410 fps? can't wait to find out!

When i got my airsoft gun from my supplier he suggested two modifications: (1) change the hop-up packing, and (2) change the air-seal nozzle. According to him, the ICS M4A1 RIS is pretty good out of the box i.e. it does not need much upgrading.

From the newbie point of view, i couldn't really understand the fuss about shimmings, and gears, and springs, etc. I chose to begin my search for an airsoft gun with several simple questions:


1. Is the gun sturdy? Will it stand up to the rigors of regular game play? Can it cope with potential mishaps like being dropped? In relation to this, i had to ask about the reputation of the manufacturer and of course the recommendation of my supplier (who happens to be my gunsmith also).

2. How strong is it out of the box? Each manufacturer will publish muzzle velocity figures, of course nothing will beat anecdotal evidence. AEG manufacturing is not automated. Materials manufacturing is automated but assembly is by humans. This means that most (if not all) AEGs have the same parts but may differ out of the box depending on who assembled the gun. So anecdotal reports are really important for finding out the qualities of any AEG.

3. What modifications or upgrades need to be carried out on the gun to bring it to a level (especially in terms of muzzle velocity) within the range of the guns of those whom you play with. I play with people who have guns that range between 350fps to 450 fps. If i were to consider getting a gun that was only rated at 250fps upgrading it would have been important ... yes! to at least balance out the firepower.

I could have bought a lower priced gun and spent tons of money to upgrade it. But then my gunsmith recommended the ICS M4A1 because of its good stock performance out of the box. Again, out of the box i only needed two modifications to ensure stable, if not better, performance.

The first modification was to change the hop-up packing. This was done two weeks after i got the gun. I gave it a good two weeks so that i could familiarize myself with my gun's stock performance. This way i would have a baseline for comparing how it performs after the new hop-up packing was installed.

There was a huge difference. Out of the box, my unit was rated at 340fps max but after the hop-up packing modification its rating increased to 355fps max. Range also increased as well as the flight characteristics of the bb.

Two days ago i decided to have the second modification carried out i.e. the air-seal nozzle. Dropped the gun off at my gunsmith's place in the morning and picked it up by nightfall. According to my gunsmith, he tested it and the rating is now at 415fps max. I can't wait to see for myself how my gun's performance has changed.

Hopefully, that's the last of the modifications that i carry out on my gun. That's important so i can move on to looking for a secondary weapon. hahaha!

I'll post photos of my gun soon ... as well as a newbie review.

P.S. note the change in the title of this blog.