Sniping can be hard especially if you have a stock standard gun. In fact, you will not have a chance if you use a standard gun. As soon as you fire, you will most likely have about 4-5 bb's heading your way before you can finish cycling your next round. Even if you think that you are out of range of an AEG you will still get shot because the AEG will spam upwards and the bb's will ark and eventually reach you.
Hopefully this chronicle might help save you money and heart ache so that you can have a rifle that will outdo an AEG on the field.
I made it my mission to suss out a way of making the best possible sniper rifle on the field. To do this I needed a quiet gun that can shoot a long way accurately. The key here is quiet. As an airsoft sniper you will have a lot more fun if you can shoot the enemy without alerting them as to where you are. If they figure out where you are, then you are stuffed. So make your gun quiet. It is a waste of time having the best Ghillie suit if you give your position away every shot.
So my goals for the gun were for the gun to be reliable, light, easy to use, lots of aftermarket parts, good FPS, quiet and able to shoot long range.
Reliability: For obvious reasons
Light: So you can aim the gun while standing without too much wobble and you do not get stuffed while running around all day.
Easy to use: So the bolt can be cycled quickly, and mags can be changed easily.
Lots of aftermarket parts:Many snipers do not have any aftermarket parts and so if your gun breaks then all you have is a wall hanger.
Good FPS: This will help to get good reach out distance.
Quiet: So if you take a shot and miss, the enemy does not know that they are being fired at. This will give you a second chance.
Long Range: So you can engage the enemy at long distances.
CHOOSING A GUN
This section only shows what I thought of different guns. Go to the heading "Zero Trigger" just below if you want to see the good stuff in this thread
These were my thoughts on some of the guns that I have purchased.
Double Eagle M50A: 400fps but this drops off fast, they are not upgradable and they are not very good quality.
Tokyo Marui VSR-10 G-spec: Very high quality external finish but the internals all need upgrading to get good fps. Expensive
G&G L96 Gas: High FPS but useless accuracy. Green gas sucks for accuracy. Mags broke within a day of use
KS M24: Good FPS (500fps), reasonable external quality but they die after a few months. There are no aftermarket parts.
A&K M24: Great value for money rifle. Comes with a well built 90 degree trigger and the cylinder is reasonably strong. All it needs is a bigger spring. The rifle is heavy which is it's downfall.
Well APS (MB06A): Internals broke a few times within the first week. No hopup even though it says there is. The external quality chips easily.
Well VSR-10 MB03: These are good clones but some things are off spec. The cylinder and piston have a slightly smaller diameter than the genuine VSR and they are very weak. So to upgrade you will need to purchase a new cylinder and piston. The Bar10 has correct spec and the cylinder is strong so it is the better choice if you can find one.
WELL MB011: This is VSR10 based but the cylinder, piston and also outer barrel have a smaller diameter. So this cannot fit an Action Army hopup as the outer barrel is too small.
Well AWS (Tokyo Marui Copy): Has a lot of feeding issues due to the fact it has a feeding ramp that the bb's have to travel upwards to the hopup chamber. Also, the cylinder is small so it makes it hard to get very high fps.
Well L96 (Maruzen Copy): : The externals are good quality but some of the paint may chip easily. The problem with the receiver is that the pot metal is not strong and so when screwing in the trigger, you need to be extra careful not to strip the thread. As with all stock snipers, they need upgrading. The cylinder and trigger will need to be upgraded to make it decent as they will not last. Although the L96 is a good gun, the VSR/Bar10 is a better gun as it cycles a lot nicer, it's a lot lighter and there are much more parts for it. Still, if you are a L96 fan then consider the Well L96. Just make sure you upgrade all the internals.
KJ Works MK1 Carbine: For the price they are good quality, high FPS. Accuracy is OK but not sniper material. Very light. Not bolt action.
Jing Gong Bar-10 (Pro Version): The quality is nearly the same as Tokyo Marui and it is only fraction of the price. The main difference is that the TM VSR10 does have a better quality finish on the bolt handle and the sling mounts.
The paint job on the JG will take a lot of punishment. The powder coating is similar to TM. Also the gun is very light and there are plenty of upgrade parts. The only thing that is a pain about this gun is the bolt handle. When you have a scope on the gun and you cycle the bolt your can hand hit the scope.
Jing Gong Bar-10 G-Spec: Same quality as the Jing Gong Bar10 Pro version . Fully upgradable. Bolt handle is in the right position as it angles down.
Snow Wolf M24: There are 2 versions of the Snow Wolf M24. This one was the version that had the VSR internals. It was shooting at 540fps when new so I cut the spring down and it is now doing 500fps. The internals look very similar quality to the Well VSR. Well VSR's are meant to be Tokyo Marui compatible, but this is not entirely true. The cylinder and piston have a slightly smaller diameter than the genuine VSR. This is also the same with the Snow Wolf M24. This makes it very hard to upgrade or repair as you can only purchase a piston that has a small diameter. Unfortunately after 1 month the piston started to wear out on the gun and it started slam firing. (I expected this considering that it is doing high FPS). So, be prepared to have the sear and piston wear out quickly.
Snow Wolf VSR10: This is not at all VSR10 compatible so you cannot get parts for it. Do not get one!
Silverback SRS (Pull bolt): Good cylinder volume and it looks great but that is about it. It feels heavy. I found it nearly impossible to take the mag out as it was so big and the button was in an awkward possession and it was so unnatural feeling to take it out (This was shocking). The bolt is too far back towards the rear of the rifle making the bolt pull feel awkward.
Novritsch SSG24: Good FPS when new and good for someone who does not want to upgrade a rifle. Great guarantee on parts (25 years). It is heavy and the pistol grip on the rifle is very uncomfortable as it is too thick. Even though it is marketed as the best sniper rifle out of the box (which it is), other rifles can outdo it if you can be bothered doing the upgrading yourself. It is still a good rifle though and is hard to beat. You may want to consider the A&K M24 as a cheaper option.
Novritsch SSG10: This is the best sniper rifle out of the box. Great guarantee on parts (25 years). If you just want to play without any modifying, then get this. It is pretty hard to beat.
Ares Striker: Once again, Ares make a really nice looking rifle but they designed it very poorly. This has a very small cylinder volume like the WELL AWS. Small cylinder volume means it will never be a top end sniper unless you HPA it.
Action Army T10: This is a VSR based rifle that looks cool. It comes with a 90 degree trigger that is OK but not as good a normal Zero Trigger. Hopup is not the normal red AA hopup but it is still very good. Good cylinder. The piston and spring guide are plastic and need replacing. Reasonably heavy. Still it is worth considering
Action Army T11: This is just the same as the T10 but lighter. This would be near the very top of the list.
Zero Trigger
So I got a Jing Gong Bar-10 (G-Spec). I also got an Action Army Specialized Trigger and piston, an Action Army Spring Guide and a Mag M170 spring (NOTE: I prefer Laylax Springs as they are quieter. They have less twang). These all seem to be really high quality. They are as good as the Laylax products that they have copied. I fitted these all to the gun. The AA Trigger did need a little filing on either side of the spring guide stopper to fit into the cylinder. But this was very easily done.
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CYLINDER HEAD MOD
A quick easy way of gaining 5fps out of your rifle is to drill the hole of the air nozzle out to 5mm. Be careful when doing it as you want it to be straight. Also do not go bigger than 5mm or the wall on the air nozzle will be too thin.
