Hissing_Sid Posted December 7, 2004 Report Share Posted December 7, 2004 More christmas present contenders.... Would I be better off investing £65 in a no-name SA80 springer with the intention of bunging P90/M16 internals in it or would I be better spending £110 on an Academy SA80 and then upgrading the internals with FA-MAS bits? Also, does the Academy AEG take Armalite mags as standard or is this still gonna require some bodging? Dunno why I'm asking really. I already have another window open and I'm entering my credit card details...... Link to post Share on other sites
Hairy Posted December 7, 2004 Report Share Posted December 7, 2004 Apparently it does. The bloke with full-FAMAS Academy uses an M16 mag. Can't say whether it required any mods, though. FWIW, the Academy mags - while cheap and fairly nasty - are, well, cheap. Incredibly so. And the drop-out can be fixed - it loks like it's a slight defect in either the mag or catch design (they copied the original, after all ) - a lip on the mag or a longer "tooth" on the catch would solve the problem. I'm guessing from the question that we'll be seeing a P90 hybrid..? Link to post Share on other sites
Hissing_Sid Posted December 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2004 I'm guessing from the question that we'll be seeing a P90 hybrid..? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Quite the opposite actually. I HATED, let me say that again, H-A-T-E-D, the idea of an SA80 with the rear end split apart and a FA-MAS gearbox wedged inside. For me, the only aceptable way to do the job properly would be to use a nice little P90 gearbox and an M16 hop-up which, apparently, fit inside so well there'd be plenty of room to glue in lumps of plastic and aluminium to support the new internals. The Academy AEG has, apparently, had it's measurements adjusted slightly so a FA-MAS gearbox will go straight in. That's gotta be the simpler option, right? Thing is, I want a good project but one which won't look half-assed when a proper gun is released. I build an SA80 and it looks cr@p when CA release a proper one. I build a GBB MP7 out of a springer and that looks half-@ssed if Marui do release one. Doh! I might buy one of those cheapo P90s and chop it about into an F2000. At least there are no rumours about one of those being released. So, anybody got TWO cosmetically knackered FA-MAS's for sale? Link to post Share on other sites
Hairy Posted December 7, 2004 Report Share Posted December 7, 2004 Well, someone just said something that reminded me to order the bits for the Academy I've still got to sort out the gearbox (hopefully I still have a source!), but at a pinch I've the standard 7.2v Korean 'box and a spare TM spring/piston.. The next thing I want is an AAA twin holder (for the sight - it uses [eats] two watch batteries..) Talking of sights - if you use the FAMAS HOP, you'll have to unscrew the sight to adjust it. Apparently. Anyway.. another two GBBs on the way.. only went looking for a suppressor and a HOP unit! Link to post Share on other sites
kenshin9_old Posted December 7, 2004 Report Share Posted December 7, 2004 i got a famas with a badly damaged shell, internals are good, but im gonna do this anyway , can you swap the ''susat'' sight off the academy and replace with iron sites? or replace the ''susat'' and put on scope? (i dont think so, but hope so) Link to post Share on other sites
Hissing_Sid Posted December 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2004 Whichever SA80 I end up with, I was planning to hack the SUSAT about and bung a red dot of some sort inside it. I have no idea how to go about this, or what parts to use, but it should be a laff! :? Link to post Share on other sites
Hissing_Sid Posted December 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2004 i got a famas with a badly damaged shell, internals are good, but im gonna do this anyway , can you swap the ''susat'' sight off the academy and replace with iron sites? or replace the ''susat'' and put on scope? (i dont think so, but hope so) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> No. Absolutely not. It'll never work. Now sell me your knackered FA-MAS. Seriously, SUSAT and iron-sight versions of the SA80 used to be in equal supply. Now it seems that the iron-sight versions have kinda faded away. The SUSAT bolts on to a standard weaver-rail (least, it does on the real gun), so I'm guessing you can remove the SUSAT and fit a normal RDS or scope. If the weaver rail is molded into the receiver, however, it's likely to be pretty flimsy. Might be better to file it down flat and then fit a metal scope rail from AD or Z1 etc. Link to post Share on other sites
kenshin9_old Posted December 7, 2004 Report Share Posted December 7, 2004 *hides famas* the susat sights aint any good though, are they? (one the academy's) is it really just as simple as putting in the famas internals and putting the body back together? what was about the hop? Link to post Share on other sites
