MagPul PTS MASADA ACR

[uscmCorps]

I am unsure at this point, but the problem with mine doesn't seem to be "just" the wobble. The wobble is more likely to be a symptom of a manufacturing defect in the Quick Release system of the barrel itself I believe.

Every time I remove the barrel to check it and screw it back in, I'm able to screw it a little further, without even trying to push hard at all, and Q can confirm I'm far from an athletic built. I think something is stripping in the screwing part, probably a material problem being too soft, but I'm honestly not sure yet since nothing is apparent when I remove the barrel, and I'm now too scared to try removing it again.

 

Hope this clarifies my issue that apparently no one else is experiencing yet.

Being CNC'ed aluminum and not steel, I'm guessing it's still possible to damage the QD system if it's over torqued beyond a certain point. Was the barrel wobble evident when you first received it? Is it possible you over torqued it trying to take the barrel on and off? I'm not saying you did, but it's worth asking.

[Ycare]

Being CNC'ed aluminum and not steel, I'm guessing it's still possible to damage the QD system if it's over torqued beyond a certain point. Was the barrel wobble evident when you first received it? Is it possible you over torqued it trying to take the barrel on and off? I'm not saying you did, but it's worth asking.

 

I honestly thought so too, but I actually first removed the barrel because of the wobble it had. So yeah, it was pretty evident.

First removal went smoothly as I followed the instructions on the manual that were pretty clear. But then when putting it back, wobble didn't stop, unless I put a little more torque to it.

 

Thing is, I'm pretty sure several of you already removed your barrels several times, and have no problem with it, while I had some from the start

 

Anyway, still waiting to hear back from Magpul PTS.

[GingaNinga]

@WTFShane

I think you can fit almost any mini type battery in it. I tried an AK-type stick battery today and it fit as well.

Edited August 28, 2010 by dstole

[AnakChan]

The whine was starting to irritate me. My buddy Dagger hooked me up with some Systema gears....so much better. Not whining about the gun being whiny anymore

Which ones? All V2 helical high speed? Fully compatible?

Edited August 28, 2010 by AnakChan

[sacairsoftsn00py]

Systema Flat Standard Ratio Gear Set....

 

Although I elected to go with a CA bevel gear as it has 4 spokes for the anti reversal latch as opposed to 2 spokes with the Systema ones....4 spokes (or more) would reduce the "backing up" noise the gears produce after releasing the trigger.

 

CA bevel gears work well with Systema flat spur and sector gears

-----------------

 

A very important thing to note would be the fact that VERY minimal shims are needed. You need to have a few of those .1 or thinner shims. If you don't have those shims...don't bother as the gears will be shimmed either too tight or too lose. Gotta have the right materials...

[BlackHawk125]

Found an interesting video that showed a fix to a real steel Bushmaster ACR barrel wobble problem. Thought it could possibly be a fix if barrel wobble on the Masada was more common or at least an idea how to make it better. This given that it's not actually material stripping away. I've been stalking this thread since it began so just a quick thanks to everyone on this thread since there is such a plethora of information. Can't wait for ASGI to get their preorders in, which according to a sales rep I spoke to today, said that they received a shipment of two Masadas whereas one was shipped out to a lucky customer and the other is on display, but no specific details of when more will arrive. I found this odd but am eagerly awaiting its arrival. Thanks again .

 

(not my video btw)

Skip to 1:00 for the barrel wobble

Edited August 29, 2010 by BlackHawk125

[JJNance]

Found an interesting video that showed a fix to a real steel Bushmaster ACR barrel wobble problem. Thought it could possibly be a fix if barrel wobble on the Masada was more common or at least an idea how to make it better. This given that it's not actually material stripping away. I've been stalking this thread since it began so just a quick thanks to everyone on this thread since there is such a plethora of information. Can't wait for ASGI to get their preorders in, which according to a sales rep I spoke to today, said that they received a shipment of two Masadas whereas one was shipped out to a lucky customer and the other is on display, but no specific details of when more will arrive. I found this odd but am eagerly awaiting its arrival. Thanks again .

