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H&K SL8

600 Views 20 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Aeg15, May 23, 2022

weatom

Discussion Starter · May 23, 2022 (Edited)

I must have been sleeping when this bad boy came out. Basically the G36
in .223 (yes .223). I almost did a double take on the street price of $1799.00.
Not bad given the specs.

That said after reading the article with the "cons" I'm not exactly blown away.

www.americanrifleman.org

An Official Journal Of The NRA | H&K’s SL8: A G36 For American Sport Shooters

Despite concessions required to make it conform to misguided American legislation governing imported semi-automatic rifles, Heckler & Koch’s SL8-6 preserves the essence of Germany’s most distinctive modern tactical rifle: the vaunted G36.

www.americanrifleman.org

1 - 20 of 21 Posts

Hammer

· #2 · May 23, 2022

weatom said:
I must of been sleeping when this bad boy came out. Basically the G36
in .223 (yes .223). I almost did a double take on the street price of $1799.00.
Not bad given the specs.

That said in reading the article and the "cons" I'm not exactly blown away.

An Official Journal Of The NRA | H&K’s SL8: A G36 For American Sport Shooters

Despite concessions required to make it conform to misguided American legislation governing imported semi-automatic rifles, Heckler & Koch’s SL8-6 preserves the essence of Germany’s most distinctive modern tactical rifle: the vaunted G36.

www.americanrifleman.org

Yeah. A swing and a miss, in my opinion. Could have been much cooler than it is. Not sure why they watered it down so much.

weatom

Discussion Starter · #3 · May 23, 2022

Hammer said:
Yeah. A swing and a miss, in my opinion. Could have been much cooler than it is. Not sure why they watered it down so much.

Agreed. I'd call it more of a varmint gun with some peculiar ergonomic features. One of
those guns that falls into the "add to your collection" just because you can category.

Willard

· #4 · May 23, 2022

IIRC it was "watered down" due to being an import, which precluded it having a pronounced pistol grip, flash suppressor, bayonet lug, detachable high capacity Magazine, etcetera!

While H&K were cranking them out, PTR was cranking out their H&K clones with enough US made parts to be legal!

P6 11/78 - German KF Proofed P220 - German P220 w/Folded Slide - German P220 frame w/Carry Slide - P220R ST - P220R-22-BAS-SAO + 5" Match Upper - P220R Carry - P220R SSS - P220R w/ST Slide - P220R - P225A1 Classic Carry - P226 KA Proofed - 9mm - P226 KB Proofed - 9mm - P226 2009 unrailed LEO in 9mm - P226BR-22-BAS-SAO + 9mm Elite upper - P226R Elite SAO w/9mm RX - P226R Combat-9mm - P226 Former LE Veteran-.40 S&W - P226R .357 Sig - P226R Elite .40 S&W - P228 KB proofed DA/SA 9mm - P228 DA/SA 9mm (1999 vintage) - P229 "AB" Prefix-.40 S&W - P229 "AD" Prefix-.40 S&W - P229 Legacy 9mm LE Veteran - P229 LE Veteran- changed to .357 Sig - P229R DAK .40 S&W converted to DA/SA in 9mm - P229R DA/SA .40 S&W - P229R ESE 9mm - P229 SAS .40 S&W DA/SA - P239-.40 S&W DA/SA - P239-.40 S&W DAO - P239-.40 S&W DAK - P239-.357 Sig DA/SA - P239-9mm DAK - P239-9mm DA/SA - M11A1 9mm --- Too Many Non-Sigs to list

weatom

Discussion Starter · #5 · May 23, 2022

Willard said:
IIRC it was "watered down" due to being an import, which precluded it having a pronounced pistol grip, flash suppressor, bayonet lug, detachable high capacity Magazine, etcetera!

^^^^^^^ That's ridiculous (seriously)

Hammer

· #6 · May 23, 2022

Willard said:
IIRC it was "watered down" due to being an import, which precluded it having a pronounced pistol grip, flash suppressor, bayonet lug, detachable high capacity Magazine, etcetera!

