Airsoft Fun For The kids...

twowheelinjim

twowheelinjim

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As of lately, most of my home machining projects have been related to modification and customizing of airsoft guns. For those that don't know what airsoft is, I'll explain. Airsoft and airsoft guns probably originated in Japan as a way of enjoying shooting in a country that does not allow ownership of firearms. The bulk of airsoft guns shoot a 6MM BB that weighs in a range from .012 to .048 Grams. There are some that shoot an 8MM BB with slightly higher weight but those are usualy reserved for long range shooting. In the USA, the game of paintball is very popular but airsoft is gaining ground very quickly because of cost and some would argue that airsoft is funner. Anyway, an indoor arena has recently opened in the area and the kids are begging to go. The game is mostly played outdoors and longer range engagement is the norm. For indoor play the action is as close as 3 yards and long field rifles are cumbersome. Since the kids force me to play, I decided on purchasing a suppressive fire type of gun so I could do support fire and let them do all the running. I ended up with a FN M-249 paratrooper since it's supposed to have a shorter barrel and collapsible stock. What I wasn't counting on was the weight. It's as much as the real thing....So to lighten it up and make it more comfortable to carry I got rid of the bipod and factory fore stock. I also wanted a forward grip that was a few inched lower to make it easier to control the gun while firing. I ended up making a complete fore stock out of a chunk of nylon I had in the shop stock bin. I incorporated a weaver rail and attached a forward grip to make getting around the magazine easier. It took about five hours to machine it and the results were better than expected.
Here's a photo that I came up with:
foregrip001.jpg
Illustrated is the weaver rail used to attach the accessory fore grip.
foregrip002.jpg


In retrospect, it really didn't lighten it much but instead made it more comfortable to carry. The magazine holds 2500 BB's and takes a while to empty so the extra comfort really makes it better. Plus, it intimidates the other players and that's always fun.
 
Two wheelin,
That is an awesome BB gun remake!!! It definately looks intimidating and probably is capable of a good rate of sustained fire too. What are you using for propelent? CO2 or compressed air? CO2 is supposed to be more dense and provide a longer lasting cylinder fill, but I have no experience so I dont really know if that's true or just a rumor to sell CO2. Have fun and be a kid as long as your able, the kids and grands will remember granpa doing that forever...Good luck Olbo!!!! (Rambos older Brother)
Bob
 
Thanks Rbeckett. There are three basic forms of airsoft power. First and most common is the AEG or the automatic electric gun. It uses a motor similar to a cordless drill that turns gears and reciprocates a rack and pinion system. The piston is tensioned by a spring and is driven back by a sector gear. The second type is called a gas blow-back. They work by compressed propane and some work with CO2. Most airsoft pistols use the gas system. The third and least favored is spring powered type. Airsoft guns found in places like flea markets with fancy boxes are the ones to stay away from. It's not that they don't work but rather that they self destruct in a short time. The plastic components don't hold up and most people feel underpowered and out gunned when they use these lower quality guns. The one exception is the sniper rifle. Most sniper airsoft rifles have spring power and are single shot. It is common for sniper rifle owners to upgrade the various components especially the springs. Some folks have the ability to modify a sniper into a very effective tool for long range pin point shooting.
To me the biggest downfall with airsoft is the lightweight BB's and no rifling. Of course every gun has to shoot below a certain FPS according to the field conditions and type of rifle one is using. Chronographing is critical and required before playing in a sanctioned field. The snipers have a maximum FPS of 500 and a minimum engagement area of 100 feet. Other intermediate guns such as an M-4 will have a max of 400 FPS and a minimum engagement area of 40 feet. Indoor play is new to me and I'm sure all values are cut in half.

Part of the fun of messing with the gear boxes is getting different components and combining them to achieve a particular performance.
For instance, indoor play requires high RPS(rounds per second) and low FPS(below 300). An outdoor field gun used as a designated marksman will require higher FPS but lower RPS. One gun will need a higher RPM motor whereas the other will need more torque to compress a heavier spring and gear ratios. The combinations are endless and youtube has a few amazing examples of extreme workmanship. I'm still learning but luckily there are plenty of dads out in the field that perform technical duties like pit crews and share their ideas on what works best. There's even a few kids supplementing their allowances by offering technical support for a few bucks.
The only airgun I have ever messed with was a crossman .22 cal. pump pistol a friend gave my daughter. The piston had a bad o-ring and the felt was almost gone. I found a place in NC that sold rebuild kits and I ordered one. I liked that pistol but my daughter sold it, I miss shooting cans in the backyard. While searching for a rebuild kit I found several sites that had customized air pistols and they were very interesting. I even ran across a forum that had a very interesting contest. They had their members each buy one of those cheap Chinese break open air rifles and customize them for looks and performance. I don't remember what the winner got but I'm sure it was a nice prize. They had to post pictures of their progress and had a limited time to complete the project. We should do that here......
 
how bad does it hurt to get hit
paint ball will put a welt on you my son did that for a while
steve
 
sorry, that is a really nice gun and great work... 2500 rounds hitting you at even 400 fps has to hurt, i was too worried about pain :lmao: and forgot to comment on your nice job.
steve
 
Good morning Jumps4, paintball will put a knot on you when hit but airsoft is more of a sting, it's felt but but what really gets you is the multiple strikes. I was once hit point blank by a very agitated sniper on my own team. He was standing directly behind me as we surprised a very large group during an ambush. He accidently rested his muzzle on my wrist and pulled the trigger. I sustained a little bleeding and a good bruise. I think he almost wet himself but I let him off easy with a lecture of muzzle awareness.
I have modified my personal gearbox to shoot at a lower FPS with a lighter spring and gear ratio to accomplish higher RPS. I also found a neat trick to lighten the piston by boring holes in the body reducing it's weight. I'm not sure if it helped much but it was a fun activity to show the kids. I got the idea from a youtube video.
 
very nice work.

I'm about to be getting into airsoft myself (awaiting my AEG to arrive) and am planning on doing some work on those as well. sort of soft-gunsmithing :) as I'm not sure I want to have live ammunition around the house at the moment.
 
That sounds really interesting TWJ. I could really get into the sniper part of that. I played paintball until I turned 58 and ripped my calf muscle on a outdoor course. I decided it was time to quit the kids stuff and act my age. I haven't heard of a lot of airsoft around here but maybe I'm just not up to date on it.
Really nice work on the mod, and nice of you to take so much time with the youth.

Patrick
 
Gents, it's good to hear more folks are getting into airsoft. I officially retired from the military at 1600 today so hopefully I'll have more free weekends to play with the kids. Beware of sniping... Those rifles can get expensive and quite addicting. The folks who choose to snipe are usually the more serious players and their equipment is top notch. I've even seen video cameras strapped on top of the scopes so that afterwards they can study the performance and scrutinize techniques. I personally enjoy trotting behind the kids laying down cover fire as a support gunner. With airsoft comes airsoft-smithing. I don't know anyone who plays that doesn't get into modifying their equipment. My son has become quite a tech. He's into buying guns that are busted to strip them for parts. I just wish he was a little more organized.
 
Not airsoft but hpa-powered,

My toy the Drozd. Full auto 1200 rpm, 900 round hopper. 650fps.

e4y6e2as.jpg
 
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