The Tech Saga: Part 2- The Upgrade Parts of Champions

In the last Tech Saga Post we took a look at the internals of my JG M4 RIS and explained some of the parts you will want to upgrade in a stock airsoft AEG.  In the below video you can see all of the parts I used in my JG M4 RIS, the end result of the install, as well as some of my thoughts on the parts I used and the benefits of them.  Enjoy!

Here is the list of the parts I used in my upgrade along with links to the websites I bought them from.  I have also included some thoughts I had on each part.-

Matrix V2 CNC Steel Ball Bearing Spring Guide by SHS
A ball bearing spring guide reduces wear and tear on your gearbox by allowing the spring to twist on itself instead of storing unnecessary energy. This spring guide has worked great with my ICS ball bearing piston head and also had enough threading for my buffer tube screw.

Hawk Arms Aluminum Air Nozzle
An aluminum air nozzle will last longer than a a stock plastic one.  The single o-ring in the Hawk Arms Air Nozzle aids in air compression and works much better than the stock version.

G&G M100 Spring
G&G makes quality produces and this spring is excellent as well.  The M100 level spring produces 320-350 fps depending on the quality of the other parts in your airsoft gun. The coils of this spring have a variable pitch which helps to reduce stress on other components of the gearbox.

Angel Custom G2 SUS 304 Stainless Steel Tightbore Barrel (363 mm X 6.01 mm)
A tightbore barrel will increase both accuracy and air compression by decreasing the amount of space around the BB as it travels down the barrel.  The Angel custom barrel is an excellent addition to any airsoft custom build due to the ease of installation and the cost to benefit ratio.

ICS Reinforce Polycarb Piston w/ 8 steel teeth + Ball Bearing Piston Head
(Note:  I only used the piston head in my upgrade due to a mistake I made in installing the piston itself.  I put the piston in the shell and failed to check that it was on the rails properly.  The piston stood up to my repeated attempts to cycle the gun but ended up being warped beyond repair.  I did use the ball bearing piston head on my stock piston with no issues and excellent air seal.)

Matrix 8mm CNC Precision Steel Ball Bearing Bushings
I had some difficulty installing these bushings into my new gearbox shell.  I would recommend buying a bushing install tool  to aid the process.  I increased the number of revolutions from 5, with out the ball bearing, to 20+ with them.  The increased revolutions will reduce wear on the gears and may increase ROF.

Modify Torus 8mm Reinforced V2 Gearbox Shell w/ Tappet Plate
This shell installed easily into my JG M4 RIS’s ABS plastic body and fit all of my stock components.  The inspection ports were great for checking over the gearbox and making sure my spring was not cocked when I wanted to store my gun.

Scatterplot Sorbo Pad 1/4″ 40D
A sorbothane pad is the best way to correct Angle Of Engagement (AOE) to help lessen pressure on the piston from the upward motion of the gears when they cycle.  It also helps to reduce the stress on the front of the gearbox.

Modify Metal Precision Shim Set
Shiming your gears allows for less friction inside the gearbox and faster ROF. These shims were excellent.  Each thickness was a different diameter to make picking the right thickness easy and simple.  I highly recommend them.

Lonex A5 Durable Standard Motor (Long Type)
The Lonex A5 is one of Lonex’s lower end balanced motors.  A balanced motor has a mix of torque and speed.  This motor is ready for up to a M120 spring. One of the side effects of using this motor with an M100 spring is that it has a tendency to half cock the piston.  In theory this decrease trigger response time because the piston is already half way back.  Be sure to check out your gearbox after a day of battle and mess with the trigger to reset the spring. The rate of fire is also lower than I expected.  I may end up purchasing the A4 (high speed) version to increase the ROF.

Aim Top High Concentration Silicone Oil
I use this liquid silicone oil on my piston head o-ring to help with lubrication and air seal. The liquid form has the right viscosity for this purpose.

Evike.com Competition Grade Silicone Spray
I used the spray form of the silicone oil to clean my barrel.  If you use the liquid form you will have to be extra sure that the barrel is dry for maximum accuracy.

Gaurder Phantom Teflon Grease
Teflon grease is said to work better than other greases in cold environments.  So it appears I am good to go for any Arctic airsoft wars.  It has a white color that looks a little less messy than the black colored greases when you are applying it.  I used it on my gears and on the piston rails.

The Tech Saga Series
The Tech Saga Part 1- Inside the JG M4 RIS
The Tech Saga Part 2- The Upgrade Parts of Champions
The Tech Saga Part 3- Final Test of the Custom JG M4 RIS