SeniorSpaz87

Had to team up with a dude who was rocking Wehrmacht kit with a MG42, while in Tropentarn with my MG3. New vs old at its finest.

Couple of new pieces have turned up. First is my mostly real steel MG3 build. Its off getting HPA'd right now, then back to me for some more airsoft to real steel conversion. Next, my G27K build is pretty much done. Still testing out the new EPM-1S midcaps, but so far 170 rounds in a 417 is so nice. Finally, work on my MG4 is nearing completion. Is anyone else noticing a trend here?... Still working on the custom MG4 optic, but its essentially done - just got to get it printed in a stronger format.

Update on the MG4 optic: it works, and looks damn good on there. Even at 15% infill the PETG I used is very strong, and I was able to use it as a functional carry handle. Granted the MG4 is very light for a LMG and it’s currently empty, but still surprisingly it didn’t just crumble in half. I’ll probably sleep on the design and if I can’t find any faults with it tomorrow I’ll send for it to be printed in SLS for a “production” model.

As someone who was both at the event in question, and just a few dozen meters from that dude, it was a bit different than that. First, it was a Taginn Paladin chalk round - a round that IMO should never be shot at personnel. Second, he was either the gunner or in the door of the vic - vics are absolutely allowed to be direct impacted, and it’s recommended as a non-explosive round doesn’t have a kill radius and it’s far harder to land a round within 3m of a vic than it is to actually hit one. Third, the hit was hard enough to destroy his eyepro. Fourth, he was a real trooper and after getting cleaned up, went to the on-site store, bought himself a new pair of eyepro, and got back in the game. It was Op Stonebreaker 2021 or 22. That was the last Op I went to before getting ASFPUK or DMFP masks for some added face protection after seeing that hit. I’ve taken direct impacts from the explosive Taginns and they aren’t too bad - though I wouldn’t want the frag on bare skin. Heres a pic from the event; Im on the left with the Tropentarn , helmet, and TK45c.

Had a few things in the works over the past few months. First up: MG42 converted to MG3. Its probably 70% real steel parts nowadays. Its currently off getting HPA'd. *Really* excited to finally finish it. Had to pair up with a local guy who has a Wehrmacht kit and a MG42 for a quick photoshoot. Next, converted one of my Real Sword Type 97s, the 97b in this case, to HPA. Had to make a custom nozzle with some help from Norwest Airsoft in the States. Im slowly falling more and more for APS-shell shotguns, but hate dealing with shells. So sometimes I just use my Wargame Striker12, which contains spent shells. But for those days I prefer to use the 870, I found a biodegradable PLA material made from algae and am printing shells for that pretty constantly, whenever the printer isn't running on something else. They aren't very strong and tend to break after a few uses, but considering they cost a pence or two a shell, I don't really care. Next, my 417 EPM-1S project is nearing completion. I thought I had it down with v5 (last worked on in July 2022) but when I broke my G27K out of storage I found that the mag was far too large, and required loosening my hop unit to feed - so that wouldn't do. v10 seems to be the magic number; it feeds even with my hop properly installed, and seems almost perfect. Just a few cosmetic things need sorted, like the positioning of the BB window. Finally, this is an idea I've had for awhile but never got around to. I've wanted to make a Bundeswehr-accurate optic for my MG4, considering my only other option was finding a $1000+ Hensoldt 4x30i. Well, we've been snowed in here in the mountains for the past several days (and am about to be for several more) so I knocked this out in about 10 hours over the last two days. Its printing now, and if everything fits Ill send it off to be SLS'd. It uses real surplus Hensoldt 3x inserts meant for G36 optics, as the real one appears to - they're also pretty readily available which is good. It cannibalizes parts from a cheap G36 optic, including the G-36 style rail nuts, adjustment bolts and heat-sets, rail, rail bolts and heat-sets, and rubber view piece and forward scope retaining piece. Basically all one needs to make this optic is the files, the basic G-36 optic from your local airsoft shop, the three new crossbolts to attach it to the rail, and the Hensoldt insert.

Springer Custom Works makes a SV-98 Chassis for the VSR-10 platform, if you need your SV-98 itch scratched. I have one on my VSR-X and its a phenomenal piece of kit.

Ive had one since like 2019. Barrel is the same. This is just an updated version. Only thing I see different is the buffer tube instead of the collapsible stock, and mlok instead of keymod. My Black Cherry for reference, featuring my friends tactical cat ears 😂

Done a few projects in the meantime. First, I *finally* found a Kaiju; the gun that originally got me into new-gen KWAs before the seller backed out and I ended up buying my Black Cherry TK45 a few years back. Well, now I have the Kaiju as well after all these years. It was a store display model too so its like new, and the seller had a set of mags cerakoted to match, so I have the full set of 7. I have also worked out all the kinks on my converted APS CAM870 mk2. Mods include a bunch of dremelling to take a HPA tap, cutting through a QD sling point to route the line, two MatchSavers mounted to the side of the new Magpul handguard for quick topping off, some modifications to fit both a APS shell-catcher and top rail, a +1 printed mag tube extension, and some smaller bits and pieces scattered throughout. I also have been working with biodegradable filaments to print short-lifespan shotshells that can be fired and left behind; the bio PETG works decently but I want to try the algae-based PLA as well. Here it is in action: IMG-7666.mov And the tons of shells Ive been printing and testing:

I mean Id prefer 3x over 1.5x, but at the same time Ill take what I can get. Not sure why RTI never came up in my searches. Ill probably grab one of those for now to model the optic, and eventually swap it to a 3x when I find one.

I figured I would put this here since its sorta off-topic being a real steel part, but at the same time its for a VFC MG4... Either way, Im looking for a good condition G-36 insert. They arent terribly expensive, but very hard to find in the US. They seem decently available in Europe but everywhere Ive contacted has a blanket no US shipping rule for some reason. So if anyone knows of a shop with any that *will* ship to the US, please help me out.

Huh. TaiwanGuns got a massive markup for yall. Its literally half that here. 418 quid is about $530 USD right now. I wonder if theyll sell a tan version of the stock... Could use it on my VFC 417a2...

GHK Kochevnik build is almost done externally. Internals are coming from Asia so they'll take a little longer, and there is a Zenitco pistol grip and charging handle piece in there too. Im also working on making a HPA drum for it since Kinetics are so hard to find and theres no news on a new batch.

Interesting. Ive been playing around in that area with my mk2 in the past few days due to different problems that I just discovered were related to the HPA tap in mine, so Im fairly familiar with it. I would check a few things. First, confirm you are using mk3 and not mk1 shells. Theyre clearly not mk2s as mk2s dont hold gas; they get their air from the shotgun reservoir. Second, if your magazine tube is then check both your shells, spring, and follower for any nicks or burrs that may be binding. If the shells arent reaching the loading arms then its something in your tube thats causing the impacting issue. Confirm your spring is stiff enough (if you unscrew your magazine tube base and it tries to fly away once unthreaded its probably fine). Have you added any tube extensions or similar mods? To upload a video go to youtube and upload it, then post a link or embed the youtube video here. Also, if you get the post a pic of that same area with the bolt all the way back. That was the issue mine was having that I am currently resolving.

Quick question - are you slowly racking it? Thats a known issue with CAMs; inertia is needed to properly load. If something is wearing its probably your loading arms; I replaced mine recently and theyre not an expensive part.

Then it’s clearly working ;p