Post by mj23lj on Dec 9, 2008 21:06:12 GMT -5
Sniper Upgrades (based on a VSR) and Further Guide
I’ve put this guide together for anyone looking to put together a competitive VSR-10 Pro, Real Shock or G-Spec sniper rifle and and doesn’t know what parts to use. It would also be suitable for 100% clones such as the JG BAR-10.
I have chosen the VSR-10 as the base for the guide as I have had 5 of them and they are the most common bolt action rifle in airsoft. Although it is based on a VSR-10 it can be related to other rifles, as to upgrade most other spring rifles you will have to get similar parts or even the same, just that are designed for that particular rifle/model. For a simple example when applying this to a Maruzen L96 (or 100% clone), instead of getting say a PSS10 (VSR-10) spring, you’d get a PSS96 spring (L96).
I have based the guide on First Factory’s Laylax parts, there are many other replacements that could be used which I will try my best to go over at the end of the parts guide. Laylax are a personal preference as they are readily available parts that most retailers stock, and are very much some of the best concerning bolt action rifle upgrades.
The last thing I should mention before the guide begins; I must stress that not all upgrades are 100% necessary, and I have put them in this guide, as together they will make a reliable rifle that should last you a long time (years) without having to replace expensive/main parts.
500fps Guide (+ or – 10fps):
-Laylax PSS10 150 Spring
-Laylax 6.03 mm Tight Bore Barrel 430 mm (303 mm for G-Spec version). The AEG Prometheus barrels must be (machine) cut to fit a VSR-10, or a Laylax PSS10 Hop-Up Chamber must be used. Personally I would stay away from the Chamber as although it is better it makes your upgrading and rifle more complicated and also only takes one hop up rubber that is almost irreplaceable.
-Laylax PSS10 Barrel Spacers for VSR-10 Pro/ Real Shock (There are slightly bigger diameter spacers for G-Spec models). 2 to 4 of these are required depending on the length of the barrel.
-Laylax PSS10 Teflon Cylinder
-Laylax PSS10 Zero Trigger + Laylax PSS10 Orange High Pressure Piston (they come together as a package)
-Laylax PSS10 Spring Guide
-Laylax PSS10 Cylinder Head
-KA Hard Air Seal Bucking / Firefly Hard Bucking. For lower fps set ups of 420fps- then a Nineball Soft Bucking would be a good choice
Below is a possible choice instead of the Zero Trigger and Orange Piston:
-Laylax PSS10 Piston + Laylax PSS10 Trigger Sears + Laylax PSS10 Spring Guide Stopper (To save money and instead of the Zero Trigger – although personally I would still go for the Zero Trigger as it isn’t much more, but it isn’t imperative).
-Laylax PSS10 Red High Pressure Piston (The Laylax PSS10 Orange High Pressure Piston would also be fine)
Different spring strengths (+ or – 10fps) assuming a 6.03 (or tighter) 430mm+ Tight Bore barrel is in use:
-170sp = 540fps
-150sp = 490fps
-130sp = 420fps
-120sp = 400fps
-110sp = 365fps
Description and explanation for use and choice of parts:
Spring: You can get different things out of different powered spring. A more powerful spring with give you better range, but the more powerful the spring the quicker your internals such as the piston, cylinder and trigger sears will deteriorate.
There are a few different brands apart from Laylax such as PDI or OK that make upgrade springs. Be sure that you check the power on a review or forum, and that it will fit on your chosen spring guide.
Tight Bore Barrel: The tight bore barrel will increase accuracy dramatically, and depending on the inner diameter and length it can increase fps as well. The smaller the diameter and longer (to an extent) the barrel the more increase in fps. For example, a DBC 6.01 TB barrel will give a rifle running between 450-500fps a 30fps gain.
Although the tighter and longer the barrel is the more of an fps gain you get, this does not necessarily mean accuracy will follow the same trend. Many barrels have been tested, having come out with different results, but there has been no clear proof for what makes for the best barrel. So, at the moment you pretty much have to go by reputation.
There is a good range of TB barrels on the market and these are reviewed on many major forums. The choice of brand in the end will usually come down to personal preference and availability. A few of these major TB barrels apart from Laylax would be DBC 6.01’s, PDI’s ranging from 6.01 – 6.08 (PDI recommend there 6.08 and 6.04), and EdGI’s 6.01’s / 6.00’s. EdGI is a personal business run by a man in the Philipines, his brand is regarded as one of the best in airsoft bolt action upgrades (it’s well worth checking out one of his inexpensive upgrade sets).
Barrel Spacers: Barrel spacers steady the barrel inside the outer barrel and reduce noise as well. The high-end versions have rubber seals to absorb vibration. Without these, TB barrels are not half as effective, and generally the principal is the more spacers the better.