 

(not my video btw)

Skip to 1:00 for the barrel wobble

 

Really, they only got two in? That is odd indeed.

[Ycare]

FYI, here is the answer from Magpul. Very professional and understanding as expected.

 

Good news for you guys is that it's apparently an isolated case so far, so no worries for you.

Bad news is, I look like a total retard since not one single other person had the same issue so far, and it makes me look like I can't handle Airsoft replicas... while it really wasn't like that.

 

Anyway, next step for me is to follow up with eHobby Asia, which I'm sure will be fine.

 

Cheers.

 

 

Dear Mr. XXXX,

 

 

 

The issues you have described are in fact the first we have heard of on the matter. As you can imagine, deducing the reason why a particular part has ceased to operate as it was designed can in some cases be very difficult to conclude based purely on description, photos, and no prior reported issue. That said, we do realize this particular product is very new and in spite of the fact that we perform quality control inspections on every Magpul PTS Masada that leaves our hands, when an issue crops up we like to investigate it further in hopes of preventing similar issues in the future if it is indeed design or manufacturing related. It is very clear from what you have explained that there is indeed a problem with the unit you purchased that requires further investigation.

 

 

 

The warranty that accompanies all our products must be carried out by the dealer or retailer you purchased it through. Magpul PTS supplies the distributors and retailers with replacement parts and guns. It is the responsibility of the companies that sell the Magpul PTS product to replace or repair the product. Since you bought your unit through eHobby Asia, we ask that you contact them regarding your situation, in order for them to make arrangements on how best to resolve your unit's issue.

 

 

 

We also recommend you include this email when contacting the retailer on the matter. Please let us know if the retailer doesn't address the issue in a timely/appropriate manner.

 

 

 

Best Regards,

 

 

+10 to Magpul in my books!

Edited August 29, 2010 by Ycare

[Ycare]

Found an interesting video that showed a fix to a real steel Bushmaster ACR barrel wobble problem. Thought it could possibly be a fix if barrel wobble on the Masada was more common or at least an idea how to make it better. This given that it's not actually material stripping away.

 

(not my video btw)

Skip to 1:00 for the barrel wobble

 

If for some reason I would not be able to change my malfunctioning Masada, this ring fix is definitely the first thing I would try, as it seems spot on with my issue.

[appslapp]

If the barrel wobbel is a common thing on the magpul PTS masada, its relly bad since the A&K dont have this fault, and they even didnt have any blueprint of the real masada and they got it right.

I hope its not a system-error in the production.

[uscmCorps]

There. You see? Nothing to complain about! This is apparently perfectly replicated from the real steel.

 

I kid I kid. I've been speaking with PTS about this and PTS is actively looking into this. The fact that out of the over 1500 currently out there this seems like a rare occurrence is promising.

[AnakChan]

If the barrel wobbel is a common thing on the magpul PTS masada, its relly bad since the A&K dont have this fault, and they even didnt have any blueprint of the real masada and they got it right.

I hope its not a system-error in the production.

So far only 1 person has complained on this forums. Don't know if there's anyone else who's got this problem who's not on this forum. I wouldn't be that quick to jump to any conclusions or any comparisons yet.

[Short Stack]

Where is the actual review? The first like 5 pages dont have it nor do these last ones? Is there an actual in-depth review or what?

[appslapp]

If the barrel wobbel is a common thing on the magpul PTS masada

[sacairsoftsn00py]

snoopy's Review of the MAGPUL PTS Masada ACR

 

Opening the box:

 

The packaging of the MAGPUL PTS Masada ACR is tastefully done with an illustration of the gun printed on the front of the box. The side of the box has a handle so you can carry it out of a store (if you buy one at a shop). There is a sticker on the box indicating the serial number of the Masda ACR in the box.

 

 

 

The inside of the box is lined with hard black foam on both sides of the gun. The majority of the foam has been cut out to the outline of the gun with one slot alotted for the included magazine, and another slot for the MBUS rear sight. The gun virtually does not move when stored in the box.

Packed with the gun are the following: MBUS PTS rear sight, M-Version PMAG, Warranty card, a DVD/CD (Contains trailers for MAGPUL DVD's and a copy of the Manual in PDF), and a dummy 5.56mm round (which is helpful in punching out receiver/handguard pins).

