Post by nevermore on Aug 14, 2007 19:43:42 GMT -5
First off this is not mine, I was researching how/what to upgrade and found this great article.
I am still trying to work my way through the labyrinth of AEG internals, so please do not take any of the below as my opinion on anything. These are not my thoughts, or observations. I am posting this here, because I know I will need this guide again, and the original place I found it has been down a lot lately.
So, without further ado...
THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS!
1) The Cylinder Head:
The cylinder head is one half (the stationary half) of the compression cycle of the cylinder set. It controls the flow of air out of the cylinder. If it's misshapen, or the o-ring is buggered, you lose compression (and thus velocity and range). The stock TM Cylinder Head is a single o-ring design, made of plastic with a metal "throat" that leads to the Loading Nozzle. I replaced mine with the Guarder Steel Cylinder Head, which has double o-rings. Since it is made of steel (not plastic) it should be harder to warp/deform, and combined with the dual o-rings should give me great compression for a long time. Price was $20 US from Wargamer's Shop:
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-ZS-04-37_cat_Systema%20Cylinder%20Heads
2) The Piston Head:
The Piston Head is the moving half of the compression cycle. The stock piston head is attached to the piston via a screw, is made of plastic, and has an o-ring to seal it to the wall of the cylinder. This part is also the one that causes mechboxes to crack, so proper selection is critical. Aftermarket piston heads come in several types: Aluminum, plastic/polycarbonate, or "silent". In addition, most aftermarket piston heads are vented on the face with holes or slots (unlike the stock piston head), which further aids in compression by creating a tighter seal with the walls of the cylinder. Some piston heads also come with or without bearings. The bearings serve to alleviate possible twisting stress on the spring, and also act as a spacer, allowing a little bit more velocity from your spring (since it allows the spring to compress more).
Aluminum or steel piston heads are generally more resistant to deformation, meaning they'll give you a better seal longer. Unfortunately have a nasty habit of breaking mechboxes, especially on M16/M4/MP5/G3 variants (aka the Version 2 mechbox), and especially if you dryfire a lot. This is because it is the piston head that strikes the cylinder head (which is butted up against the mechbox frame), and there is no "give" to the impact. I wouldn't recommend them for use with a high tension spring. They run about $20-$30.
Silicone/plastic/polycarbonate piston heads have more "give" and will absorb an impact better than the aluminum ones, but they can deform and/or crack easier, too. These are probably best used with high-tension springs to reduce impact energy on the mechbox. Personally, I'd rather spend $20 to replace a plastic piston head than $80 to replace a mechbox.
Silent Piston Heads (aka "POM" Piston Heads) are cushioned, and thus minimize the impact on the cylinder head. However, you need to use a match silent cylinder head and silent piston head - you can't just mix and match, as they won't fit together properly. They also serve to quiet down your gun, so if you're considering building a surpressed AEG, this would be a good choice. Silent/"POM" Piston sets run about $40-50, but come with the silent piston head and matching cylinder head.
In my mechbox, I've used a Systema Polycarbonate Piston Head with Bearing. It's vented for better compression, will reduce impact stress on my mechbox, and the bearing will reduce twisting stress on my spring while giving me a few more feet per second of velocity. Price: $13 US.
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-ZS-04-34_cat_Systema%20Pistons%20And%20Piston%20Heads
3) The Loading Nozzle:
The third part of the compression stage, this is the part that links the compression unit (cylinder, piston/piston head, and cylinder head) to the barrel. If your nozzle is leaking air around the cylinder head, you will lose compression, and thus velocity. If you nozzle does not fit tightly in the barrel, again, you will lose compression/velocity as air leaks out around it. A good loading nozzle is critical to consistency, IMHO.
Nozzles come in a variety of materials, metal and plastic. Personally, I think I prefer plastic, since the nozzle actually moves in and out of the barrel, and I would like to believe that plastic-on-metal friction will cause less wear in the long run than a metal-on-metal. Also, it is the function of the nozzle to push the bb into the barrel, so a metal nozzle with a ragged tip could scratch the bb, potentially inducing spin and reducing the consistency of my shots.
