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Posted: 5/30/2008 7:04:06 PM EDT
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I've put over 5000 rounds through my GSG-5, here are some observations. The Good: It's a blast to shoot! It looks great and you'll get lots and lots of attention at the range. It's quiet for a .22 and some people actually thought it had a suppressor attached to it. The accuracy is good enough for hours of plinking fun. IT'S A PERFECT GUN FOR KIDS, both big and little ones.  The cost of an afternoon range session is a hell of a lot cheaper than lunch for the family.The Bad: The screws the German Sport Guns use are soft and strip easily, replace them with better quality ASAP. Make sure when you disassemble the GSG-5 you pay particular attention to where every part is oriented. It's very easy for one particular spring to fall out and become AWOL.  The metal used to construct GSG-5 must be pot metal. It is brittle and the screw holes will become stripped out over time. The spray on coating comes off very easily and it will show wear and tear over time. They really need to use a better finish, plan on duracoating it for longevity. The parts they use are bargain basement at best. Due to the cheap parts used to construct this gun I guarantee the more you disassemble it, the looser it will become. The plastic is way too brittle and the screws will strip on you. Your best bet is to just remove the bolt only when cleaning it. Don't break the bolt down, just clean the entire assembly the best you can. I won't even cover the chinzy stock, I've had one of mine crack and splinter, replace it with a quality Airsoft version ASAP( I can't believe i just used quality and airsoft in the same sentence).  Go ahead and buy an airsoft type optic for it, spending money for a high end optic is a waste. In fact the cheap red dots work great. Just make sure you buy a decent mount, one that will run more than $20.00 but less than $50.00. The price point is set about $200.00 too high. But I think they set it $499.00 msrp because they know they'll have to warranty 50+% of the guns they sell. The quick and dirty is; If you have the extra money buy one. If money is tight then your better off going with a Ruger 10/22. You'll wind up spending a few hundred extra dollars to keep this thing in tip top shape over its lifespan. Oh and .22 ammo is cheap and plentiful. I've used the federal bulk pack and only experienced about a dozen light primer strikes over my usage period... |
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hum, don't know about detailed pics for that part, but you can try looking Here. Is the mag release lever just stuck in the open position. I know that happened to me once. |
Very nice write-up, well done, thank you! I examined one for the first time last Saturday at a small show in SW NY. I came to the same conclusion; too many Zamak alloy die cast parts for $489. The GSG-5 is cool, sure, but not $489 cool. That didn't stop the dealer from selling the three he had with him in like two hours. After about three minutes I chose to stick with my 10/22s and Marlin 60s. JMO, no flame against owners. Noah |
Thats great to know for potential buyers, but...If these firearms are covered by a warranty why worry? Just send them back and probably wait a few months. |
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Right on the money. It's cool and all. It's flimsy and cheaply made of poor quality parts. Give them A+ for the concept and D for concept execution. Sorry, but it is a D- for value. Browning makes a beauitful top quality .22 autoloader for the same price. While it lacks the "cool" factor it is not pot metal and plastic. Saying all that I blame the weak dollar for many expensive European products, GSG-5 included. If it were made in the US it would retail for two fifty tops! |
| This write up is exactly how I feel after reading about two days worth of posts. More posts should focus on the problems than the pluses. I am not saying that people should flame, but let the advertising do the selling. This gun looks great and will make plenty of people happy, but what I am looking for is a gun that will not cost any money to upgrade. I even think the price is right, but overall, I will be one of the many that waits a year and lets the company fix the glitches. I would love to own one now, but I have not, and will never buy a gun with known problems like stock is brittle, or charging handle can break. Anything of 100 dollars in my book should be so well laid out that the customer shouldn't have to look over shit like this. |
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