 

Externals/ Cosmetics:

 

 

Upon taking the gun out of the box, it is obvious that MAGPUL PTS did not cut corners when it comes to the externals of the gun. MAGPUL PTS wanted you to know that the Masada ACR was made by them. You have the MAGPUL logo and PTS stamped all over the gun. The handguards, lower receiver, motor plate, upper receiver, and stock has MAGPUL's markings on the gun. Even the stippling on the pistol grip and the magwell area of the Masada is of the MAGPUL Industries Logos.

The trademarks on the upper receiver looks like it was done via laser etching. The gun has its own individual serial number etched on it (which also matches the serial number on the sticker of the original box).

The polymer used on the MAGPUL PTS Masada ACR was supposedly DuPont Nylon. The color, fitting, texture, and overall feel and sturdiness is second to none.

 

 

Looking at the upper receiver, one of my friends (Sacair Dagger) told me that it was most likely made by using the Extrusion and then CNC'd. The upper receiver also has an annodized finish which is chip/flake/and scratch resistant which in turn preserves the gun's look.

 

Function:

 

The MAGPUL PTS Masada ACR uses a mini type battery. The handguards will be able to fit batteries so long as it is no thicker than .66 inches and longer than 8 inches long. For those using NIMH batteries, you could fit up to a 9.6v 2000mah Elite NIMH (Green Camo one) in the handguards. You could also use up to an 11.1v lipo provided that it is up to the dimensions specified. The gun is wired for a mini battery connector. Removal of the handguards for the installation of the battery requires punching off one pin and sliding the handguards.

 

As with your typical AEG, the gun has fire settings for safe, semi, and full auto. The Masada has an ambidextrous selector lever like MP5's, the G36, and the SCAR series.

 

The Masada has a few nifty features.

 

One feature is the ability of the bolt to lock back in place. Pulling the charging handle pulls the dummy bolt back and allows you access to the hop up unit's dial. Turning the dial counter clockwise increases the hop. Turning the dial clockwise decreases the hop. The dial itself has decent tension which will allows it to retain the hop setting. Turning the hop dial for the max hop setting however only allows .25g BBs to sail a little bit higher. You will not be able to fine tune the hop setting for BBs that weigh over .27g BBs. Moving the dummy bolt back to battery would require for the user to push down on the bolt relase button/lever (located posterior of the mag well).

 

Another feature of the PTS Masada is the quick barrel change. Changing outer barrel assemblies require twisting the locking lever counter clockwise by about 120 degrees and pulling off the outer barrel assembly. Reversing the process would install the barrel back in place. This particular feature is especially helpful when changing the hop bucking or upgrading to a tighter bore barrel.

 

A third feature of the gun is its quick takedown. You could separate the gun into 4 major pieces namely: the stock, upper receiver, lower receiver, and outer barrel. This allows for two things with one being the gun's ability to be stored in a more compact case. The other thing that the quick take down feature allows is to configure the gun to your liking once MAGPUL comes out with a folding/retractable stock, longer/shorter outer barrel, a 7.62mm lower receiver, and a RIS handguard. Installing those parts would only require punching off of 4 pins and the removal of 3 hex screws (2mm and 2.5mm). Depending on the setup that you want, you can quickly swap parts in seconds.

 

Internals:

 

MAGPUL PTS used a proprietary gearbox reminiscent of both a version 2 and version 3 gearbox. It uses a motor cage (as seen on the AK and G36 series AEG's) that keeps the motor from moving side to side. The gearbox uses a set of steel gear set that uses a combination of 8mm bearings and 8mm bushings. The bevel gear uses 8mm sealed bearings while both the sector and spur gears use a set of double oil channel steel bushings. Out of the box, these gears are shimmed fairly well (not too tight, no too loose) and has been adequately lubed.

 

Both the cylinder head's nozzle and air seal nozzle are long and is specific to the MAGPUL PTS Masada ACR. The cylinder head reminds me of the AUG/SIG cylinders due to the "longer than the usual" cylinder head nozzle. The cylinder itself has a chrome finish like those found in Guarder FTK's and has no portings (Type-0).

