|
Statistics
|
| Users |
34,259 |
| Products |
477 |
| Reviews |
196 |
| Views |
10,402,069 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reviews
|
Views
|
Date product posted
|
|
0
|
18667
|
Fri March 28, 2008
|
|
 |
|
Recommended By
|
Average Price
|
Average Rating
|
|
No recommendations
|
None indicated
|
None indicated
|
|
|
|
|
|
Description:
|
TSD G36KSK Full Photo Review
By The Crimson Falcon  Discuss this review in the Forums.
Team SD and SRC have once again joined forces to bring you a new rendition of the venerable G36K, this particular one being designated the G36KSK, or G36K RIS. I’ve always been a fan of the clean lines of H&K guns, so I was interested to take a look at this RIS version. If you’re looking for a G36 with RIS, this gun may well be exactly what you’re looking for. Let’s take a closer look.
Table of Contents
First Impressions
Real Steel History
Appearance/Feel/Build Quality
Internals
Performance
Accessories and Modifications
Pros & Cons
Ordering
The Final Word
First Impressions
This gun comes in the new brown cardboard TSD box, and is neatly packaged on some foam, which is quite handy. As is usual with TSD, it comes with 2 magazines (which I very much appreciate). The G36KSK also comes with a mock PEQ2 box for holding a battery (battery not included). The gun comes fully assembled.
 
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the background of this gun.
Real Steel History
I spoke with the owner of world.guns.ru, which is one of the single most useful resources for people doing research on guns, and he graciously has permitted me to cite some of his information. Here’s what he has to say about the G36C:
“The receiver and most of the others external parts of the G36 are made from reinforced polymers, with steel inserts where appropriate. The bolt carrier rides on a single guide rod, with the return spring around it. The charging handle is attached to the top of the bolt carrier and can be rotated to the left or to the right. When not in use, the charging handle aligns itself with the axis of the weapon under the pressure of its spring, and reciprocates with the bolt group at the top of the receiver. The ejection port is located at the right side of the receiver and features a spent cases deflector to propel the ejected cases away from the face of the left-handed shooter.
All the major parts are assembled on the receiver using the cross- pins, so the rifle can be disassembled and reassembled without any tools.
The G36 is fed from the proprietary 30-round box magazines, made from translucent plastic. All magazines have special studs on the sides, so two or three magazines can be clipped together for faster reloading. The magazine housings of the G36 are made as separate parts, so G36 can be easily adjusted to the various magazine interfaces. The magazine release catch is located just behind the magazine, in the G3 or AK-47 style, rather than on the side of the magazine housing (M16-style).
The side-folding, sturdy skeletonized buttstock is standard on all G36 rifles. It folds to the right side and does not interfere with rifle operation when folded.
The standard sighting equipment of the G36 consists of TWO scopes - one 3.5X telescope sight below, with the second 1X red-dot sight above it. The sights are completely independent, with the former suitable for long range accurate shooting, and the latter suitable for the fast target acquisition at the short ranges. Both sights are built into the plastic carrying handle. The export versions of the G36 are available with the single 1.5X telescope sight, with the emergency open sights molded into the top of the carrying handle. The subcompact G36K Commando version is available with the integral Picatinny-type scope and accessory rail instead of the carrying handle and standard sights.”
From: http://world.guns.ru/assault/as14-e.htm
Appearance/Feel/Build Quality
As usual, I’m going to start with the stock. The stock is a bit lighter than the other G36’s I’ve used and own, but has the same classic shape, feels quite sturdy when locked out, and does not have any seam lines. The only issue I have encountered is that the hinge pin slipped out once randomly when I had the stock folded, causing the stock to fall off when I picked up the gun. Here’s some pictures:
  
The grip is ABS, and also feels nice and solid. It is comfortable to hold, like all H&K grips, and the trigger guard is good-sized, and will permit use with thin gloves. I actually skirmish-tested this gun in 20 below weather during a snow storm, so I was glad of this feature. More on this later.
 
The receiver is strongly made out of ABS plastic, and reads: “Warning//Refer to Instruction Manual,” “STAR RAINBOW GmbH//Made In Taiwan,” “SRC36//Kal.5.56mmx45//S599745.” I’m pleased to note the semi-realistic trades, and the presence of what looks to be a unique serial number. The selector switch clicks nicely from one position to the next, although it feels slightly looser than the KWA, and more on par with a v.1 JG in terms of how it moves. It does wear off the paint of the selector markings over time. The receiver feels pretty sturdy, but not as rock solid as the KWA, but pretty close to a TM. The breech opens to allow hopup adjustment as well.
  
The K-rail is also solidly made, and contains a built-in Picatinny style scope, which works, but isn’t great. It’s a fixed power scope (around 1.5x, maybe 3x), and can be adjusted with some Allen wrenches, but the optics are a bit darker than the high quality sniper scopes that I’m used to. Still, for a scope with such a small objective, it’s quite good, and functional. Eye relief for me was fine, even with goggles, although since it is fixed location, some people may have issues, and will have to mount a scope on the top of the rail. It works best if you press your goggles up against it. The rail is also a Weaver-style rail, so you can mount another optic if you so desire.
  
