new to airsoft.. am i doing it right?

[Skullchewer]

5 minutes ago, Rogerborg said:

 

I reckon so, I've never been post-capped, although I regularly run out of love juice to spooge around on ratings.

There's pills for that

[Guest SoupyXo]

16 hours ago, Rogerborg said:

 

[Sad womp-womp noises]

 

Well, I asked because it's caught out a lot of us.

 

You can add a rail-riser under the optic if you want to stick with the MI-7 - and I'd consider it, I've not come close to fogging mine, which is a first.  We've just had a post in the "wut made" thread here of a huuuuge riser.  Whatever works works.

 

The other option is, quite seriously, to lop off the parts of the mask that are getting in the way.  Actual customisation.

 

Or leave it as-is and use it situationally.  I use my MI-7 with pistol or MP5K at CQB sites or even on a game-by-game basis.

 

That's the grip safety, hateful things. I just taped it down on my AEP 1911.  I was actually thinking of this... bit. Sorry, I don't speak hi-capa, I've just seen a couple of owners swearing at theirs.

It sounds like you have realistic expectation of the costs and foibles though, so just laugh it off, patch it up, concentrate on the next day, and it's all good.

im gonna be really fucking honest, i knew it wasnt going to be cheap when i saw a pistol alone at £1300, then looking at systema stuff, i felt my heart drop cos im not systema rich hahahaha but its all fun, i dont mind a ''cheap'' gun, cos im gonna break it eventually and cheap is easier to replace than expensive, and i mean sure, your TM lasts longer, but its a lot more upfront and now, with the costs of existing rising through the roof, yeah, im happy with a specna or an army armaments lol 

the grip safety doesnt work on my pistol, almost like its stuck solid, not like i care because i know not to point it at someone unless my intention is to shoot them with it (basic gun safety)

 

and i think in terms of the mask situation, ill just buy a half face, goggles and fast helmet anyway, because who doesnt like options... sometimes i might wanna run pistol only, sometimes i might wanna not use it at all... im justifying spending more cash on airsoft here 🤣

14 hours ago, Skullchewer said:

Yes.
 

Wait, this is a thing? I talk utter crap on here all the time, and I've not seen this. Is this a new member thing?

apparently so.... it was in all red letters too.... weird 

[Rogerborg]

2 hours ago, SoupyXo said:

and i think in terms of the mask situation, ill just buy a half face, goggles and fast helmet anyway, because who doesnt like options...

 

I'd echo the suggestion that I think I saw above about going for a mesh + fabric lower face protection rather than full mesh, as it lets you get a better cheek-weld, as the speedy-bois say.

 

2 hours ago, SoupyXo said:

 sometimes i might wanna run pistol only, sometimes i might wanna not use it at all... im justifying spending more cash on airsoft here 🤣

 

 

You're home.

 

Yes, it's very rare that I close out a day with the same gear or gun that I started it with.  A bit of variety helps to keep it fresh.

[Guest SoupyXo]

2 hours ago, Rogerborg said:

 

I'd echo the suggestion that I think I saw above about going for a mesh + fabric lower face protection rather than full mesh, as it lets you get a better cheek-weld, as the speedy-bois say.

 

 

 

You're home.

 

Yes, it's very rare that I close out a day with the same gear or gun that I started it with.  A bit of variety helps to keep it fresh.

yeah, ive got the onetigris foldable half face, and some ''X800 military tactical airsoft paintball motorcycle protective goggles eye protection'' goggles in my cart (gotta love amazon listing names), along with a holster and a fast helmet, rail mounted torch, and some m-lok to picatinny rail adapters.... because m-lok is so good, they make adapters for it lmao

now all i need to do is learn what to do to my M4, like in terms of upgrades, or bits and pieces i can do to make it better. the electrics will be my main focus cos while its a fantastic little bit of kit as is, for a starter gun, the semi auto mode is pretty shit, and it gets stuck half way through a cycle sometimes, so id like to fix that if i can

[Rogerborg]

1 hour ago, SoupyXo said:

yeah, ive got the onetigris foldable half face, and some ''X800 military tactical airsoft paintball motorcycle protective goggles eye protection'' goggles in my cart (gotta love amazon listing names)

 

You have chosen... wisely. 👍

 

 

1 hour ago, SoupyXo said:

because m-lok is so good, they make adapters for it lmao

 

M-Lok almost feel like it's designed to make you spend more to actually use it.  Meanwhile, cable ties remain available.

 

 

1 hour ago, SoupyXo said:

the electrics will be my main focus cos while its a fantastic little bit of kit as is, for a starter gun, the semi auto mode is pretty shit, and it gets stuck half way through a cycle sometimes, so id like to fix that if i can

 

A lot of airsoft kit is engineered to just barely work.  You've got a basic no-frills mosfet in there, so the next obvious steps are the highest amperage 7.4V lipo or li-ion that you can fit in the stock, and then the motor.  SHS are fairly popular, although I chisel a few £££ and buy Big Dragon M140s from AliExpress.  You'll want "long shaft" fnar for your M4.

