Ares am-014 upgrade

[KOBK81]

So I'm looking for reccomendations on what parts to buy for my ares. Yesterday I attempted to flat hop the gun only to find that the hop adjustment wasn't using a nub. The adjuster arm was the nub grrrrr. I ran into a few other issues which is why I'm going to upgrade my entire barrel and hop arrangement. The barrel is really quite pants and the nub window isn't big enough to accept a flat nub and the hop rubber is diabolical.  I haven't got a great deal of cash at present so I'm looking for budget part's but the best budget parts. 

Hop chamber

Barrel 6.03

Bucking with smooth insides

Flat nub

 

[Skara]

Don't change the chamber nor the barrel, imo they are fine.

What you can do though is take a standard flat nub and remove the round part that is supposed to match the concave part of the arm.

It's what I did with my AM 009 and so far it's been working flawlessly.

As far as rubbers go, get a prommy blue (specifically made for flat/r hops) or, like I did, get a prommy purple and remove the insides with a knife/sand them down.

The stock, transparent bright green rubber is crap. The one on my 013 died after 2 months or so, the one on my 009 lasted a whopping 2 game days. Now they both serve as inner barrel spacers

Quick scheme.

The highlighted part is the one I removed.

View attachment 52054

 

[Steveocee]

Easy answer here. ZCI rotary hopup from @ak2m4 . It's cheap, fits and will upgrade on the stock hopup and give you the ability to use whatever nub you want to.

Whilst you're at it, throw in a ZCI inner barrel from same said store and your choice of rubber & nub.

 

[Adolf Hamster]

Don't change the chamber nor the barrel, imo they are fine.

What you can do though is take a standard flat nub and remove the round part that is supposed to match the concave part of the arm.

It's what I did with my AM 009 and so far it's been working flawlessly.

As far as rubbers go, get a prommy blue (specifically made for flat/r hops) or, like I did, get a prommy purple and remove the insides with a knife/sand them down.

The stock, transparent bright green rubber is crap. The one on my 013 died after 2 months or so, the one on my 009 lasted a whopping 2 game days. Now they both serve as inner barrel spacers

Quick scheme.

The highlighted part is the one I removed.

View attachment 52054

this, the inverse works too- removing the part of the hop arm.

another solution is go with a PDI W Hop, works quite nicely with a standard nub (so no modifying the arm) and good for up to .4's at a stretch (although it's happier at .3's)

 

[Skara]

this, the inverse works too- removing the part of the hop arm.

another solution is go with a PDI W Hop, works quite nicely with a standard nub (so no modifying the arm) and good for up to .4's at a stretch (although it's happier at .3's)

True, although cutting a tiny slab of rubber is easier faster and more forgiving than shaving off a piece of plastic

But yeah, both ways work

 

[Adolf Hamster]

True, although cutting a tiny slab of rubber is easier faster and more forgiving than shaving off a piece of plastic

But yeah, both ways work

true, i'm thinking more from the "make it compatible with standard nubs for future tweaking" angle.

 

[KOBK81]

Thanks guys for your input i have taken on board what you have said and shall bear in mind for any future upgrades. For the time being I've been given some upgrade parts.

Lonex 6.03 barrel and a modify flat hop kit from a m8. They are both new and unused and the best bit is I didn't have to pay for them. I used the original hop chamber and my m8 using his dremel made the hop arm fit the flat nub. I am amazed at the range I've got now. Just need to dial it in. 

 

[KOBK81]

Update on the badger. Fps was still lower than I wanted so I decided to open up the gearbox. I found the airseal to be non existent so I decided to put a different o ring on the piston head. And hay presto an air seal. One thing I couldn't understand is that the cylinder is non ported, why haven't ares fitted a ported cylinder?  Im eager to find out. Got it all back together and fitted a m110 spring and I've gained almost 100fps. I'm amazed with the outcome and I'm still a noob in the world of gearboxes.  Bbs now disappear into the distance. The chronograph reading was using 0.20g but hopped to push 0.25g. So I'm going to have to shrink a couple of coils on the spring for it to be sitel legal. B4 I changed the oring and the spring I was pushing 0.20g at 272fps. 

View attachment 52120