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I'm pretty content with where I'm at currently RIF wise. Only two things I'd like eventually under the assumption things return to some form of normal, and will hold off on the tempation of picking either up until that time comes. Very much holding off on RIF purchases until we know what that landscape is (and seemingly ploughing funds into fancy gear because there would still be a market for that should airsoft collapse, not intending to be overly negative, but keeping an eye on what could be the worst case... I digress): 1. A flavour of Sig MCX with a Polarstar Kythera thrown in it. 2. An AAP. Had one, really liked it, didn't have much of a use for it so sold it, now would like another as a CQB primary as backup if my Hicapa goes down. And the most fitting to a wishlist, in that I'll likely never actually go through with it: 3. An AKSU/PP-19-01 of some description that has been dragged through the Zenitco catalogue. Very heretical, probably with an F2 or Kythera thrown in it.

Glad to hear it, as for the white ink the Liquitex White Opaque (Liquitex Titanium White 4260432) is superbly pigmented and I absolutely recommend it. Aye, I always find it strange when folks have a RIF 'set up and chronoing exactly where they want it' without having the hop correctly set up. And largely why I can't test anything at a long enough range to gauge if my hop is set correctly, thus, any tuning I'm to do is entirely moot... granted that's arguably one of the biggest advantages to HPA, once hop is set it's super easy to get it all at the correct power. Sites most local to me (an hour or below drive is what I tend to consider 'local'): F&O Anzio Camp - Mixed - decent site, don't think it's used as well as it could be. F&O The Mill - CQB - wasn't a massive fan of the site, but it's an option. Level 2 - CQB - my most local site at around 20 minutes away, courtesy of lockdowns and tier changes I'm yet to try here out, very much looking forward to doing so. Dagger Woods - Woodland - owned by the same folks that run Level 2, decent woodland site but it's only open half the year. One of the best run sites I've attended, hence my excitment toward trying Level 2 out.

I'd completely forgotten to check back in on this thread, I love that you still refer to the one in the post above this one as 'the Novritsch one', dare I say 'The Artist Formerly Known as the Novritsch One'. Markings came out super nicely, the inks make it much easier to do than it should be! Really helps tie the frame and slide together! I took delivery of a PDI barrel for mine yesterday, no idea what it does to performance because my ability to test is pretty much non-existent at this point in time so intrigued to see how that works out. At the very least it's a slightly tighter bore so means I'll be able to run at a lower PSI to get the FPS/Joules where they need to be... assuming we're ever able to play again/there are any sites left local to me when all is said and done.

Slings will always be personal preference, I’ve moved to using two point slings over single point because cracking yourself in the nuts in ‘the heat of battle’ is not my favourite and I find two points much more comfortable across a day of playing. The ‘new wave’ of quick adjusting two points are all very similar, my personal favourite is the Ferro Concepts Slingster (having also tried the VTAC and Haley slings of a similar ilk) just found it has the best quick adjustment system and the padding is perfect for me... but one of those plus decent fittings/hardware (I use the Ferro QD fittings) is going to set you back £70-80. Comfort is important, what works for one may not work for another etc etc. Some would like scoff at spending that much on a sling when others do the job just fine, these days I tend to use as much ‘RS’ kit as I can largely because it holds value much better than repro kit if you come to sell it on... aside the fact it’s better quality (for the most part). The reason holding value is important to me is because I sell things on if they aren’t working for me. Once you start down that rabbit hole of ‘perfecting’ your kit you have to accept that things you buy might not be suitable for you. Tldr, don’t skimp out on your sling because it’s the only thing between your rif, gravity and the ground should you let go of it. If your kit isn’t working with you, it isn’t worth using.

Weirdly identical situation for me, sold up the vast majority of the various Warhammer bits I had last year having realised it's just gathering dust, some of that went into savings and the rest was deemed 'other hobby money'. There were definitely some impulse purchases I somewhat regret, largely kit to try and 'perfect' my load bearing so I have a massive pile of 'not going to be used' cordura and nylon I need to sell at some point, but looking forward to the postman arriving is about as exciting as it gets at the moment!

Haha, as tempting as it is I’m holding off buying any more airsoft things which aren’t already on ‘the list’ for the time being. Hicapa wise that’s a black adv frame and an AM hop unit should they appear in stock anywhere. I want to put in an order at X-fire for a few PDI barrels for the capa, AAP which I’ll inevitably buy and my MTW. Non hicapa wise I’m after a Ferro mini dangler in Multicam but that’s pretty much it for the time being. Then there’s the ongoing AAP temptation (which I’ll likely pull the trigger on before long) and at that point dare I say it, I’m pretty content with where I’m at. Still have a heap of stuff to get around to selling at some point, need to reclaim some space (and money)!

