By Dobbin87
Published: March 2005
When Tokyo Marui first announced their G36 Compact AEG (abbreviated the G36C) a couple years back, I can remember reading page after page of excited airsofters speculating and discussing the potential of this highly anticipated gun, wondering myself if this could be my next airsoft weapon. However, I decided to wait and see how it was accepted once released, because I did not want to take a chance on Marui's first new design in many months. Skeptical as I was about the weapon, my friend and teammate picked one up as his second airsoft AEG just a few weeks after its official release. At the time, my weapon was a Marui Steyr AUG civilian model with an upgraded spring and tighter inner barrel, and I can disticntly remember my friend's new, but internally stock, G36 shooting with the same precision and reliablility as my AUG. It astonished me, as all the other stock guns around were noticably outclassed by my AUG's accuracy and range, yet this G36 seemed to be a very competitive weapon out of the box. Not only that, but the weapon's near perfect build and weight distribution made the best quality of build in an AEG I had ever held, surpassing the local P90, SR-16, and my personal AUG. This very positive impression of the gun is what caused me to buy the weapon as my fourth AEG just two weeks ago, and it just goes to show how important first impressions really are.
When I first started considering a new airsoft gun, I really had no specific weapon in mind. So instead of sloshing through forum topics to try to find what might suit me better than my current MC-51, I decided to come up with a list of AEGs that had the things my MC-51 did not have. To name a few of them, a rock solid build, stable hop-up system, and cheaper customization options. Many guns immediately came to mind, such as the Marui SR-16 (my brother owning one himself), the new Marui G3-SAS, and the Classic Army M15 carbine. And then I saw the picture of the Marui G36, and that triggered a few memories of when my friend had owned his, and how well it had performed for him. After accumulating enough money to buy almost any AEG I pleased, it came down to decision time. I soon ruled out the SR-16 because I decided I wanted a gun that was a bit more compact and had a folding or telescoping stock. I also eliminated the Classic Army M15, because of a few conversations with friends on the reliability of their internals. Not to bash Classic Army, but I wanted something that I absolutely knew would work. That left the G3-SAS and the G36c. The SAS was a really tempting option, but I eventually decided against it because I would have to have a solid stock for battery reasons and I really wanted the tactical look of a collapsable or telescoping stock. It seemed as if the G36 was the absolute best compromise for the features I wanted, and it really helped that I had already had some positive experiences in the past with one.
APPEARANCE/BUILD
As for the weapon's appearance, the G36 series sports a very contemporary look. This may not appeal to those looking for something a little more widely recognized in the States, but its all a matter of opinion. The gun probably appeals to those more in-tune with modern, worldwide weaponry (such as myself), more than it would to those looking for good old American favorites like the Armalites. The sleek, highly compact design lends itself much more to urban combat sitautions than it does to long range engagements, but it could easily be used for both.
The gun was just as I had remembered it; perfectly balanced, weighty, and solid as can be. The word that can best describe the way the gun feels is 'robust'. Nothing was loose (and I mean nothing), everything was in its proper place. The G36 sports a very unique heft, as it is so well balanced in the terms of weight distribution it almost feels lightweight. But this isn't really the case, as the gun is a good 6 pounds, without the battery or a loaded magazine. The balance of the weight provides very comfortable shouldering and aiming, which in the long run can mean less stress on you during all-day skirmishing.
The gun's recievers are both externally made of a heavy, durable, somewhat textured plastic. However, the gun sports an internal metal frame which really adds that element of extreme compactness and durability. The most metal on the gun comes on the top rail/carry handle and the flashhider. The main rail is very solid as well as the front and rear sights (both metal as well). The gun also sports another 20mm rail on the underside of the foregrip, something becoming very popular on Marui AEGs recently. The stock of the weapon is also very strong plastic, but thankfully it doesn't feel so hollow, which is a common complaint with plastic folding stocks, such as the MP5-RAS. The stock features a nice rubber pad on the end to keep it from slipping from place while aiming. The folding mechanism also seems to be well designed as you can fold it with the press of a button. Also worth noting is the perfect fit of the magazine in its place. I've come to notice on many past AEG's that most of the magazine's did not fit tightly enough. In the case of the MP5, this is such a problem that it causes misfeeding. But the G36 magazines fit in very snugly and have no detectable side to side or front to back movement. As for the magazine build, the standard mags feature the very attractive fake bullets, at the cost of holding only 50 rounds. Also the magazines feature handy self- clamping hooks, however the ones on my standard Marui mag seem to a little weak, as one of the snapped off when trying to unclamp it from my Classic Army hi-capacity mag. Shame.