Next I put the cylinder head onto a drill and spun it while holding a piece of sand paper in the middle. The result was a smooth slope that the compressed air can travel down.
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I then got some Sorbothane (3mm and 70d). I cut it to the shape of a foam dampener and stuck it to the inside of the cylinder head. This reduced the noise by about 10-20%
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I then cut some 7mm heat shrink to fit over the air nozzle. I put it over and used a lighter to shrink it to the right shape. I then super glued it to the nozzle. Most people do this with Teflon/pluming tape but it does not last. This trick lasts. This mod should create a better air-seal between the nozzle and the bucking. This can increase your FPS (normally by about 10 fps). If you can get the exact same pressure each shot your accuracy will increase a lot.
If heat shrink does not work for you then you may want to try using Non Crack Finger Nail Polish.
Apply it in layers. Let each layer dry and then reapply another coat. When finished leave it for a day or so to properly harden before putting it in the gun.
The other option is to use a 2 part epoxy mix glue and build that up on the air nozzle. If you add too much it is hard to get off but it can be sanded until smooth and it lasts a long time if done in the right mixture.
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As you can see, there are also 2 holes on the cylinder head to help you get the cylinder head off. This is because I drilled 1 to make it easier. Previously there was only 1 hole.
Before putting the cylinder head on, I put a layer of Teflon/pluming tape on the thread so to seal between the cylinder head and the cylinder (you may not need to if there is no air escaping).
Note: The cylinder head is made of brass and it is good quality but the thread on it will strip over a long period of time due to being hit by the piston a lot. When you replace it, get a stainless steel cylinder head.
I then put a little Teflon Grease to the o-ring. (The o-ring is the only part I put grease on as grease can wreck your accuracy). I then chronoed the gun and it was firing at 507fps (This is with the stock G-Spec barrel).
So I had a gun that was reliable, light, with lots of aftermarket parts and good FPS.
Spring Guide Mod
There is no need to purchase a new spring guide. Just strengthen the stock one. To do this just drill a hole through the center of it that goes the entire length of the guide. Then put in a metal rod through it. Make sure that the rod fits in snug.
NOTE: This mod is very hard to do and most of the time it is easier to purchase a new Spring guide
Piston weights
The most important part of a pistons travel is not at the start but at the end when it hits the cylinder head. This is when the bb should be exiting the barrel and this is when you want your bb to have as much energy as possible. If for some reason, the piston slows down at the end of it's travel, then the bb will not reach it's maximum potential because the piston did not reach it's maximum speed. Now if a piston is too light, it can accelerate really fast but as the pressure builds up in the cylinder, it can start to bounce on this high pressure cushion because it does not have enough inertia to push through the pressure cushion. To fix this you can add some weight to the piston to give it more mass. This will in turn give it more inertia to push through this pressure cushion. So the piston may travel slower as the start but it can finish faster because it does not get stuck on a high pressure cushion of air.
NOTE: There is a point though where if you add too much weight, the piston will start off slow and also end slow.
Here are some examples of how piston weight can affect the piston speed:
Weak Spring + Low Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes fast
Weak Spring + Medium Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes moderate
Weak Spring + High Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes slow
Weak Spring + Extra High Mass Piston= Piston travel finishes very slow
Medium Spring + Low Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes moderate
Medium Spring + Medium Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes fast
Medium Spring + High Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes moderate
Medium Spring + Extra High Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes slow
Strong Spring + Low Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes slow
Strong Spring + Medium Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes moderate
Strong Spring + High Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes fast
Strong Spring + Extra High Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes moderate
As you can see at the very bottom, the extra high mass piston still did not get the best result as it was too heavy. So you can even add too much weight to a strong spring.
Another thing to help stop the pressure cushion from occurring is to make sure that the air nozzle hole is as wide as possible. (But do not make the walls of your air nozzle too thin). Also, you may find that putting in a slightly weaker spring can actually increase the fps of the rifle. This is because the pressure does not build up so much and so the piston can go through it's full travel without hitting a pressure cushion. So not slowing down at the end.
Overall, there is no formula to doing this right as there are too many variables. So experiment.
I normally just wrap electrical solder around the shaft of a bolt action piston and the hold it on with a layer of electrical tape. This lasts a very long time if you wrap the solder tightly around the piston. It is also adjustable and very cheap. I normally like to start with a piston weight of about 30gm and then increase it by 10gm at a time and retest to see if it improved. For a strong spring you may want a weight of about 70-80gm in total.
EJECTION PORT COVER
The next minor mod I done was to cover up the shell ejection port as I did not want dirt getting on my cylinder and scratch it. To do this I bought a can of "V" energy drink that comes in an aluminium can. I used 150 grit sand paper and sanded off the colour to make it silver. I then cut it into a rectangle shape with rounded corners. Then I put a layer of grease inside the receiver of the gun and on the aluminium then rolled it up further and pushed it into the receiver where the barrel threads onto. Once in I made sure it did not scrape on the cylinder by push it against the wall of the receiver. You will also need to make sure it is not in the way of the trigger sear.
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You may choose to glue the aluminium cover in but it is not 100% necessary to do so.
NYLON CYLINDER GUIDES
Now it was time to make the bolt smooth to pull.
The G-Spec only has one issue when using it. The bolt wobbled a little when pulled back. To fix this I pulled the receiver apart and got out the plastic guides that guide the cylinder back and forwards. I then found a block of hard nylon and cut out 2 new guides to nearly the same size. I made these guides only slightly wider and thicker than the stock ones. This meant that the cylinder would not wobble when cycled. Also, when you screwed the barrel on, it would push the guide back to the right position. Once the barrel was fully tightened then the guide was in the perfect place and the barrel fit snug into its thread. One major advantage when doing this is the cylinder slid just as well as an expensive Teflon cylinder. In fact, I tried this with a Teflon cylinder and it slide that much that it seemed too slippery as I was not used to such an easy cycle.
If you cannot get any nylon to make some new cylinder guides, just cut a thin strip of electrical tape and fit it inside your metal receiver around where the plastic guides fit into. This should push the guide inwards a little to help take up any slackness in the bolt handle. You may have to cut (put a slit in) the forward guide and sand off half a millimeter so that the guide has room to compact a little. As for the rear guide, you may also have to sand a small amount off. Do little bits at a time and then try to fit it. If it does not fit then sand a little more off.
Although you cannot see any slit in the nylon guide below, there is one.
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If you purchsed the long Pro version then you will also have the problem of your hand hitting the scope when cycling the bolt as the bolt is a stupid shape. You can purchase a replacement g-spec handle that is better at Evike:Evike.com Airsoft Guns - Accessories & Parts | Evike.com Airsoft Guns - Sniper Rifle Parts | Evike.com Airsoft Guns - *Shop by Model | Evike.com Airsoft Guns - APS-2 / Type 96 |
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Airbreak; To be or not to be
An airbrake is a plastic stick that protrudes from the front of the piston. As the piston fires forward the air break fits into the air nozzle. This traps an air layer between the cylinder head and the piston. This means that there is not so much stress on parts as the piston slams forward. By cutting the airbrake your rifle will have more of a Compression Zone. So you will have more air to push the bb out the longer barrel and you will have better results when using heavier bb's.
