Post by GenRam on Sept 5, 2007 5:12:29 GMT 8
What happens when I upgrade:
SPRINGS
Stronger springs make the piston compress air in the cylinder faster, which in turn pushes the air out faster. This results in higher FPS. However, what people tend to forget to mention, stronger springs mean more work for the rest of the gun's parts--from the gears, bushings, motor, battery, etc. Click this for reference to spring chart.
SPRING GUIDE
The stronger springs used to achieve higher FPS, the stronger the spring's tendency to try and dissipate the energy stored in it when compressed. Sometimes, the spring tries to go sideways to dissipate this energy. The spring guide's function is to keep the spring straight when it is being compressed.
Metal Spring guides are often used when using really strong springs. What the strength of spring would require a metal spring guide is sometimes a matter of debate. There is no hard and fast rule. Some of the more conservative gunsmiths would insist on a metal spring guide the moment you change springs to something stronger than stock. Many gunsmiths advocate only changing at M120/SP120/PDI 170%. Others others only when exceeding those spring ratings.
Metal Spring guides with bearings serve two purposes: First, it makes it easier for the spring to twist while being compressed, thus reducing the amount of tension the spring has to undergo and (theoretically) make the spring last longer (all things being equal); Second, it acts like a spacer, meaning it shortens the stroke of the spring, pre-tensioning the spring and thus adding a few more FPS to the gun.
SHIMS
Shimming is not an upgrade as it is an adjustment of the fit or alignment of the gears. If one were to follow the analogy of a car, shimming is like aligning and balancing the tires. If your gears are misaligned, the minimum damage it will cause is added friction which will drain your battery quicker (the amps) and slow down your rate of fire. Worse, you can wreck your gears. Some links to shimming guides: Step by step guide, Alternate step by step guide, Illustration and Another alternate site
BUSHINGS
Bushings fix the pivot points or sockets of the gears. With the added pressure of stronger springs, the tendency of the gears is to try to move out of their sockets. This causes deformation of the bushings, if plastic. Deformed bushing will mean that the gears will misalign, increasing the possibility of wrecking the gears. This is why metal bushings is one of the key upgrades to be done when your upgrade the spring.
BATTERY-mah
More mah means the battery has more amps or more power. Meaning, your batteries will last longer during the game, which translates into more play time!
BATTERY-Voltage
Higher volatge means the the motor is driven faster, meaning your gears turn faster, which translates to a higher rate of fire = more bbs fired per minute! However, there is a limit to how much voltage can be increased. If overdone you may end up burning out your motor.
Click this link for the battery differences.
MOTOR
There are motors that are stronger (in torque) which means it can drive stronger springs. Then there are motors that have lower torque but higher speed. These motors are used for higher rates of fire. I know what the next question is and the answer is: NO, THERE ARE NO HIGH SPEED, STRONG TORQUE MOTORS. If they made them, they would not be small enough to fit in an AEG.
FUSE
The fuse is there to help protect your gun against burn out. Causes of burn-out range from short-circuit (either your wires got crossed, the moving parts stripped the wire insulation or the gun got wet) to over working the battery/wiring/motors. Many stock guns come with 15 Amp fuses. When you upgrade your gun, the demands on the electricals (battery/wiring/motor) increase. To keep up, many people upgrade their batteries and/or motor. Some even upgrade the wiring. However, in may cases with these upgrades, the fuse often burns out. When this happens in the field, many people bridge the shorted fuse with chewing gum or cigarette wrapper foil (for replacement of the fuse later when they get home). Some people even change the fuse rating to 20 Amps or higher. Many people often remove the fuse outright.
One has to be cautious when upgrading the fuse rating or removing it, particularly when using Lipoly batteries. When in doubt, discuss this with a gunsmith or a trained electrician. Remember: It is cheaper to replace a burnt out fuse than to replace a cooked battery, a fried motor or a roasted gun.
WIRING
For most upgrades, it is not necessary to change/upgrade the gear box's wiring. However, in cases wherein the upgrades are near the extreme (high spring strength/high-torque motor/upgraded battery), better wiring will help in bringing power from the batteries to the motor, also reduce the amount of heat generated by the wires (and help save your fuses from burning out). The recommended gauge is AWG #16. Please see this link for more details.