Haha, it’s pretty ‘Mayo’ if the grand scheme of builds... I wouldn’t be shocked if I wind up picking up a black slide at some point but the jury is out atm. Can’t figure out if it’s just the right amount of flashy, or too flashy for my usual tastes. Granted the whole idea of doing the build was to get out of my comfort zone a bit. I was toying with one of the Limcat hammers but ultimately landed on ‘maybe when I get an advanced frame’... I also keep looking at the two tone Infinity frame/slide sets Mike currently has in. If we were currently allowed to play my resolve may have given in, but I can’t justify the expense with the current state of affairs! But also, oooooft!

For sure, the bulk of my initial build came from his and he was very happy to answer any questions I had... but ohh boy could that website do with a rework! Glad to hear they're now functioning as they should... further explosions permitting!

Aye, I’ve only had a few bits (a spring guide and a pack of nozzle springs) but the service was absolutely top notch on both occasions. Always nice when you feel like you’re getting an equal level of service even if your order is for a small amount. In 2021 being able to place items in your cart, enter shipping information and pay via PayPal shouldn’t really be an advantage you have over a competitor... but here we are.

Did this thread just go full circle? For anyone first joining the thread here, no the initial topic wasn’t talked about for 9 pages. What was discussed? Gun laws, stupid people, the phrase ‘checks and balances’ appeared a lot, various hand to hand weapons (some conventional, some less so), charts and graphs... and I’m pretty sure a UKARA question some how snuck in there.

Hopefully being aware of some of the 'method behind the madness' makes them slightly easier to stomach 😅. Aye, for the most part after market slides tend to be aluminium though some take it to the extreme of 3D printed (often used with HPA so you can control the power to prevent them obliterating themselves after a few shots). I’m sure there are plenty examples of ‘stock’ pistols that come from the factory with lightening cuts on plastic/pot metal slides. Whether that’s done to intentionally improve the performance or to appeal to a different audience... 🤷🏻‍♂️. I’m personally not a fan of the hex styled ones either, but I’m partial to a few of the ‘competition’ replica slides and I’ll always have a soft spot for Salient and Agency Arms Glocks. Both proof, for me, that lightening cuts can be very tastefully done... granted folks definition of tasteful will always vary.

Though I imagine it’s a moot point given aesthetics will always be subjective but lightweight parts on airsoft pistols, especially the slides, isn’t necessarily to reduce the overall weight of the pistol. Again predominantly on slides, it’s to either make it run better on lower powered gas (the reason Marui slides are plastic) or keep them snappy when using a higher powered gas but giving them a bit more longevity than a plastic slide (after market hi capa slides for instance). TLDR - Making the overall RIF lighter is generally a secondary benefit to improving performance/durability.

This. This is the dream. 🤣

Aye, I'm in no way going to preach to anyone that there is a 'right' size of mag to use, but midcaps have been my preference since they became a thing. Prior to that I used lowcaps, which I imagine I still have bury in the wardrobe somewhere. I guess they do make more sense, but you're right in that isn't really the point... predominantly down to the skinnier profile making it feel less weird to hold. Though I imagine there is very little difference. Aye, if I go for the M4 adapter for the AAP every RIF I own (bar my G19, which is very much a holster warmer) will use the same mags which is absolutely the dream. Means I'm running the exact same kit irrelevant of what I choose to play with, and if something breaks in a game it's literally a case of put broken RIF away, get working one plugged in, play. Tracers are such a good laugh, while being very useful for CQB (I don't tend to bother outdoors). I want to get a TLR at some point, largely because I think they look cool but realistically I'd never use it because I tend to cut any weight I can. It's... alright haha. I used to be far more into it than I am now, the whole working remotely thing courtesy of the VID has made it much harder/less enjoyable... but it brings the pennies in. I'm actually a qualified joiner (granted I qualified 12 years ago and haven't done anything with that qualifcation since) and that's something I want to return to/re-train in once the world isn't as on fire. As is often the case, as soon as it became my job it kinda killed it as a hobby for me.

Ahhhh, those were the days... packed lunch too if I was lucky. Granted back then for me UKARA wasn’t a thing and two tone was reserved to market stall specials.

There is a whole lot going on there, at both ends. I quite like the original MI M-lok rail on a regular MP5 but that’s all a bit much for me personally.

This threads taken a real journey eh?

