Upgrade advice - GC16 Predator

[AceAbe]

Hi all,

So I have resently brought a GC16 Predator, I'm exceedingly happy with my purchace but would like to upgrade it to make it more battery efficient ('m currently running with 7.4 lipo), tighter groupings over distance and am also not sure which weigh bbs to use now (stock) and after upgrades. 

I am fairly new to airsoft  (this is my first RIF) and am aware of upgrades I can do I.e. promy barrel, new bucking etc. I suppose I was wondering it's there a specific order it should be done in? Are there certain parts that won't work with others? And probably the most important question, what will it do fps wise? I'm shooting at 330ish at the moment and don't really want to go much higher as it seems alot of sites that I play at limit at 340fps.

Im currently running it with 0.25s and it lifts them easily so should I goto .3s? And if I flat hop it higher?

Thanks in advance for any info,

Abe

 

[Georgeturner2001]

Id say leave it as it is and use .28s as they will be slightly heavier but not as expensive as .3s.

The barrel and hop up might increase the accuracy a little, and maybe increase the fps aswell which you should be careful off as your already near the site limit. Upgrading isn't as simple as buying the most expensive parts, it's about getting the correct balance of parts that work well. 

Also remember that you are shooting these....

View attachment 23814

and not these....View attachment 23815

so don't expect the same degree of accuracy

 

[proffrink]

Just remember that using a heavier weight to crono lower is not a legitimate way of being within site limits. If you're using a heavier weight than .20s then consider measuring in Joules to avoid Joule creep. You can convert Joules to ft/s quite quickly.

Heavier BBs are not ok to shoot at your exact site limits - please use the conversion table below. As per the above, I would crono to the Joule limit and then you'll always be fine. If you crono on .20g to be within your site limits and then switch to a .25, .28, .30g after, then you're a prime candidate for Joule creep and will likely be shooting hotter than you should.

To answer the OP though, using heavier BBs is always better if you can lift them. They'll shed their energy more slowly and up until ~15m they have the same time to target anyway. I would always look at the hop unit as the most prime candidate for an 'upgrade' as some are a bit naff. However, if yours is shooting well already then just see what it does with .28s and .30s - if it's really struggling and you're still set on that extra range then you can go down the flat hop or R-hop route.

 

[AceAbe]

Thanks for the answers

I was more curious as to which parts most people do/would change when they get a new RIF. I have spoken to a few people and they recommend changing the barrel, hop, gears and bucking. I suppose I was wondering if there was any particular order they should be done in, if there are parts that are better suited to work together. Also what would be the out come of the changes/ is it worth it?

I know the questions are very newbie and most likely akin to asking "how long is a piece of string" but don't ask, dont learn  

Just wanted to say I have no intention of trying to cheat crono, the question is what would be best to use for my gun before and after possible upgrades.

Again thanks in advance for any info.

Abe

 

[proffrink]

As stated at the bottom of my post, really you should be looking at weights if your hop unit is up to it - it's the single greatest range improvement that one can get and the upfront cost is obviously quite low. Does The Mall have a restriction on weights though? Some CQB sites do due to the fact that heavier BBs do hit harder out to a longer distance and can do a bit more damage to props etc.

After that, there is no definitive answer beyond working on your hop unit to get it to lift a .30g. Barrels, motor, gearbox, batteries - these are all things that if done in the wrong way can just make things worse and do cost a fair amount. What I would try is searching on here or Googling for your particular model and seeing what others are doing - taking everything with a pinch of salt. We're at the point with AEGs though that you can but something out of the box that is neigh-on 'unimprovable' through conventional drop-in replacement parts. Krytac comes to mind, but there are others. As such, rather than dump 200 quid into upgrades, it can be better to put it on something else like towards a new gun or even something like a BFG or decent boots. As stated though, the CM16 is well documented - do some searching if you're really set on throwing money at it. I wouldn't though, because your upgrade money would be better spent on putting towards something that's better and that can't be ruined through bad installation. The hop unit, on the other hand, is a cheap and easy thing to work on - buckings are a tenner and there's loads of info out there. Heavier BBs to go with that bucking are equally cheap if you don't spray and pray

The bit about the cronograph was not so much for you as it was for Georgeturner2001, who has the wrong idea and is probably giving this same advice to people who are actually inadvertently shooting hot because of it.

 

[Georgeturner2001]

The bit about the cronograph was not so much for you as it was for Georgeturner2001, who has the wrong idea and is probably giving this same advice to people who are actually inadvertently shooting hot because of it.

Click to shrink...

Your completely right sorry! 

Totally forget to take that into consideration as I mainly use guns that shoot WAY under the limit, will take joules into consideration next time I try to give similar advice, apologies.

 

[Hangtight]

As a rough guide to the order of upgrades...

Decent ammo . Clean the barrel.

Lipo, Deans connectors and a basic Mosfet. 16awg wiring.

Air seal (stock parts), angle of engagement, shimming (stock gears) . Proper lubrication.

Bucking /flat hop / R hop. Shim the stock hop up arm if it needs it.

Go play. Don't spend money.... Yet.

 

[Sacarathe]

I was more curious as to which parts most people do/would change when they get a new RIF.

Click to shrink...

A RIF is a distinction of the airsoft gun's visual appearance and indeed you can have an airsoft gun which is comprised of a plank of wood with a little push button - simply put an airsoft gun does not need to be a RIF or IF.

I have spoken to a few people and they recommend changing the barrel, hop, gears and bucking. I suppose I was wondering if there was any particular order they should be done in, if there are parts that are better suited to work together. Also what would be the out come of the changes/ is it worth it?

Click to shrink...

Some people will recommend anything, especially to a newbie to whom they have difficulty justifying their own expenditures due to some reason or another - such as difficulty in general of explaining to a newbie with limited knowledge.

Some guns are very good stock, other than the hop units generally speaking you should use your gun until it breaks or you are dissatisfied with some specific aspect.

The upgrade I would recommend would be to take the barrel and hop unit out and clean them. You really don't need to be upgrading a gun "just because", spend your money on cosmetics and load carrying utility/gun furniture which actually affects your gameplay.

 

[AceAbe]

Ok so the consensus is to just keep it clean and lubed until something breaks then go for the upgrade

Thank you very much for all of your answers

Abe