adminH&K SL8 Semi-Auto Rifle
The SL8 is HK’s offer for civilians to G36 fans, translating the military’s precision into a sporting platform. It’s an extremely popular option for shooting enthusiasts and competitions with three guns.
The SL8-6 comes with fixed stock with the components for fire control. The SL8-6 is available with 30- or 10-round magazines.
What exactly is the SL8?
H&K SL8 rifle is an 5.56mm NATO semi-automatic variant of the well-known combat G36. It was designed specifically for shooting enthusiasts and comes with a bull barrel that can easily be moved around using the HK Cold-Hammer Forging Process. A shorter Picatinny Rail Mount is a good option for adding optics. The SL8 has been developed on the identical military-grade gun that is the version used by military personnel, it is equipped with a reliable short-stroke gas piston.
Introduced in 1998 but removed in 2004 the SL8 reappeared in 2021 as the SL8-6. The model has notable distinctions from its predecessors right off the bat. It is notable that the SL8-6 includes a thumb-hole in polymer stock with an adjustable cheek riser and rubber butt that allows you to use stock spacers for altering the length of pull. The SL8-6 also has a molded barrel extension that differs from the standard knurled-tube attachment that is used in G36s.
The SL8-6’s bolt has a similar design to the direct-impingement AR-15’s, having locking lugs which rotate to engage the recesses in the barrel extension. It also has a spring-loaded plunger-type ejector situated within the face of the bolt. However, unlike an AK one, it’s not necessary take the action apart to reach the piston. This allows for rapid and easy maintenance and cleaning.
Because of the restrictions in United States on military-style guns the SL8-6 owners are not able to utilize their SL-8s with G36 magazines. The sole magazine that is available is a 10-round translucent plastic single-stack. H&K is claiming they are working on plans to change the SL8 to allow G36 magazines can be utilised when the importation of these magazines is legalized in the country.
Features
The SL8 is the civilian version of H&K’s famous G36 assault rifle. It is designed for accuracy shooting and not intended for the military market. The SL8 keeps both the short-stroke piston system, which influenced the design for the HK416 model as well as the premium material that has been the main reason for making H&K guns famous. The SL8 has however been designed to be better suited to civilian use.
Cold-hammer forging of the barrel that has a crown that is recessed and steel reinforcements around the most wear points within the polymer receiver minimize chances that it’ll be damaged by high-use. The SL8 is equipped with the exact single stack magazine of 10 rounds as its counterpart that is used in the military, but it’s fitted to.223 Remington. It also includes a match-trigger.
Unlike the roller-delayed bolt used in most HKs however, the SL8 makes use of a lug-type rotating bolt, similar to an AR-15. It is equipped with six locking bolts that are inserted into recesses of the barrel extension to drive it forward, as well as an extractor with a spring loaded plunger ejector, which is situated in front of the barrel extension. Much like an AR-15, the SL8 comes with a semiautomatic action.
The ambidextrous charging handle attaches with the bolt carrier, and can be folded away to be used when not needed. Additionally, the controls are as ambidextrous which includes the magazine release, bolt catch, and safety switch all accessible from either side. The SL8-6 features an adjustable stock that allows the user to change the length of the pull.
The rifle is a bit front-heavy because of the large, 20.8-inch, medium-heavy contour barrel. This could make it appear unsafe during maneuver and fire exercise or matches with three guns. The barrel was made to ensure that the rifle is steady in 3-gun Hecklerkochforsale shooting and varmint shooting.
Performance
It’s a modified version of H&K’s G36 assault weapon, and was made legal for imports. It has a cold hammer-forged the match-crowned, bull barrel which has been free-floated as well as chrome lined to increase accuracy. The stock is made of polymer and has a thumb hole. It is adjustable as are spacers that can be utilized to control the length of pull. It also has a swiveling charging handle that can be used to serve as an forward aid. The SL8’s controls are ambidextrous, making the SL8 a good choice for shooters who shoot left handed.
The rifle is distinctive as it features a gas piston mechanism. Also, it has a MIL-SPEC short optics mounting, a match trigger and an MIL-SPEC MILSPEC bolt carrier group. Gas pistons reduce recoil and muzzle rise through the elimination of the bolt carrier and magazine also. Additionally, it comes with the single-stack, proprietary magazine with a large, well-recessed crown and a target designed for long-range varmint hunts or competition shooting.
Another major selling feature is the SL8’s steel reinforced on wear-points that are critical to the polymer receiver. This feature was first created for rifles used by military forces, and it adds to the durability of this precision rifle. The Precision Rifle also comes with a smooth, short action.
This gun only accepts single stack magazines. It can be altered through the expansion of the magazine well or cutting out tiny depressions at the top of the receiver. However, H&K decided to cripple the SL8 with a cross bolt in the magazine well, which blocks all other magazines Glock 26 for sale from fitting. This bolt is designed to prevent the double-stacked magazines fitting when shooting in a fire-and-maneuver situation or with three guns. The sling pin attachment is located in side of the handguard which can make the SL8 less stable on the bipod when being used for precise shooting.
Accessories
The SL8 is the civilian G36 variant H&K designed to translate the military’s precision into a sporting platform. Its SL8-6 is a civilian-friendly HecklerKochForSale version of G36. It features a 10-round single-stack magazine as well as the trigger group is tuned to match. Cold-hammer forged match crowned barrels are free-floated to increase precision. The muzzle has been recessed and match chambered which increases the reliability. The polymer thumbhole is adjustable to fit left- or right-handed shooters. The magazine release as well as the bolt latch can be swiveled. It also has an adjustable stock by using the buttplate to rotate in and out the stock and with spacers to adjust the cheekpiece for an ideal size.
Although the SL8-6 isn’t equipped with the pistol grip found on the military version for reason of size, it feels great in hand and is very user-friendly. The controls are well-designed and ergonomic, with a magazine release, bolt catch and charging handle which can be accessed from both sides.
Its smooth recoil is what sets it apart the piston-driven 5.56 NATO guns. This makes it an excellent choice for shooters who prefer engaging targets in non-supported positions and may need to use a bipod to ensure stability for extended period of duration.
The SL8-6 is not equipped with M-Lok slots or KeyMod. It does have threaded inserts are able to add rail sections. They are situated in the sides and at the bottom of the handguards. They can be used with a variety of options for accessories. They can be used for mounting an optic like a bipod, or any other. Bipods can result in POI shifting so it is advised to install a backback, sandbag or other rest to assure consistency in result.
FAQ
The design of H&K’s firearm has been a home run for them – the G3, the MP5 and the USP and the G36 which is the most well-known assault rifle. The SL8 is a polymer G36 specifically designed for precise shooting. It’s not garnered nearly as much attention as other H&K models made in America however, it is worthy of the attention of anyone whose H&K firearm designs might be of interest to you.
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