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Minimal upgrading is for all the cheep people wanting nothing more than an
extra bit of power with minimal wallet damage. All that is done is
replacing the spring(~$15-$20) and bushings(~$10-$15). Generally, in
my opinion, it is a good idea to pick up a set of Systema shims(~$4) and
redo the shimming since the replacement metal bushings vary a little from
the stock ones and the stock shimming job is not the best.
Spring choice:
General opinion for maximum spring power when minimally upgrading is
usually around a 400fps producing spring(Systema M120 or PDI 170). Any
spring at or below that level should work fine for quite some time if the
upgrade is properly done and none of your components are lemons. You
may want to check out Airsoft-Guide's spring comparison
article.
[note: PDI offers more options, so some of their springs are overlooked
in that article, such as their 130, 140, 190, 260, and 280. Also, I
can't seem to find some springs mentioned in that article, like the 240 and
270. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough?]
Above and beyond the minimal, but still affordable:
Intermediate upgrading is the smart consumer compromise. For instance,
you don't really need a new tappet plate, but a nice set of Systema gears
can't hurt. Beyond the minimal upgrade of spring and bushings, items
that can fall into the good choices for an intermediate upgrade are things
like:
- Piston Head (I'd get one with bearings that lets the spring rotate
during changing pressures, and not aluminum*)
- Gear Set
- Piston (I'd go for polycarbonate, not aluminum*)
- Spring Guide (with bearing)
- Tight Bore Barrel
*I avoid aluminum piston components because they are unnecessarily
stressful on the front of the mechbox casing leading to higher chances of
cracking. [back to top] |