Raygis LasVegas Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 (edited) H&K XM8 - SRC External Inspection: 1. - The body reminds me of Marui P90 plastic. The finish is a bit shiney and no where as good as CA's polymer construction found in the CA36 series. The magazine picture here is a TM G36 one. The original SRC XM8 hi-cap mag has fake bullets printed on a piece of paper and inserted inside the transparent mag. 2. 3. - The handguard is plastic but is rubber coated to give a nice feel. 4. The magazine catch is H&K's newer type where you can either use you one or two hands to release the mag. ie: You can use your trigger hand's index finger to push down on the lever to drop the mag from the mag well. The mag-release lever is made from metal. The SRC XM6 fire selector switch actually clicks into it's firing positions unlike the CA36 series. 5. 6. 7. 8. - 8 position stock. The stock's recoil pad is just a moulded part of the plastic stock that has a rubber coating. I find the XM8's stock adjustment configuration is difficult to change compared to the M4. When the stock is extended and the weapon shouldered, there is a bit of sqeeking sound from the plastic rubbing inside the stock. This is annoying and makes the gun sound like a toy. To fix this problem I never extend the stock when shouldering the XM8. 9. - The front sight is made from metal. It can be adjusted for elevation where the blade is raised higher or lower... just like the front sight of armalites. There is a bit of side wobble on this sight. However, since the weapon is scoped, there is no used for a front sight on this XM8. When view through the scope, the front sight can not be seen when it's deployed. Edited February 28, 2007 by Raygis LasVegas Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Raygis LasVegas Posted February 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 10. - Press on the textured button to flip open the front sight. 11. - When the rear sight is up, there's an audible click to let you know it's at the 90 degrees position. There is also a slight resistance to stop you from folding the sight past it's functional position. 12. - Here's the rear sight opened past it's functional position. At this point, the rear sight still can not touch the lens of the scope. 13. - Standard scope reticle of the scope. The scope does have windage and elevation adjustments. However, I found it difficult to adjust the scope. The adjustment screws are not too responsive. 14. 15. Disassembly: 16. - To remove the handguard, push out this pin. 17. - The pin has a ball bearing locking device... good job SRC! 18. - Rotate the rubberized handguard downwards. 19. - Slide the handguard forward away from the receiver. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Raygis LasVegas Posted February 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 20. - Punch out the stock retaining pin. 21. 22. - Unscrew the mechbox retaining screw. The pistol grip pad is made from solid rubber. However I find this piece annoying and stupid looking. 23. - Unscrew this screw to remove the lower receiver from the upper. 24. 25. 26. 27. - Punch out the barrel retaining roll pin to free the barrel assembly from the upper. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Raygis LasVegas Posted February 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. - Unscrew this grub screw before you unscrew the flashider. 33. - The threads are 14mm negative. 34. - Unscrew this grub screw before unscrew the front outer barrel extension. 35. - The front outer barrel extension has 14mm negative threads. This piece can be used on other AEGs with the same thread pitch. 36. - Unscrew this grub screw to release the front sight assembly. 37. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Raygis LasVegas Posted February 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 38. - I shimmed this "G36C" gas tube so that the front sight sits on the barrel assembly more firmly. This eliminates some of the front sight wobble. However the front sight will still wobble a bit on it's pivoting folding point. 39. - Unscrew these screws before you attempt to remove the plastic sleeve of the outer barrel. 40. - To remove the inner barrel assembly from the outer barrel, push the hop assembly inwards and then rotate as pictured. 41. 42. - Separate both halves of the plastic sleeve. 43. 44. - Top: metal outer barrel back bone - Below: plastic outer barrel sleeve. 45. - Here's how the outer barrel assembly sits inside the hanguard. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Raygis LasVegas Posted February 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 (edited) 46. 47. 48. - XM8 Upper receiver. The cocking handle and bolt assembly is made from metal. The bolt section viewed through the ejection port is also metal. 49. - There is also a metal back bone along the upper receiver. This is also found in the TM G36 and CA36 series. 50. - I completely disassembled the upper receiver and glued the two halves together along with the scope. This really improved the structural strength of the SRC XM8. With this mod, I reduced the squeeking of the body and carry handle by 90%. The scope also no longer wobbles from the upper receiver and is fully functional. Gearbox: 51. 52. - SRC's V3 gearbox has motor connections instead of soldered wires of TM, CA, ICS, etc. 53. - The bushings are metal and looks of high quality. 54. - The gearbox was the most impressive part of the SRC XM8. The plastic parts are of high quality. Although the air nozzle doesn't have an o-ring, the nozzle was manufactured perfectly to form an air tight seal on the cylinder head nozzle. With this air tight seal, it still slides with ease. I found only one gear to be requiring an extra shim to form a perfect shim job... not bad for SRC. The motor functions very well for the velocity the XM8 is shooting. It doesn't whine like my Star UMP. At stock, the gun shoots at 310fps. I upgraded the Xm8 to 350fps by just adding an extra length of spring with the stock spring. With some test firing, the weapon still cycles smoothly with minimal noise at the increased velocity. The tappet plate, piston head, trigger unit and gears are very nicely made. I would not change these parts. The piston head o-ring forms a nice seal around the cylinder. The spring guide is constructed of the same quality polymer as the tappet plate. I