Ultraweasel

Been a while since I last posted, but I've just converted my TM Hi Capa to HPA and wondered if anybody was interested in how it performs and what I used for the conversion? Being in the UK, especially outdoors, using heating blankets, etc. to warm magazines is, quite frankly, just annoying. I was on the verge of giving up with propane/GG - Venting after a few rapid fire shots was putting me off. Tried a WE CO2 mag - it was better, but not great... So, having seen YouTube vids. of the Asian Steel Shooters using HPA (High pressure compressed air ~ 3000 psi) I thought - "I will have some of that". Now, I must admit that I already have a 7 Ltr. Scuba tank (300 Bar / 4500 psi) for charging my PCP .22 air rifle, so some of the cost has already been offset. So, how to do it and what to buy? I know Tactrainers offer a setup using a compressor, but being awkward, I didn't want to be tied to a compressor that I don't have... So my 'version' comprises a 13 c.i. (~0.23 Lt) 3000 psi paintball HPA tank (with built in ~800 psi output regulator - designed for direct paintball co2 replacement - co2 vapour pressure is approx. 800 psi). (Guerrila Air / now First Strike - USA Made). Then you need a secondary regulator to reduce the pressure to an appropriate level for your airsoft pistol. I purchased a Ninja LPR adjustable regulator (0 to 160 psi) (USA Made) I wanted QD connections from regulator output to gun magazine connection. They are NPT QD's - wanted QD self sealing connectors for use at the magazine end. They are a bit bulkier than the non self sealing, but I can live with that. The airline tube I bought was 'super flexible' 4mm OD dia. nylon. Initial testing indicates that you don't notice the tubing at all... The connection to the pistol magazine is where you need the specific adapters - Some conversions require you to drill / tap for standard connectors. I purchased QD to TM mag threaded adapters (So you can convert back to GG / Propane if you want to). I purchased two brands in the UK - the first two were aluminium (aluminum for your US guys ), the second pair are stainless and beautifully made. I will buy more of them. So, how well does the HPA system work? Well, all I can say is - forget GG/Propane! I guess even if you do IPSC, some of your practice will be static? For steel / Bianchi plate, HPA airsoft practice works! From my initial testing, I can get around ~ 200 shots from the GA 13 c.i. bottle at 3000 psi. All I need to do now is make a belt mounted 'holster' to carry my mini HPA tank on my shooting belt so I can run about without getting tangled up in the pipework! Would any of you guys be interested in me posting pics. of my setup? It's by no means perfect, but it is functional and works... Cheers, Ultraweasel.

Just wanted to add that the Ninja LPR regulator was set for ~ 110 psi output ! Thanks Guys / Gals. Cheers, Ultraweasel.

Hi Guys 'n Gals, Been a while since I last posted, but I've just converted my TM Hi Capa to HPA and wondered if anybody was interested in how it performs and what I used for the conversion? Being in the UK, especially outdoors, using heating blankets, etc. to warm magazines is, quite frankly, just annoying. I was on the verge of giving up with propane/GG - Venting after a few rapid fire shots was putting me off. Tried a WE CO2 mag - it was better, but not great... So, having seen YouTube vids. of the Asian Steel Shooters using HPA (High pressure compressed air ~ 3000 psi) I thought - "I will have some of that". Now, I must admit that I already have a 7 Ltr. Scuba tank (300 Bar / 4500 psi) for charging my PCP .22 air rifle, so some of the cost has already been offset. So, how to do it and what to buy? I know Tactrainers offer a setup using a compressor, but being awkward, I didn't want to be tied to a compressor that I don't have... So my 'version' comprises a 13 c.i. (~0.23 Lt) 3000 psi paintball HPA tank (with built in ~800 psi output regulator - designed for direct paintball co2 replacement - co2 vapour pressure is approx. 800 psi). (Guerrila Air / now First Strike - USA Made). Then you need a secondary regulator to reduce the pressure to an appropriate level for your airsoft pistol. I purchased a Ninja LPR adjustable regulator (0 to 160 psi) (USA Made) I wanted QD connections from regulator output to gun magazine connection. They are NPT QD's - wanted QD self sealing connectors for use at the magazine end. They are a bit bulkier than the non self sealing, but I can live with that. The airline tube I bought was 'super flexible' 4mm OD dia. nylon. Initial testing indicates that you don't notice the tubing at all... The connection to the pistol magazine is where you need the specific adapters - Some conversions require you to drill / tap for standard connectors. I purchased QD to TM mag threaded adapters (So you can convert back to GG / Propane if you want to). I purchased two brands in the UK - the first two were aluminium (aluminum for your US guys ), the second pair are stainless and beautifully made. I will buy more of them. So, how well does the HPA system work? Well, all I can say is - forget GG/Propane! I guess even if you do IPSC, some of your practice will be static? For steel / Bianchi plate, HPA airsoft practice works! From my initial testing, I can get around ~ 200 shots from the GA 13 c.i. bottle at 3000 psi. All I need to do now is make a belt mounted 'holster' to carry my mini HPA tank on my shooting belt so I can run about without getting tangled up in the pipework! Would any of you guys be interested in me posting pics. of my setup? It's by no means perfect, but it is functional and works... Cheers, Ultraweasel.

