Would it be a mistake to buy a Heckler & Koch SL8 .???

blueflash

blueflash

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Looking to buy a H&K SL8. I really like this gun, but I have concerns that since it is not really popular, and is no longer manufactured, that the gun might turn into a safe queen in 10 years because I cant find parts if it broke. ??

Other guns that are not manufactured (or limited new sales) like a SKS, CZ858, M14, etc, are not going to dry up of spare parts because these guns are very popular, with a large aftermarket of parts and accessories.

The SL8 has very few sources of aftermarket parts already, and its very difficult to find highly desired aftermarket items like a stanag magwel adapter already now.

Would the common opinion already be that SL8 future part's will be on the market still 10 years down the road, or should I stay clear of the SL8 and look for something like a robinson arms XCR instead ?? (must be a semi auto 223 that is non restricted and fairly accurate for taking 200 yard shots on yotes.
Thanks

P.S. I forgot to mention the intended use of the gun will be to install a scope to target shoot, and carry it in a gun boot on my ATV, to drive out to a few hunting spots for yotes.
 
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The SL-8 is a heavy and clunky gun. It's best asset is its accuracy. Hard to predict supply of parts in the future but I'm sure they are findable for a fee.
If you want a yote gun, why not a bolt action .223?
Or if you have funds, the Modern Verminter?
 
I went thru the same dilema.
I went .223 and 6.8 SPC XCR-L
Mine wont fit in a Polaris/Koplin gun boot with a PEPR/Vortex PST scope.

Benched with .223 factory ammo Fed red box 55JHP and Hornady Vmax were 1 5/8"
Benched with 6.8 SPC factory ammo Hornady 120 SST were 1 1/2"
Both at 100m lasered. Most others, AE black box 62?, federal match 69 shot 2.5 to 3" @ 100m
 
Mine is very accurate and with the Stanag magwell, it's a trouble free rifle...

One of my favorite marmott rifle... JP.
 
I have an SL-8 with a SPUHR Stanag mag well adapter and a folding Bushmaster ACR stock. The gun is heavy but "clunky" is not a word I would use to describe it at all. Everything is rock solid and silky smooth operating/cycling. Accurate IS a word worthy of describing the SL-8.

I traded my Robinson Arms XCR-L with multiple calibers and stacks of LAR mags for this SL-8 and do not regret it for one minute. I spent a ton of coin on my XCR-l, including 3 different .223 barrels for it in 1:7, 1:8 and 1:9 twist in both sporter contour and heavy barrel. Through extrensive testing and handloading I was able to work up a few good load that would produce consistent 1.75" groups @ 100 yards, good enough for hunting.....EVERYTHING else was 4"+ groups. I changed everything in my XCR-l, the barrel, the receiver, the bolt, the bolt carrier,the barrel retention bolt, EVERYTHING that could matter but it didn't make a bit of difference. I love the ergonomics of the XCR, I love that it is a non restricted black rifle, I love that it was almost 100% reliable in function, I HATE the fact I spent thousands of dollars on a product that can barely manage battle acceptable accuracy.

Get the SL-8 if you like it, I doubt you'll be disapointed.
 
I have one solely for hunting yotes.
I did what others have done and changed the nagwell.

Buy yourself a decent 2 point sling and carrying the rifle will be easier
Damn accurate rifle even with cheap ammo
 
Thanks for the info...I don't care about its weight. The weight is no problem since I hunt with a at that has 2 gun boots to carry my guns... I hunt deer with either a Springfield M1A ant weighs 12 lbs + with the mount and scope. My other gun I use for moose is a cz550 300 win mag and with its scope, it's over 10 lbs... I drive to my tree stand on my at and the weight seems to be fine when my guns are in a kolphin gun boot. If I go bushwacking up north, I will carry a good old light marlin 336 30-30. Around my house if I plan on walking to find a spot to wait for yokes, I take my light little Tikka T3 Lite stainlesss 243... I mainly want a semi auto accurate 223 for punching paper and occasional yote hunting...and if I get the sl8, the first-time thing I will do is get the stanag magwel adapter.

There's basically 4 rifles that I'm looking at...the H K sl8, the Robards xcr, a Tavor, and believe it or not the fourth gun is a Ruger mini 14 that I will get a tactical style stock like a tapco and since I'm a machinist, I will mill out the magwel and convert it to shoot the ar15 stanag magazines.

But I am leaning towards the H K sl8
 
Id say buy one, they are cool looking rifles and very accurate. Plus they are top quality.

Here is mine

QKcxmna.jpg
 
The 243 probably won't be in for another year if we use "2 year" as a rule of thumb. By the time they are ordered I say 2017 winter. I do hope that miracle will happen. Will be X-mas if the 243 and X95 are approved earlier, but I won't hold my breath.

