Need some veteran M4 advice

[ConnorDom]

Long story short, I've been meaning to buy a gun for around 8 years, and 6 months ago i finally did. got some awesome savings ordering from US on Labor Day!

the gun is stupidly cheap compared to guns in the UK, but i was told that's due to competition with other companies, and actual real firearms..

anyway, the parts all seemed sound, and first time using the gun worked a treat. Next weekend however was a different story, test fired it in the basement and all was fine, 10 minutes later we went to head out, i pulled the trigger and nothing happened..

This is my first gun, I didn't expect it to be perfect but with the good looking specs I didn't expect it to be so problematic so quickly.

basically, I'm at sea just now, I get home in 2 weeks and my friends family will all be back for their easter skirmishes. I dont have time to come home, find the gun's fault and THEN order parts, not to mention i know very little about what I'm even doing..

here is the link to the gun, http://www.evike.com/products/45648/

going by the the spec is, and the 'ready to upgrade' gearbox, could anybody advise me of another other parts to swap, brands that will be better or worse, whatever is compatible with each other.

I have no idea where to start, I don't even remember the specs looking that good -or they do to a novice like me anyway-, so I'm hoping some of the more experienced guys out there could be a help!

[DazMK5]

You went wrong at JG. I recommend getting a G&G as they're reliable and also at a reasonable price!

I'm not to experienced with guns going wrong, as im always changing them before they have a chance to break. However my G&G has lasted me a long time. Before buying parts i would make sure the battery works. When you pull the trigger is absolutely nothing happening at all?

Sorry i can't be more help

[ConnorDom]

Yeah I've heard that myself, G&G will definitely be my next gun,might just bite the bullet (excuse the pun) and order one soon to be safe for the battles, and make this one a project if I can't get help soon!

yeah, it worked perfect, until it didn't. Pulled the trigger and got nothing at all, i actually thought it may have been electrics, as first time i used it, i was actually drunk, and think I forced the battery the wrong way at first. I tried both of my batteries and my friends one, and still nothing at all. that's why I do think it's maybe still electrical. My friend who is quite gun-handy thought it was maybe the motor but swapped it with his and still nothing. Is there any way to just buy a kind of wire-web ready for a gun, and you can just dismantle it and change the wires? I seen a few people complaining about this model and I can't decide if I'm experiencing a common problem, or if I've just forced on a stupid fault of my own!

[BigAl]

Where in the country do you live mate. IF you can afford to just buy another gun, why don't you get this one looked at by a local tech or a shop first? Is there anyone at home that could drop it off at a local shop or post it for you?

 

One quick thought when you last used it where you firing in auto or semi? If semi sometimes they lock up, simply flipping th selector over to auto may solve it. If not an experienced Tech can probably fix it in no time.

[Samurai]

The full metal JGs are actually pretty good.

 

If it does nothing at all, it is most probably electric. My first thought was that the motor contacts came off, but you say your buddy swapped the motor, so it must be something else. Have you checked the fuse?

[team flex]

yes, the americans favour the JG's and i think we favour the G&G, it is more mainstream here, however it is a very upgradeable platform. As samurai said, check the fuse, if you have another battery use that.

[Russe11]

Check if it's the fuse. If absolutely nothing happens then that's the easiest thing to check. Then check all the wiring, have the connectors on the motor come loose or maybe you have damaged the battery connectors?

If it was a gearbox problem then it would make some noise so it must be the electrics.

[Sitting Duck]

Without carrying out a few tests it would be difficult to even get close to a diagnosing the fault tbh

 

What I would do is first remove motor plate on bottom of pistol grip

pull motor back away from box and see if it turns....

 

Chances are probably not as fuse may have blown if motor locked up

or if polarity reversed - box won't turn over as anti-reversal latch will prevent it going in reverse

 

As motor is not engaged into box but free spinning then if you don't have a fuse to hand...

ONLY IF MOTOR IS NOT IN BOX would i suggest a possible very quick bodge test of shorting fuse

JUST TO SEE IF MOTOR TURNS FREELY ON ITS OWN !!!!

do not bodge the fuse and attempt to run the motor in its box ffs

 

If motor turns then GET CORRECT FUSE before refitting back into pistol grip !!!

 

If motor does not turn then it is a switch problem most likely and box will need opening to investigate further I reckon

 

The switch itself could be a bad connection or contacts or even mechanical

 

If you was firing on auto then failed to fire on semi - this dead zone should not be forced on the triggeror damage may occur

(switch back to auto and fire again then it should of gone past the dead zone - but it might be too late or not related to problem)

 

The "pin" just behind the trigger's resting point could of broke

basically the part where it latches onto trigger is yanked up and shoots backwards disengaged from switch contacts

and stops on a "pin" or lug but sometimes in bad casting or weld this pin or lug breaks and the switch goes too far back

so far back that the trigger can't "relatch" onto the switch coz its gone back too far

(this pin or lug is about 5mm to 6mm in height and can often just snap off in really $hit boxes over time)

 

2 feckin' SRC boxes have done this to me - fixable with a fine bolt but just shows pi$$ poor casting/weld/quality

 

Note - the trigger will feel a little lighter not pushing the switch into contacts any more

but still has a spring on it - so unless you know your gun very well

you may not notice it that much until you try another gun's trigger perhaps.....