I chose a Guarder Airseal Nozzle ($7 US at wargamers) for one major reason: inside of the nozzle there is an o-ring to create a better seal between the cylinder head and the nozzle.
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-ZS-04-43_cat_Systema%20Nozzles
4) The Cylinder:
The final part of the compression unit is the Cylinder. These are made of metal (usually brass, stainless steel, or aluminum) and come ported to match a specific barrel length. They also may be coated in teflon, to increase cycle speed. The most important part about choosing a cylinder is making sure you match it to the barrel you plan to use. If they cylinder port ends the compression cycle before the bb is out the barrel, you're not getting the maximum velocity you are capable of, since the piston will stop pushing air before the bb has left the barrel. Thus, if you want to use an M4-length barrel, get an M4-length cylinder.
IHMO the material of the cylinder is pretty much irrelevent. Yes, brass is semi-self lubricating, and stainless steel is harder (so it should last longer). But that aside, unless you actually get sand and grit INSIDE THE CYLINDER, wear should be minimal.
I chose to order a Systema N-B Cylinder ($10 US from Wargamers), and I got it in Type-0 size, to match the longer barrel I've got for my AK. To be fair, though, it is not yet installed, so I am currently using a stock TM brass cylinder meant for an M16 with no complaints.
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-ZS-04-18_cat_Systema%20Cylinders
*NOTE* There is a cylinder type called a Bore Up Cylinder. This has a larger inner diameter, meaning it can hold more air volume in the same length of stroke. However, it requires a VERY strong spring to work effectively - the Systema M130, which is far too powerful for use in our games. DON'T get the Bore-Up Cylinder, it's a waste of money for 95% of you.
5) The Inner Barrel:
The inner barrel is what stabilizes the bb for flight. The bb is pushed into the barrel by the nozzle, and then the air charge passes through the nozzle and pushes out the bb. There are a lot of misconceptions about barrels which I will try to clear up.
One common fallacy is that a longer barrel automatically = more range. This is an untruth. Range is regulated by velocity and the Coriolis Effect (aka Hop-Up). What a longer barrel WILL do for an AEG is give you a tighter grouping at longer ranges - wheras a stock MP5K barrel (which is very short) might shoot bb's in a roughly 3' circle at 50', a stock M16 barrel (which is significantly longer) will reduce the size of that group considerably. This is because the longer your barrel is, the more time the bb has to stabilize it's flight path before exiting the barrel.
Secondly, the "tighter" the inner diameter (aka: ID) of a barrel is, the more range you will get. A stock TM barrel has an ID of roughly 6.08mm. Since a good quality bb is going to be very close to 6.00mm in diameter, you can see that the bb is slightly smaller than the barrel. This means there is a gap between the edges the bb and the barrel. This extra space allows for 2 things to happen:
a) Some of the compressed air charge will escape past the bb, meaning you will lose compression, and thus velocity/range.
B) The bb has room to rattle around inside the barrel as it travels, skipping off the walls of the barrel. This creates inaccuracy/inconsistency.
Tightbore barrels are available in brass, stainless steel, and TN-coated steel or aluminum (aka TN barrels). These have an inner diameter of between 6.03 and 6.04mm, meaning you'll get better compression/velocity/range, and smaller groupings. Brass is self-lubricating, but is soft and prone to scratching if you're not careful. Stainless Steel is scratch-resistant, but expensive. TN barrels are the most expensive due to the TN coating process, but it does add a friction barrier. I have a longer-than-stock Systema Brass 6.04mm barrel waiting to go into my AK, but even my stock barrel has performed very well when kept cleaned. I chose brass over TN due primarily to the price consideration - a TN barrel is 2.5 times as much, but it's certainly not 2.5 times more accurate. Brass was $24 US, TN was $55 US.
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-Z-09-33_cat_Accurate%20Barrels%20for%20AEGs
Additionally, you will see a difference if you use a longer "stock" inner diamater barrel on your AEG, but ONLY if you use a matched-volume cylinder. I have included more info on this elsewhere in the article. You can find used stock cylinders and barrels for relatively cheap on ASC.
-----------------
The other stuff:
These parts can be upgraded more for durability. They won't generally make your gun more accurate, but may increase the rate of fire and/or range.
