Airsoft Guns

Most players grow tired of their airsoft gun’s performance after they realize the full potential of quality airsoft guns. Some players decide to purchase top tier metal gearbox AEGs to achieve a high level of performance, while others upgrade their existing metal gearbox AEGs to match the top tier guns. Both avenues of approach will deliver premium performance; however upgrading an existing metal gearbox AEG is normally much less expensive. Upgrade metal gearbox AEG parts can be confusing, due to the technical terminology and wide variety of accessible parts. Knowing what type of parts work for your metal gearbox AEG and what performance enhancing features the parts deliver will help you to be a more informed airsoft player. Please note that all upgrades and modifications should be handled by a Professional Airsoft Technician. This article is meant to inform our customers of the intricacies of airsoft upgrade parts, and is not meant to encourage our customers to personally install any of these components, as it may void the customer’s warranty.

Airsoft Upgrade parts can be divided into two main categories, external upgrades and internal upgrades. External upgrades normally include aesthetic enhancements to the body of the AEG; such as metal bodies, rail systems, stocks, hand guards, motor grips, etc. Internal upgrades include enhancements to the mechanical functionality of the airsoft gun; such as gearbox parts, hop-ups, inner barrels, motors, etc. External parts are relatively easy to understand, and most have no impact on the actual performance of your airsoft gun. External upgrades enhance the realistic look, feel, and ergonomics of your airsoft AEG. Internal parts directly affect the mechanical performance of your AEG, fine tuning your gun to your particular type of airsoft game play.

First, we’ll explain how to choose compatible External Upgrades for your AEG. When choosing external parts, make sure that they meet the following criteria: Does the product say it is compatible with your brand of AEG? Is the product compatible with your type/ model of AEG (i.e. M16, M4, R36, AK47, M5, M14)? And finally, is the external upgrade part compatible with your accessories.

External upgrades parts such as metal bodies, rail systems and stocks and motor grips are great ways to optimize the look and feel of your AEG, and can be purchased for much less than buying an entirely new AEG. Adding a metal body to your AEG not only gives your AEG a more realistic look, feel, and weight, but also improves your AEGs durability and provides an added layer of protection for your gearbox. Another great external upgrade is a full metal rail system, which grants you more space for adding useful accessories to your rifle and provides endless opportunities for customization. External upgrades such as motor grips and stocks can make a huge difference in the comfort of your AEG, which is definitely important when playing long airsoft games. External upgrades provide a cost effective and more personal alternative to purchasing a new fully upgraded AEG. Remember to follow the criteria listed above to make sure you purchase the right external upgrades for you, and create your own truly unique AEG!

Internal upgrades can be very complicated if you do not understand the terminology and physics behind an AEG’s metal gearbox. In this article we will cover the basics of the most common internal upgrades, what they do, and how they can improve your AEG. When purchasing internal upgrade parts for a metal gearbox AEG, the first step is to determine what type of performance you are looking for out of your AEG. The second step is to determine what type of metal gearbox your AEG utilizes (i.e. Version 2, Version 3, Version 7, etc.). And lastly, are the internal upgrades you have chosen compatible with your brand and type of metal gearbox AEG? When purchasing internal upgrades, it is normally recommended to stay within a specific brand’s internal upgrades. This is to ensure that the parts are machined to specifically work well with each other.

The three most common types of internal upgrade configurations airsoft players seek out are rate of fire modifications, FPS modifications, and range boosting modification. To upgrade your rate of fire, it is recommended to use no higher than an M100, or standard tension, AEG spring. This is to reduce wear on the gears and piston, and allow the motor to cycle at a faster speed. The necessary internal upgrades to create a truly high speed AEG is a high speed steel gear set, a high speed lightweight piston, ball bearing metal bushings and a high speed motor. These modifications alone will normally add 8-15 rounds per second to your AEG’s rate of fire! Increasing your AEG’s FPS can also increase your AEG’s range, however remember that most airsoft fields have strict limits on an AEG’s FPS and may not allow guns shooting over their limits. Be sure to check with your local fields for their FPS limits and guidelines. To increase your metal gearbox AEG’s FPS, you will need a higher power AEG spring (M110 or higher, depending on how much you want to raise your FPS), a high torque steel gear set, a ball bearing spring guide, a ball bearing piston head, a strong steel teeth piston, and a high torque motor. These modifications can net anywhere from a 20 – 100FPS increase (depending on the AEG and the installed high power spring)! And lastly for players who value taking out targets from long distances, internal upgrades to improve your AEG’s range. To increase your AEG’s range, the two main components needed are a precision crafted hop-up, and a tight bore inner barrel. The best Hop-Up units normally are made of metal and CNC machined, some even have external O-rings (rubber exterior rings) to provide you with the maximum air compression. Tight bore barrels can drastically improve your accuracy, as well as your range! When using a tight bore barrel, you must use only high grade BB’s and clean your barrel routinely to prevent internal scoring. Tight bore barrels are available from 6.04mm – 6.01mm. The smaller the inner diameter number of the barrel, the more consistent your range and accuracy will be, though it can also mean that dirty or imperfect BB’s will jam more easily.

