Speedbird_666

@Shamal Took a while, but I think I've got it working good now (just tested it for 100+ cycles). Needed a few iterations and testing of the print orientation to maximise strength, the first prototype snapped instantly on a layer line with a vertical print, horizontal print was too flexible so ended up at 45deg. I beefed up the part thickness and added a strengthening rib running down the length it. I also had to extend the tab that hits the dust cover by 1MM for reliable opening. I'll print some more of the final design in the next few days so you'll have spares.

Welcome to Airsoft Teching. This is par for the course. At least a bucking is cheap. Just you wait until you find that an expensive rail system or motor grip doesn't fit your gun and you need to Dremel the shit out of them. Pucker moments indeed. And if it works after cutting, why change it?

Yeah - I guessed as much 🙂 Me and my boys have been playing SWAT4 on LAN over the last week or so. My older two (who also play Airsoft) like to play it 'proper' tactical; stacking on doors, breaching and banging rooms, arresting suspects and screaming 'room clear!' over Discord. My youngest on the other hand equips the grenade launcher and shotgun, runs around killing everyone (including us and the hostages) declaring it's 'slow and boring' compared to Fortnite. Bloody kids.

lol, one copy not enough? Reviews seem solid though - it looks like a lot of fun. Not that I can get anywhere near the two Xboxes in my house to actually play games these days...bloody kids.

@Shamal I've knocked up the design in CAD. I'll print a test one this afternoon and see how it fits. If I can get the design to work properly in the gun I'll send you a couple for the price of postage?

I like the cut of your jib good sir. Just watching a video on the Primary Arms HPA/M4 mag conversion. I like.

Don't get the fanboi-ism over the 416. They are just a heavy M4. Even the SEALs/DEVGRU don't use them as much anymore - they are back to DI guns - more specifically Noveske

Fair enough mate.

Could you not just buy a replacement TM stock slide?

Welcome to the forums. If I was in your shoes, I would be looking at the TM M4 MWS series. I shall direct you to the TM MWS thread on here for inspiration. There are some lovely builds on there. The guns are very well regarded on the forums, and there is tons of support for the platform in terms of spare and aftermarket parts along with a sizeable (and knowledgeable) user base.

Sure. Gimme a day or two and I'll see what I can do for you.

Probably. Is that the bit that links onto the metal handle that flicks the dust cover open? I have a Specna Edge down my shed to take measurements from if you need something knocked up and printed.

17 Hours later, I have half a stock: Print came out really nice though. Other half has just started I'm spending so much time printing stuff now (airsoft isn't my only hobby) that I'm seriously toying with the idea of buying (or even building) another printer. I'm really tempted to go down the Voron route for high-speed printing goodness.

Ah, well I read this and thought you might be in the market for 2 and 3S packs...😉

Firstly - welcome 1) Tan does not count as two tone. Bright colours (such as red, green, yellow, blue etc) are required for IFs (Imitation Firearms). Basically, it has to be a bright, unrealistic colour, and Tan is not that. 2) It's not a license - it's a defence. If you spray a two-tone gun black, you are manufacturing a RIF (Realistic Imitation Firearm), for which you need said defence to do so. Scroll down in this very forum section and you will see that this has all been answered many times over.

That's....not quite correct. Admittedly, they don't have much in the way of 2S packs, but they've got 3S stuff in stock. What type of batteries do you need?

Some quick-ish answers: 1 - A lot of suppressors are just filled with foam or just empty inside. I've only owned a couple myself, and an inner barrel was no problem but there are so many on the market, it's impossible to say what will or won't work. I would say that most suppressors will be fine, but I'm sure there's a few outliers. There are loads of styles, designs and different coloured Silencers on Aliexpress - some are very cheap (under £10) so no great loss if they don't work, but don't forget that they add VAT and duty later in the basket. 2 - No, ~M100-110 is pretty much the UK standard for sub-350FPS full auto AEGS. There are a huge amount of variables to this so I would grab an M100, M105 and maybe an M110 spring and test them over a chrono if you are only looking to change the spring at the moment. I think my Specna had an M95 alternative spring in the box, which is probably what the UK retailer fitted to the gun before flogging it to you. 3 - Does your gun work as-is? If yes, don't open it. Seriously, don't. Not until you have at least 1 spare gun to fall back on. Better yet, buy a cheapo sub-£100 Specna Core as a backup, and learn to tech on that first. Whilst teching guns is not a 'dark art', it's easy to screw it up, and there's nothing worse that not being to play Airsoft as your gun is in bits in a box because you can't get the thing working right again. 4 - Theory: Yes. Real world: Not always. I have several hop units in a spares box that *should* work on any M4, but don't. The Specna is fairly generic though, so you shouldn't have too many troubles, but there are times where a set of files and/or a Dremel might be required. In fact, the Specna has a Rotary hop unit already, I would replace this as the lesser priority and concentrate on the hop rubber/nub instead. The stock brass barrel is also fine, and you can polish them up quite well internally.