Ha, Cold weather is the UK! 200 psi is (in my opinion) pushing it a bit, especially if you run a plastic slide. It will work. For a while. Then it will break. From my limited experience, airsoft pistols are quite fragile - when you start modifying them, they can, and do, start to become erratic in their performance. I currently have issues with shot to shot consistency due to low temperatures... One thing you can try (with a TM HiCapa) is to put a BB at the base of the mainspring housing, to preload the mainspring. It has helped both my propane mags and my CO2 mag. Try it and let me know how you get on. Cheers, Ultraweasel.

Just measured the gas pressure in my propane bottle and it's at around 130 psi.

I modified my TM HiCapa grip - rounded off the trigger guard, like a std. 1911 - cannot abide square trigger guards... Contacted Saul at DAA as to what direction I should go - He gave me two options: 1) Get the 2011 holster and muzzle support. 2) Buy the 1911 holster and modify to fit. I opted for the 2011 holster insert + muzzle support. When it arrived it was great, but because the muzzle support is designed for 'real' firearms the muzzle plug was a bit loose and long, due to the 'fake' muzzle on the airsoft pistol, there was excessive 'wobble' when holstering. Annoying to say the least. (no fault of DAA - their products are not intended for Airsoft!). Made up a mandrel to chuck the plug in my lathe and turned off about 2mm of the parallel plug and now the muzzle rests on the tapered section and WOW! the holster feel/action is transformed! The setup is so slick, it's like a different animal! I suppose what I'm saying is if you use a DAA rig with a muzzle support for your competition setup and use an Airsoft pistol for practice, a simple mod you can perform to the muzzle plug will transform your holster (for practice) from meh. to awesome. I believe the above mod. shouldn't unduly affect your competition gun holstering, but 'cos I can't shoot firearms I cannot guarentee it... Cheers, Ultraweasel.

Hi Guys, Just machined my TM Hi-Capa front sight height down to 0.1930". Hopefully it will alow my rear sight to get back into the 'adjustment zone' - I'm using 0.32's and 0.36's - and previously had to adjust the rear sight to the stops. Hopefullly the weather will play ball tomorrow so I can get out to play and sight in my pistol (max. range 9 yds.) Having previously used the Nineball hop rubbers, homemade 'R' hop and now using an Airsoft Surgeon Hop Rubber, I'm obtaining more consistency with the Airsoft Surgeon Hop Rubber than ever before. I'm not affiliated with any manufacturer, distributor, or any other business. It works for me. My general advice is to research as much as you can, make your own informed opinions and TRY things. As BE says: Find out what works for YOU! Can't wait to see if my mods. work tommorow. (Weather permitting...) Cheers, Ultraweasel.