There aren’t that many brands of barrel spacers that I have seen but from what I have come across the following are very readily available. Apart from Laylax, PDI have a good range of barrel spacers for different types of barrels (AEG or Spring cut), and different kinds of outer barrels (Bull and Normal).
Cylinder: It is not always necessary to upgrade the cylinder; it depends on the power of the spring being used. I’d say when running a 400fps + set up the upgrade of the cylinder is a good idea. Certain cylinders; such as Laylax’s PSS10 Teflon Cylinder, also improve the bolt cycle/pull to a degree.
The cylinder (along with the cylinder head) is containing the power and charge of your rifle so as said above, 400fps+ rifles should have upgraded cylinders to be reliable.
Good cylinder choices would probably be Laylax or PDI. PDI have a rather large range so be careful that if using them to make sure you choose a suitable cylinder, as different cylinders are designed to work with different pistons and do different things.
Trigger: Again, the trigger is not always necessary to upgrade, especially with VSR’s and 100% clones having a trigger pull adjustment (but at stock they are part plastic and can’t take that much power). Personally I’d give it around the same fps limit to upgrade at as a cylinder (430fps+). If you don’t upgrades the cylinder then you should definitely be thinking about replacing some sears and the spring guide stopper.
Upgrade triggers are designed to deal with high power, and to give a lighter and shorter trigger pull. The Laylax PSS10 Zero Trigger has developed a reputation for being the best trigger for most spring rifles. PDI also make a ‘V Trigger’, which is designed to produce a more effective piston release, although it does not have as light a trigger pull as the Laylax. KA also makes an upgrade trigger.
Piston: Some pistons do different things, for example PDI do a “Vacuum Piston” which is designed to erase negative pressure. Upgrade pistons are usually made of alloy, steal and ABS plastic, but PDI do use better quality materials than most other pistons.
Also, some pistons such as the VSR stock piston and Laylax’s PSS10 Orange and Red Pistons have air-breaks. (Incase it isn’t self explanatory enough) the air break is a roughly 20mm long, 1.5mm wide cylinder piece of plastic that when reaches the Cylinder head narrows the hole of which the air is pushed through, thus slowing and smoothing out the movement of the piston providing better accuracy. Due to being slowed down, this also makes for a much quieter shot.
There are a few different brands to choose from and the choice usually does depend on what you’ve heard, and also if you need a specific kind. A few company names apart from Laylax and PDI would be Guarder and OK, they do the job and are cheaper, but are not quite as good.
Spring Guide: Spring guides all have the same purpose but they come in 2 different diameters, 7mm and 9mm so make sure you get the right size for your piston and spring if you decide to mix your brands. Otherwise, with the odd exception (such as OK as they do both sizes) if you use the same brand for the spring guide, piston and spring, most of the time they should be compatible (but do check just incase). PDI also make the 2 different diameters of spring guide, and as shown here they have a whole range of parts that are not all compatible. Where as Laylax PSS10 is always compatible with everything else Laylax PSS10.
There are a few different producers of spring guides and they all use quite different materials for them. For example Guarder do a full stainless steal spring guide, PDI use stainless steal and plastic for the spring plate, and Laylax use a combination of two different steals and incorporate bearings underneath an unfixed spring plate, which reduces stress on the spring and allows spring rotation under compression. Which increases fps and consistency.
Cylinder Head: The cylinder head is simply the top to the cylinder; it has a cylindrical pipe shaped piece of metal with a rounded top (the nozzle) that comes off of it to narrow the airway producing more pressure. The end cylindrical pipe also fits inside the hop-up bucking and (hopefully) provides an airtight seal.
Cylinder Heads are generally very similar through out all makes although Laylax and PDI do some slightly different and innovative designs. Laylax do the PSS10 Tapper Cylinder Head PRO which provide a better air seal. PDI do the Short Stroke Cylinder Head, it reduces the length of bolt pull, shortening the cycle rate. The PDI Short Stroke also gives a slightly more real feeling as it is very close to being accurate of the length of real steal bolt pull. Although it does make the pull slightly harder and it compresses the spring slightly more before pull reducing fps some what.
Many companies do cylinder heads, other than Laylax and PDI, Guarder and OK are probably second in line. PDI make taper cylinder heads, allowing the air to flow smoother into the barrel. ‘dope_on_a_rope’ found that on tapering his own laylax cylinder head, he got an increase FPS, it reduced the effect of the airbreak, made more noise but did increase accuracy.
