First AK12 in Production

[Chock]

Ok. Bit of an update. I've taken the AK12 apart, painted it up in black/blued metal. Ordered a new gearbox for it, and taken some pics and video for you all of what it is like inside. It comes apart fairly easily, there's around about 15 screws in total to get the thing apart, because the three tactical rails are what clamps the two halves together.

Video of it in bits:

Some pics of the hop up unit and barrel. The barrel is indeed alloy and is 265mm long (approximately 10.5 inches). If you get one yourself and take it apart, note that the rear terminals are spring loaded, so be ready to catch anything which flies out!. The rear sight is also spring loaded (like most AK sights):

 

[Samurai]

Nice, great info.

The GB still looks like a standard v3, and even the selector is the same. Only the external lever is different.

I cannot make out the hopup but it seems that it's a normal hopup and that block that holds it in other AKs. They may be separable on this too.

 

[Chock]

Yep, it's all fairly standard fare on the internals as far as I can tell, which I suspected it would be. That gearbox is basically a plastic knock off pattern part of a standard V3 one as far as I can tell, so, not wanting to spend a fortune on what is essentially a cheap ass gun, but still wanting it to last more than five minutes, I bought this gearbox to throw into it:

http://shop.ehobbyasia.com/cyma-full-gearbox-set-for-cm-028-ak-series-aeg-cm-02-1.html#.VFZv7sm2j_p

If I don't get stung too badly on import costs, that'll mean it was about 120 quid in total. Needless to say, for 40 quid that isn't the best gearbox ever, but will probably be an improvement on what is in there presently. Forgot to mention that the fire selector linkage parts are all metal, so in using those they hopefully won't be a weak link in the chain. Might throw a better barrel in there too at some point. I'll borrow the tactical foregip off my G36C and put that on the thing's bottom rail and sling my tac light on it so I can and see how it does at dark CQB for a laugh. It is popping BBs out at about 290 fps at the moment, which is really about as high as I prefer in CQB since anything more is a bit over the top at those sort of ranges. Frankly, it's a bit on the longish side for CQB, but what the hell eh? At least it will be entertaining showing up with an AK12 instead of my M4 or MP5.

 

[AK47frizzle]

Looks like a normal hop up unit, just compared the picture to my cyma hop up unit.

As for the gearbox, looks standard, but not entirely sure about the battery connectors, personally i'd do a bit of diy and feed the entire wire through the stock.

If all goes well transplanting the gearbox and maybe the hop up, i might be tempted.

 

[Chock]

Thing is, it all depends on how badly you want an AK12. This Black Viper one is a bit of fun and isn't a bad lookalike for the real thing, but it is undeniably a cheapo airsoft gun, so to make it half decent anyone is going to be into 120 quid at least. For that kind of money there are probably better options for anyone who isn't particularly bothered about the 'completist' aspect of liking AKs. Fair enough, if one does like AKs and is a completist, one has to consider whether there will even be a decent airsoft AK12 made by anyone else. If not, this may end up being the only viable option to enable you to have one on your wall, unless you want to spend the best part of a grand on the fancy NPO-AEG Russian airsoft AK12 that is supposedly on the way next year, assuming you could actually get hold of one, and had the cash.

After all, the AK12 was passed over by the Russian military, and although there are some claims that special forces and some security forces in Russia might use it, there are literally loads of variants of modernised AKs, and other makes of weapon that these units already have access to, and, since all special forces units tend to have free reign on choosing weapons on their merits, rather than having them forced upon them, I should imagine the Russian Spetsnaz could have any weapon they wanted, Russian or otherwise if they could find a suitable justification for requesting it. Nor can the AK12 gain popularity in the US, since Obama has banned the import of Russian made AKs to the US as a sanction measure because of the conflict in the Ukraine. Yes the AK12 appears in some computer games and proves popular in those, but is that enough for an airsoft manufacturer to risk developing a decent one when it isn't a popular choice in the real world?

So whilst this is a bit of a fun project for me because I like Russkie stuff, the fact is that the AK12 may end up simply being a footnote in history, and only a small part of the Kalashnikov story.

 

[Chock]

 

[AK47frizzle]

Yep, it's all fairly standard fare on the internals as far as I can tell, which I suspected it would be. That gearbox is basically a plastic knock off pattern part of a standard V3 one as far as I can tell, so, not wanting to spend a fortune on what is essentially a cheap ass gun, but still wanting it to last more than five minutes, I bought this gearbox to throw into it:

http://shop.ehobbyasia.com/cyma-full-gearbox-set-for-cm-028-ak-series-aeg-cm-02-1.html#.VFZv7sm2j_p

If I don't get stung too badly on import costs, that'll mean it was about 120 quid in total. Needless to say, for 40 quid that isn't the best gearbox ever, but will probably be an improvement on what is in there presently. Forgot to mention that the fire selector linkage parts are all metal, so in using those they hopefully won't be a weak link in the chain. Might throw a better barrel in there too at some point. I'll borrow the tactical foregip off my G36C and put that on the thing's bottom rail and sling my tac light on it so I can and see how it does at dark CQB for a laugh. It is popping BBs out at about 290 fps at the moment, which is really about as high as I prefer in CQB since anything more is a bit over the top at those sort of ranges. Frankly, it's a bit on the longish side for CQB, but what the hell eh? At least it will be entertaining showing up with an AK12 instead of my M4 or MP5.

actually hang on chock, after taking a second look at the video, there is an extra lump at the bottom of the motor cage.................. I'd assume there's a screw at the bottom to secure it.... am i correct? If so, then either: it wobbles, or maybe you can get a longer screw to feed through...