Aliexpress? I've had a couple orders now. Both had VAT is collected at source, and sailed through Customs. If you look around you can find SHS or similar products on there.

Easy answer: - Yes, you can cover a longer inner barrel with a mock silencer. As the E25 is a short barrelled gun, adding a little extra length to the barrel may add extra FPS anyway as the stock gearbox cylinder is probably over-volumed for the barrel - manufacturers don't tend to match them properly on cheaper mass-produced guns. - If you still don't have the FPS you desire The Specna Orion gearbox has QD spring removal, so I would pick a couple different springs from @ak2m4 and test them out over a chrono. Once you unscrew the buffer tube, spring changes take seconds. Harder answer: - I would change all the o-rings and check for a perfect compression parts air seal. This requires a complete disassembly of the Gearbox and then bye bye warranty if that concerns you. But this will give you 'free' FPS in that there is no additional strain to the Gearbox (shell and gears etc.), unlike just throwing in a beefier spring. Absolutely not recommended if this is you first/only gun and you don't have a backup gun or two in case you screw up the disassembly/reassembly - A good Hop Unit/Hop Rubber/Nub combo will yield better results than just throwing extra FPS at the gun. There is no perfect combination, but a Maple Leaf Macaron, Omega (style) nub and ZCI Rotary hop up is a fairly common, but cost effective, recommendation by many. - 300 to 350 FPS is not as big a difference as you think, see my previous point. Stock Tokyo Marui guns shoot sub-300FPS, but they seem to perform just fine. The BBs just take a bit longer to reach the target.

Um..ok... Meanwhile - In other news: Now printing it 'properly' at 100% infill, with a channel for a 5mm steel rod to be glued within it. Each half will take 14 hours to print and the whole thing will be 3D printed (two sides and the butt pad as a separate print) with the stock 'fixed' in position. I'll be hitting it with filler primer and sanding it to smooth out the layer lines, then spray it with matte black paint. If anyone has any ideas on how to try replicate that 'moulded plastic roughness' surface finish that you get on polymer bodied guns, it would be much appreciated. They look very cool. I'll be interested to hear how they perform.

Pics or it didn't happen...😁

Land Warrior have got them in stock now. 440 notes. Not cheap.

The Taliban have released a promo for their 'Badri 313' Special Forces Squadron. Interesting use of a FAST mag pouch... I can't help but feel that our involvement in the Middle East has been a colossal waste of time, money, and most importantly, British lives. Whilst the UK dodged the Vietnam bullet, we jumps squarely into Iraq and Afghanistan behind the Americans, and for what? The world is no safer now than 9/11/2001. It could be argued that the opposite is true. I just hope that foreign policy moving forward avoids these kind of 'occupational' wars and trying to instill westerns values into societies that, quite frankly, don't want it.

One theory I heard (seriously) is that the ANA has been extensively trained in American/British tactics and equipment - notably heavy use of air cover and helicopters, especially for insertions and casualty evacuation. When Biden ordered the pull-out, he pulled all US contractor support for the aircraft with immediate effect, grounding many of them almost instantly. It was realised pretty quickly by the ANA that they were not capable of running a ground campaign without air support as per the US TTPs. It could be BS, but it sounds like a plausible factor that contributed to the ANA thinking 'fuck that', dropping their gear and running for the hills.

A quick and nasty print to test fitment - 0.30 layer height (accidentally left the upper and lower skin thickness at 0.12 which also doesn't help) and a very low infill leaving a rough finish. Fitment was damned near perfect - just needed the hinge holes opening up a little and a relief hole drilled for the gearbox screw that protrudes a little. Test print was done in two halves then glued - I'm considering creating a channel for a bent steel rod to be sandwiched between the halves for reinforcement before epoxying them together. The final print would be done at 100% infill with a much smaller layer height (around 0.12mm) to smooth things out. Haven't worked out the rear (sliding) bit yet - probably an aluminium tube and 3D printed bushing and stock pad. I'll probably not bother with a sprung button mechanism, rather glue the metal button in place and have it non-folding. Real Steel: Yes, it's ugly. But I like it. Very popular with French and German Police forces - they also use them on MP5s and I've never seen one on an Airsoft gun.