BARREL
There are upgrades to lengthen the barrel. This has a slight increase in FPS, (assuming there is no vacuum effect) but more importantly, it increases the gun's accuracy.
Tight fit barrels do four things: First, it make your bbs fly much more accurately. Second, since the volume of air in the barrel is lessened, it will increase your fps by decreasing the vacuum effect. Third, it allows you to have a longer barrel than your cylinder can normally handle (due to the reduction of the barrel's air volume versus that of the air volume in the cylinder). Fourth, it increases the chances of bbs getting stuck in the barrel, as the tolerances are much less. To solve this last problem, you will have to use higher quality (and possibly more expensive) bbs.
Click this for references on the different barrel lengths.
Hop-up
The hop-up was originally considered an upgrade. However most of the newer guns have hop-up units as standard. Hopu-ups come as either fixed or adjustable, with adjustable hop-ups becoming the norm. Fixed hop-ups are often fixed either for 0.2 gram BBs or 0.12 gram (in weaker guns). For those whose guns still do not have hop-up, it is only worth while to have hop-up installed only if your gun is capable of shooting more than 30 feet. Otherwise, the hop-up will only add a few more feet range and may not be worth the additional investment. Adjustable or variable hop-ups are worth getting (if you have a fixed hop-up) if you intent to use different weights or types of BBs.
The basic theory of hop-up is spin theory. When the BB is shot friction is put on the upper side of the BB bullet. The BB spins upward, this causes the air pressure above the BB to be lower than the air pressure below the BB. This, in turn, causes the BB to "float" up. The power of spin can offset the affects of gravity, wind power and air friction, particularly towards the later stages of the BB's flight, helping the BB fly a few yards further. Click this link for more information.
CYLINDERS
Many airsoft players want to extend their gun inner barrel. This is because there is belief that longer barrel will make muzzle velocity and accuracy higher than the normal.
In some way this is true, as it is easy to upgrade the power with a long barrel rifle than a short one. You do need something else though -- the cylinder size has to be changed to match the length of the barrel. For Tokyo Marui’s AEG, five different type of cylinder exist according to the barrel length. If the wrong type of cylinder is installed, muzzle velocity is unstable and accuracy becomes poor as result. The air balance inside operating mechanism causes this.
So if the barrel length has been changed, the cylinder type should be changed with it. When it comes to inner barrel the balance between barrel length and the cylinder type is more important than the barrel length. Too long inner barrel causes the same result. 55cm is the longest variation of Tokyo Marui AEG rifle (PSG-1 is an exception, it has a different cylinder type) and that should be the maximum length you can use since correct cylinders do not exist beyond this length.
Boreup cylinders increases air volume that is pushed through your barrel, and is perfect for long rifles where longer barrels require more air to completely propel the BB out of the barrel. This is because they have larger inner diameters, thus more air volume. The use of bore-up cylinders necessitate that you upgrade your cylinder head and piston head to match the larger bore of the cylinder.
Click this for a brief guide on the different cylinders.
CYLINDER HEAD
Metal cylinder heads are used for better durability and fit over the standard plastic cylinder heads, particularly when using stronger springs. Ported cylinder head delivers more efficient airflow for greater power for your airsoft gun.
PISTON HEAD
A ported piston head helps reduce the friction of the driving the piston back and forth in the cylinder. This results in lower power drain (due to less friction) and increase the rate of fire slightly.
PISTON
Polycarb or metal pistons give more durability than standard or stock pistons, and may be necessary given the stress created by the stronger springs.
GEARS
Gears can be upgraded in two directions--high torque (more power/lower speed) and high speed (less power/higher speed).
Higher torque gears makes it easier for the motor to drive the gears or allow the motor to compress stronger springs. This will lessen the need for a stronger motor, lessen the need to get high mah batteries, and result in less stress on the motor/batteries. Unfortunately, the rate of fire will go down.
High speed gears are the complete opposite of high torque gears. More difficult to compress springs, more drain on batteries and more stress on the motor/batteries. However, your rate of fire will be much higher.