 

[Chock]

Yup, you are correct, there is a big screw on the bottom of the pistol grip which secures the bottom of the gearbox to the pistol grip. If I recall correctly, normally on decent gearboxes, that screw allows you to adjust the meshing of the motor's drive gear with the other gears by moving it tighter or or backing it off, so it looks likely that a decent gearbox will drop right in and be able to be fitted and adjusted properly without any issues, although I guess we'll see when that gearbox I bought arrives from Hong Kong.

 

[AK47frizzle]

Yup, you are correct, there is a big screw on the bottom of the pistol grip which secures the bottom of the gearbox to the pistol grip. If I recall correctly, normally on decent gearboxes, that screw allows you to adjust the meshing of the motor's drive gear with the other gears by moving it tighter or or backing it off, so it looks likely that a decent gearbox will drop right in and be able to be fitted and adjusted properly without any issues, although I guess we'll see when that gearbox I bought arrives from Hong Kong.

Unfortunately, it doesn't do that with a V3. I have the exact cyma V3 gearbox you just bought, and with V3s, there is no motor height adjusting, it's all fixed in position. I have a feeling you might need to bring out the DIY tools...

 

[Chock]

Yeah, no big deal. DIY is half the fun.

 

[straffham]

Unfortunately, it doesn't do that with a V3. I have the exact cyma V3 gearbox you just bought, and with V3s, there is no motor height adjusting, it's all fixed in position. I have a feeling you might need to bring out the DIY tools...

My old Cyma 28s has the motor height adjustment grub screw beneath the pistol grip screw so it may have it?

 

[AK47frizzle]

My old Cyma 28s has the motor height adjustment grub screw beneath the pistol grip screw so it may have it?

It doesn't. That's there to hold the motor cage in place.

 

[straffham]

It doesn't. That's there to hold the motor cage in place.

Unless we're at cross purposes, it certainly does:

View attachment 13699

the allen key is in the motor height adjusting grub screw, you can see the Cyma markings (CM02) on the motor cage.

Although its a few years old so maybe they've done away with them on newer versions, seems a backward step though.

 

[Ian_Gere]

Yeah I know that technically you don't need a UKARA at all to paint the thing up, and i cetainly don't need a UKARA even though I have one, because at the start of the video, you can see the training room where I teach CGI film effects, including how to do all that CGI which was at the start of the review, and personally, I think VCR Act is a bunch of typical UK-esque knee-jerk reaction bullshit, nevertheless, I'm very aware that - especially on a youtube video - we airsofters do not want to come across as irresponsible dickheads, so I think it best to err on the side of being seen to be responsible.

Yeah, but no need to be inaccurate or talk up UKARA any more than necessary. It's about 'legislation creep' - if we behave as if UKARA is a licence, it may very well become one. It's not difficult to say, or understand, "If you change an Imitation Firearm into a Realistic Imitation Firearm by changing its colour, you must use it for airsoft, film making, or re-enactment, etc otherwise doing so is illegal."

Thanks for the rest of the info. It does look standard TM compatible. As Samurai said, even that hop unit looks as if the non-standard block is a bolt on part, so it should be possible to make a good hop unit fit. I'd definitely get rid of that barrel - any old proper 6.08mm barrel would probably be better. The hop rubber could probably be a lot better also, and may as well add an H-Nub while you have the hop apart. I'd also follow Friz's advice about direct wiring instead of those connectors, as well as soldering the motor connections when you get the new GB. You know the stock spring in a CM02 GB is about M125, right?

I have to say I'm tempted.

 

[Unrustle_Thine_Jimmies]

Unless we're at cross purposes, it certainly does:

IMG_20141103_202113.jpg

the allen key is in the motor height adjusting grub screw, you can see the Cyma markings (CM02) on the motor cage.

Although its a few years old so maybe they've done away with them on newer versions, seems a backward step though.

I had a CM031 project gun which was supposedly a newer model and it had the motor height grub screw,I'm pretty sure most newer ones do too,It would be extremely frustrating to use shims or somesuch to adjust height which is such a critical part of bevel-pinion shimming.

 

[Chock]

CYMA-02 Gearbox has arrived from Hong Kong, so I'll be attempting to swap out the original plastic one for the CYMA one this weekend. The CYMA one looks like it uses an allen-key for the motor gear meshing height adjustment on the bottom of the pistol grip.

Note that it cost me an additional 3.11 quid in DHL 'handling charges', so the total cost for the gearbox including postage and that handling charge was 40.13 quid (approximately 60 US Dollars). This was from www.ehobbyasia.com. It arrived well packaged and it took eleven days from placing the order, until it arrived, so not too bad time-wise from Hong Kong.

I reckon it will drop in fairly easily, possibly without very much, if any tweaking at all, but I guess we'll see. Will post some pics of it when done.

 

[AK47frizzle]

I got my gearbox here, my favy site for parts, i think it was about £32 all together for the gearbox http://airsoft-club.com/shop/internal-upgrade/gearbox/cyma-complete-ak-aeg-gearbox-ver-3-with-motor-cm02

 

[Ian_Gere]

dualdealshop on fleabay is the cheapest at £37.50 posted, iirc. The spring in it will be too hot - around M125.

 

[Monty]

Never understood why some chinese manufacturers put incredibly hot springs in their AEGS.

 

[Samurai]

UK's 350 fps is a quite low limit. Most countries has 400+