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Danerd's Various Builds and Tech Thread

25993 Views 399 Replies 27 Participants Last post by  Leo Greer
Hey all,

I've been on the forum for quite a while now, and have decided to throw my hat into the ring of build threads. Some of you may be thinking "great, another build thraed...", But I'll do my best to keep things interesting!

A little backround on me:

I first began airsoft back in 2007. I was invited by a few friends to go play at some property one them owned after school let out. At the time, I had no knowledge of the online retailers or what "actual" airsoft guns were. All I knew of was what could be had at the local Walmart. I showed up to play with a clear Crossman Pulse R72 (G3 shorty), paintball mask, and a fanny pack I used to keep a bottle of BBs in. To be honest, I had never had so much fun. About a year later I discovered Airsoft GI and Evike, and picked up my first "actual" airsoft gun: A JG G36K. I spent about three years with that gun, playing nearly every weekend in all types of weather with it. When it finally broke, I thought it would be an easy fix. Nope. For those of you who have never opened a gearbox, and then do so thinking it wont be hard, you know what I mean ;). Needless to say, I picked up a new gun shortly after that. To make a long story short, Ive been in the sport since then, and have had virtually every major category of platform. I started teching my own rifles about 8 years ago and have done everything save for a DSG or ER-hop. (Ive never done either of them as I have never had the need)

That all said, I'll start of with a few builds:

- CYMA M14

This has been a work in progress for a while now. I've always had a soft spot for the older rifles and the M14 is no exception. There is just something about it. This particular M14 has been a WIP for over a year now. I picked it up non-functioning in a trade. Turned out it the issue was the gearbox locking up. Once unlocked, it worked fine. Performance was nothing special whatsoever.

I have an older thread here that details the work that has gone into it so far. It has taken a backseat to other projects since then. I will be returning to this project in due time.

- VFC SR15E3 IWS

The name is a mouthful, no? Basically its a VFC M4 with Knights Armament trademarks on the body and rail, full ambi features (which is fantastic for a lefty like me) and is overall an awesome piece. This one has been in the works since September; working on it when I would come home from college when I had the time. Now that I'm done with college, I can put more time into it. It has had an odd journey, starting out as an AEG, then an HPA rifle, then back to an AEG. Currently it sits as my go-to primary and has been pretty well-built, but I'd like to push it a bit further. This is the build I'll be focusing on first.

- JG G36

One would think that after having five of these things, selling all of them, and regretting selling each one, I would have learned by now to keep at least one. Hopefully, this is that one.
This G36 isnt the common C variant, or the K, but rather the full-size or E variant. This one doesnt need much work internally, really the basics are it. Im debating whether or not I want to go nuts on the externals. I built one years ago for a customer that turned out really nice, and it didnt cost too much.

- Classic Army SA58

This is the rifle I really learned how to tech on. Its a real oldie - Ive had it about eight years and it has seen better days. It still has the original DS Arms trademarks on it, but its in really rough shape and in need of a few parts that arent easy to come by nowadays. That all said, it has been a bit of a gem because you really dont see them. I could turn it into a "DMR" seeing that its a 7.62 rifle, but with it being the carbine variant instead of the full-size, I think a full stock 7.62 SBR would be better.

- WE G18C

I picked this up recently in a trade. The previous owner did a number on the lower with a wretched stippling job, they also "upgraded" it with a number of questionable aftermarket parts that seem to be hindering, rather than improving its performance. Angel Custom for the win, right? :rolleyes:
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I built a CYMA '74 a decade ago and while fun, it just didn't hold up too well.
how so? was it a VFC or a TM style?
how so? was it a VFC or a TM style?
VFC-style. The front and rear trunion rivets worked themselves loose and the rifle turned into a but of a wobly piece. Now, this was 10 years ago and I'd like to think things have changed since, but it's airsoft and I could be wrong
I picked up a new body set for my G&P while perusing places last week looking for quality things we just can't get here in the US. The used market here is also insane for whatever reason, and it's just cheaper to head overseas and get something new for just a smidgen more than something "used" here.

Anyway, thats my /rant for now. Knowing the value of the Magpul bodies here in the States, part of me wants to keep it nice; the other part of me says screw it, have fun. Then I found a Colt-marked body set for ~$100 and said "this will do just fine". This also gives me a spare upper to build out however I want.

On another note....

