Leaderboard

TM EBB has been with my machinist buddy pretty much since they released getting the real stock cut to fit, got excited and had to take a rushed pic.

So I figured I may as well transplant my initial review here and also post updates as the internals are almost identical to the upcoming VFC FAL/LAR. The Umarex G3 Gas Blowback Rifle by VFC Firstly it's been a while since I wrote a review , years in fact . This rifle has been one i've been looking forward to for many years so a bit of that enthusiasm is most certainly going to find it's way in . However I am not one of those young guys from Youtube who gets their first rifle and thinks it's the best thing ever. I've got an extensive collection and have been in airsoft since 1990 . This rifle was not supplied for review , I paid for it myself as soon as pre order was available . Upon the rifle arriving you will see it packaged in typical umarex style with black H&K marked cardboard box with stiff card inserts holding the contents very securely . The rifle itself being wrapped in a tough plastic “bag” . Also in the box you will find the instruction manual and loading tool for the included 20 round gas magazine . Once unwrapped you can feel the heft of the G3 with it's steel construction running around one metre in length. The plastics are of good quality and feel very solid with only the very slightest of sideways play at the rear of the handguard , Although the plastics are of high quality , I intended from the start to switch these out for real furniture as I do with the vast majority of my rifles . If anything the VFC plastic is of too high quality with decent texture in contrast to the H&K parts . The muzzle device is steel and a very good replica although I will likely switch this out for a real one soon. Behind that is the steel outer barrel extension which runs into the steel front sight block . The outer barrel under the handguard is alloy and does serve to lighten the front end a touch compared to the full steel barrel of the LCT but it does not detract from the overall feel for me . The Handguard is patterned on the slim green handguard we are all so familiar with . It is real spec and every real handguard I have tried has fitted perfectly unlike the LCT which has some annoying protrusions from the reciever pin that must be ground down to fit some . So far Ihave tested the following real handguards …. Slim , wood , Wide(tropical) and RAS from Fab Defense with no issues . In fact all of them removed that tiny bit of sideways slop that the factory handguard had . Above the handguard is the steel cocking tube with it's steel charging handle assembly which has the usual green plastic sleeve on it (the cocking handle appears to be real spec but I have yet to find time to change mine out). The cocking tube is correctly and neatly welded to the reciever which is of course more steel . The reciever appears to be made just like the real rifle , being made of a stamped sheet which is then folded and welded in all the right places and with attention to detail. On the left side of the magwell you will find the markings which say “G3FS 106****(serial number protected) HK 2/72 Bw . These markings denote that this is based upon a later “freefloated” model of the G3 manufactured in 1972. The only other markings on the upper are the usual white umarex markings which are very cleverly done on the part that is covered by the lower when assembled so there is no “cal6mm” ruining the look of the rifle until you take it apart for cleaning . The lower is again a stamped steel construction and is again real spec so you can fit the real pistol grip sleeve on with no mods required . Due to the insane attention to detail from VFC you could also use a real lower by dropping the well replicated GBB trigger box into the real lower . I will be doing mine in the next few days hopefully but mine is a FMP lower so I will need to quickly run a file inside the front lugs to make it match up against the VFC (this is a known point when using FMP lowers on H&K G3s). The stock again is a very well replicated part , VFC opted to fit the recoil assembly to the end cap like it would be on the real one so you will need to move this to the real stock unless you use the VFC end cap . I have tried using a real stock on the VFC end cap and also using a real slither stock and moving the recoil assembly over and both worked great. Internally the level of replication continues with the trigger group and bolt carrier group both replicating the real parts very well . Field stripping this is all but identical to the real rifle. So …. onto the airsoft side of the replica The 20 round GBB