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Everything but the power source really. I'd put HPA engines into two main categories (works with 90% of them): Solenoid and non-solenoid/fully pneumatic Solenoid ones have an electric valve that blocks the airflow (or unblocks it temporarily when you want to shoot). Think of it as a tap, but an electrically powered tap. This is why Polarstar, Valken, Kuba, SMP etc. need a battery to operate (and can use an FCU). In this way they are more similar to your standard AEG and fit into AEG bodies much more readily because they're shaped like gearboxes but - more importantly - the electric triggers in an AEG work with them. Fully pneumatic/mechanical systems just use sheer mechanics to block or unblock airflow. Again, it's like a tap, but an actual tap this time. Daytona Gun, Escort and Sun Project (the latter two being very old tech now from the days when airsoft was basically paintball and most people ran HPA before TM came in with the first AEG - the FAMAS). They're all big chunks of metal that fly about much more like GBBRs than solenoid-based engines. This has a huge advantage for me because they can - and do - include reciprocating parts that can mimic recoil comparable to a lot of GBBRs. They are slightly less functional than solenoid-based engines because the valve cannot open and shut as quickly as a solenoid can operate one so rate-of-fire wise they are less competitive (this is kind of a moot point though because some DGs can shoot up to 30rps anyway, which is more than enough). For me, I really like the fully pneumatic ones. An absolute joy to shoot (proper and crisp pneumatic blow-back), but consistent because they use HPA and very reliable because there's no electronics - in fact they're waterproof. That's why Daytona Gun costs more than even a Polarstar right now. Edit Like I say, this doesn't cover everything. For example I'd class Tippmann as also being a purely pneumatic blow back system but something like the Mancraft PDiKs may look like a solenoid-base engine but in reality it uses no electronics but also has no blowback (a kind of middle-ground for the two categories in that it's really simple, but also it doesn't have the advantage of blow back - like with most of the other solely pneumatic systems, but also doesn't have the insane rate of fire that some of the solenoid-based designs have) - basically it's great for DMRs. Here're two images. The one at the top is my A&K M249 with its dirty (I cleaned it after the pic, I promise) engine. Bottom is a Polarstar Fusion engine modified slightly to fit into an A&K M249. They're basically chalk and cheese yet both run off HPA.

I wouldn't be able to comment - that's a solenoid-base HPA engine like Polarstar and the like so it's very different in the way it works, sorry.

So here's what I'd say for the complete thing: Kit $475 + VAT + import tax* *You can get TNK to quote it on the package a bit lower so you only pay about £30-50 tax Lube (DGs have a recommended lube called GetSome 1000) ~$14 per bottle (you'll want two or three as they're impossible to get over here) Delrin crush ring, spare bucking, Delrin ball (and spares) for hop ~$25 total Rig 88/4500 tank (on the M249 you kind of want two but one at a minimum) ~£170 Red Line Firebase or their new reg (coming out in a couple of weeks), the SFR. SFR won't be available in the UK for a bit I wouldn't have thought, so you can slap VAT on that too ~$155 Wide bore line ~$40 (can be bought in the UK for £36) So really you're looking at about £670.

Lord knows I have no problem with spending money on games, but this withholding of the details of their DLC is just far too - as I put it - cold for my liking. It's a business and they're there to make money but the reason they leave these details until the last possible minute is so the minimise the possibility that you'll have an excuse not to buy it. If people stopped pre-ordering then they'd need to be more honest and that's good for the consumer. Pre-purchases just don't make any sense to me: Games like this cannot afford to give one any significant advantage for doing so in the name of balancing, so it's nothing but pure loyalty or perhaps lack of restraint that makes people pre-order a copy of something that's never going to go out of stock. Pre-ordering used to be a way of guaranteeing your copy of a game, but these days it's a market in itself and one that relies very heavily on marketing and careful, co-ordinated PR strategies that cost a lot of money in themselves. You only need to look at CD Project Red to see what a real studio is capable of technologically and conceptually when they're clear about what they're selling from the start. Again I must bring up the 'it's my money I can do what I want with it' is a really lazy argument to make because that absolutely goes without saying. Spend your money on what makes you happy, but the way I see pre-ordering from publicly traded companies like Ubisoft is always going to be tainted because ultimately the balance of getting your money vs. quality of product is out of whack. In this day and age you have to vote with your wallet and you cannot do that without knowing what's in the game first - when they're not even telling you the full story then what chance do you have as a consumer?

Well today Ubisoft just announced they're putting an undisclosed amount of monthly events behind their season pass (£30). This is exactly why I don't preorder from companies that make such cold and calculated moves (such as this) when it comes to vidya games.

I do, yeh. I feel it's the easiest out of all of them to install - just take a Dremel to the area where the trigger mechanism pokes up into the reciever to extend it by about 15mm so the airline can go in. After that it's just a case of assembling the hop and a bit of fiddling with getting the line into place. I can do a bunch of photos for you if you're stuck. If you join the FB group on the files section there's a document with some pictures. Like I say, it's nothing to complicated because all the parts are pretty big. You kind of want to disassemble it and then reassemble it with threadlock so it doesn't shake itself apart, but again this is pretty straight forward.

Daytona is objectively the better system - it'll last longer than Tippmann and is a more consistent shooter. It's expensive because the parts are all CNC'd then hand-assembled before being shipped off as kits. I have the M249 myself and it's the best airsoft gun I've ever owned (and I've had a fair few GBBRs now). They sell out quickly so your best bet is to join the Facebook group and wait for Tony Rizzo to announce the newest batches as they come in. Also try HPAirsoft as they might stock it too. You need a good sized 80+ci 4500psi tank and a decent regulator as well as a donor gun (anything but G&P for the M249) so it's not cheap but I honestly think they're the best airsoft guns out there right now.