 

I'd caution against going straight to 11.1V as you're likely to encounter overspin and double-shots on semi.  Not all guns, not all the time, but I've always had it with mine.  Granted, if you're playing woodland, you can probably get away with it after chronoing with a 7.4V, with a few judicious shouts of "Sorry!" if you double tap anyone point blank.

 

Gate and Perun mosfets can add a lot of features.  Some folk love optical mosfets, I'm still a bit sus so stick to Perun AB++ which offers any feature that you're likely to want, including burst fire, and active braking or pre-cock that will allow use of 11.1V without overspin.

 

Oh, and shim and re-lube the gearbox, the first time you're in there, that's pretty much airsoft teching 101 - there are plenty of videos on YouTube about it.

[Guest SoupyXo]

40 minutes ago, Rogerborg said:

 

You have chosen... wisely. 👍

 

 

 

M-Lok almost feel like it's designed to make you spend more to actually use it.  Meanwhile, cable ties remain available.

 

 

 

A lot of airsoft kit is engineered to just barely work.  You've got a basic no-frills mosfet in there, so the next obvious steps are the highest amperage 7.4V lipo or li-ion that you can fit in the stock, and then the motor.  SHS are fairly popular, although I chisel a few £££ and buy Big Dragon M140s from AliExpress.  You'll want "long shaft" fnar for your M4.

 

I'd caution against going straight to 11.1V as you're likely to encounter overspin and double-shots on semi.  Not all guns, not all the time, but I've always had it with mine.  Granted, if you're playing woodland, you can probably get away with it after chronoing with a 7.4V, with a few judicious shouts of "Sorry!" if you double tap anyone point blank.

 

Gate and Perun mosfets can add a lot of features.  Some folk love optical mosfets, I'm still a bit sus so stick to Perun AB++ which offers any feature that you're likely to want, including burst fire, and active braking or pre-cock that will allow use of 11.1V without overspin.

 

Oh, and shim and re-lube the gearbox, the first time you're in there, that's pretty much airsoft teching 101 - there are plenty of videos on YouTube about it.

active braking is 100% what im looking for, this one doesnt have it, i know this and ive never even looked inside a gearbox, i cant even figure out how to get to the gearbox... i did however just put the ''M90'' spring in it, after reading the manual on how to do that, because it came with it (ive read the spring ratings are a bit off sometimes)

as far as motor/mosfet things go, yeah im looking at brushless over brushed, but thats because ive used both in an RC setting, so im already clued up on the difference in quality and performance, and since the differences between an RC esc and an aeg mosfet dont seem to be all that far apart, i can safely say id rather brushless with a decent mosfet...

*looks up how to open this bloody thing to get at the gearbox, but comes up dry*

[Rogerborg]

51 minutes ago, SoupyXo said:

active braking is 100% what im looking for

 

Pre-cocking fnar I'm so sorry is what can improve first-shot semi-response.  Active braking can cure overspin.  But then so can pre-cocking: there's a fair amount of overlap.

 

 

 

51 minutes ago, SoupyXo said:

i did however just put the ''M90'' spring in it, after reading the manual on how to do that, because it came with it (ive read the spring ratings are a bit off sometimes)

 

Ah, about that. Was the "M90" spring in a wrapper marked M90?  If so, was it pre-opened?

 

I ask because Specnas tend to come with an M90 and an M120.  Mine came with the M90 fitted, and the M120 spring in an open M90 wrapper.

 

Depending on who you bought from, you may just have put the M120 in.  If you're going to get into tinkering and teching, a basic chronograph is a game-saver.

 

 

51 minutes ago, SoupyXo said:

as far as motor/mosfet things go, yeah im looking at brushless over brushed, but thats because ive used both in an RC setting

 

Get ready for some "u wot m8?".  Airsoft is very conservative and tends to be years behind RC.  Brushed motors are still very much the default, and airsofters still tend to recommend ancient chargers like the B6 rather than the S65.

 

Take anything you hear from us with a huge pinch of salt and if you think you know better about anything electrical, you probably do.

 

 

51 minutes ago, SoupyXo said:

*looks up how to open this bloody thing to get at the gearbox, but comes up dry*

 

Airsoft M4 AEGs (with the exception of stuff like PTWs) are pretty generic.

 

This covers getting the gearbox out:

 

 

This covers the gearbox internals.  You have a "V2" gearbox, common to M4s.

 

 

 

There are loads of alternative videos.  One thing I'd stress is to take the spring out before opening the gearbox, to avoid the risk of it kersproinging the internals into hyperspace.

