View attachment 171407
I built this systema PTW around a challenge kit and tackleberry motor.
Can you spot the repro stuff? If you answered fire selector, bolt stop, trigger, outer barrel, and lower receiver, you're correct. Everything else is real steel
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It turns out real AR parts are as cheap or cheaper than airsoft parts for the PTW platform (and are a lot higher quality). I just think it's neat to know that every part you interface with on my bb pew pew is not just close to real steel, but IS real steel. I did the machining myself on the upper receiver, buffer tube, pmag, and MOE+ grip to get them to fit. I even reamed out the metric holes on the lower to fit real AR pins and detents. Most of it was nothing too fancy, just needed some calipers, patience, and a decent end mill bit. And a lot of weekends. It felt great torquing the Geissele barrel nut down to the actual barrel nut torque, since it's a real rainier arms forged 7075 upper on there
Most of the problems I ran into were with the PTW platform itself. It requires some INCREDIBLY tight tolerances on the internals for everything to work right. Once you get it dialed in, though, it's a tank: I haven't really serviced anything in 4 or 5 years.
Does it shoot better than any other tuned AEG? Nope. Could I have bought 2 or 3 normal AEG's for the price of this thing? Yup. Would I rather? Nope! My money, I do what I want with it. It's also nice to know the gun will probably survive being thrown down a mountain.
I was going to drill out a used 5.56mm barrel for this as well until I lifted it: steel barrels are friggin heavy. I'll stick with my wimpy aluminum repro, LOL. I'd also probably kill an end mill or two milling out hardened steel for the hop up unit.
If I feel cute later, I may mill out an 80% lower for the new systema infinity ptw gearbox. I dunno though, I'll have to find some more cash and a lot more time to attempt that project.
*EDIT: forgot to mention barrel in the top list as repro