 

The piston and piston heads are made out of a clear/transparent material. It might or might not be polycarbonate. The piston head has a couple of pen point portings to help increase air seal.

 

The tappet plate does not look like its made out of fiber reinforced material and is shaped like a version 3 tappet plate.

 

The stock spring has an irregular pitch. That is, it has tighter coils on a couple of locations located at one end of the spring. The tighter coils are supposed to go towards the spring guide and minimize the "twang" sound after every shot. The MAGPUL PTS Masada ACR does not make the "twanging" sound when fired.

 

The PTS Masada uses a micro switch assembly instead of the regular AEG switch assembly which are supposedly better than those used by the typical version 2/3/6 gearboxes. Wiring is actually routed outisde the gearbox.

 

The motor has a gray housing, heat treated pinion gear, and black motor base.

 

A very nifty feature of the MAGPUL PTS Masada ACR is its quick (main) spring change. You could change the main spring (either to increase or decrease the FPS output) in seconds. All that's required is punching off a couple of pins (one to be able to slide off the stock), unscrewing a screw, popping the spring guide out and replacing the spring. Changing springs could be done in a few seconds.

 

Performance:

 

Out of the box, the MAGPUL PTS Masada ACR shoots 377-384 FPS with .20g BBs. Rate of fire with an 11.1v 1200mah 25C LiPo is right around 21 rounds a second.

 

The hop could be turned up to have .25g BBs curving up at the maximum setting. With the hop properly set with .25g BBs, the gun will shoot up to 200 feet (with the said BBs). The hop dial stops turning when it has reached the max hop setting.

 

The front sight folds forward and is held securely in place by a pin. Pushing this pin to the side releases the spring loaded front sight and pops it up to get you ready for action.

 

The MBUS also folds in place. A built in ambidextrous lever holds it down. Pressing down on this lever releases the rear sight so you can use it in case your dot sight runs out of batteries (or if you just plainly prefer iron sighting).

 

The rear sight is windage adjustable while the front sight is elevation adjustable.

 

Issues/ Fixes:

The biggest issue that I have with the gun is that the shots on the model I'm reviewing tended to swerve to the right. Taking the lower receiver off, looking through the upper receiver, and into the hop chamber reveals that the inner barrel and hop bucking is canted over to thr right by a little bit which then causes for the shots to swerve to the right.

 

Taking the outer barrel off, filing part of the inner barrel clip, and turning the outer barrel/hop bucking to the left corrected the shooting issue.

Another issue that I found with the gun does not affect overall performance by much. It has something to do with the compression around the air nozzle and the cylinder head. Unfortunately, there's no real fix for this as the air nozzle is proprietary to the gun. The compression is not at 100% (which you could achieve with Systema parts on other AEG's). Still, the gun rates fair in compression in that area. The piston/cylinder compression is very good.

 

The only other issue (aside from those two) that I have with the gun is the handguard moving back and forth by .5mm or less. It is really a non-issue as it does not affect function. It's just that its there if you notice things like that. Otherwise, the only thing to really be concerned about would be the hop/inner barrel alignment.

 

Conclusion:

 

 

There is no doubt that the externals of the MAGPUL PTS Masada ACR is top notch. The build quality and fitting is impressive. The gun has a neat features like quick take down, locking bolt catch, and quick spring changes. As with any other gun however, you will find nit picky things. Granted that it is not perfect, issues can be adressed with minimal effort.

 

The Masada ACR has a lot of up sides with only one major down side that you can not get around-the price. The MAGPUL PTS Masada ACR will run you close if not over $500 with MAGPUL PTS magazines running another $28 a piece.

 

Later down the line, you'll have even more options for the gun such as different outer barrel lengths, a folding/retractable stock, a 7.62mm lower receiver.

 

The MAGPUL PTS Masada ACR is a must have for everyone. What you get with this top dollar piece is a very very nice product. Do however keep in mind the little things mentioned in the review. With the issue(s) addressed, you're left with an AEG that is of very nice quality and excellent performance to boot. You will not regret paying $500 for one if you choose to do so.

