Hop Rubber - Removing the 'Nub' from the Inside.

[Liam Porter]

I want to remove the 'nub' from the inside of the hop rubber.

By 'nub' I mean the bit of rubber on the inside that is pushed down and applies the hop to the BBs. If you look inside one, you'll know what I'm on about.

Does anyone know the best way to remove it?

I've tried on a MadBull blue rubber, which is rather soft.

I turned it inside out, which took a good 5-10 minutes. During this process, it tore in several places, including around the nub.

I then tried to remove the nub extremely carefully with a pen knife, which kind of worked. The 'nub' is gone, but there's a hole where it was - which is no good, it needs to be flat.

I then turned it back outside in (to see how easy it was rather than binning it), which took twice as long as doing it the other way around.

So, looking for a better method of removing this bit of rubber and leaving a smooth, flat surface on the inside.

Thanks,

Liam.

Also, what's the hardest AEG rubber you can get?

And what's the same as above, but in stock in the UK?

 

[Hibernator]

I don't think all hop rubbers have them. I'm sure I've seen plenty of standard ones without - can't remember a specific make.

It's there to provide more hop and room for adjustment than a standard rubber, but with too big a nub it can cause over hop with no hop on. I use Guarder clear rubbers in my ICS guns, but find the nub that comes with them causes over hopping, so I use the standard ICS nub instead.

I'm sure any attempt to remove it will only serve to ruin the hop rubber and effect range/accuracy. You could try a different nub or find a rubber without one built in?

 

[Liam Porter]

Pretty sure they all have it, looked around for one without a lot.

I know what they're for, and I need it removed.

In the end, it'll give better accuracy.

Any idea on the hardest rubber you can get?

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

Couldn't you just look for a design that has a different style nub?

Some AKs and the new WE open bolt rifles have two points of contact at either side, as opposed to a sort of domed shape as is usual of hob rubbers.

 

[Liam Porter]

Nah, the inside of the hop rubber needs to be completely smooth and round, so that it would fit around a barrel without any cuttings in it (so I could put it on the opposite end of the barrel, without any bumps).

And the actual nub I'll be using is in two parts, controlled by two hop arms. Can adjust left/right and up/down that way.

Also, any idea on the hardest standard AEG rubber you can get?

 

[bigshep]

Could you just not use some rubber piping, or do you still need all the other gubbings on the rubber? Sounds like you are doing a radical mod. If so then I would think that the other guys that have done that would be your best bets for parts, rather than us guys who are relatively less radical.

As for the rubbing down bit, have you tried very fine wet/dry paper or sandpaper rather than a file? I would imagine it would take a while but you could do it.

As for "hardness" as far as I can tell it is a rating system with 70+ being classed as hard, and for DMR or +450fps, and 50'ish being classed as soft and for normal AEG's

 

[Liam Porter]

It needs the end bit that stops it going all the way over the barrel, otherwise I would use that.

I'll try that, although I successfully removed it from another spare MadBull blue rubber earlier, got a Bic pen and put the rubber on that, starting with the bit that's thinner diameter (the end that stops it going completely over the barrel), and that turned it inside out. Then carefully cut it off with a Stanley knife.

I'll look for some 70 degree rubbers, need the hardest I can find for the best air seal. It's going in my L96, so after the best parts I can get.

 

[bigshep]

Once fitted you can always wrap the outside in PTFE tape for a great airseal.

 

[Liam Porter]

I may do that, the other option is getting a PDI W-Hold bucking, apparently amazing airseal in the PDI hop chamber.

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

Is this multi-arm hop unit of your own creation, Liam? Or can they be bought?

I'm guessing it's a sniper only mod, but it sounds pretty amazing. If I had the right tools I'd like to try something similar with my L85.

 

[M_P]

I think you're talking about the PDI one?

http://www.x-fire.org/type96/e.t96_chamber.html

 

[Liam Porter]

Yeah it's the PDI one

It's a pretty good design to be honest, not able to install and test yet because no hop bucking that isn't ruined :L.