6) The Piston
Available in aluminum or plastic/polycarbonate. The stock TM piston is made of Nylon, and wears quite well, actually. If you're going to put on an aftermarket piston head, though, I really would do the piston at the same time. Aluminum pistons are denser and more wear resistant, and that's part of the problem with them. If you plan on upgrading your gears, DON'T get an aluminum piston. The wear between steel aftermarket gears (hard) and the aluminum piston teeth (softer) will eventually cause the aluminum piston to wear, and soon you'll have tiny bits of aluminum shavings floating around in your gearbox, getting suspended in the grease and wearing out your plastic internals. This is BAD. On the other hand, the aluminum piston has a little more weight to it, creating a bit of weight-induced motion (recoil, or "kick" if you want). Personally, I think it makes a gun feel a little more "real".
The plastic/polycarbonate pistons come in 2 flavors, generally: Economy and Reinforced. The difference is in the first tooth of the piston. The first tooth is the one that takes all the stress when your gears first start to turn. Economy pistons have a plastic/polycarbonate first tooth, and are best used in stock or lightly-upgraded mechboxes. The Reinforced pistons have a steel first tooth, making them better for guns sporting high-powered springs.
I have a Systema Aluminum Piston in my mechbox currently, along with stock gears. However, I plan on replacing this very soon with a polycarbonate piston, as I plan to upgrade to steel gears. $17 US at Wargamer's Shop.
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-A01_cat_Systema%20Pistons%20And%20Piston%20Heads
*NOTE* A word of warning about Systema Polycarbonate Pistons - they come in 2 colors (Red and Black). The Red pistons have a problem as the teeth are not the right dimension - the first tooth is about 2-3 mm too far backwards, causing premature wear and in at least 2 cases I know of complete piston failure and mechbox lockup. Systema remedied this error and released the Black piston, but there are still Red pistons out there. DON'T get the Red piston.
7) The Gears
The stock TM gears are made of some kind of aluminum-zinc alloy, affectionately refered to in Airsoft circles as "monkey metal", "white metal" or "pot metal". There's nothing wrong with these on a stock gun. On a gun running a high-powered spring you will find that they wear out faster, because the teeth will malform and eventually strip due to the stress of the higher powered spring.
Upgraded or "reinforced" gears are usually steel or a steel alloy (although I have seen a set of Titanium gears - don't even ask how much they cost). They are made of a much harder material than the TM gears, and thus last much longer under the strain of a heavily upgraded spring. They also come in different tooth patterns, and in different ratios:
Tooth Patterns:
a) Standard Flat tooth pattern means it's the same a stock. It also means you can mix and match pistons.
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-ZS-02-10_cat_Systema%20Gear%20Sets
B) Helical pattern means that some of the teeth in certain gears are curved, but that more teeth are making contact with the piston at the same time than on a Standerd Flat gearset. The downside is that it is strongly suggested that you use a matched Helical Piston, and they (and the helical pistons) are quite expensive. These gearsets are meant for ultra-high power guns used in Hong Kong, and are overkill for our games. But hey, it's your money.
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-ZS-02-06_cat_Systema%20Gear%20Sets
Ratios:
a) Standard Ratio Gears have the same gear ratio as stock gears. They're just made of a harder/more wear resistant material. Use with any spring.
B) High Speed Gears have a faster ratio, meaning they will increase your rate of fire. High-speed gears should be used with a very mildly upgraded spring (PDI 120% or Systema M100, maximum), or better yet a stock spring.
c) Torque Up/Super Torque Up/Infinite Torque Up gears have progressively lower ratios and will reduce your rate of fire, but provide more torque for compressing a high-tension spring. Good if you want a high-powered, long range (but slow-firing) gun. As a bonus, they also make your battery last longer (more shots per battery) as it takes less juice to get the motor to pull the spring back. Most guns, even running a PDI 170% or Systema M120 spring shouldn't need more than plain old Flat Standard Ratio gears.....or maybe Torque Up gears.
*WARNING* - some bushings (detailed below) do not fit on all gear axles - the "axles" of Systema gears are slightly larger in diameter than those of the stock TM gears.