Hop-Up Bucking: The hop-up bucking is a cylindrical piece of rubber (the VSR design has a tab to keep it in place) that slides over the end of the barrel. A small bump of rubber on the inside of the bucking that protrudes slightly into the barrel, the idea is to produce hop (spin). As airsoft barrels are not rifled, BB’s need backwards rotation so that it keeps a straight flight path. Although TK Twist barrels are grooved. The principal is to keep an airflow around the bb, rather than impart spin on the bb
There are different types of hop-up, which one you use depends on the fps your rifle is running at. The advice I have received by the best airsoft snipers is that if your rifle is running at 420fps or below you should use a Nineball Soft Bucking (although recently many people have been having a similar recurring problem with these), and if your rifle is running at 420fps and higher you should use the KA Hard Air Seal Bucking (utilised really at around 500fps and up). Saying that, there are buckings people have said sit somewhere in the middle. If you have a 410-430 fps rifle that you don’t intend on interchanging springs ever, the Firefly Hard Bucking (which is probably utilised at around 430fps) is a good choice.
∼ (WGC say hard for anything over 330fps, soft for under.) ∼
Airsoft Rifle Modifications and The Free Upgrade Guide:
Teflon/PTFE Modifications:
On clone rifles the seal of the cylinder head isn’t always very good resulting in the loss of potential fps. To solve this, wrap the thread of the cylinder head with Teflon/PTFE a few times and then screw it back on tightly.
If you cannot unscrew the cylinder head by hand; depending on the model of the clone you have there will be 1 or 2 holes in the cylinder head. If there is only one you can very carefully drill a second hole symmetrically on the other side of the top of the cylinder head that is of the same diameter and length (be careful not to drill too far). When you have 2 holes you can then use some needle nose pliers by putting the points of them in the holes and screwing the cylinder head off. (If you do not feel comfortable drilling then you can use an allen key by putting the shorter length into the hole and using the longer length to leaver against the cylinder head nozzle to twist it off).
Some people also find that the thread of the outer barrel that attaches it to the receiver gets worn away over time and isn’t as sturdy. To solve this you can give that thread a few wraps of Tef./PTFE Tape and it should solve the problem.
Wrapping the hop-up bucking with Tef./PTFE will secure a better seal between the hop and barrel (especially if you are not using an air seal bucking). For heavier BB’s; Tef./PTFE can even be applied over where the bucking nub is, which will add more backspin.
There is a few other Teflon/PTFE modifications that I feel are not worth it, as they often will come apart and get inside internals after 10-20 shots. E.g. wrapping the cylinder head nozzle in Teflon/PTFE to get a better seal (it dose not last many shots).
Air-break Modification:
As mentioned in the guide above, some pistons have air-breaks. If you are not at the stage where you are willing to spend money on upgrades then this is a simple way to increase fps; simple cut roughly 50% of the air break off as neatly as possible (the less air-break the more fps, BUT also this also means your rifle will be louder, and have quicker deterioration of cylinder internals). Then with very fine sand paper round off the tip of the air-brake to how it was originally before cutting it down.
If the head is not rounded off well enough then it can result in a massive loss of accuracy, and even if it is rounded off perfectly, the more you take off the more you will reduce accuracy.
Sound Suppression:
There are a few ways to suppress sound other than the use of a silencer and cylinder head damper pads.
A very effective sound reducer is filling the butt side of your stock with expanding foam, and wrapping your trigger and filling the rest of your stock (most empty space) with ‘Dynamat’ or other vibration/sound reducing foam/material.
External and Other Upgrades/Parts Available for the VSR-10:
Silencer Adapters:
If you want to add a silencer to your set up you’ll need one of these. Laylax, KA and a few other companies do them. There are 2 different types/sizes, which are designed to fit Pro/Real Shocks and G-Specs. They also have different threads, Clockwise (+ Positive) and Anti-Clockwise (- Negative). Different silencers are made with different threads so be sure to get the right adaptor.
Silencers:
There are a massive range of silencers and they can be found at most airsoft retailers so I wont go on to list many. I will however say that I’ve had many, and that First Factory, Tokyo Marui and Kings Arms make some very effective and aesthetically pleasing ones.
LayLax PSS10 Bolt Leaver:
An upgrade bolt that will give your VSR-10 (Remington 700 clone) a more US M24 look. They aren’t really a step up in performance but are better quality than a stock bolt leaver.
Laylax PSS10 Silent Damper Pads:
These pads fit on the inside of the cylinder head. They dampen the force of the piston hitting the cylinder head and reduce fps/and vibration (sound) very slightly.
Laylax Spring Tensioners:
These are little steal rings that slide onto the spring guide before the spring; they cause a slight increase in compression and give a little increase in power.
