Army Detonics magazine malfunction

[BakaBox]

Long time no see.

 

Earlier today I received a full metal Army Detonics with three magazines from Gunner. The gun seems great - better than expected in many ways. The magazines had been tested, as gas was still present, but as I played around with the gun a bit, racking the slide and taking one of the magazines in and out (this sound strangely erotic...), I heard a faint rattle while ejecting the magazine the last time. As I did so, the piece of the valve the hammer hits fell out. It is surrounded by a small o-ring, and if I try to put it back in, it goes all the way rather than being "springy", and can easily be taken out again by tapping the magazine against something. What to do?

[renegadecow]

The valve is a 3 piece design: the brass external casing, the main valve itself, and an end piece that the hammer hits usually made of stronger material. The main valve and the end piece are connected together so the spring is held captive and doesn't pop anything out. I never was able to separate those two parts from each other but presumably they are threaded to each other. Try to check first if the two parts just separated or something else (like the valve head) broke off entirely. Either way, you could just as easily get a replacement valve. Other valves exist, this is just the cheapest I can find now.

http://shop.ehobbyasia.com/action-high-output-valve-for-marui-hi-capa-m1911a1.html

[BakaBox]

Thanks for the answer. That valve costs as much as a new magazine, though. But there is supposed to be a spring inside the valve? I unscrewed it and took it apart, and there is no spring - nothing to push the end piece out...

[DarkLite]

To be honest, ARMY GBBs are FANTASTIC guns, but their MAGAZINES are craptastic. Get yourself some TM M1911 mags and it'll run a hell of a lot better.

[renegadecow]

The spring is held captive between the valve and the end piece. You could barely see it from the outside of an assembled valve, also you could feel the resistance of it if you push down on the valve of an empty mag.

[BakaBox]

Hmm... the spring isn't there. It must have fallen out together with the end piece. Can't seem to find it lying around here, either, but I guess I just have to keep looking. Could a spring from a pen or similar act as a substitute..?

[renegadecow]

Spring from a pen looks to be close enough in width. There's plenty of room between the inside diameter of the brass collar and the valve. Just trim the length.