On my gun I am using the stock TM gears. However, I plan to replace them in the future with a Standard Ratio Flat set from Systema.
8 ) The Motor
TM makes 2 types of motors currently, the EG700, and the EG1000. Many people mistakenly assume that since the EG1000 is newer and has a high number, it's automatically better. This is not the case. My AK47, with a stock EG700 motor, shoots faster than an few MP5's I've used with EG1000's. In many cases, the size of the battery (both voltage and cell type) play HUGE factor in getting the most out of your motor - more on this later. In general, all the information I've found out about these two motor can be summed up in two sentences:
The EG700 has more torque than the EG1000, and thus makes it easier to turn the spring, resulting in more shots from equal-sized batteries. The EG1000 is capable of more RPM than the EG700, and thus can potenetially shoot more bb's in one second.
Getting back to the topic of stock Tokyo Marui motors, they also come in different shaft lengths. Some mechboxes (MP5, M16) use a long shaft, others (AK47, the SIG series) use a short shaft. Thus, an EG700 motor from an MP5 is not interchangeable with the EG700 from the AK47. TM also makes an EG560, but these are obsolete and aren't used in new TM guns anymore. There is a special Custom High Torque EG560 in the FAMAS that gives it an insane rate of fire, but it only fits in the FAMAS. If you are upgrading your motor, MAKE SURE you get the right shaft length.
Insofar as replacement motors go, there are a number of makers. The main competitors are Eagle and Systema. The Eagle motors come in two sizes: 1100 and 1300. These are hand-wound motors with internal ball bearings for smoother/faster operation, and are VERY expensive. Systema also makes 4 versions of their motor: Genuine (slightly better than the EG1000); High Speed; Torque Up, and Super Torque Up. They also come in various shaft lengths to fit virtually any AEG.
Then there are the also-rans: Classic Army and ICS. ICS makes a Turbo2000 motor for their line of MP5's....from all I've read, they are inferior to the stock TM motors. Classic Army used to make their own motors, but people whom I've talked to who have newer CA guns tell me they come with EG1000's now. Take that for what you will.
At this point, I have no plans to upgrade the motor on my AK. It shoots just fine with the upgraded spring.
***<End Part 1 of 2>***
I am still trying to work my way through the labyrinth of AEG internals, so please do not take any of the below as my opinion on anything. These are not my thoughts, or observations. I am posting this here, because I know I will need this guide again, and the original place I found it has been down a lot lately.
So, without further ado...
THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS!
1) The Cylinder Head:
The cylinder head is one half (the stationary half) of the compression cycle of the cylinder set. It controls the flow of air out of the cylinder. If it's misshapen, or the o-ring is buggered, you lose compression (and thus velocity and range). The stock TM Cylinder Head is a single o-ring design, made of plastic with a metal "throat" that leads to the Loading Nozzle. I replaced mine with the Guarder Steel Cylinder Head, which has double o-rings. Since it is made of steel (not plastic) it should be harder to warp/deform, and combined with the dual o-rings should give me great compression for a long time. Price was $20 US from Wargamer's Shop:
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-ZS-04-37_cat_Systema%20Cylinder%20Heads
2) The Piston Head:
The Piston Head is the moving half of the compression cycle. The stock piston head is attached to the piston via a screw, is made of plastic, and has an o-ring to seal it to the wall of the cylinder. This part is also the one that causes mechboxes to crack, so proper selection is critical. Aftermarket piston heads come in several types: Aluminum, plastic/polycarbonate, or "silent". In addition, most aftermarket piston heads are vented on the face with holes or slots (unlike the stock piston head), which further aids in compression by creating a tighter seal with the walls of the cylinder. Some piston heads also come with or without bearings. The bearings serve to alleviate possible twisting stress on the spring, and also act as a spacer, allowing a little bit more velocity from your spring (since it allows the spring to compress more).
Aluminum or steel piston heads are generally more resistant to deformation, meaning they'll give you a better seal longer. Unfortunately have a nasty habit of breaking mechboxes, especially on M16/M4/MP5/G3 variants (aka the Version 2 mechbox), and especially if you dryfire a lot. This is because it is the piston head that strikes the cylinder head (which is butted up against the mechbox frame), and there is no "give" to the impact. I wouldn't recommend them for use with a high tension spring. They run about $20-$30.
