snorkelman Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 (edited) takedown guide for the unicorn I'll follow this up with a list of fixes/adjustments (its easier for me to photograph those as I put it back together) step one, unlatch the top cover to free the upper handguard from the detente pin thats holding it in place the bolt is a loose rattly fit so you might as well remove it and its guide next to get it out the way turning your attention to the muzzle end, depress the detente pin that prevents the muzzle brake from unscrewing. Whilst holding that back, unscrew the muzzle brake The muzzle brake is a conventional clockwise thread, so turn it anti clockwise to unscrew it. Underneath the muzzle brake is the barrel thread adapter. Before attempting to remove this, check wether it has a grub screw in it mine didnt but the hole is there on side of the adapter so yours might. If it does loosen the grub screw in there first, then unscrew the thread adapter - its a counter clockwise thread so turn this one clockwise to unloosen it. Once the thread adapter is removed, loosen the grub screw that holds the front sight block in place, then draw the front sight block off the barrel next loosen the grub screw that holds the lower handguard retaining ring in place, then slide lower handguard and the retaining ring off the barrel by that stage you should have reached here next you want to remove the upper cover and its hinging mount. Yup you guessed it time to unloosen another grub screw thats at front of the receiver cover hinge block Once the grub screw is loosend, slide the hinge block (with top receiver cover attached) off of the barrel and you end up here Fire selector lever comes off next. Undo the circular bolt towards rear of the selector lever that holds it in place (it just unscrews), withdraw bolt and lift lever off. Unlike the dBoys, theres no seperate cam on the unicorn selectro lever its an integral part of the lever. Edited September 22, 2007 by snorkelman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
snorkelman Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 (edited) take down guide continued a hex bolt holds the pistol grip in place undo this with bolt removed withdraw the pistol grip from motorcage and you end up here You thought you were done with grub screws didnt you? Nopes two more to go hehe. These are in the top of the front trunnion and hold the outer barrel in place. Loosen both of these, as with al the grub screws Ive been loosening theres no need to remove them completely - just slacken them enough to break their grip on the part they're holding tight that way theres less chance of loosing them. next push the hop unit (still attached to the outer barrel) forward along with outer barrel in order to clear hop unit from front of the gearbox so gearbox can be removed. at last you get to wrench the gearbox out , OK not wrench just gently lift it up at the rear and pull it clear of the receiver. you might need to push it a little from mottor cage end but it should come out without much of a fight. push barrel and hop up assembly backwards and upwards into cavernous space you now have inside the receiver with gearbox removed, and before you know it its out too that brings you to here and you're almost done taking it down Open the folding stock and knock the hinge pin out, unlike the dBoys this is a plain pin all thru its length so you can knock it out from the top or knock it out from the bottom choice is yours. Its not in all that tight so a narrow philips screwdriver used as a drift with just hand pressure might be enough to push it out. If not whack the screwdriver with a hammer and it'll move just fine and voila the whole thing is apart as far as a basic takedown goes. I wouldnt reccomend unscrewing the hop unit from the outer barrel unless you have to the reason is that the outer barrel is made of alloy and has two 'fingers' at its breach end that support the hop unit and act as the points the hop unit screws attach to. The threading on those fingers is very fine and the fingers are narrow which means the walls of the threads are very thin and could easily be damaged. As a result you dont want to be unscrewing and rescrewing the hop unit off and onto the outer barrel just for the sake of it. if you have to change the hop unit at one stage fair enough, otherwise try to avoid it Edited September 22, 2007 by snorkelman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cpt Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 Snorkelman! Where did you get that front grip? It looks really good Quote Link to post Share on other sites
snorkelman Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 is a real one i picked up a while back I think its a bulgarian one that PlasticMag ordered for me from K-Var Quote Link to post Share on other sites
greatwatermelon Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 (edited) i might have missed it, but what do u think of the Unicorn AKS74U? like it or don't? ty for posting dissembly guide by the way. Edited September 22, 2007 by greatwatermelon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Crimson Posted September 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 (edited) snorkleman i cant see how you took off the fire selector ? Mine has no bolt ? Edit* Stupd me it un screws Edited September 22, 2007 by Crimson Quote Link to post Share on other sites
