I ordered a Marauder kit from Mystic Precision a couple of weeks ago, and it arrived today. WOOHOO!!!
Jerry was FANTASTIC to deal with! I phoned him told him what I wanted, and he made it happen. A LOT faster than I expected, too.
Anyway, I picked up the kit today assembled it, and thought I'd post a bit of a review on the assembly.
The kit comes very complete. When I opened the package, I was surprised at how heavy and solid the parts are. This thing is not made of cheap plastic - it's at least as solid as a real G-36. The completed gun weighs 7.22 lbs (3.27 kg), bang on what the actual G-36 weighs. Once it's assembled, you can shake it, pound it, do whatever you want, but there's nary a rattle or a squeak.
The assembly instructions are good, but I'd recommend following along with some of the excellent videos on Youtube. I found a two-part video that showed the entire thing from start to finish. Even if you just watch the videos a couple of times, then used the written directions provided, you'll have a much easier time of it.
I want to stress that the receiver/barrel assembly is a VERY TIGHT FIT into the kit's receiver housing. If you don't find that the upper receiver housing is going all the way down flush with the lower portion, the receiver isn't down far enough yet.
One thing I noted, that really isn't in the instructions, is that you have to tilt the barrel way up & insert the back of the rifle's receiver into the kit's receiver, before trying to lower the barrel into position. This is because there's a notch at the back of the 10/22 receiver that has to engage a rib inside the kit's receiver (see pic below). If you just try to fit the rifle straight down into the kit, or try to install it with the barrel tilted down (relative to the kit's receiver), it WILL NOT GO. This took me a lot of trial and error to figure out. Even then, I ended up using a block of soft wood and a hammer to drive the 10/22 to fit down all the way into the kit's receiver. No damage done to anything, but that thing ain't goin' anywhere!!! The tight fit ensures the absolute precision required to get all the bolts to line up. There are even bolts that go down through the kit's receiver into the rifle's drilled & tapped scope rail mount holes, and these lined up with absolute precision.
In the end, it's a very ###y-looking rifle IMHO. I am looking forward to getting out to the range and sighting it in. As it happens, I can use both the Marauder's peep/post sights AND the RedDot, as the former are visible through the latter, but don't intrude on the center of the RedDot's field of view. Not a bad thing, if the RedDot's battery should ever die while I'm shooting. Come to think of it, once the two are both sighted in to the same point of aim, it'll be a handy cross-check for both sighting systems.
A brief note on the Marauder's sights. I was surprised at how solid and functional these sights are (they're both removable/replaceable if desired). The rear sight is all-steel, and features a 2-position tip-over design, that provides two apertures (one small, and one large for rapid sight picture acquisition). The rear sight is, of course, fully adjustable for windage & elevation.
The folding stock on the kit is very solid, with a positive lock in both the folded and extended positions, and is very easy to use. There is a non-slip rubber pad on the butt - this is a nice touch, and stops the butt from sliding around on your clothes. The gun can be fired with the stock in the folded position, and all functions (safety, bolt hold-open lever, mag release, etc.) function normally with the stock in either position. When the stock is folded, a nice little compartment (with a latch closure) is revealed in the back of the receiver - useful for a small cleaning rag or cable, etc. Another such compartment is found inside the pistol grip. Nicely made, and a nice touch.
The designers of the kit seem to have thought of pretty much everything. There's even a little window provided in the left side of the outer receiver so that your serial number is visible.
The kit is provided with both a faux-suppressor (plastic, but very solid) and a nicely-made, substantial aluminum flash suppressor. I used the fake suppressor - I like the look of it. Expect to have to drive it on with a soft-faced mallet - it's a tight fit, like all the parts of the kit.
The very large magazine (25 rounds, I believe) is a little tricky to put in, although they are furnished with a tight fit, and what I've read indicates that this will rapidly break in through use. The provided extended magazine release works very well, as does the bolt hold-open. It's nice to be able to just flick the bolt handle and have the bolt close, without having to fiddle with the original Ruger lever. While installation of these items is relatively straightforward, I would STRONGLY recommend following along with one of the how-to Youtube videos when you do this part. It'll save you lots of hassle if you haven't done this before.
Now I can't wait for the folding foregrip & bipod I've ordered to arrive! More toys, more coolness...
Anyway, I strongly recommend this kit, for its looks and for its quality of construction. And again, many thanks to Jerry at Mystic Precision!