Silicone/plastic/polycarbonate piston heads have more "give" and will absorb an impact better than the aluminum ones, but they can deform and/or crack easier, too. These are probably best used with high-tension springs to reduce impact energy on the mechbox. Personally, I'd rather spend $20 to replace a plastic piston head than $80 to replace a mechbox.
Silent Piston Heads (aka "POM" Piston Heads) are cushioned, and thus minimize the impact on the cylinder head. However, you need to use a match silent cylinder head and silent piston head - you can't just mix and match, as they won't fit together properly. They also serve to quiet down your gun, so if you're considering building a surpressed AEG, this would be a good choice. Silent/"POM" Piston sets run about $40-50, but come with the silent piston head and matching cylinder head.
In my mechbox, I've used a Systema Polycarbonate Piston Head with Bearing. It's vented for better compression, will reduce impact stress on my mechbox, and the bearing will reduce twisting stress on my spring while giving me a few more feet per second of velocity. Price: $13 US.
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-ZS-04-34_cat_Systema%20Pistons%20And%20Piston%20Heads
3) The Loading Nozzle:
The third part of the compression stage, this is the part that links the compression unit (cylinder, piston/piston head, and cylinder head) to the barrel. If your nozzle is leaking air around the cylinder head, you will lose compression, and thus velocity. If you nozzle does not fit tightly in the barrel, again, you will lose compression/velocity as air leaks out around it. A good loading nozzle is critical to consistency, IMHO.
Nozzles come in a variety of materials, metal and plastic. Personally, I think I prefer plastic, since the nozzle actually moves in and out of the barrel, and I would like to believe that plastic-on-metal friction will cause less wear in the long run than a metal-on-metal. Also, it is the function of the nozzle to push the bb into the barrel, so a metal nozzle with a ragged tip could scratch the bb, potentially inducing spin and reducing the consistency of my shots.
I chose a Guarder Airseal Nozzle ($7 US at wargamers) for one major reason: inside of the nozzle there is an o-ring to create a better seal between the cylinder head and the nozzle.
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-ZS-04-43_cat_Systema%20Nozzles
4) The Cylinder:
The final part of the compression unit is the Cylinder. These are made of metal (usually brass, stainless steel, or aluminum) and come ported to match a specific barrel length. They also may be coated in teflon, to increase cycle speed. The most important part about choosing a cylinder is making sure you match it to the barrel you plan to use. If they cylinder port ends the compression cycle before the bb is out the barrel, you're not getting the maximum velocity you are capable of, since the piston will stop pushing air before the bb has left the barrel. Thus, if you want to use an M4-length barrel, get an M4-length cylinder.
IHMO the material of the cylinder is pretty much irrelevent. Yes, brass is semi-self lubricating, and stainless steel is harder (so it should last longer). But that aside, unless you actually get sand and grit INSIDE THE CYLINDER, wear should be minimal.
I chose to order a Systema N-B Cylinder ($10 US from Wargamers), and I got it in Type-0 size, to match the longer barrel I've got for my AK. To be fair, though, it is not yet installed, so I am currently using a stock TM brass cylinder meant for an M16 with no complaints.
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-ZS-04-18_cat_Systema%20Cylinders
*NOTE* There is a cylinder type called a Bore Up Cylinder. This has a larger inner diameter, meaning it can hold more air volume in the same length of stroke. However, it requires a VERY strong spring to work effectively - the Systema M130, which is far too powerful for use in our games. DON'T get the Bore-Up Cylinder, it's a waste of money for 95% of you.
5) The Inner Barrel:
The inner barrel is what stabilizes the bb for flight. The bb is pushed into the barrel by the nozzle, and then the air charge passes through the nozzle and pushes out the bb. There are a lot of misconceptions about barrels which I will try to clear up.
One common fallacy is that a longer barrel automatically = more range. This is an untruth. Range is regulated by velocity and the Coriolis Effect (aka Hop-Up). What a longer barrel WILL do for an AEG is give you a tighter grouping at longer ranges - wheras a stock MP5K barrel (which is very short) might shoot bb's in a roughly 3' circle at 50', a stock M16 barrel (which is significantly longer) will reduce the size of that group considerably. This is because the longer your barrel is, the more time the bb has to stabilize it's flight path before exiting the barrel.