snorkelman Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 (edited) i might have missed it, but what do u think of the Unicorn AKS74U? like it or don't? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I like it is nice and heavy and solidly built I just like the dBoys one more (I prefer dboys method of construction using pins rather than grub screws, and the glossy finish on the dBoys is more in keeping with what I consider proper finish for an AKSU) However as can (hopefully) be seen by the take down photos, the grub screws method of asembly isnt a major hassle* and the sort of finish the unicorn one has is a finish of the sort a lot of people do prefer to see their AKs with and which can be made to look umpteen years old very easily From that POV its very much a coke versus pepsi personal preference. 20 months ago I had no change out of 1000 quid putting together what was the only AKSU option at the time (guarder kit, TM A47 as a donor, FTK and a tightbore barrel) even allowng for cost of an FTK to give the grearbox a working over this gun with postage wouldnt break £160 from your wallet. For an all steel AK with wooden grips that just need a little work over and maybe a new/nicer bolt? Bargain *the only potentially problematic aspect of grub screw construction is the front sight block, with it held tight by a single grub screw pinching into a round outer barrel. As a result theres potential for the front sight block to rotate off centre - particularly as the front sight block incorporates the front sling mounting point and the outer barrel its pinching against on the unicorn is alloy (rather than steel as was on the original inokatsu design it borrows from). Edited September 22, 2007 by snorkelman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
snorkelman Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 snorkleman i cant see how you took off the fire selector ? Mine has no bolt ? Edit* Stupd me it un screws oops me's bad forgot to mention how it comes off I've ammended the takedown guide to clarify Quote Link to post Share on other sites
~Bruce Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 do you have any plans to get the CYMA version? I'd love to get your opinions on that one too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
snorkelman Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 (edited) hi bruce cyma is the only one of the three that didnt take my fancy. As someone mentioned on another forum with the CM035 being their latest V3 gearbox design it should (in theory) be the most uptodate box they've released thus far and probably/possibly better than the one used in the unicorn, which will most likely be the older CM028 box (not that there was all that much wrong with the 028 gearbox anyway). However fact it was cast alloy alloy construction with various philips screws holding front set onto receiver etc put me off. From darklites comments on the other thread it does seem solidly constructed though. Long term aim for the two I did buy (dboys and unicorn) is to convert them to gas blowbacks anyway so gearboxes didnt factor highly in my choices whereas steel receivers did. Edited September 22, 2007 by snorkelman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
greatwatermelon Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 hi bruce cyma is the only one of the three that didnt take my fancy. As someone mentioned on another forum with the CM035 being their latest V3 gearbox design it should (in theory) be the most uptodate box they've released thus far and probably/possibly better than the one used in the unicorn, which will most likely be the older CM028 box (not that there was all that much wrong with the 028 gearbox anyway). However fact it was cast alloy alloy construction with various philips screws holding front set onto receiver etc put me off. From darklites comments on the other thread it does seem solidly constructed though. Long term aim for the two I did buy (dboys and unicorn) is to convert them to gas blowbacks anyway so gearboxes didnt factor highly in my choices whereas steel receivers did. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> i really doubt it is a 028 gearbox. 028 gearbox fires at 280-330 fps. the gearboxes in unicorn aks74u's are most likely cm031 gearboxes. which fire at 350-360 fps at pointact, they stock cm031 gearboxes. no cm028. probably a reason for that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rolling-thunder Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 (edited) Thanks for the pictures & strip down snorkelman.If you take the gearbox apart for a look see don't forget to post pix & your findings.It will be nice to see one of these guns as a GBB,it should sound really meaty. I can't believe i have two AKs,an AK47 & now this AKS74U & i only have two mags for them.I'm going to have to rectify the situation soon & buy a 10 X box of MAG AK midcap mags so i can skirmish with my guns.Has anyone tried MAG midcaps in their AKS yet? Edited September 23, 2007 by rolling-thunder Quote Link to post Share on other sites
snorkelman Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 i really doubt it is a 028 gearbox. 028 gearbox fires at 280-330 fps. the gearboxes in unicorn aks74u's are most likely cm031 gearboxes. which fire at 350-360 fps except the CM028 taken out of the early cyma 028s attached to a decent marui hop unit with a good seal between box and hopunit and a tightbore barrel happily hit 340 all day long last one I checked (I stuck one in my guarder kit prior to selling it last year) Wouldnt rule it out being an 031 though - havent seen a cyma gearbox in a long time so Im not up to scratch on what externally might have changed. Comparing the unicorn one here with one I know came out of an 028 the only external differences are: colour of the switch black versus white, colour of the base of the motor black versus orange, colour of the cover behind trigger black versus white. nozzle is clear plastic on both of them and both have CM .02 cast on the right hand side of them (might be enough to let someone whos up to scratch with boxes to Id one from the other?). If difference are only in internals then I've no way of knowing without cracking open the box Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rolling-thunder Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 I had my Cyma .28 apart to upgrade the bodywork recently & the gear box in your picture looks the same to me externally{but i'm not 100%}. Gunner can fit an upgrade kit to take a Cyma .28 up to 350/1 joule,i've been quoted £80 from Landwarrior airsoft to upgrade my Cyma .28 upto 1 joule.That would mean £30 for the wood kit posted,£30 for the metal reciever posted,£107 for the gun posted from actionhobbys & £80 for the upgrade.Total £247 for a gun that does the same as the Unicorn AKS74U with the same features . I wish i had the option of buying from China when i was origionally in the market for an AK a couple of years ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
