Jing Gong JG081BL-I S-551 Assault Rifle Replica

Introducing the JG 081 S-551 AEG rifle, an excellent Swiss design that is often overlooked, produced in full metal Airsoft form, complete with Electro-mechanical Blowback! The SG550 rifle, standard issue to the Swiss Military and the basis for this rifle was originally designed in the mid-80s and began production in 1986. With the winter tundra in mind, the rifle was based on the AK47s long-stroke gas piston design and includes some unique features that indicate a very well-thought-out rifle.

Starting at the front, we can find the SG-style birdcage flash hider, finished in gunmetal grey and attached to the 14mm male CCW threads at the tip of the 12.5-inch alloy outer barrel. The threading allows any tracer unit or suppressor to be attached, but make sure you remove the grub screw before attempting to remove the original flash hider. Shortly after this we find the front sight and mock gas block, which features an imitation gas adjustment screw, sling loop on the left side and the fully hooded front sight blade. The piece also serves to hold the imitation heat shield which lies between the barrel and handguard. The handguard itself features full-length Picatinny rails at the 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock positions, providing plenty of real estate for mounting accessories such as PEQ boxes, tactical weapon lights, vertical foregrips and rail covers. The handguard features attractive angular vents, giving the S-551 a sleek, dynamic look. Beneath the handguard we can find a mini tamiya connector, with the AK-style stick battery being stored in the mock gas tube in the upper handguard.

As we reach the receiver we can find the front takedown pin, which must be removed in order to release the lower handguard and install the battery. This can be done by unscrewing the cap from the takedown pin on the left side of the rifle and removing the rest of the pin through the right side. The upper receiver features an upward angled AK style charging handle, with the angle chosen to allow the rifle to be charged with either the firing hand or the support hand. The top of the receiver includes a dovetail to mount the included 20mm Picatinny receiver rail, with a discrete but tasteful Swiss crest engraved into the top of the dovetail. The rail is mounted by first indexing it with the dovetail, then adjusting the threaded locking screw so that it sits inside the hole on the front face of the rear sight block, then tightening down the nut against the rail itself.

The rear sight block is home to the multi-aperture dioptre rear sight, with 4 different apertures to choose from for various ranges and light levels. This is a very effective style of rear sight, offering a vastly superior field of view and quick adjustment, and is often found on H&K firearms. The rear sight on the S-551 also features elevation adjustment, leave it to the Swiss to make something German more complex! Mounted to the left side of the rear sight block there is a nice, solid metal sling loop, capable of taking any "HK-hook" type sling.

The lower receiver features an AK-style ambidextrous paddle magazine release, allowing secure insertion and super cool mag flip reloads. The magazine is inserted in a similar manner to an AK, using a "rock and lock" technique. The steel trigger guard can also be rotated to the side, allowing the use of large gloves or even mittens, a trademark of Swiss rifles and a necessity in the extreme cold of this rifle's natural habitat. The fire selector can be found on either side of the rifle, and features a short throw to semi-auto and a longer throw to full-auto, ensuring that full-auto is only selected intentionally. The pistol grip may look familiar...that's because variations of it have been used on many other rifles, including the M249 and modernized AK variants. The grip feels great in the hands and includes linear groves to help keep the rifle firmly in your grasp in all weather conditions. As we reach the rear of the rifle, we can see a nice raised "SG" logo on the top of the stock tang.The stock can be folded by depressing the button on the left side of the tang and it folds to the right. This allows for more compact storage and increases the user's ability to use the S-551 in tight situations, during CQB skirmishes. The stock provides an excellent cheek-weld, putting your eye right where it needs to be to see down the sights. There is an additional sling loop present on the stock, ensuring you have plenty of options when setting this rifle up with a sling. The butt plate is solid, but with a rubberized surface and raised linear texture to keep the rifle firmly in the shoulder of the shooter.

Internally the JG S-551 features a version 3 gearbox with steel gears and other reinforcements. The rate of fire is above average when testing with a 7.4V LiPo, making the blowback feature all the sweeter. The Electro-mechanical blowback gives a satisfying clack, and brings a smile to my face every time I fire it. The adjustable HOP unit can be found behind the bolt carrier and is of a rotary drum type, widely regarded as the best kind of AEG HOP unit for consistency and accuracy of adjustment. This rifle is compatible with all Tokyo Marui aftermarket parts should you choose to try to improve this already excellent rifle.

Features

• Diopter sights
• Side folding stock
• Classic Swiss design
• Rubberized butt plate
• Steel charging handle
• Full metal construction
• Ambidextrous fire selector
• Electro-mechanical blowback
• Adjustable rotary HOP unit
• Picatinny railed handguard
• Picatinny receiver rail included
• Folding trigger guard for gloved use
• Extended paddle magazine release

Package Includes

• JG S-551 AEG
• 220 Round high-cap magazine
• Receiver mounted Picatinny rail