Secondly, the "tighter" the inner diameter (aka: ID) of a barrel is, the more range you will get. A stock TM barrel has an ID of roughly 6.08mm. Since a good quality bb is going to be very close to 6.00mm in diameter, you can see that the bb is slightly smaller than the barrel. This means there is a gap between the edges the bb and the barrel. This extra space allows for 2 things to happen:
a) Some of the compressed air charge will escape past the bb, meaning you will lose compression, and thus velocity/range.
B) The bb has room to rattle around inside the barrel as it travels, skipping off the walls of the barrel. This creates inaccuracy/inconsistency.
Tightbore barrels are available in brass, stainless steel, and TN-coated steel or aluminum (aka TN barrels). These have an inner diameter of between 6.03 and 6.04mm, meaning you'll get better compression/velocity/range, and smaller groupings. Brass is self-lubricating, but is soft and prone to scratching if you're not careful. Stainless Steel is scratch-resistant, but expensive. TN barrels are the most expensive due to the TN coating process, but it does add a friction barrier. I have a longer-than-stock Systema Brass 6.04mm barrel waiting to go into my AK, but even my stock barrel has performed very well when kept cleaned. I chose brass over TN due primarily to the price consideration - a TN barrel is 2.5 times as much, but it's certainly not 2.5 times more accurate. Brass was $24 US, TN was $55 US.
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-Z-09-33_cat_Accurate%20Barrels%20for%20AEGs
Additionally, you will see a difference if you use a longer "stock" inner diamater barrel on your AEG, but ONLY if you use a matched-volume cylinder. I have included more info on this elsewhere in the article. You can find used stock cylinders and barrels for relatively cheap on ASC.
-----------------
The other stuff:
These parts can be upgraded more for durability. They won't generally make your gun more accurate, but may increase the rate of fire and/or range.
6) The Piston
Available in aluminum or plastic/polycarbonate. The stock TM piston is made of Nylon, and wears quite well, actually. If you're going to put on an aftermarket piston head, though, I really would do the piston at the same time. Aluminum pistons are denser and more wear resistant, and that's part of the problem with them. If you plan on upgrading your gears, DON'T get an aluminum piston. The wear between steel aftermarket gears (hard) and the aluminum piston teeth (softer) will eventually cause the aluminum piston to wear, and soon you'll have tiny bits of aluminum shavings floating around in your gearbox, getting suspended in the grease and wearing out your plastic internals. This is BAD. On the other hand, the aluminum piston has a little more weight to it, creating a bit of weight-induced motion (recoil, or "kick" if you want). Personally, I think it makes a gun feel a little more "real".
The plastic/polycarbonate pistons come in 2 flavors, generally: Economy and Reinforced. The difference is in the first tooth of the piston. The first tooth is the one that takes all the stress when your gears first start to turn. Economy pistons have a plastic/polycarbonate first tooth, and are best used in stock or lightly-upgraded mechboxes. The Reinforced pistons have a steel first tooth, making them better for guns sporting high-powered springs.
I have a Systema Aluminum Piston in my mechbox currently, along with stock gears. However, I plan on replacing this very soon with a polycarbonate piston, as I plan to upgrade to steel gears. $17 US at Wargamer's Shop.
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-A01_cat_Systema%20Pistons%20And%20Piston%20Heads
*NOTE* A word of warning about Systema Polycarbonate Pistons - they come in 2 colors (Red and Black). The Red pistons have a problem as the teeth are not the right dimension - the first tooth is about 2-3 mm too far backwards, causing premature wear and in at least 2 cases I know of complete piston failure and mechbox lockup. Systema remedied this error and released the Black piston, but there are still Red pistons out there. DON'T get the Red piston.
7) The Gears
The stock TM gears are made of some kind of aluminum-zinc alloy, affectionately refered to in Airsoft circles as "monkey metal", "white metal" or "pot metal". There's nothing wrong with these on a stock gun. On a gun running a high-powered spring you will find that they wear out faster, because the teeth will malform and eventually strip due to the stress of the higher powered spring.