Hissing_Sid Posted December 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2004 From what I've read the Academy SUSAT is a "proper" RDS. It is, however rather a weak dot and it eats batteries. I dunno. Rather than butcher it I might take a resin cast of it and try to fit a cheap RDS into that. Regarding the hop-up, as long as the BB feed-tube is in the right place, above the magazine, then then fitting a hop-up should be do-able. The gearbox, though, is a knock-off of the TM FA-MAS one so it does drop straight in, apparently, with a couple of tiny adjustments, making new holes for screws etc. Link to post Share on other sites
Hairy Posted December 7, 2004 Report Share Posted December 7, 2004 I thought the same (buy a cheapo HK RDS and convert) After taking the thing apart (and finding out just how much the similar-in-appearance US sights cost), I opted to stick with the original. Basically, it's a 2.5mm LED. And that's all it is. It reflects off of a 45* windows (so it's not visible from the front), and that's about it. Much more current-hungry than a standard RDS reflecting off of copper-coated glass. But still usable. There's plenty of room to convert to dual AAA under the sight - I just need to get the clip (bearing in mind that I'm a very lazy engineer ) Converting to "proper" rds is certainly possible, but it'll either involve a fair amount of hacking, or the provision of a proper rail. And the body is held together by two screws protruding up where the rail would need to be. The springer sight is a simple painted line (or so I've been told..) Link to post Share on other sites
CountDoom Posted December 7, 2004 Report Share Posted December 7, 2004 Which Springer version though? The HFC version or the Academy version? If you use a springer it will be worth sloothing around to see the quality of build Link to post Share on other sites
Hairy Posted December 7, 2004 Report Share Posted December 7, 2004 Teh Academy is an AEG (now with added [fixed] HOP..) Link to post Share on other sites
Hissing_Sid Posted December 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 Got my Academy SA80 a few minutes ago. Yippee! God bless Parcelfarce for not actually f*cking things up this time. First impressions: Well, the gun looks fine, to me. Sure, it's plastic but there's nothing about it that leaps out at you as cheap-and-nasty. It's a good weight and feels solid. It is shiny black. I've never understood what the big deal was there. Real ones are painted in gloss black too. They only go matt when all the paint's rubbed off. Anyway, first things to clarify... The SUSAT is cr@p. It's made like a toy gun sight. It actually makes things look smaller instead of bigger. Future projects will definately include removing all the "magnifying" lenses and replacing them with flat polycarbonate sheet. There is a weaver rail, and there isn't. Allow me to explain. I saw a weaver rail on the gun. Unfortunately, the weaver rail and SUSAT are molded as one lump which is then attached to the receiver with a couple of screws. The wing-nuts which should secure the SUSAT are just for show. One option would be to toss the SUSAT and fit a proper weaver rail and RDS. The scope is an RDS and the dot is reasonablyfocussed and bright. It's usable, especially once the lenses have been replaced. I'm probably gonna try to butcher the mounts so it fits to a proper weaver rail, somehow. The magazines ARE NOT THE SAME SIZE AS ARMALITE MAG'S. There's not much in it though, only a mm or so. It's more that the corners of the mag are more rounded than M16 mag's. As long as the mag-well walls are thick enough it should be possible to make an M16 mag fit. The mag-catch is in the correct place to hold an M16 mag. The power is... well... oh dear. 20 shots averaged 56m/s with 0.2g BBs equates to a pitiful 0.3J energy. Once again, oh dear. That's the main issues dealt with. What else is there? Well, despite it sounding rather poor I'm really happy with it. It cost half as much as any other AEG, it looks the part and it's suitable for upgrading. Basically, it's only 30 quid more than a springer for an AEG. Great! Oh, the gearbox has got a spring-release lever too, just like a FA-MAS or my ICS M4. Oh, one last thing. You get a BB loading tube with it. Do yourself a favour and throw it away. Don't even attempt to use it. I can't believe a company can f*ck up somethingas simple as a BB loading tube. It's made out of tubing with an ID of about 8mm. This means that the BBs can "double-stack" inside it and wedge up absolutely solid inside the tube and no amount of pushing will shift them. As I say, do yourself a favour and use a Marui one. Just thought I'd share that. Full review on it's way to Arnie in the next few days. Oh, now I've got one I might as well tell you... www.airsoftscotland.com has them in stock. Link to post Share on other sites
Swift Vengeance Posted December 8, 2004 Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 Look forward to reading the full review sid! I really REALLY want an SA80 but have never attempted any kind of upgrade on my guns. If it is easy sid let us know and i'll have a go, can't afford to waste £110 if it don't work. Link to post Share on other sites
kenshin9_old Posted December 8, 2004 Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 Look forward to reading the full review sid! I really REALLY want an SA80 but have never attempted any kind of upgrade on my guns. If it is easy sid let us know and i'll have a go, can't afford to waste £110 if it don't work. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> £90 from combat south (just thought i'd say) Link to post Share on other sites
