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Product Information:
As a fan of GBBR's I never planned on picking up an AEG but seeing as JG's G3 was on sale in the GI Shocker's I thought I'd purchase a back-up in case my GBBR's ever decided to fail on me, however unlikely it is to happen considering my maintenance regime. The G3 is a firearm I'm rather fond of design wise so the shocker price of $110 made it an easy purchase.
As I'm a Canadian customer, shipping took a while as I ordered it on the 2nd of January but received it on the 15th, but considering AirsoftGI offered their flat rate shipping which saved me a good $20, I considered it acceptable. One thing to note is my order was shipped via UPS which for the most part is highly undesirable for Canadian customers due the outrageous brokerage fee's they charge. A USPS shipping option for Canadian customers would be highly appreciated and recommended.
Out of the box the G3 is a beautifully designed firearm and JG has incorporated many small details into their airsoft reproduction of the G3. From the fake weld marks to the texture on the foregrip, the JG G3 offers an impressive airsoft gun for the money, aesthetically at least.
There is a very minor amount of creaking but as its construction is largely plastic based its to be expected and doesn't detract much from the gun.
The battery included is a 8.4V 1100Mah which fits well in the butt stock. The charger is a standard 250Ma charger which based on its output and the battery's capacity, should fully charge the battery in approximately 4 to 5 hours.
With a properly and fully charged battery connected the gun sounded well shimmed after the first shot on semi with no magazine inserted. I proceeded to test fire twice more on semi and at that point the gun failed. Additional trigger pulls in semi yielded no results, switched to full auto yielded no results. There were no motor noises. At this point the gun was dead after 3 pulls of the trigger with no magazine inserted and a fresh battery connected the day after I received it.
As an engineer by trade, I believe I am more than qualified to examine and source the problem so I proceeded to trace the source of the problem starting from the battery. The battery showed a charge of 8.7 volts on my multimeter, which is within proper limits. The fuse was fine. Tracing the wires to the gearbox showed no break or issue in the connection. At this point I proceeded to do a bit of research which brought up the common issue of the trigger post breaking in the JG G3's.
At this point I proceeded to completely disassemble the JG G3, tracing the wires for any sign of breakage or failure. None were present. With the gun disassembled down to the gearbox, I connected the motor, gearbox and battery to once again check the circuit. With the trigger depressed on semi, nothing happened. The motor did not turn. I proceeded to connect my multimeter to the motor connections coming out of the gearbox which displayed 8.4V, verifying the circuit was working and no breakage or failure in the circuit up until that point was present. Undergoing further disassembly with the gearbox open I could verify the trigger post intact and checking the trigger connections, I verified no circuit failures in the gearbox.
At this point, all the evidence pointed to the motor failing, however unlikely it is to happen. Visually checking the motor it seemed fine. I proceeded to directly connect the battery with the fuse wiring to the motor to check if it was the problem (doing so will not harm the motor as it should be rated for battery and the wires connecting the battery to the gearbox to the motor is a direct connection itself short of the fuse and the temporary-on connection that is the trigger). With the battery connected to the motor, the motor should turn. Unfortunately, the motor did not turn, verifying the motor had failed.
So, two days in and 3 test shots later with no BB's fired, my JG G3 has failed. I will be contacting AirsoftGI to see if they will be willing to send me a replacement motor or what else can be done as I find this to be unacceptable. Sending this gun back will be a tedious affair due to customs (I'm located in Canada), costs of shipping and down time so I'm hoping AirsoftGI's customer service is as good as it is reputed to be.
I hope this review is informative for others interested in this gun and can help you in deciding whether to make a purchase or not. Short of the dead motor, I believe this product to be well priced and of decent build quality for anyone deciding to get a back-up AEG or someone who is new to airsoft. In my case, I like JG's G3, I just never considered that I might need to get a back-up for my back-up.
Pros:
The Pro's of this product according to my assessment:
- Decent external build quality for the money
- Product is well packaged
- Everything required to start playing airsoft is included in the box (short of the included BB's, DO NOT USE THESE)
- Cleaning rod is included (I suggest giving the inner barrel a good swabbing with rubbing alcohol before use; my swabs came out black)
- The gears appear well shimmed based on initial assessment (testing & evaluation incomplete)
- Manual is in legible English but pictorials are well done and informative
Cons:
The Con's of this product according to my assessment:
- Plastic build may not appeal to all customers
- Inner barrel and other internals require cleaning and re-lubing with quality lube (I suggest plastic & rubber safe Super-lube grease or Ultra-Slick grease)
- MOTOR FAILED after 3 test shots
Rating:  [3 of 5 Stars!] |
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