Hi, not sure if this is ok to post here, can remove if not suitable.
Basically, I got an SLR v4, modded it somewhat, but just couldn’t get the performance I’m looking for. Decided to splash a bit and get a SuLing v5 brushless motor, metal gearbox and all the related decent parts, but put them all into an old nylon MK8 that I got for cheap off a trusted guy. It shoots well, but still not really great compared to the rifles that other people are running at the arena.
So last night was out for beers with another guy from the arena, and the tech who put together my scuffed MK8 and they both said, a full metal build with metal receivers and metal handguards would make for a more rigid “platform” and will improve the accuracy of the rifle and frankly, just feels off to put all this high end stuff into an old busted nylon body.
After some serious Googling I couldn’t find any scripture on the actual performance differences between a nylon vs metal body in terms of gel blasters. Would anyone with experience be able to shed some insights on this? How much of a difference does it make in terms of percentage? The internals altogether was around 1200 RMB, but the metal body (2nd hand BCM) would be around 2100 RMB. Is it just diminishing returns at this point?
There really isn’t any performance benefits between materials, just metal is more rigid and less likely to break if knocked, thou not all metal is created equal.
The only thing I can think is barrel wobble but imagine you’re using a metal outer barrel.
It’s a trade off between the two, metal is more rigid but heavy, nylon is lighter but less rigid.
Pretty much all performance comes from the gearbox and barrel setups. I can’t say anything about brushless motors and FCU’s cause I’ve never used them but there are others here that have more experience with those things.
Rigidity is all in the gearbox shell and barrel set up, that’s where it matters and I agree that there’s zero difference in performance between any given gearbox in a nylon or full metal receiver. Same same just different weight and feel in the hand.
Maybe it’s just that nylon receivers are viewed as a cheaper option by some, and not worth sinking money into by running a high quality gearbox. I tend to disagree.
One of my favourite blasters is a nylon receiver M4 CQB with a worked full metal CYMA gearbox and a super lightweight cut down Noveske fishbone.
Metal vs nylon externals mean nothing for performance with on caveat. If the nylon receiver is flimsy enough that you can move the barrel around it isn’t going to help accuracy or seal, but most nylon receivers are sturdy enough this isn’t a major issue.
Metal is easier to get a really sturdy free floated barrel, but it is easier enough to stabilise the barrel to a handguard that it really depends on the looks and feels you want from it.
Brushless motors are good. They can run high speed builds with good torque, response times and efficient on battery life. A brushed motor can come close if using a good motor and the right gears though.
I generally on recommend brushless when battery space is less than desired. That way you can still get decent battery life and performance with a smaller battery. That being said if you have it why not use it, you shouldn’t be disappointed.