magazine is a good design and not only replicates the real one very well but also cleverly enables the rifle to give the “dead mans click” on empty or allow for dry firing depending on how you set the “dry fire switch” . The fill valve is on the back of the magazine just below the strike valve which means it's protected from debris but also hidden from view when in the rifle . Filling with gas and Bbs is easy which is a relief for those of us that use GHK rifles . The gas tank is enough for around 60 shots when using RWA Airsoft Surgeon gas unless you try to mag dump every mag. Given the size and weight of the bolt carrier this is quite astounding . Upon inserting the magazine (if you haven't used a G3 this can take practice) you need to charge the rifle by pulling the charging handle to the rear and then allowing spring pressure to carry it forward into battery . This gives a very satisfying “clunk” and you feel the weight of the bolt carrier close as it hits the steel trunion . Once charged you remove the safety catch which has a stiff , positive feel like the real one (manly) and you are ready to fire . The trigger has some take up and not a very distinctive wall before breaking at surprisingly lightweight . The reset is quite short with a bit of slop but audible with a noticeable click on the trigger finger once it resets . The recoil is sharp and has good travel which is nice for a rifle of this size and weight but does not feel sluggish in the slightest . It's very satisfying . On auto the rifle will rock about nicely but of course that is not what users of this rifle will be using in the field so it's just a fun factor when messing about . Once the magazine is empty the hammer will fall will a”click” and you will be required to change magazines and charge the rifle again . The “correct” military way to do this is to lock the charging handle into it's rear recess , take out the spent magazine , insert the fresh mag and then “H&K slap” the charging handle into battery . This feels great and you can be confident doing this with the steel construction . The hop up is easy to adjust and is located under the handguard (no more damn allen keys) . I have not range tested my rifle yet but the grouping at CQB distance was nothing short of surprising . With 0.28g airsoft surgeon ABS Bbs ,the rifle was easily grouping into an inch group from rested and not quite two inches freehand ! That kind of repeatability on a GBB is almost unheard of from the box and the chrono helped me understand why that may be with only a few FPS variance over a 20 round mag when firing semi auto at a steady pace . Mine currently reads 416 fps average with green gas and 0.2g but I will be restricting that to be around 1.1J with 0.3g just to be safe , This is just a first look and I will be updating this review with photos and more data over the coming days as well as continuing to test real parts compatibility (note this was from 2018 and updates will be posted below ) link to 2018 photos https://imgur.com/a/8MLdgX1 update from early 2019 An update on use after a couple more events . a month ago I used it in minus 3C and incredibly it emptied every mag , every time which was a shock having had earlier VFC rifles and it also having such a large bolt . Especially on only green gas and not red or black I used it again this weekend and this time it was a little warmer . I had also fitted the adjustable valve so I was using it as a battle rifle with slim fore-end and iron sights instead of as a dmr . Range was still amazing with airsoft surgeon 0.3g BBs with no loss of range with the drop in power created by the adjustable valve . The hop has bedded in now and accuracy was nothing short of astounding to the point I was quite easily picking out parts of bodies behind cover at 60-70M . Mag changes are getting smoother too. As an aside , I had also fitted the selector from a real G3 and that worked flawlessly on all modes with no modification or tooling . Literally a drop in fit Update 2022 So Since 2019 I have updated several things - Firstly I replaced the only alloy part (outer barrel section under the handguard) with a steel part that completes the feel and adds even more durability. Also i'm using real iron sights , muzzle device , mag release , cocking handle and support , lower frame , selector and all types of furniture from the sliding stock to various solid stocks , grips , foreends , rails etc . it's still the best shooting airsoft gun i've owned and i have literally owned a good number over the last 32 years (I still have around 80 in the armoury) I can't wait for the VFC FAL to land as I really hope it shoots and feels like this G3

