Hostile Amish
member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2008
- Messages
- 522
I have always wanted a G36 or the chance to fire a G36. As they were only produced after 1989, only NFA/Class III dealers have any way to acquire them. However, I got my wish yesterday at the local range. An NFA dealer (probably was) was there and firing away with a G36. I moved to the vacant spot next to him, and $100 later, I was firing it on fully-automatic at a 50-yard target. I was extremely impressed at the low recoil and handling characteristics of the G36. Unfortunately, I have no pictures to post. If I had them, I certainly would.
The G36 was fired with both 5.56mm x 45 and .223 Rem. ammunition. Both fed flawlessly from the clear plastic magazine, which is a proprietary design from HK. I found that clipping the magazines together was not as stable as I expected, and made for awkward handling, so I didn't use that feature. The magazines are also easy to fill, but I had some difficulty fitting in the 30th round, so I shot most magazines with 29 rounds.
The stock design is very sturdy and comfortable, and moves very little during firing, even on fully-automatic. However, firing with the stock folded was a bit awkward. This is one of the points I did not like about the G36. I feel that it would be more wise to have the stock fold to the left, both to minimize interference with the bolt (although the HK design does a spectacular job) and for the rifle to deploy more easily (If you're holding the pistol grip with your right hand, it would make more sense to pull the stock forward from the left.)
The charging handle is also a proprietary HK design, and one that I was very comfortable with. Reloading is very fast because of the hands-free magazine catch and bolt catch. Everything is enclosed within the trigger group. Stick out your index finger, push down, insert a fresh magazine, and push the same finger upwards. Even as a beginner, I found that I could reload the G36 much faster than an AR15.
The optical sight was high-quality and easy to use. The G36 I fired came with the G36E sight, although the inscription on the side of the rifle read "HK G36" and not G36E or G36V. Personally, I like this 1.5x sight. It makes for very fast aiming, but more magnification than most reflex sights.
The trigger was very gritty. I did not expect this on the G36, but it is probably a better feature for a military rifle than for a civilian rifle. I estimated the pull weight to be about 7-8 lbs. Still, the trigger broke rather cleanly, with a small amount of overtravel.
The G36 has low recoil, and is very accurate. Even at 50 yards, I could place all the bullets onto the target in fully-automatic. Additionally, the foregrip has a very good surface in which it is easy to gain a purchase with your fingers. The muzzle brake is also of a very good design.
The barrel was thinner than I expected, and it got hot rather quickly. This didn't affect the accuracy of the G36 to a large extent, but the handguard did get hot. This is probably because there is no heat shield under the handguard, in order to save weight. Indeed, one of the best things about the rifle is how lightweight it is.
I look forward to getting my next chance to fire a G36. It is one of the most entertaining, aesthetic, and easy-to-use rifle I have ever fired.
-HA
The G36 was fired with both 5.56mm x 45 and .223 Rem. ammunition. Both fed flawlessly from the clear plastic magazine, which is a proprietary design from HK. I found that clipping the magazines together was not as stable as I expected, and made for awkward handling, so I didn't use that feature. The magazines are also easy to fill, but I had some difficulty fitting in the 30th round, so I shot most magazines with 29 rounds.
The stock design is very sturdy and comfortable, and moves very little during firing, even on fully-automatic. However, firing with the stock folded was a bit awkward. This is one of the points I did not like about the G36. I feel that it would be more wise to have the stock fold to the left, both to minimize interference with the bolt (although the HK design does a spectacular job) and for the rifle to deploy more easily (If you're holding the pistol grip with your right hand, it would make more sense to pull the stock forward from the left.)
The charging handle is also a proprietary HK design, and one that I was very comfortable with. Reloading is very fast because of the hands-free magazine catch and bolt catch. Everything is enclosed within the trigger group. Stick out your index finger, push down, insert a fresh magazine, and push the same finger upwards. Even as a beginner, I found that I could reload the G36 much faster than an AR15.
The optical sight was high-quality and easy to use. The G36 I fired came with the G36E sight, although the inscription on the side of the rifle read "HK G36" and not G36E or G36V. Personally, I like this 1.5x sight. It makes for very fast aiming, but more magnification than most reflex sights.
The trigger was very gritty. I did not expect this on the G36, but it is probably a better feature for a military rifle than for a civilian rifle. I estimated the pull weight to be about 7-8 lbs. Still, the trigger broke rather cleanly, with a small amount of overtravel.
The G36 has low recoil, and is very accurate. Even at 50 yards, I could place all the bullets onto the target in fully-automatic. Additionally, the foregrip has a very good surface in which it is easy to gain a purchase with your fingers. The muzzle brake is also of a very good design.
The barrel was thinner than I expected, and it got hot rather quickly. This didn't affect the accuracy of the G36 to a large extent, but the handguard did get hot. This is probably because there is no heat shield under the handguard, in order to save weight. Indeed, one of the best things about the rifle is how lightweight it is.
I look forward to getting my next chance to fire a G36. It is one of the most entertaining, aesthetic, and easy-to-use rifle I have ever fired.
-HA
