Let's Unfuck a Brand New Action Army T-11: a Build Log in Case Anyone Wants to Make a 1j Build Out of This Thing

[Skara]

Crap picture, but it should give you the idea.

I think that because of the tapered design the airbrake cannot physically plug the nozzle when it's supposed to, so the piston just slams with full force against the cylinder head.

@alxndrhll

Here it is  cylinder head, stock piston, weighted SCW from left to right.

sorry for the spam but it's bugging me.

 

[Adolf Hamster]

I think that because of the tapered design the airbrake cannot physically plug the nozzle when it's supposed to, so the piston just slams with full force against the cylinder head.

imma not even ask what's going on with the other piston.......

but yeah that's some pretty extreme taper. you might want a little edge chamfer to get the *ahem* protrusion to insert properly, but after that you want a nice tight fit between the (i swear to god this is proper engineering terminology) male and female components with plenty of stroke left (it's just getting worse isnt it) so build up the air cushion.

tbh i'd be more of a mind to go for a shit-ton of sorbo.

also inb4 all the kenneth williams impersonators: "ooh matron"

 

[Skara]

You mean the white bit?

Eggsdee  just leftover tape I'm not THAT desperate

new cylinder head I guess.

I was going to replace it anyway as it's aluminium and I utterly shanked it when unscrewing it the first time.

I'll try to source a flat one (they all have a small chamfer anyway) from a reputable manufacturer like Maple Leaf or Laylax.

In the meantime I will install the TDC, shorter barrel and dick around with various methods of internal suppression

 

[Adolf Hamster]

You mean the white bit?

Eggsdee  just leftover tape I'm not THAT desperate

wow i brain farted hard, i meant the one covered in white tape but i see that's the new one now.

 

[alxndrhll]

Crap picture, but it should give you the idea.

I think that because of the tapered design the airbrake cannot physically plug the nozzle when it's supposed to, so the piston just slams with full force against the cylinder head.

@alxndrhll

Here it is  cylinder head, stock piston, weighted SCW from left to right.

sorry for the spam but it's bugging me.

It's hard to gauge precisely from here, but I agree that I doubt the airbrake is doing anything given the cylinder head design. Also looks like the ring on the head of the SCW piston does zero to cushion the impact due to the taper on the cylinder head. So it's just a straight metal on metal contact, hence the increase in sound over the stock one. Granted I know you're limited to 1J, but I shouldn't imagine that'll do either component much good!

It's weird because I don't recall the AA cylinder I put in my old VSR having the taper, but if it had that would certainly explain why the SCW piston was louder than anticipated. Granted I was coming from HPA, which makes everything else seem loud.

 

[Hudson]

Just get a new cylinder head & install some damper pads. 

That's what I've done on all mine, and while it'll never compete in the quietness stakes with a suppressed gas or HPA rifle, it's certainly helped with the noise. 

 

[Skara]

Just get a new cylinder head & install some damper pads. 

Yup that's the plan

https://www.skirmshop.nl/en/maple-leaf-vsr-10-stainless-steel-upgrade-cylinder.html thinking of this one.

If it's compatible with the AA cylinder I have, I'm gonna order it right now.

 

[Hudson]

I'd go with the laylax personally.

https://www.skirmshop.nl/en/pss10-air-seal-damper-cylinder-head.html

 

[Skara]

I'd go with the laylax personally.

https://www.skirmshop.nl/en/pss10-air-seal-damper-cylinder-head.html

it doesn't seem compatible with TM spec cylinders (I guess the AA is TM spec) 

Anyway, too late, skirmshop posted the parcel already

 

[Hudson]

They're what I use in most of mine, (AA Cylinders) they fit great, and the inside works great as a base to glue the damper pads on. 

Never used the ML cylinder head, but hopefully that'll fit, I've had issues with fitment on other ML parts, but I'd hope the cylinder heads themselves are okay. 

 

[Skara]

Hope so, because skirmshop is the only place I can reliably source VSR parts from and it takes three ice ages and a quarter to get here -.-

Let's talk springs for a second.

I keep hearing about 7mm, 9mm and 13mm springs, is there any actual difference between those sizes apart from requiring different spring guides? (take a M100 for example)

 

[Hudson]

There's actually only two types (afaik) but they use different numbers for the same thing, it just depends on whether you measure the spring or the spring guide. 

7mm spring guides take 11mm springs 

9mm spring guides take 13mm springs.

I don't know if an identical number spring will perform differently just based on the diameter, but it's best to match them to your piston. (you ideally don't want a 7mm spring in 13mm large piston, as it's room in which the spring can flex when compressed or releasing - extra noise). 

If you're using the SCW piston, it's large so a 13mm spring is best: I have 2 Rapaxes, a PDI and one unknown brand spring (airsoft pro?) in my rifles (all 13mm pistons). 

