Silverback tac-41 questions

[Floperator]

A kind player let me have a go on his tac-41 today, and it was extremely lovely to operate and shoot, kind of how I imagined a bolt action airsoft gun would be amd entirely unlike my own horrible bolt action thing. 

I think I'm a bit in love with it.

Main question though, this guy said he bought the gun for just under £400, and it's had another £200 of upgrades (!). So just wondering how much of that loveliness is stock, and how much is the upgrades.

I could swallow £400 (or ideally less 2nd hand) for a very nice bolty, but £600, well, there's an awful lot of other things I could get for £600...that's into decent pcp air rifle money, or a full NV setup.

If its just a case of fettling the internals and a new piston seal or something then I'm up for doing that myself. If it's £200 of aftermarket bits then I'll give it a swerve.

Though if you think there are other rifles I should be looking at then by all means let me know 

 

[PopRocket123]

They're around £365, new without a scope. Frankly the only thing you actually need is a new spring as they shoot around 1.3j out of the box. So the gun, scope, spring and spare mags should set you back less than £500. It doesn't need any performance upgrades, I was easily outranging AEGs by at least 20m on .4s. The only thing I may change at some point is a new piston to make it a bit quieter but that's by no means a necessity. 

 

[Floperator]

Part of the attraction was how quiet it was, in fact I initially asked the guy if it was HPA. 

I've got a whole storage bin of scopes and accessories so don't have to worry about that so much.

Might have to make this the first gun I buy once I get my UKARA, though between now and 3/4 months time there might be some other goodies that catch my eye...

 

[Rogerborg]

Am I right in saying that the smooth bolt pull is down to the larger cylinder volume meaning it doesn't have to be as highly sprung as VSR equivalents?

 

[PopRocket123]

Am I right in saying that the smooth bolt pull is down to the larger cylinder volume meaning it doesn't have to be as highly sprung as VSR equivalents?

From my understanding that's right. I gave it for a kid to try and he commented on how easy it was how him to pull the bolt back compared to his JG 

 

[VonGrimm]

I've had a TAC-41 since October and so far the only major optional upgrade I've done to it is the spring. I went with a Rapax 2J Blue because I'm a crap techie myself and saw someone else had one and claimed it worked well. Can confirm it does work well. Requires a bit more elbow grease to get installed and operate but I'm under my site's 500FPS without having to wear in the spring so I was happy with that.

However I also had to upgrade the feeding ramp. Apparently new TAC-41s now ship with the translucent red Gen 2 feed ramp installed, however mine didn't. My old solid red Gen 1 feed ramp had a habit of interfering with mags and prevented me from properly setting them without violently spanking it into place and crying as I was forced to abuse my brand new £370 toy. 

But most importantly I upgraded the charging handle knob with a custom one printed one thats embedded with a .338 case which I bought from @the_hoopmeister. It gives me about an extra 700FPS, thermal vision, and makes me look really really cool. I have like 5 girlfriends now because of it. So yeah, vital upgrade for your TAC-41 if you decide to get one. Highly recommended.

 

[Floperator]

OK I think I'm sold on the tac now.

Don't know about 5 girlfriends though, one's enough of a pain in the arse, so I might swerve the gucci charging handle ?

Can the feed ramp be seen without dismantling the gun? Or is there another way to see if its a gen 2?

Probably won't wait until the UKARA comes in either because thinking about it it's probably going to get a camo paint job anyway (and as I understand it skirmishing is a valid reason for me to turn an IF into an RIF?).

 

[PopRocket123]

OK I think I'm sold on the tac now.

Don't know about 5 girlfriends though, one's enough of a pain in the arse, so I might swerve the gucci charging handle ?

Can the feed ramp be seen without dismantling the gun? Or is there another way to see if its a gen 2?

Probably won't wait until the UKARA comes in either because thinking about it it's probably going to get a camo paint job anyway (and as I understand it skirmishing is a valid reason for me to turn an IF into an RIF?).

You can see from the mag well if it's solid red or clear red. At this point they should all be the gen 2 ones. The trick I found to get the new spring in. Use something long to push the piston under spring tension all the way back. Use the bolt locking pin to lock the piston back so you can take the long thing out and screw on the cylinder head. Then take the pin out

 

[Rogerborg]

as I understand it skirmishing is a valid reason for me to turn an IF into an RIF?

