Reviews - Rifle

A Review of the Marui H&K SG-1

DolphiN#K

In late ’94 I was looking for a replacement for my ACX SA80. I was left un-impressed by the weapons available at the time, I was looking for an assault rifle that would be used in open/tropical forest areas where accuracy, Rate of Fire (RoF) and power were more important than size. The SG-1 was released and overnight my dilemma was solved. The SG-1 is deployed by spotters, that accompany snipers, who require that ability to lay down large amounts of fire accurately and can utilize the weapon in a backup sniping role.

Build and aesthetics

The Marui version is an accurate copy of the real weapon, with the hallmark attention to detail we have come to expect. The Marui weapon looks like the real steel, and build quality is reassuringly similar. Of course the Marui weapon is much lighter than the real steel, but a plethora of metal components adds weight to the Marui rifle that give it a realistic feel. Metal components on this rifle include; bipod, magazine, sights, trigger, outer barrel and muzzle. This added weight while adding realism might be to heavy for some. The rifle build is superb, with attention paid to realism and quality finishes; however the front receiver flexes worryingly from side to side- however it has never caused any problems despite a very heavy fall. The rear stock exhibits none of these problems and is where the large 8.4V battery is housed, courtesy of a removable butt plate. Internally there were no problems pre-modification, with the E700 delivering a high RoF and matched to a long barrel make this an accurate rifle capable of putting down a crazy amount of fire on some poor individual.
 
 

Firing

The SG-1 is a dream to fire, with each shot delivered with power and accuracy. The dream is only punctured when the 70 round magazine runs out of ammunition. This happens extremely quickly on full-auto, where the SG-1 is more like a squad weapon with its bipod and high RoF. The bipod is only really used when the rifle is deployed as a support weapon or sniper rifle. Pre-modification the SG-1 showed no problems when firing either at semi of full auto, every shot had consistent power and accuracy. Battery life is good too, with a large 8.4V battery lasting 2/3 of a day depending how much fire your laying down. My general rule is take 2 or 3 batteries into the field, and on a heavy day 2 batteries will certainly be required. 
 
 

Pre-Modification Conclusion

The SG-1 is a fine weapon with excellent build quality and short-range accuracy, however it is a rifle best used in open woodland or building top skirmishes, and definitely not FIBUA (Fight In Built Up Area) environments owing to its size. It is a rifle ill suited to the sniper role owing to its poor long-range accuracy and limited range. But as a squad weapon this rifle excels with its high RoF and bipod, making it perfect for ambush scenarios. I supplemented the rifle with a claw mount, Tasco 3-9 x 40 scope, HiCap magazine and tracer unit making the truly multifunctional. However this is far from the end of my SG’s saga – this is the end of my clinical review, what follows is a testament to Marui’s build quality, my stupidity and a reminder to airsofter’s everywhere what ill planned upgrades can potentially do to weapons. I would advise all to read on.

Modifications: The saga begins

I had my hybrid sniper/support weapon, and being satisfied that my rifle looked like a badass mo’ f***** I wanted it to perform as one. Tim Taylor puts it best "More power" – what I wanted. I settled on getting the 180% spring and ONLY the 180% spring for my SG-1. After the upgrade I hardly every used my rifle except at the odd skirmish (exams), and when I did use it I had no problems with it.

In April ’96 I solid it to a friend of mine since I was leaving Hong Kong to go to university and I could see no use for it. I sold it in immaculate condition bar a few scratches.

In January ‘99 after a rekindling of interest I brought it back for HK$500. I should have known- it came back with twice as many magazines, chargers and batteries. The rifle itself was in reasonable condition externally, a few more scratches and the butt of the rifle was held on with electrical tape (one on the pins had broken), upon closer inspection the bipod was also damaged.. It was a different story internally, when I tried to fire the rifle it did so, but there were problems. Semi-auto didn’t fire reliably, I could hear gear problems, and the fire selector switch was very loose. 

For the price I paid for it what did I expect? I opted for professional repair at Hing Kee Models. I was told it needed new gears, so I decided to have the rifle sorted out, and have the E1000 motor fitted. Total repairs:

New gears (Marui)

E1000 (Marui)

New bipod (Marui)

New pins 

When I picked up the rifle I was told that the gearbox was cracked – s***. Repairs so far HK$1408. A cracked gearbox is a severe problem, and so I have put no rounds through the rifle since January. In preparation for its transport to the UK the rifle is being completely sorted out – new gearbox, Systema gears, bushings, piston head, cylinder and a down rated spring (UK limit is 328 F.P.S).

Overall Conclusion

Building on the previous conclusion, this rifle has aged reasonably well with the stock undamaged, but the internals screwed. This is more likely due to my incompetence rather than poor build quality, it’s probably the excellent build quality that kept the rifle useable. Given the total amount spent on the rifle (HK$5000+) it has been worth it and I would do it again, except in the order Combat Warriors recommend. Go to their website and check it out. This rifle, once fully fitted will be a competent sniper rifle and a fearsome support weapon. The lessons learnt from this have been applied to my M4A1/M203 project.