would prefer if the spring guide had a bearing but I won't change it unless it breaks. The wiring job is not bad. However I still like CA's thick guage wiring compared to SRC's. Overall, I would not suggest this gun unless you're an XM8 fan. There aren't too many modifications that can be done to make this weapon platform truely custom. With all mods that I've done, the weapon still squeeks a bit on the carry handle and retractable stock... actually I wasn't able to think of a cure for the stock's squeeking. The front end section does have some flex. The SRC XM8 is not as ruggid as the CA36 series. I give this weapon a rating of 6/10 if you pitch it against other AEGs such as the CA36 series, AK, and armalites. Compared to other XM8s, the SRC XM8 does have it's advantages such as the impressive gearbox, useless but thoughtful flip-up iron sights, functional metal scope, green plastic construction, and affordable price. My rating of this gun compare to other XM8s is 7.5/10. To set the record straight, no other airsoft XM8 have gotten a 10 rating from me. There's still a lot of room for improvement! More Pictures: http://www.pbase.com/srcxm801/inbox&page=5 http://www.pbase.com/srcxm801/inbox&page=5 Check out my Rock Band: Click on the song below: Someone Not Like You http://iacmusic.com/songs.aspx?SongID=36954&ArtistID=59214 Parking Lot Party http://iacmusic.com/songs.aspx?SongID=27190&ArtistID=19583 -Ray Edited February 28, 2007 by Raygis LasVegas Quote Link to post Share on other sites
otherrandomhero Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 Fantastic guide, now I can finally get mine apart! I'd like a second opinion from another owner though: do you think the front will be able to support the weight of a grenade launcher? I was thinking of picking up an AG36 or HK69 and putting it on mine, it would be teh ubAr-sEcHs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Raygis LasVegas Posted February 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 The SRC XM8's front end won't be able to support a grenade launcher. The biggest gripes I have with the XM8 is that the front end can flex if it is done purposely. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
evilliboba Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 Why did you have to go and do this? Now I really want one... I need to save my money for a Sun Project M16A1 Carbine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nightfire6 Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 (edited) Very nice review, but I was wondering, How do you remove the scope from the gun, I know that you glued it together and all, but where do I find the screws that hold the scope to the gun, So I can mod it and put a rail on the area. otherrandomhero: With the right parts and tools, it probably won't be hard to reinforce the front end so it won't flex. Edited February 28, 2007 by nightfire6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bengali Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 Very nice review, but I was wondering, How do you remove the scope from the gun, I know that you glued it together and all, but where do I find the screws that hold the scope to the gun, So I can mod it and put a rail on the area. otherrandomhero: With the right parts and tools, it probably won't be hard to reinforce the front end so it won't flex. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> i would assume it quite hard, its like a TM gun with barrel wobble, many solutions, non permanent. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Endospore Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 What do you mean by flex in the front end? I'm really interested in one of these, but it will be my primary AEG, so I want one that will last well. I've always loved the XM8, but I also have a liking for the P90 and M4 (and the M16, but I already owned the CA version ), so I'm trying to decide which to get. Also, is the scope removable so I can go just to the irons? And finally, how creaky is it compared to the TM FAMAS? Thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
otherrandomhero Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 The FAMAS is the epitome of creakiness. It would take a lot to be creakier than that. The XM8 is hardly creaky, but it is just enough to be worth mentioning. The stock is a tiny bit loose and seems to creak a bit. By front end flex he means the entire front end. The entire gun is pretty much a plastic shell around a gearbox and shell, as opposed to something like an M4 where there are smaller sections the gun is built out of. The front end of the gun, just as he says, flexes a little bit, as simple as that. A lot of people don't know this from the pictures, but this is a big gun. By big, i mean it is tall and fat. Imagine holding a giant fish, that's about what it is. As for the grenade launcher, my main goal now is to find some kind of very light AG36 (how light is the smokey's btw? If it is all plastic it might not be a bad bet), and secure the handguard enough to mount it. I already put a G36 rail under the handguard and a .75lb flashlight underneath and it's holding up great! I plan to screw a few rods between the area by the cocking handle and the handgrip and make some kind of support beam structure. If not that, then i'll drill some holes, add some pins, add a few metal rods along the handguard to strengthen it and see how a smaller launcher holds up. One way or another i'm gonna get this to work. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nightfire6 Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 (edited) What do you mean by flex in the front end? I'm really interested in one of these, but it will be my primary AEG, so I want one that will last well. I've always loved the XM8, but I also have a liking for the P90 and M4 (and the M16, but I already owned the CA version ), so I'm trying to decide which to get. Also, is the scope removable so I can go just to the irons? And finally, how creaky is it compared to the TM FAMAS? Thanks! