9 replies to this topic

[reversedracula]

So I was hitting a Kay-B Toystore liquidator in my area, and they happened to have some SM3k (blues) and AT2ks lying around. I did the standard taking out of the air restrictors. As we play indoors with stock ammo and I don't do much modding to keep things safe and to keep my guns from being wrecked, I sat on that for a while. Then I noticed that I could easily fit 3-inch copper barrels into the considerably larger barrel holes after popping the protective cap off the SM3k. The barrels just slid right out then after taking off another little nominal attachment. It's a really simple, reversible mod to just slide the copper barrels with their ends wrapped in duct tape right in there. I wrapped the old barrels in duct tape and put them right in front of that part that sticks up in the back like a fin. I did this for ammo storage, and to change back if my mod disquieted my fellow gamers too much. Range was significantly increased over just removing the huge air-restrictors. Also, once you take off the cap and a little piece of plastic under it, you can slide a flashlight right in there for a cool sort of night vision effect. I used a clear blue flashlight and one eye I cut out from 3D glasses to tint the light and gave it a very cool overall blue effect. Also, I did a pretty simple goop to plunger tube chainblazer mod today, and a crayola nestled mod for the eagle eye. It dawned on me then to point out what many already realize, but some of you may not yet know. When you modify a gun to shoot smaller ammo than it is intended for, it has the same amount of force behind something lighter, effectively making it more powerful, hence the arrowstorm when it gets a snug fit with megadarts, my chainblazer and eagle eye, my switch shot, etc. Point is, if you're concerned about keeping your guns' internals intact like I am, these are some simple and powerful mods that won't hurt them and are almost wholly reversible.

Edited by reversedracula, 24 May 2004 - 01:49 AM.

[Zero Talent]

Are you using 1/2", or 3/4" copper piping, or do you really mean 3" copper piping (which would operate off a different scale designation than mine)? Also, how does the rotation handle with all the extra weight? I know I used 1/2" copper connectors to size down the barrel stubs to 1/2" CPVC/Copper piping, and that put on a bit more weight than I would have liked.

[Nazgul Lord]

Ive found a nice shelf full of sm3ks at some party store nearby. This is off topic and probably is a dumb question, but is the sm3k any good or worth buying?

[reversedracula]

If you do what I did to it, it works pretty well. I'm using 1/2" copper width with barrels cut to 3" each. It's a little front heavy, but the rotator still works fine and if you make a sling with some rope through that part on the top that sticks out, you can alleviate much of the weight-bearing from your arm/arms. Alternatively, you could use 1/2" PVC barrels cut to the same length, but because it's a wider pipe, you'd likely have to goop/epoxy it for a seal rather than just shoving it in with the duct tape.

[Tinkerer]

hey, can we hear some range numbers?

also, nazgul: buy them like they were gold at 2.50 per pound, they don't make them any more, and I believe many nerfers will pay top dollar for them, if you don't feel the need to use them.

[reversedracula]

I don't have much in terms of measuring tape, but I'll test my stock micros tomorrow when it's light out and get an average if I remember. Remember, not all stock micros are the same. Depending how often it's been fired from the barrel before, it may fit better, or depending on if it's red or yellow, etc. etc. The point is, don't take my numbers as gospel for yourself once I get them. I don't have any Stefans right now as I mostly just do indoor gaming at college and the activities adminstrators and some of the game players sort of frown on using Stefans, so I can only do my stock micro testing. Also, I've noticed with the SM3k that on two good pumps, it fills up with air. The same happens with the AT2k. I haven't plugged the overpressure release. Anyone else find this happening? Back me up on this.

[Zero Talent]

also, nazgul: buy them like they were gold at 2.50 per pound, they don't make them any more, and I believe many nerfers will pay top dollar for them, if you don't feel the need to use them.

...Uh, which ones? Last time I checked, an AT4k superceded the SM3k, and the SM3k blue was a joke, like Preceptors and Whiptail Scorpions. Main problem is that many SM3k Blues have a very large diameter pump, which leaks air around the O-ring at too large a pressure, reducing possible pressure greatly. The rotating action is better on the AT3k, as well. Sorry to be so negative, but I'd be saying the same if he got a shelf full of Bungee Blasters or Ramrods.

Meanwhile, you could always use 1/2" CPVC instead of 1/2" Copper... Just tighter ID. To reduce the elasticity of your micro stefans, you can just hollow out the cores with a Wendy's straw, about 3/4 of the way into the dart. Not perfect, but a vast improvement on >1/2" OD FBR trying to mate with ~1/2"ID CPVC.

Edited by Zero Talent, 24 May 2004 - 11:59 PM.

[reversedracula]

I've never used an AT4k, the rotator and such might be better, if you meant on that one, not the AT3k. I promised someone numbers with stock micros, and it's about 60'-65' feet, which isn't bad for a minimal mod where you don't have to open the gun, and using an SM3k blue as the base weapon, and for using stock ammo. By contrast, my AT3k gets about 35' feet. Perhaps this is because all I've done is remove the air-restrictors and goop the barrels back on. As for the rotator being better in the AT3k, that's hogwash. On both mine and some friends' AT3ks, the rotator gets stuck sometimes about halfway. I think the problem is that you have to pull the pump all the way forward to secure the rotator's movement, but even still, it doesn't feel as secure as the SM3k's rotation and can even skip out of it. I've a friend who always uses the AT3k and has problems with it only rotating halfway, so his shot either putters out abysmally or doesn't leave the barrel. It should be noted that I could get the SM3k's shots to go further on a level shot. What I mean by this is, the gun was level with the ground, as best I could gauge by looking at the barrel. But it still arced up when it fired out, just the dart itself by a few feet. To correct this and get the gun to fire the dart in a line rather than have a few feet of arc, I had to actually angle slightly downward with the barrel. That's where I got my numbers from. Figure in another 5-10 (70-75 total) feet for the other kind of shot where the barrel is straight, but the dart arcs slightly. All shots fired from a barrel height of 3-4 feet and measurments taken at distance from tip of barrel. All that being said, I'd like to get my hands on an AT4k or an SM3k green to compare some day... I stand by my mediocre numbers (which aren't so bad when you consider the gun I started with) and even more strongly stand by my condemnation of the AT3k's rotator.

[cxwq]

The rotation mechanism on the AT3k and 4k is significantly more robust than the older one on the SM3k. All you have to know is that it doesn't engage properly unless you push the pump handle all the way forward with the first pump. Spoon modded the catch that engages the mechanism to make it even more consistent - there's a post about it somewhere. The SM3k mechanism frequently skipped a barrel and would tend to self destruct in a relatively short time span.

Also, as Zero noted, the pump on the SM3k blue had an inferior seal and tended to snap off at the handle.

Identically modded, the range should be more or less the same for both. They have similarly sized air tanks and a nearly identical seal between tank and turret.

All things considered, the AT3k is superior to the SM3k blue in every way.

[reversedracula]

They should be about the same if I ever go through and mess around with an AT3k mod. But the SM3k works fine these past few weeks... we'll see, eh? Hasn't ever skipped or self-destructed... yet. I'll eat my words if it ever starts giving me trouble, but as it is now, no problems. Thanks for confirming that you need to pull fully forward to engage the rotator for the AT3k. I'll alert my 'deer in the headlights look' friend who always has that problem. Higher ammo count is nice, but what my experiments on the SM3k indicate is probably just a lust on my part to find a good AT4k.

Edited by reversedracula, 25 May 2004 - 02:27 PM.