TECH: AIRTECH STUDIOS

TAKE IT TO THE MAXX!

IN EVERY AIRSOFT GROUP, OR TEAM, THERE’S UNDOUBTEDLY ONE PERSON THAT IS CONSTANTLY SEARCHING FOR THE ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE FROM THEIR AEGS AND GBBS AND, IN THE CASE OF THE AA CREW, THAT HAS TO BE JIMMY. HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE MINUTIAE OF ENHANCING HIS FAVOURITE PLATFORMS SOMETIMES DRIVES EVEN US TO DISTRACTION, ALTHOUGH THE RESULTS HE ACHIEVES ARE UNDENIABLY IMPRESSIVE! THIS TIME HE TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO SOME CRACKING LITTLE PRODUCTS IN THE MAXX RANGE FROM AIRTECH STUDIOS!

Being the lover of tech that I am, I have a great interest in higher performance and I’m always in search for that “something extra”. I want to shoot faster, further, straighter than others on the field, quite frankly I strive to find an added advantage and sometimes greater performance can be that advantage. That doesn’t mean throwing hundreds of pounds at a weapon will instantly make you the better player but a few choice power ups can make a good player even better. If I can engage a target from a greater distance I will, which gives me an advantage over many.

By now I’m sure that many of you will be conversant with Airtech Studios and the marvellous products they create to enhance the performance of your humble, from the box BB-blaster, but for those that haven’t yet come across them…

Airtech Studios was founded back in 2015 and is led by a team of enthusiastic airsofters who have spent many years playing and modifying airsoft platforms for improvements and efficiency. Airtech Studios brings together a passionate, dynamic team of experts who are constantly on the look-out for really useful upgrade options. Headquartered in Hong Kong, they have brought together a team of product designers from the USA and the United Kingdom to bring more exciting upgrade parts to the game, and their stated mission is:

“strive to develop unique innovations to push the boundaries of airsoft performance to its limits and beyond!”

Probably best known for their MAXX CNC Hop-up chambers, Airtech Studios provide aftermarket parts for a number of top manufacturers like VFC, Ares, KRYTAC, KWA, ICS, ASG and G&G, all of whom we work closely with. After some conversation with them, Airtech Studios were kind enough (and confident enough in their products!) to send over a few genius little items for us to have a look at, goodies which complement their MAXX products quite nicely I feel. I have purchased Airtech Studios parts in the past for my own rifles (Ares) and boy did they make a noticeable difference!

Over the past few weeks I have undergone a series of tests with different setups using a Specna Arms SA-E12 PDW (yes, the parts work with Specna too!) to see which worked the best and I have had varied results. When I first saw the MAXX hop units I was a little sceptical about them actually being good and now having the opportunity to spend some time using one I am a little less sceptical but after my initial testing I’m sure with the time to find the right combination that scepticism will fade away.

The MAXX unit itself is a tad on the pricey side but

if you as an airsofter does not care what something costs then maybe this is an item for you. In this issue the focus will be the Airtech studios parts which fit the Maxx unit, so what is it we have been sent? • MAXX Chamber True-Centre unit • Maxx Hop Chamber & Inner Barrel O-ring • Maxx TDC Trolley 6mm for ER-Hop & M Nub • Maxx TDC Trolley 4mm for Flat Hop Nub • Maxx TDC Trolley 4mm for R-Hop Nub • Inner Barrel Stabilizing O-rings. • A selection of adhesive patches with differing degrees of hardness

All of these parts have been made with the highest quality and are incredibly precise making for easy installation there’s no need to mod anything they just fit. Fitment onto the MAXX unit is absolutely perfect I couldn’t find fault anywhere. If you look at the furniture that MAXX makes it does work well that is undeniable and initial testing yielded some great results using a zci 6.02mm tightbore barrel and a Maple Leaf Macaron 60 degree rubber, but what Airtech have created is the ability to give the user the tools to be even more precise easily, allowing for different options of hop setup.

Ultimately the application of hop against a BB is merely the effects of pressure but it’s how that pressure is applied that gives performance gains. I really like the idea of the chamber true-centre unit this eliminates any movement, preventing tilting of the unit which can cause a BB to fly either left or right. It works by tightly holding the hop unit perfectly aligning it in the outer barrel which in turn aids accuracy.

TESTED AND TRUE

I Started my testing over stock parts with an existing barrel and R-Hop setup from Master Mods which I had been using for a while (with great results might I add!). After a short period I discovered that sadly the Master Mods flat rubber was causing double feeds as the feed lips didn’t sit far enough in the hop unit and I had a great loss in velocity, so I opted to try another flat rubber (Modify) which instantly solved the double feed and brought the velocity back up.

Using the 4mm TDC (Top Down Centre) Trolley with the hard patch I was amazed just how far I was sending a BB out to and honestly it was a snipers nightmare! During a game session I found myself hanging back and pestering this one sniper who couldn’t believe I was ranging him using a 0.28g BB at around 340fps (chrono’d on a .20g obviously!); the results were just amazing so I spent the entire game railing him with BBs and enjoying every minute!

Now I’ve stated in other articles I’m not a big fan of R-Hop but the combination of the Master Mods R-Hop along with MAXX unit and Airtech furniture has left a salty taste as now I find myself being a bit of a closet fan to be honest!

I next turned my attention to a completely different set up; I removed the R-Hop and went about fitting a Maple Leaf (my favourite go to hop rubber). For this I fitted the 4mm TDC Trolley designed for flat hop which allows the use of things like Prometheus, Namuzu, Maple Leaf or even a standard nub should you choose to. Due to the TDC adjustment it gives a far better contact patch.

This setup was used for some indoor CQB shenanigans and the results were very good. The site in places was very tight and offered some very small apertures through which to shoot and I was able to plant shots exactly where I needed to with great precision and with consistency, every shot following the first which in turn gave me a great advantage meaning I didn’t have to present myself in order to acquire a target.

I haven’t quite finished testing other setups yet but rest assured I shall be testing a variety of combinations in order to find which best suits. I am really very impressed and Airtech Studios never fail to impress.

On top of the MAXX parts we were also sent some other parts which I shall be featuring in future articles, so stay tuned and keep an eye out for those. These are G&G and SRS related parts and I can imagine my opinions will be very similar to those previously tested.

If you aren’t familiar with Airtech Studios by now I question what rock you have been hiding under, so go and check out what it is they make, you certainly won’t regret doing so, and although their products are priced at the spicier end of the spectrum you get, as the old saying goes, what you pay for!

Big thanks to the guys at Airtech Studios for providing us with the parts to test, and as I said there’ll be more to come! For now though, if you like the sound of what you’ve already heard then just head over to www.airtechstudios.com to find out more, and check their list of global retail partners too!