The L85 thread :D

[JamesAirsofterAgent]

My ICS, no internal upgrades

 

'Tis beautiful!

!!!!

[b1n0gHo5t]

'Tis beautiful!

!!!!

Take the beer goggles off tis a megabeast

Needs a DD face lift before it can be considered beautiful!

[Airsoft-Ed]

Can confirm there isn't a Real Sword L85.

There's ICS, G&G, Army Armament, Ares, STAR and WE... And HFC... Which is a springer, so it doesn't count.

Also, here's my two most recent photos:

 

[M_P]

i had a chat with a well known airsoft tech about L85s yesterday. G&G are known for locking up and ICS is supposedly the better brand but he recommends real sword for authenticity due to their habit of over-engineering and making their guns almost ounce for ounce similiar to the real thing. he reckons most of their guns are virtually indestructable due to the materials used so i am now divided between buying ICS or real sword (although i havent priced real swords version yet)

Can confirm there isn't a Real Sword L85.

There's ICS, G&G, Army Armament, Ares, STAR and WE... And HFC... Which is a springer, so it doesn't count.

 

Sounds like this well known Airsoft tech can't tell the difference between an l85 and type 97

[Monty]

i had a chat with a well known airsoft tech about L85s yesterday. G&G are known for locking up and ICS is supposedly the better brand but he recommends real sword for authenticity due to their habit of over-engineering and making their guns almost ounce for ounce similiar to the real thing. he reckons most of their guns are virtually indestructable due to the materials used

 

I think he was on about the Star version..

[cavninja]

Can confirm there isn't a Real Sword L85.

 

There's ICS, G&G, Army Armament, Ares, STAR and WE... And HFC... Which is a springer, so it doesn't count.

 

Also, here's my two most recent photos:

 

 

Lookin' good Ed! Sorry for a bone question, but does the rifle still accept a bayonet with the new muzzle flash?

[Airsoft-Ed]

 

Lookin' good Ed! Sorry for a bone question, but does the rifle still accept a bayonet with the new muzzle flash?

I think it does, but I don't have one to try it.

[TacMaster]

I'm still not 100% certain whether I like the tan look on the A2 or not.....

[TheGrover]

Hopefully Ed wont ban me for this blasphemy

 

 

 

Here is my New ICS L85

 

New/changed parts from stock (no particular order):

• Madbull DD rail
• entry-level G&P 1x30 dot sight on
• no-brand 20mm riser on
• B&T dovetail to weaver rail adapter
• knock off magpull AFG (coz there were no real ones for sale that i could find)
• Swiss Arms sight protector
• Madbull blue rubber
• Element H nub (untested)
• and a bit of a plastic toothpick to lift the hop arm, so it doesnt send my BBs to god

 

The camera quality doesn't do it justice, it looks much better than the picture makes out.

 

Now to get a PEQ box so i can actually fit a battery in it and a few PTS mags and this will be my very own unique Tactical SA80 A2

[Airsoft-Ed]

I'm still not 100% certain whether I like the tan look on the A2 or not.....

 

I hated it at first, there's a post somewhere on Facebook where I swore I'd never paint it lol. But it really grew on me.

[JamesAirsofterAgent]

So glad I created this thread!!!!!!!! Except from being extremely jealous of you Ed!

[sp00n]

i had a chat with a well known airsoft tech about L85s yesterday. G&G are known for locking up and ICS is supposedly the better brand but he recommends real sword for authenticity due to their habit of over-engineering and making their guns almost ounce for ounce similiar to the real thing. he reckons most of their guns are virtually indestructable due to the materials used so i am now divided between buying ICS or real sword (although i havent priced real swords version yet)

 

in G&G's defense, they do have a "unlock" or "spring tension release" button, it basically disengages the anti reverse latch (accessible in the mag-well), and the only reason they do lockup is due to them "pre-loading" (similar to a PSG1), though this can be dealt with by swapping the sector gear for a v2/3 one .... which also means swapping the piston and spring (as they are PSG1 style too) and adding a 10mm spacer in between the piston and piston head.