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You probably can remove, if you look at the picture, but I want to know how. Then ill just mold a piece of plastic to fit onto the xm8 like the scope does, then put a rail on it so I can use the iron sights and the red dot scope I have. Mounting a grenade launcher on a xm8 is not really my thing, but mounting a C mag is!! Then with a hk69, it'll be fun. Edited February 28, 2007 by nightfire6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Blink43va Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 Is it just me or is it being harsh to say that the gun is a 6 out of 10? Looks pretty damn good to me. But then again, I dont have that gun in my hands as I am typing this. Overall the gearbox looks really well built. The body and detailing also looks great compared to the BE XM8 (which I had for a while as a loaner/project gun). Anyways thanks alot for the right up! I wouldn't buy one, but if I was a begginer i'd probably go with this gun, just cause I love XM8s! -Blink Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nightfire6 Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 I agree with Blink43va, 6/10 does seem a little harsh. 7.5/10 is a rather harsh grade compared to the other xm8, it blows the other xm8 guns out of the water, which are kinda low grade guns and the fact that they have a mock scope, and lower grade internals. SRC includes some good ideas and stuff like the flip up sights, and the aluminum scope. You gotta give them credit for that, but Each to their own. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
otherrandomhero Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 Agreed ^^^^^^^^^ I gave it a 10 in my review, as I really can't think of anything SRC could have done to make this better considering its low price tag. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Endospore Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 (edited) Well, I guess the thing to keep in mind is that a review is the reviewer's opinion. If he didn't quite like it, then he'll review it as such. I would have liked a higher score too, but that's because I like XM8's a lot and really wanted to see this gun succeed (which it seems to be doing, with only one or two reviews like this). But, this is his opinion, and he did give some good information, so it's all good. I just can't decide though. Do I really want to buy one? One thing I'm really curious about is the size. Can someone take a picture of it next to another popular gun, such as an Armalite of some kind, an AK47 length, MP5A4/5/SD6, something like that? Even like a P90. I've seen a lot of guns, but never an XM8, so I have no idea what the size is like. Just a side by side comparison is all. One more question I have. How good is the accuracy compared to, say, a Classic Army Armalite (current version. I owned an M15 Rifle for awhile, so I'm familiar with it) or a Tokyo Marui AUG Civi? Also, how is the range with the hop up adjusted correctly? Edited March 1, 2007 by Endospore Quote Link to post Share on other sites
otherrandomhero Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 I covered this a little bit in mine. Maximum range will be 150-160 feet with no wind at all in perfect conditions with hop set at the exact right place. In a regular skirmish expect about 140 max then, since conditions probably won't be perfect. All's i have to compare it to accuracy-wise is my SG1, which it is (obviously) less accurate than. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Endospore Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 Ok, so how far does your SG1 shoot in comparison? I know how far the general TM shoots (I've used a G36C, AUG, SAS, and MP7 during games before, so I have a general idea of how they work), and I seem to recall it being around 200 feet. I play mostly woodland, so I don't want to be outranged right away. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BigAl Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 Here you go GWS XM8, AMG XM8 Long and M16. The XRC should be the same size as the GWS one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Endospore Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 Thanks a lot for the picture! The M16 was perfect to use, I used to own one (I might have said that in this thread, but I can't remember). So I'd +1 you twice if I could! The XM8 might be a little long, although the stock looks about the size I would use it at, so it might be fine. Hmm, this is a hard choice. If I can find out about the accuracy question on the last page, that will seal it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ObsoleteAcey Posted April 2, 2007 Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 interesting review. Apparently the barrel wobble is caused by the fact that SRC seem to have left out 2 pins in the front.. once you actually put them in the front is rock solid. I also never got the circlip on my hop assemble so the whole hop unit fell apart in the gun... luckily i had a G36C one. Also the seam lines in the moulding appear to be far worse than the BE version (believe it or not) though the plastic is better. Would be nicer if they gave us a red dot (like the real steal) instead of the scope.. that way the sites would be of far more use. Another thing that annoys me is the use of a non-standard hop unit. Sure i don't mind if it's metal, but hell please make it the same design as the others so if i need to replace it i can Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ObsoleteAcey Posted April 2, 2007 Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 interesting review. Apparently the barrel wobble is caused by the fact that SRC seem to have left out 2 pins in the front.. once you actually put them in the front is rock solid. I also never got the circlip on my hop assemble so the whole hop unit fell apart in the gun... luckily i had a G36C one. Also the seam lines in the moulding appear to be far worse than the BE version (believe it or not) though the plastic is better. Would be nicer if they gave us a red dot (like the real steal) instead of the scope.. that way the sites would be of far more use. Another thing that annoys me is the use of a non-standard hop unit. Sure i don't mind if it's metal, but hell please make it the same design as the others so if i need to replace it i can Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ardrummer292 Posted June 27, 2007 Report Share Posted June 27, 2007 So, what's the difference between the SRC XM8 and this TSD/SRC amalgam thingy? http://www.airsoftgi.com/product_info.php?...roducts_id=2331 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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