Ask yourself the question, are you going to shoot over 10,000 rounds through this gun? If not, don't worry about the parts. Most wear items such as pistol head gas rings are most likely the same as the G36 and the 243. By the time you have over 10,000 rounds, you probably want to buy another gun or you would have sold it long time before.
 
blueflash said:
Thanks for the info...I don't care about its weight. The weight is no problem since I hunt with a at that has 2 gun boots to carry my guns... I hunt deer with either a Springfield M1A ant weighs 12 lbs + with the mount and scope. My other gun I use for moose is a cz550 300 win mag and with its scope, it's over 10 lbs... I drive to my tree stand on my at and the weight seems to be fine when my guns are in a kolphin gun boot. If I go bushwacking up north, I will carry a good old light marlin 336 30-30. Around my house if I plan on walking to find a spot to wait for yokes, I take my light little Tikka T3 Lite stainlesss 243... I mainly want a semi auto accurate 223 for punching paper and occasional yote hunting...and if I get the sl8, the first-time thing I will do is get the stanag magwel adapter.

There's basically 4 rifles that I'm looking at...the H K sl8, the Robards xcr, a Tavor, and believe it or not the fourth gun is a Ruger mini 14 that I will get a tactical style stock like a tapco and since I'm a machinist, I will mill out the magwel and convert it to shoot the ar15 stanag magazines.

But I am leaning towards the H K sl8
Click to expand...

Then you want an SL-8 if these are the only 4 rifles you are considering. The XCR-l, Tavor and Mini 14 rifles will all be horribly dissapointing to you if you ecpect any sort of target accuracy. Those 3 guns are good enough to hit a man sized target @ 400m, but not with any accuracy at all.

P.S. I know a lot of guys are converting their SL-8s with readily available air soft parts, I've seen a few good G36 conversions. One was on this site too.
 
JasonGTA said:
Id say buy one, they are cool looking rifles and very accurate. Plus they are top quality.

Here is mine

QKcxmna.jpg
Click to expand...

What is at the top rear of your carrying handle ? Are you running factory iron sights with a laser attached to the upper rear handle ?

How much weight do you save with that type of stock ?
 
blueflash said:
What is at the top rear of your carrying handle ? Are you running factory iron sights with a laser attached to the upper rear handle ?

How much weight do you save with that type of stock ?
Click to expand...

Red dot sight.

The weight savings is negligible.

blueflash said:
Looking to buy a H&K SL8. I really like this gun, but I have concerns that since it is not really popular, and is no longer manufactured, that the gun might turn into a safe queen in 10 years because I cant find parts if it broke. ??

Other guns that are not manufactured (or limited new sales) like a SKS, CZ858, M14, etc, are not going to dry up of spare parts because these guns are very popular, with a large aftermarket of parts and accessories.

The SL8 has very few sources of aftermarket parts already, and its very difficult to find highly desired aftermarket items like a stanag magwel adapter already now.

Would the common opinion already be that SL8 future part's will be on the market still 10 years down the road, or should I stay clear of the SL8 and look for something like a robinson arms XCR instead ?? (must be a semi auto 223 that is non restricted and fairly accurate for taking 200 yard shots on yotes.
Thanks

P.S. I forgot to mention the intended use of the gun will be to install a scope to target shoot, and carry it in a gun boot on my ATV, to drive out to a few hunting spots for yotes.
Click to expand...

I would say to get one.

Many parts are not unique to this specific firearm, as it shares some parts with the G36 and Mr. 243, the HK416/Mr. 223/Mr. 556 and with the USC/UMP. Parts are expensive, however you will most likely not need any spares as the design is very practical and reliable. Parts are widely available in the US and in Europe, so I would not worry about parts availability. The G36 (which the SL8 shares many parts with) are in use in the German, Latvian, Lithuanian, Spanish, and Montenegrin military, along with countless police forces globally.

The barrel is good for 20 000 to 50 000 rounds, likely the upper range if you are shooting slowly and carefully. However, if you would want to change the barrel, you should avoid the date codes AK and BA (2010) because the barrel nut is adhered with an adhesive making it difficult to remove without the careful application of heat. If you know you will always want to keep the bull barrel then perhaps this can be a reason to argue the price down should you be eyeing up a model with the applicable date code.

I imagine you have already looked through this thread?
 
blueflash said:
What is at the top rear of your carrying handle ? Are you running factory iron sights with a laser attached to the upper rear handle ?

How much weight do you save with that type of stock ?
Click to expand...

Its a red dot sight that is built in ontop of the 3.5x power scope carrying handle. Its what the German army uses and many others
 
Parts are available. If you do some looking around they can be found. Get what you think you will need now not later . Gas rings. Recoil buffer. I bought some of these when I got a different top rail for mine. Shipped from Europe. Not really too expensive. I'll probably never use some of these parts but have them. I do that with a few of my firearms that I don't plan on getting rid of.
 
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