Tokyo Marui G36C Review

Operation:
The moving parts on the TM G36C in general work smoothly and effectively.

Folding Stock : A button on the left hand side by the base of the stock releases it, allowing you to fold it over to the right-hand side where it locks onto a tab sticking out from the side of the receiver. To extend the stock, simply lift it up gently and swing it back, where it locks into place with a satisfying click. I haven't been overly aggressive with this operation, but I think it could tolerate some abuse.

Foregrip : The foregrip is removed by sliding out a pushpin located where the top rail meets the receiver. Simply push/pull the pin out using your fingers and slide the foregrip off the front, which will allow you to change the mini battery contained within.

Hop-up/Charging Handle : To access the hop-up adjuster, pull back on the charging handle located on top of the receiver just below the top rail. The chamber cover on the right side of the receiver will slide back to expose the hop-up dial. Rolling the dial up will increase the amount of backspin on the BBs.

Sights : The rear sight has two settings: a big hole for close range engagements, and a small hole for longer range shots. I really dig the sights on the G36C, they are kind of a mix of an MP5 front sight and M16/M4 rear sight. Using these sights for target acquisition is very simple and effective.

Magazine Release : Like I said before, magazines snap into place with a solid, satisfying click. To remove the mag, simply use your thumb to depress a lever at the back of the magazine well while pulling the mag out with your hand. The operation is similar to that of the MP5.

Selector Switch : The selector switch on the G36C is similar to the Navy grouping on the MP5 - put the switch all the way to the top for safe, all the way down for full-auto, and in the middle for single-fire. The switch is located on both sides of the receiver (i.e. it's ambidextrous). The only downside I've found with this gun is the selector switch. Initially, the selector switch on the G36C gave lots of positive feedback when choosing your firing mode. It had a nice, audible "click" sound indicating that you were in safe, single shot, or full-auto mode. After time though, something on the inside has worn down making the selector switch feel somewhat "sloppy". Now it's somewhat difficult to tell if you're in single shot mode, and it's a little easier to bump the selector switch out of full-auto mode (something I occasionally did even with the gun was new). However, I personally don't find much use for single shot mode (I'd rather keep it in full-auto and use religious amounts of trigger control), so this issue hasn't bothered me much.


Performance:
Accuracy : The Tokyo Marui G36C is a fairly diminutive weapon (the C stands for Compact after all), and as such is not meant for long range target elimination. That said, accuracy isn't terrible, and I'm sure a tight-bore barrel (something I never got around to installing) would do wonders to improve accuracy at range. I took no objective measurements with my G36C, so I can't give any kind of statistical information. Subjectively though, compared to other AEGs accuracy is quite good.

Rate of Fire : The rate of fire on this gun is phenomenal in stock form. Again, I have no objective measurements, but the G36C will eat through BBs at a very healthy rate. The accompanying sound is quite satisfying as well. After getting it upgraded though, the ROF dropped significantly using the Sanyo 8.4V 600mAh NiCd mini batteries that I originally purchased with the gun. So I consulted the chaps at OnlyBatteryPacks.com (http://www.onlybatterypacks.com/) who recommended that I go with a 9.6V 1200mAh NiMH nun-chuck style mini battery pack with a higher discharge rate. It ended up brining my ROF back up to about where it was originally.

Batteries : Speaking of batteries, one of the hardest debates I went through when selecting a gun was battery size. For those that don't know, the larger battery you can hold the more rounds you will be able to go through on a single charge. In general, you have guns that can hold a "large" type battery pack made up of Sub-C cells ranging in capacity from 1800mah (NiCd) to 3800+mah (NiMH), or a "mini" type battery made up of up 2/3A cells ranging in capacity from 600mah to 1200+mah . I won't go into all the specifics of batteries, because thats really a whole topic in and of itself. However, I will say that with a stock G36C you could easily go through 1000 rounds on one fully charged 600mah battery pack. Buying a single 1200mah mini battery pack should be more than sufficient for most players. However, after getting upgrades I would recommend going with a battery pack that has a 30 amp discharge rate. As mentioned above, I'm using a 9.6V 1200mah battery. It will last me for about 1600+ rounds. Depending on how you play (i.e. how heavy your trigger finger is), you might want a buy backup battery or look into alternative battery solutions (discussed later). Luckily, changing batteries in the G36C is a fairly simple operation, and I've done it even in the heat of battle. I've gone through around 5000 rounds using the 9.6V without running into an issue. That said, many people would not recommend using anything above 8.4V, thats a decision you'll have to make for yourself. (FYI: The 9.6V battery pack I purchased fit easily within the foregrip without modification.)

Power : Most places will quote the power of the Tokyo Marui G36C at around 280fps with a .20g BB. I don't know if my sample is the exception, but it clocked in at around 300fps. I was told that this is because the design of the V.3 mechbox creates a tight air seal around the nozzle,or something like that. Despite this relatively high rating (for stock Marui AEGs at least) I decided to get the spring and bushing upgraded, which pushed my gun up to a very consistent 385fps with .20g BBs.


