A&K M249 initial impressions

[RSM]

Wouldn't mind sharing this site/source of flangeless bearings with everyone else would you?

[fallout]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/10-x-Miniature-Model...0QQcmdZViewItem

 

found cheaper and better quality on ebay of all places engoy all flangless 8mm

[Gaffa]

Cheers Tarnish... Thanks.

[RSM]

Ta, I managed to find a proper webby for them to buy from, £10 minimum purchase though but found something that hopefully Stealth can confirm

 

http://www.technobots.co.uk/acatalog/Onlin...itches_364.html

 

Would that not serve at all as a replacement higher rated microswitch by any chance?

[Tarnish]

Cheers Tarnish... Thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

No probs.

 

Nice find on the bearings there Fallout, EBay strikes again!

[Pablo]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/10-x-Miniature-Model...0QQcmdZViewItem

 

found cheaper and better quality on ebay of all places engoy all flangless 8mm

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

An imaginary +25 for you! Good find.

[Stealthbomber]

Ta, I managed to find a proper webby for them to buy from, £10 minimum purchase though but found something that hopefully Stealth can confirm

 

http://www.technobots.co.uk/acatalog/Onlin...itches_364.html

 

Would that not serve at all as a replacement higher rated microswitch by any chance?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ummm, is that the same size? 16 x 28 x 9 seems big to me.

Pablo seems to have his in bits a lot. Maybe he could throw a ruler over the switch?

[Smurf]

Also, ASW told me that a large battery would JUST not fit in the stock of the MK.2, however, a hump style large battery may fit...

What do you think to this:

http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp?PageA...ROD&ProdID=1691

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The battery you linked too would be way too wide to fit into the stock. I know that the 9.6V 2200mAh AF NiMH “Nunchuck” Battery Pack, from Component-Shop.co.uk fits into the stock, but that is still not a lot of capacity.

I think a fully custom battery back is going to have to be made up for it. I know someone who makes battery packs up so I will look into it.

 

Nice find with the bearings fallout!

[Tarnish]

The battery you linked too would be way too wide to fit into the stock. I know that the 9.6V 2200mAh AF NiMH “Nunchuck” Battery Pack, from Component-Shop.co.uk fits into the stock, but that is still not a lot of capacity.

I think a fully custom battery back is going to have to be made up for it. I know someone who makes battery packs up so I will look into it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thanks for that link, I'd not heard of them before, great prices. I do have to chuckle when I see a 2200mAh battery being accussed of having " not a lot of capacity". I think it underlines how few rounds I fire compared to most airsofters, 2200mAh lasts me a long time indeed. I played for a good few years with an 8.4V 1250mAh NiCd battery that only started to let me down when it got old.

 

Anyway back to the subject how is the service from the Component-Shop and how is the quality of the products? This assuming you've actually ordered from them of course. Cheers

Edited September 28, 2007 by Tarnish

[Smurf]

I like my batteries to last a good weekend of skirmishing, nothing worse than a battery going flat in the middle of a large game. Plus a couple of the sites I play at do not have mains power.

 

I have used Component-Shop a couple of times, I usually get silicone wire and connectors from them and the level of service has been top notch. I had a problem with one of the orders once where the length of cable which they sent me was incorrect and would not complete the job I needed it for, but the correct length was resent to me within a couple of days for free.

The quality of the items are also top notch, the batteries I have bought from them were both vapextech packs and the cable and connectors were also good.

Plus they have very reasonable P&P rates.

[Tarnish]

Thanks for that Smurf, I've now ordered two batteries from them as the prices are so good. The 9.6V 2200mAh "nunchuck" for my Minimi Mk1 and an 8.4V 3300mAh for general use on my other AEGs. Two batteries for less than the price of one from any other store I'd looked at, a damn fine deal.

 

The feature I really liked on the website too was the diagram with dimensions of each battery that comes up when you click on the photos, a great aid for helping decide which battery is suitable for ones needs

 

Edited September 28, 2007 by Tarnish

[FarEast]

The boxmag jammed at one point, but I emptied it and ran it on Auto setting for a second and it cleared (I did take the internals out to do this - just unscrew the two screws either side of the switch and you can wiggle them out - you'll have to push the feed-hatch bit into the mag).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I have found the cause and remedie for the jamming box mag, easy to do, pain in the butt to put back together. I will show you the fix for this in the review.

[Pablo]

Pablo seems to have his in bits a lot. Maybe he could throw a ruler over the switch?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm experimenting with mine at the mo, yes

 

I'll check it tomorrow (I'm mucking about with my new motor, needs some adjustment), as I'm off out tonight for a change.

 

EDIT: If you do change the motor for a CA high speed, you might find it's a bit screechy. I didn't have time to faff with the shims, so I've put mine aside, but it seems to be the bevel gear that's at fault. I've also got a spare to test it with so we'll see.

[Stealthbomber]

If anybody's interested, I just purchased 3 sets of 8mm bearings from the link above and also 3 sets of 6mm bearings as well.