Haha, fair, it wasn’t intended to be a leading statement but having read it back it very much was. I design/develop board games, most of which are based on video game IPs, alongside various other bits during the production of said games. So it helps to know what else is out there and draw inspiration where applicable. I had one previously and liked it, but couldn’t really figure out when I’d actually use it so ultimately sold it while the supply was sparse as to not loose a huge amount on it. Feels like it’s serve as a nice relatively cheap back up for CQB should the Capa give up during a day out. The only thing really stopping me picking one up at this point is figuring out whether I’d want the AR or MP5 Primary adapter. I think the MP5 one looks much nicer, especially with straight MP5 mags... but they seem to be entirely unavailable at present and would mean I need to swap chest rig inserts out. Very much a head says the AR one (it’s cheaper and I already have mags), heart says MP5 because it looks better... in the grand scheme of ‘no one really likes what HPA pistol adapters look like’ but the benefits outweigh the aesthetics for me personally.

Hahaha, we've reached a terrifying time with this hobby buying shit has become the actual hobby in lieu of being able to play (I imagine this is nothing new for some). Suffice to say I have bought copious amounts of crap I have no use for at this point in time, but my UKARA is good till June. The advice to wait was based purely on the fact he's not convinced his defence sees his items arriving with him. The last person on Earth to take financial advice from is an airsofter... swiftly followed by someone that plays tabletop miniatures games. But yeah, buy whatever the hell you want if it makes you momentarily happy and you can afford to do so. Any additional risk you take for being impatient... well that's on you. Much like folks that moan about hang overs, you've done it to yourself bud, I have zero sympathy.

Aye it’s some form of Warhammer, I haven’t properly played the game for years, but I have to somewhat keep my finger on the pulse due to work. I think it just generally works well to pull the slide and frame/grip together. Ahead of filling in the engraving the slide just looked ‘plonked on’ if that makes any sense? Idk, just felt it finished it off nicely. Yeah, realisation that we’re probably at least a few months off being able to go play is pretty crushing. Not that this thread is really the right place to discuss it but I reckon an AAP is the next on my list, as tempting as a 4.3 is my 5.1 became much more of a money pit than intended! Granted that opinion may change once I actually have a chance to use it... assuming any of the sites local to me survive that long.

Not that I’ve ever had to change any out but the main thing you’d likely need to swap out would be o-rings. I got a full replacement set with my Forged, can’t speak for the Billet as mine were both second hand. As for the electronics the most frequent thing I’ve seen need replacing is the switch which controls the selector, folks more competent than me solder a new micro switch on others replace the board entirely (no idea of the cost). Outside of those the only other thing which comes to mind is the feed tube for the Billet, I honestly have no idea how folks break them... but they do. If you get a new one and you register it Wolverine have a warranty and they seem to ‘look after you’ pretty well assuming you haven’t gone out of your way to break something. Again, this is anecdotal, I haven’t had to replace or repair anything on mine. If you want the ‘bolt stop’ (it’s literally just a micro switch, no tactile/mechanical feedback... very much intended for muscle memory training more than it is ‘simulation’) you’ll need to use the Wolverine mags (120 round mid caps) which are proprietary. If you don’t care about the ‘bolt stop’ then a bunch fit and feed. I’ve personally used the Wolverine ones, PTS EPMs and PTS Pmags. EPMs needed a bit of electrical tape to make them fit snug. Reports from others are that the EPM-1s fit and feed fine, most stating they fit better than the original EPMs... but I’m also aware the jury seems to be out on if the EPM-1s are actually any good and I’m not in a position where I particularly need/care to find out for myself.

I'm aware this is very easy to say and much harder to do when you have money seemingly burning a hole in your pocket and buying new things momentarily cures the brain numbing boredom... but why not just wait? It's not like we can do much with our gnus at the moment.

Aye, fingers crossed someone that's used both a TIppman and an MTW can weigh in. I always find trying to be 'useful' in a comparison thread somewhat difficult because it's not a simple case of 'get this because it's generally regarded a good option'. I expect the MWS would require more maintenance than an MTW, though the maintenance on both is very easy. MWS has the benefit of recoil, but you're somewhat restricted to a drum mag to run it with HPA. With appropriate hop tuning I imagine performance is pretty equivalent, the MTW possibly more consistent because of the nature of how the system works and the way alignment is maintained. The MWS would end up needing more things to be replaced over time, but nothing overly expensive. Main consideration there is supply given how impacted stock levels are at present. That's about as much of a relatively informed comparison as I could give on those, though a decent portion of it is based on suspicions of using an HPA'd MWS formed from having used an MWS, and HPA... but never the two together.