 

Magnets (how do they work?) are a great shout for keeping parts together, or holding the anti-reversal latch and gears in place while you re-assemble.

 

All that said, I'd suggest finding an excuse to buy a second primary before you open up your first one.  Having a completely un-"improved" gun in the bag can be a day-saver.

[Guest SoupyXo]

8 minutes ago, Rogerborg said:

All that said, I'd suggest finding an excuse to buy a second primary before you open up your first one.  Having a completely un-"improved" gun in the bag can be a day-saver.

my excuse is already in place.... ''i'll get my defence, then ill buy an unpainted primary and use the specna to learn on'' 

 

9 minutes ago, Rogerborg said:

Get ready for some "u wot m8?".  Airsoft is very conservative and tends to be years behind RC.  Brushed motors are still very much the default, and airsofters still tend to recommend ancient chargers like the B6 rather than the S65.

 

Take anything you hear from us with a huge pinch of salt and if you think you know better about anything electrical, you probably do.

come on airsofters, brushless is the way forward, and your fancy mosfets will like it better, brushed belongs in the 90's and early 2000's.... get the internet, you stinkers!!

ive seen some people with what they claim to be a genuine skyrc imax b6, and let me tell you, theyre fakes and theyre dangerous because theyre sold on amazon with no skyrc branding on the fronts of the units, and only on the sticker on the bottom, because chinese copies are good at fooling people who dont know the difference.... i was considering buying another skyrc q200 (a very smarty quad charger with bluetooth control) 

 

11 minutes ago, Rogerborg said:

Ah, about that. Was the "M90" spring in a wrapper marked M90?  If so, was it pre-opened?

 

I ask because Specnas tend to come with an M90 and an M120.  Mine came with the M90 fitted, and the M120 spring in an open M90 wrapper.

 

Depending on who you bought from, you may just have put the M120 in.  If you're going to get into tinkering and teching, a basic chronograph is a game-saver.

it was purchased brand new from patrol base, and the m90 spring pack was open, but the spring inside said pack seemed a hell of a lot thicker and stronger than the weak one installed, so based on what you mentioned here, i might have just boosted my fps from 310 ish, up to 380 ish 😂

 

14 minutes ago, Rogerborg said:

 

Pre-cocking fnar I'm so sorry is what can improve first-shot semi-response.  Active braking can cure overspin.  But then so can pre-cocking: there's a fair amount of overlap.

 

on the topic of these, i saw mention that active braking can help the inner gubbins go back into its ''reset'' position and not overshoot its mark causing you to have to switch over to full auto to ''reset it'' so you can go back to semi... i dunno, im new to this stuff

[The Waco Kid]

1 hour ago, Rogerborg said:

 

All that said, I'd suggest finding an excuse to buy a second primary before you open up your first one.  Having a completely un-"improved" gun in the bag can be a day-saver.

 
This is probably the most useful bit of gun fettling advice you will ever get.

[Guest SoupyXo]

42 minutes ago, The Waco Kid said:

 
This is probably the most useful bit of gun fettling advice you will ever get.

if you could buy boneyard shit without a defence, id be buying boneyard shit and messing with that, cos boneyard is already broken, and you cant do much more damage to a broken gun (IMO its kinda silly that you need a defence to buy broken airsoft guns) 

 

but yeah, i plan on buying many, because well, they're cool and i have a few id like to buy anyway -

Kriss Vector
CZ Scorpion EVO
Glock 17
Sig P226

AI L115A2
Sten MK2 (who doesn't love the sten?)

Sterling L2A3
Colt 1911

and last but not least....

the infamous M249 SAW
 

[Rogerborg]

 

2 hours ago, SoupyXo said:

come on airsofters, brushless is the way forward, and your fancy mosfets will like it better, brushed belongs in the 90's and early 2000's.... get the internet, you stinkers!!

 

Can I get that on my AOL?

 

 

2 hours ago, SoupyXo said:

genuine skyrc imax b6

 

My holocheckogram seems legit, but they're old tech either way.  We've been inducted into the RC arcana now, although you'll still see the occasional holdout recommending the B6 here.

 

 

2 hours ago, SoupyXo said:

it was purchased brand new from patrol base

 

New-ish. Airsoft retailers are all prone to flogging returns as "new" stock. Not a problem if it's genuinely as new, but it can make it tricky to know if yours has been fingered and licked by a previous abuser.

 

 

2 hours ago, SoupyXo said:

and the m90 spring pack was open, but the spring inside said pack seemed a hell of a lot thicker and stronger than the weak one installed, so based on what you mentioned here, i might have just boosted my fps from 310 ish, up to 380 ish 😂

 

I'd suspect so.  The M90 is OK-ish for UK use, although an M100 should get you nearer site limits.  However, it's all highly dependent on air seal, and a wild guess without a chrono.