Ok I see what you mean now. Thanks. Also I'm talking about the internal pressure of the tank, not the pressure that comes out of the tank reg - as you know, that can be 300-850psi before the regulator. I purely mentioned 2k because that's what the lines are rated for, but I don't know of a tank regulator that comes preshimmed above 850psi. Any idea what the lowest pressure is that you can use with it?

That's because you put your UKARA number on it. Like OP asked, if he doesn't have it on the packaging then Border Force will contact you to verify your defence instead.

Eh, na. In woodland the noise of a shaking hicap is very distinctive vs. the muffled sound of running on leaves and the occasional twig breaking. It's certainly more audible than running I'd say. There've also been times I've been close to someone hiding behind something and they've given away their position through the silly noise the winding wheels (or cords on a flash mag). The best way I've seen people doing it is carrying a full hicrap and a few midcaps - using the midcaps until they run out then switching to the hicap if necessary; saves on noise because the hicap is full until used but also not so many magazines that they're getting in the way.

Anything that regulates the pressure is a regulator and it's the internal nature of this on the Tippmann that makes is kind of unique. To all intents and purposes it runs in the same way that their paintball guns do - through regulating a higher input so you don't need anything but an ASA and hose. The issue obviously being that the lines are rated for up to 2000psi, and that means a lot of rigidity compared to the braided lines other systems can use that work below 200psi. A secondary issue I take with the Tippman system is that - because of its overly-simple regulator - it doesn't work well at lower pressures so you don't get the longevity out of your tank like you might with the newer Red Line one that's coming out later this month. Once you get below 1000psi you're going to notice the system starving for air as there's not enough pressure for the line to act as an expansion chamber of sorts. The bore being so narrow in the coil doesn't help with this, and it's a pretty greedy gun in terms of air consumption so this does pose a bit of a problem. You're correct on the Firebase and Ninja of course. Just not really seeing your point on the regulator I guess :S

Filthy dirty hicrap apologists everywhere.

I have a hand pump and also a refill tank. I can link you to a place to get the handpump as some people are paying extortionate amounts for theirs. I bought mine directly from China from a factory that makes the Air Venturi ones. Will PM you tomorrow when I grab the link.

Ah, I see. The Tippmann is somewhat unique in that it has an inbuilt regulator and can step down 3000psi to the usable 120-ish internally (unlike Polarstar, SMP and others which need a regulator on the tank to step down the 3k or 4.5k to a usable 100-120psi). *Actually only low is regulated rather than pressure. See below. Should be good. The hose is a bit thicker as you'd expect.

HPA all the way - if you can afford it and can put up with the hose then functionally it's unmatched. I miss my GBBR stuff, but consistent muzzle energy even in the cold is why I'm sticking with it now. What regulator did you go with?

It's*

But here's what I don't get: Most hicaps on a full wind you can get maybe 100 shots from before you need to tension the spring again, right? Midcaps are now around 150-180 capacity with certain brands so if you want to do a bit of pray and spray without letting up then they're surely the better option anyway. (sorry Trigger) Also, you're* (/sorry Trigger)

Let me tell you a story about midcaps vs realcaps/lowcaps. Edit You should keep 'each to their own' at the forefront of all thinking when it comes to a hobby like this: It's just part of not being an arse. Off at a slight tangent here but this is another moot point I really don't like people making though; why prefix everything one says with 'just saying' or 'I know it's just my opinion, but...' - very few of the day-to-day interactions we have are based in fact. In something as subjective as gear, guns and taste in toys it absolutely goes without saying that 'each to their own' is important. I'd never call out someone I don't know on using hicaps because ultimately that'd be for my own benefit - It's the point Trigger was making earlier on with people who cannot keep their thoughts to themselves when around people they've not met.

Pyro Ok guys, the request is submitted and I'll pay the invoice on the 11th. We totalled 131 in the end so nice going I suppose.

People are the issue with nearly everything, people - it's a lazy point to make: Theme parks? Ruined by too many people Driving? Ruined by idiot people Restaurants? Ruined by loud people Public transport? Ruined by strange and wonderful people Facebook? Ruined by people who can't spend one minute without sharing a piece of their life/opinion you don't care about Airsoft is never going to be an exception to that: People shouting 'move up' when not bothering themselves, people offering unsolicited (and often wrong) advice on guns, people who make no effort to include others who've just started, people who leave half way through because they've brought their sniper rifle along but can't shoot, people who don't call their hits - particularly people who run at you and take a few shots before hitting you and then claim it's a straight kill trade, people who over-spam their HPA solenoid engine and give us all a bad name and/or don't understand how Joule creep works and end up shooting hot. The list goes on. My absolute biggest gripe that's tangible though is hi-cap goddamn magazines (sorry Trigger). Of course I'm not going to say anything (and I own a couple myself out of necessity so probably should anyway) but the noise, the winding, the lack of fun reloading all for the sake of a few more shots. I wish they didn't exist I really do because everything is genuinely more fun when you're not strapped to 2-3 maracas and have to panic reload occasionally.

Firesupport have a poop website. I asked them if they were improving it and apparently they already had someone working on it - that was 3 years ago.

Erm, hello again?

Really? Maybe my inbox is full - I'll check. Will PM you in a second.

ok

Actually HPA is pretty quiet.