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Initial Impressions of the TM SOPMOD M4 AEG


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While fiddling about with my SOCOM recently I noticed an expected benefit of using a Magpul MIAD grip. The swappable backstrap means you only need to remove the pistol grip base to get access to the a

Oh PureSilver, you do spoil me rotten sometimes.   PureSilver dropped half his SOPMOD off with me last weekend with some new goodies to install. Before we continue, you should note that the gun had

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Your gearbox is black...

You sure? It doesn't look black to me. I'd say it was a stock TM gearbox.

 

18awg fits down the buffer tube channels, but you've got to get signal wires down there as well.

With 16awg even front wiring is going to be a tight fit.

 

Speaking of signal wires, how many are there?

Edited by SixtyNiner
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Also, I had to require the entire spectre because the wires are just too thick. Btc used 16 awg wires, way too thick for the sopmod, and it will rip the wire shielding if you try to snake it back underneath the buffer tube upon reassembly. I rewired with 22awg and it is much better space wise. Any suggestions on thinner wire that will be able to handle at least 30amps?

 

 

Weird, BTC usually use MPPE coated wire. AWG remains the same, but overall diameter is reduced due to thinner coating. I have 16awg in mine and it fits through the buffer tube gap ok. You wouldn't get a signal wire through as well though.

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It's an army gearbox

 

How much else of the gun is ARMY? It may well be that some of the problems you're experiencing are down to the different tolerances of the reverse-engineered SOPMOD over the original. Of all the parts to change, the gearbox shell is probably the worst from the point of view of maintaining compatibility with a computerised MOSFET.

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@mrezzy why do you need wire for 30 amps? isnt this a little too much?

While most AEGs only draw around 15A to 17A continuously in full auto, the current surge when the trigger has just been pulled can be as high as 200A in some guns. By limiting the wire thickness you're drastically limiting the startup torque and spin-up speed of your motor, leading to a slower trigger response and also causing the gun to waste battery power heating up tiny wires. Where space allows, I recommend 16AWG wire as a minimum.

 

 

Also, I had to require the entire spectre because the wires are just too thick. Btc used 16 awg wires, way too thick for the sopmod, and it will rip the wire shielding if you try to snake it back underneath the buffer tube upon reassembly. I rewired with 22awg and it is much better space wise. Any suggestions on thinner wire that will be able to handle at least 30amps?

Yikes, 22AWG is waaaay too thin, and you'll severely hamper your guns ability to function with it. If you're having difficulty fitting the BTC wiring in place, use the stock wiring in the stock tube section and then join that to the BTC wiring closer to the gearbox. the "signal wire", which is actually just the power-input wire for the Spectres microcontroller can be connected to the positive wire anywhere along it's length, it does not have to connect at the end, and therefore does not need to run inside the stock tube channel.
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It's an army gearbox

 

 

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The army gearbox is off spec plus those big oversized bushings that come with it .. Really it's not the best gearbox to be testing with especially if you will be passing the testing results back to frank. If franks made it based on the m4 he said echigoya sent him ages ago then that could be some of your issues.

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I'm assuming frank tested first the prototype in a tm gearbox, though the wire issue has me wonder .. I would test this btc unit in franks test tm and see if the current batch has been produced off spec .. Or if it's specifically just your guns.

 

I'm assuming if you built up the height of the cut off lever with a hard epoxy that it would cure the issue because it's stopping a mm too short. That or something is physically fouling the operation of the lever .. You could try removing and sanding the top and bottom surfaces then buffing them. Making it slimmer, lighter and smoother, then apply a very small amount of grease. The hight of movement isn't effected but potentially it now has more clearance to do what it wants to do.

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Hmm well Im currently using 18 awg wires in my 416 and I still have to be careful when taking of the castle nut as it can cut in the wires(I actually flattened the wires(really only a little) at the castle nut which helps avoiding the problem).

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$105 isn't too bad! I wonder what that will be like after shipping to the UK..

 

I am torn between trying my hardest to get one of these from the word go, or waiting for one of the consecutive batches. As reputable as BTC are, I am not sure if I want to be a guinea pig, per say.

 

@RichardY .. Are you going to stock these?

Edited by Hopewell
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I will order my allotted 5 units given the chance matey, Ive been requesting this product for 3 odd years haha, it's exactly what we need, but if frank only has 100 or so units he doesn't really need me to sell them from my shop, they will sell just fine from his site. Happy to spread the love though I suspect there's already 100 Sopmod owners pressing f5 on that page ..

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This may explain why I was burst firing once in a blue moon on semi auto.

 

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SHS Sector Gear

 

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Stock TM Sector Gear

 

The photos show the position of the cut off lever arm right before it resets. The nub that trips the switch goes higher with the OEM Marui sector gear ensuring that connection gets cut off on semi auto in between shots. The SHS sector gear does not actuate the cut off lever arm as high...this may be why I do bursts/ full auto firing once every mag or so.

 

One solution is to either trim part of the trigger where the contacts latch/unlatch on. Another is to mod the contacts. Both of which may cost nothing if done properly...or it might result in more down time for the gun. If I muck up, ill need to source the said parts.

 

My solution...screw it. Just buy the prometheus gear set. The local airsoft extreme has one in stock. Called em yesterday and they put it away. Ill be picking it up in 45 mins or so.

 

Ill make sure I post a photo of the position of the cut off lever with prommy sector gear tripping it to compare with the other two later on.

 

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