[Tomato42]

Hello!

I've been messing around with my SRS A2 Sport for a while and I took it out for a few games at the field. It was pretty nice stock, but the hopup was downright annoying to set right as it took me an entire field day to adjust and the stock barrel might have been a lemon as it was quite jagged at the bucking end.

So I've put a 2.8J Rapax spring, a Kraken hopup chamber and a Morpheus 420mm barrel into it.

Shoots like a charm and it chronos at 2.25-2.3J with 0.45g BBs. Which seemed fine to me until one of the refs asked me to get my gun chrono'd because I was a little confused about the engagement distance (I was keeping at least 25m between me and my targets, which is the sniper MED at that field). And to my surprise he said that it shoots way too weak for a sniper and that I can go up to 3.3J.

Apparently the 2.3J limit is for DMRs and I was misinformed. Even so wouldn't 3.3J with 0.45s be a bit too hot? I asked the ref and other people and they said that it's okay.

Now that you have some context, how should I achieve 3.3J? Should I get a 3J spring and some spring guide spacers or only an adjustable piston from Stalker (they claim that the stock piston gives lower joules).

 

[SiliconeSword]

I'd get a better spring and add spacers if necessary.
Maybe try some .48g BBs to, they'll work even better.

 

[Tomato42]

I'd get a better spring and add spacers if necessary.
Maybe try some .48g BBs to, they'll work even better.

Which spring should I go for? Do I stick with the Rapax springs or a 150N Silverback spring (the 145N seems to deliver almost 3J with 0.48s and a 420mm barrel, but I can only get my hands on a 150N). Also I've heard that the Rapax springs have a lighter pull, is that true?

 

[SiliconeSword]

I'd get a Rapax, but if the others are way cheaper after shipping then they should be fine.

Rapax seem to get more power for the cocking effort you put into them, which just means they are made to higher standards than other springs out there.

 

[Tomato42]

I'd get a Rapax, but if the others are way cheaper after shipping then they should be fine.

Rapax seem to get more power for the cocking effort you put into them, which just means they are made to higher standards than other springs out there.

The Rapax spring I got sure feels better than any other airsoft spring that I've got my hands on. Transport will cost me more than any of the springs so I'm considering the Scorpion piston too since my joules are so much lower compared to others' setups which are identical to mine except for the adjustable airbreak piston.

 

[SiliconeSword]

I wouldn't bother with the Scorpion, I'd try weighting you piston or getting the silverback weighted piston.
The Scorpion is kinda half baked and overpriced according to the people I've talked to who don't lie about how good their stuff is.

 

[Ambush Boi]

Get a better spring for sure if you have an opportunity to have a more powerful gun then take it, it makes the game so much more fun… for you at least

 

[Doctor Jest]

Bear in mind that the difference in performance from 2.3j to 3.3j is quite noticeable, but from 3j to 3.3j you won't notice much performance increase at all. Essentially you get faster shot travel (by around 20fps with a .45) and a little more range......diminishing returns start to hit hard above 2.5j or so and chasing the numbers rarely yields any concrete advantages - it's all in your head. With that in mind, you may achieve your desired FPS simply by increasing BB weight and weighting your cylinder.

 

[Tomato42]

Bear in mind that the difference in performance from 2.3j to 3.3j is quite noticeable, but from 3j to 3.3j you won't notice much performance increase at all. Essentially you get faster shot travel (by around 20fps with a .45) and a little more range......diminishing returns start to hit hard above 2.5j or so and chasing the numbers rarely yields any concrete advantages - it's all in your head. With that in mind, you may achieve your desired FPS simply by increasing BB weight and weighting your cylinder.

A weighted cylinder is what I'm looking for, but the SBA one is out of stock so my only choice is the one made by Stalker which seems pretty nice to me as a whole package. It just worries me a bit that it's made out of smaller cylinders which screw together instead of a whole piece on which you add weights.

Have there been any reports of this particular cylinder coming loose or such?

 

[Doctor Jest]

I haven't seen any but I don't trawl through that many forums - there could easily be some negative reviews. If it's all screw fit, I would say grab some Loctite....but I'll keep looking around.

 

[Tomato42]

I haven't seen any but I don't trawl through that many forums - there could easily be some negative reviews. If it's all screw fit, I would say grab some Loctite....but I'll keep looking around.

I've stumbled upon the sniperland.net forum in my research and it's been rather helpful even if my French is a bit rusty. It sure gave me a few new insights on the piston.

It seems that nobody complained about the quality of the Scorpion. The only issue seems to be that the airbreak functions exclusively on high joule builds (+3J) and it makes sense. It simply doesn't work on 2J. One of the cups (the brown one) requires a very strong spring to make it seal, otherwise it makes you lose close to 1.5J of power.

In short, it's good for what it does and it's better suited for high joule builds, but you're unlikely to use 3/4 of its features.

I did find a place to order the SBA VMP from and that's what I'll go with. Should I also get the airbreak cup? I've also seen an alternate steel body for the VMP. Would that be necessary?

 

[Doctor Jest]

Hard to say honestly, they look like alternatives but are not necessary upgrades for most. If you are aiming for a high joule build I'm not sure if they're mandatory or not - we're stuck at 2.3j in the UK If there is an owner's group on Facebook that has more specific experience concerning those parts, that might be worth a visit. Have you tried dropping a good retailer an email?

 

[Tomato42]

The heavier pistons help with a better energy transfer since the pressure builds up slower so they have a use. I honestly don't trust any seller. I've given up after several unpleasant experiences so I prefer sticking to the users.

About the facebook group...I do know of its existence, but I've always avoided joining it since I don't really use facebook and I didn't want people to suddenly see me come back to life for toy guns. I guess that I'll just make an alt and go for it since that's the last place I haven't researched.

 

[Doctor Jest]

Ah, fair enough. Hopefully you can find the answers to your questions - sorry I couldn't help more!

 

[Tomato42]

No worries! At least you got me motivated to delve into the facebook group 😁