We dropped a new Shop Talk video where we go over some of the most prevalent problems we've noticed with the APFG MCX platform since its launch earlier last year. While the focus of the discussion is to go into some of the stuff we've personally noticed and how we went about fixing it, we want to reiterate that there could be some things here and there we've missed and that there's more than one way to go about potential fixes.
Here is a brief outline of some of the most critical problems we've noticed, along with some photos to illustrate what we are talking about in particular.
The threaded section of the stock Hop Up chamber tends to be a little thin, and the construction is from VFC's Zamac pot-metal blend (An alloy popular for casting toys, comprised of Zinc, Aluminum, Magnesium, and Copper). While we do not know what VFC's Zamac blend is precisely comprised of, we feel it can be considered too brittle especially in thinner sections.
The common solution is the CNC 6061 chamber made by JWI from Hong Kong, but do not feel this is absolutely necessary until you break the stock chamber, which is an IF and not a WHEN because we've seen people run the stock chamber and heavily game these rifles without issue since the Rattler's launch last year. We highly recommend using a heat gun to remove the outer barrel and the muzzle device from the gun when new, as torquing it without doing so is a very easy way to snap these chamber threads and fuck your new gun up.
The direct contact between the tension arm and the bucking itself on VFC guns lends itself to have a stronger than sometimes desired Hop Up effect on BBs. A few fixes exist, including the GSI MCX tension arm which has a separate tension nub for much better consistency and range of adjustment, or modifying the stock one to exert less tension by filing down the surface. We feel this is something you should consider after you've tested the gun. Generally we feel the Hop up's performance from grouping and precision standpoint is mostly going to be limited by the inner barrel length (or lack of).
The lower receivers primary issue lies in the fact some people have reported micro fractures and cracking along the area where the rear takedown pin is. Given the cracks reported mostly happen on the inside of the receiver first, we think this has a lot to do with the solid plastic buffer that came with the Rattler. We've seen the OEM switch this for a soft plastic/rubber/whatever buffer which is indicative they realize this is what was causing this kind of receiver cracking. We have been suggesting people put a spacer behind even a softer buffer to eliminate any chances of the bolt carrier bottoming out on the back as the softer buffer would likely deform when hit, and it sits pretty flush with the back end of the lower receiver. We've observed many named, and no name brands of aftermarket buffers which address this, as well as utilizing crap from the hardware store to make your own solution. You can go either way with this so long as it will dampen some of the force from the bolt carrier cycling. We've also noticed the gun's automatic fire rate would decrease with some of these softer buffers.
While the Black Pew CNC lower is awesome, and we want to cover it in a separate video/article to give it the review it deserves, we do not like the notion it is the most effective fix for the lower receivers problems like magazine compatibility and durability concerns. Generally because it also happens to be the most expensive fix here. We do however strongly recommend you get this, just because it makes your APFG MCX that much more premium in the end, taking out much of the wobbling between the receivers, and is a very good direct fit with all the parts (some might say it suspiciously fits too well).
Some care should be taken with the Nozzle return spring plug on these guns, as since they utilize a screw to affix it to the bolt carrier relying on loctite to stay in place, this has that potential to go wrong. A loose plug best case just stops the gun from working, and worse case causes damage immediately to the carrier, nozzle, and hop chamber assembly. We would highly advise you apply loctite to the screw after you disassemble it, as well as keep an eye on it sporadically to make sure nothing has come loose. We've observed this happening on bolt carriers which have never been taken apart, and have noticed the factory sometimes just forgetting to loctite certain parts anyway out of a sample size of roughly 30 gun's we've imported/worked on. A more extreme fix would be to convert the nozzle to use an E-clip plug from a VFC AR15 nozzle, but it would require you drill out the back of the carrier to accommodate the different profile of the E-clip plug.
Needless to say we hope this solves some of the problems you might be experiencing, help you decide if the APFG is the right gas blowback MCX for you. If you happen upon any serious issues with this gun, we'd love to hear about it. Drop us a message or comment anywhere we're active and let's keep the discussion going, since that is the best way to give feedback to the companies producing these products.
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