The foregrip and barrel assembly are both pretty well engineered and designed as well. The barrel is very durable, no looseness or wobble to be felt so far. Hopefully it stays that way. As for the foregrip, well it's just about as stable. Its pretty wimpy next to my First Factory large foregrip (for the use of a large battery) but its still solid in build despite it's relative thinness. The foregrip also comes with a nice 20mm rail on its underside, as well as places to insert additional side rails on either side machined right in. This is an added bonus that has been incorporated into many of the recent Tokyo Marui models, useful for mounting a tactical light, AN-PEQ 2 battery box or other accessories. Inserting a battery into the basic Marui foregrip is extremely easy. However, this brings us to one of the gun's shortcomings, which is the ability to only hold the small battery. This really limits upgrade potential at first. Thankfully, there are many options for an owner to bypass this flaw including G36K and E model kits, large foregrips (my preferred option), and also custom batteries that require a bit of modifying to fit properly. However, if you're planning on using the G36 as your CQB weapon, the basic 600 mAh battery should be plenty for the stock gun. Overall build quality on the G36 is superb, certainly better than any other Marui AEG I have ever laid hands on, having only 2 flaws: Only mini battery storage out of the box, and weak mag clamp hooks.
PERFORMANCE AND INTERNALS
I usually don't get too in depth with the performance of Marui AEG's because for the most part they all perform the same stock. My G36 is upgraded to 400fps thanks to UNcompany, but I have used my friend's internally stock one in a couple of different skirmishes. It proved to be a very accurate gun, especially on the semi-automatic mode, for having a pretty short barrel. The biggest plus of the stock performance is the consistency of it's semi-automatic function when used in rapid succession. On some of my previous AEGs, if I fired a bit too quickly on semi-automatic mode some of my rounds would drop a bit short as if they weren't getting enough hop. Either that or the piston would get in a jam (or would fire again before back to it's normal position) and would require a small burst of fully-automatic to get back to normal. This has not seemed to been a problem with the G36 at all. Its semi-automatic mode is extremely stable and responsive.
Rate of fire is about what it should be for a Marui with the EG1000 motor run by an 8.4v battery. Satisfying, yet not alot greater than most other stock Marui AEGs. That said, with my new 9.6v 2000mAh battery, coupled with the systema gears, the rate of fire is INSANE, making this a good choice for CQB users. This gun easily squeezes out 14 or 15 per second on fully automatic with the 9.6 battery. On the fully-automatic mode the gun loses some of its tight groupings, perhaps I should invest in a tighter inner barrel. A plus on the side of the gun's internals is the use of the Version 3 gearbox type, supposedly much stronger and resistant to high power springs than the Version 2.
My gun's performance is very satisfactory in comparison to my last AEG (the Marui MC-51) in that it seems to fire with more consistent accuracy. This might give you the edge in a CQB fight, as the gun is more accurate than most CQB oriented weapons (it is on par with the accuracy of the P90, which I previously thought to be the most accurate CQB gun). I don't really want to say upgrade potential is limited because of the battery space, because there are plenty of low cost, low hassle options to help out. I took the route of buying an enlarged foregrip, and let me say that I am pleased that I did, the 9.6 large battery fits perfectly. However, your options are not limited to just foregrips. Entire G36K/E kits are available for purchase, as well as custom fitted batteries to fit in the stock Marui foregrip. Overall I am extremely pleased with the performance of my G36, as it has no real drawbacks to mention, although not too many Marui guns do.
USES AND UPGRADES
Who would want a G36c, you might ask? Well the answer could be almost anything. With tons of different set-ups and upgrading possibilities, the G36 can do pretty much anything you want it to. Now, say if you on a tight budget and you just want a good backyard skirmishing gun at stock FPS, then the G36 would most likely suit you well. Or say your MP5k is being overpowered in CQB situations because of relatively small 200 round hicaps and barely any upgrade possibilities to speak of. Well then the G36 is also right up your alley, thanks to its compact size, large ammo capacity and the ability to easily achieve a 350fps upgrade without spending too much money on any custom batteries. Even if you love the build of the G36 but want something a bit bigger for your long range needs, all you would need is a G36k conversion kit and a power upgrade and suddenly you've got a gun that compromises nothing in order to meet your needs. So overall, pretty much anyone could make great use of a G36.
Even though the G36c started its own 'series' (for example MP5's are a very popular series of AEGS), there are tons of compatible aftermarket accessories to customize your weapon with. Since the gun comes with a full length rail on top, short rail under the foregrip, and places to mount 2 more side rails for an almost complete RIS type of foregrip, there are really no restrictions to what you couldn't put on your G36. Going even further, there are already 3 styles of drum magazines readily available for purchase if you so desire. That alone is somewhat impressive considering it is the only gun of its series. My personal G36 is only moderately customized already; sporting the First Factory Large Foregrip, G&P PSA point sight, and 2 extra side rails, as well as internal performace upgrades.
In conclusion, the G36 is one really well designed piece. It probably has the least amount of flaws of any AEG I've ever used, rivaled only perhaps by the Marui Beta Spetsnaz. But since the G36 sports quite a few more customization options I would overall pick the G36. Tokyo Marui has been consistently improving its recent releases, and it was the G36 which started this trend.
PROS:
- Unparalleled build quality. Strong as any metal body available for any weapon.
- Incredible range of upgrading options.
- Great semi-automatic consistency.
- Perfectly balanced in terms of weight distribution.
- Very comfortable to skirmish with over long periods of time thanks to ergonomic design.
- Folding stock allows for good use in very tight spots.
- Magazines can be clipped together with no extra tools.
Cons:
- Small battery space out of the box.
- Marui magazine hooks seem a bit weak.
- Modern design may not appeal to some.
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