 

-------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

Updates:

 

8.27.10

 

I replaced the spring with a ligher one (I'm not sure what brand/rating it is) so the gun was shooting 23 rounds a second with the stock motor.

 

The stock motor has been replaced with a Tokyo Marui EG1000 motor. My motor was originally the long type. The MAGPUL PTS Masada ACR uses a Short type motor. I removed the EG1000's pinion gear and cut down the shaft of the motor to spec then installed the motor.

 

After the stock motor was replaced with a Marui EG1000 motor, the gun sounded quieter and snappier. There was less of a whine to every shot and ROF has increased from 23 to 25 rounds per second using the 11.1v 1200mh 25C lipo.

 

I have also replaced the stock steel gear set as it was a tad too whiny for my taste. The PTS Masada ACR sounded fine out of the box. It didn't sound like it was straining or anything like that...however, there is a sort of whine that ended up bothering me. It probably won't bother most but those who know me know how particular I am with my guns.

 

So, In went the standard ratio Systema spur and sector gears (Thanks Craig!). The bevel gear I opted to use was a CA bevel gear. Why? Because the CA bevel gear has 4 latches that the anti-reversal latch catches onto so there's less off a "backing up" sound after every shot. A Systema bevel gear only has 2 latches and the bevel gear is of softer material than the CA bevel gear.

 

Since the installation of the new gear set, the distinctive whine has all but disappeared. I'm all smiles about it now

 

Still, the nozzle/cylinder head compression is not 100%. Nothing I can do about it at the moment (until I decide to gamble on purchasing an AUG cylinder head to see if it would fit).

[Scuffer]

Thanks for the post/review Snoopy, hopefully this thread will continue to grow into a great online resource for all Masada users/owners and those who are thinking about getting one.

[sacairsoftsn00py]

No prob dude.

 

I'm waiting for a TM piston to show up tomorrow. I'll take photos of the microswitch assembly and a few other stock parts that I have taken out of the MAGPUL PTS Masada....

[The Reptile House]

Thanks for a definitive, judicious review

[WTF?Shane]

Damn good review snoopy. Btw, any chance of a grouping test from anyone? Just waiting on that damn pre-order I put in on ehobbyasia. Btw, what sling set up are you guys running on this? I just ordered this sling mount magp_acc_pts053sm_l.jpg so I can run a single point sling.

[Slayer750]

Great review, Sn00py! By the way, did you install a Guarder 50% or 70% bucking?

 

Damn good review snoopy. Btw, any chance of a grouping test from anyone? Just waiting on that damn pre-order I put in on ehobbyasia. Btw, what sling set up are you guys running on this? I just ordered this sling mount magp_acc_pts053sm_l.jpg so I can run a single point sling.

Wait... The PTS ACR doesn't come with a single point sling mount? That is very disappointing...

Edited August 29, 2010 by Slayer750

[sacairsoftsn00py]

The Masada ACR does have a sling mount. It's flat...however, you can use some paracord so its single point sling friendly

 

will post pics of how I did mine later

 

Thanks for the compliment guys

 

I would do an accuracy test but my hop bucking is an after market one. After some work has been done, I am very very happy with my PTS Masada ACR

[Carceroth]

Ok i was having NO problems up until today when i plugged the battery in my gun and fired a few test shots i tried to switch it to safety and the fire selector switch jammed in place and i couldn't move the right side select switch unless the left side switch was depressed slightly i have no idea what is causing this as the jams are pretty significant. Please help me!

Edited August 29, 2010 by Carceroth

[sacairsoftsn00py]

Maybe the screw holding the right selector cam/gear came loose.

 

You may need to take the gun apart and tighten that screw.

[Carceroth]

i'm actually thinking its the left side switch since its the one that needs to be pushed in to make the switch work. But the thing that is bugging me is that it was working fine until i fired a few shots which makes me nervous that it may be some kind of gearbox issue. Though it seems more likely than not to be the problem you described

Edited August 29, 2010 by Carceroth

[ahadsz]

So all I need in this would be a TBB, Gears, Motor, and mags to run the gun on an 11.1 v lipo correct?