GEARBOX
Getting a reinforced gear box would supposedly mean that the whole gear box can take much more punishment. Thus, a metal gear box can take more stress OR last longer (not necessarily both) than a plastic gear box, and a reinforced gear box can take more stress OR last longer (again not necessarily both) than a plain metal gear box.
info taken from acm posted by sir CK
SPRINGS
Stronger springs make the piston compress air in the cylinder faster, which in turn pushes the air out faster. This results in higher FPS. However, what people tend to forget to mention, stronger springs mean more work for the rest of the gun's parts--from the gears, bushings, motor, battery, etc. Click this for reference to spring chart.
SPRING GUIDE
The stronger springs used to achieve higher FPS, the stronger the spring's tendency to try and dissipate the energy stored in it when compressed. Sometimes, the spring tries to go sideways to dissipate this energy. The spring guide's function is to keep the spring straight when it is being compressed.
Metal Spring guides are often used when using really strong springs. What the strength of spring would require a metal spring guide is sometimes a matter of debate. There is no hard and fast rule. Some of the more conservative gunsmiths would insist on a metal spring guide the moment you change springs to something stronger than stock. Many gunsmiths advocate only changing at M120/SP120/PDI 170%. Others others only when exceeding those spring ratings.
Metal Spring guides with bearings serve two purposes: First, it makes it easier for the spring to twist while being compressed, thus reducing the amount of tension the spring has to undergo and (theoretically) make the spring last longer (all things being equal); Second, it acts like a spacer, meaning it shortens the stroke of the spring, pre-tensioning the spring and thus adding a few more FPS to the gun.
SHIMS
Shimming is not an upgrade as it is an adjustment of the fit or alignment of the gears. If one were to follow the analogy of a car, shimming is like aligning and balancing the tires. If your gears are misaligned, the minimum damage it will cause is added friction which will drain your battery quicker (the amps) and slow down your rate of fire. Worse, you can wreck your gears. Some links to shimming guides: Step by step guide, Alternate step by step guide, Illustration and Another alternate site
BUSHINGS
Bushings fix the pivot points or sockets of the gears. With the added pressure of stronger springs, the tendency of the gears is to try to move out of their sockets. This causes deformation of the bushings, if plastic. Deformed bushing will mean that the gears will misalign, increasing the possibility of wrecking the gears. This is why metal bushings is one of the key upgrades to be done when your upgrade the spring.
BATTERY-mah
More mah means the battery has more amps or more power. Meaning, your batteries will last longer during the game, which translates into more play time!
BATTERY-Voltage
Higher volatge means the the motor is driven faster, meaning your gears turn faster, which translates to a higher rate of fire = more bbs fired per minute! However, there is a limit to how much voltage can be increased. If overdone you may end up burning out your motor.
Click this link for the battery differences.
MOTOR
There are motors that are stronger (in torque) which means it can drive stronger springs. Then there are motors that have lower torque but higher speed. These motors are used for higher rates of fire. I know what the next question is and the answer is: NO, THERE ARE NO HIGH SPEED, STRONG TORQUE MOTORS. If they made them, they would not be small enough to fit in an AEG.
FUSE
The fuse is there to help protect your gun against burn out. Causes of burn-out range from short-circuit (either your wires got crossed, the moving parts stripped the wire insulation or the gun got wet) to over working the battery/wiring/motors. Many stock guns come with 15 Amp fuses. When you upgrade your gun, the demands on the electricals (battery/wiring/motor) increase. To keep up, many people upgrade their batteries and/or motor. Some even upgrade the wiring. However, in may cases with these upgrades, the fuse often burns out. When this happens in the field, many people bridge the shorted fuse with chewing gum or cigarette wrapper foil (for replacement of the fuse later when they get home). Some people even change the fuse rating to 20 Amps or higher. Many people often remove the fuse outright.
One has to be cautious when upgrading the fuse rating or removing it, particularly when using Lipoly batteries. When in doubt, discuss this with a gunsmith or a trained electrician. Remember: It is cheaper to replace a burnt out fuse than to replace a cooked battery, a fried motor or a roasted gun.
WIRING
For most upgrades, it is not necessary to change/upgrade the gear box's wiring. However, in cases wherein the upgrades are near the extreme (high spring strength/high-torque motor/upgraded battery), better wiring will help in bringing power from the batteries to the motor, also reduce the amount of heat generated by the wires (and help save your fuses from burning out). The recommended gauge is AWG #16. Please see this link for more details.
