FarEast Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 Army Code G36C New Marking Receiver Set Review. Introduction With the release of “A.C.M” or “Clone” G36’s on the market it enables collectors and skirmishes alike to build on their arsenal at a very low cost, often allowing people to add weapon systems to their collection at an extremely low cost compared to the more established companies variants already on the market. So what happens if you want 100% realism from your G36 without having to pay through the nose for either real steal parts or paying for a Tokyo Marui? The answer comes from Army Code, who makes one of the best external body kits on the Market for the G36 family. Currently Army Code produces the G36, G36k and the G36c kits. I would like to thank Dave at Army Code for supplying this sample for review and also Keith from RSOV for supplying the Jing Gong G36c. A little about Army Code: Army Code is a manufacturer that aims to produce Airsoft toy gun parts and accessories. As our main theme says “Quality of Wargame Life”, we are trying our best to provide the best quality products to achieve different needs of the Airsoft users. Army Code will continue to improve in every aspect, and deliver high quality products to the Airsoft world. So does Army Codes G36 product meet up to their mission statement? Let’s take a look! The Box Well Army Code don’t actually package their product in a box, but in thick polythene bags, fortunately the more reputable online dealers send your goods in sturdy boxes, so don’t be put off by the packaging, most of you who read my reviews know that I’m very much in favor of cheap packaging over that of the more fancy renditions appearing on the market. Everything is individually packed within the main packaging so you have no worries of the metal parts rubbing against of scratching the others. What You Get The full G36c kit contains the full receiver, mag-well, cocking handle, cocking handle spring, ejector port cover, shell deflector and body pins. The receiver is made from tough, glass fiber reinforced polymer; just like the real steel version and the exact mix is 70% polymer, 30% fiber nylon not exactly like the real steel version but close enough for it to be able to take a real beating in the field. So what makes this any different to the Tokyo Marui or the Jing Gong/ Echo 1’s out there? As many of you are aware the Tokyo Marui trades aren’t actually realistic and also comes with the “Made in Japan” branding on the side, while the Jing Gong’s carry no markings or trades at all, apart from the selector. The first one we will look at is the class and specifications, as you can see these are a perfect copy of the US version of the G36c and includes every last detail. Moving to the left of the specification markings we have the Heckler & Koch trade stamps and warning to read the manual, now this is where there is one slight indiscretion on behalf of Army Code, where it reads “Heckler & Koch BmbH” it should actually read “GmbH” I’m exactly sure why Army Code did this as I really don’t think it will be enough to prevent a law suit if Heckler & Koch decide to do so. But unless you are in the know it’s a small thing that most players won’t realize any way. All in all the quality and feel of the receiver is excellent and the trademarks are as close as you are going to get for any replica on the market. The receiver actually come in two halves and are connected together using steel pins, which are located in the same place as those on both the Tokyo Marui and the available clones of the model. One thing I liked about these pins is that they are tight fitting and require some brute force to get them to engage with the female fittings on the other half of the receiver set. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FarEast Posted May 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 So once in place they aren’t going to work their way free and cause any splitting between the right and left side of the receiver set and it also totally eliminates the creaking noise that plagues a lot of the plastic bodied guns on the market, another notable thing is that you can feel the extra added weight of the new receive and its steel pins over that of the original already. Moving around to the right hand side of the receiver we can take a look at the shell deflector and latch for the folding stock, now straight away you can see a big difference up close to that of the Tokyo Marui/ Jing Gong type, as the head of the latch is more pointed than the original. This allows a more secure fixing for the stock in the folded position, and will require the operator to slightly lift the stock when releasing it, but again it removes that loose feeling that the Tokyo Marui has when the stock is in the folded position. Next in line is the Mag-well, again this is made from the same materials as the receiver set and offers that nice matt finish. One of the nice things about the mag-well by Army Code is that it is a nice tight fit to the main receiver, unlike the Tokyo Marui, which falls away with very little effort. This again helps improve the rigidness of the gun. Another key point of the mag-well is the feed tube where it engages the firing nozzle on the gear box, you’ll notice that this is nice and smooth and molded to perfect dimensions to prevent any double feeds or jamming. One of the major differences between the Army Code’s G36c body and that of the Tokyo Marui / Clones is the use of steel parts and the cocking handle and bolt cover are worlds apart between the two, both visually and touch. The Army Code version is 100% hard anodized treated steel and weighs a lot, the ejection port cover is also sheet steel and has been treated, these little features make a huge difference to the feel and weight of the G36. Not only this but Army Code has improved on the design and strengthened the join between the cocking handle and port cover. Thus allowing you to use the upgraded spring, this is a awesome little feature as it really makes a nice sound as your cock your rifle and let it slap back into position, needless to say you don’t want any fingers or other digits in the hop-unit when doing this. As you can see from the spring, this is again a huge improvement over that of the original. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FarEast Posted May 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 Finally we have the body pins and following the high quality of the other parts the pins are no exception, again they are also improved upon the originals, as many players have had to replace lost pins that fall out of loose holes during a skirmish. Again these are made out of treated steel and have the added advantage of a snap pin That secures the pin in place, ideal for locations like the forward grip where continuous wear and tear will loosen the fitting. Installation Now I’m not going to write a “how to” on how to install the Army Code G36 body upgrades, but I will cover my thoughts and experiences on how my installation went. As I mentioned I didn’t have any G36 variants in my collection before writing this review, so I came to this upgrade totally without any prior knowledge on how to strip and rebuild the G36, but using the manual that came with the Jing Gong G36c I was able to swap the parts over without any real issues. One area I did find a little fiddly was reattaching the cocking handle housing to the new body, as you have to half assemble one side of the receiver first then, install the ejection port cover finally placing the right side receiver in place. But with a little trial and error I was able to rebuild the gun with all the upgrades in about 2 hours. Again this is my first time working on a G36 body. Conclusion The Army Code G36C New Marking Receiver Set is absolutely amazing; apart from the slight change in the trades the Army Code New Marking Receiver Set is as close as you’ll get to the real deal. With retail price of $72.00 USD or £36.50 getting this as well as a Jing Gong is still going to cost a lot less than a Tokyo Marui G36c with better externals. The Quality and finish leave nothing to want even for the most hardened Mil- Simer’s. Score and Closing Thoughts Score 8.5/10 I can’t understand why they didn’t just give the receiver full trades without the small alteration, they have already copied the trade names, marks and stamps so I really don’t think it would stop H&K if things went sour. If I was going to purchase another G36 I would certainly go the Jing Gong / Army Code route as this offers not only the best price but also an amazing finish! Highly recommended. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DarkLite Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 Now if ARMY CODE could do a reciever set for the G&G/Clone UMP, that would be AWESOME. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FarEast Posted May 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 My thoughts exactly, Possibly one that would fit the STAR as well! I am in the process of writting an indepth review on the G36c by Jing Gong as well as a upgrade how to involving the Army Code parts and other cool little bits, I never thought I would say this but JG certainly is very very good! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DarkLite Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 My thoughts exactly, Possibly one that would fit the STAR as well! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Why on earth would you do that? The STAR UMP is utter ######! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
[-=O=-]^{Woozie} Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 SECHH!!! ME WANT!!! *BRAINZZZ...* anyway, know who will have them in stock?? Cheers would have give you +10 if the point system still working... Woozie Quote Link to post Share on other sites
msx361 Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 (edited) Ok, its just a review, il read the post first next time . Links AC g36 bits on wgc, they have had them for about a year or so. Have to agree this AC kits are the nuts ive got one on my G36. Only problem is the TM pistol grip is a different colour and looks a bit naff. I think it matches the CA grip, and the colour match with G&P parts too. http://www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?i...rch_army%20code http://www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?i...rch_army%20code http://www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?i...rch_army%20code http://www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?i...rch_army%20code http://www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?i...rch_army%20code Edited May 18, 2007 by msx361 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
[-=O=-]^{Woozie} Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 The price on wgc compare with what FarEast written is quite far apart... Woozie Quote Link to post Share on other sites
evilliboba Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 The price on wgc compare with what FarEast written is quite far apart... Woozie <{POST_SNAPBACK}> $72 and $72... If my math is correct it seems the same to me. The barrel assemblies are very, very expensive mind you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
[-=O=-]^{Woozie} Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 ops, sorry, miss read the pounds bits.... thought it was 36.5 USD silly me... Woozie Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Reptile House Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 Is this a newer version of the Army Code body that was released early last year? It looks the same to me (especially the "Sterling VA" bit). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FarEast Posted May 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 Yes it's the same one, I thought it would be a good peice to review as more and more companies are releasing G36's and as i mentioned in the review for the price of the kit and a clone you can't go wrong. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Reptile House Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 Yes it's the same one, I thought it would be a good peice to review as more and more companies are releasing G36's and as i mentioned in the review for the price of the kit and a clone you can't go wrong. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Oh absolutely. Great review (again) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FarEast Posted May 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 Thank you, but the product really speaks for itself. I'm in the process of writting an indepth review of the Jing Gong G36c and then a "how to" on installing and upgrading the JG G36c Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SnakeEyes Posted May 19, 2007 Report Share Posted May 19, 2007 (edited) Hi there! First off: kudos to FarEast for putting together this quite awesome review - good work as always... But I´ve got two questions that at this very moment are burning their way through my bony forehead... 1) How does the receivers finish, color and texture compare / match to those of the CA36 range of AEGs? I mean, it´s not all that fun if there´s a clearly visible difference in tone / finish / texture and so on... 2) I´m not sure if I´ve got my facts all jumbled up here, but from what I´ve heard from persons more experienced with the RS counterparts then there´s just ONE version of markings on the G36 - and it´s just the "G36" version? This is supposedly due to the fact that the main part of the rifle (the receiver) is the same on all the G36 / G36C / G36K versions... As I said, I´m not 100% sure of this one, but it kinda makes sense to me - and that´s the reason why I brought this up in the first place... So IF this proves to be true then pay attention all die hard milsimers out there! Edited May 19, 2007 by SnakeEyes Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DarkLite Posted May 19, 2007 Report Share Posted May 19, 2007 Woozie, MMC sells these kits, as does War4. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FarEast Posted May 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2007 2) I´m not sure if I´ve got my facts all jumbled up here, but from what I´ve heard from persons more experienced with the RS counterparts then there´s just ONE version of markings on the G36 - and it´s just the "G36" version? This is supposedly due to the fact that the main part of the rifle (the receiver) is the same on all the G36 / G36C / G36K versions... As I said, I´m not 100% sure of this one, but it kinda makes sense to me - and that´s the reason why I brought this up in the first place... So IF this proves to be true then pay attention all die hard milsimers out there! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I do beleive European version has just one trade set on the receiver US version has it for all different versions. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Reptile House Posted May 19, 2007 Report Share Posted May 19, 2007 1) How does the receivers finish, color and texture compare / match to those of the CA36 range of AEGs? I mean, it´s not all that fun if there´s a clearly visible difference in tone / finish / texture and so on... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I used to own both the CA36c and the Army Code body, so I'll give this a go. There is a slight difference between the two, but it's not a huge difference like there is between the CA and TM bodies. It is there, but unless you're really picky it's not going to kill you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
flipsnip Posted May 19, 2007 Report Share Posted May 19, 2007 awsome review. I was very pleased with mine too. Only thing different i had was the spring supplied with the AC was too long and needed shortening slightly. When i can afford my g36k/ag36 combo i will be going with CA and army code combo again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
msx361 Posted May 19, 2007 Report Share Posted May 19, 2007 (edited) AC&CA match well, as do AC & G&P. But TM & AC dont at all. All TM top. TM grip(FF grip extender) with AC body G&P 6 hole grip and G&P KV stock on the bottom. As you can see, the AC one has a textured bluish hue to it, while the TM is black, smooth and shinny. Edited May 19, 2007 by msx361 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FarEast Posted May 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 You can get rid of the shine by taking some 1000 grit sand paper to it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
malavern Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 Very nice, but, I need to ask, after hefting my M14 around for an entire game day, who would want to lug around a heavier G36C... i mean, the weight right now is perfect for those who love to run, and jump, duck and roll... (straight into poison ivy...). I do however must admit that if the weight is not an issue with you, then go get it.. cause it looks sweet.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Reptile House Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 I think what you'd notice most is greater solidity and a feeling of robustness - like the difference between CA and TM versions. The extra metal and the fibrous plastic doesn't add much weight per se, but it does feel more...substantial. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BenjaminRombough Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 Hi there! First off: kudos to FarEast for putting together this quite awesome review - good work as always... But I´ve got two questions that at this very moment are burning their way through my bony forehead... 1) How does the receivers finish, color and texture compare / match to those of the CA36 range of AEGs? I mean, it´s not all that fun if there´s a clearly visible difference in tone / finish / texture and so on... 2) I´m not sure if I´ve got my facts all jumbled up here, but from what I´ve heard from persons more experienced with the RS counterparts then there´s just ONE version of markings on the G36 - and it´s just the "G36" version? This is supposedly due to the fact that the main part of the rifle (the receiver) is the same on all the G36 / G36C / G36K versions... As I said, I´m not 100% sure of this one, but it kinda makes sense to me - and that´s the reason why I brought this up in the first place... So IF this proves to be true then pay attention all die hard milsimers out there! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> not being funny but if the parts dont match exactly then why not krylon it a nice od green DPM or a matt black to match? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.