Piston Type

[ashley_88]

Hi guys,
I need a new piston for my m4 which has a systema gearbox with a m100 spring fitted. Lookin at zero one i see that they sell aluminium and polycarbonate.
Can i get some advice on the pro's and con's of each of these.

Cheers

[guard-sniper87]

Re: Piston Type

PRO'S for ali piston are hard wearing and sturdy
CONS increased friction and pricy

PRO'S for poly piston cheap hard wearing alot more style and sort available
CONS they can have the teeth chewed up and can also explode on very rare occasions

[ashley_88]

Re: Piston Type

Cheers, how could you stop or reduce the high friction? i guess by just greasing up the gears?

[guard-sniper87]

Re: Piston Type

there really isn't alot you can do for the reduction of the friction apart from buff the cylinder to mirror shine and try and get non metal gears and as far as i know no company makes non metal gear sets that can withstand the assualt the steel ones get

id just rather go with a hardened poly carb piston mate

[Will_0]

Re: Piston Type

Don't go for aluminium (I assume this is what the teeth are made from)

The main reason is that, as someone on here very nicely put, it's a mechanical fuse. An aluminium one is a lot harder wearing, so it would wear down your gearset much more quickly, which is much more expensive than to replace a new polycarb piston. The piston is possibly the easiest bit to fix and it's not expensive in comparison to aluminium which in turn would also break your gear set costing a lot more.

[ashley_88]

Re: Piston Type

Cheers for the help guys great help.

[guard-sniper87]

Re: Piston Type

any time mate

[dope_on_a_rope]

Re: Piston Type

Aluminium pistons are not harder wearing. There's little strain on an individual piston tooth, apart from the first and last. On all pistons, the last tooth is made of steel. The main strain on the initial tooth, it not caused by the spring power, it's caused by the pickup of the piston by the sector gear. There isn't a stock gun that comes with a piston with a good angle of engagement. With a polycarb piston, you get some give, and it doesn't wear away. With an aluminium piston, the first tooth gets ground down pretty fast. Aluminium pistons die faster.

I'm not going to go into rectifying the angle of engagement on a piston. It's not something you need to worry about. Unless you're chewing pistons monthly.

Systema pistons should be avoided. The polycarb on them is brittle. Combined with a normal angle of engagement, this will result in the first tooth snapping off. ICS pistons are pretty good. They flex a little, and seem to last a long time. Wouldn't go for the G&P piston either to be honest. They aren't great. ICS is the best one Z1 sell. If you go elsewhere, Deepfire and TM make good pistons. Prommy make the best, but you really don't need to spend that much on an expendable part.

[HunterAndy]

Re: Piston Type

Think of the piston as the disposable part of the gearbox, if it breaks it's cheaper than any other moving part so having an aluminium piston increases the likelihood of other more expensive things breaking. My friend used an aluminium piston and cracked the front end of his V2 Gearbox.
I'd advise a polycarbonate piston any day.

[Gaffa]

Re: Piston Type

I'm currently using a Guarder Polycarbonate piston in my P90 setup, which runs a Systema Turbo motor and pulls around 26 rounds per second. Seems to last fine, no problems as of yet. I haven't shaved off any teeth, because apparently it really doesn't affect the operation of the weapon.