Laylax PSS10 Hop-Up Chamber:
It’s an upgrade chamber that not many people go for, as the stock chambers are good enough. They also use a specialized bucking which is hard to get hold of.
Bull Barrels:
Laylax, PDI and a few other brands have produced bull barrels, which are effectively longer G-Spec outer barrels. I personally believe these barrels increase accuracy if you are using a Pro or Real Shock VSR-10. As G-Spec sized barrel spacers rest perfectly inside the outer barrel (of G-Specs and bull barrels), where as the Pro/Real Shock spacers tend to need to modification to fit well through out the barrel of aVSR-10 Pro or Real Shock. Long Bull Barrels let you use longer inner barrels, and if not a longer barrel, the possibility of an internally silenced rifle. They also have more weight to them as they are much thicker, which also reduces noise.
Cheek Rests:
There are many different types of cheek rests available. I feel cheek rests are important as when set correctly they allow you to put your head in the same position every time when looking down the scope promoting better accuracy.
Any cheek rest will be good but for the more dedicated, I’d like to suggest a Karsten’s Custom Cheek Rest as they are well worth the money:
www.apsoutdoors.com.au/karsten-adjustable-cheek-piece-c-85.html
They are meant for real steal Remington 700 rifles and are exact copies of those used by US snipers.
6mm Ammo:
Until recently the use of heavier ammo was much more common but since Japan has been cracking down on airsoft law for awhile now. Japan now has stopped producing most of the heavier BB’s as they have no use for them.
When using a 500fps rifle most airsofters will tell you that .28g’s, .29g’s and .30g’s are good enough, and will not reduce fps too much. These lighter of sniper ammo’s may have a higher muzzle velocity, but the fps upon hitting the target at long range is reduced dramatically.
The heavier the ammo, the better it will retain it’s energy, thus less loss in fps between muzzle velocity and velocity when hitting the target. Although saying that, there is a happy medium for a 500fps rifle and I feel that sits at around .36g’s.
(The above is assuming the ammo is high grade.)
As heavy ammo is hard to find I thought I would post some examples and links of where to find them.
Airsoft Outlet .43g’s – These are fairly new and I’m guesing are a rebrand, but they look decent and considering the lack of choice are worth considering:
airsoftoutletnw.com/index.php...00-rounds.html
Matrix .40g’s – Matrix is well respected in the states and in this example I think we should follow their lead. I have tried Matrix .25’s and they were good quality, so I can only assume these to be the same:
www.airsoftpost.com/matrix-04...t-p-30172.html
Optics:
Even though this is airsoft I still feel optics are a pretty important choice for snipers, there are a million and one companies out there producing decent scopes. You should make sure you have sturdy scope mounts as well.
A lot of snipers will say that as this is airsoft a 3x30 or 5x30 will be fine, and to hit your target that is true, but as this is airsoft the rifles are not as consistent and with such a low powered scope you can’t always follow the BB that well to know if you have hit the target.
I feel that a nice 3-9 x40 scope set to around 5 or 6 x40 for general purpose is what’s needed to follow the BB to it’s targeted. Although myself, I went a bit further and got a 3-9 x50 (probably more for looks though).
Also, for darker circumstances you may want to think about an illuminated scope as they really do help. And for the more hard core of you, for night time games if you have the extra cash you may consider a night vision scope (although you’ll need a tracer set and some tracer BB’s to go with it).
Here’s a range of different scopes:
UTG/Leapers:
Probably not as well know here as they are an American brand but they are very good (UTG are made by Leapers but designed for airsoft).
Tasco:
A usual choice for not just snipers but many roles in airsoft, very well know for good prices and crystal clear lenses.
Leupold (The Mark 4, M3 series):
Personally I’d say a classic for 6mm hunters around the world.
NCStar & AIM:
Two companies that make pretty decent budget scopes (I really like there rubberised).
A Few Personal Choices from Zeroin Snipers:
‘dope_on_a_rope’ - using a Nikko Stirling Platinum Nite Eater, about a mid to high price range and often come with a range finder wheel for easy on field adjustment.
‘Rampage’ - running on a Falcon Menace, a very large investment for a serious airsofter, and from what I’ve read they are worth every penny.
Myself – I have 2 UTG scopes that are great for the money. They are at the bottom of these examples but personally I think they’re more than enough for airsoft. Although, my favourite scope so far is definitely my King Arms M3 Leupold Replica
To Be Added:
-Gear & Suitable Load Out
-Sniper Field Guide
-Firing Tips
To anyone who has noticed a fault or would like to add something to this then please don’t hesitate to email me at mj23lj@hotmail.com, this is still a work in progress (please email rather than PM as the new inbox is quite small and I don’t have the extra space).
