So it's not the pistol form factor thats actually the issue but the materials inside?
So is it possible to get a rifle receiver and HPA that and get a super short barrel? From what I understand after reading and re-reading, the barrel isn't the primary variable in accuracy but it is your hop up? So barrel length is for compression (speed/FPS)? Essentially making some kind of pistol form factor but based on the rifle platform with hardier, better components?
sorry PT247 if you feel I am ignoring your advice, just trying to get a handle on the differences between the platforms. I feel like I might as well ask the stupid questions. I guess in my head, the pistol seems the best form factor and is far cheaper to run HPA than converting a rifle which I then have to buy event more parts to make smaller. I have found there seems to be quite a large 3D printing community surrounding pistols and pistol modification so that also caught my attention.
So as regards durability (of all platforms) what parts tend to break/wear down? I assume the hop ups, due to the function, take quite a hammering. Are they easily replaceable across guns or is it a little more tricky and what kind of life span are you looking to get out of these components.
It's funny you mention about grabbing my old paintball clothes, I really do want a coloured gun over the black, but I guess again, that is a paintballer mentality. So even if I do play fairly, what kind of reaction do smaller form factor, speed focused players get. I don't want to step on anyones toes and upset their hobby and I want to be a useful team mate to people, pushing up to help them out is kind of how I see my role. I don't mind being laid in mud or what have you so I figure player to my strengths.
No the form factor is the issue with a gas pistol pistol. Being so small, you can't fit much inside. Maybe one day someone will invent something pistol shaped that literally is just a garden hose with an air feed and a line that somehow constantly feeds BBs, but right now there's no such thing available to buy. If they do invent such a thing and someone starts selling it, I feel there's a reasonable chance it'll get blanket banned at skirmishes and relegated to some sort of speedball style competitive leagues... maybe. Some places already ban, or at least heavily restrict, HPA adapted rifles because of things that have happened in recent years related to them, often on account of the fact they can be set to super high FPS and ROF comparatively easily, vs the average AEG anyway. I don't agree with blanket bans like that, but as per usual a small portion of users have created a bad name (amongst some) for the larger majority.
I think overall you need to look up the actual inner workings of an AEG because you're sort of asking the wrong questions at this point. But yes, you can put a HPA system inside a rifle or SMG, as I already said google PolarStar and Wolverine. You can then use whatever length barrel you like, especially with an M4 variant that has endless aftermarket parts available. Or start from a short gun such as PT247's to begin with. But I'd also agree with PT in that AEGs are already super handy and portable as they are, that's the whole idea of them vs the old air-line guns that used to be common in airsoft in the 80s. If you want to move fast, an air tank and line don't actually help with that, they're not necessarily a huge hindrance but they're not a help either. Small, lightweight electric guns already exist that don't need to be hooked up to anything, so as mentioned above unless you buy a HPA gun off the bat (which is of course possible) you'd be best off trying electric before investing the big money in to something like polarstar.
Don't even worry about durability right now in honesty, long as you buy a decent rifle they'll go for many tens of thousands of shots before things break. There are TM AEGs out there which are 15 years old with 150,000 BBs through them and still trucking on. If you do get something like a PolarStar system there is, if I recall correctly, literally one moving part that'll last you years of usage. Maintenance is a real non-issue.
You shouldn't get any reaction if you play like a decent human being end of the day, simple. If you're playing fairly and people are still dicks.. well that happens anyway now and again, whether you're a SEAL re-enactor or running a M60 in bring pink with glitter on. Not worth spending any time thinking about.
It's real simple end of the day, this is what not to do:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheWarrockrocks97/videos