BARREL
There are upgrades to lengthen the barrel. This has a slight increase in FPS, (assuming there is no vacuum effect) but more importantly, it increases the gun's accuracy.
Tight fit barrels do four things: First, it make your bbs fly much more accurately. Second, since the volume of air in the barrel is lessened, it will increase your fps by decreasing the vacuum effect. Third, it allows you to have a longer barrel than your cylinder can normally handle (due to the reduction of the barrel's air volume versus that of the air volume in the cylinder). Fourth, it increases the chances of bbs getting stuck in the barrel, as the tolerances are much less. To solve this last problem, you will have to use higher quality (and possibly more expensive) bbs.
Click this for references on the different barrel lengths.
Hop-up
The hop-up was originally considered an upgrade. However most of the newer guns have hop-up units as standard. Hopu-ups come as either fixed or adjustable, with adjustable hop-ups becoming the norm. Fixed hop-ups are often fixed either for 0.2 gram BBs or 0.12 gram (in weaker guns). For those whose guns still do not have hop-up, it is only worth while to have hop-up installed only if your gun is capable of shooting more than 30 feet. Otherwise, the hop-up will only add a few more feet range and may not be worth the additional investment. Adjustable or variable hop-ups are worth getting (if you have a fixed hop-up) if you intent to use different weights or types of BBs.
The basic theory of hop-up is spin theory. When the BB is shot friction is put on the upper side of the BB bullet. The BB spins upward, this causes the air pressure above the BB to be lower than the air pressure below the BB. This, in turn, causes the BB to "float" up. The power of spin can offset the affects of gravity, wind power and air friction, particularly towards the later stages of the BB's flight, helping the BB fly a few yards further. Click this link for more information.
CYLINDERS
Many airsoft players want to extend their gun inner barrel. This is because there is belief that longer barrel will make muzzle velocity and accuracy higher than the normal.
In some way this is true, as it is easy to upgrade the power with a long barrel rifle than a short one. You do need something else though -- the cylinder size has to be changed to match the length of the barrel. For Tokyo Marui’s AEG, five different type of cylinder exist according to the barrel length. If the wrong type of cylinder is installed, muzzle velocity is unstable and accuracy becomes poor as result. The air balance inside operating mechanism causes this.
So if the barrel length has been changed, the cylinder type should be changed with it. When it comes to inner barrel the balance between barrel length and the cylinder type is more important than the barrel length. Too long inner barrel causes the same result. 55cm is the longest variation of Tokyo Marui AEG rifle (PSG-1 is an exception, it has a different cylinder type) and that should be the maximum length you can use since correct cylinders do not exist beyond this length.
Boreup cylinders increases air volume that is pushed through your barrel, and is perfect for long rifles where longer barrels require more air to completely propel the BB out of the barrel. This is because they have larger inner diameters, thus more air volume. The use of bore-up cylinders necessitate that you upgrade your cylinder head and piston head to match the larger bore of the cylinder.
Click this for a brief guide on the different cylinders.
CYLINDER HEAD
Metal cylinder heads are used for better durability and fit over the standard plastic cylinder heads, particularly when using stronger springs. Ported cylinder head delivers more efficient airflow for greater power for your airsoft gun.
PISTON HEAD
A ported piston head helps reduce the friction of the driving the piston back and forth in the cylinder. This results in lower power drain (due to less friction) and increase the rate of fire slightly.
PISTON
Polycarb or metal pistons give more durability than standard or stock pistons, and may be necessary given the stress created by the stronger springs.
GEARS
Gears can be upgraded in two directions--high torque (more power/lower speed) and high speed (less power/higher speed).
Higher torque gears makes it easier for the motor to drive the gears or allow the motor to compress stronger springs. This will lessen the need for a stronger motor, lessen the need to get high mah batteries, and result in less stress on the motor/batteries. Unfortunately, the rate of fire will go down.
High speed gears are the complete opposite of high torque gears. More difficult to compress springs, more drain on batteries and more stress on the motor/batteries. However, your rate of fire will be much higher.
GEARBOX
Getting a reinforced gear box would supposedly mean that the whole gear box can take much more punishment. Thus, a metal gear box can take more stress OR last longer (not necessarily both) than a plastic gear box, and a reinforced gear box can take more stress OR last longer (again not necessarily both) than a plain metal gear box.
info taken from acm posted by sir CK