M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

[RM_Stu]

Re: M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

That middle picture was from my company on herrick 9, awesome. May have to add my own pics of the general when I get home later

[Panoptes]

Re: M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

Cheers.

So, in my infernal impatience I decided to break up the supplied box magazine and use those parts instead of wait for the A&K one I ordered... Nothing like risking $300 to replace it!

Anyhoo. All the parts were carefully disassembled in a manner that if this all goes horribly wrong I can put it back together again.

Seems to be going swimmingly so far. Had to cut a piece of 2mm Plasticard instead of using the aluminium feed plate. Messy but should work just fine.

It doesn't look look like it holds much but, amazingly, I filled it up with 2800 rounds (original box mag must be 5000). Having expected a max of 1500 this is a bit of a billy bonus. (More 'Gimpy love' for you, Fitch. :p).

Next, to mince about with the feed tube and the all-critical BB feed assembly...

[gijohn2]

Re: M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

I love you

[Kenworth W900]

Re: M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

Looks awesome mate, I bet you could fool a fair few real-steel operators with that baby.

[murta369]

Re: M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

man oh man you have done it again

[Panoptes]

Re: M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

A scene of utter devastation...

I've been up pretty much all night.

Damn thing.

I originally wanted to replicate the 'feed clip' that mounts onto the BB feeder port so that I could remove the feed tube in a similar way to the original box mag - but after several frustrating attempts with metal putty I wasn't getting anywhere as the putty just broke up.

I ended up with a semi-permanent solution with a 1/2" section of brass pistol barrel forming the final feed inlet. Just a fraction out and it wouldn't feed so I had to be precise with it. Mounted onto that was a tube which I salvaged from an old outer barrel assembly of a JG G36C - that formed a joiner/inlet port which the feed spring would slip into.

That brought its own problems though... as the BBs fed, the overpressure was pushing the feed tube back out and it was now refusing to feed.

With my limited workshop (and mental age, probably) I decided on slipping a safety pin through the tube and spring so to hold it in place. I'd considered using a grub screw but though that would probably only shake free after a while anyway.

At first, the pin dug into the spring too much, blocking the BBs, and I got a non-feed once again. A little tweak of the hole positioning and it now 'grips' the spring but not so much that it blocks the BBs inside it.

When the feed tray is down, it clamps the pin in place as well so that's not going to pop out mid-skirmish.


It's ugly, but it's solid and it works...




The curse of Machine Gun box mags:

It's all you can see of the mechanism though so I'm happy with it. Miles better than the flimsy cornflake packet that used to hang off the side... :D




4000+ rounds now lie strewn across the room. My steel plate bullet trap is dented beyond belief but worse still, there are BBs in the wife's handbag. I'm in a world of shit now.






Next; to replicate the Gas Regulator...

[Cerbo Knight]

Re: M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

That looks so nice... :D

[LukusRose]

Re: M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

Panoptes...I may not be able to pronounce your name, but you are my favorite airsofter....ever. One day when I have money, I am going to do this. =]

[Panoptes]

Re: M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

All thanks to Kenworth_900 who gave me the heads-up there was one on sale here. I would definitely have missed it as it was part of a 'bits n' bobs' thread; which I rarely look at.

Can't wait until next skirmo...

"Givin' it big licks!"

Cheers bud.

'Pan - op - tees'.

[systema PTW SOPMOD]

Re: M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

Could you please post a list of all parts used and where you located them? I really wanna do this :D
please dont make me get a minimi instead

[Panoptes]

Re: M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

As much as I'd like to help, I don't recall everywhere/everyone I bought from. I got PMd by people who were selling various things, searched militaria shops online and Googled like f*ck. Hard graft!

It's murder finding a top cover so next up is the conversion of that to L7A2 spec.

[bill1310]

Re: M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

Ta.

L129A1 for sure.

This will be my last AEG for a good long while though. Found out yesterday that Mrs Pan is... expecting. So, my priorities in life are about to change! :D

Plenty of "newborn baby with SF Role Machine Gun" pics I expect.

did not spend that much time on that weapon then lol
(still a sweet mother)

[systema PTW SOPMOD]

Re: M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

also, would you mind posting the dimensions of your flashider....i might try and CNC one if i cant buy one in the UK

[Panoptes]

Re: M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

Rail be gone!

I decided to take the bull by the horns and get rid of the big thing that was doing my head-in. That rail.

I took the rail off and I had my machinist mill the riser flush with the top cover. The square 'block' you see towards the rear is offset a little to the left on the real thing but this needed to stay as-is because it facilitates the screw for the locking mechanism...

I still had to spend hours fine-tuning with a file and also had to fill-in the gap in the cover (created by removing the riser) with steel putty. Then some more filing and sanding down. Quite a task but well worth the effort in the end.

Hmmm... that's better.

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[Arnie013]

Re: M240B > L7A2 GPMG Conversion

Looks spot on mate.Good Effort.