I've heard that as well. But then what about HK's other rifles, which do have those features? Aren't they imports as well?

Either way, the SL8 doesn't do anything the AR platform doesn't already do, but the latter will do many things that the SL8 won't.

Reactions: 2

jthrelf

· #7 · May 23, 2022

Isn't it totally neutered and can only take single stack mags?

If you're in a commie state it would be cool, but too expensive for a free state.

Willard

· #8 · May 23, 2022

weatom said:
^^^^^^^ That's ridiculous (seriously)

Where were you, in the mid-'80s (Also Seriously) ? Unless I'm confusing them with other models... In the '70s the H&K 91/93/94 were very popular, and not inexpensive. Then the US Government initially banned importation of Military look-alikes in the '80s, with those things I mentioned earlier. Only after a re-design, were these allowed to be imported in the '90s, and the Military look a likes, only after so many US made parts were part of the assembly.

These were H&Ks work around for importation into the US, made as more precision rifles, and not military look a likes. There were variants like the 770, and 940 marketed as sporting rifles.

H&K SL-6 and SL-7 Rifles at RIA – Forgotten Weapons

P6 11/78 - German KF Proofed P220 - German P220 w/Folded Slide - German P220 frame w/Carry Slide - P220R ST - P220R-22-BAS-SAO + 5" Match Upper - P220R Carry - P220R SSS - P220R w/ST Slide - P220R - P225A1 Classic Carry - P226 KA Proofed - 9mm - P226 KB Proofed - 9mm - P226 2009 unrailed LEO in 9mm - P226BR-22-BAS-SAO + 9mm Elite upper - P226R Elite SAO w/9mm RX - P226R Combat-9mm - P226 Former LE Veteran-.40 S&W - P226R .357 Sig - P226R Elite .40 S&W - P228 KB proofed DA/SA 9mm - P228 DA/SA 9mm (1999 vintage) - P229 "AB" Prefix-.40 S&W - P229 "AD" Prefix-.40 S&W - P229 Legacy 9mm LE Veteran - P229 LE Veteran- changed to .357 Sig - P229R DAK .40 S&W converted to DA/SA in 9mm - P229R DA/SA .40 S&W - P229R ESE 9mm - P229 SAS .40 S&W DA/SA - P239-.40 S&W DA/SA - P239-.40 S&W DAO - P239-.40 S&W DAK - P239-.357 Sig DA/SA - P239-9mm DAK - P239-9mm DA/SA - M11A1 9mm --- Too Many Non-Sigs to list

Reactions: 1

Navy87guy

· #9 · May 23, 2022

Unless you plan on spending some big bucks and convert it to a G36 configuration, there's not really much to get excited about.

Kind of like the USC...

Reactions: 3

Willard

· #10 · May 23, 2022

weatom said:
^^^^^^^ That's ridiculous (seriously)

Second Response... confused by SL6/SL7 that I am familiar with, but never the less, an "adaption" of the G36 to meet importation requirements, due to the same importation requirements.

P6 11/78 - German KF Proofed P220 - German P220 w/Folded Slide - German P220 frame w/Carry Slide - P220R ST - P220R-22-BAS-SAO + 5" Match Upper - P220R Carry - P220R SSS - P220R w/ST Slide - P220R - P225A1 Classic Carry - P226 KA Proofed - 9mm - P226 KB Proofed - 9mm - P226 2009 unrailed LEO in 9mm - P226BR-22-BAS-SAO + 9mm Elite upper - P226R Elite SAO w/9mm RX - P226R Combat-9mm - P226 Former LE Veteran-.40 S&W - P226R .357 Sig - P226R Elite .40 S&W - P228 KB proofed DA/SA 9mm - P228 DA/SA 9mm (1999 vintage) - P229 "AB" Prefix-.40 S&W - P229 "AD" Prefix-.40 S&W - P229 Legacy 9mm LE Veteran - P229 LE Veteran- changed to .357 Sig - P229R DAK .40 S&W converted to DA/SA in 9mm - P229R DA/SA .40 S&W - P229R ESE 9mm - P229 SAS .40 S&W DA/SA - P239-.40 S&W DA/SA - P239-.40 S&W DAO - P239-.40 S&W DAK - P239-.357 Sig DA/SA - P239-9mm DAK - P239-9mm DA/SA - M11A1 9mm --- Too Many Non-Sigs to list