 

i did read somewhere though that G&G no longer use the old style (PSG1 style) setup .... but i am not 100% sure as i cannot locate the source

[Del Monty]

Hopefully Ed wont ban me for this blasphemy

 

Here is my New ICS L85

 

New/changed parts from stock (no particular order):

• Madbull DD rail
• entry-level G&P 1x30 dot sight on
• no-brand 20mm riser on
• B&T dovetail to weaver rail adapter
• knock off magpull AFG (coz there were no real ones for sale that i could find)
• Swiss Arms sight protector
• Madbull blue rubber
• Element H nub (untested)
• and a bit of a plastic toothpick to lift the hop arm, so it doesnt send my BBs to god

 

The camera quality doesn't do it justice, it looks much better than the picture makes out.

 

Now to get a PEQ box so i can actually fit a battery in it and a few PTS mags and this will be my very own unique Tactical SA80 A2

 

Why Why Why Why Why Why would you have an angled foregrip on the weapon ..it looks ghastly.

[cavninja]

Thanks, I'll try it out, I do have a real steel bayonet, can you recommend a good source for a new style muzzle flash for a WE SA80?

I do have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of the tan weapons, even the real ones I have seen used in Afghan, but it may grow on me?

My initial reaction on an angled fore grip and other bits was "Ewwwwww!!" but having looked at it and various others I've come to the conclusion that it's ok, just as there are so many M4 manufacturers and they can be pimped in every which way, some not necessarily accurate representations, then why not the SA80?

I think it just proves its adaptability and versatility?!

But to put my comments in to context, I will NOT be doing it to mine!!

[Airsoft-Ed]

AFGs would be useless on L85s because of how the weight of the weapon is distributed, it just wouldn't offer anything to the handling.

They're also supposed to be mounted pretty far forward to get the best use out of them, and being a bullpup, L85s just leave both your hands too close together for them to help in that way either.

It's airsoft so recoil compensation methods are pointless anyway, but I can't stop people using stuff on their guns so I just accept it, move on, and curse them in my head...

Anyway though, the WE L85s take the same muzzle breaks/flash hiders as the ICS, and unfortunately the Surefire issue style ones have been discontinued, from what I've heard. So if you want one for a WE you'll have to keep an eye out for second hand ones or buy one made for the Ares/G&G/etc and modify it - rethread it or just drill it and secure it with glue or something, whatever works best for you.

[cavninja]

AFGs would be useless on L85s because of how the weight of the weapon is distributed, it just wouldn't offer anything to the handling.

 

They're also supposed to be mounted pretty far forward to get the best use out of them, and being a bullpup, L85s just leave both your hands too close together for them to help in that way either.

 

It's airsoft so recoil compensation methods are pointless anyway, but I can't stop people using stuff on their guns so I just accept it, move on, and curse them in my head...

 

Anyway though, the WE L85s take the same muzzle breaks/flash hiders as the ICS, and unfortunately the Surefire issue style ones have been discontinued, from what I've heard. So if you want one for a WE you'll have to keep an eye out for second hand ones or buy one made for the Ares/G&G/etc and modify it - rethread it or just drill it and secure it with glue or something, whatever works best for you.

 

Ed, do you think this would fit? It looks the same to me and I can see the detentes where the bayonet catch would engage;

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/King-Arms-Tactical-Flash-Hider-14mm-CCW-Type-3-KA-FH-46-/300967588281

[TheGrover]

I acutally find the afg quite comfortable, though i havent skirmished it yet, so ill probably move it about a bit at first to find the best spot for my arms.

 

And beauty is in the eye... And i think it looks sexy on there maybe i am an irresponsible l85 owner, but at at least it doesnt have a bright blue polymer handguard any more

[Airsoft-Ed]

 

Ed, do you think this would fit? It looks the same to me and I can see the detentes where the bayonet catch would engage;

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/King-Arms-Tactical-Flash-Hider-14mm-CCW-Type-3-KA-FH-46-/300967588281

I'd forgotten about those.