Upgrading:
This being my first airsoft gun, I didn't want to risk botching an upgrade so I took it to Bob Kranker at Airsoft Gear. Unfortunately, that means I can't really tell you what it's like to work on. It didn't seem too complicated, but that's from watching a seasoned airsmith. As mentioned above, all I got were metal bushings and a stronger spring.

Something that I never got around to, and probably would have been a good idea, would have been to get a tight-bore barrel. They are relatively inexpensive, and it's something that one could probably install themselves without much fuss.Oh well.

Accessories and Aftermarket:
The Tokyo Marui G36C comes with top and bottom Picatinny rails and points on either side to mount additional rails (sold separately). These rails can accommodate anything from a red-dot sight, to a vertical grip, to a grenade launcher. There are also replacements parts available from third party companies for turning your G36C into a G36K or even the full-length G36. Some people have also been successful with mounting parts from the real steel G36 onto the airsoft counterpart. I had briefly installed the Star G36KE (short) kit which included the K foregrip, outer barrel extension, K flash-hider, and precision inner barrel. (I give the Star kit a thumbs-up, by the way.) You can even get a sliding/folding stock that accommodates a custom large type battery (http://www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper...69_cat_Stocks). Some of the most popular after market enhancements seem to be adding a silencer (14mm CCW threading), which allows the use of a longer inner barrel, or replacing the fore grip with the First Factory large hand guard (http://steelhawkairsoft.com/handguard.html), which allows the use of a large type battery pack.


Magazines:
This is something that could possibly be covered in its own review, but I'll make quick mention of it here. The standard mag (which holds ~50 rounds) that came with the gun loaded and fed flawlessly. As when using any magazine with the G36C, you'll end up with a few unused BBs in the tube leading up to the actual chamber. It's not an issue with the magazine, it's just how the gun is designed. I think most AEGs are this way.

I also purchased two Tokyo Marui high capacity magazines initially, and those I did not have much luck with. For whatever reason, BBs would get stuck within the mag itself, causing unhealthy amounts of dry firing. A firm tap would get things moving again, but it frustrated me enough to pick up two Classic Army hicaps. Those continue to feed flawlessly, and I would recommend skipping the TM hicaps altogether. I also had one of the TM hicaps break on me when playing during the winter. The glue holding one of the gear pins in place gave up rendering the mag useless. I think it's something that could be fixed, but I just haven't bothered. Both brands of hicaps (and I think the Star brand hicaps are the same) are made of a translucent plastic, allowing you to see approximately how many BBs are left. This, and the fact that they 470 rounds, makes the G36 hicaps very effective.

During my frustrations with the TM hicaps, I picked up a pair of the inexpensive MAG brand G36 midcaps. A bit heavier than the Marui standard magazine, they were still made entirely of plastic (minus the spring of course) and held around 100 BBs. They weren't exactly the epitome of stellar workmanship, but they were cheap and fed without issue. The MAG mags were a little challenging to load, as they sometimes felt full before they actually were. I was also a little disappointed that they weren't made of a more translucent plastic that would allow one to see how many rounds were left (one of the things I loved about the hicaps).

In general, the only thing I don't like about G36 magazines is that they are somewhat bulky. However, tabs on the side of each magazine allow you to clamp them together for easy carry. There are G36 specific mag pouches, but the more abundant M4 mag pouches can only hold about half as many G36 mags.

Summary:
The Tokyo Marui G36C is an exceptional AEG . Aside from the poorly aging selector switch, the build quality and fitment is excellent. The gun is relatively powerful and fairly consistent out of the box. The rate of fire is superb, and accuracy is very good for its compact size. It only accommodates mini battery packs, but you can get a decent amount of rounds out of one battery and swapping batteries is a pretty fast and painless process. Although somewhat bulky, the magazines are well designed and can hold a fair amount of ammunition. There is a healthy after market for bolt-ons and upgrades, allowing you to customize your gun to fit your needs.

Overall I give the Tokyo Marui G36C a 9/10.


Specs:
Gearbox : Version 3
Motor : EG1000
Battery Size : Mini
Weight : 2850 grams
Length : 718mm (500mm with stock folded)
Magazine capacity (BBs) : 50 (standard), 470 (hicap)
Barrel Length : 247mm
Stock power : ~300fps
Ammunition : 6mm BB (.20g or above)


Airsoft Links:
Tokyo Marui G36C webpage - http://www.tokyo-marui.co.jp/product...36c/index.html
Review at ArniesAirsoft - http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/?filn...36c_review.htm
Review at Airsoft Players - http://www.airsoftplayers.com/G36/g36_1.asp

Real Steel Links:
G36C at HKPro - http://www.hkpro.com/g36c.htm
G36 at Modern Firearms - http://world.guns.ru/assault/as14-e.htm

Reviewer : seppuku
Reviewed : 28 May 2006