G&G GR-16 Version 3 Review

            By Jason Hills

            I was surprised to say the least, when I heard that Airsoft GI would once again be carrying G&G products.  When the G&G line of full metal AEG were first released they were received well.  The internals of the G&G GR-16 were not exceptional but they functioned well enough for a stock AEG.  The malfunctions and faulty parts began to appear a few months down the line.  The GR-16 was prone to numerous problems such as chewing up gears, excessive jamming, and low muzzle velocity.  It was the inability of G&G to acknowledge and resolve these problems that led to many retailers in the states to drop the brand.

            I have what some may call the misfortune of owning a early version G&G GR-16.  In my opinion when I take a step back and attempt an unbiased view; the faults of G&G were somewhat exaggerated.  As is the nature of such things; legitimate complaints about the product snowballed until an avalanche of hate for G&G hit the market.  But by no means was my experience with G&G perfect.  I purchased my GR-16 pre-upgraded from Airsoft GI and it stripped the first game I used it after only a few high capacity magazines.  With a small investment into parts and the help of the Airsoft GI technician; I had the gears replaced with Systema Standard Ration gears, the bushings replaced and had the gears properly shimmed.  These measures seemed to solve the problem, but the additional investment of a couple hundred dollars is not always an option for everyone.

            Regardless of the internal problems of previous models, it cannot be argued that the GR-16 did not have some of, if not the best stock externals on the airsoft market.  The externals of the new G&G GR-16 are basically unchanged from their original version.  They like their predecessor are incredibly accurate and reflect a close attention to detail.  The barrel assembly in particular reflects a close attention to detail.  The one piece metal outer barrel is fastened to the receiver with an accurate reproduction of a real delta ring.  A replica gas tube runs from the receiver, through the delta ring and the handguard, into the front sight.  The front sight is standard with an adjustable post and a bayonet lug.  Upon closer examination the barrel is more of a gray gun metal instead of the painted flat black color of other barrels.  The examination of the barrel brings up one of my few criticisms; the birdcage flash hider is fixed onto the barrel with loctite.  The argument could be made that the practice should be mandatory for safety purposes, however that is a discussion for another time.

            The metal body is finished in a flat black with the G&G logo, model type, serial number, and selector stages engraved on the lower receiver.  Another point in favor of the version 3 is the finish on the body; it not as glossy and reflects less light than the original.  The flat top upper receiver has a standard picatinny rail that is useful for mounting optics equipment or the included carry handle.  The carry handle features the standard M16 rear sight; it is fully adjustable and has both a daylight and low light aperture.  The necessity of sights in airsoft is debatable but their exceptional appearance on the G&G is a nice feature none the less.

            G&G again stresses detail with the excellent quality of the retractable stock.  As opposed to many other brands a six position retractable stock comes standard.  A sling swivel on the rear gives the option of mounting a two-point sling and there is also a cut for a three point sling.  The buffer tube is finished in a gun metal like the barrel.  At the base of the buffer tube is a sling adapter that can be used to mount a single point sling.  Single point slings like the Specter MOUT sling have quickly become a favorite for airsoft players for CQB due to their simple design and the ability to quickly change hands. 

            Internally G&G has incorporated several changes to the Ver. 3 design.  Inside the gearbox we found a ball bearing spring guide, ball bearing bushings, and improved metal gears.  However, the most interesting internal features were found outside of the gearbox.  The hop-up chamber is adjustable but is constructed from plastic.  Previously G&G had intermittingly switched between metal and plastic hop-ups and with the decrease in price of the GR-16 this is somewhat expected.  Attached to the hop-up is a 6.04mm tight bore inner barrel.  Tight bore inner barrels are attributed to having increased accuracy and I believe 6.04mm is a perfect size; increasing the accuracy without making the barrel so tight that the least amount of dirt and debris can cause a jam.  This of course is compounded further by the fact that many of us fail to clean our inner barrels regularly, myself included.  One other addition that caught my eye was the fuse located inside the hand guard.  I have never found a fuse all that useful and do away with them when the chance presents itself.  This feature may have simply been added to compete with manufacturers like Classic Army that include fuses, but the addition of a fuse should not affect performance.  These new additions have seemingly done away with the internal issues that plagued the GR-16 in the past.

            During the intervening period between the version 2 and the version 3 G&G designed a number of new variants of the GR-16 Carbine for use in CQB.  Aside from the obviously shorter barrels, these AEG have numerous features that not only set themselves apart from one another but set the G&G M4 variants apart from those of other manufacturers on the market.

            At first glance the most striking feature of the GR-16 CQB H becomes apparent; it’s retractable stock.  This stock has been given the label AL by G&G and is listed separately as the GR-16 SOPMOD Stock on the Airsoft GI website.  Despite its almost alien appearance it is an excellent light weight and low profile stock.  At its base, rear of the receiver, there is a spacer that has a quick detach sling mount for a single point sling.  This sling swivel gives the user all the previously stated advantages with the ability to (as the name implies) quickly detach the single point sling.  The buffer tube itself is covered in what is called closed-cell foam that provides a comfortable and stable cheek weld while firing.   The other differences include a phantom style flash hider and a removable rear sight instead of the standard carrying handle.

            The GR-16 CQB R has the advantage of a two piece RIS System instead of the standard hand guard.  This is especially useful in CQB situations where players find accessories and equipment like flashlights and lasers helpful.  Since the battery would no longer fit into the hand guard the CQB R is wired to the back into a crane stock.  Personally I find crane stocks to be painful to deal with when trying to insert and remove the battery, but with careful hands and a little practice that obstacle can be over come.  The main advantage of a crane stock in airsoft is to have the gun wired to the back without exposing the wires; the shape of the crane stock also acts as a cheek rest.  G&G has also included a QD sling swivel, vertical fore grip, removable rear sight, and rail covers.

            Like the CQB R the GR-16 CQB S features a crane stock, rail covers, a vertical fore grip, and a QD sling swivel.  However, instead of a two piece RIS the CQB S has been given a free float RIS hand guard.  The theory behind the free float design, in terms of real steel, is that accessories and equipment such as flashlights, lasers, grips, slings, optics, and more add considerable weight.  This weight is transferred to the barrel which can cause flexing; in turn the accuracy of the weapon is affected negatively.  The free float eliminates the problem by transferring the weight from the barrel to the barrel nut.  The necessity of such a system in airsoft will not be debated here, except to say that I find the free float difficult to work with without the help of a technician, probably not an issue for do it yourselfers that have the proper tools.  Regardless, the RIS feels solid and is finished quite nicely.  Imbedded into the RIS is a SOCOM style barrel extension that conceals the inner barrel and provides little to no silencing, but tops the CQB S off well.  The lack of sights was somewhat distressing but one again there need is debatable in terms of airsoft.

            Overall I was considerably pleased with the quality of the Version 3 G&G GR-16 Carbine and am gratified to discover so few negative issues.  It gives me new hope for the sport to see G&G own up to there mistakes and fix the problems in the design of their GR-16.  If they continue with the quality they have shown in their latest batch I will have no qualms with recommending G&G, especially with the current price that competes with other high end brands like Classic Army, TSD, and Tokyo Marui.  Perhaps one day I will not receive stares and uncomfortable questions when I walk onto the field with my G&G GR-16.