I hope this guide helps and thanks for looking
Written/Authored by “mj23lj” and “dope_on_a_rope”
I’ve put this guide together for anyone looking to put together a competitive VSR-10 Pro, Real Shock or G-Spec sniper rifle and and doesn’t know what parts to use. It would also be suitable for 100% clones such as the JG BAR-10.
I have chosen the VSR-10 as the base for the guide as I have had 5 of them and they are the most common bolt action rifle in airsoft. Although it is based on a VSR-10 it can be related to other rifles, as to upgrade most other spring rifles you will have to get similar parts or even the same, just that are designed for that particular rifle/model. For a simple example when applying this to a Maruzen L96 (or 100% clone), instead of getting say a PSS10 (VSR-10) spring, you’d get a PSS96 spring (L96).
I have based the guide on First Factory’s Laylax parts, there are many other replacements that could be used which I will try my best to go over at the end of the parts guide. Laylax are a personal preference as they are readily available parts that most retailers stock, and are very much some of the best concerning bolt action rifle upgrades.
The last thing I should mention before the guide begins; I must stress that not all upgrades are 100% necessary, and I have put them in this guide, as together they will make a reliable rifle that should last you a long time (years) without having to replace expensive/main parts.
500fps Guide (+ or – 10fps):
-Laylax PSS10 150 Spring
-Laylax 6.03 mm Tight Bore Barrel 430 mm (303 mm for G-Spec version). The AEG Prometheus barrels must be (machine) cut to fit a VSR-10, or a Laylax PSS10 Hop-Up Chamber must be used. Personally I would stay away from the Chamber as although it is better it makes your upgrading and rifle more complicated and also only takes one hop up rubber that is almost irreplaceable.
-Laylax PSS10 Barrel Spacers for VSR-10 Pro/ Real Shock (There are slightly bigger diameter spacers for G-Spec models). 2 to 4 of these are required depending on the length of the barrel.
-Laylax PSS10 Teflon Cylinder
-Laylax PSS10 Zero Trigger + Laylax PSS10 Orange High Pressure Piston (they come together as a package)
-Laylax PSS10 Spring Guide
-Laylax PSS10 Cylinder Head
-KA Hard Air Seal Bucking / Firefly Hard Bucking. For lower fps set ups of 420fps- then a Nineball Soft Bucking would be a good choice
Below is a possible choice instead of the Zero Trigger and Orange Piston:
-Laylax PSS10 Piston + Laylax PSS10 Trigger Sears + Laylax PSS10 Spring Guide Stopper (To save money and instead of the Zero Trigger – although personally I would still go for the Zero Trigger as it isn’t much more, but it isn’t imperative).
-Laylax PSS10 Red High Pressure Piston (The Laylax PSS10 Orange High Pressure Piston would also be fine)
Different spring strengths (+ or – 10fps) assuming a 6.03 (or tighter) 430mm+ Tight Bore barrel is in use:
-170sp = 540fps
-150sp = 490fps
-130sp = 420fps
-120sp = 400fps
-110sp = 365fps
Description and explanation for use and choice of parts:
Spring: You can get different things out of different powered spring. A more powerful spring with give you better range, but the more powerful the spring the quicker your internals such as the piston, cylinder and trigger sears will deteriorate.
There are a few different brands apart from Laylax such as PDI or OK that make upgrade springs. Be sure that you check the power on a review or forum, and that it will fit on your chosen spring guide.
Tight Bore Barrel: The tight bore barrel will increase accuracy dramatically, and depending on the inner diameter and length it can increase fps as well. The smaller the diameter and longer (to an extent) the barrel the more increase in fps. For example, a DBC 6.01 TB barrel will give a rifle running between 450-500fps a 30fps gain.
Although the tighter and longer the barrel is the more of an fps gain you get, this does not necessarily mean accuracy will follow the same trend. Many barrels have been tested, having come out with different results, but there has been no clear proof for what makes for the best barrel. So, at the moment you pretty much have to go by reputation.
There is a good range of TB barrels on the market and these are reviewed on many major forums. The choice of brand in the end will usually come down to personal preference and availability. A few of these major TB barrels apart from Laylax would be DBC 6.01’s, PDI’s ranging from 6.01 – 6.08 (PDI recommend there 6.08 and 6.04), and EdGI’s 6.01’s / 6.00’s. EdGI is a personal business run by a man in the Philipines, his brand is regarded as one of the best in airsoft bolt action upgrades (it’s well worth checking out one of his inexpensive upgrade sets).
Barrel Spacers: Barrel spacers steady the barrel inside the outer barrel and reduce noise as well. The high-end versions have rubber seals to absorb vibration. Without these, TB barrels are not half as effective, and generally the principal is the more spacers the better.