The Rapax springs especially work well; at around 2.2J I can cock them with just one finger if I so desire. 

 

[Skara]

It appears that the stock spring is 11mm OD, so I would need a 13mm one instead to ensure a somewhat snug fit (will do the can mod anyway).

Need a new spring guide as well I'd say. But will replace it later on as it's plastic so not really prone to being loud

if Rapax makes 1J springs, i'm buying one, I read somewhere that PDI springs are also relatively quiet too!

and guess what? He doesn't make 1J springs ffs.

 

[Hudson]

Try an airsoft pro one? 

https://airsoftpro.cz/en/gun-parts-upgrade/sniper-rifles-parts/springs-for-rifles/9mm-upgrade-pruzina-pro-odstrelovaci-pusky-m110-360-fps-detail

Around 1.2J, but I'm sure with the correct build you could get it to run at around 1J.

There's also a PDI spring for the APS series. I don't know if it will still Give a similar power output in a vsr, but it's worth a try? 

https://airsoftpro.cz/en/gun-parts-upgrade/sniper-rifles-parts/springs-for-rifles/13mm-upgrade-pruzina-pro-aps-2-l96-350-fps-m105-detail

 

[Skara]

Yup I'm probably gonna resort to a M110/120 because of the airbrake and 300mm inner, but I want to finish the thing before buying a new spring.

 

[Skara]

2021 is off to a good start!

I have never been so nervous about working on a gun before!

I'm currently installing the GunSmithy TDC, had to file away a small portion of the chamber for the arm to fit, drilled my outer barrel to a reasonable standard (had to remove just a smidge of material from one side to make it perfect), now it's just a matter of gluing the turret base onto the barrel.

This is kinda nerve wrecking to be honest as I definitely do not want to mess it up.

Any tips on doing it right without epoxying myself to the table?

And just in case, how does one "unglue" it?

 

[Skara]

Aight.

Small update:

TDC installed, was easier than I thought even though I managed to mess up the epoxy mix (instead of 1:1 resin/agent I did 4:1  because I'm a retard), nonetheless it's rock solid now.

Maple Leaf cylinder head just arrived and it's 1mm longer than the stock (which per se shouldn't be a bad thing).

What worries me is the internal diametre of the nozzle, it's at least 1mm wider than the stock, which I reckon will render the airbrake a bit useless as it won't be large enough to "plug" the nozzle and do anything.

It comes with its own rubber pad which is not the softest, luckily it appears to have the same exact specs (ID and OD) of the Laylax sorbos so swapping it shouldn't be much of a hassle.

Tonight I'll test the gun fully assembled.

Hopefully it'll work.

 

[Skara]

Apdeit.

Ordered a new spring, the only one I could find was a G&P SP110 that shouid be here tomorrow.

In theory it is equivalent to a M120 so a bit too hot, but considering that the stock spring, which I believe to be a M80 or a very fucking weak M90, gave me about 0.7J on the stock 430mm barrel and 0.6J in the 300mm one, I reckon it'll set me just over 1J on 0.2s and around 1.1/1.2 on 0.4s (the system creeps by about 0.1J when going from 0.2s to 0.4s and by 0.05J from 0.2s to 0.3s).

Hopefully it'll only require one coil snipped off instead of half a spring gone.

I know I could have gone for a PDI/LayLax but the only place I could find them in stock is AirsoftPro.cz and shipping is freaking €20 from there, so I'll order the equivalent spring + spring guide and a few other bits & bobs to "dilute" the shipping costs whenever I am done paying taxes.

In the meantime I have realized that the airbrake on the SCW piston is a bit useless, it's definitely too thin to have any sort of impact on both cylinder heads I have.

BUT that is most likely me having absolutely no clue how an airbraked gun is supposed to sound like.

I'm popping SCW a message and see what they say.

Idk if any of you has noticed but I'm pretty frustrated

 

[Adolf Hamster]

eh, gun teching is always a rocky road.

you'll get there might just take a while.

 

[Skara]

Just got a response from Pavol (SCW guy).

He modeled the airbrake after the stock TM cylinder head, which has a ID of 4mm (the airbrake is 3.9).

So according to this, I should increase the shaft's thickness by 2 millimetres, from 3.9 to 5.9, to achieve some sort of effect. I reckon one or two layers of heat shrink would do the trick.

OR, since I'm running low on small diametre shrink, PTFE the shaft until I get 6mm OD, then one layer of heat shrink to bring it down to 5.5/5.9 and to keep everything nice and snug.

Could it work?

Imma give it a go tonight when I get back from ze concentration camp office along with testing the new spring.

It's frustrating but also exciting as I get to actually modify stuff instead of just replacing it  think it gets closer to the definition of "custom build"