Tapping TM Pistol mags and running HPA

[Alex34]

Hello all. I've been away from airsoft for a few years now but making a comeback!

After going through all my gear, checking and cleaning up my guns (TM 416 Devgru AEG and TM PX4 blowback pistol), I realised my PX mags are toast. They are leaking through both valves and O-rings need replacing. After having a looksy online for O-rings and/or valve replacements, I came across TM valve taps for running an HPA system into the TM magazines. Started researching into this and from what I saw/read, it seems fairly straight forward.

I've never run HPA before so I do have a few questions though...

1. Is running HPA through TM pistol mags as straight forward as it seems?
   
2. Fail safes: if my regulator fails and decides to dump all the air into the line, is there anything I can install to prevent my pistol exploding in my hand/holster?
   
3. How many shots can I roughly get out of a 13ci tank, at site allowed pistol FPS rates?
   
4. Is there anything I need to do to my TM pistol to prevent damage from running an HPA system?
   
5. Do I literally only need a tank, a regulator and a hose for a full pistol system?
   
6. What are the better brands and retailers to get HPA systems and parts from?
   

Many thanks for any help offered!

 

[Sewdhull]

I looked at this type of thing a while back, but ended up opting to rebuild the mags and get a range of gasses for the conditions.

There's 2 ways,

One, you put a connector into the fill valve, you need a working mag the line(with regulator), adaptor and bottle. Changing mags is going to be a chore.

Two,  you get a mag to fit your gun with space for another mag to go inside it to hold bbs.

In addition you need a line as before, with a bottle.

You will have a pistol tethered to you now, which may or may not be an issue.

 

[Alex34]

I looked at this type of thing a while back, but ended up opting to rebuild the mags and get a range of gasses for the conditions.

There's 2 ways,

One, you put a connector into the fill valve, you need a working mag the line(with regulator), adaptor and bottle. Changing mags is going to be a chore.

Two,  you get a mag to fit your gun with space for another mag to go inside it to hold bbs.

In addition you need a line as before, with a bottle.

You will have a pistol tethered to you now, which may or may not be an issue.

Thanks for the reply.

I don't think I would mind changing mags out with HPA. To me, filling green gas mags was always a faff and I didn't use my pistol enough because of it. My pistol spent more time in its holster than it did anywhere else so not bothered by it being tethered to me either. The plan is to use coil line so that it's not hanging off of me or getting in the way, or at least in theory it won't. 

Curious to know what put you off of trying the hpa route in the end?

 

[Sewdhull]

The tethering, the cost, the magazine's, carrying a bottle.

Hpa is not cheap at all, but it's a better gas for guns. Cost/benefit for me is unacceptable.

Same for GBBR, cost/benefit wise.

 

[Krisz]

HPA adapter is better because you've got more capacity (either MP5 or M4) and you don't have to disconnect your line to reload. In my opinion it's unpractical to tap each magazines and very few people do it nowadays. Or just buy a CO2 pistol for winter conditions so you don't need a complete HPA system to counter cold weather. 

Depending on the size of those-o rings I think that your magazines could be fixable if you manage to get the same diameter and thickness from ebay etc.

 

[heroshark]

If you didn't find you used your pistol because filling it with gas is a faff. Adding a line and an mp5 or m4 mag dangling off the bottom making it less manoeuvrable, 

or worse still tapping mags individually so having to swap the line every mag change is not likely going to make it more practical to use.

 

[Sewdhull]

If it were me I'd fix the mags, 3 mags has always been enough for me as a side arm, 2 probably is, you can get better gas for the cold, which you couldn't when I started out.

 

[heroshark]

Also to note you may not need anything expensive to fix the mags. Depending where the leak is and what's wrong. Just a clean up and relube, possibly a little bit of PTFE tape ?. 

 

[Alex34]

I'm repairing the mags anyway, bought some o-rings from Fire-Support so hopefully they fit well.

I run 3 pistol mags but have 4 in total. It was a faff as it never really compared to the feeling and consistency of the TM 416.  I've run red gas before, in fact it was all I ran in the end... still wasn't thrilled over the results though. Maybe I'm not being realistic about it but I'm looking for something more and not afraid to try a few things... or at least consider them.

That JV Tactical Infinite system looks like a good option but they don't have one for the PX4... and it's a bit pricey when factoring in the rest of the hpa system.