Dry firing

[coach]

Originally Posted by venture

Such is the problem with pot metal. We all live in a cold climate here, winter games are fun. I think we need to get these "Cansoft" manufacturers to start making cold resistant gearboxes, otherwise we could embarrass them by breaking all of their mechboxes when it is cold.

Is there such a thing as a cnc'd aluminum gearbox? Or one made of another material that could take the cold down to, say -20 to -25º C? I would use a cast iron one if they made it, would add a nice weight to the gun, and you would never break it with an airsoft spring. But to be afraid to go outside with your aeg for 4-5 months of the year in Canada is just wrong. Especially when some companies are making aegs especially for Canada.

the m4 now has a reinforced JG box with a downgraded spring. I'm not too worried about it breaking with it's lower cost. it'll get a sorbo pad in it eventually or I'll invest in the AJAX STS piece.

the mp5 is a marui box but has the sorbo piston head and cylinder pad. so it should be relatively safe.

[Styrak]

Originally Posted by venture

Is there such a thing as a cnc'd aluminum gearbox?

Yes, there is.

[Crunchmeister]

Originally Posted by venture

Is there such a thing as a cnc'd aluminum gearbox?

Yes. And they cost an assload of money too.

[Skladfin]

Originally Posted by venture

Such is the problem with pot metal. We all live in a cold climate here, winter games are fun. I think we need to get these "Cansoft" manufacturers to start making cold resistant gearboxes, otherwise we could embarrass them by breaking all of their mechboxes when it is cold.

Is there such a thing as a cnc'd aluminum gearbox? Or one made of another material that could take the cold down to, say -20 to -25º C? I would use a cast iron one if they made it, would add a nice weight to the gun, and you would never break it with an airsoft spring. But to be afraid to go outside with your aeg for 4-5 months of the year in Canada is just wrong. Especially when some companies are making aegs especially for Canada.

i have a better idea

just replace the regular cylinder shock pad with sorbo pad for a stock gun.

more efficient/cost effective in every way.

[venture]

Originally Posted by Skladfin

i have a better idea

just replace the regular cylinder shock pad with sorbo pad for a stock gun.

more efficient/cost effective in every way.

Does a Sorbo pad allow trouble-free winter operation? I have never used one.

[coach]

Originally Posted by venture

Does a Sorbo pad allow trouble-free winter operation? I have never used one.

it won't be absolute trouble free but it will help dissipate the shock of the piston slamming on the front of the mechbox. this shock is what causes the damage to mechboxes in colder weather as the metal gets brittle and cracks.

[Dart]

not to mention winter time also likes to make rubber brittle *hop up* plastic brittle *yah you got FMU but I bet there are still plastic pieces on there*. Grease gets thicker, batteries don't last as long, wires get brittle, tolerances get tighter.

Dunno about this but I would assume BB's would get brittle and break easier, even higher quality ones? Correct me if I am wrong.

[venture]

Originally Posted by Dart

not to mention winter time also likes to make rubber brittle *hop up* plastic brittle *yah you got FMU but I bet there are still plastic pieces on there*. Grease gets thicker, batteries don't last as long, wires get brittle, tolerances get tighter.

Dunno about this but I would assume BB's would get brittle and break easier, even higher quality ones? Correct me if I am wrong.

In other words - there are more problems than mechbox breakage preventing us from having "Arctic Airsoft".

I still say cast iron is the way to go. Maybe some engineering student could calculate the weight increase by using cast iron. Then it would be, go ahead, get that aluminum piston head with the m140 spring.

I guess if I took a V. 2 mechbox - say a TM pot metal thing and used it as a plug in a sand cast mold, I could start producing my very own cast iron mechboxes. Sounds exciting!

[Huron]

STS + Sorbo pad + quality mechbox shell. That's about as safe as you can be in cold weather.

[coach]

Originally Posted by venture

I guess if I took a V. 2 mechbox - say a TM pot metal thing and used it as a plug in a sand cast mold, I could start producing my very own cast iron mechboxes. Sounds exciting!

it's a lot more involved than just making a sand cast mold. you'd have to make a negative mold of either side out of something like silicone. then make a positive of wither side out of wax so that you can make 2 sand molds and melt the wax away leaving you with near perfect (you'd hope) negative molds. but then again, with molten iron, you'd probably want to make ceramic negative molds instead of sand as sand is more than likely to get into you mix causing imperfections.

[Danke]

I think cast iron is a bit too brittle, I've seen too many broken frying pans in my day.

If you want tough then its hammer forged Aluminum, it's the only way to go.