I've been looking at LCT's offering for AKs and they seem to offer a wider range than E&L. Does anyone have first-hand experience with them? The usual "reviewers" I have seen all sing praises about E&L and LCT, but I'd like some truly objective feedback on them. Also a fair amount of the "reviews" I have seen or read are dated (2017-2020ish) and I know things do change (but not often)...
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I can only give you a ‘first impression’ of the two, as I have not fielded either of mine. I have an E&L AKMS and I have a LCT MG-MS NV. I purchased the AKMS to HPA, so I gutted it. I like the way it feels in my hands. I have left the LCT bone stock, and it feels nice too. Both offerings’ pistolgrip are the week points on the rifles. The wood on the E&L feels like it’s a soft wood and will dent, scratch and wear fast. This may or may not be an issue for you. I do know that the magpul front grip furniture does fit nicely on the E&L though, so if it gets too beat up I can change it out. Or even change it out fro when I’m playing outside with it. There will be some fitting ’adjustments’ that may need to be done with the LCT. But all in all, the exteriors for my examples are pretty much on par. They both seem to be a little temperamental with magazines. I had to modify my CYMA mags to wok on the E&L. I have shot the LCT at home a couple of times, and it shoots straight for at least 50 feet(ish). The rate of fire was not great, but I blame that on the bad battery I have for it(Not an aeg guy and Fell for the titan battery pitch :rolleyes: :mad:(n)). I would buy either again. Unfortunately, I cannot really answer longevity questions, as I have not used them a lot or in games. But If you are planning on upgrading, etc., and know what you’re doing; that doesn’t matter much I guess.
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Thanks @Graybeard , my main concern is how well the externals are put together. Internals are hit-and-miss nowadays, and my plan would be to do my basic mods to maximize longevity and performance.
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Things have been quiet. Turns out the body set I found was out of stock (big shocker) and Im working with the seller to get a refund issued. I managed to find a new boxmag for my 249 that didn't cost an arm and a leg; hopefully it ships and arrives quickly enough.

My DSG continues to be the bane of players at the local fields. Nothing has broken (yet) and it performs great. I am looking at replacing the motor in it. I've noticed that in a few firefights the motor gets awfully warm; hot enough that I can feel it through the grip and my gloves and when touched with a bare hand its uncomfortable after a few seconds. Now, this is after 3-4 mag dumps of semi-auto spam with little to no break in between, so figure 450-600 rounds. That's a fair bit for any motor, let alone one running an SP160 DSG. I cant say Im not happy with how the SHS motor I have has been working, but the repeated heatups are starting to take their toll as its not as fast as it used to be. I have been looking at both Action Army and Tienly motors and am deciding on which one would best suit my needs.

MY G36 has been sidelined for a while now. I'm not happy with how the Titan has been working with cycle detection and a few other settings. Nothing is damaged and it works as it was designed - just not for my particular application. I've since picked up a Perun V3 Hybrid, having had great success with the V2 unit. Hopefully it does what the Titan can't (for half the price). So if anyone is in the market for a used-but-not-abused V3 Titan Expert, let me know and I'll cut you a deal.
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I have been looking at both Action Army and Tienly motors and am deciding on which one would best suit my needs.
Tienlys have better magnets, but AAs run faster (I think).
I don't like the AA 40K I have. It performs way worse than the Tienly 40K I have...

Or... you could take the plunge and go brushless. :sneaky: T238 is the best, imo. Spams my SP160 with no stress or heat. And it'll almost run on 25 amps.
I don't like the AA 40K I have. It performs way worse than the Tienly 40K I have...

Or... you could take the plunge and go brushless. :sneaky: T238 is the best, imo. Spams my SP160 with no stress or heat. And it'll almost run on 25 amps.
The thought of going brushless has crossed my mind. My only concerns are:
  • How will it run with my Perun unit, IF it will run. My Perun manuals do state they work with Warhead and BLDC motors but dont mention the T238 line...
  • It being too fast for my setup and causing issues. 42 rps is great and all, but a little more couldn't hurt. A 33K should be similar to my SHS in terms of no-load speed, but far more efficient.
The thought of going brushless has crossed my mind. My only concerns are:
  • How will it run with my Perun unit, IF it will run. My Perun manuals do state they work with Warhead and BLDC motors but dont mention the T238 line...
  • It being too fast for my setup and causing issues. 42 rps is great and all, but a little more couldn't hurt. A 33K should be similar to my SHS in terms of no-load speed, but far more efficient.
It's an 18:1? On 16:1 mine is hitting 58, so you'll be a bit above where you are now.

