Our featured technical sponsor: Cybergun (Softair USA)

Practical A-15 Upgrade & Maintenance

Release 3.0

Covers the Cybergun AR15 AEG V.1 and V.2

Special Note: We at the AirsoftPRESS have the goal of serving the technical needs of the end users. Regardless of the business strategy a manufacturer pursues, the needs of the end users should never be sacrificed. This is why we have this title published. We focus on technology, NOT market politics. We have no business relationship nor affiliation with any of the manufacturers out there. End users are whom we care.

Cybergun is a relatively new name in the field of airsoft. It was more of a licensing and marketing company than a manufacturer in the past, but these days we are seeing gradual improvement in its engineering capability. Anyway, by working out OEM deals with major Korean manufacturers like Academy, Cybergun is able to roll out lower cost airsoft guns that carry licensed logos of the real steels.

Due to the lack of official guidance and after-market support, users are completely in the dark when problems occur or when power upgrade is necessary.

For your A-15 to survive an upgrade, you must first fix the problems that come with it.

Based on the contents of our highly successful Practical AEG Upgrade title, this e-book goes one step further by covering A-15 specific performance and maintenance issues. 

Practical A-15 Upgrade & Maintenance teaches you how to prevent problems from happening and fix the flaws of the gun. It tells you what after-market TM parts are compatible with the gun so you don't have to beg Cybergun for services (have you ever thought of installing a M4 tactical handgrip and a EG1000 in your A-15?). It tells you the upgrade limits of the gun so you won't overcook the internals.

With over 60 pages of text and illustrations, this e-book is a MUST READ if you plan to maximize the potential of your A-15 AEG!

Table of Contents at a glance

<< Parts compatibility >>

• Compatibility of the internals    

• Compatibility of the external parts    

• Compatibility of the barrel and the hopup unit   

• Compatibility of external accessories

• Anti-reversal compatibility

• Tappet plate compatibility

<< Major problems of the AR15 and the solutions >>       

• The piston gear problem  

• Mechbox shimming  

• Replacing the sector gear

• Fail-safe power upgrade  

• Battery upgrade       

• Bushings replacement      

• Motor maintenance and replacement

• Handgrip replacement      

• Front barrel assembly reinforcement 

• Fixing the full auto misfire problem    

• Fixing the hopup wear-and-tear problem

• The Version TWO V-Hopup

<< Performance upgrade Q&A >>

• Is 8.4v insufficient for an upgraded mechbox?

• Does battery size matter?

• Is battery power important for semi-auto firing?

• Is EG560 too weak and fragile to power an upgraded mechbox?

• Why (and why not) should I buy the high torque gear set?

• Why (and why not) should I use helical gears?

• Longer spring versus shorter spring: the longer the better?

• What are the major parameters of a spring?

• Is a harder spring more harmful for the internals?

• Installing a long spring: tricks and potential danger.

• Installing a short spring: tricks and potential danger.

• Why (and why not) should the spring be ground?

• How to facilitate spring spinning?

• What is a variable pitch spring? Is it always better for AEG?

• Use of spacers for spring compression: tricks and potential danger.

• What is wrong with a custom made spring?

• Systema springs versus PDI springs

• Can stainless steel spring offer better FPS?

• Can telfon coated spring offer better FPS?

• The long variable-pitch spring is very difficult to install. What should I do?

• What can I do to reduce stress on the gears?

• Different guns use different cylinders that have different number and position of openings. Why’s that?

• Is it useful to block the cylinder opening altogether?

• Why is it useful to put holes on the piston head? Any alternative?

• Why (and why not) should I use a metallic piston head?

• How about a silent head set?

• Is aluminum piston more durable?

• Is Version 2 mechbox too fragile for M130 or above?

• Can I still use the smaller batteries to power my upgraded mechbox?

• I want to hide my battery inside the grip and the stock but the battery cells are too big. What should I do?

• Chaining up your batteries: Parallel VS Serial configurations.

Newly added appendix, with more techniques covered: Safety precaution Cutting wires Tools you don’t absolutely need Handling of screws Ball bearings: how they work and why they break Soldering techniques More on battery configurations Parallel configuration Battery chargers Steps needed for successful motor break in Motor bushing break in How does heat hurt the motor? Adding torque to the motor Barrel length / FPS correlation and performance compensation The mechbox runs noisily on a new setup The switch plate has been burnt... Cleaning of electrical contacts Choosing wire: Stranded wire VS solid wire AEG water resistance Troubleshooting mechbox electronics Troubleshooting a weak Hi-Cap mag Making your AEG quieter Do-It-Yourself Electric Motor Driven Hi-Cap Mag Achieving ultra high ROF Achieving ultra high ROF through piston teeth removal The sector gear delay loading chip Misfeed when using heavier BBs Why is One Way Piston Head preferable?

Screen shots

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