 

If anybody wants a set off me (to save on the £10 minimum order thing) let me know.

I'll post em to you at cost price + postage.

 

*EDIT*

Just to be clear, the 6mm bearings are normal, flanged ones. The 8mm bearings are NOT flanged and, as such, are only for use in the A&K M249 gearbox.

 

The A&K M249 is ALREADY fitted with bearing bushes. I'm just buying some extra ones cos one of mine is borked and it's a £10 minimum order anyway.

I mention this cos I don't want people thinking I've conned them if they open up their A&K M249 and find it's ALREADY got bearing bushes in it.

 

To reitterate, these are NOT normal flanged bearing bushes and, if you want them for an A&K M249, it's ALREADY got bearing bushes.

Edited September 28, 2007 by Stealthbomber

[Fizzy]

I'll take a set for mine please.

[Pablo]

I think that's 'em all gone, 'cos I've had a set too.

[Stealthbomber]

One more set of 8mm bearings left.

 

Price is 47p per bearing which is a whopping £2.82 per set (10% discount for 10 items or more).

If I have to post em to you they'll go by registered post which is about £1.50-odd.

I'll post em out and THEN tell you the cost and you can either paypal me or buy me beer.

[Tarnish]

I recall there being a mention some days ago by someone complaining that they didn't like having to remove the barrel the fit the battery in the Mk1 and Para. Well for those that aren't yet aware the manual is correct and the foregrip can be removed. It has a hook at the front end and the rear engages in a spring clip. To remove grip at the rear and rotate downwards, to refit locate the hook at the front onto the gun then rotate the rear back up and push into engagement with the spring clip. I think this will aid the issue Stealthbomber also noted in the difficulty encounter when feeding the wires back through after gearbox removal.

 

 

 

Hook at front of hand-guard

 

Where hook locates on gun body

 

Spring clip

 

...and what it clips onto at the rear of the hand-guard.

 

[Smurf]

I will have the remaining set of 8mm bearings stealthbomber, if that is ok?

[Stealthbomber]

I think this will aid the issue Stealthbomber also noted in the difficulty encounter when feeding the wires back through after gearbox removal.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nope.

 

I figured that the foregrip was removeable about 30 seconds after first seeing the gun.

 

Personally, I reckon it's easier to fit the battery by removing the barrel though. It's easier to drop the barrel down into the forgrip than try and balance it inside the frame and clip the foregrip on around it.

 

Tell you what I DID do though...

I found that the space in the front frame was a tiny bit too short to get the battery in easily so I carefully dremelled a tiny bit of the metal away from the front of the frame so the battery can drop in much easier.

 

As for refitting the gearbox, nah. I had the foregrip off. It's just that you can't get the fure-holder through the hole, the forgrip clip is in the way, so you have to break the black wire in the middle and remove the fuseholder and feed the red wire, with one part of the fuse clip, through the hole.

 

It's not that bit a deal. If you're smart you'd poke a cleaning rod through, tape the wires to it and then pull them back.

It just seems like a bit of a mickey-mouse process in what is, otherwise, a pretty well designed gun.

[Stealthbomber]

Okay, that IS all 3 sets gone.

 

I can order another bundle if anybody registers interest.

Edited September 28, 2007 by Stealthbomber

[Tarnish]

Yeah I'd done the biz of splitting the cable and I used some locking wire as a hook to achieve the same result you got with a rod and tape.

 

I agree the barrel removal is a rather funky feature as it's the same as the real weapon but the thing that concerns me is the outer barrel being quite soft and the amount of wear that the locking catch causes even with a lot of care being used. I'll give the fore-grip removal a fair crack of the whip if only to save on that wear.

 

Like yourself though Stealth the more I play around with this gun the more I like it despite it flaws.

[Stealthbomber]

Incidentally, it's worth mentioning this purely cos I was pleasantly surprised when I realised...

 

Do ALL of these guns come with a railed feed cover?

I've seen railed CA M249 feed covers for sale and the ASW description of the A&K gun didn't mention the railed feed cover.

When they were first delivered there were a few people saying they were getting railed feed covers for theirs and I just wondered if the Mk1, Mk2 and Para ALL have the railed cover?

 

Anyway, the Para does and I've got the Elcan to go on it.

[Smurf]

The Mk.1 and Mk.2 do not come with one as standard. I need to get one of the CA ones for my Mk.2 to whack an Elcan on it.

[Tarnish]

The Mk1 does not come with a rail on the feed cover, but then I'm a bit of a purist hence my choice of the Mk1 in the first place, I've no great desire for a scope on mine.

 

Mind you I am hoping that the various sub assemblies such as the barrel and butt groups will become available for separate purchase in the future so I can mod mine into a British Army Minimi, then I may want to nail a SUSAT on if a decent one ever get released.

 

 

Oh incidentally regards my battery purchase from The Component Shop this morning, I've already had an email to say they've been dispatched. Now that's good service I'd say.