Loading techniques

NakedDex

This hasn't come up before that I ever remember but it's something noone I've spoken to about seems all that sure of.

How do you load your mags?

Ok if it's a high cap it's straight forward. But what if it's a midcap. The average midcap takes about 100 rounds, it's sprung and it has a nice, jam-free, even feed when emptying. But what about filling those hundred rounds?

I'm currently sitting in my little workroom which has about 300 bbs on the floor now from mags that have popped their tops, failed fills, broken speedloaders, snapped tubes, and so on, and so forth.
I had two speedloaders here (up to an hour ago, one is now broken due to the below reasons). Nothing special about them. They work fine for my gbbs and fine for my mp7 mags. But they're of little to no use when filling my SPR or STANAG mags because once you get to the mid-fill point, the spring is compressed to much for the loader to cope. Trying the loading tube you get in the box (always a last resort) resulted in a volcano style eruption of 60 or 70 bbs through the tube, into the air and all over the room (which is why it's always a last resort). The STANAG mags can be filled pretty well with the tubes if you be careful and apply a little knack to it. But I can't get those damn SPR mags to full capacity with anything.

The only truly reliable way I've found is hand-loading, but that takes forever and you'll end up with a bloody sore thumb.

Anyone got any tips or tricks they're willing to share that will save me time (and save me from losing three mags worth of bbs on the floor)

Tell me I'm not the only one with this problem

CrazyRabbit

Three 500 round mags.....reload at end of game.

NakedDex

I'm talking about midcaps though. And lots of them. High-caps p*ss me off with their baby-rattle effect.
I don't care how much ammo a person has, if I can hear them running toward me from 40 yards, they're going down in one burst.

gandalf

Hmmm I have no problems with speed loaders and mid caps. I use the standard M4/M16 ones as well, MAG brand and they work fine. The only problem is mid skirmish and you have emptied the 5 mags you have and then have to reload.

You see a speed loader is like a beautiful woman....you need to be firm but not too rough with them (and this ones for Falls), if all else fails there is always Duct Tape

o1s1n

Speed loaders have always worked for me too. I have a couple. Nice big king arms one and a smaller not so nice Marui one.

I'll always have one high cap as a reserve in case all the lows run out. Having to reload low caps during a firefight doesn't sound fun.

NakedDex

B*llocks, so it is just me. The speedloaders I have are fine, guarder and marui. Maybe it's the mags then. The springs in the SPR mags seem almost too strong, they're original G&G mags. They're my main concern, their capacity is 50 which is low enough without factoring in that they only about half fill before rejecting bbs

o1s1n

NakedDex wrote: »

B*llocks, so it is just me. The speedloaders I have are fine, guarder and marui. Maybe it's the mags then. The springs in the SPR mags seem almost too strong, they're original G&G mags. They're my main concern, their capacity is 50 which is low enough without factoring in that they only about half fill before rejecting bbs

Don't want to sound like a smart arse...but are you sure they're not a lower capacity than you thought? I've yet to come across a mag that rejected bbs other than being because it's full. It shouldn't be hard to do at all.

If it is, those springs sound strong enough to fire over 1 joule themselves

NakedDex

Yeah they're capable of holding that many alright. I opened one up one day thinking the same as you, that they may be a lower cap than stated. But they can indeed hold 50 if you don't have the spring to work against. It's a pain in ass, I might have to swap the mag spring. There's an aeg mod I'd never have thought I'd have to do.

o1s1n

NakedDex wrote: »

There's an aeg mod I'd never have thought I'd have to do.

Indeed.

How about leaving them as full as they'll go for a few days, weaken the spring a bit..fill it up a bit more..do the same etc.

Hmm. On second thoughts, just buy some new springs.

NakedDex

Tried that, I've had them filled for 2 weeks (never emptied after the last time it was used) and I just tried to empty and refill them tonight. Not a hope.

Looks like a trip to the tech stores in work for yet more springs. I'm having the worst look with accessory springs lately. First the decocking indicator on the P99, then the mag release catch on the SPR, yesterday was the cocking lever return spring on the FN2000 and now the mags

Fiach Dubh

As an owner of 37 mid-cap mags of various makes I can tell you that they can be be very temperamental. Mid-caps in the higher capacity range, 100-150 BB's need to be lubed with silicon spray regularly or they will jam due to the double stacked design. The jam is the same type that occurs in RS mags where you have to bang the mag off a wall, your helmet, etc. to clear the feed jam. The larger capacity mids springs are stronger too, stronger then a low cap and far stronger then a high-caps, they usually need a certain amount of break in time for the springs. Loading and unloading them a few times should help.