 

That is the mechanical side of it that can fail - happened twice to me

but JG box when I looked at it seem much better casting around the stop pin I thought

 

The switch contacts could be iffy but think that is less likely

 

I feel that either the box jammed for some reason & blew fuse out (could still be locked so get correct fuse to test)

or

quite possible switch mechanism may have failed if all wire checks out ok

 

Best advice - order up a G&G if you need a decent working gun to go skirmishing with when you get back to shore

then have a play with JG box or send it off to somebody to investigate - but not mega bollox'd just something small

& simple probably failed so no biggy to repair/replace

(if too expensive then just replace box in JG and you back in the game)

 

best of luck - we have all been there though

I'm no veteran but I had quite a few go tits up on me

(always blame the gun not the user)

[ConnorDom]

Thanks guys, some really quick and helpful advice! I'm gonna give my friends brother -the one who knows a bit- this link as he's back at the house where my gun is in the next couple of days. I'll see if he can have a look at the fuse etc as you mentioned and see what he can find

[Sitting Duck]

here is a post with pics showing pin or lug snapping off:

 

http://www.airsoftretreat.com/forums/index.php?topic=96322.0

 

but investigate fuse/wiring first and see if you airsoft m8 can "feel" the extra resistance on switch engaging on contacts

(hard to describe but if you compare 2 similar guns you do get to feel the slight difference - mainly when trigger is pressed

about 60% + you would feel the contacts/switch engaging - slight extra resistance or not if pin snapped)

 

but really hard to guess - run some basic tests first going through the usual process of elimination crap

coz it really could be a number of things atm

 

let us know how it goes & consider ordering a cheap G&G perhaps

get JG fixed up to use as spare or lend to a m8 who might tag along with ya etc.....

 

Think I made a better neater job than some peeps did - I ended buying a number of fine bolts of various sizes

 

in the end it was either a m1.6 or most likely a M2 bolt - countersink head aprox 7mm long with nut

drilled out with fine drill bit in a dremel with flexible end carefully made hole where the snapped bit was

applied some thread glue to bolt running into box and fitted tiny nut - sitting nicely flat in line with cut off lever arm

 

Damn - I wish i took some pics of it coz was rather chuffed with myself...

then a few months later learnt I didn't think it all up by myself as it is a common problem

and very common fix to weak & w@nky box's

 

ANYWAY - might not even be that problem so check fuse & motor out of gun/pistol grip first

[ConnorDom]

So much of this means absolutely nothing to me until i get an opportunity to open a gun up myself, might give it a crack when I'm home because even if my mate does find it's something small like the fuse or whatever I don't know how quick a fix it would be.

I think I'll go with the vote and get myself a G&G to use until I can see what's up with the JG myself.

any experience with the CM16 Raiders? http://airsoftzone.co.uk/cm16-m4-raider-l-aeg-gng?filter_name=G&G%20M4

My mate is going back to London in a week and providing they've got any in stock he can pick one up for me and avoid getting a two tone!

[sp00n]

So much of this means absolutely nothing to me until i get an opportunity to open a gun up myself, might give it a crack when I'm home because even if my mate does find it's something small like the fuse or whatever I don't know how quick a fix it would be.

I think I'll go with the vote and get myself a G&G to use until I can see what's up with the JG myself.

any experience with the CM16 Raiders? http://airsoftzone.co.uk/cm16-m4-raider-l-aeg-gng?filter_name=G&G%20M4

My mate is going back to London in a week and providing they've got any in stock he can pick one up for me and avoid getting a two tone!

 

great gun, my raider L DST is coming up on 2 years old, other then cleaning the barrel and charging the batteries, nothing has gone wrong with mine at all

 

My only complaint with mine is its too long in my view, i should have got the standard length raider , that said atm i am trying too see if i can source a firehawk top end/barrel as according to G&G it will fit .

[ConnorDom]

Sounds perfect then, cheers mate! Well I've always wanted mine on the shorter side, but because I currently have a pretty perfect length gun already I don't wanna just get another, worried I might jinx myself into never getting it fixed! Once it's up and running anyway I might even want to get this new one even longer still, longer barrel, extend the rails, bigger scope and a bipod!

[Sitting Duck]

if you play mainly woodland maybe long version

if you play cqb then get short version perhaps

 

Raiders are dogz nutz for money only about £5 more than carbine but rails galore

there isn't that much in it between the 2 tbh - only minor tiny thing is dust cover pulls down

to adjust the hop rather than drop down with a pull on handle but no real biggy

 

long/short same price aprox £123 + shipping from zero one

 

a bit more money is the CM18 which is between long/short barrel length but very sexy

but for that price you could grab a metal limited edition GC16 MOD0

(alas airsoft is one of them classics where do you start & where do you stop)

 

But yeah Raider L or S can't be beaten imho