10 replies to this topic

[Gimmick]

I tried Dragontheuthis' Maverick straw mod on my Mav, but now it's only getting ~5-10ft range. I probably messed up badly somewhere, so does anyone have any pointers?

FYI:
- I straw-modded the plunger tube as well, like in Dragon's write-up, but after the gun failed to shoot, I reversed the mod. Didn't help, though.
- I used hot glue as a substitute for spray foam (Is that bad?)
- Here's how the base of the barrel assembly looks like right now (with one half of those AR things on and the other half off):


Everything else in the gun is stock, except for a half-barrel mod. Sorry for the terrible picture quality, the only camera I have at my disposal is the one in my phone. Also, I am aware that some of those straws are off-centre, but the gun does not fire even from the nicely centred ones.

[wingd man]

Take a drill bit and drill them out. you didn't do it wrong, it is just a mod you can't get right. Maybe if you were to use BIC pen segments and expanding foam... but a barrel replacement takes care of the dead space anyways. Keep it on the plunger tube. it works there.

[Gimmick]

you didn't do it wrong, it is just a mod you can't get right.

Do you mean that it's a bad mod, or that I can't get it right with my materials (i.e. hot glue, not expanding foam sealant), or something else entirely? Thanks for clarifying on the plunger tube, though.

[wingd man]

you didn't do it wrong, it is just a mod you can't get right.

Do you mean that it's a bad mod, or that I can't get it right with my materials (i.e. hot glue, not expanding foam sealant), or something else entirely? Thanks for clarifying on the plunger tube, though.

I have done it and got the same results, this might be because of the materials used (i.e. hot glue substitute) or that it's just a shitty mod.

[TantumBull]

I just filled those pocket with hot glue and then just drilled holes in the hot glue and it works well. Not sure why yours is failing. I have a feeling the problem lies elsewhere. Is there any glue on the back of the turret? Have you recently switched foams?

[Blacksunshine]

You did it wrong.

You used small straws. You're actually decreasing the amount of air is going into the back of the dart. Use BIG straws you may even need to open up the holes in the back a little.
2nd. Some of those straws are obviously not centered as you already know. Making the way the air hits the darts inconsistent and decreases overall performance.
How is your seal between the plunger and back of barrels? putting a spring in front of the assembly to push it better against the plunger tube helps a lot.

This is a mod you have to do right or it will seriously decrease your performance.
IMO its not really worth doing. Dead space is minuscule and irrelevant here. The issue in general with the Mavs is the shitty seal between the turret and the plunger. Fix that and rather then the straw mod you do a barrel replacement to PETG. That takes care of the dead space issue. And removes the need to do a straw mod because PETG slides right into the holes of the original barrels.

Edited by Blacksunshine, 10 August 2009 - 02:27 PM.

[Specops]

You have to use plumbers putty or something like that, i used sticky tack to join the orange disks to the other part of the barrel. The part of the barrel that holds the darts.

[Gimmick]

Is there any glue on the back of the turret? Have you recently switched foams?

No and no. I'm doing all my test shots using stock darts (Micros and Sonics).

You did it wrong.

You used small straws. You're actually decreasing the amount of air is going into the back of the dart. Use BIG straws you may even need to open up the holes in the back a little.
2nd. Some of those straws are obviously not centered as you already know. Making the way the air hits the darts inconsistent and decreases overall performance.
How is your seal between the plunger and back of barrels? putting a spring in front of the assembly to push it better against the plunger tube helps a lot.

This is a mod you have to do right or it will seriously decrease your performance.
IMO its not really worth doing. Dead space is minuscule and irrelevant here. The issue in general with the Mavs is the shitty seal between the turret and the plunger. Fix that and rather then the straw mod you do a barrel replacement to PETG. That takes care of the dead space issue. And removes the need to do a straw mod because PETG slides right into the holes of the original barrels.

Okay, noted about the straws. If I drill the holes too big, that would make the air seal worse, though, wouldn't it? Also, I dumped a few AR springs in the front of the barrel assembly, but in retrospect those things are probably too puny to make any significant difference. I'll look into that.

I would save the trouble and swap everything for PETG, but PETG isn't available here and it costs way to much to get it shipped from halfway across the world. I DO have brass though, but it costs about 17 bucks local currency for one foot of it, so using 18 inches to swap all 6 barrels isn't a very economical mod. To put things into perspective, a new Maverick would cost 45 bucks here (Yes, that sucks terribly).

You have to use plumbers putty or something like that, i used sticky tack to join the orange disks to the other part of the barrel. The part of the barrel that holds the darts.

Is that supposed to improve the air seal or something?

Edited by Gimmick, 11 August 2009 - 08:18 AM.

[Specops]

I don't know I had the same problem with mine, I added this part in and it worked. Just take close look at step 7 of the mod and you'll find it. He doesn't tell us what kind of glue but I wanted to be able to take it apart again, thats why I used sticky tack.

Edited by Specops, 11 August 2009 - 08:42 PM.

[Blacksunshine]

ahh yeah now i see you location. how about cpvc? Is that available? And yes. making the holes too big will pose a problem of its own. Thats what i mean. you have to be careful how you do that mod.

[Gimmick]

I don't know I had the same problem with mine, I added this part in and it worked. Just take close look at step 7 of the mod and you'll find it. He doesn't tell us what kind of glue but I wanted to be able to take it apart again, thats why I used sticky tack.

Oh yes, I believe I missed that. Thanks for pointing it out. I'll have to try that.

ahh yeah now i see you location. how about cpvc? Is that available? And yes. making the holes too big will pose a problem of its own. Thats what i mean. you have to be careful how you do that mod.

I have gone around hunting for CPVC at various hardware stores here, but to no avail. DIY is not very commonly practised here, so hardware stores are not very well-stocked (not even ACE). Since labour is relatively cheap, most people end up just paying the plumber/carpenter/etc to do it. When I asked at the store, no one even knew what CPVC was. What diameter of CPVC should I be using for stock micros, anyway (in the off-chance that I find some)? I checked cxwq's thread about barrel materials and he only mentions 1/2" SCH40 PVC.

Edited by Gimmick, 11 August 2009 - 10:56 PM.