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

Just finished my second VSR-X build. VSR-X base, Maple Leaf MLC-S2 chassis, TRYBE 3-18x50 scope, Black Collar Arms Priapus Grip with brown grip tape, MidTen Mlok Bipod, Vortex Optics bubble level, Victoptics 1.93" scope mount, Novritsch A3 Amber leaf kit, Runcam2 4k 35mm, BrainExploder RunCam Picatinny mount, Maple Leaf MLC spare mag holder (faux magazine), Maple Leaf TDC top rail mount (TDC disabled since VSR-Xs dont have those), heavily-modified ActionArmy 50rnd VSR mags. Built for a lower power, lighter weight Scout Sniper kit than my other CSR-X, which shoots about 3.2J. This one’s more like 2.5J. All the leaves are somewhat-easily removable should I want to convert it to a more Urban build. Shoots BBs as heavy as .69gs, lowest it'll run on is about .46gs. I have a new Flecktarn uniform to pair with it for some lighter weight sniping; I tried lightweight kits for the first time last year and whew do the knees like it. Full kit should be done in about a week.

Finally got around to sorting out fitting a Polarstar F2 in my Real Sword Type-97b. It was not easy.

As someone who has owned several rotating minigun-type guns, and from the research I've done, the WELL offering is far from worth it. To discuss some of the other things - the CA M134 (the big ol chonker of the group) has a sort of hop, which is basically a small strip of rubber that runs 360* around the barrels and indexes over the window. each "hop" is adjusted by an individual hex wrench. Mine broke down and CA refuses to answer my inquires about buying a replacement, so Im debating mounting my 6 barrels on my lathe and adapting it for a TDC-style hop like you find on some guns (im thinking Daytonas but I know others use the same screw-like system). Big, heavy, very fast ROF (especially for the time). Perfect for vehicle mounting or juggernaut games; not much else. 2000 round capacity (but has an option for an ammo pack if you're creative), 50RPS. The CA M132 4-barrelled was the first "modern" minigun design, in that it takes standard barrels and buckings. Its still adjusted independently by hex wrenches per hop. They're easier to adjust, as you can remove the battery, hold down the trigger, and manually spin the barrel so a shot only comes out of the barrel you're adjusting. Doable, and can be effective. This one has the same classic "movie" handheld-style design. It had an innovating magazine system that acts sort of like a giant midcap, giving spring tension so it could be fired from any angle. 2200 round capacity, 38RPS standard ROF but there was an aftermarket motor that brought it in-line with the more expensive CAs, at 48RPS. It also is the only one with an available externals kit, which is made for vehicle-mounting. Its the only one I have used on the field; a video for reference is below. I was one of the first people in the US with one at this event, so I had photographers following me around taking action shots. The CA M133 is the second-most recent minigun. Also a four barrel design, this one breaks away from the m132 and m134 by being battery-operated. The previous two were both HPA. It also changes up the design with a "chainsaw"-style, leading to less of a hip-fire oriented design and therefore better for using around cover and more accurately. The second-most expensive of the styles, with a 2200 round capacity. The only one able to switch ROFs, between low (25RPS) and high (50RPS). The WELL M134 breaks both the naming convention and price point, being $100 cheaper than the M132, and almost $500 less than the battery-operated M133. Despite that it lacks some of the things that make the others good, namely a good place for an off-hand grip - trading that space for rail space for whatever reason. . While some people seem to use them "stagecoach"-style one-handed, its not ideal. Performance is also meh; demo videos of the gun showed rounds sometimes not even travelling 20m. 5 barrels is also unique for miniguns, and 1200 rounds puts it in a not great place compared to many of the CA options for capacity. Its max ROF is 40RPS. So is the WELL worth it? Well (pun intended) I cant really say. Miniguns are a very niche weapon type and offer 0 actual advantage on the field as long as that level of ROF is allowed. The only benefit is a coolness factor (admittedly very important) and a little bit of intimidation. The WELL offering does bring players a new option at a yet-unseen price point; to get the cheapest CA you're still looking at an additional $100, plus a few more if you do not have the required HPA setup. But is the gun good enough to be fieldable, and durable enough to be used long enough to make the investment worth it? Only time and reviews will tell. Now I never mentioned the other two miniguns out there, and that's because I have no experience with them. Craft Apple Works made the original minigun, and later sold/incorporated the design into creating the more mass-produced Echo1 version. CA showed up with their own design not too long after, and has until now dominated the minigun market - as small as it may be.