 

I'm just quizzing a mate who I know trades a lot of L85 bits and bobs so once he gets back to me I'll let you know the compatibility.

[Airsoft-Ed]

 

Ed, do you think this would fit? It looks the same to me and I can see the detentes where the bayonet catch would engage;

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/King-Arms-Tactical-Flash-Hider-14mm-CCW-Type-3-KA-FH-46-/300967588281

Apparently it's a clone of the Ares one, which uses the same threading, BUUUUTTTT the threads are seated deeper into the flash hider, so the ICS barrel threads can't reach far enough into it to actually screw together.

 

So in short, it won't work.

 

You could drill it out so the barrel can fit further into it, but if you do that you'll lose a lot of your overall barrel length and it'll end up looking more like one of those fantasy L85 carbines than a proper L85A2.

[sp00n]

Apparently it's a clone of the Ares one, which uses the same threading, BUUUUTTTT the threads are seated deeper into the flash hider, so the ICS barrel threads can't reach far enough into it to actually screw together.

 

So in short, it won't work.

 

You could drill it out so the barrel can fit further into it, but if you do that you'll lose a lot of your overall barrel length and it'll end up looking more like one of those fantasy L85 carbines than a proper L85A2.

 

would it fit the G&G l85?

 

i only ask as my google fuu is letting me down and i can not find out the thread size on the G&G l85

[two_zero]

AFGs would be useless on L85s

looks damn cool thou..

 

 

and I still think that l85 of yours would look epic if 100% tan ^^

[Airsoft-Ed]

 

would it fit the G&G l85?

 

i only ask as my google fuu is letting me down and i can not find out the thread size on the G&G l85

I think the G&G flash hider just slides on and gets anchored by a small grub screw or something. Have a look on RSOV for "L85 Flash Hider G&G", they used to sell all the different variations for each L85 model. As far as I'm aware it's only the ICS/WE one that's been discontinued.

 

I don't know why that one would be and not the rest, but going off how hard they are to get hold of it seems to add up.

 

 

 

looks damn cool thou..

 

 

and I still think that l85 of yours would look epic if 100% tan ^^

100% tan? Eurgh no, got to have some funky two-tone-ness in there to break it up a bit and make it look more interesting.

[cavninja]

I think I may have found a solution to the out of stock vortex flash hiders for WE L85?! For whatever reason the varying manufacturers of L85s all have slight variations in the barrel thread dimensions, even if it states 14mm CCW, e.g.

 

http://www.rsov.com/product.php?langId=1&currencyId=1&manufacturerId=10&prodId=14487&cateId=0

 

This page (for WE/ICS) states a 13.8mm outer measurement of the barrel thread, with the inner of the flash hider being 14mm.

 

However, this page:

 

http://www.rsov.com/product.php?langId=1&currencyId=1&manufacturerId=10&prodId=14486&cateId=0

 

For Star and Ares CCW, states a 13.84mm outer measurement of the barrel thread, with the inner again being 14mm.

 

So, my thinking goes, it should fit a WE? right? Even looking at the design of both outer barrel threads, (there are pics on the links) they look very similar.

 

For $21 is it worth a punt?!

 

I'll let you know!!

[ronin677]

me with the sections LSW (got my L85 on my back) just before my first deployment

 

[TheGrover]

To those people who have an ICS L85 and want to replace a twisted hop arm with a metal one, i recently found someone to make one for me. whilst i cant say that he will make any more, the forum thread in which i asked for the part contains 2D and 3D drawings of the hop arm, as well as the advice i was given about having one made.

 

HERE is my thread on a Machining Enthusiast/Hobbyist forum attached to the first post are a few DWGs which a machinist can use to make the part.

 

Ill post here when i fit the new hop arm to see how well it works