BUCKING MODS AND AIR SEAL
Next I had to make the gun accurate. To do this I got a 55 degree bucking (Soft bucking) and installed it (I highly recommend the Maple bucking with a flat spacer to push it down). I chose a soft bucking because they grip the bb more and so you do not need so much hopup down force (I know most people use a hard bucking for high FPS but then you lose accuracy because you need to apply more downward pressure). The more down force from the hopup arm, the more the bb will vibrate through the barrel. I also found that I gained another 18fps from using a soft bucking. I think this is because since the soft bucking grips more, it holds onto the bb for longer creating more backpressure which results in higher FPS. If you use a soft bucking, only put a little hopup on at a time because if you do too much down force from the hopup arm, you will wreck your soft bucking in one shot.
I then wrapped dental floss around the bucking once and tied it tight. Next I wrapped some Teflon/pluming tape around the bucking. This is to make sure no air escapes.
NOTE: If you have an Action Army Hopup Chamber, then you do not need to do this mod.
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You may also want to try making an R-hop bucking. With an R-hop you do not need so much down force from the nub to create backspin. This can help a lot if you are using heavy bb's. So it is much like the Maple bucking but is said to give better results. Check out this link or YouTube it: (This link is a long read) r-hop database
If you do R-hop or even G-hop (YouTube it if you don't know), use a hard bucking as they do seal better and a soft nub so that it grips the bb more. This is the best combination.
TUNING THE CYLINDER TO BARREL TO BB WEIGHT.
Note: This will give the bb the maximum energy that your rifle can produce and it will make your gun very quiet. (This will work better than any other mod to make your gun quiet. It is even better than filling the stock with foam which will make your gun heavy.) If the cylinder to barrel ratio is not matched right, for example the barrel is to short, then the excess air after the bb leaves the muzzle pushes the cracking sound from the piston slamming into the cylinder head, out the end of the barrel. If the barrel is the perfect length for the cylinder (depending on your bb weight), then most of that noise will be trapped in your barrel.
The way this works is that a lighter bb does not take much pressure to push it through the barrel. So it needs a longer barrel otherwise it will be pushed out to early and therefore making the slamming sound. A heavy bb needs more pressure to push it out and so if the barrel is to long there is not enough air in the cylinder push it out properly and this will make the bb fly less accurately. So you need to get the perfect match between cylinder to barrel to bb weight.
In effect your bb weight can alter the barrel to cylinder ratio. The heavier a bb the shorter the barrel it needs or the lighter the bb the longer the barrel should be.
Here is a rough guideline as to which bb and barrel to use to get the most efficiency from your cylinder.
So chrono your gun and work out the FPS. Then look at the chart and work out the weight bb you need for your FPS. (You can always use a slightly heavier bb and the energy/backspin of the gun should still be able to carry it)
330-370fps = 0.25gm-0.32gm
370-420fps = 0.32gm-0.36gm
420-450fps = 0.36gm-0.40gm
450-500fps = 0.40gm-0.45gm
500-540fps = 0.45gm-0.48gm
540fps upwards = 0.48gm+
(These FPS/BB weights can be used with any gun setup. So if your pistol is firing at a ridiculous 540fps then use a 0.45gm as long as there is enough air in the cylinder to push it out the barrel)
(Also note that often you can increase the weight of your bb if you use a longer nub on you hopup rubber. The longer nub will help to create more backspin and this will help carry the bb further. This is why R-hop is so effective)
Now to get the best efficiency from your VSR10 cylinder with this bb weight you need to get the right length barrel
Note: I use 6.03mm barrels and information in purple is for the tech head type people and so if you are not into tech stuff and are just starting out please ignore the purple text
Action Army Cylinder Dimensions
Piston Travel Length: 90.2mm
Cylinder diameter: 22.5mm
Compression Volume: 35864 mm^3
So see the chart below:
0.3gm bb use a 554mm barrel (15821 mm^3) = 2.26:1
0.32gm bb use a 530mm barrel (15136 mm^3) = 2.36:1
0.36gm bb use a 500mm barrel (14279 mm^3) = 2.51:1
0.4gm bb use a 470mm barrel (13422 mm^3) = 2.67:1
0.43gm bb use a 430mm barrel (12279 mm^3) = 2.92:1
0.45gm bb use a 400mm Barrel (11423 mm^3) = 3.13:1
Note: These Barrel lengths may change as I try more barrel lengths. Also when testing for the perfect barrel length for each bb weight I had no air break on my piston. If you have an air break then the barrel lengths will be shorter than I have stated here.
If part of your barrel is sticking out, cover it with a silencer.
I added a 335mm x 40mm silencer to my rifle. If you do use a silencer, then before mounting it, pull it apart and check that there are no stray hairs or lose bits on the foam that may cause inaccuracies. Also, if any of the foam is deformed then put these deformed parts closer to the barrel. So the closer to the exit should have the best bits of foam.
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If you follow this guide, the volume of your rifle will be similar to the Tokyo Marui Socom (This is the quietest airsoft gun). The Socom measures about 91 decibels when holding the muzzle 150mm away from the decibel meter. My VSR has an M170 spring and it is only 93 decibels.
Getting the perfect piston weight to give the most energy
Different piston weights can have different effects on energy. Sometimes by adding weight you will gain energy and other times you can lose energy. You will need to tune the weight of your piston to get the correct weight that gives the most energy for your particular spring. The weaker a spring, the lighter the piston needs to be. The stronger the spring, the heavier the piston.
When weight is added to your piston and your energy increases, what I believe is happening is that the piston is moving slower in it's initial travel. This makes less of a pressure spike than a light piston, so the bb stays behind the nub for longer and this creates more back pressure that can give the bb more explosive energy in it's initial movements. The bb then still accelerates more as it travels through the inner barrel giving you the extra high energy rate.
To get this right though, you need to get the correct weight for the spring you have and each spring will vary. So you need to tune the piston weight to your particular spring. A piston that is too light will create a pressure spike while a piston that is too heavy will not accelerate up to it's full potential.
To add weight to your piston, simply wrap either electrical solder or golfers lead tape around the piston. If using solder, use one layer of electrical tape to hold it onto your piston.
Choosing the right spring and making it work
Check out this thread: Choosing the right spring and making it work. - Airsoft Sniper Forum
NOTE: I rate Laylax VSR10 springs as the best. They keep their strength for longer and they are quieter than most other springs. Other springs have a "twanging" sound while the Laylax in nearly complete quiet. So even though they do cost more, it is worth paying the extra money.
VSR-10 AEG BARREL MOD
VSR-10/Bar-10's are not meant to be able to use AEG barrels. Well, they can. This is a very easy modification to make your VSR-10 Hopup fit an AEG barrel.
All you need to do is grind down the little tabs of metal inside the hopup which fit into the grooves on the barrel.
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You will still use the VSR-10 hopup bucking but you may find that there is a lip that protrudes around the barrel that would normally fit into a groove on a normal VSR barrel. Keep this lip on because when you screw the chamber back together this clamps down and acts as an air seal. If you keep this lip, there will be no need for Teflon Taping this end of the bucking. (You can cut off the lip if you want so that the chamber goes back together better, but I keep mine on. If you cut if off, use Teflon tape to seal the bucking)
Next, with a ruler, carefully draw a line 7cm long with a vivid at the bottom of the barrel where the groove for the bucking fits. This line is only so you can tell exactly where the bottom of the barrel is once in the hopup chamber. It is not necessary but it will help you line up the barrel perfectly when putting it all together.
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Put the hopup back together and make sure that the barrel is up the right way.
ALL DONE. YOU CAN NOW TAKE AEG BARRELS. This mod works awesome.
I also highly recommend doing the Top Dead Centre mod as this will make your gun fire straight without the right hand curve. Top Dead Center Mod (TDC) Guide
Hopup Chambers.