The Perun compatibility is a better question, and to be honest I'm scared to be the first one to plug one into a Perun. It shouldn't cause any issues... but of course things don't always turn out like they should in airsoft.
It's an 18:1, but I can drop it to 16:1 whenever I want. It sounds like an Email to Perun may be in order to see what their take is before I do anything.

58 is pretty quick. My 10:1 SP160 DSG on a neo can TM EG1000 hit ~56. It got hot, but nowhere near as hot as my current setup gets. If going brushless doesn't work out, I'll pickup a Tienly from @Guges Mk3.
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BLDC motors
BLDC = brushless direct current, this is an umbrella term. Direct current being how they are powered as opposed to AC induction motors in power tools or washing machines. You are definitely up to the mercy of the built-in ESC and its software running the brushless motor but the Perun likely drives all of them the same way.
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Thanks for the info @aotsukisho. I still think an email to Perun is warranted given the vast discrepancies we have in the industry, and perhaps to T238 just to see if they have any test data with products not of their own making. The "umbrella" statement is fine and wonderful, but as we all know that isn't worth much anymore.
From my limited knowledge, if you're not using AB, the only way the Perun should hurt the ESC is if you somehow play one of the Easter egg "songs" that use the motor as a "speaker". Emailing is appropriate though.
A bit of an update here;

Turns out my Redwolf order landed Stateside today (placed the order 5 days ago) and its due to arrive this Friday. It has the last few odds and ends to "finish" thus LMG of mine.

I took it out this past weekend for an open play after messing with the box mag. The magazine "works" as in it feeds great now. Turns out the issue with it was the internal feed tube had jammed and wound up on itself. Now it has a tendency to double-feed and jam at the junction where the mag meets the receiver. I think I screwed the feed port down too far onto the magazine, which had left too much of a gap and is allowing this to happen.

An Army buddy of mine sent me a link to a place where one can aquire surplus parts. They didn't have any improved bipods, but they did have heatshields and stocks. Against my better judgment, I picked up a surplus full stock for the 249 hoping it would fit. It arrived today and surprisingly was almost a drop-in fit. It needed some dremeling of the retention pin hole to have it align with the holes on the receiver. $85 for the stock (which is in good shape overall) and 45 minutes of careful work and it sits nice and pretty. It has all of the marks of use and abuse over the years, and still has a blue tag with "138" on it from the Armory. It looks great, and is way more comfortable than the Mk46 stock it had originally.

Pics to come!
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Here she is! If anyone is wondering what parts are on it:

FMA PEQ-15
Repro Trijicon SRS
Surplus KAC rail panels
Surplus FN M249 stock
FN Weapon ID Tag
G&P M249 flash hider

I may swap around optics in the future, but this is more-or-less how it's going to be setup.

On a side note, I should tone the rate of fire down a bit. She's cranking out just shy of 30rps stock and while that's fun and all, blowing through box mags isn't. I think a modest ~20 or so is more than suitable for an LMG.
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Man... usually you don't have to tone down the rate of fire on stock guns. :p G&P must have a real motor in that thing...
Man... usually you don't have to tone down the rate of fire on stock guns. G&P must have a real motor in that thing...
It came with their M140 motor, and unlike the M120 variant, it hasn't blown windings off the armature yet. It's a ferrous motor with (I think) a 14tpa arm. Combine that with the big 11.1 lipos I run and it chews through BBs.

The main reasons Im looking at tuning it down are:

- The mags are at their limit for feeding the heavy ammo I run through it. I notice skips here and there when it's firing and seeing as how everything is running off of the same battery and the gun doesn't slow down, that leaves the mag as the culprit. This isn't as big of an issue as the next point...

- My fields are beginning to impose rate of fire caps in general. Most are capping things at 25, some are looking at 20, and I'd like to be able to use my stuff wherever I play. I can only go so long using the 'excuse' that the "mags can't keep up, so it won't be an issue" or "It's stock, and I'm not changing anything". That one usually settles any issues or concerns, though I notice the Refs/Marshall's are over my shoulder a little more than usual.
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That one usually settles any issues or concerns, though I notice the Refs/Marshall's are over my shoulder a little more than usual.
That just means you're winning. By which I mean playing correctly. :sneaky:
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