Now you know of ways to customize, personalize, and expand on your existing AEG, without buying an entirely new AEG! Remember that these upgrades are only recommendations, and not every configuration will always work for every metal gearbox AEG. It is always recommended to have any upgrade components installed by a certified professional airsoft technician. With these tips you can create your own premium and completely personalized AEG, which is custom built just for you!

To see our full selection of Internal and External Upgrades Click Here: Airsoft Megastore Parts, Upgrades & Accessories.

About the Author: Mike Zhang is the President and COO of Airsoft Megastore, an online airsoft retailer offering electric and gas powered airsoft guns, as well as airsoft parts, upgrades and accessories. Visit Airsoft Megastore to shop for airsoft AEGs, full metal airsoft rifles or the right airsoft gas gun for players of any experience level.

Labels: airsoft gun upgrades, airsoft upgrade parts, airsoft upgrades

The Airsoft Megablog has been delving into rifles lately, namely how to select, use and care for your airsoft rifle. So, now that we've covered the basics, I want to address the more complex issue of upgrading your rifle. The internet makes it easy to buy the upgrade parts for less, but it is important to understand that sometimes you will need to loop in a professional to get the job done right. If you dive into an upgrade on your own, you risk damaging the rifle and voiding your warranty. For best results, use a certified professional airsoft technician / shop. In most cases, you can have that professional show you how it's done. This will give you a better understanding of how the firearm works which will help you troubleshoot issues in the future.

Needless to say, there are a lot of upgrades to consider. For the sake of simplicity, I'll summarize a few of the most common upgrades for electric airsoft rifles below. Once you identify the upgrades you are interested in, you can contact an authorized retailer like Airsoft Megastore for further information and advice. In many cases, one upgrade may require further upgrades in order to make sure the parts are compatible.

• Hop Up. There are two parts to Hop Up that you may consider upgrading. Hop Up Bucking puts back spin on the bb. A quality bucking will improve your shot accuracy. Look for Bucking made in durable materials such as silicone, which will minimize deterioration. Another potential Hop Up upgrade is the chamber, which will also improve accuracy.


• Barrel. Many airsoft enthusiasts prefer to upgrade to a longer, tighter barrel. In most instances, the tighter the barrel, the better, assuming you are using quality BBs as is strongly recommended by any qualified airsoft dealer.


• Gears. There are three gears to consider: the sector, bevel and spur gears. Gears are both critical and expensive. Avoid sub-quality gears at all costs because they will break and lead to expensive gear box repairs. The type of gears you use depends on the other upgrades and I recommend speaking to a professional about your specific needs.


• Bushings. Gears rotate on the Bushings. They also keep the gears in place and are thus critical in their own right. Broken Bushings lead to stripped gears. Bigger Bushings constructed in highly durable materials are generally better.


• Piston. The piston is a flat-toothed gear that is maneuvered by the motor and spring. Because of the tremendous pressure on the piston, quality counts. Metal pistons are a common upgrade but in some firearms they may strip gears. I recommend discussing possible piston upgrades with a professional so that you can determine what will work best for you.


• Spring. Upgrading your spring will increase the velocity of the piston. If you plan on upgrading your spring, you will need to make sure your internals are upgraded as well to avoid damaged gears and pistons.


• Spring Guide. The spring guide does just what it says and prevents the spring from jumping into the gear case.


• Cylinder. The cylinder compresses the air that will force the bullet down the barrel. A longer barrel requires a bigger cylinder, so these upgrades typically go hand-in-hand.


• Cylinder Head. You can either silence your gun or improve the piece's air seal by upgrading your rifle's cylinder head.


• Air Nozzle. This part pushes the bb into the Hop Up chamber while also sealing the airflow.


• Motor. Too powerful a motor can decrease overall performance and negatively affect rate of fire, so speak to a professional before you commit to a motor upgrade purchase.


• Battery. A higher voltage battery increases your rate of fire, but too high of a battery voltage may damage internal components. Again, I recommending speaking to a professional about what your gun can handle.


• Scopes and optics. This external upgrade is certainly something you can install yourself. A quality scope will improve your accuracy, especially in a sniper-type role.

About the Author: Mike Zhang is the VP of Operations of Airsoft Megastore, an airsoft retailer. Please visit Airsoft Megastore to shop for airsoft AEGs, electric airsoft rifles or the right airsoft sniper rifle for players of any experience level.

Labels: airsoft aeg, airsoft rifle, airsoft upgrades, upgrading your airsoft gun