Played a game of CQB yesterday with a pair of mags coupled together and 2 speed loaders, it was great! Never felt outgunned, quick reloads, no kit and I just loaded the mags on the way back to spawn or topped them off when it was quiet.

I'd strongly recommend whatever pair you buy, you try them on first. Easier said than done nowadays, but a trip to Cotswold outdoors or blacks would be sensible. Your footwear can have a bigger impact on your morale than you'd initially think. I think the right pair is the pair that fits you the best and that will mean spending a bit more cash, ultimately though these won't just be something you wear for Airsoft so hopefully you can justify a bit more. I'd also suggest thinking about the type of sites you play, regular at the trees or other very rugged sites and you'll need proper boots, leather, waterproof (like althergs,akus) etc. Some sites can get away with light weight/minimal ankle support (merrels, lowa zephyrs).

Thanks chaps. Put the sten kit up at 275.00 The AEG IS 220 new mags 15.00 each bag 50 and sling 20.00 & suppressor £60.00 I guess its idown to if anyone wants the lot or not. I'll put an ad on here too. They're surprisingly good to shoot. Rof about right for a real STEN and accurate. 370fps too. I've also got a NOS pistol grip made for operation Market Garden, designed literally on a fag packet days before and rapidly produced. Turned sten into a great cqb weapon. So simple a design too. The original STENS designed to be produced by the likes of Raleigh bikes as just bent steel tubes. The bolt and barrel the only high precision parts. Plus they were designed to use the MP40 mags so ammo could be taken off of the enemy. The finish on mk1&2's was pot black. The paint used to paint motorbike engines and cylinder heads at the time. Cheap and simple to produce was the spec and they certainly were. British ingenuity at its finest. Thanks for your input all. If anyone is interested please message me. I'll get an ad up.

Went to the bulimia clinic today. It was heaving.

70% of the cheapest new was thrown around on another thread I think? So could do that for each thing and see what it comes up to.

Kick a man when he's down why don't ya 🤣

ASG Ranger M4, bought 5 years ago when I started for the second time. After a short period gave it a paint job (courtesy of Halfords), and a few extra add ons. Now relegated to being spare/loaner rifle but still going strong!

Not sure getting the reference precludes that assessment.....

Dan Dare ray gun. 5 years old. Sparks everywhere and frozen finger after blasting thousands of Mekons. Kept me from being abducted at bedtime. I hope the older members on here know what I'm talking about otherwise Im looking like a grade one,card carrying nutter.😜

Ares g36. Still going and used as a back up/ loan rifle.

Emergencychimps has hit the nail straight on the head. Fit is everything. I'd spend in footware much readily than the latest kit, and a good pair will last and be versatile so you can wear them more.

Glad you enjoyed the lower round count and reloading. A habit I began when playing gbbr was to drop a bag in the respawn area with a collection of magazines. Rather than refilling the empties, for a quicker turnaround, drop the empties and load up in the full ones. It's still something I do now when playing with aeg low caps. It's a lovely convenience.

I really enjoy low/mid-low cap that you get with GBBs, having to worry about your current mag capacity, or even organising partially used mags within your rig is an additional level of the game if you're into it, and in fights, for CQB at least you're not really at a meaningful disadvantage, what I really dislike however, is that you end up spending a lot more time in the respawn topping up every mag / gas in order to go back out fully loaded, versus if you just had an AEG where you rarely even have to top up in-between lives.

It’s designed for gen 2/3 pmags, the insides are moulded to fit the raised grid pattern and lock into the the 5 groves running down the front and rear. If it’s a PMAG style not the smooth EMAG type, should fit… My “gmags” are G&P gas mags, bloody heavy (iron) and off spec so they don’t fit perfectly but they’re not going anywhere once tightened down.

Yesterday’s kit was the most slimmed down I could get, very back to basics but worked out great. MWS with a new Ferro slingster, 2 stendo pmags clamped with a magpul maglink and 2 TM pistol speedloaders in my jeans pocket. Delta Mike face pro kept me nice and cool and the peltors…glad I brought those with all the tags going off! Face blur for the usual uglies and work.

【CUSTOM GBB WORKSHOP】 ww2 M1A1 thompson WE gbb base deep marking remove paint Anodizing Handmade black dye wood Handmade dye ra tech wood kit detail fix

I gave £80 for an AGS Sten about two years ago. With supply of rifs being what it is now, I expect you would get more for the gun alone.

Raid modded my Helikon BDU shirt. Wrist adjuster and chest pocket buttons replaced with velcro. Lower pockets removed and large loop velcro patches added. These were then attached to the upper arms. Also bar tacked over a small rip. Quite a productive afternoon given how bleedin’ hot it was! Coyote brown velcro from ContactLeft (Ebay) and Gutterman thread (colour 208 - from Amazon)

So update ran all my mags at 30 rds today and loved it, 1 game I ran out of ammo but I forgot I had a 90 Rd speedloader on me and if I had a sidearm would have the extra ammo aswell. In total 664 shots fired today made me pick my shots and play alittle more tactical. Definitely think I'll enjoy GBBRs

Today I ran my second game day, a tribute game for my best mate's young son who passed suddenly last year. Connected games based on a post apocalyptic idea with 'zombie' super soldiers thrown in to the mix ! Went very well with a turn out of over 70 players and a very hot day, all good natured and everyone seemd to have a good time. Marshalling certainly gives you a different view of our sport and an apreciation of how hard good marshalls work ! And we raised just under £430 for charity, all in all a great day of airsofting .