Since doing this write-up a new hopup chamber has come onto the market that is put out by Action Army. This new hopup chamber is definitely worth purchasing as it has an inbuilt Top Dead Centre mod and it also gives a 100% air seal. This chamber beats the PDI Variable hopup Chamber hands down.
If you want your bb to fire really straight invest in one.
Action Army Company Airsoft Agent Product VFC Gas Gun Product
One very good mod for this hopup chamber is this: AA HopUp Unit: External adjustment!
BARREL SPACERS
To make your gun as accurate as possible, it is best to get rid of any vibration that may occur in the barrel by adding barrel spacers. These are spacers that go between the outer barrel and the inner barrel. This will help transfer any vibration from the inner barrel to the outer barrel.
Barrel spacers are also good for straightening your inner barrel. If your inner barrel has a slight bend then make as many barrel spacers as possible to straighten it out.
Wrap 1 layer of Masking tape around the barrel with the sticky side facing outwards (This is so your barrel spacer is not permanently stuck on to your inner barrel). Then with the adhesive sides facing each other (So it is not sticky on the outside) wrap the Masking tape and around and around the inner barrel until it fits snugly into your outer barrel.
Do not use electrical tape as it stretches under tension and then it move by itself. Masking tape does not stretch.
It is normally advisable to have 2-3 spacers in your barrel.
Long Range Barrel Mod
The Long Range Barrel (LRB) modification is an old mod that was around before the invention of the hopup. It is a barrel that has a downward curve in it (Normally on the last third of the barrel). As the bb was fired through the barrel it would travel along the top of the curve and this would create backspin to help lift the bb through the air.
Although the LRB helps to make a little hopup, that is not the main reason I use it. I use the LRB to help stabilize the bb before it exits the barrel. As the bb shoots though the barrel it reaches the curve and then travels along the top. So instead of bouncing through the barrel it follows the line of the curve and this will mean that each shot should exit the barrel in the exact same place meaning that each shot should be more consistent with the previous. It will mean that at long ranges the bb should be more stable and therefore more accurate. (NOTE: I only make the barrel bend about 0.5-1.0mm)
So since my gun is a G-Spec with a short outer barrel and I have a 550mm inner barrel, there is about 240mm sticking out the end of my gun (without the silencer on). So I wanted to make this 240mm of inner barrel curve downwards to make the same effect as a LRB. To do this I would make an adjustable barrel spacer for the silencer that has a screw to push the inner barrel up and down.
To make it, get a piece of aluminium (You could make this out of wood) that is 8-10mm thick (Should be able to get this from a local engineer for only a couple of dollars or you could possibly use thick plastic). Cut it the same diameter as the inside of your silencer (Make it really snug). Drill a hole in the middle for the inner barrel to fit through. Then grind the hole downwards about 4mm so that it is more of an oval shape. (This is the area that the inner barrel will move up and down)
Next drill a hole in the top of the LRB Spacer and tap a thread into it. This will be where the adjusting screw will go. (Don't put the screw in yet)
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Now you will need to drill a hole in your silencer. So measure where the inner barrel reaches to against your silencer and then screw your silencer tightly onto you barrel. Then about 10mm to 20mm back up from the end of the inner barrel drill a hole for the adjusting screw in the very top of the silencer (Make sure you drill this perfecly on the very top). Then put your LRB spacer into the silencer and line up the holes for the adjusting screw and the silencer. Screw in your adjusting screw (This screw also help stop the LRB Spacer from rotating). If you find that the screw is not that tight then use a little thread locker or teflon tape to help make it a little stiffer otherwise your inner barrel height will not be stable.
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335mm x 40mm King Arms Silencer
Remember to make sure you have enough barrel spacers in the outer barrel as this will make the inner barrel straight for the first 2/3's of the inner barrel and then once it goes into the silencer it will curve downwards. Also you may want to drill the end of the silencer where the bb exits if you are going to have quiet a large curve as the bb may clip the end as it exits.
With the Pro Version using a 555mm barrel I would use 3 spacers reasonably close inside the outer barrel. The last spacer does not have to be at the very end or the outer barrel. I would have it about 60mm from the muzzle. (So this will be the start of your curved LRB) Drill the silencer adaptor (muzzle) to about 10mm so that the inner barrel can move up and down. Then have the LRB Spacer in your silencer.
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1Tonne Sniping Hints:
1. Carry at least 2 mags. One of white bb's and one of Black bb's. Use the white when advancing and the black ones when you have set up an ambush. (Note: Light Grey bb's are great as you can see them but the enemy can't) Get yourself a pouch to go on your stock. This can store one speed loader and one mag.
2. Once you have set up an ambush, fire a white bb in the direction that the enemy may come. Take note of how far the wind blew the bb off target and then you will be able to correct this when you have a target in site. Remember to change to black bb's before they come.
3. Camouflage the gun so that you do not have a black stick coming out from your hide out.
4. When hiding behind a bush try not to have the gun sticking through the bush as it will be more visible. Instead have the muzzle of the gun only just poking though.
5. Hiding in trees can be great as most people will look straight ahead and not up.
6. If possible try to have an escape plan.
7. You will notice that I have a cover (Hood) on the end of my scope. These come in very handy when looking into glare and also when it is raining as less rain will get on your lens
8. Make a plastic scope bb protector out of plastic from a Brochure Holder (Like what you see on some restaurant tables). You should be able to get a brochure holder from the local office supplies depot for cheap.
9. When shooting in windy conditions tilt the top of your gun in the direction the wind is coming from. This will make the hopup work against the wind can make the bb travel straight. Works a treat.
10. Get an Anti Cant Scope Level (It's just a level that goes on your scope to tell you if your gun is tilted. Costs about US$18.00) or a scope that has an inbuilt level. For an airsoft gun to fire straight it needs to be upright otherwise the bb will fly to the side your gun is tilted to. Both your hopup and your Long Range Barrel need the gun vertical to work propperly. You will find a lot of the time it will not be upright even if you are an experienced sniper. Note: This can make a big improvement.
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11. If possible try to get yourself into a position where you are either shooting into the wind or away from the wind. This will mean your bb should travel a lot straighter as you will not have to correct for wind drift.
12. Pull the cylinder apart after each usage. Do not put it back together until you use it next. This will keep your foam dampening system from compacting. If you store the cylinder together the spring will compress the dampening system and make your gun a lot more noisier.
13. When in a hide, gather some twigs and put them in front of your right arm. This will help hide the bolt cycle.
14. Make sure the sun is behind you when you are hiding so that the enemy has to look into the glare.
15. Judge the wind direction halfway between you and your target and then adjust for your shot. The wind at the target does not a lot as it will not change the trajectory much. It is when the bb is flying that it will go off target. Not the wind at the target so much. So the wind halfway is most important.
16. Make a 330 round high capacity mag: How to make a 330 round VSR10 mag
17. Double feeding issues can be fixed by putting in a bigger or new spring above this part in your hopup:
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18. Wear only a compression top under your ghillie suit. This will help to cool you down.
19. Weigh each bb and sort them into their weights as this will get rid of most of your fliers. You can get cheap scales that weigh down to 0.001gm. So normally with the 0.45gm's that I use in my sniper I will have them in bags of 0.447gm, 0.448gm, 0.449gm, 0.450gm, 0.451gm, 0.452gm and 0.453gm.