Upgraded or "reinforced" gears are usually steel or a steel alloy (although I have seen a set of Titanium gears - don't even ask how much they cost). They are made of a much harder material than the TM gears, and thus last much longer under the strain of a heavily upgraded spring. They also come in different tooth patterns, and in different ratios:
Tooth Patterns:
a) Standard Flat tooth pattern means it's the same a stock. It also means you can mix and match pistons.
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-ZS-02-10_cat_Systema%20Gear%20Sets
B) Helical pattern means that some of the teeth in certain gears are curved, but that more teeth are making contact with the piston at the same time than on a Standerd Flat gearset. The downside is that it is strongly suggested that you use a matched Helical Piston, and they (and the helical pistons) are quite expensive. These gearsets are meant for ultra-high power guns used in Hong Kong, and are overkill for our games. But hey, it's your money.
www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?itm=SYS-ZS-02-06_cat_Systema%20Gear%20Sets
Ratios:
a) Standard Ratio Gears have the same gear ratio as stock gears. They're just made of a harder/more wear resistant material. Use with any spring.
B) High Speed Gears have a faster ratio, meaning they will increase your rate of fire. High-speed gears should be used with a very mildly upgraded spring (PDI 120% or Systema M100, maximum), or better yet a stock spring.
c) Torque Up/Super Torque Up/Infinite Torque Up gears have progressively lower ratios and will reduce your rate of fire, but provide more torque for compressing a high-tension spring. Good if you want a high-powered, long range (but slow-firing) gun. As a bonus, they also make your battery last longer (more shots per battery) as it takes less juice to get the motor to pull the spring back. Most guns, even running a PDI 170% or Systema M120 spring shouldn't need more than plain old Flat Standard Ratio gears.....or maybe Torque Up gears.
*WARNING* - some bushings (detailed below) do not fit on all gear axles - the "axles" of Systema gears are slightly larger in diameter than those of the stock TM gears.
On my gun I am using the stock TM gears. However, I plan to replace them in the future with a Standard Ratio Flat set from Systema.
8 ) The Motor
TM makes 2 types of motors currently, the EG700, and the EG1000. Many people mistakenly assume that since the EG1000 is newer and has a high number, it's automatically better. This is not the case. My AK47, with a stock EG700 motor, shoots faster than an few MP5's I've used with EG1000's. In many cases, the size of the battery (both voltage and cell type) play HUGE factor in getting the most out of your motor - more on this later. In general, all the information I've found out about these two motor can be summed up in two sentences:
The EG700 has more torque than the EG1000, and thus makes it easier to turn the spring, resulting in more shots from equal-sized batteries. The EG1000 is capable of more RPM than the EG700, and thus can potenetially shoot more bb's in one second.
Getting back to the topic of stock Tokyo Marui motors, they also come in different shaft lengths. Some mechboxes (MP5, M16) use a long shaft, others (AK47, the SIG series) use a short shaft. Thus, an EG700 motor from an MP5 is not interchangeable with the EG700 from the AK47. TM also makes an EG560, but these are obsolete and aren't used in new TM guns anymore. There is a special Custom High Torque EG560 in the FAMAS that gives it an insane rate of fire, but it only fits in the FAMAS. If you are upgrading your motor, MAKE SURE you get the right shaft length.
Insofar as replacement motors go, there are a number of makers. The main competitors are Eagle and Systema. The Eagle motors come in two sizes: 1100 and 1300. These are hand-wound motors with internal ball bearings for smoother/faster operation, and are VERY expensive. Systema also makes 4 versions of their motor: Genuine (slightly better than the EG1000); High Speed; Torque Up, and Super Torque Up. They also come in various shaft lengths to fit virtually any AEG.
Then there are the also-rans: Classic Army and ICS. ICS makes a Turbo2000 motor for their line of MP5's....from all I've read, they are inferior to the stock TM motors. Classic Army used to make their own motors, but people whom I've talked to who have newer CA guns tell me they come with EG1000's now. Take that for what you will.
At this point, I have no plans to upgrade the motor on my AK. It shoots just fine with the upgraded spring.
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