There aren’t that many brands of barrel spacers that I have seen but from what I have come across the following are very readily available. Apart from Laylax, PDI have a good range of barrel spacers for different types of barrels (AEG or Spring cut), and different kinds of outer barrels (Bull and Normal).
Cylinder: It is not always necessary to upgrade the cylinder; it depends on the power of the spring being used. I’d say when running a 400fps + set up the upgrade of the cylinder is a good idea. Certain cylinders; such as Laylax’s PSS10 Teflon Cylinder, also improve the bolt cycle/pull to a degree.
The cylinder (along with the cylinder head) is containing the power and charge of your rifle so as said above, 400fps+ rifles should have upgraded cylinders to be reliable.
Good cylinder choices would probably be Laylax or PDI. PDI have a rather large range so be careful that if using them to make sure you choose a suitable cylinder, as different cylinders are designed to work with different pistons and do different things.
Trigger: Again, the trigger is not always necessary to upgrade, especially with VSR’s and 100% clones having a trigger pull adjustment (but at stock they are part plastic and can’t take that much power). Personally I’d give it around the same fps limit to upgrade at as a cylinder (430fps+). If you don’t upgrades the cylinder then you should definitely be thinking about replacing some sears and the spring guide stopper.
Upgrade triggers are designed to deal with high power, and to give a lighter and shorter trigger pull. The Laylax PSS10 Zero Trigger has developed a reputation for being the best trigger for most spring rifles. PDI also make a ‘V Trigger’, which is designed to produce a more effective piston release, although it does not have as light a trigger pull as the Laylax. KA also makes an upgrade trigger.
Piston: Some pistons do different things, for example PDI do a “Vacuum Piston” which is designed to erase negative pressure. Upgrade pistons are usually made of alloy, steal and ABS plastic, but PDI do use better quality materials than most other pistons.
Also, some pistons such as the VSR stock piston and Laylax’s PSS10 Orange and Red Pistons have air-breaks. (Incase it isn’t self explanatory enough) the air break is a roughly 20mm long, 1.5mm wide cylinder piece of plastic that when reaches the Cylinder head narrows the hole of which the air is pushed through, thus slowing and smoothing out the movement of the piston providing better accuracy. Due to being slowed down, this also makes for a much quieter shot.
There are a few different brands to choose from and the choice usually does depend on what you’ve heard, and also if you need a specific kind. A few company names apart from Laylax and PDI would be Guarder and OK, they do the job and are cheaper, but are not quite as good.
Spring Guide: Spring guides all have the same purpose but they come in 2 different diameters, 7mm and 9mm so make sure you get the right size for your piston and spring if you decide to mix your brands. Otherwise, with the odd exception (such as OK as they do both sizes) if you use the same brand for the spring guide, piston and spring, most of the time they should be compatible (but do check just incase). PDI also make the 2 different diameters of spring guide, and as shown here they have a whole range of parts that are not all compatible. Where as Laylax PSS10 is always compatible with everything else Laylax PSS10.
There are a few different producers of spring guides and they all use quite different materials for them. For example Guarder do a full stainless steal spring guide, PDI use stainless steal and plastic for the spring plate, and Laylax use a combination of two different steals and incorporate bearings underneath an unfixed spring plate, which reduces stress on the spring and allows spring rotation under compression. Which increases fps and consistency.
Cylinder Head: The cylinder head is simply the top to the cylinder; it has a cylindrical pipe shaped piece of metal with a rounded top (the nozzle) that comes off of it to narrow the airway producing more pressure. The end cylindrical pipe also fits inside the hop-up bucking and (hopefully) provides an airtight seal.
Cylinder Heads are generally very similar through out all makes although Laylax and PDI do some slightly different and innovative designs. Laylax do the PSS10 Tapper Cylinder Head PRO which provide a better air seal. PDI do the Short Stroke Cylinder Head, it reduces the length of bolt pull, shortening the cycle rate. The PDI Short Stroke also gives a slightly more real feeling as it is very close to being accurate of the length of real steal bolt pull. Although it does make the pull slightly harder and it compresses the spring slightly more before pull reducing fps some what.
Many companies do cylinder heads, other than Laylax and PDI, Guarder and OK are probably second in line. PDI make taper cylinder heads, allowing the air to flow smoother into the barrel. ‘dope_on_a_rope’ found that on tapering his own laylax cylinder head, he got an increase FPS, it reduced the effect of the airbreak, made more noise but did increase accuracy.