20. Make a scope with quick adjustable turrets so you can alter your scope really quickly without taking the caps off your scope turrets Mod for quick adjustment turrets on a scope
21. This thread may also help in choosing parts: What parts does your VSR10 have?
Hopefully this chronicle might help save you money and heart ache so that you can have a rifle that will outdo an AEG on the field.
I made it my mission to suss out a way of making the best possible sniper rifle on the field. To do this I needed a quiet gun that can shoot a long way accurately. The key here is quiet. As an airsoft sniper you will have a lot more fun if you can shoot the enemy without alerting them as to where you are. If they figure out where you are, then you are stuffed. So make your gun quiet. It is a waste of time having the best Ghillie suit if you give your position away every shot.
So my goals for the gun were for the gun to be reliable, light, easy to use, lots of aftermarket parts, good FPS, quiet and able to shoot long range.
Reliability: For obvious reasons
Light: So you can aim the gun while standing without too much wobble and you do not get stuffed while running around all day.
Easy to use: So the bolt can be cycled quickly, and mags can be changed easily.
Lots of aftermarket parts:Many snipers do not have any aftermarket parts and so if your gun breaks then all you have is a wall hanger.
Good FPS: This will help to get good reach out distance.
Quiet: So if you take a shot and miss, the enemy does not know that they are being fired at. This will give you a second chance.
Long Range: So you can engage the enemy at long distances.
CHOOSING A GUN
This section only shows what I thought of different guns. Go to the heading "Zero Trigger" just below if you want to see the good stuff in this thread
These were my thoughts on some of the guns that I have purchased.
Double Eagle M50A: 400fps but this drops off fast, they are not upgradable and they are not very good quality.
Tokyo Marui VSR-10 G-spec: Very high quality external finish but the internals all need upgrading to get good fps. Expensive
G&G L96 Gas: High FPS but useless accuracy. Green gas sucks for accuracy. Mags broke within a day of use
KS M24: Good FPS (500fps), reasonable external quality but they die after a few months. There are no aftermarket parts.
A&K M24: Great value for money rifle. Comes with a well built 90 degree trigger and the cylinder is reasonably strong. All it needs is a bigger spring. The rifle is heavy which is it's downfall.
Well APS (MB06A): Internals broke a few times within the first week. No hopup even though it says there is. The external quality chips easily.
Well VSR-10 MB03: These are good clones but some things are off spec. The cylinder and piston have a slightly smaller diameter than the genuine VSR and they are very weak. So to upgrade you will need to purchase a new cylinder and piston. The Bar10 has correct spec and the cylinder is strong so it is the better choice if you can find one.
WELL MB011: This is VSR10 based but the cylinder, piston and also outer barrel have a smaller diameter. So this cannot fit an Action Army hopup as the outer barrel is too small.
Well AWS (Tokyo Marui Copy): Has a lot of feeding issues due to the fact it has a feeding ramp that the bb's have to travel upwards to the hopup chamber. Also, the cylinder is small so it makes it hard to get very high fps.
Well L96 (Maruzen Copy): : The externals are good quality but some of the paint may chip easily. The problem with the receiver is that the pot metal is not strong and so when screwing in the trigger, you need to be extra careful not to strip the thread. As with all stock snipers, they need upgrading. The cylinder and trigger will need to be upgraded to make it decent as they will not last. Although the L96 is a good gun, the VSR/Bar10 is a better gun as it cycles a lot nicer, it's a lot lighter and there are much more parts for it. Still, if you are a L96 fan then consider the Well L96. Just make sure you upgrade all the internals.
KJ Works MK1 Carbine: For the price they are good quality, high FPS. Accuracy is OK but not sniper material. Very light. Not bolt action.
Jing Gong Bar-10 (Pro Version): The quality is nearly the same as Tokyo Marui and it is only fraction of the price. The main difference is that the TM VSR10 does have a better quality finish on the bolt handle and the sling mounts.
The paint job on the JG will take a lot of punishment. The powder coating is similar to TM. Also the gun is very light and there are plenty of upgrade parts. The only thing that is a pain about this gun is the bolt handle. When you have a scope on the gun and you cycle the bolt your can hand hit the scope.
Jing Gong Bar-10 G-Spec: Same quality as the Jing Gong Bar10 Pro version . Fully upgradable. Bolt handle is in the right position as it angles down.
Snow Wolf M24: There are 2 versions of the Snow Wolf M24. This one was the version that had the VSR internals. It was shooting at 540fps when new so I cut the spring down and it is now doing 500fps. The internals look very similar quality to the Well VSR. Well VSR's are meant to be Tokyo Marui compatible, but this is not entirely true. The cylinder and piston have a slightly smaller diameter than the genuine VSR. This is also the same with the Snow Wolf M24. This makes it very hard to upgrade or repair as you can only purchase a piston that has a small diameter. Unfortunately after 1 month the piston started to wear out on the gun and it started slam firing. (I expected this considering that it is doing high FPS). So, be prepared to have the sear and piston wear out quickly.
Snow Wolf VSR10: This is not at all VSR10 compatible so you cannot get parts for it. Do not get one!
Silverback SRS (Pull bolt): Good cylinder volume and it looks great but that is about it. It feels heavy. I found it nearly impossible to take the mag out as it was so big and the button was in an awkward possession and it was so unnatural feeling to take it out (This was shocking). The bolt is too far back towards the rear of the rifle making the bolt pull feel awkward.
Novritsch SSG24: Good FPS when new and good for someone who does not want to upgrade a rifle. Great guarantee on parts (25 years). It is heavy and the pistol grip on the rifle is very uncomfortable as it is too thick. Even though it is marketed as the best sniper rifle out of the box (which it is), other rifles can outdo it if you can be bothered doing the upgrading yourself. It is still a good rifle though and is hard to beat. You may want to consider the A&K M24 as a cheaper option.
Novritsch SSG10: This is the best sniper rifle out of the box. Great guarantee on parts (25 years). If you just want to play without any modifying, then get this. It is pretty hard to beat.
Ares Striker: Once again, Ares make a really nice looking rifle but they designed it very poorly. This has a very small cylinder volume like the WELL AWS. Small cylinder volume means it will never be a top end sniper unless you HPA it.
Action Army T10: This is a VSR based rifle that looks cool. It comes with a 90 degree trigger that is OK but not as good a normal Zero Trigger. Hopup is not the normal red AA hopup but it is still very good. Good cylinder. The piston and spring guide are plastic and need replacing. Reasonably heavy. Still it is worth considering
Action Army T11: This is just the same as the T10 but lighter. This would be near the very top of the list.
Zero Trigger
So I got a Jing Gong Bar-10 (G-Spec). I also got an Action Army Specialized Trigger and piston, an Action Army Spring Guide and a Mag M170 spring (NOTE: I prefer Laylax Springs as they are quieter. They have less twang). These all seem to be really high quality. They are as good as the Laylax products that they have copied. I fitted these all to the gun. The AA Trigger did need a little filing on either side of the spring guide stopper to fit into the cylinder. But this was very easily done.
CYLINDER HEAD MOD
A quick easy way of gaining 5fps out of your rifle is to drill the hole of the air nozzle out to 5mm. Be careful when doing it as you want it to be straight. Also do not go bigger than 5mm or the wall on the air nozzle will be too thin.
Next I put the cylinder head onto a drill and spun it while holding a piece of sand paper in the middle. The result was a smooth slope that the compressed air can travel down.