Okay, so now we get to the distinctive part of this gun: The RAS handguard. It is solid metal, and feels very sturdy. It fits onto the gun tightly, and takes some doing to fit on correctly once removed. I am told that it is supposed to be able to fit a battery (probably a stick or nunchuck), but I have thus far been unable to fit a battery in. This could be resolved if TSD releases a larger foregrip model, which I think would look better, as the RAS is very thin, and makes the gun look unbalanced, but evidently there may be a special battery coming out for it as well. In any case, I’m going to have to use the PEQ2 box. I had some issues fitting a small battery into the PEQ2 box also, but it does work okay. You will only be able to use a fairly small battery with this gun, unfortunately.
 
You’ll also note that the RAS has markings: “Tactical Rail System,” and (R)ight, (L)eft and (T)op numberings.
 
The PEQ2 box is pretty easy to assemble and disassemble, although I had a tricky time getting the battery hooked up, since I’m not used to PEQ2 boxes:
   
The outer barrel is aluminum and one-piece, and is very solid. The barrel is threaded with standard 14mm CCW, and mounts the usual G36K style flashhider.
The magazine well is also nice and clean, and feeds quite well, and is compatible with TM and JG magazines, although KWA and TSD magazines do not appear to be interchangeable.
The magazines are 470 round hi-capacity magazines, and wind very well. The plastic tabs for stacking the magazines are the weak point, as is usual, but the magazines look very good. They are semi-translucent, and nicely detailed:
   
CAOC Externals Rating: 40 out of a possible 50 points.
Internals
The internals are what I’d call “good enough,” but not “pre-upgraded.” It’s got the requisite steel gearset, metal bushings, and M110 equivalent spring, and the gearbox is a reinforced V.3, so it’s quite durable. It also has a high torque motor, and a metal hopup chamber, which is a nice touch. The internals are clearly durable, but it could probably use a better piston, as the compression on the stock piston is decent but not great, and perhaps a better spring guide. It has thus far survived 15,000 rounds with minimal to no wear and tear. The motor is solid, and the shimming job is professional. I’m not going to talk a whole lot about the gearbox, since it does not differ significantly from the G36E, which was previously thoroughly reviewed. It is sturdy and reliable, but not godly.
The wiring is durable, the fuse looks pretty solid, and the trigger is metal. I’m also pleased to see a nicely crowned brass barrel. It’s not a tightbore, but it’s still pretty decent, looks to be a standard 6.08mm barrel. Overall, it’s a pretty solid gun.
CAOC Internals Rating: 33 out of a possible 50 points.
Performance
The performance is pretty solid on this gun. It’s not quite can bottom capable, but easily capable of penetrating both sides. It chronoes in at a reasonable 367 fps with .2g bb’s, and accuracy is pretty solid. Accuracy is decent, with groupings shot from 100 feet showing a decent spread, but easily torso capable. I shot 12.5” groupings, but this was outdoors in a snowstorm, and not in my usual controlled settings. I will also note that the gun managed to get off 3 magazines in –20 degree (F) weather, despite the extra drain on batteries in that kind of weather, and shot straight even with snow fouling the barrel. It held up nicely in Arctic conditions. You can get better battery consumption by putting a handwarmer into the PEQ2 box, but be careful to wrap it in extra cloth, as you do not want to damage the battery or gun. Overall, performance is quite satisfactory.
Accessories & Modications
Thanks to the RAS, it can take a wide variety of accessories, from grips to lights, lasers, and bipods. It can mount a second optic as well. Pretty much, if you can do it to a G36 with RAS, you can do it to this gun.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Solid performance, even in bad weather
Reinforced gearbox
Steel gearset
Metal bushings
Metal hopup chamber
Nice detailing and serial number
Comes with 2 magazines
Comes with a PEQ2 box
It’s got RAS
1 piece aluminum outer barrel
Crowned brass inner barrel
Cons
Fitting a battery is a real pain
The stock pin falls out sometimes
Eye relief on the scope isn’t great
Ordering
The TSD G36K RAS can be purchased from TSD-approved resellers. For a list, visit http://www.airsoftsd.com/about.php#retailer. The gun runs around 245 USD (Airsoft GI).
CAOC Overall Rating: 73 out of a possible 100 points.
CAOC VPC Rating (Value Per Cost): .433.
The Final Word
TSD has turned out another solid product. If you want RIS on a G36, this is a good choice. My only real issues are with fitting the battery; other than that, it’s a nice piece of work. It’s affordable, reliable, and a good performer. I don’t have a whole lot to say about it, other than that I’m pleased with how well it held up, even under extreme conditions. If you’re in the market for a new gun, TSD Tactical OEM by SRC is a great place to look.
|
|
|
|
|
Review Administrator
|
|
Posts: 2,539
Registered: February 2004
Location: Wisconsin
|
|
|
|
![DSC_6507E_Small_.JPG](http://www.airsoftretreat.com/reviews/data/73/thumbs/DSC_6507E_Small_.JPG "TSD/SRC "Basic" Tan M4")
;)