tommyh

· #11 · May 23, 2022

Willard said:
IIRC it was "watered down" due to being an import, which precluded it having a pronounced pistol grip, flash suppressor, bayonet lug, detachable high capacity Magazine, etcetera!

AFAIK Not just US import laws, but German export laws as well.

weatom

Discussion Starter · #12 · May 23, 2022

Willard said:
Where were you, in the mid-'80s (Also Seriously) ? Unless I'm confusing them with other models... In the '70s the H&K 91/93/94 were very popular, and not inexpensive. Then the US Government initially banned importation of Military look-alikes in the '80s, with those things I mentioned earlier. Only after a re-design, were these allowed to be imported in the '90s, and the Military look a likes, only after so many US made parts were part of the assembly.

These were H&Ks work around for importation into the US, made as more precision rifles, and not military look a likes. There were variants like the 770, and 940 marketed as sporting rifles.

H&K SL-6 and SL-7 Rifles at RIA – Forgotten Weapons

I was right there with you in the late 80's. The now infamous "assault" weapons ban
as it was called. Bunch of silliness.

But my comment was more directed to the here and now. As Hammer pointed out (above)
HK has the MR556 and other rifles which do have those features (pistol grip, flash suppressor,
detachable high capacity magazine) So why was this gun watered down?

weatom

Discussion Starter · #13 · May 23, 2022

Navy87guy said:
Unless you plan on spending some big bucks and convert it to a G36 configuration, there's not really much to get excited about.

Kind of like the USC...

I've toyed with the idea of buying a USC, but I always pass. Went the MPX route.

Reactions: 1

AUGop41

· #14 · May 23, 2022

Tommy Built Tactical-

do not look it up if you really want a G36 or UMP but he does an awesome job and costs less than converting on your own.

Tommy Built Tactical | Home

tommybuilttactical.com

I warned you

Reactions: 2

Navy87guy

· #15 · May 23, 2022

2

weatom said:
I've toyed with the idea of buying a USC, but I always pass. Went the MPX route.

It’s possible to do both! 😉

Air gun Machine gun Trigger Gun barrel Wood

Machine gun Air gun Trigger Line Gun barrel

See less See more

Reactions: 3

Hammer

· #16 · May 23, 2022

Navy87guy said:
It’s possible to do both! 😉

View attachment 456358
View attachment 456359

As an aside, who makes that grip that is on your MPX?

weatom

Discussion Starter · #17 · May 23, 2022

AUGop41 said:
Tommy Built Tactical-

do not look it up if you really want a G36 or UMP but he does an awesome job and costs less than converting on your own.

Tommy Built Tactical | Home

tommybuilttactical.com

I warned you

I should have taken your warning

Reactions: 1

Navy87guy

· #18 · May 23, 2022

Hammer said:
As an aside, who makes that grip that is on your MPX?

It's a TDI Arms UPG 16. CAA made them originally but I think they sold it to TDI. It comes with 3 different size front and back straps. Very comfortable! I have them on all my AR and AK platforms.

Reactions: 2

Hammer

· #19 · May 23, 2022

Navy87guy said:
It's a TDI Arms UPG 16. CAA made them originally but I think they sold it to TDI. It comes with 3 different size front and back straps. Very comfortable! I have them on all my AR and AK platforms.

Thanks!

Navy87guy

· #20 · May 23, 2022

Hammer said:
Thanks!

If you're looking, the cheapest place I've found them is on GB. A guy there usually has them for $15.99 + $6 shipping. 😉

Reactions: 1

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