I then got some Sorbothane (3mm and 70d). I cut it to the shape of a foam dampener and stuck it to the inside of the cylinder head. This reduced the noise by about 10-20%
I then cut some 7mm heat shrink to fit over the air nozzle. I put it over and used a lighter to shrink it to the right shape. I then super glued it to the nozzle. Most people do this with Teflon/pluming tape but it does not last. This trick lasts. This mod should create a better air-seal between the nozzle and the bucking. This can increase your FPS (normally by about 10 fps). If you can get the exact same pressure each shot your accuracy will increase a lot.
If heat shrink does not work for you then you may want to try using Non Crack Finger Nail Polish.
Apply it in layers. Let each layer dry and then reapply another coat. When finished leave it for a day or so to properly harden before putting it in the gun.
The other option is to use a 2 part epoxy mix glue and build that up on the air nozzle. If you add too much it is hard to get off but it can be sanded until smooth and it lasts a long time if done in the right mixture.
As you can see, there are also 2 holes on the cylinder head to help you get the cylinder head off. This is because I drilled 1 to make it easier. Previously there was only 1 hole.
Before putting the cylinder head on, I put a layer of Teflon/pluming tape on the thread so to seal between the cylinder head and the cylinder (you may not need to if there is no air escaping).
Note: The cylinder head is made of brass and it is good quality but the thread on it will strip over a long period of time due to being hit by the piston a lot. When you replace it, get a stainless steel cylinder head.
I then put a little Teflon Grease to the o-ring. (The o-ring is the only part I put grease on as grease can wreck your accuracy). I then chronoed the gun and it was firing at 507fps (This is with the stock G-Spec barrel).
So I had a gun that was reliable, light, with lots of aftermarket parts and good FPS.
Spring Guide Mod
There is no need to purchase a new spring guide. Just strengthen the stock one. To do this just drill a hole through the center of it that goes the entire length of the guide. Then put in a metal rod through it. Make sure that the rod fits in snug.
NOTE: This mod is very hard to do and most of the time it is easier to purchase a new Spring guide
Piston weights
The most important part of a pistons travel is not at the start but at the end when it hits the cylinder head. This is when the bb should be exiting the barrel and this is when you want your bb to have as much energy as possible. If for some reason, the piston slows down at the end of it's travel, then the bb will not reach it's maximum potential because the piston did not reach it's maximum speed. Now if a piston is too light, it can accelerate really fast but as the pressure builds up in the cylinder, it can start to bounce on this high pressure cushion because it does not have enough inertia to push through the pressure cushion. To fix this you can add some weight to the piston to give it more mass. This will in turn give it more inertia to push through this pressure cushion. So the piston may travel slower as the start but it can finish faster because it does not get stuck on a high pressure cushion of air.
NOTE: There is a point though where if you add too much weight, the piston will start off slow and also end slow.
Here are some examples of how piston weight can affect the piston speed:
Weak Spring + Low Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes fast
Weak Spring + Medium Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes moderate
Weak Spring + High Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes slow
Weak Spring + Extra High Mass Piston= Piston travel finishes very slow
Medium Spring + Low Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes moderate
Medium Spring + Medium Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes fast
Medium Spring + High Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes moderate
Medium Spring + Extra High Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes slow
Strong Spring + Low Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes slow
Strong Spring + Medium Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes moderate
Strong Spring + High Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes fast
Strong Spring + Extra High Mass Piston = Piston travel finishes moderate
As you can see at the very bottom, the extra high mass piston still did not get the best result as it was too heavy. So you can even add too much weight to a strong spring.
Another thing to help stop the pressure cushion from occurring is to make sure that the air nozzle hole is as wide as possible. (But do not make the walls of your air nozzle too thin). Also, you may find that putting in a slightly weaker spring can actually increase the fps of the rifle. This is because the pressure does not build up so much and so the piston can go through it's full travel without hitting a pressure cushion. So not slowing down at the end.
Overall, there is no formula to doing this right as there are too many variables. So experiment.
I normally just wrap electrical solder around the shaft of a bolt action piston and the hold it on with a layer of electrical tape. This lasts a very long time if you wrap the solder tightly around the piston. It is also adjustable and very cheap. I normally like to start with a piston weight of about 30gm and then increase it by 10gm at a time and retest to see if it improved. For a strong spring you may want a weight of about 70-80gm in total.
EJECTION PORT COVER
The next minor mod I done was to cover up the shell ejection port as I did not want dirt getting on my cylinder and scratch it. To do this I bought a can of "V" energy drink that comes in an aluminium can. I used 150 grit sand paper and sanded off the colour to make it silver. I then cut it into a rectangle shape with rounded corners. Then I put a layer of grease inside the receiver of the gun and on the aluminium then rolled it up further and pushed it into the receiver where the barrel threads onto. Once in I made sure it did not scrape on the cylinder by push it against the wall of the receiver. You will also need to make sure it is not in the way of the trigger sear.
You may choose to glue the aluminium cover in but it is not 100% necessary to do so.
NYLON CYLINDER GUIDES
Now it was time to make the bolt smooth to pull.
The G-Spec only has one issue when using it. The bolt wobbled a little when pulled back. To fix this I pulled the receiver apart and got out the plastic guides that guide the cylinder back and forwards. I then found a block of hard nylon and cut out 2 new guides to nearly the same size. I made these guides only slightly wider and thicker than the stock ones. This meant that the cylinder would not wobble when cycled. Also, when you screwed the barrel on, it would push the guide back to the right position. Once the barrel was fully tightened then the guide was in the perfect place and the barrel fit snug into its thread. One major advantage when doing this is the cylinder slid just as well as an expensive Teflon cylinder. In fact, I tried this with a Teflon cylinder and it slide that much that it seemed too slippery as I was not used to such an easy cycle.
If you cannot get any nylon to make some new cylinder guides, just cut a thin strip of electrical tape and fit it inside your metal receiver around where the plastic guides fit into. This should push the guide inwards a little to help take up any slackness in the bolt handle. You may have to cut (put a slit in) the forward guide and sand off half a millimeter so that the guide has room to compact a little. As for the rear guide, you may also have to sand a small amount off. Do little bits at a time and then try to fit it. If it does not fit then sand a little more off.
Although you cannot see any slit in the nylon guide below, there is one.
If you purchsed the long Pro version then you will also have the problem of your hand hitting the scope when cycling the bolt as the bolt is a stupid shape. You can purchase a replacement g-spec handle that is better at Evike:Evike.com Airsoft Guns - Accessories & Parts | Evike.com Airsoft Guns - Sniper Rifle Parts | Evike.com Airsoft Guns - *Shop by Model | Evike.com Airsoft Guns - APS-2 / Type 96 |
Airbreak; To be or not to be
An airbrake is a plastic stick that protrudes from the front of the piston. As the piston fires forward the air break fits into the air nozzle. This traps an air layer between the cylinder head and the piston. This means that there is not so much stress on parts as the piston slams forward. By cutting the airbrake your rifle will have more of a Compression Zone. So you will have more air to push the bb out the longer barrel and you will have better results when using heavier bb's.
BUCKING MODS AND AIR SEAL
Next I had to make the gun accurate. To do this I got a 55 degree bucking (Soft bucking) and installed it (I highly recommend the Maple bucking with a flat spacer to push it down). I chose a soft bucking because they grip the bb more and so you do not need so much hopup down force (I know most people use a hard bucking for high FPS but then you lose accuracy because you need to apply more downward pressure). The more down force from the hopup arm, the more the bb will vibrate through the barrel. I also found that I gained another 18fps from using a soft bucking. I think this is because since the soft bucking grips more, it holds onto the bb for longer creating more backpressure which results in higher FPS. If you use a soft bucking, only put a little hopup on at a time because if you do too much down force from the hopup arm, you will wreck your soft bucking in one shot.
