The Difference Between Parts and Spares

Here’s some food for thought….

At the last airsoft event I was asked by a fellow airsofter what spare parts he should consider stocking up on in case his AEG went down.

My reply was, “Another rifle – and preferably one that uses the same magazines.”

Lets face it: digging into a broken airsoft gun is a bit of a process of elimination. 9 times out of 10 it will require you to open your gun up in order to correctly diagnose the problem. In order to do this, you will need a small suite of tools to make it happen. You will need a reasonably clean work surface. You will need parts. Most of all, you will need time. The time involved in tearing open your AEG is time lost during an event. Time lost is also fun lost.

… Unless we’re talking about an ROTC event, in which case time is all you will ever have while waiting for the BLUFOR to engage ^_-

Short of keeping an inventory of absolutely every internal part for your AEG on hand, you may invariably find that you have broken a part that you don’t have in your kit. One possible solution to tackling this eventuality is to have a fully assembled spare gearbox ready to drop in should your primary fail. While I carry a fully stocked array of parts in my war chest, they are primarily there to fix something should all other options fail (including my spare AEG’s.) I generally consider spare parts as something to consider having during large multi-day events. It’s nice to have that type of insurance during down time when you might have the luxury of time to dig into a fix-it project.

But there is a better solution: have a spare gun.

A spare gun is indeed more expensive out the gate, but the time saved by simply switching to your spare is very, very worth it. Some AEG’s failures have the potential to knock you out of the game entirely – especially if you don’t have the parts on hand to fix it. Why let a breakdown hold you back from getting back into the game?

If you’re new to airsoft, and you are looking to buy a spare AEG, I generally recommend that it be as close a clone to your primary as possible. At the very least it should use the same magazines and be wired to have the same battery plugs. There are also a few other advantages to having a clone of your primary:

  1. Simplified logistics. You have one set of magazines that can interchange between the two platforms. This applies to batteries too.
  2. Simplified need for spare parts. At the very worst you can scrap one gun out for parts to keep the other running.
  3. Simplified demands on your load-bearing gear. You do not need to consider an alternate load bearing platform or pouches to carry different magazines (as everything is identical.) This also means less gear to pack.

So in the eventuality that your AEG does go down (and trust me, it will) you can shrug Mr. Murphy off, plug in a battery into your spare gun, insert a magazine, and get back into the game.

– Arkady

You’re definitely going to need more than one of these.

The Hybrid Hop Up

Over the last four months I have been experimenting extensively with various hop up modifications. From the flat hop to the R-Hop and a little bit of everything in between. My personal quest for the ultimate in accuracy has lead me to believe the R-Hop generally offers the most optimal performance / cost ratio for most setups. There are several truly specialized hop up modifications that perhaps gain the slight edge, but they are held back by their maintenance heavy requirements and difficulty of install – especially doing it properly the first time, and often the first time is the only time you have as they are rather permanent modifications.

With the proper tools at hand, an R-Hop can be generally fitted and installed in under 15 minutes. With the Z-Kit, it can be done even faster. That being said, an R-Hop isn’t always the best choice for a particular end-user. As a do-it-yourself type, you may not find it particularly easy or patience-inspiring to install one. Furthermore, they can be expensive depending on where you source your contact patches from. I’ve also noted they require a bit more tuning to reach the “sweet spot” as opposed to a traditional hop up bucking and nub assembly. Certain barrels do not accept R-Hops very well. With some that feature very small hop up chamber windows, you may find the R-Hop contact patch has to be profiled to the point where it is too weak – consequently leaving your hop up turned “on” can temporarily or permanently deform the contact patch and/or dislodge it causing untold accuracy issues. Lastly, I bring up the issue of tools. Without the right tools, the job becomes all the more harder to accomplish. You can certainly fudge your way through it with some rudimentary tools, but good tools are obviously worth their weight in gold.

So for individuals who may not have the time, tools, money or patience to perform an R-Hop installation, yet still want more ‘oomph’ over a stock hop up bucking, what might they consider?

The Hybrid Hop Up

I consider the definition of a hybrid hop up a cross between a traditional hop up and the specialized hop ups. It can borrow features from either, and is generally a good ‘compromise’ in that it will typically gain you better performance than a traditional hop up yet not be as intensive an install or maintenance inducing as a specialized one. Most of the time, hybrid hop ups are a mash-up of custom hand fitting and commercially available pieces. A good example of a full fledged commercially produced hybrid hop up might be the RTX Maple Leaf.

