Airsoft Tune-up Guide

Pictures coming soon. . . 

Upgrades and aftermarket parts

I often compare Airsoft to the car industry. Airsoft guns and cars have quite a few important similarities. For example both Airsoft guns and cars have a massive aftermarket support. Why is this important you might ask? Take the 2005 Mustang for example. The 2005 Mustang was the pinical of affordable American muscle. Like most Airsoft guns the 2005 Mustang performed great from the factory. But it was not perfect by any means. So enthusiasts sought to create improvements in the form of aftermarket parts or upgrades. With these upgrades Mustang owners were able to take their car’s performance to a whole new level. With a wide variety of parts available one could tailor his/her own car to suit any desire whether that be on the track or the street.

In Airsoft it is no different, whether you want to reach out to incredible ranges or shoot ropes of plastic there are upgrades that will vastly increase your guns performance. Whether you want to turn heads or dominate the field upgrading your gun is the best way to go.

Modifications and tuning

Like with cars increases in your guns performance doesn’t always come in the form of shiny new parts. Modifications are just as if not more important than upgrades. Without some modifications that new high torque motor you just bought will tear your stock gun apart. So what do modifications do and why are they needed? Modifications come in the form of modifying (duh) or tweaking stock parts to make them perform better and more importantly more reliable. upgrades and modifications go hand in hand. A modified gun without upgrades will see very little performance increases. And in retrospect an upgraded gun without mods will likely tear itself apart often quite violently. A well tuned gun with some upgrades will always outperform anything stock from the factory.

Modifications should always be done before you think about upgrading your rifle. Modifications while being very inexpensive or even cost free require time and knowledge. In this guide we will cover the most common and essential modifications required to install most aftermarket upgrades.

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Project Blue Ghost

Project Blue Ghost as it is today

The history of project Blue Ghost

This was my very first airsoft gun, it started out as a well loved AK-74M manufactured by a Chinese company called CYMA. Sure it was cheap and poorly made but it was a portal into the wonderful sport of Airsoft. For me this is where it all began. This is where my love for tech and modifications was born. Encased in a cast zinc shell laid a set of greasy gears and dirty plastics, but I didn’t care. This was a masterpeice in the making. For the next year and a half I would save up my hard earned money to buy shiny new parts for my rifle. I would make numerous mistakes and errors, but in the end I would learn my trade. The story of project Blue Ghost is the story of my path to becoming a Benchtech.

Laying the groundwork

When I first received my rifle in its generic cardboard box the first thing I did was tear it apart (much to the dismay of my parents). After closely examining each and every part and seeing how it interacted I had a rough understanding of the workings. I was able to put it back together with the exception of the hopup unit and took it to my local field for the first time. After the whirlwind of action and adrenaline which every airsofter experiences their first time I came to the conclusion that my beloved rifle needed some serious improvment.

Lonex gearboxes have a unique shine to them

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Airsoft High Speed Guide: The Basics

What exactly is a High Speed Build?

In airsoft a high speed build refers to a upgraded platform (usually PDW or PBR) capable of a fearsome rate of fire (30-50 rounds/sec). High speed builds are typically medium to high stress and require moderate tech skills and basic knowledge of the inner workings of your rifle.

What gives your rifle a high ROF?

The ROF (rate of fire) is determined by three things: The battery, the motor, and the gear ratio. Ultimately the battery affects the ROF the most but motor and gear ratio are equally important. Even with a powerful 11.1v LiPo your guns ROF will be heavily restricted by its stock motor and gears. Upgrading your motor and gears will allow you to use the full power of your battery and greatly increase efficiency and trigger response. To handle the high stresses that these new parts will put on your system you will need to upgrade parts such as the piston and spring. Modifications such as radiusing and short-stroking may not be essential but are highly recommended. Shimming and motor height tuning should be done on ALL builds and is a must for stress builds of any sort.

Understanding what parts to buy

Battery: First things first, throw away every Ni-cad/NiMh battery you own, you wont be needing them anymore. . .

Turnigy 11.1v 1300mAh 25-50C LiPo

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Wolverine Inferno Gen 2 Review: First Impressions

What makes the Gen 2 different?

The Wolverine Inferno Gen 2 is the latest and most advanced drop-in HPA system to date, or at least according to its manufacturer Wolverine Airsoft. This system boasts truly incredible performance but is it worth the hefty price tag? Well lets see what Wolverine has to say about its latest product. . . “The GEN 2 Inferno is the culmination of a great deal of work to take the next step forward in the development of HPA technology. Over the past couple years since the launch of the SMP, multiple other companies saw the value of this type of technology and have attempted to replicate its performance. The Gen2 once again leaves everyone far behind.

The GEN 2 Inferno features a revolutionary single solenoid. Independent poppet and nozzle design that sets a new standard for a drop in kit. Particularly, it is designed to solve the “open bolt problem”. It is a hybrid design which keeps the advantages of an open bolt system: easy tuning, no first round dry fire, efficiency, etc… and adds the simplicity of easier hop up tuning that closed bolt systems have traditionally offered. In addition, it further improves the efficiency over our previous systems by an estimated 10-15%.”

I’m not going to lie the unboxing experience leaves you feeling cheated out of your money.”Did I really just spend my paycheck on this?”. Packaged in the same generic plastic box that one would normally find some off the shelf flashlight lies the Gen 2 Inferno. With its shiny CNC machining and laser printed design all thoughts of its questionable price tag melt away. This is one of the few airsoft products that’s quality matches its performance, and it performs really really well.

About the author

My name is Jon Kraatz, I was born in California and now live in Texas just north of Dallas. I am currently employed at Thomas Digital and am an active member of TX881 AFJROTC. I like to consider myself a moderately skilled benchtech and amateur engineer. I Frequent D14 airsoft but I spend more time as my teams benchtech than on the field. When I’m not working or hanging out with friends I’m usually being a public menace in my 2005 Mustang GT.