snorkelman Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 (edited) Thanks for the pictures & strip down snorkelman.If you take the gearbox apart for a look see don't forget to post pix & your findings.It will be nice to see one of these guns as a GBB,it should sound really meaty. I can't believe i have two AKs,an AK47 & now this AKS74U & i only have two mags for them.I'm going to have to rectify the situation soon & buy a 10 X box of MAG AK midcap mags so i can skirmish with my guns.Has anyone tried MAG midcaps in their AKS yet? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> hi RT gearbox wise I'll probably leave that in one piece for the time being know the feeling regarding mags I can either go thru and drag some of the other kit out of storage (pita) or lay out for a few mags for these. I'll probably snag a couple of G&P plum midcaps to start with (not sure if MAG do plum ones?) edit I gave in and cracked the box open looks like a typical cyma box inside as i remember them though with a *beep*-load more grease in every orifice gears are NZ (or ZN) but I remember cyma gears being XYZ? unvented basic brass cylinder and a white polycarb piston with vented black plastic piston head, compression seems good Edited September 23, 2007 by snorkelman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dookieboy Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Can you post a Dboys guide? Thanks you VERY much man for all this info. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
snorkelman Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Can you post a Dboys guide? Thanks you VERY much man for all this info. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> already did one http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/inde...howtopic=123809 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DarkLite Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 The CYMA AKs74u has metal bushings as stock, and is painted black. Hits 370-380fps pretty consistantly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
greatwatermelon Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 hey snorkel, i'm still confused why the bolt is wobbling? is it because the bolt is only connected at one end? and if it is so, is there a hole in the front where an aftermarket bolt can connect to? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rolling-thunder Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 (edited) hi RT know the feeling regarding mags I can either go thru and drag some of the other kit out of storage (pita) or lay out for a few mags for these. I'll probably snag a couple of G&P plum midcaps to start with (not sure if MAG do plum ones?) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Once again thanks for the pix. To be honest i don't particularly like the Bakerlite type mags so i was going to buy standard MAG AK mags for my gun.I don't think there's any right or wrong way to do mags,if weapons are the same calibre i'm sure mags would be sourced from where ever they can get them so mixing Bakerlite & steel mags would be common in certain parts of the world & out of preferance i'll go for the steel type mags every time.zerooneairsoft has MAG midcaps in boxes of 10 for just under £50,considering the VCR bill i thought it more prudant to buy the gun even if i didn't have the mags yet! Edited September 23, 2007 by rolling-thunder Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mikkel Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Just remember that the more curved steel ak magazines are 7.62x39 in RS, and the less curved, bakelite magazines, are normally 5.45x39, the caliber that the AKS74U uses. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Blink43va Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Hey Snorkle, I have been looking at both of these models, they Unicorn and D-Boys AKS-74U's, and I had a few questions. Which in your opinion is superior in the performance department? I have alot of experience with upgrading and fixing things, but I was just wondering so that I wouldn't have to replace alot of stuff on the gearbox (i.e. wiring, and parts that need to be made exact, etc). Also in your oppinion, which has the better externals when optimized? (i.e. tightening down body parts, etc.) Thanks so much, -Blink Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rolling-thunder Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 (edited) Once again thanks for the pix. zerooneairsoft has MAG midcaps in boxes of 10 for just under £50, Hmm old age & memory;it was wrong the mags i was looking at on zeroones site are Star midcap mag for just under £40 & for some reason they are cheaper than the real caps Edited September 23, 2007 by rolling-thunder Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kraut Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 know the feeling regarding mags I can either go thru and drag some of the other kit out of storage (pita) or lay out for a few mags for these. I'll probably snag a couple of G&P plum midcaps to start with (not sure if MAG do plum ones?) MAG do make plum ones, I bought the box of five. They feed like a champ in my ICS. They're plastic, but very strong. I've dropped them five times at least (fumblefingers) on tile floor, no problem. Just keep em lubed properly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrpugster Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 did a full days CQB with my unicorn on sat, worked great with my 1500 9.6v, fps was around 330 - 340, all held together pretty well, even the bolt, the one thing which came loose was the selector by the afternoon and was stuck on full-auto Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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