One such method I have been experimenting with is the pairing of an M-Nub with a standard hop up bucking. As noted in our Z-Kit review, the M-Nub requires minor modification to the hop up arm assembly to make it work. About the only tools required is a means of accessing your hop up chamber, a razor blade, and a good file. Installation can be accomplished in 5 minutes or less. In quick summary, all that is needed is to size it to fit your hop up window, create a flat surface on your hop up arm, and affix the M-Nub. It’s that easy.

As for which hop up bucking one should use – that depends mostly on personal preference. I would note that it seems to perform best with anything less than 70 degrees hardness, though. The harder buckings do not lend themselves very well for conformation around the BB like the softer ones do. As the M-Nub is made from fairly soft and pliable material, so too should your bucking choice be. My personal preference is for the M-Nub and Prometheus Purple combination. Real Sword and Guarder Clear buckings work very well too. KWA buckings, of course, blow chunks.

Performance wise I’ve found that this combination is especially well suited for enhancing short-barreled AEG’s – though I have used it on up to 450mm length barrels. Coupled with standard barrel lockdown techniques, my 208mm 6.03 TBB (8.1″ for the metric-adverse) with the above hop up combination has encountered little trouble slinging plastic against AEG’s sporting longer barrels. In fact, it has often out-ranged them, as noted by a few observers during the last airsoft OP: “Damn that thing has some serious throw!”

Diagnosing Version 3 Selector Switch Issues

As a Version 3 gearbox owner, you may have noticed that occasionally you get an odd selector switch problem now and then out of your AK. Granted, these instances are rare and far between, but to the uninitiated they can be frustrating to track down and properly diagnose. This article will show you a few things to look out for. We will also delve just a bit into the trigger switch assembly too, as that is part of the system.

Internal selector switch gears. The exterior selector switch interfaces with the assembly on the right.

Before attempting to diagnose your selector switch issues, first determine whether or not you are operating with a fully charged battery. While this seems rather obvious, it is fairly common for folks to overlook this part, and futilely exclaim their gun is broken when it is a simple matter of a dead battery.

As we are working from the outside in on this guide, after you determine your battery is fine, look immediately at the external selector switch for damage. Occasionally during a game, you might suddenly notice that your external selector switch is stuck and is unable to move from its current position. Before you panic, remove the dust cover and take a peak inside the receiver at the internal selector gears as pictured above. A few things can jam these up and prevent their movement, and one of those is debris or BB’s. If you reload with your muzzle pointed skyward and your mags do not have the last round feed feature, you can occasionally get BB’s rolling backwards inside the receiver. Sometimes one of these will get stuck in between the teeth of the selector gears and jam them. This is a pretty rare problem, but I’ve seen it happen to a number of guns. The quick fix is to simply pop out the jammed BB and get back into the game. Depending on how badly the BB is stuck in there, you may or may not have to remove your gearbox from the receiver to dislodge it.

Adjusting a worn selector switch.

Another problem with regard to the external and internal selector switches can be attributed to “slop” or being worn out, or even built out of spec. Generally slop or wearing out doesn’t occur, except in situations where the gun has been heavily used. You can usually spot slop by slipping the selector switch to the semi-auto position and then slowly (with the top cover removed) examine its travel as you slide it upwards into the full auto position. If while observing this you see that the internal selector gears have not moved, then you have evidence of “slop.” With slop, you might have noticed that this is why your AEG no longer works correctly on full auto when it is engaged in the full auto slot. You may also notice that if you push the selector switch just a touch higher, to where it rests just above the full auto notch, that you can usually engage the full auto mode. If this is the case, either your external selector is out of spec, worn out, or the internal selector switch gears are worn out. More particularly, the worn out section is where the external selector switch fits into the internal selector gear.

One potential fix is to simply move the internal selector switch up exactly one gear tooth (as pictured above.) With AEG’s that have out of spec or very worn exterior selector switches, this has solved 99% of the problems I encounter. Be warned: on a brand new or lightly used AEG, doing this can mean that your semi-auto position is now a full auto position! For guys who want their AEG’s to strictly shoot full auto only on both selector switch positions, you could conceivably do this. Be sure to fully test for proper function if you mess with the selector switch gears.

Selector plate and selector gear meshing.

Keeping in mind that we are working on the internal selector gears, you should take the time to also examine them for broken or damaged teeth. If this is the case, you could be experiencing slippage or incorrect meshing – which can cause a variety of issues such as inadvertent full auto in the semi-auto mode, failure to engage in the correct fire mode, or simply not working.