Hop-Up Bucking: The hop-up bucking is a cylindrical piece of rubber (the VSR design has a tab to keep it in place) that slides over the end of the barrel. A small bump of rubber on the inside of the bucking that protrudes slightly into the barrel, the idea is to produce hop (spin). As airsoft barrels are not rifled, BB’s need backwards rotation so that it keeps a straight flight path. Although TK Twist barrels are grooved. The principal is to keep an airflow around the bb, rather than impart spin on the bb
There are different types of hop-up, which one you use depends on the fps your rifle is running at. The advice I have received by the best airsoft snipers is that if your rifle is running at 420fps or below you should use a Nineball Soft Bucking (although recently many people have been having a similar recurring problem with these), and if your rifle is running at 420fps and higher you should use the KA Hard Air Seal Bucking (utilised really at around 500fps and up). Saying that, there are buckings people have said sit somewhere in the middle. If you have a 410-430 fps rifle that you don’t intend on interchanging springs ever, the Firefly Hard Bucking (which is probably utilised at around 430fps) is a good choice.
∼ (WGC say hard for anything over 330fps, soft for under.) ∼
Airsoft Rifle Modifications and The Free Upgrade Guide:
Teflon/PTFE Modifications:
On clone rifles the seal of the cylinder head isn’t always very good resulting in the loss of potential fps. To solve this, wrap the thread of the cylinder head with Teflon/PTFE a few times and then screw it back on tightly.
If you cannot unscrew the cylinder head by hand; depending on the model of the clone you have there will be 1 or 2 holes in the cylinder head. If there is only one you can very carefully drill a second hole symmetrically on the other side of the top of the cylinder head that is of the same diameter and length (be careful not to drill too far). When you have 2 holes you can then use some needle nose pliers by putting the points of them in the holes and screwing the cylinder head off. (If you do not feel comfortable drilling then you can use an allen key by putting the shorter length into the hole and using the longer length to leaver against the cylinder head nozzle to twist it off).
Some people also find that the thread of the outer barrel that attaches it to the receiver gets worn away over time and isn’t as sturdy. To solve this you can give that thread a few wraps of Tef./PTFE Tape and it should solve the problem.
Wrapping the hop-up bucking with Tef./PTFE will secure a better seal between the hop and barrel (especially if you are not using an air seal bucking). For heavier BB’s; Tef./PTFE can even be applied over where the bucking nub is, which will add more backspin.
There is a few other Teflon/PTFE modifications that I feel are not worth it, as they often will come apart and get inside internals after 10-20 shots. E.g. wrapping the cylinder head nozzle in Teflon/PTFE to get a better seal (it dose not last many shots).
Air-break Modification:
As mentioned in the guide above, some pistons have air-breaks. If you are not at the stage where you are willing to spend money on upgrades then this is a simple way to increase fps; simple cut roughly 50% of the air break off as neatly as possible (the less air-break the more fps, BUT also this also means your rifle will be louder, and have quicker deterioration of cylinder internals). Then with very fine sand paper round off the tip of the air-brake to how it was originally before cutting it down.
If the head is not rounded off well enough then it can result in a massive loss of accuracy, and even if it is rounded off perfectly, the more you take off the more you will reduce accuracy.
Sound Suppression:
There are a few ways to suppress sound other than the use of a silencer and cylinder head damper pads.
A very effective sound reducer is filling the butt side of your stock with expanding foam, and wrapping your trigger and filling the rest of your stock (most empty space) with ‘Dynamat’ or other vibration/sound reducing foam/material.
External and Other Upgrades/Parts Available for the VSR-10:
Silencer Adapters:
If you want to add a silencer to your set up you’ll need one of these. Laylax, KA and a few other companies do them. There are 2 different types/sizes, which are designed to fit Pro/Real Shocks and G-Specs. They also have different threads, Clockwise (+ Positive) and Anti-Clockwise (- Negative). Different silencers are made with different threads so be sure to get the right adaptor.
Silencers:
There are a massive range of silencers and they can be found at most airsoft retailers so I wont go on to list many. I will however say that I’ve had many, and that First Factory, Tokyo Marui and Kings Arms make some very effective and aesthetically pleasing ones.
LayLax PSS10 Bolt Leaver:
An upgrade bolt that will give your VSR-10 (Remington 700 clone) a more US M24 look. They aren’t really a step up in performance but are better quality than a stock bolt leaver.
Laylax PSS10 Silent Damper Pads:
These pads fit on the inside of the cylinder head. They dampen the force of the piston hitting the cylinder head and reduce fps/and vibration (sound) very slightly.
Laylax Spring Tensioners:
These are little steal rings that slide onto the spring guide before the spring; they cause a slight increase in compression and give a little increase in power.
Laylax PSS10 Hop-Up Chamber:
It’s an upgrade chamber that not many people go for, as the stock chambers are good enough. They also use a specialized bucking which is hard to get hold of.
