It was quite a while ago, but I previously introduced a custom UMAREX/VFC GLOCK 19X.
I attended a regular meeting at the beginning of April 2021, and during the Golden Week holidays in May, I went back to my parents' home for a memorial service to check the trajectory and make final adjustments.
I've used them in airsoft again, so I'll share my trajectory checks and final adjustments.
Before that, I was tinkering with it at home while drinking alcohol, and because I was drunk, I ended up doing something I shouldn't have.
First, let me describe the problem.
*This article aims to provide educational explanations from a mechanical engineering perspective regarding the safe hobby use of airsoft guns.
This does not promote acts of violence, the use of weapons, weapon modification, practical evaluation, or violation of laws and regulations.
Unnecessary customization and trouble
The night before a paintball game in April, a friend I was going with stayed over at my house, and we were drinking alcohol together.
I shouldn't have done it after drinking alcohol, but for some reason I ended up tinkering with my Glock 19X.
The modification involves attaching a 0.5mm thick plastic sheet to a U-shaped part that presses in the hop-up packing, along with a piece of Marui packing material.
I probably installed it without checking the trajectory because I thought the hop-up packing wasn't protruding enough.
Furthermore, I was drunk, so I went to the regular meeting the next day without even trying out the shots.
The regular meeting will be held at Yanex, our home field.
I had my initial velocity checked, and with 0.2g BBs and an ambient temperature of around 15℃, the initial velocity was about 60m/s, which I thought was a little low.
Then, when we went into the range and fired, the trajectory was as follows:
The flight distance was seriously less than 10 meters. And adjusting the hop-up didn't make any difference.
Furthermore, there were times when no bullets were fired, and double loading was a frequent occurrence.
I'm disappointed.
The cause was simply that the hop-up was too strong, causing the BBs to jam (excessive hop-up).
As you know, when people are drunk, you never know what they'll do, so be careful.
However, what's done is done, so I'll correct it.
There's also an article introducing Yanex, so if you're interested, please take a look.
Hop adjustment
Last time I showed this method, I used a piece of Marui packing to press down on the hop-up, but this time I wanted to be able to adjust it while keeping track of the amount of hop-up increase, so I decided to use a piece of plastic sheet.
First, I cut and attached a 0.2mm thick plastic sheet.
By the way, any plastic sheet with a thickness of 0.2mm will do, but I'm using Tamiya's because it seems to have good precision.
・Tamiya 0.2mm thick plastic sheet
I bought it based on its reputation. I figured Tamiya is a safe bet.
I only use this adhesive these days because it's strong, easy to apply with the included brush, and has good adhesion.
・Loctite instant adhesive with brush
The brush makes it incredibly easy to use.
All that's left is to install it.
As a side note, I'll show you where I apply grease, in my own way.
For the slide section, apply Bellhammer No.2 grease to the rail section with a brush, and apply KSC silicone spray to the inside and around the blowback engine.
For the chassis, basically, I apply Bell Hammer No. 2 paint with a brush to all the areas where parts rub against each other.
This alone will make your movements so much better. The sharpness is seriously on a completely different level.
However, since dust and dirt can stick to Bellhammer grease, if you don't want to do maintenance too often, I think silicone spray is a better option for all parts.
It's a bit pricey, but it comes in a large quantity so you can use it many times.
Bellhammer No. 2 Gold Grease
This is a classic, top-quality grease. No. 2 has the same ingredients as No. 0 but with a higher viscosity. I primarily use it for metal-to-metal connections.
KSC Genuine New Gun Oil 430ml
Any silicone spray will do, but KSC's is convenient because it comes in a large size.
After implementing these countermeasures, we conducted a ballistic trajectory check in May 2021.
Ballistics confirmation
I tested the ballistics at a regular game held at Turf Battlefield in southern Tochigi Prefecture.
First, regarding the initial velocity measurement, which is mandatory at regular meetings, using S&T 0.2g BBs in an environment with a temperature of approximately 22°C and with the hop-up adjustment set to 0, the initial velocity was about 73 m/s.
The initial velocity increase I implemented last time did have an effect (it's probably around 67 m/s straight out of the box).
I was nervous to check the trajectory, but with S&T 0.2g BBs, an outside temperature of about 22℃, and the hop-up adjustment set to roughly half of the total adjustment level, the results were as follows:
The approximate distance at which I could reliably hit the target was around 35 to 40 meters.
The bullet is descending at around 40 meters.
I'd guess it shoots a little further than Marui's models with the same inner barrel size (like the Glock 19).
Also, although I haven't actually tried it, the hop-up adjustment range seemed to be just enough to accommodate a 0.25g BB weight.
For those using 0.25g or 0.28g BBs in handguns, it might be just right to increase the hop-up mechanism's height by another 0.2mm, bringing the total height to 0.4mm.
However, if you raise the height by about 0.4mm, it's possible that using 0 hops with 0.2g of hops might result in an overly strong hop flavor.
If you own this Glock and want to try it out, I recommend adjusting it to the weight of the ammunition you primarily use.
By the way, since my handgun is a secondary weapon, I mainly use 0.2g BBs.
For now, I'm relieved that it's a gas gun that actually fires properly.
My impression so far is that the stock hop-up system and packing are surprisingly excellent, and it becomes much better with just a little tweaking (it was even good straight out of the box).
Also, unlike Marui's product, the part that pushes in the hop-up packing is a double-arm design instead of a single-arm design, which gives it more rigidity and should be able to withstand strong hop-ups.
If you're aiming for longer range, you might want to increase the hop-up even more, apply as much hop-up as possible, and make it exclusively for 0.28g BBs.
I have a feeling that Miyagawa Rubber's gas blowback hop-up packing would be a good match.
I might try it sometime.
That concludes the presentation.
・UMAREX/VFC GLOCK19X GBB
I highly recommend it; it's ready to use right out of the box. What's even better is that the price is comparable to or even lower than domestic brands.
・Le Pair Magazine
The magazines are a bit more expensive compared to domestic ones.
・Injection valve for domestic gases
I recommend it (but be sure to use genuine O-rings).
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