Hairy Posted December 8, 2004 Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 Shouldn't 56m/s equate to .56J? (100m/s = 1J) Sorry to see that it's the same power as mine - I thought that it might be a dodgy HOP, but it looks like the springs are just.. The older non-HOPs were more powerful (but obviously not as usable) Link to post Share on other sites
Hissing_Sid Posted December 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 Shouldn't 56m/s equate to .56J? (100m/s = 1J) Sorry to see that it's the same power as mine - I thought that it might be a dodgy HOP, but it looks like the springs are just.. The older non-HOPs were more powerful (but obviously not as usable) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Alas, no. Things get squared so it's not a linear equation. I thought you did this sort of thing a lot? http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/?filnavn=/a...calc.htm#energy [edit] Kenshin9: Got a link to the SA80 at CS? Link to post Share on other sites
kenshin9_old Posted December 8, 2004 Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 Kenshin9: Got a link to the SA80 at CS? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> no problem, combat south just click on store Link to post Share on other sites
Swift Vengeance Posted December 8, 2004 Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 Its gone up to £100, however you can't moan I paid hat for my KSC Glock 17. I'm sooooo tempted but must save cash to pay for new car. Aghhhh Kenshin9 why do u tempt me so into spending my money Link to post Share on other sites
kenshin9_old Posted December 8, 2004 Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 Its gone up to £100, however you can't moan I paid hat for my KSC Glock 17. I'm sooooo tempted but must save cash to pay for new car. Aghhhh Kenshin9 why do u tempt me so into spending my money <{POST_SNAPBACK}> lol, sorry , i guess i wont tell you that 01 have a very good deal on a very good pistol , oooops Link to post Share on other sites
Swift Vengeance Posted December 8, 2004 Report Share Posted December 8, 2004 lol, sorry , i guess i wont tell you that 01 have a very good deal on a very good pistol , oooops <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I know I bought my KSC Glock 17 from them, then when it arrived they put a full metal Glock 23 for £62. Barstools! Link to post Share on other sites
Hairy Posted December 11, 2004 Report Share Posted December 11, 2004 Alas, no. Things get squared so it's not a linear equation. I thought you did this sort of thing a lot? Doh! Guess I needed the sleep.. Link to post Share on other sites
Hissing_Sid Posted December 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2004 A quick update... I didn't want to buy an entire FA-MAS, just to steal the gearbox, so I decided to buy a set of replacement gears to fit into my Academt SA80, along with a 1J spring. The gears arrived today so I took the gun to bits to see how things looked. The first thing I noticed when I took it to bits was that, even after a few hundred shots, the linkage which connects the 2 halves of the trigger bar has started to split. This is a well-known fault with the Acaedemy SA80. The joint consists of a fittings which the two halves of the trigger bar fit into which then has a plastic sleeve slid over it to hold them in place. The plastic sleeve usually breaks. As far as I can see, there are 2 ways to fix it. The easy (but brutal) way would be to remove the linkage and replace it using the copper part of an electrical terminal block. The fiddly (but elegant) way, which I did, is to dab a tiny blob of superglue on the sleeve, stick a length of cotton to it, then bind the sleeve with the cotton much as you would when attaching an eye to a fishing rod. That's what I did and it works a treat. The next thing I noticed was how ferking long the barrel is. Holy cow! If ever there was a reason to build an airsoft SA80 the barrel length is it. The barrel is 50cm long! Anyway, on to the gearbox... The gearbox is made of alloy. It's held together with self-tapping screws, which is a bad sign, but seemed rigid enough. The gear I bought just dropped straight in. To be honest, the shims could have used some tuning but, as it turned out, there was no need. I planned to fit an old CA spring which I had lying around. Unfortunately the ID of the spring was smaller than the original Academy one and it gets stuck on the spring guide. Bugg3r! I decided to put the original gears back in and I rebuilt the gearbox as standard for the moment. Having done that, I gotta say that bunging a complete FA-MAS gearbox in would probably be simpler and give you a bundle of better-quality components. The last thing I had a look at was the way the mag's fit in. It looks as though the BB feed tube is in exactly the right place to accept an Armalite mag. Unfortunately it also looks as though most of the filing will be to the inner-back face of the mag well. Ah well. It should be ok. I hope. Anyway, it all still looks do-able. Link to post Share on other sites
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