Words and pics by Airsoft International’s Ben Webb.
It’s been a while since I spoke to the man behind this illustrious little blog, but boy, I can tell you it was good to see him kick back into action via numerous social media channels.
Me and Rich [AKA TRH – The Reptile House] have never met in person but I’d like to think we’d forged quite a friendship over the electronic waves of the internet and I think it’s possible to miss somebody’s virtual presence. Without getting too slushy, we got reacquainted rapidly and Rich asked me for an update on my much-photographed TM 416…
Unlike many airsoft guns, it’s still here and it’s still doing the business.
In the spirit of all things TRH, I wracked my brain to think of something Sisters Of Mercy-orientated to base my contribution on. Despite thinking of it first, it being my favourite “Sister’s” tune, I went through the whole discography a couple of times before finally deciding that “More” was the best fit. Obvious, glaring and not particularly clever, but I think it fits. (No guessing what this is typed out to the sounds of…)
So, an update on the 416…
Originally, the 416 was not the only recoil I had and it was in fact acquired simply because it was a decent deal. Over time, it became something that I really cherished. As my interest in the SEAL’s raid on Bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan grew, I slowly put more and more effort into the 416, Before long it was my most prized recoil and although it might not be far away from what you get out of a box from Marui, the little details really proved to be more than a pain in the ass.
NOTHING was a straight fit but you can read all about this in previous TRH posts [linked at the end of the blog]. In that case, what “more” can I tell you? The 416 looks largely as it did last time I updated the blog, but there have been a few changes since then. It has most likely weathered in quite some degree as well – especially because for reasons far too boring to detail here, it’s actually the only primary weapon still in my possession, meaning it gets used day in, day out.
One big change inside the gun is the swap from an Ultimate motor to the a Nuprol one. This was prompted by the fact that a poor mesh between the Ultimate pinion gear and the gearbox led to the spur gear disintegrating after some use. Although not quite as outright powerful, the Nuprol motor runs more smoothly so it’s a more sensible choice here. The big change inside the 416 is the BTC Spectre. I resisted as long as I possibly could when it came to fitting one because I never had an issue with the standard contacts and rarely used full auto, but one came up at a price that couldn’t be ignored and for the good of the insight to contribute towards Airsoft International, I had to venture in. In practical terms, the Spectre allows you to reprogram the gun, alter the rate of fire, tweak the trigger response and fire modes on tap. It also makes for a lighter, crisper trigger pull and provides cycle completion detection, bridging the gap between the PTW and the recoil systems.
Externally the gun has taken a bit of a beating…
A few things are looking more than a little tatty after plenty of skirmishing and the original G&P Eotech 551 replica took a right proper punishing in early 2015 – prompting the acquisition of a new one. Again Nuprol have come to my aid. Their replica sights are a solid choice.
“Finally, you might notice the thirtysecondsout.com sticker on the stock sourced through Violent Little Machine Shop in the US. I think “Nobody is coming, it’s up to us” is a line from 13 Hours, the movie about Benghazi, but I can’t be sure…”
I actually selected it in tribute to the many building defence games I’ve enjoyed with this gun alongside guys such as S23, Nick from FS, Jamie Fox, Conrad, Martin, Alex & Alex, Tim, Will and, by no means least, my colleague at Ai, Benno.
May there be PLENTY more!
Thanks for allowing me to contribute to the blog again and it really is great to see it back in business!
What can I say?!
I normally top and tail pieces by special guests but how could I add to this? So, I’ll keep it short:
Ben turned in this piece late at night, prior to skirmishing the next day. He then patiently listened to my ridiculous whines about my hands hurting because I’d been threading MOLLE all evening…
He said yes to my plea for an update immediately and without hesitation – and this is after I appear back on the airsoft scene randomly and without a proper excuse 🙂
So, a MASSIVE thank you to Ben – both for a most compelling narrative, pics AND for the kind words!
You can read earlier titles from Ben on The Reptile House blog:
The Left Hand Path – Tokyo Marui’s Next Generation Recoil Series
The Reptile House 