Airsoft Tips From Videos: Teching on Your Airsoft AEG

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Airsoft Tips From Videos: Teching on Your Airsoft AEG | AirsoftWarrior.net
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A lot of airsofters like to tech on their guns, either to improve the performance, make it look more “tacticool”, or to learn something new about their airsoft weaponry.  While looking around the internet for more projects to do on my AEG (Automatic Electric Gun), I found some helpful resources that I want to share with you!

(Note:  Please read my post “To Tech or Not To Tech”.  This post will give you valuable insight on whether or not you should tech on your AEG.)


AirRattleTV: Proper Technique for Greasing Your AEG Airsoft Gun Gears

 

A lot of companies send their guns out with a bucket load of grease inside the gearbox.  Although this keeps the gun lubricated, it tends to decrease performance (like ROF) because the grease is so thick that the whole gun has to work overtime to keep everything running.  This video gives you tips on how to properly grease the gears on an AEG.

To keep your AEG in top condition, do this procedure every year or every time you open your gearbox.  Buy some quality silicone grease or Teflon gear grease (Teflon is supposed to have better cold weather performance.  I have used Guarder Teflon grease and it works great.)  You will notice how little grease is actually needed to get the job done.  Also remember to apply a thin layer of grease to the teeth rack on the piston and the rails that the piston slides on inside the gear box.  Apply grease to the motor pinion gear as well.

 

AirRattleTV: How to Lighten Your Piston via the Swiss Cheese Method

 

Swiss cheesing a piston is a simple modification that will allow your AEG to get a higher ROF and better trigger response.  It is one of the most-used modifications in the airsoft world and you can find tons of resources and tips on how to do it.

The basic principle is to remove as much unneeded material as possible from the piston to reduce its weight. This means the gears and motor have less weight to pull back each shot, increasing the speed at which your AEG can fire.  When doing this mod, be careful not to damage the piston or over-swiss it, which can cause it to fail under stress.

 

AirRattleTV: How to Fix Your Broken AEG Gun’s Trigger Post

 

One of the common issues with Version 2 (M4/M16) gearboxes is the trigger post (I had this issue when I started the Tech Saga).  The trigger post is a small piece of metal that keeps the trigger shuttle (which pulls forward to form an electrical circuit when you pull back the trigger) in place.  This puts this piece under stress with each shot, which can cause it to break sooner or later.  Without it, your AEG trigger will lock up and the gun will cease to fire.

Obviously, you want to fix this issue if it happens, but you may not want to spend the $40-$70 to buy a new gear box and bushings.  If you have some tools and time, try the method in this video.  Remember that this modification may still have issues depending on how well the screw holds up.  I tried this method using a roll pin and lock tight, but it just couldn’t hold up to the stress, so be forewarned.

 

I hope that these resources from AirRattleTV will help you to improve your AEG.  Be sure to check out the Tech Saga videos and posts for more information on teching and the inner workings of a gearbox.  Also, be sure to let me know in the comments about your best (and worst) teching experiences!

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The Tech Saga: Part 3- Final Test of the Custom JG M4 RIS

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The Tech Saga: The Final Test of the Custom JG M4 RIS | AirsoftWarrior.net

In this final Tech Saga post on the JG M4 RIS we will put the upgraded and customized airsoft weapon through a series of test to determine its ability as a CQB weapon.  I hope everyone has enjoyed the Tech Saga series and has gotten a better understanding on what airsoft teching is.  If you have any questions on the Tech Saga feel free to comment them below.

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

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

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The Tech Saga- The Upgrade Parts of Champions | AirsoftWarrior.net

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

 

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The Tech Saga: Part 1- Inside the JG M4 RIS

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The Tech Saga | AirsoftWarrior.net

Recently I started getting into the technical side of airsoft.  I wanted to learn about the ins and outs of my AEG in an attempt to gain more knowledge about the awesome sport of airsoft.  This post is the first of the Tech Saga series.  In the Tech Saga I will show you the basics of teching your airsoft AEG, the problems I encountered during my tech work and how you can avoid them, and the end result of my tech job on my JG M4 RIS.

First we will get some lingo out of the way.  The gearbox (or mechbox) is the heart of your airsoft gun.  It provides the air compression that propels the BB down the barrel.  A good video on the inner workings of an AEG can be found here.  There are many types of gearboxes (Version 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) but they all work essentially the same.  The removal and part design are often different from version to version so be sure to research the parts you are getting to ensure compatibility. The version you have in your airsoft gun varies.  M4/M16 style airsofts often have Version 2 (V2) gearboxes.  An AK or G36 mainly have Version 3 (V3) gearboxes.  I have a Version 2 gearbox in my JG M4 RIS.

The obvious goal of teching (or airsmithing) your AEG is to repair, upgrade, and/or maintain your airsoft gun.  But always remember the real goal is to learn and enjoy your experience.  If you get tired or frustrated, put the pieces in a safe place (I have a special work table set up), take a break, and relax.  Believe me, it is better to wait until you feel up to the task then to press on.

I decided to tech my JG M4 RIS to repair the gearbox shell after the trigger post broke.  This is common problem with Version 2 (V2) gearboxes with weak shells due to the stress put on that post by the trigger trolley (watch the video to learn more).  I also wanted to upgrade the internals for CQB operations (350 fps or less) and increase the life of the weapon overall.  In this post is a video of my JG M4 RIS’s internals and what parts you will want to upgrade, or look for, in you airsoft gun.

Stay tuned for more installments of the Tech Saga.  We will be examining the parts that I used to build this Warrior Grade weapon, the end results, of this custom build, and more! Coming soon to AirsoftWarrior.net!

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

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