Bull Barrels:
Laylax, PDI and a few other brands have produced bull barrels, which are effectively longer G-Spec outer barrels. I personally believe these barrels increase accuracy if you are using a Pro or Real Shock VSR-10. As G-Spec sized barrel spacers rest perfectly inside the outer barrel (of G-Specs and bull barrels), where as the Pro/Real Shock spacers tend to need to modification to fit well through out the barrel of aVSR-10 Pro or Real Shock. Long Bull Barrels let you use longer inner barrels, and if not a longer barrel, the possibility of an internally silenced rifle. They also have more weight to them as they are much thicker, which also reduces noise.
Cheek Rests:
There are many different types of cheek rests available. I feel cheek rests are important as when set correctly they allow you to put your head in the same position every time when looking down the scope promoting better accuracy.
Any cheek rest will be good but for the more dedicated, I’d like to suggest a Karsten’s Custom Cheek Rest as they are well worth the money:
www.apsoutdoors.com.au/karsten-adjustable-cheek-piece-c-85.html
They are meant for real steal Remington 700 rifles and are exact copies of those used by US snipers.
6mm Ammo:
Until recently the use of heavier ammo was much more common but since Japan has been cracking down on airsoft law for awhile now. Japan now has stopped producing most of the heavier BB’s as they have no use for them.
When using a 500fps rifle most airsofters will tell you that .28g’s, .29g’s and .30g’s are good enough, and will not reduce fps too much. These lighter of sniper ammo’s may have a higher muzzle velocity, but the fps upon hitting the target at long range is reduced dramatically.
The heavier the ammo, the better it will retain it’s energy, thus less loss in fps between muzzle velocity and velocity when hitting the target. Although saying that, there is a happy medium for a 500fps rifle and I feel that sits at around .36g’s.
(The above is assuming the ammo is high grade.)
As heavy ammo is hard to find I thought I would post some examples and links of where to find them.
Airsoft Outlet .43g’s – These are fairly new and I’m guesing are a rebrand, but they look decent and considering the lack of choice are worth considering:
airsoftoutletnw.com/index.php...00-rounds.html
Matrix .40g’s – Matrix is well respected in the states and in this example I think we should follow their lead. I have tried Matrix .25’s and they were good quality, so I can only assume these to be the same:
www.airsoftpost.com/matrix-04...t-p-30172.html
Optics:
Even though this is airsoft I still feel optics are a pretty important choice for snipers, there are a million and one companies out there producing decent scopes. You should make sure you have sturdy scope mounts as well.
A lot of snipers will say that as this is airsoft a 3x30 or 5x30 will be fine, and to hit your target that is true, but as this is airsoft the rifles are not as consistent and with such a low powered scope you can’t always follow the BB that well to know if you have hit the target.
I feel that a nice 3-9 x40 scope set to around 5 or 6 x40 for general purpose is what’s needed to follow the BB to it’s targeted. Although myself, I went a bit further and got a 3-9 x50 (probably more for looks though).
Also, for darker circumstances you may want to think about an illuminated scope as they really do help. And for the more hard core of you, for night time games if you have the extra cash you may consider a night vision scope (although you’ll need a tracer set and some tracer BB’s to go with it).
Here’s a range of different scopes:
UTG/Leapers:
Probably not as well know here as they are an American brand but they are very good (UTG are made by Leapers but designed for airsoft).
Tasco:
A usual choice for not just snipers but many roles in airsoft, very well know for good prices and crystal clear lenses.
Leupold (The Mark 4, M3 series):
Personally I’d say a classic for 6mm hunters around the world.
NCStar & AIM:
Two companies that make pretty decent budget scopes (I really like there rubberised).
A Few Personal Choices from Zeroin Snipers:
‘dope_on_a_rope’ - using a Nikko Stirling Platinum Nite Eater, about a mid to high price range and often come with a range finder wheel for easy on field adjustment.
‘Rampage’ - running on a Falcon Menace, a very large investment for a serious airsofter, and from what I’ve read they are worth every penny.
Myself – I have 2 UTG scopes that are great for the money. They are at the bottom of these examples but personally I think they’re more than enough for airsoft. Although, my favourite scope so far is definitely my King Arms M3 Leupold Replica
To Be Added:
-Gear & Suitable Load Out
-Sniper Field Guide
-Firing Tips
To anyone who has noticed a fault or would like to add something to this then please don’t hesitate to email me at mj23lj@hotmail.com, this is still a work in progress (please email rather than PM as the new inbox is quite small and I don’t have the extra space).
I hope this guide helps and thanks for looking
Written/Authored by “mj23lj” and “dope_on_a_rope”
