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T36k - switch with German parts

3K views 18 replies 9 participants last post by  W3234 
#1 ·
I recently purchased a tommybuilt t36k. All parts come US made. I was wondering which parts someone would recommend to replace with German parts. This is solely for functionality purposes and quality of factory German parts over their US made counterparts.

Some parts I’ve considered:
Lower
FCG parts
Bolt
Hand guards
 
#5 · (Edited)
The main components I would care about would be the bolt (esp the extractor) and the trigger parts, if any previously metal parts were fabricated in plastic. Also, firing pin spring, operating and recoil rods, replace with factory springs.

The better question would be - what parts are prone to failure on a G36?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#7 ·
So from Tom Bostic so far, I’ve inquired about a G36 lower and trigger group.

G36 lower: easy swap. You will need:
-a new short front axle (actuator axle) as they are different sizes on the US made vs German made
-g36 selector levers, as you’re going from SEF to pictograms
-the top of the lower will need to be filed down

Replacing FCG with German parts:
The T36 hammer (US made) has a long sear contact pocket (= long trigger pull) as opposed to a UMP/G36 hammer which gives a shorter trigger pull due to short sear contact pocket on hammer. Tom states: “You can use the Other hammer but H&K doesn't install it without the secondary disconnector it's designed to prevent slam firing.” He followed up saying that you should still be good to install a g36/ump hammer even without the secondary disconnector seen on USC/SL8’s.

Next, I’ll ask about what parts in general he’d recommend swapping with German parts, and I’ll keep you all updated.
 
#8 ·
I’ll keep you all updated with Tom’s response. So far I’ve swapped the hammer, trigger, and sear with that of a UMP. The trigger pull is much more crisp and took trigger pull weight from 6 pounds to 4 pounds.

I have a german lower on the way, which I’ll update you guys with once it’s installed.

I’ll eventually plan on replacing the bolt and recoil spring.

I’m curious if anyone has any experience with both German and US made handguards, and if there’s any noticeable quality differences between them?
 
#9 ·
Here’s the response from Tom:

“There's nothing I would switch with German parts it's a waste of money not to mention there very few parts you can even buy which is why we make them all. These run 100% as is your not going to make it any better or more reliable. ”
 
#10 ·
I wouldn't swap the parts unless they are out of spec or fail.

Tom built my t36k using an out of spec mag release(using a german 36k parts kit). I replaced it with the german one that my parts kit came with. To be fair I have no doubt that Tom would have fixed it, I had the part on hand and just swapped it myself at my dealer and it fixed the issue.
 
#12 ·
Tom:
“I created the G36 conversion 12 years ago this has been along time coming I've done more caliber changes than H&K lol our black Nitride coated barrels out last and out shoot the German barrels all day long. We have had several guns at machine gun rental places that really beat on these beyond what any normal person would use them for. This isn't like the clones of 20 years ago when parts and manufacturing practices for H&K clones was in its infancy and people were just trying to figure out. ”
 
#13 ·
If you are curious about mixing German and US parts with your T36 you should read up on the discussion page consisting of reports by those of us that were early adopters of the bare receivers before assembled guns came out. The results are quite mixed. Some of us had flawless guns without hiccups. Others, myself included, had some major issues in doing so, resulting in returns for further work by tom. I work out of country and will find out if mine is back up and gtg in 2 weeks personally. I imagine if you have bought a later receiver or complete gun then the discussed issues probably are not present but it gives you something to reference and watch for.

https://www.hkpro.com/forum/hk-clone-talk/467250-t36-receivers.html
 
#17 ·
I had this same conversation with Tom recently. If you SBR it, you then need to be 922r compliant and per Tom "You need 6 parts total." Additionally, he said that if you use a German "flashider, you will need to add something else." I like to use German magazines so for me this meant I needed to focus on the other parts. Hope this helps.
 
#18 ·
The current ATF opinion and interpretation of the law is SBRs are subject to 922r.

I always encourage everyone to look at the law themselves, to form their own interpretations. With that being said, it is generally recommended to follow the ATF in their opinions that are blowing around in the wind.
 
#19 ·
I know for sure that if you use a German lower that the lower needs to be modified to fit properly (i.e. some of the material needs to be removed at the top of the lower). Same thing goes for if you're using a German carrier. Tom can do this work and the turnaround time is insanely fast.
 
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