 

 

2 hours ago, SoupyXo said:

on the topic of these, i saw mention that active braking can help the inner gubbins go back into its ''reset'' position and not overshoot its mark causing you to have to switch over to full auto to ''reset it'' so you can go back to semi... i dunno, im new to this stuff

 

Eh. Active braking can help to prevent overspin, where on semi auto you get two shots for one trigger pull. I've only had this happen with 11.1V batteries though.  Pre-cocking used the same mechanism, but with a bit of delay.  Think of active braking as stopping the motor (and piston) as soon as possible after the trigger contacts are broken, while pre-cocking lets it run for a fixed and configurable period to pre-compress the spring and make the next shot complete quicker.  Both of them put more strain on the motor, if that bothers you.

 

There are two common issues that at both typically referred to as "lockup".  The minor one is where a semi auto cycle ends with the cut-off lever holding the trigger trolley back and the trigger contacts wont engage.  This can be sorted just by flipping to auto and firing a quick burst.

 

The other, rarer case, is when the spring ends up fully compressed and the motor stalls trying to pull it any further.  This is when you can get popped fuses and sometimes needs a disassembly and manipulating the anti-reversal latch (definitely do not do as I do and shove an Allen key up the nozzle and forcibly push the piston all the way back).

 

None of this is hugely likely, or a big concern, I just mention it out of interest to give you some search terms.

 

There's a lot that can go wrong with airsoft toys, but it generally doesn't, and you can just get out there and play.

[Guest SoupyXo]

36 minutes ago, Rogerborg said:

Can I get that on my AOL? 

yes

 

36 minutes ago, Rogerborg said:

My holocheckogram seems legit, but they're old tech either way.  We've been inducted into the RC arcana now, although you'll still see the occasional holdout recommending the B6 here.

i find that with most holocheckers, even down to things like vape coils (yes, i know) they can be faked too... its all fun and games, which is why i will only buy batteries and chargers from a reputable store like modelsport

 

36 minutes ago, Rogerborg said:

New-ish. Airsoft retailers are all prone to flogging returns as "new" stock. Not a problem if it's genuinely as new, but it can make it tricky to know if yours has been fingered and licked by a previous abuser.

i mean, the gun WAS touched by someone since they two toned it, so it was technically open box, but they said they had 90 odd on the shelf in the warehouse, and it was literally in as new a condition as it could have been... clean, no scratches other than the shit two tone job on the handguard, and obvious fingerprints from handling, so id say it was new new

 

36 minutes ago, Rogerborg said:

I'd suspect so.  The M90 is OK-ish for UK use, although an M100 should get you nearer site limits.  However, it's all highly dependent on air seal, and a wild guess without a chrono.

ill look into a chrono, even though i wasnt gonna bother and just have it site checked, but the rabbit hole of tinkering suggests i may need one *edit* i just found negative airsoft on youtube... fella looks like he knows a thing or 2 about airsoft guns, soo ill have a look over his content

 

36 minutes ago, Rogerborg said:

There are two common issues that at both typically referred to as "lockup".  The minor one is where a semi auto cycle ends with the cut-off lever holding the trigger trolley back and the trigger contacts wont engage.  This can be sorted just by flipping to auto and firing a quick burst.

im pretty sure this is the issue im seeing with my semi auto function. it will fire sometimes, but if i try tap fire, it ''locks up'' and i need to flick it to auto and have at it, then switch back for it to work properly again... would be nice if there was a fix for that so i dont need to keep doing that, and can tap fire on semi auto more efficiently *another edit* looks liek the gate warfet might be what im lookign for... i like the sound of pre-cocking 😉

Edited April 29, 2022 by SoupyXo
added text

[Rogerborg]

45 minutes ago, SoupyXo said:

but if i try tap fire, it ''locks up'' and i need to flick it to auto and have at it, then switch back for it to work properly again...

 

That's fairly common if you're trying to spam the trigger in semi. For now, just try to make more deliberate trigger pulls.

 

There's nothing (as stock) to complete the cycle once the trigger contacts are broken, so it can stop in an awkward place.  The Gate-XASR in the Specnas is just there for trigger contact protection, it's not up to much - mine craps out with a stronger motor.

 

 

45 minutes ago, SoupyXo said:

would be nice if there was a fix for that so i dont need to keep doing that, and can tap fire on semi auto more efficiently

 

A meatier battery and motor will cycle it quicker so it's less of an issue. Although see above for my issue with that.

 

 

45 minutes ago, SoupyXo said:

*another edit* looks liek the gate warfet might be what im lookign for... i like the sound of pre-cocking

 

Sure, or the Perun AB++ mosfet.  There are some cheaper mosfets that only do active braking that should let you use 11.1V, but a Warfet, Aster or Titan, or an AB++, will add some nice features like programmable bursts.