l96 and the shattered bbs. Unexpected fps.

I purchased a l96 a couple weeks back here on boards, it was advertised as shooting at the joule. I've been doing a little practice with it on the new site while it was being finished, shooting at cans mainly. We were surprised at how accurate it was and good range. I had planned to run it yesterday but as I was in a retailer on Friday and being a good safe airsofter, I had it chronoed.

474 fps. With 20.

I had been planning to use the .25 I had gotten on the deal.

426 fps with .25.

So obviously its not going to be used and it is booked in for a new spring. I thought it would be interesting to see how it would differ from a normal legal limited rifle on targets in my own home, under safe and controlled circumstances.

I've done lab work in the past so full precautions, including a full face clear mask used. The comparison rifle was an m4 aeg, which is .92 with .20 and all using .25 bbs.

So from a range of 40ft, I fired at an empty soda can, which was sitting perched on a piece of wood. The aeg, simply knocked the cans down, with little dimples. the l96 hit and knocked the can down with more noise. of the 5 shots with the l96, 4 split the skin of the can and 2 were through and through.

its quite sore being shot from 40ft with a normal aeg. the high fps would be very painful.

I kept in mind that the minimum engagement distance with a sniper in the uk is set at minimum of 30 yards or 90ft.

so I took two pieces of double ply cardboard and mounted it a few inches from the back wall in the garden. I measured out 90ft, and lay on the ground, with the bipod deployed and using the scope, fired 26 rounds. I got 24 hits on the 1ft square piece. I was surprised to see 26 through and throughs. As it was nighttime, I left it until this.morning to look for bbs. I found 22 and all were shattered , i was using Excel high grades.

I was surprised at this as with the aeg, only a few of the bbs hit and none went through, and most were imbedded in the first layer. so the rounds had enough energy left to shatter themselves at impact.

I've often read the discussions here about looking for high fps sniper and I can see both sides of the argument. its much more realistic and gives great range and separates the sniper from aeg carrier, but I would be wary of anyone using one on a skirmish site.

anyhow its getting a new spring next week and I'd be interested in doing the same test next week and seeing what happens.

and I don't blame the original seller, he obviously never had it chronoed.