted a UTG Low-Profile Rail with proprietary mounting system so I could affix my German Zeiss/Hensoldt ZF-24, 4x 24mm Sharpshooter's Scope for the initial range session.
After unboxing and an initial inspection and cleaning, it was off to the range today for first shots fired. My baby is a virgin no longer! I fired a series of 3-round groups with Hornady Match 55gr ball ammo in order to zero the scope. Once zeroed at 50m, i moved over to 100m, made a final correction, and then proceeded to fire a series of 5-round groups at 100m for grouping size. The day was sunny and clear, 26C with no appreciable wind. in other words, perfect conditions! The G36 handled very well, the result of excellent ergonomic engineering. My rifle shipped with the "G36C" Buttstock, which is 1" shorter than the full-length stock which some find too long for Length of Pull. It was a very comfortable fit. The action of the G36 snaps forward with much more force than the actions of the converted SL8s t hat I have owned over the years. I also noticed that the Trigger-pull on the G36 is much stiffer than those of the SL8s. This is apparently due to the fact that HK installs much stiffer springs in the G36 Trigger Pack in order to pass the NATO Drop-Test standard, as well as to prevent "negligent discharges" within the largely conscript Bundeswehr. Whatever the case, the G36 Trigger is far too stiff for optimal accuracy testing as it really makes consistent groupings difficult to achieve! As a result, my 5 round Groups averaged 2 MOA (2" @ 100m) based on 4 rounds with a maximum of one declared flyer per group. I am convinced that the German Cold-Hammer-Forged G36E barrel is capable of better performance, perhaps 1 MOA with a reduced trigger pull-weight. FWIW, my SL8-5 G36K conversion's Trigger pull is 6 lbs even. My G36 measured 8 lbs 14 oz, or just about 9 lbs. Both triggers feature a long take-up with a crisp '"Celery Stick" type of break.
All told, I fired approximately 100 rounds of the Hornady 55 gr Factory Match Ammo, as well as some PMC X-Tac 62 gr fodder. There was no appreciable shift of POi nor any grouping difference with the heavier loads. The rifle cycled perfectly right out of thr box with zero stoppages of any kind. G36s are renowned for running like a sewing machine, and this one is no exception.
That's about all for now. Hopefully you enjoyed this brief, initial report on my "no longer new" G36E rifle. I really like the G36, which is an exceptionally lightweight, battle-tested infantry rifle par excellence - except for that trigger. It could really use a set of the lighter SL8 Trigger Springs. Aside from that however, I probablly wouldn't change a thing.
Cheers,
A few folks mentioned interest in a Range Report for my (then) unfired, non-Restricted HK G36E, so here it is. Most of the G36 Rifles in Canada are former movie firearms that were "repurposed" as civilian shooters, much to the dismay of HK, who are prohibited from German export for civilian sales. As a result of their relative rarity, G36s have generally been reserved for Canadian collectors with deep pockets. There are a number of HK SL8 Target Rifle Conversions which mimic a genuine G36 to greater or lesser degrees available to those of more modest means, as described in this excellent CGN thread by CGNer Polskadude: https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1673143-HK-SL8-243-G36-FAQ-Mods-And-Info
My rifle shipped with 2 magazines for the selling price and I purchased 4 additional mags with the package. All of the additional accessories pictured below were in my possession prior to purchasing the G36. OF note is the fact that my rifle shipped with the new-style HK Rail with folding BUIS, however the previous owner did not have the Rail Mounting Hardware which I have had to source elsewhere. For that reason, in the photo I have mounted a UTG Low-Profile Rail with proprietary mounting system so I could affix my German Zeiss/Hensoldt ZF-24, 4x 24mm Sharpshooter's Scope for the initial range session.
After unboxing and an initial inspection and cleaning, it was off to the range today for first shots fired. My baby is a virgin no longer! I fired a series of 3-round groups with Hornady Match 55gr ball ammo in order to zero the scope. Once zeroed at 50m, i moved over to 100m, made a final correction, and then proceeded to fire a series of 5-round groups at 100m for grouping size. The day was sunny and clear, 26C with no appreciable wind. in other words, perfect conditions! The G36 handled very well, the result of excellent ergonomic engineering. My rifle shipped with the "G36C" Buttstock, which is 1" shorter than the full-length stock which some find too long for Length of Pull. It was a very comfortable fit. The action of the G36 snaps forward with much more force than the actions of the converted SL8s t hat I have owned over the years. I also noticed that the Trigger-pull on the G36 is much stiffer than those of the SL8s. This is apparently due to the fact that HK installs much stiffer springs in the G36 Trigger Pack in order to pass the NATO Drop-Test standard, as well as to prevent "negligent discharges" within the largely conscript Bundeswehr. Whatever the case, the G36 Trigger is far too stiff for optimal accuracy testing as it really makes consistent groupings difficult to achieve! As a result, my 5 round Groups averaged 2 MOA (2" @ 100m) based on 4 rounds with a maximum of one declared flyer per group. I am convinced that the German Cold-Hammer-Forged G36E barrel is capable of better performance, perhaps 1 MOA with a reduced trigger pull-weight. FWIW, my SL8-5 G36K conversion's Trigger pull is 6 lbs even. My G36 measured 8 lbs 14 oz, or just about 9 lbs. Both triggers feature a long take-up with a crisp '"Celery Stick" type of break.
All told, I fired approximately 100 rounds of the Hornady 55 gr Factory Match Ammo, as well as some PMC X-Tac 62 gr fodder. There was no appreciable shift of POi nor any grouping difference with the heavier loads. The rifle cycled perfectly right out of thr box with zero stoppages of any kind. G36s are renowned for running like a sewing machine, and this one is no exception.
That's about all for now. Hopefully you enjoyed this brief, initial report on my "no longer new" G36E rifle. I really like the G36, which is an exceptionally lightweight, battle-tested infantry rifle par excellence - except for that trigger. It could really use a set of the lighter SL8 Trigger Springs. Aside from that however, I probablly wouldn't change a thing.
Cheers,
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