You understand correctly.  I had the paint off my two-tones straight out of the boxen, since I'd played once and had two more sessions booked, which I personally believe satisfies the "for the purposes off" future-tense intent of the VCRA more than past performance.  Since you're obviously a cultured sort, I have no qualms about commending this course of action if you don't want to wait for your loicence.

Use something long to push the piston under spring tension all the way back. Use the bolt locking pin to lock the piston back so you can take the long thing out and screw on the cylinder head. Then take the pin out

Stable genius, that.

 

[rj1986]

awful lot of other things I could get for £600... a full NV setup

I think you left a digit off of that...

 

[Floperator]

I think you left a digit off of that...

Now Thermal has taken the place at the top end of the market, you can easily get a NV setup for an air rifle for sub £600. A Pard NV007V will set you back less than than £350.

Absolute entry-level is about £150.

 

[rj1986]

Without going too off topic, most digital NV uses added on IR illumination, which point you might as well go B&Q and get some christmas lights and wrap them around you (unless your hunting/stalking animals which is a different conversation)

For airsoft, you can get early Gen2 devices with a tube on it's way out for about £1000. Decent stuff is starting at around £2k with the high end going up to £7k for binos and the odd chinese made quads for £10k ish

 

[Floperator]

Without going too off topic, most digital NV uses added on IR illumination, which point you might as well go B&Q and get some christmas lights and wrap them around you (unless your hunting/stalking animals which is a different conversation)

For airsoft, you can get early Gen2 devices with a tube on it's way out for about £1000. Decent stuff is starting at around £2k with the high end going up to £7k for binos and the odd chinese made quads for £10k ish

I wouldn't be hunting anything other than animals with an air rifle ?

And I would sooner teabag a tiger than put a £2k+ optic on an RIF and start jumping in ditches and diving into bushes with it while people try their best to shoot the lenses out, but YMMV!.

 

[Rogerborg]

If its just a case of fettling the internals and a new piston seal or something then I'm up for doing that myself.

Per my first-day review, I honestly don't think the TAC-41 needs anything other than a M150 / Silverback 100N / Rapax 2J+ spring, and to be fed 0.4g+ BBs.

Beyond that it seems to be a case more of visual, aural and tactile aesthetics, or lifting 0.48g with less hop pressure.

I bought two extra mags but given their generous 48 round capacity, I never got past the 2nd. You could probably have a good day with nothing more than what's in the box (in a garage test I saw 1.8J with 0.43g and a hop settings of 5), plus a speedloader.

 

[Chicken pie]

I love my tac 41.

Nothing more than a £16 spring to up the power ( to UK limits) plus a Longbow bb Chub nub and out of the box it will hit 70m targets with .43-.45g no problem.

You can spend more if you fall in love with it like me, but it's not really needed.

 

[MalcyFett]

How did those with rapax 2J manage to get the spring in? Is there a knack to it?

Im struggling to get mine fitted. 

 

[Rogerborg]

They were out of stock when I was buying, so I don't have the Rapax.  What's the specific problem that you're having?  If the bolt isn't locking back after the spring is in, this might be down down to the stopper not being aligned with the flat facing forwards.

 

[MalcyFett]

It’s not that. I can’t get the cylinder head to go on. It’ll work fine with the stock spring, but the rapax doesn’t seem to want to compress enough.

I guess I’ll try cutting it a tiny bit, it feels like the spring is just too long.

 

[PopRocket123]

It’s not that. I can’t get the cylinder head to go on. It’ll work fine with the stock spring, but the rapax doesn’t seem to want to compress enough.

I guess I’ll try cutting it a tiny bit, it feels like the spring is just too long.

I detailed my knack in this thread. You need something long to push it back fully into the cylinder so you can lock it back with the bolt locking pin. This'll hold the piston back while you screw the cylinder head back on

 

[Rogerborg]

That sounds like a smart technique, although I'm surprised that it's necessary.  Given that you can pop a 10mm ring spanner over the nozzle nut, I was able to use that to push down and then screw it in without any problems with a 100N spring.

That said, it's entirely possible that the Rapax is longer and fightier.  I was going to buy one (they're back in stock at skirmshop), but the 100N is performing just fine and the bolt pull is already pleasant.