This also applies to the left side of the gearbox and the selector switch plate (the plastic part.) On a Version 2 gearbox, a stripped selector plate is usually the most common issue I’ve encountered. On a version 3, I have yet to see a stripped selector plate, but it is a good idea to examine this area while you’re digging around.

Selector switch plate trigger contact surface.

Removing the selector plate next, we will be looking at the trigger contact surface for damage or burn-through. Again, not a real common problem. If you’re shooting an extremely high ROF AEG with heavy duty LIPO’s with a high C rating you might see this area burned out. Typically, however, the most you might see is some slight wear and maybe a bit of carbon buildup. You can scrape the carbon off with a razor blade.

It’s also a good idea to make sure the selector switch plate can move freely in its track and that nothing is binding or preventing it from moving properly. On some gearboxes I’ve examined, there can be some issues with it dragging badly against the trigger return spring that pokes out of the triangular notch on the left side. Sometimes if these springs have been replaced or are incorrect, they can be slightly too long and thus hit the selector switch plate. You can either trim the spring to correct length so it sits flush with the gearbox, or simply radius the corner of the selector switch plate that hits the spring. Doing the latter is sometimes the more preferable and quicker option.

Trigger contact tabs.

Next we are taking a look at the trigger contact switch. Most Version 3 designs have a dual contact system – basically two tabs that engage the trigger switch plate and complete an electric circuit. These tabs, like on any AEG can wind up deformed with time and heavy use. If this happens, they don’t aren’t necessarily making 100% contact with the trigger switch plate, which can result in a non-firing condition.

There are three ways of fixing this:

  1. Method #1 is to slightly bend or flex the tabs upwards, away from the gearbox body so they can make full contact with the selector switch plate. The biggest problem with this method is the tabs are very fragile, and if you bend them up too much, you can risk breaking them off. In which case you’ll be looking at a new trigger switch or scrounging for new contacts in your box-o’-scrap-parts.
  2. Method #2 is to build up the surface just a bit with silver solder. Some guys like to “bridge” both contacts with solder as well. This design, in fact, is what is found on the semi-auto-only SVD. The biggest thing to pay heed with when soldering the contacts is it has to be done just right. Too much solder and you can cause excessive friction and binding with your selector switch plate – sometimes even preventing it from sliding over the contacts entirely!
  3. Method #3 is to remove the metal contact from the selector switch plate. This is best accomplished with a dental pick. Taking some pliers, give the contact plate just the tiniest bend, so it forms a slight arch. Doing this will ensure it mates against the surface of the trigger switch tabs. As with the above methods, don’t ham-fist it. Generally this solves 99% of the non-contact problems I encounter. If they’re more severe, I would consider the first two methods.

Arching the selector switch plate contact.

Moving in deeper, we are now looking at the guts of the trigger switch, including the trigger trolley. What you are looking for in here is evidence of excessive carbon build up, burned out contacts, gunk (including grease, oils, etc.) that are causing bad connection. Guys who tend to over lube their gearboxes can sometimes find their gearsets have slung gloop into here. You want this area to be nice and clean. We are also looking for broken wires here too. As these are simply soldered on to the yet-again-fragile trigger contacts, pay attention to not torquing them too much.

Examine the trigger contacts for signs of burnout. This can be hard to spot sometimes, but can manifest as a small hole, a large section burned off, or a completely dissolved contact. Generally, unless it’s truly severe, you can get away with a little burning for awhile yet. On a Ver. 3 these parts are typically replaceable without having to purchase the entire switch assembly. Another issue can be that you have a warped trigger switch – this is something that has been occurring on some LCT guns in particular of late – they simply aren’t designed to take the heat generated during sustained firing and thus warp. Friday at the Factory Syndrome can hit any airsoft manufacturer, even ones held to high esteem. Fortunately it is a easily fixable problem.

Additional areas to examine: check the ‘shelf’ on the trigger trolley – this is the flat piece on the left side of the trolley that engages with the cutoff lever. Additionally, you should also examine the cutoff lever and spring, and ensure these parts are not worn out or broken. If the shelf on the trigger trolley is severely gouged or worn out, it will cause issues, as will an overly worn cutoff lever.

And there you have it! Without going too much deeper into other issues that could cause trigger and selector switch related issues, such as tappet plates, cutoff levers, etc. These are generally the most basic and common issues encountered. That being said, the Version 3 selector and trigger design is quite tough, and does not often encounter these problems.