I've never found an ideal way of loading mids myself. The fasted way I've found is still speed loaders, I tried a tube once and never bothered again. I've thought for a long time now the first person who designs an electric motor driven mid-cap loader will make a mint.

Fiach Dubh

NakedDex wrote: »

Tried that, I've had them filled for 2 weeks (never emptied after the last time it was used) and I just tried to empty and refill them tonight. Not a hope.

Looks like a trip to the tech stores in work for yet more springs. I'm having the worst look with accessory springs lately. First the decocking indicator on the P99, then the mag release catch on the SPR, yesterday was the cocking lever return spring on the FN2000 and now the mags

That sounds dodgy alright, I left a few mids loaded for a week once, forgot to unload them, and when I did unload them the springs were clearly weaker.

NakedDex

Fiach Dubh wrote: »

I've thought for a long time now the first person who designs an electric motor driven mid-cap loader will make a mint.

Funny you should say that...

o1s1n

Fiach Dubh wrote: »

As an owner of 37 mid-cap mags of various makes

:eek:

Fiach Dubh wrote: »

the first person who designs an electric motor driven mid-cap loader will make a mint.

I was only thinking about that recently. Think it's time to run down to the patenting office.

NakedDex

I've got an idea for one on the boil. I'm trying to work out if the design is worth making a prototype of yet.

Fiach Dubh

I'd be very interested to see it Dex.

NakedDex

You only want to steal and patent my design! Away, AWAY with you all!!!!

<flourishs cloak over faces and runs for the open window>
*thump*
<window wasn't open, just really clean>

It's pretty simple really, but whether it will work in practice is another story. It'd be nice if it did.

Masada

would work under the same principal as the motorized high caps really., i have one of those 100 round hicaps for the glock AEP and as soon as you get about 20 in it wants to spit them out again., if you wanna weaken the spting a little get a screwdriver, thread the spring onto it and compress it, ad a little flame heat from a cooker etc, my prefered method is a gas powered soldering iron., then the metal memory effect will be less than before., might wanna be careful with it though, over doing it could make the spring too short I suppose.,

CrazyRabbit

Fiach Dubh wrote: »

I've thought for a long time now the first person who designs an electric motor driven mid-cap loader will make a mint.

I'd love an auto-feeder that fed directly into the AEG/mag from a backpack of some sort. Essencially one mag, but with a few thousands rounds.

o1s1n

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

I'd love an auto-feeder that fed directly into the AEG/mag from a backpack of some sort. Essencially one mag, but with a few thousands rounds.

An auto feeding mag that holds a few thousand rounds? No need for a backpack, just buy an autowinding drum mag

http://www.redwolfairsoft.com/redwolf/airsoft/ProductDetail?prodID=21529

Hivemind187

Dex that is a sweet idea and I will buy one if you build it.

I have the same problem with Mid-Caps, I find that the loading tube gives you the force to get them in however I have shot myself in the eye with the diving tube when the sping in the mag pushed back. Stupid thing.

[--SC(+)PE--]

never had a problem with speed loaders myself but it would be nice to load em up faster.
At least ye have speed loaders for 6mm bb's, id kill for an 8mm one

Masada

Hivemind187 wrote: »

however I have shot myself in the eye with the diving tube when the sping in the mag pushed back. Stupid thing.

rofl., that sounds like a Kodac moment and a half.,:D now was it "stupid thing" or stupid you"?.,.,:p

NakedDex

I've done it a half dozen times myself. You cannot feel more stupid than when you've pelted yourself in the face with a tube of bbs

Fallschirmjager

well the one thing i do is angle slightly the loader. now i cant remember if i angle it towards or away the clip on the top...but if you get it wrong, you get a beautiful arc of bb. to be honest i have started wearing glasses when loading. i nearly had a hivemind like experience when they shot out past my head.

but ever since i angle the speed loader, i have not had a problem. the other thing is the cheaper ones are kak quite frankly. i have 2 king arms ones loaders....one over a year old...never fails.

as fiach said though, the odd splash of silicone oil does wonders also.

NakedDex

This takes a cruel new twist.

The SPR mags are single stack and are packed in a concentric twist right through to the center. The increasing acuteness of the spiral angle is constricting the spring and preventing it from dispersing the pressure all the way back evenly. Most of the strain is in the first turn.

Time for some tests. To the lab...

