Last spring, I was at a gun show with a friend. I didn’t want to go because it was still cold outside and I really didn’t need anything but finally decided to go along. So we’re walking down the aisles and all of a sudden, my progress is arrested in mid stride. I start thinking: “Oooh! Shiny! Mine”!
My friend says: “You already have one of those”. Then: “How many .22’s do you need”?
I’m reply; “no, no, no, this is different” (this is where my wife, if she were along, usually rolls her eyes and snorts).
It’s Sunday and my bank is closed. This dealer who has this rifle on his table is a farmer who operates out of his house and doesn’t have a credit card machine at the show. So I get his contact information and tell him that I will give him a call. I go home and my wife asks how the show went and I say; “I fell in love….”. I get the look. “…with a rifle”, I hastily add (she rolls her eyes and snorts). I tell her the story and she says; “why didn’t you pick it up”?
Thus emboldened, I went over to his place the next day and filled out the requisite background check info and sorrowfully parted with several Bennies so I could get my hands on it.
By this time you’re probably thinking; “what in the world is it”?
Well, it is a Hecker & Koch G36, in .22LR. The G36 is the current assault rifle of the German Armed Forces. However, this particular model is not made by H&K (as H&K doesn’t currently make any .22 LR firearms) but is instead made by Walther, under license. One of the features of the G36 is the centrally mounted charging handle (right above the receiver). It allows either a left handed or right handed user to operate the rifle without any issues. The charging handle on this .22 LR rifle works just like the real thing. It even allows you to lock the handle to one side and use it as a bolt assist (like the real thing). The safety switch is fully ambidextrous too.
After getting home I did some Internet research on this particular firearm and saw many photos of Flecktarn camo clad Bundeswehr soldiers on patrol with their G36’s.
The Walther G36 rifle was introduced at SHOT SHOW 2015. It does show in their current online catalog but I have never seen one anywhere till now. Apparently this particular rifle is not that easy to find, it is expensive for what it is but most people comment on its reliability and its accuracy. So I’m still interested and call the dealer the next day. Conveniently, it turns out that he lives about two miles from my house.
Walther’s original shot show video
I’ve always thought the G36 was an ergonomic and good looking rifle. Some time ago, I posted my conversion of a Ruger 10/22 to a H&K G36 clone. That turned out to be very accurate but it has some flaws. The safety is a dummy safety and the awesome G36 charging handle is a cast-on plastic blob. I spent quite some time thinking about how I could make the dummy charging handle work but finally gave it up as a lost cause. Taking it apart to clean it is a major chore and I’m always afraid that I will strip out some of the threads in the plastic shell.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to use the excuse that I’m looking for a target rifle or a survival rifle or anything like that. This is all about the looks and the fun of shooting a .22 LR firearm.
G 36 .22 LR Field Strip
Unboxing
With the stock folded (left side)
With the stock folded (right side)
Stock unfolded (left side)
The factory iron sights on the sight rail
Stock unfolded with a Vortex SPARC II red dot (right side)
Stock unfolded with a Vortex SPARC II red dot (left side)
The Walther G36 field strips in a way that is very reminiscent of the real thing. Removing two pins drops out the entire trigger/grip assembly. The bolt assembly/charging handle removes from the back. Another pin allows you to remove the handguard assembly. All the pins can be stored in holes in the stock, which prevents them from being mislaid. Disassembly and reassembly is very fast.
The HK markings
The Walther markings
From the Walther website
From the Walther website
The size compared to my AR 15 carbine
So far I have put about 5000 rounds through it with no malfunctions. I did have a few of what looked like out of battery firings but it turned out to be the cases splitting on Remington Golden bullets. I had the same thing happen with the same ammo in my Smith & Wesson Victory. Since then I’ve stopped using any .22 ammo that Remington makes. The magazines are easy to load and have functioned flawlessly.
Obligatory porn shot posed with a surplus German flecktarn camo parka
Links
The walther website: http://www.waltherarms.com/tactical-rim ... as/hk/g36/
The definitive Internet review on this rifle was done by Dave Norman of Personal Defense World.
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But I had to respond!
Very, very nice xl_target...what a day - you should have also added a picture of the small hillock of empties!!