As a larger player myself, as seen in first pic. I just found it easier staying away from thing like the jpc 'tactical bras'. And stick to the more old school ciras, paraclete or mrav carriers that cover more surface area and have plenty of adjustment. Plus you can still seat them properly, and with the right tops like pcu style jackets, and staying away from things like ubacs. you can pull of marsoc, ussf, ranger and a few others, without actually showing too much and still being comfortable.

I was also there today, the man above did indeed bring a spatula and rock it! First time a strikeforce Gloucester today, great fun…bit of a greenhouse!! Some good exchanges and lovely welts to come home with 😝

I decided to bring a spatula today as a melee weapon. Needless to say I got quite a few laughs out of it, however I did get 8 kills with it and 1 other non-spatula melee kill It was a very fun day without any complaints besides possibly the heat and the amount of liquids I had to drink because of all the sweat! The amount of rentals that showed up was great too, it's always nice to know people are getting into the sport and to be able to provide them with the most fun possible.

Some from last week a Sierra Golf One Airsoft

Allotment mystery. Over the last three weeks, I’ve discovered someone has been dumping soil on my allotment. I have tried to catch who’s doing it, but have had no joy. The plot thickens.

I'm looking forward to putting these on a trademarked silver WE M92F.

Absolutely nout wrong with basic & cheap, you’ve got your eye / face pro, camo and somewhere to stash your mags. Everything else is for dress up / the larp!

Probably see a hundred multi-cam load outs a week, but this is my first load out (on a budget) so basic, universal & cheap was my general goal to get started.

I run a CPC with xl plate bags (because more £££ equals better, right) with foam plate just to help keep the shape. If I wore it lower than “real” because of my proportions, it would be rather uncomfortable and block my belt. the only downside is the internal mag pouches are uncomfortable and some pouches are hard to access when I’m a bit stiff, so the layout is not exactly how I would like it, but as it’s toys guns, I can take an extra 5 seconds to get a smoke grenade out

Ooh MC51SD. Very nice I got the reference but still think you're a nutter 😁

TM USP Springer (non-hopup) - back in the days where you had to cut the order form out of Gun Mart, send a payable order and wait three weeks for delivery. Good times. When I started playing Airsoft, it was a Classic Army Tactical Carbine - at the time ('04ish) one of the better reasonably priced 'from the factory' metal-bodied guns (along with ICS MP5s). It was a bit shit by modern standards (and frankly, TM's at the time), but it got the job done even with the ridiculous stock.

paint thiners and nuprol ultra flat paint

Ouch!! 😉

How did you go about removing the two tone and getting that great paint job?

WE G18, and still got it and still use it regularly. Maple leaf hop and barrel in there these days but never let me down despite loads of abuse !

ASG MAC-10 for a film project sometime around 2016 before I actually played in a game. Still got it but not used in a game yet 😆

CYMA CM.002 yes i still have it but its changed abit over the years

JG G36C, since 2018. After one year upgraded it. Still I'm using it and enjoy playing with it. For me it's cheap and reliable toy.

JG not-dragunov back in 2006 or so, upgraded to a SRC (yuck) AKMSU later that year and then stuck the gearbox in a (who remembers this one) Unicorn AKs74u kit in 2008 or 2009. Brushing the dust of the Unicorn got me back into the game a few years ago

Blue two-tone WE P226 from JustBBGuns in December 2015! I then just plinked in my garden until the second half of 2016, when I thought it'd be fun to be able to use it against other people (in an insured and consenting game format of course). Booked my first skirmish at my local site and loved the concept but hated the rental guns, so sorted UKARA ASAP and bought a G&G Predator. Oh and have long since sold both, spending waayyyy too much money to achieve very little difference in performance.

TM M16A1 springer, still shoots well enough 20 plus years later!

CYMA CM.516. Really cheap toyish plastic externals, solid internals. Feels like trash, shoots fine, everything can be fUlLy UpGrAdEd. Not a recommendation, just a note that you don't have to pay much for competitive performance.

New toy to go with all my other SA80 family friends