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Posted: 4/18/2008 10:08:16 PM EDT
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I have an amazing skill that whatever i do, i fall in love with the most expensive stuff even before looking at the price tag. I love the look of everything HK, and it seems even a HK sticker is $99.99. My HK416 clone just isnt cutting it anymore. SL8 owners, for ~$1700, is your SL8 worth it? (unless theres a place selling them cheaper?) For $1700 a nice 20'' AR could be built. Pros/Cons of SL8 -did a search with no results Also, how long before the SL9 comes out? A 7.62 precision rifle seems more attractive to me than a .223 Im interested in a SL8-6 if that makes a difference, and not too interested in conversion kits Thanks! |
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The only SL9 I know of is the experimental SL9SD, which is not chambered in 7.62x51 NATO but a proprietary 7.62x37. Only a few of these rifles have ever been made and have never been offered for commercial sale. Unless I missed the boat, I haven't heard of any 7.62x51 SL8 variant being considered for civilian consumption. I would be extremely wary of one, were they to be sold, as HK cant seem to get the polymer right on thier 5.56x45 SL8's/G36's. Again, were this gun to be sold in the US or if it did exist, you would have to be a crazy person to buy one over the HK417, which will be availible to civilians soon. I was interested in obtaining an SL8 1 or 6 to make a G36E or C clone. That was until I had some extensive trigger time behind a few G36's. I wouldn't spend 1k on a G36, let alone 4k+ on a replica... I have still toyed with the idea of getting an SL8-6 though..I think an SL8-6 with a G36 mag well, sight rail and Leupold Mk4 MRT would make for a pretty cool rifle. IMO, both G36's and SL8's are alot cooler in fantasy than in gun safes/ranges. The SL8 is certainly accurate and reliable, but so what? That doesn't mean anything if the weapon isn't configured to maximize those points. The G36 operating system is reliable/robust, however were you to take advantage of the reliability and use the weapon hard, you would melt/destroy your gun.  Accuracy is excellent, however its certainly not outside the realm of an AR15. Lavish an AR with SL8 money and you would have an extremely accurate weapon, which is infinity more servicable.For SL8 money, you could probably have a 20 inch A4 with an ACOG, which would be WAY better than any SL8 or G36. If you like SL8's, a G36/STANAG magwell, sight-rail and decent scope would make for a decent perimeter/precision rifle. It would certainly be an accurate/dependible rifle, albeit heavy/awkward/expensive. As good as it would be, it wouldn't be as capable/practical as an AR based rifle. The SL8 is a bastardized version of the awful G36 and priced WAY to high for what it is. If you like them, go ahead...Just know there are much better/cheaper systems availible. |
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The issues that I personally had with the G36 weren't unique to me and seem to be common with the platform. The factory optics suck. The quality is low compared to an ACOG or Aimpoint and they are hard to use properly. They are also easily obscured...You can mount conventional optics on the C sight-rail, however a proper cheek weld is next to impossible. This could be mitigated with proper mounting solutions, but I have shot several G36's with "conventional" combat optics, and all had terrible ergonomics/cheek weld. HK has yet to "nail" the polymer IMO. I think they are a few years away from making a weapon entirely out of polymer. The XM8 was supposed to be better in this respect, however due to its abysmal performance and G36 lineage, I think its obvious that it wasn't. During automatic or rapid semi-automatic fire, the stock flexes and "gives". Depending on the rifle/conditions, its anywhere from a slight annoyance to an accuracy "thief". Stock flex is something I would expect from a HiPoint carbine, not an HK. When firing folded, cases can and do bounce back into the chamber. Not that you sould be firing with the stock folded anyways, but its still something that can/does happen. Lastly, polymer isn't something that should be used for trunions or barrel/chamber mounting. The trunion/receiver can/does melt under a minimal amount of heat. Its possible to destroy a G36 with just 2 or 3 full auto magazine dumps. A 100 round Beta dump from a C or K would almost certainly do it. Yeah, this same feat might toast a gas tube on an M4, thats much easier to fix than having to replace the entire weapon. Even if you don't melt the entire gun, zero shift can be noticible in seemingly mild semi-auto use, especially during hot weather. The G36 has been more or less a failure, as was the XM8. Germany, Spain, England, Portugal and US .gov/LE agencies have all had one issue or another with the G36 family. The G36 was adopted by several LE agencies, bringing with it serious headaches. Both DC Metro and St.Louis PD both adopted the G36 family for patrol/SWAT use and ended up returning them shortly after. Several agencies adopted them and later returned them to HK or thier distrubutor. US SOCOM purchased several G36 K and C models for use as M4 alternatives, especially when suppressed. Its partially because of this failure that the 416 was developed. The bottom line is that its very much over hyped and substandard. Its a more expensive, less durable AR180B. All it has going for it is that its sexy and made by HK. There are considerably better fighting carbines availible for less money, especially in the US. In the United States, HK has all but stopped actively marketing/promoting the G36, concentrating on the 416 instead. Now thats a rifle. If you want a gas piston HK, wait a few months and pick up a civilian legal 416 or 417. |
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