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G3SG1
Specifications Quite a common AEG on at any skirmish site, this sniper rifle dressed AEG can be misleading to people new to the scene. From the appearance it looks like a nice big sniper rifle however all Marui AEG's have pretty much the same specs (Rate of fire, Range, power etc). So effectively you have a really large replica that has the same range as a little MP5. Does this take away from getting a G3SG1, of course not. Hell, if we all wanted the most sensible AEG we'd all have the FAMAS. Now let's get on the review: To start with this G3SG1 has had a few things added/changed from the standard, and is a few years old. This model has the front barrel and flash hider removed and swapped with the parts from an MC51, essential this gives it a slightly shorter appearance. There is a scope and scope mount fitted that do not come as standard, the G3SG1 does look a little odd without them though. So remember to add this into the cost when you buy one. (think of it like buying a new kitchen without a cooker) I'll start from the back an move forward for this review: Stock The G3SG1 has quite a large stock that holds the large type battery. The butt plate slips off to open the end for access, it takes quite a bit of pressure to open so rest assured it won't open by accident when you shoulder it. Some people have said that they find the stock a little to long to shoulder while standing or crouched but I find it quite comfortable even if I am only 5'9"
You may have noticed the odd lump on the top of the stock, well that's a cheek rest for use with the scope so that your eye level is lined up with the scope. This is a nice to have but is also removable to make it more comfortable for the iron sights. You get a couple of stick foam pads to glue the cheek rest on with, but as these sick VERY well I used some Velcro. You can also see in the side of the stock the rear sling point. You can use an MP5/G3 sling with the G3SG1 but it is ill advised as the SG1 is all plastic and does bend a bit in a worrying way when used with a sling. The stock is held on to the receiver by a metal coupling with 2 screws in the side, these screws can become loose after some time so check them occasionally. Receiver
Pistol Grip
The pistol grip is quite chunky and built for right handers with the thumb modelling standing quite proud. Left handers can find this a bit annoying along with the selector switch but I'll get into that later. So long as you have reasonably large hands and are right handed this grip is great. It has a good solid feel to it too. Selector Switch Maybe it's something about HK guns but I just don't seem to be able to get on with their selector switches. As opposed to the MP5 this only has a selector switch on the left hand side, which is fine for me if I could reach it with my thumb. When the SG1 is set to safe (top) the switch is too high for me to reach with my thumb while gripping the handle. And again when set to full auto (lowest) it can be tricky to flick back to semi auto (middle). The other issue is that left handed people would find the switch right in the way when set to full auto. Mag release The Mag release is nice and works well, it's like the MP5 release but larger to cope with the larger mag. You can release them mag while pulling the mag out with the same hand.
There is also a button on the right side that can be pressed to release. Although I did find it felt a lot less refined than the AK or SG550 release. Mag
Sights
Foregrip This is where the SG1 gets a lot of stick. The foregrip has a bit of an issue, with it being plastic and the body being plastic the 2 rub together and creak... no let me change that the CREAK! This is the main complaint about the SG1, but fear not the are ways to fix this. You can buy metal bodies, but this is a bit pricey. You can buy metal Gas tubs but this is a bit pricey. Help is at hand though, you can do a DIY anti creak job on it. This is quite simple and involves a few bits of "Brown Bread" (not the less tasty parts of a health sandwich but some sound proofing stuff. It looks like thick tin foil with a thin layer of tar on one side.). Simple remove the locking pin, pull the foregrip forward and out. Now stick some of the sound proofing around the parts that connect to the receiver and the little point that connect to the gas pipe, and your done.
The red bits are were the foregrip rubs. Don't put the sound proofing on here, just put it inside the foregrip where these bits touch! It's easier to show you where on the body than the foregrip as I covered the whole of the inside of my foregrip with sound proofing (overkill!)
Hop Selector The hope selector is hidden behind the bullet ejection port and is a simple revolving spindle affair. Revolve one way to add hop, the other to lower. The ejector port is easy to open as you just pull the charging handle back, lock it into place and the ejection port is locked open. Cocking lever
The cocking lever is a masterpiece among cocking levers. The handle is tucked into the body so it can't be snapped off easily. To operate it you pull the handle out then the lever can be pulled back and locked by twisting it up, just like the one on the real thing. BI-pod
One nice thing about the G3SG1 is that it comes with an integrated Bi-pod. This can sometimes be handy for holding the AEG steady but mostly it's used to keep it out of the mud ;) . Actually the Bi-pod is pretty simple compared to the licks of the M60DX or SG550.
The legs each have a clip in them that pull back or down to release and allow you to deploy or retract that leg. The top of the legs are held to the Foregrip by a little rocker that helps with uneven ground, but other than this the legs cannot be rotated or swivelled as you may want when tracking a target. Some people remove the Bi-pod to save a little on the weight at the front of the SG1. Barrel Not too much point talking about this as I have removed it but I will anyway. The front of the barrel in a couple of inches long and finishes in the same flash hider as shown. It's held on with some grub screws so is quite easy to change. The only thing you should note is that it is not a standard screw connection like the AK47 or M16, so will not fit the same silencers or flash hiders. Scope and scope mount Though not part of the kit sold by Marui these are essential purchases to make the G3SG1 look like it should, so I'm including a little about them.
The mount is a Marui Claw mount that has a quick remove clip. Some have had issues with the mount "springing" off due to a tight fit but I've not had this problem. It's quite a complex all metal construction. There is a button one side for release and on the other a leaver for clipping the feet in when attaching to the SG1. This mount can be used on all the G3 and MP5 series. The scope is a cheap 4 * 40 Simmons scope. This means it has 4x magnification and a 40mm lens at the front. I chose this as I find you have to have you eye exactly aligned with the 20mm scopes where-as the 40mm scopes have more margin for error. The 4x was a nice level of magnification as it's quite handy for spotting and still useful for the range you get with an AEG. Plus it looked nice on the SG1 ;) Conclusion If your looking for a nice BIG AEG and don't have the cash for an M60 or other GPMG then this is a pretty good bet. It's all plastic construction and creaking problems may put a few off but it is quite solid and does have a nice feel to it. As I have meantioned you will need to buy a mount and scope to make it look it's sexiest, and it does look very sexy too ;). Do remember that it is not a sniper rifle, sniping is Airsoft is only really for the spring ASP rifles. But you can get a feel for it with this beast. Some people complain about it being heavy, all I can say is "Try using an M60DX for a day". Am I happy with my G3SG1, you betcha. The large battery gets me though the day, the large Hi-caps mean nice long bursts of fire and the scope is handy for spotting. So even with the problems it's still a very useably AEG for skirmishing. |