Hope this helps...
Jerry was FANTASTIC to deal with! I phoned him told him what I wanted, and he made it happen. A LOT faster than I expected, too.
Anyway, I picked up the kit today assembled it, and thought I'd post a bit of a review on the assembly.
The kit comes very complete. When I opened the package, I was surprised at how heavy and solid the parts are. This thing is not made of cheap plastic - it's at least as solid as a real G-36. The completed gun weighs 7.22 lbs (3.27 kg), bang on what the actual G-36 weighs. Once it's assembled, you can shake it, pound it, do whatever you want, but there's nary a rattle or a squeak.
The assembly instructions are good, but I'd recommend following along with some of the excellent videos on Youtube. I found a two-part video that showed the entire thing from start to finish. Even if you just watch the videos a couple of times, then used the written directions provided, you'll have a much easier time of it.
I want to stress that the receiver/barrel assembly is a VERY TIGHT FIT into the kit's receiver housing. If you don't find that the upper receiver housing is going all the way down flush with the lower portion, the receiver isn't down far enough yet.
One thing I noted, that really isn't in the instructions, is that you have to tilt the barrel way up & insert the back of the rifle's receiver into the kit's receiver, before trying to lower the barrel into position. This is because there's a notch at the back of the 10/22 receiver that has to engage a rib inside the kit's receiver (see pic below). If you just try to fit the rifle straight down into the kit, or try to install it with the barrel tilted down (relative to the kit's receiver), it WILL NOT GO. This took me a lot of trial and error to figure out. Even then, I ended up using a block of soft wood and a hammer to drive the 10/22 to fit down all the way into the kit's receiver. No damage done to anything, but that thing ain't goin' anywhere!!! The tight fit ensures the absolute precision required to get all the bolts to line up. There are even bolts that go down through the kit's receiver into the rifle's drilled & tapped scope rail mount holes, and these lined up with absolute precision.
In the end, it's a very ###y-looking rifle IMHO. I am looking forward to getting out to the range and sighting it in. As it happens, I can use both the Marauder's peep/post sights AND the RedDot, as the former are visible through the latter, but don't intrude on the center of the RedDot's field of view. Not a bad thing, if the RedDot's battery should ever die while I'm shooting. Come to think of it, once the two are both sighted in to the same point of aim, it'll be a handy cross-check for both sighting systems.
A brief note on the Marauder's sights. I was surprised at how solid and functional these sights are (they're both removable/replaceable if desired). The rear sight is all-steel, and features a 2-position tip-over design, that provides two apertures (one small, and one large for rapid sight picture acquisition). The rear sight is, of course, fully adjustable for windage & elevation.
The folding stock on the kit is very solid, with a positive lock in both the folded and extended positions, and is very easy to use. There is a non-slip rubber pad on the butt - this is a nice touch, and stops the butt from sliding around on your clothes. The gun can be fired with the stock in the folded position, and all functions (safety, bolt hold-open lever, mag release, etc.) function normally with the stock in either position. When the stock is folded, a nice little compartment (with a latch closure) is revealed in the back of the receiver - useful for a small cleaning rag or cable, etc. Another such compartment is found inside the pistol grip. Nicely made, and a nice touch.
The designers of the kit seem to have thought of pretty much everything. There's even a little window provided in the left side of the outer receiver so that your serial number is visible.
The kit is provided with both a faux-suppressor (plastic, but very solid) and a nicely-made, substantial aluminum flash suppressor. I used the fake suppressor - I like the look of it. Expect to have to drive it on with a soft-faced mallet - it's a tight fit, like all the parts of the kit.
The very large magazine (25 rounds, I believe) is a little tricky to put in, although they are furnished with a tight fit, and what I've read indicates that this will rapidly break in through use. The provided extended magazine release works very well, as does the bolt hold-open. It's nice to be able to just flick the bolt handle and have the bolt close, without having to fiddle with the original Ruger lever. While installation of these items is relatively straightforward, I would STRONGLY recommend following along with one of the how-to Youtube videos when you do this part. It'll save you lots of hassle if you haven't done this before.
Now I can't wait for the folding foregrip & bipod I've ordered to arrive! More toys, more coolness...
Anyway, I strongly recommend this kit, for its looks and for its quality of construction. And again, many thanks to Jerry at Mystic Precision!
Hope this helps...
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