Lozart

There's no need to be like that, the point is that if something is broken out of the box then it's up to the retailer to sort it out. While I appreciate that your time may not entirely be your own, surely it's better to get a warranty repair or replacement than potentially screw it up even more than it already is by attempting a DIY fix?

I think as per the above a lot of US sellers are using it as an excuse not to have to ship abroad/to the UK. I found a few guys on ebay that showed their listing as "may not ship to the UK" but on contacting them they were fine about it (Omega Mfg - they do a particularly nice FTS mount for magnifiers).

Yet another reason why £500+ doesn't seem such a bad idea after all!

Yes, but getting the nozzle, tappet plate, cylinder head, piston and piston head out of the way isn't really straightforward either, is it?

There's a few actually (mostly cheaper ones to be fair). Even if you have to take the gearbox out it's still quicker and easier than splitting the gearbox which, for some at least is a step too far.

Interesting, Magpul won't ship their 1911 grips to the UK (for an individual at least) as it's disqualified under ITAR.

About the same as Guildford.

Interesting - I just clicked the link on the TR16 R4 commando and it shows as in stock. Failing that I'd suggest the T4-18 or a SCAR L. You could also try other stores (Zero One, Swindon Airsoft, JD Airsoft etc etc).

Green gas is a higher powered gas. You could try something like Abbey Predator gas or Abbey 144a. They are lower pressure gases that will lower your FPS.

Re-enactors are a different market though, they don't need functioning guns for a start. The L1A1 is still listed on the King Arms website. Seriously - drop them an email and ask.

BadgerTac have a pre-owned FAL carbine if that's of any use? Might be able to get an afetrmarket barrel to get to the full length version? http://www.badgertac.com/products/airsoft-1/pre-owned/king-arms-fn-fal-tac-cabine-1-hi-cap-mag-pre-owned.html

Simple market forces I'm afraid. M4s and AKs make up the biggest chunk of the market. Everything else is on an as and when basis it seems.

The guy that runs it posts here fairly often. Very good little site with decent customer service! He even apologised to me for a delay on my order that I hadn't even noticed

I've been waiting for a Classic Army CA33E for well over a year. Seriously - less popular guns are very unlikely to get production runs on a regular basis. You might actually be better off asking KA direct if they actually plan to ever make any more.

Personally - I wouldn't hold your breath. Not being an M4 seems to go against pretty much any production run these days. Better to scour the classifieds on here or Facebook and try to get a second hand one I would say.

AK2M4 have ZCI gearbox shells available that have a QR spring guide. Seem to be quite good. http://www.ak2m4.co.uk/zci-gearbox-shell

Nice to have some more older, more mature, errmmm....40 somethings on board!

Good point, in fact I believe G&G (PAS at least do) specifically state that Gen 3 MOSFET equipped guns should NOT be run on 11.1v LiPo batteries.

But on a more serious note to try and answer your questions: 1. No it's not easy to get right first time. If you get away with just one sheet of film then you're naturally gifted and should take it up as a profession. Seriously. 2. If you want fiddly little camo designs like the various flavours of digital camo/Kryptek etc then yes it is worth it as having it custom painted makes hydrodipping seem positively cheap by comparison. 3. On its own the hydro film isn't all that durable, you have to top coat it with a lacquer (preferably a matt one of course) to protect it from knocks and scrapes. Getting a decent lacquer finish is an artform all on its own. 4. Technically it's not hard to do in a home environment BUT the activator isn't particularly nice so don't do it in the house. You'll need some tubs big enough to dip your parts in (oo-er missus) too. 5. Is it worth it? It's entirely up to you. Some fishnet tights and some Krylon is WAAAY cheaper but as a result it's getting to be a pretty overdone look (in my opinion). But it works if that's what you want. If you want a Kryptek camo gun then it's pretty much the only way you'll get the look without spending a crapping fortune to have some airbrush wielding lunatic (*ahem) do it for you. Personally? I like black guns. Manly. Grrrr.

First off - find out what the limits are for whatever site you plan on going to. Next, most sites chrono with 0.2g BBs. Third, what gas were you using? It may be as simple as using a lower powered gas will solve your problem.

1) That'll be an L98A2 then (semi auto capable version - the thing in front of the cocking handle is the assist lever) 2) yeah....get it checked. The dust cover should be pulled back by a plastic piece that runs along the side of the cylinder. When you pull the charging handle back you should be able to see the hop up unit so you can adjust it (as in the picture) It could just be that the dust cover has hopped off the plastic retractor or t may be broken. Worth getting it looked at just in case.

Painting. Wondrous handcrafted works of weapon based art. Mona Lisa on an M4....Caravaggio on a waffle mag! Hydrodipping? Might as well ask me to put Hello Kitty stickers on it. The cheek of it.

In addition to the above I would say don't bother with the sight or the laser (especially the laser). Save your money for extra mags/chest rig/eye protection. Oh and +1 on the G&G CM16.

It's not a DMR though is it?

11.1v LiPos can cause longevity issues with gearing due to the increased rate of fire they produce. They can also cause premature failure of the trigger contacts due to the extra current they produce resulting in more frequent arcing (which can be solved with a MOSFET). HOWEVER - they will not chew your gun to pieces overnight unless you bought a spectacularly bad gun in the first place (most likely from somewhere with "BBGUNS" in the name). A G&G Top Tech should be fine for a reasonable time on an 11.1 out of the box BUT I would suggest that 7.4v LiPos would be plenty (or indeed 9.6v NiMh).