Posts: 986
Joined: 1/12/2007 From: Clifton Park, NY, USA Status: offline
Hello all, I've almost completed my Airsoft upgrade on my HL Tiger 1. I'd like to share the progress with you. Please realize that although this may look dangerous, it really isn't as long as basic safety precautions are met. I don't recommend others do this. Having said that, my problem was that I was tired of the anemic airsoft cannon in my HL Tiger. I sought to upgrade the firepower constrained by the fact that I have no machine equipment. I looked at .22 bullets but found that too dangerous. Paintball stuff is too big. Finially I stumbled onto the RC boat people that have little air cannons they sink others ships with. I found this schematic on the net for one of their cannons. I would make the same thing and power it with a small CO2 cartridge. A SAFETY NOTE - CO2 CARTRIDGES ARE CHARGED TO 600-800 PSI! THEY MUST HAVE A REGULATOR TO BRING THE PRESSURE DOWN TO A SAFE AND MANAGABLE PRESSURE (100 PSI)
Posts: 986
Joined: 1/12/2007 From: Clifton Park, NY, USA Status: offline
OK, I had the concept. Instead of soldering up the tubes and figuring out the breech/loading, I decided to use the shell of the existing cannon. I took the gun apart and discarded the original spring. I modified the pressure cup by drilling it out and inserting a length of brass tube. Epoxied it in. Pics are below. I ordered all the Clippard components and soldered up the valve as shown. Now the two pieces slide together, allowing a sliding connection so the loader can cycle.
Posts: 986
Joined: 1/12/2007 From: Clifton Park, NY, USA Status: offline
I epoxied the barrel into the plastic retainer. Here's the hard part. Make sure to secure the small rubber ring. It holds the bb's in place and usually flies out all the time. I used some CA. I soldered up an accumulator out of stuff I bought at Home Depot. My first time soldering so it took a few tries. I pressure thested the tank up to 150 psi. I plan to use it only at 75-100 psi. I painted and installed the accumulator.
Posts: 986
Joined: 1/12/2007 From: Clifton Park, NY, USA Status: offline
I needed to mount the thing. The Tiger turret is quite roomy once you take out all the extra stuff. I scrapped the ability to elevate the barrel on this one. I am coming up with a REV 2 cannon for my T34 that elevates. I cut some small brackets out of aluminum and bent them up to mount the cannon. I also mounted a servo that activates the loader and fires the main cannon. Doing both with one servo allows me to use a 4 channel Radio. THis next part is cool. I ordered a small laser pointer on ebay. It was only 4 bucks! I stripped out the emitter and mounted in in the mantlet. Now I can aim since it's impossible to see the bb's coming out now!
Posts: 986
Joined: 1/12/2007 From: Clifton Park, NY, USA Status: offline
I buttoned the thing up and as you can see everything fits quite nicely. I do not have the small CO2 cylinder and regulator yet. I am having trouble locating one. For now I fire the cann with compressed air in my shop. First thing I noticed is that this thing plain wails. I got rid of the original bb's that came with the tank. They are terrible quality and weigh in at .12g. Not enough mass for stopping power so they would just ricoche around the shop forever. Got on the net and ordered some .3g aluminum Airsoft bb's. Good god! See the pic of the pop can that was laying in wait for my Tiger at over 25 feet. Just where the laser was pointing!
I learned a lot during this build. I am not quite done yet. There are some areas that I would like to address next time. I think I will finish this one off as is. I need to get to painting the thing.
Posts: 3728
Joined: 3/21/2006 From: Boynton Beach,
FL, USA Status: offline
This is fantastic! Great work so far! Do you think it could work within the stock electronics? I've been modding and testing the guns by upgrading the existing parts and have gotten it from 80fps to about 220fps so far. Do you have a chrony to measure velocity?
The reason the rubber bushings fall out is because the barrel is too thin. I use brass airsoft barrels that hold the bushing in nicely. You'd pick up another 30fps easy with a 6.04mm barrel.
Posts: 986
Joined: 1/12/2007 From: Clifton Park, NY, USA Status: offline
Thanks Swath, I've been reading your posts for a while. You probably could make it work with the HL electronics. In fact it would probably be easier. I'm using a JR 4 channel with a Scorpion speed controller. Some might say the HL's are to unpredictable for a hi=power cannon. Personally, I think they're pretty good.
Posts: 3728
Joined: 3/21/2006 From: Boynton Beach,
FL, USA Status: offline
You'd have to use a little microswitch to activate the solonoid about 7/8 of the way through the guns cycle, when the gear would allow the piston to fire. VS airsoft units for the A6 have little microswitches in them. I have one I could send you if you're interested in making that way.
I'm getting close to start testing again, just have to get two tank projects out of the way before I can start.
Posts: 1703
Joined: 5/7/2004 From: prospect park, NJ, USA Status: offline
Hi that looks great! Maybe you should just try some green gas air gun gas you can fill up the chamber with it it's weaker than CO2 and it may be perfect.
James i would never use such a hight power gun with the stock electronics..many times my HL got stuck and malfunctioned and just sat there shooting..and i had no controle of the tank at all i had to walk over to it and shut it off myself... if this happend with this mod gun and you happen to hit somebody it would cause some very bad injery.
Posts: 3728
Joined: 3/21/2006 From: Boynton Beach,
FL, USA Status: offline
Mine have never malfunctioned that way, I think it'd be highly unlikely that someone would venture into the guns path before I could warn them and or secure the tank. But thanks for the warning. How's your testing going btw???
Posts: 1703
Joined: 5/7/2004 From: prospect park, NJ, USA Status: offline
Hi James i just upgraded to marui internals in all mine ..not needing the extra power for paint balls a stock marui gun power is good enough for me..
They malfunction mostly when you are moving and doing multaple radio inputs at one time... It's almost like you confuse the electronics CPU from sending it to many inputs at one time then it goes and malfunctions.
But I am liking the unit shown above...Just wondering if he could fill it up with airsoft gun green gas..would cost much less than C02 and it would be a little less powerfull wich may work out perfectly.
Posts: 986
Joined: 1/12/2007 From: Clifton Park, NY, USA Status: offline
I'm looking into green gas. Problem is that all the cartridges I've seen are too big or too heavy. This things already starting to pack on the pounds. I'll still need a regulator. All the paintball ones are too big so far. I haven't tried paint balls yet. Bettin I could break them.
Swath, where can I get the 6.04 brass barrels? Couldn't find on ebay. Also, no chrongrapgh so I don't know fps. (fps - frickin penetrates skin)
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My ultimate HL airsoft upgrade - 