I then wrapped dental floss around the bucking once and tied it tight. Next I wrapped some Teflon/pluming tape around the bucking. This is to make sure no air escapes.
NOTE: If you have an Action Army Hopup Chamber, then you do not need to do this mod.
You may also want to try making an R-hop bucking. With an R-hop you do not need so much down force from the nub to create backspin. This can help a lot if you are using heavy bb's. So it is much like the Maple bucking but is said to give better results. Check out this link or YouTube it: (This link is a long read) r-hop database
If you do R-hop or even G-hop (YouTube it if you don't know), use a hard bucking as they do seal better and a soft nub so that it grips the bb more. This is the best combination.
TUNING THE CYLINDER TO BARREL TO BB WEIGHT.
Note: This will give the bb the maximum energy that your rifle can produce and it will make your gun very quiet. (This will work better than any other mod to make your gun quiet. It is even better than filling the stock with foam which will make your gun heavy.) If the cylinder to barrel ratio is not matched right, for example the barrel is to short, then the excess air after the bb leaves the muzzle pushes the cracking sound from the piston slamming into the cylinder head, out the end of the barrel. If the barrel is the perfect length for the cylinder (depending on your bb weight), then most of that noise will be trapped in your barrel.
The way this works is that a lighter bb does not take much pressure to push it through the barrel. So it needs a longer barrel otherwise it will be pushed out to early and therefore making the slamming sound. A heavy bb needs more pressure to push it out and so if the barrel is to long there is not enough air in the cylinder push it out properly and this will make the bb fly less accurately. So you need to get the perfect match between cylinder to barrel to bb weight.
In effect your bb weight can alter the barrel to cylinder ratio. The heavier a bb the shorter the barrel it needs or the lighter the bb the longer the barrel should be.
Here is a rough guideline as to which bb and barrel to use to get the most efficiency from your cylinder.
So chrono your gun and work out the FPS. Then look at the chart and work out the weight bb you need for your FPS. (You can always use a slightly heavier bb and the energy/backspin of the gun should still be able to carry it)
330-370fps = 0.25gm-0.32gm
370-420fps = 0.32gm-0.36gm
420-450fps = 0.36gm-0.40gm
450-500fps = 0.40gm-0.45gm
500-540fps = 0.45gm-0.48gm
540fps upwards = 0.48gm+
(These FPS/BB weights can be used with any gun setup. So if your pistol is firing at a ridiculous 540fps then use a 0.45gm as long as there is enough air in the cylinder to push it out the barrel)
(Also note that often you can increase the weight of your bb if you use a longer nub on you hopup rubber. The longer nub will help to create more backspin and this will help carry the bb further. This is why R-hop is so effective)
Now to get the best efficiency from your VSR10 cylinder with this bb weight you need to get the right length barrel
Note: I use 6.03mm barrels and information in purple is for the tech head type people and so if you are not into tech stuff and are just starting out please ignore the purple text
Action Army Cylinder Dimensions
Piston Travel Length: 90.2mm
Cylinder diameter: 22.5mm
Compression Volume: 35864 mm^3
So see the chart below:
0.3gm bb use a 554mm barrel (15821 mm^3) = 2.26:1
0.32gm bb use a 530mm barrel (15136 mm^3) = 2.36:1
0.36gm bb use a 500mm barrel (14279 mm^3) = 2.51:1
0.4gm bb use a 470mm barrel (13422 mm^3) = 2.67:1
0.43gm bb use a 430mm barrel (12279 mm^3) = 2.92:1
0.45gm bb use a 400mm Barrel (11423 mm^3) = 3.13:1
Note: These Barrel lengths may change as I try more barrel lengths. Also when testing for the perfect barrel length for each bb weight I had no air break on my piston. If you have an air break then the barrel lengths will be shorter than I have stated here.
If part of your barrel is sticking out, cover it with a silencer.
I added a 335mm x 40mm silencer to my rifle. If you do use a silencer, then before mounting it, pull it apart and check that there are no stray hairs or lose bits on the foam that may cause inaccuracies. Also, if any of the foam is deformed then put these deformed parts closer to the barrel. So the closer to the exit should have the best bits of foam.
If you follow this guide, the volume of your rifle will be similar to the Tokyo Marui Socom (This is the quietest airsoft gun). The Socom measures about 91 decibels when holding the muzzle 150mm away from the decibel meter. My VSR has an M170 spring and it is only 93 decibels.
Getting the perfect piston weight to give the most energy
Different piston weights can have different effects on energy. Sometimes by adding weight you will gain energy and other times you can lose energy. You will need to tune the weight of your piston to get the correct weight that gives the most energy for your particular spring. The weaker a spring, the lighter the piston needs to be. The stronger the spring, the heavier the piston.
When weight is added to your piston and your energy increases, what I believe is happening is that the piston is moving slower in it's initial travel. This makes less of a pressure spike than a light piston, so the bb stays behind the nub for longer and this creates more back pressure that can give the bb more explosive energy in it's initial movements. The bb then still accelerates more as it travels through the inner barrel giving you the extra high energy rate.
To get this right though, you need to get the correct weight for the spring you have and each spring will vary. So you need to tune the piston weight to your particular spring. A piston that is too light will create a pressure spike while a piston that is too heavy will not accelerate up to it's full potential.
To add weight to your piston, simply wrap either electrical solder or golfers lead tape around the piston. If using solder, use one layer of electrical tape to hold it onto your piston.
Choosing the right spring and making it work
Check out this thread: Choosing the right spring and making it work. - Airsoft Sniper Forum
NOTE: I rate Laylax VSR10 springs as the best. They keep their strength for longer and they are quieter than most other springs. Other springs have a "twanging" sound while the Laylax in nearly complete quiet. So even though they do cost more, it is worth paying the extra money.
VSR-10 AEG BARREL MOD
VSR-10/Bar-10's are not meant to be able to use AEG barrels. Well, they can. This is a very easy modification to make your VSR-10 Hopup fit an AEG barrel.
All you need to do is grind down the little tabs of metal inside the hopup which fit into the grooves on the barrel.
You will still use the VSR-10 hopup bucking but you may find that there is a lip that protrudes around the barrel that would normally fit into a groove on a normal VSR barrel. Keep this lip on because when you screw the chamber back together this clamps down and acts as an air seal. If you keep this lip, there will be no need for Teflon Taping this end of the bucking. (You can cut off the lip if you want so that the chamber goes back together better, but I keep mine on. If you cut if off, use Teflon tape to seal the bucking)
Next, with a ruler, carefully draw a line 7cm long with a vivid at the bottom of the barrel where the groove for the bucking fits. This line is only so you can tell exactly where the bottom of the barrel is once in the hopup chamber. It is not necessary but it will help you line up the barrel perfectly when putting it all together.
Put the hopup back together and make sure that the barrel is up the right way.
ALL DONE. YOU CAN NOW TAKE AEG BARRELS. This mod works awesome.
I also highly recommend doing the Top Dead Centre mod as this will make your gun fire straight without the right hand curve. Top Dead Center Mod (TDC) Guide
Hopup Chambers.
