Team SD Tactical / SRC G36-KSK Rifle

Team SD Tactical / SRC G36-KSK Rifle

Postby Knuckles » Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:54 pm

Provided by: Team SD
January 15, 2008

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In today's Airsoft market we have many choices to make. Possibly the biggest decision we are faced with when starting out is "which gun do I buy?" With the number of resellers offering AEGs from no less than a dozen manufacturers, it's hard to decide on what to pick up. Team SD has made this a little easier by teaming with SRC (Star Rainbow Corporation) to offer their tactical line of AEGs. These replicas are packed full of upgraded features and sport a 60-day warranty direct from TSD. Here, I will review their newly released G36-KSK model

Heckler and Koch is one of, if not the premiere small-arms manufacturer on the planet. HK offers side arms, sub guns, and long arms. These products are proven to be reliable performers, which is reflected by the number of law enforcement agencies and special operations units using them. Early in the 1990s, the Bundeswehr (or German army) was relying on dated G3 platforms and badly needed an upgrade for the 21st century. After a grueling testing period and global competition with leaders like Sig, Beretta and Colt the contract was awarded to the HK-50 - or as it is known today, the G36 line of assault rifles.

TSD sent me the G36-KSK replica, and I opened my foam-lined brown cardboard box to find a surprisingly attractive rifle. They included the AEG, battery box, two magazines, un-jamming rod, manual, and a box of 200 BBs. Lifting the replica out of the box, I was immediately impressed by its weight. The all-metal RIS breaks up the otherwise slender profile, adds a nice heft to the front end, and in my opinion provides a much more balanced platform.

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What sets this AEG apart from the run-of-the-mill G36K are the included VITAL (variable intensity tactical aiming laser) style battery box and the one-piece aluminum RIS (rail interface system). The stock carry handle is of the "export" design, sporting an integrated 1.5 X magnification crosshair telescopic sight. The sight has a rail on top for mounting additional optics/accessories. I did find it interesting that when you have the VITAL attached, it blocks the bottom-half of your already small sight picture.

The replica came equipped with two 470 round hi-cap magazines. They are the standard G36 semi-transparent smoke-colored plastic with a metal base-plate and winding wheel. The magazines lock together with plastic tabs on the sides, allowing you to carry almost a thousand rounds (or more) on your rifle. Mine fed flawlessly and I found that I could empty about half the magazine before needing to wind it.

Overall construction is solid. The rifle has no flex, creaks, or rattles whatsoever. There are no unsightly seams, and the finish is nice and has been very durable so far. The majority of the rifle is constructed of a quality matte black polymer. The metal work is also finished in a matte black/dark grey that resembles Parkerizing. The "K" style metal flash hider is painted the standard glossy blaze orange. The ambidextrous charging handle (located on top of the rifle) is well constructed, and when it is pulled back the fake bolt moves with it to reveal the hop-up control.

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The painted marking on the Navy style (0, 1, F) lower seem to rub off pretty easily, but the red is red and not orange. The selector switch could be a little more stiff. While it does not wobble, I would like to feel it snap into place a bit more. As it is, it's just like my mushy MP5 selector. Most of the time I throw it all the way over into "Auto" then switch one click up to "Semi" to make sure that I am locked in the right detent. Since I perform this already on my MP5, I suppose it's just a matter of habit for any HK.

The trades are well done and heat-embossed into the fiber material of the receiver. On the left side of the receiver it reads "WARNING: Refer to instruction manual," "STAR RAINBOW GmbH," and "MADE IN TAIWAN." SRC did a clever job of mimicking the "HK" logo with an "SR" and followed it up with "c36" and "KAL.5.56mmX45." At first glance, this makes the whole logo look convincingly HK-like.

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Stripping the rifle down is as easy as it gets. The G36 is a modular rifle and this replica is no different. With the removal of just a couple of pins the entire replica comes apart into four major sub-assemblies. Remove the RIS and the magazine well, then the lower drops out and you can remove the inner barrel and gearbox. It took me about 60 seconds to disassemble my replica down to the bucking and gearbox.

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The inner-barrel assembly is nothing remarkable. A 355 mm brass 6.08 mm inner barrel, the standard flimsy black bucking, and a hop-up unit constructed entirely of metal. Team SD has included a nice piece of black shrink-wrap to cover the barrel in case a glimpse of brass could be seen through the RIS. A nice touch, if you ask me.

The gearbox is a non-reinforced version 3 type, equipped with an upgraded SRC "ultra-high-torque" motor. The first thing you notice externally are the metal bushings. The only tool needed to take apart your G36 and its gearbox is a Phillips screwdriver. Once inside the gearbox I was impressed with the lubrication. There was sufficient lube to run nicely, and not enough to make a mess and collect all the dirt in the world. The selector plate, tappet plate, nozzle, switch assembly, and cylinder head are all made of a blue plastic. The cylinder is anodized inside and out with a matching blue. The spring guide is made of thin orange plastic and has an O-ring in place of a bearing. The 110 equivalent spring is integrated with the piston assembly making it all one piece. The piston and vented head are made of a black polycarbonate with a green O-ring. The gears were unmarked, and according to TSD, they are an upgraded steel gear set. The shims are metal and quite honestly the factory did a superb job shimming it. Compression was much better than I had expected, certainly suitable for a skirmish rifle.

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No battery was provided with my sample, so I used one of my existing 9.6v Intellect nunchuck batteries. It did not fit into the provided VITAL battery box. I just couldn't get the cover to close. I was however able to fit it into the underside of the RIS, but it was a very tight fit. I can foresee pinched and stripped wiring resulting from continued use in this manner. The obvious fix would be to run an 8.4v in the VITAL box and just work around the reduced sight picture.

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Firing the rifle is straightforward. Connect the battery, wind a mag, and fire away. My AEG chrono'd at 314, 319, 316 FPS with .20g BBs. With the 9.6v in it, I was able to get 14 shots per second while in automatic. At 30 feet in auto, the grouping held to about 5 inches. I was able to knock an inch and a half off of that in semi-auto reducing the group to about 3.5 inches. The hop-up dialed in nicely, and stayed put throughout the day. Range is average for a stock AEG. It's accurate enough to hit a man at 75 feet, and effective to 150 feet.

After fielding this AEG for a day and really getting inside of it to get a feel for it, I find it to be a good replica for a newer player. The G36 platform offers a well-rounded package that gives you an out-of-the-box replica capable of holding its own in today's Milsim environment. The gearbox is well put together, and the stock parts look like they will last quite some time. As it is lacking the reinforced gearbox shell, I can't foresee making this replica into a 400 FPS beast that the more experienced players will look for. For less than $250, you get an upgraded SRC replica on par with any G36 offered by CA or Tokyo Marui. Combine all of that goodness with the Team SD in-house warranty and you have a winning combination that's hard to beat.

A big thank you to Team SD for supplying Airsoft Pacific with this replica for review.
Please buy your gear from Rick Fisher; perhaps he can buy a Life.
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Knuckles
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