~5 months to go! EEK! Well, I'm not dead yet. I don't think... Tomorrow maybe different.

Hi K31Scout, This is what I was thinking: (hopefully that's the correct link ) Cheers, Ultraweasel.

I have a TM Hi Capa and use multiple magazines and shoot a few BB's, change mags (putting the used, 'cooling', mag in a warm pocket). Allows the mag temp to rise enough to get more out of it than if you just use a single mag. I also recently purchased a WE CO2 Hi Capa magazine and Crosman powerlets. This works well in the TM. It is better than GG/propane in lower temps, but does still suffer from 'cooldown', especially in fast shooting. It's the nature of the beast - using any liquified gas as a propellant, as airsoft does, you are going to run into the 'cooldown' effect. I have found that even pre-heating the mags isn't a great solution - the first few shots are ok, but after that, because the ambient temp is low, the liquid gas cannot get enough heat into it to raise the vapour pressure back to where it was. And the cycle continues...downwards. The only way I'm aware of to eliminate this is to use regulated compressed air, like the Asian Steel Challenge Shooters do. (Some good Youtube vids. of them in action. - the airline to the mag. doesn't seem to affect their ability to shoot...) Cheers, Ultraweasel BTW, you won't hurt the gun in the cold. Thinner lube may help if you have cycling issues.

I know this has been alluded to, but watching movies/TV and counting the shots, from both good and bad guys, and seeing who/if the characters reload when they should? Drives everybody I know crazy. They won't watch movies/TV with me anymore...

Martin Riggs: I do it real good, you know. Roger Murtaugh: Do what? Martin Riggs: When I was 19, I did a guy in Laos from a thousand yards out. It was a rifle shot in high wind. Maybe eight or even ten guys in the world could have made that shot. It's the only thing I was ever good at. Well, see ya tomorrow.

Hi tha1000, Sorry, just realised I hadn't populated my profile with my details! I'm from the UK, so where I buy BB's from probably won't help you... But for info., I use Blaster Devil BB's and buy them in bottles of 3000 for £25 for 0.36's and £27.50 for the 0.43's. I do apologise. With regard to 0.3's shooting high in your Hi Capa - a couple of thoughts: What distance are you shooting at? What 'hop up' settings are you using? - even at short ranges (~10 yards) you can 'over hop' these things! (Especially with the TM Hop-Up, which is regarded as one of the best stock 'Hop-Up' systems, I believe? One of the reasons I use heavier BB's is to 'de-sensetise' the 'hop-up' adjustment. This is based on my, currently, unscientific testing. I now intend to attempt to conduct more 'fact' based testing to ascertain what does and doesn't work at the range(s) I have available (~9yds in my case). Is your Hi Capa a TM? Is it standard? I feel that, because Airsoft velocities are so much lower than firearms, you can find that errors in trigger control, etc. can be highlighted. Not saying you have that issue, but it can be a good way of seeing if there are issues that can be worked on? Another thing I've noticed on my TM Hi-Capa is that the sights are, erm, crap. I'm working on machining them into a state where they work with the right amount of 'white' for the front sight in the rear sight notch. My milling machine is coming out to play! Cheers, UltraWeasel. P.S. I'm no way near an 'expert' on these things, I'm just a guy who shot handguns in the UK when they were legal, and now they aren't, we have to play with 'toys'. Shame, but there you are - we have to work with with what we can get...

Hi Guys, I have a maximum backyard range of about 9 yards. In my TM Hi Capa I've tried .3, .36 and .43g BB's. I seem to get best consistency with .36's at about 250 fps. .43's appear to shoot to a similar poi, which is quite intereresting... 'cos I want to shoot (thin) steels, A heavier BB is better, right? Any comments from you guys/gals with experience? Thanks, Ultraweasel.

Hi, No affiliation with DAA, but today got my order - no issues, as ordered. I'm in the UK, but ordered last Thursday, delivered today. Awesome. BTW, quality of products is excellent. Will end up spending more money with them ;(..... Cheers, Ultraweasel.