How are you liking the Saiga? Just had one delivered then immediately forwarded to the new owner the other day, so technically one was in my possession for a few hours heh.

Ive got some history somewhere as well. Great-great grandfather on my father's side was Henry Hulbert, a Brit who joined the US Marines prior to WWI due to some less than favorable circumstances, received a handful of medals including the Medal of Honor for actions during the Second Samoan Civil War, the Distinguished Service Cross for actions in Belleau Wood, and the Navy Cross and the French Croix De Guerre posthumously after he was KIA on Mt Blanc in 1918. He had a Clemson-class Destroyer (DD-342) named after him, which was stationed at Pearl Harbor on Dec 7th, and is believed to be the first ship to have opened fire on the Japanese that morning, destroying one torpedo bomber and damaging several other aircraft, claiming an assist on a dive bomber. That was the really only moment of noteworthiness for the USS Hulbert, as she sustained no damage over the course of the war and spent most of her time as an escort, working with the newer US Fast Attack Carriers. She is accredited with rescuing a dozen pilots during that time. She was decommissioned in 1945. Her bell is on display at the Marine Corp's Barracks in Parris Island I believe Great-grandfather on my mother's side was Arthur Rogers, a bomber commander in the Pacific theatre during WWII. He was the driving force behind the upgraded B-24D class of Heavy Bombers, during which he flew his personally-modified B-24 the "Connell's Special" on a solo bombing mission, taking several Japanese fighters down with the new nose-mounted ball turret he and his men salvaged off a crashed B-17's tail. Notable exploits of his were the allowance of Pappy Gunn to use his AF for fuel and ammunition (if you don't know Pappy Gunn look him up - he took a B-25 and mounted a French 75mm anti-tank gun in the nose, and used it to attack Japanese naval convoys by himself after the Japanese killed his family in the Philippines, where he worked as an ariel mail delivery service prior to the war), as Gunn at the time was essentially using a stolen B-25 for his vigilante attacks and some wanted him arrested and tried for it, and for the creation of the heavier-armed B-24D variant. He was involved in the Bikini Atoll testing in some capacity, though Im not sure to what extent. He passed away before I was born.

My take is that the generic uniform (German WWII, EMR generic Russian, PLA, etc) is totally OK and sometimes even neat to see. Its a nice break from the horde of Multicam. More specialist kit - SS WWII for instance - may be in a bit of bad taste in a random weekend skirmish-type game. Reenacting specific groups/units (Wagner, SS, Unit 731 (yes, I've seen 731 patches worn by one guy before)) should absolutely not come into play at all outside of maybe *very specific* events. Is it a WWII event? Then maybe. Are we specifically at a NATO vs WARSAW? Then maybe. But I also find people to hate on others simply because of the base uniform they're wearing to be very poor taste as well. I have a bit of a habit of collecting different camo patterns and kits. Of the "bad guy" kits I have I can do a pretty decent SA guerrilla, ME insurgent, Soviet, 90s, and 2010s Russian kits, 2021 PLA, Mexican cartel, and I can probably mix and match different pieces to match a few other seen "bad guy" guerrilla forces should the desire arise. Now I admittedly dont wear most of them out unless its for a themed MilSim (where the insurgent and cartel kits came from), and ive only worn the PLA kit once since its pretty new, but I find the idea of specifically "hunting" people who are dressing up (purely dressing up - if theyre spouting off antisemitic lines or whatever then treat them like the dicks they are) in something other than the local flavor of tree to be a dick move as well.

I use mag couplers now; these are my gotos for both real ARs and airsoft:

Yea Id sit up and pay attention at least.

Saw this in a friend's shop, apparently Evike sent it as a freebee in a large order he made. It was so hideous I just had to rescue it and convert it back to normal (TBF I wanted a PP2000 for awhile now but was waiting until HPA kits came out, so a Black Variable drum and AirTac MP5 adapter have been ordered as well).

No idea. Ive been working on a few different EPM-1S shells as well, including these metal 20-rounder style shells