ED E

Fallschirmjager wrote: »

well the one thing i do is angle slightly the loader. now i cant remember if i angle it towards or away the clip on the top...but if you get it wrong, you get a beautiful arc of bb. to be honest i have started wearing glasses when loading. i nearly had a hivemind like experience when they shot out past my head.

but ever since i angle the speed loader, i have not had a problem. the other thing is the cheaper ones are kak quite frankly. i have 2 king arms ones loaders....one over a year old...never fails.

as fiach said though, the odd splash of silicone oil does wonders also.

I was nearly blided by a BB in a P90 mag in the old HRTA. The mag jammed, I was clearing it, in the safe zone, gave it a tap releasing the bb and allowing the coil to whip araound. "Ahh, F#ck, that hurt!". Nasty, straight i the eye from 8 inches.

NakedDex

Update #2

Never open SPR mags, they don't actually have any way of being reassembled. I'm sitting here with all the parts in front of me and no way of putting it back together. It's design has made sure of that.

The spring inside it, for those who are interested is almost 16 inches long. The mag itself is 2"x3".

Fallschirmjager

NakedDex wrote: »

Update #2

Never open SPR mags, they don't actually have any way of being reassembled. I'm sitting here with all the parts in front of me and no way of putting it back together. It's design has made sure of that.

The spring inside it, for those who are interested is almost 16 inches long. The mag itself is 2"x3".

ouch...

Stercus Accidit

NakedDex wrote: »

Update #2

Never open SPR mags, they don't actually have any way of being reassembled. I'm sitting here with all the parts in front of me and no way of putting it back together. It's design has made sure of that.

The spring inside it, for those who are interested is almost 16 inches long. The mag itself is 2"x3".

Come on dex you can do it.

If its designed to be made in the first place, it can be remade, you must find the order and method in which they are originally assembled, I think like this anytime I open something and to this day havn't been beaten.

I believe in you dex.

NakedDex

I know exactly how it was made, the spring was compressed using a machine and sat inside using a dowel and released when the case went on. That's fine if you have a machine to do it, or eight hands.

Still working on it. Have an idea that means a bit of cutting but it should work.

Stercus Accidit

NakedDex wrote: »

I know exactly how it was made, the spring was compressed using a machine and sat inside using a dowel and released when the case went on. That's fine if you have a machine to do it, or eight hands.

Still working on it. Have an idea that means a bit of cutting but it should work.

I know the feeling, the "I dont have 3 effin hands" feeling.
Its frustrating that you know how to fit it but cant.

Let us know how you get on anyway.

Utreg

There are electic loaders available. There was an article about mid-capping in AI last year. I'll have a look to see if i can find the name of the loader.

Puding

something along the lines of HFC Auto BB loader? http://www.airsoftgi.com/product_info.php?products_id=2506

ambro25

NakedDex wrote: »

You only want to steal and patent my design! Away, AWAY with you all!!!!

... if I can be of assistance, don't hesitate (really )

Generally - please please please lads, stop blabbing about trademarks, patents, designs and copyright in the threads (there's a few of them recently, not least the Umarex/HK one), it really does hurt my eyes when I read them :cool:

Puding

stop blabbing about trademarks, patents, designs and copyright in the threads (there's a few of them recently, not least the Umarex/HK one),

any reason for this? i can under stand some of your comment but the umarex matter was/is somthing a bit differant

kevteljeur

ambro25 wrote: »

... if I can be of assistance, don't hesitate (really )

Generally - please please please lads, stop blabbing about trademarks, patents, designs and copyright in the threads (there's a few of them recently, not least the Umarex/HK one), it really does hurt my eyes when I read them :cool:

Oops, I was at least partially responsible for that Can I get you painkillers or shades?

ambro25

Puding wrote: »

any reason for this?

Yes... my eyes!!! it hurts my eyes I tell ya!!! :eek:

More seriously (nearly), don't fret, it's nothing to be worried about - just a jest

(It's just that I am more familar with these particular 'animals' than most, and the level of inaccuracy shown on Boards/Boards Airsoft when referring to them is so bad it's way beyond comical... but I'm too much of a nice guy to turn into a legal/grammar nazi about it, as it would be pointless All the same, it does itch quite a bit at times )

Puding

I can see how that would be annoying for you

Utreg

Puding wrote: »

something along the lines of HFC Auto BB loader? http://www.airsoftgi.com/product_info.php?products_id=2506

Bingo...

Puding

I've been playing with the idea of buying on of this or making my own but on a rather bigger scale, along the lines of a supply bin of about 5000 bbs, it would look like a big box with a small fitting and all you do is insert your mag and it is filled. Always thought it would be great for sites where a large number of people use mid caps