Best Quick and Easy Upgrades to Any AEG!
October 10, 2017
So you’re thinking about upgrading your AEG, but you don’t know where to start? Are bevels, pistons, and trolleys all foreign terms for you? The thought of several bits and pieces flying left and right, missing tiny springs, screws, and other bits is just an absolute nightmare? Well fear not! These easy, effective, and cost efficient parts should get you started on the road to a higher performing AEG. Here are upgrades to make a gun that can rival even some of the best AEGs on the market!
Motor
In most airsoft stock AEG rifles, one of the weakest components that holds it back from having awesome trigger response and fire rate is the motor! Airsoft manufacturers typically use weak ferrite magnets in the motors to pull springs capable of shooting anywhere from 350 FPS and up. Such motors typically are fine for guns running sub 300 FPS, but given that the market in the U.S. are pushing the boundaries in terms of FPS, the weaker motors just aren’t cutting it.
So we enter the world of high performing neodymium magnet motors. Neodymium magnet motors are much stronger given that they’re able to turn over much more quickly, with more efficiency, and less heat. Motors such as these work extremely well in your favor by being able pull springs with much more ease, and thus, increasing your potential for several different custom builds and combinations.
Changing the motor out of a gun is fairly easy. For most common AEGs (M4s, AKs, ETC.) typically the motor is housed in the grip of a rifle. It’s a fairly straightforward process of taking the motor out, swapping the wires, popping the new one in, and adjusting the motor height, and making sure everything sounds good and smooth with the new motor. For an in-depth tutorial on taking the motor out of the gun, Youtube and airsoft forums are a great resource for assistance on this.
The most common motors you’ll want to look at are balance/torque motors. These motors have a rating between 16 to 22 turns per armature (TPA). TPA defines the amount of times the armature is wound inside the motor. Lower TPA = Higher speed. Higher TPA = Higher torque. Most stock guns come with a standard gear set inside of them, so you’ll want to stick to 16-22 TPA motors for basic drop ins without really requiring to tune the gearbox itself.
Some great budget motors would include the following:
- Echo 1 Blue (22TPA)
- Echo 1 Red (16TPA)
Barrel
While most stock barrels are fairly good at doing their job well, most of them are made of either brass or aluminum. These barrels are cheaper and typically degrade from wear and tear over time. In these cases, an upgrade to a steel, tight bore barrel is usually the route many take for higher end AEG builds. Steel is a much harder material to degrade, and it’s heavier allowing it to absorb more of the shock and vibration coming from the action of the AEG. A tighter bore gives a tiny boost in accuracy as well. Most steel barrels would suffice, regardless of the brand, but one of our favorites is the Madbull Steel Barrel.
Hop up Bucking / Nub
Lastly, since you’re already working with and dealing with the barrel, the hop up bucking and nub can always use an upgrade. The flat hop is one of the best ways to increase range and accuracy with ease. An R-hop or an S-hop is still a higher performance set up, but the difference is nearly negligible when calibrated properly. Many experienced techs are able to create DIY flat hop buckings and nubs from stock units. If you’re not so confident in doing that, one of our favorite drop in kits is the Modify Baton Ryusoku Flat Hop Up Bucking.
- Soft Bucking (More hop, less durability, meant for lower FPS guns)
- Hard Bucking (Less hop, more durability, meant for higher FPS guns)
Last few words
No two airsoft guns will be the same. Take your time, take it slow, and organize your work. Look through tutorials, guides, etc. With time, your desired airsoft gun will come to fruition. Use these tips and soon enough you’ll be picking people off from unseen ranges and angles.