Since doing this write-up a new hopup chamber has come onto the market that is put out by Action Army. This new hopup chamber is definitely worth purchasing as it has an inbuilt Top Dead Centre mod and it also gives a 100% air seal. This chamber beats the PDI Variable hopup Chamber hands down.
If you want your bb to fire really straight invest in one.
Action Army Company Airsoft Agent Product VFC Gas Gun Product
One very good mod for this hopup chamber is this: AA HopUp Unit: External adjustment!
BARREL SPACERS
To make your gun as accurate as possible, it is best to get rid of any vibration that may occur in the barrel by adding barrel spacers. These are spacers that go between the outer barrel and the inner barrel. This will help transfer any vibration from the inner barrel to the outer barrel.
Barrel spacers are also good for straightening your inner barrel. If your inner barrel has a slight bend then make as many barrel spacers as possible to straighten it out.
Wrap 1 layer of Masking tape around the barrel with the sticky side facing outwards (This is so your barrel spacer is not permanently stuck on to your inner barrel). Then with the adhesive sides facing each other (So it is not sticky on the outside) wrap the Masking tape and around and around the inner barrel until it fits snugly into your outer barrel.
Do not use electrical tape as it stretches under tension and then it move by itself. Masking tape does not stretch.
It is normally advisable to have 2-3 spacers in your barrel.
Long Range Barrel Mod
The Long Range Barrel (LRB) modification is an old mod that was around before the invention of the hopup. It is a barrel that has a downward curve in it (Normally on the last third of the barrel). As the bb was fired through the barrel it would travel along the top of the curve and this would create backspin to help lift the bb through the air.
Although the LRB helps to make a little hopup, that is not the main reason I use it. I use the LRB to help stabilize the bb before it exits the barrel. As the bb shoots though the barrel it reaches the curve and then travels along the top. So instead of bouncing through the barrel it follows the line of the curve and this will mean that each shot should exit the barrel in the exact same place meaning that each shot should be more consistent with the previous. It will mean that at long ranges the bb should be more stable and therefore more accurate. (NOTE: I only make the barrel bend about 0.5-1.0mm)
So since my gun is a G-Spec with a short outer barrel and I have a 550mm inner barrel, there is about 240mm sticking out the end of my gun (without the silencer on). So I wanted to make this 240mm of inner barrel curve downwards to make the same effect as a LRB. To do this I would make an adjustable barrel spacer for the silencer that has a screw to push the inner barrel up and down.
To make it, get a piece of aluminium (You could make this out of wood) that is 8-10mm thick (Should be able to get this from a local engineer for only a couple of dollars or you could possibly use thick plastic). Cut it the same diameter as the inside of your silencer (Make it really snug). Drill a hole in the middle for the inner barrel to fit through. Then grind the hole downwards about 4mm so that it is more of an oval shape. (This is the area that the inner barrel will move up and down)
Next drill a hole in the top of the LRB Spacer and tap a thread into it. This will be where the adjusting screw will go. (Don't put the screw in yet)
Now you will need to drill a hole in your silencer. So measure where the inner barrel reaches to against your silencer and then screw your silencer tightly onto you barrel. Then about 10mm to 20mm back up from the end of the inner barrel drill a hole for the adjusting screw in the very top of the silencer (Make sure you drill this perfecly on the very top). Then put your LRB spacer into the silencer and line up the holes for the adjusting screw and the silencer. Screw in your adjusting screw (This screw also help stop the LRB Spacer from rotating). If you find that the screw is not that tight then use a little thread locker or teflon tape to help make it a little stiffer otherwise your inner barrel height will not be stable.
335mm x 40mm King Arms Silencer
Remember to make sure you have enough barrel spacers in the outer barrel as this will make the inner barrel straight for the first 2/3's of the inner barrel and then once it goes into the silencer it will curve downwards. Also you may want to drill the end of the silencer where the bb exits if you are going to have quiet a large curve as the bb may clip the end as it exits.
With the Pro Version using a 555mm barrel I would use 3 spacers reasonably close inside the outer barrel. The last spacer does not have to be at the very end or the outer barrel. I would have it about 60mm from the muzzle. (So this will be the start of your curved LRB) Drill the silencer adaptor (muzzle) to about 10mm so that the inner barrel can move up and down. Then have the LRB Spacer in your silencer.
1Tonne Sniping Hints:
1. Carry at least 2 mags. One of white bb's and one of Black bb's. Use the white when advancing and the black ones when you have set up an ambush. (Note: Light Grey bb's are great as you can see them but the enemy can't) Get yourself a pouch to go on your stock. This can store one speed loader and one mag.
2. Once you have set up an ambush, fire a white bb in the direction that the enemy may come. Take note of how far the wind blew the bb off target and then you will be able to correct this when you have a target in site. Remember to change to black bb's before they come.
3. Camouflage the gun so that you do not have a black stick coming out from your hide out.
4. When hiding behind a bush try not to have the gun sticking through the bush as it will be more visible. Instead have the muzzle of the gun only just poking though.
5. Hiding in trees can be great as most people will look straight ahead and not up.
6. If possible try to have an escape plan.
7. You will notice that I have a cover (Hood) on the end of my scope. These come in very handy when looking into glare and also when it is raining as less rain will get on your lens
8. Make a plastic scope bb protector out of plastic from a Brochure Holder (Like what you see on some restaurant tables). You should be able to get a brochure holder from the local office supplies depot for cheap.
9. When shooting in windy conditions tilt the top of your gun in the direction the wind is coming from. This will make the hopup work against the wind can make the bb travel straight. Works a treat.
10. Get an Anti Cant Scope Level (It's just a level that goes on your scope to tell you if your gun is tilted. Costs about US$18.00) or a scope that has an inbuilt level. For an airsoft gun to fire straight it needs to be upright otherwise the bb will fly to the side your gun is tilted to. Both your hopup and your Long Range Barrel need the gun vertical to work propperly. You will find a lot of the time it will not be upright even if you are an experienced sniper. Note: This can make a big improvement.
11. If possible try to get yourself into a position where you are either shooting into the wind or away from the wind. This will mean your bb should travel a lot straighter as you will not have to correct for wind drift.
12. Pull the cylinder apart after each usage. Do not put it back together until you use it next. This will keep your foam dampening system from compacting. If you store the cylinder together the spring will compress the dampening system and make your gun a lot more noisier.
13. When in a hide, gather some twigs and put them in front of your right arm. This will help hide the bolt cycle.
14. Make sure the sun is behind you when you are hiding so that the enemy has to look into the glare.
15. Judge the wind direction halfway between you and your target and then adjust for your shot. The wind at the target does not a lot as it will not change the trajectory much. It is when the bb is flying that it will go off target. Not the wind at the target so much. So the wind halfway is most important.
16. Make a 330 round high capacity mag: How to make a 330 round VSR10 mag
17. Double feeding issues can be fixed by putting in a bigger or new spring above this part in your hopup:
18. Wear only a compression top under your ghillie suit. This will help to cool you down.
19. Weigh each bb and sort them into their weights as this will get rid of most of your fliers. You can get cheap scales that weigh down to 0.001gm. So normally with the 0.45gm's that I use in my sniper I will have them in bags of 0.447gm, 0.448gm, 0.449gm, 0.450gm, 0.451gm, 0.452gm and 0.453gm.
20. Make a scope with quick adjustable turrets so you can alter your scope really quickly without taking the caps off your scope turrets Mod for quick adjustment turrets on a scope
21. This thread may also help in choosing parts: What parts does your VSR10 have?
