KA M4: Upgrades from stock form?

[M.Garcia]

I just purchased my brand new KA M4 and looking to get some input from people with experience with the model on what I should be upgrading from the very start?

I will already be changing to deans connections and upgrading to tight bore but not sure if Madbull does the job or should I get Prometheus? I've had Madbull before with no issues but unsure of other brands.

As for everything else is there anything that MUST be changed or RECOMMENDED to be changed?

Thanks for all help in advance!

[MaciekA]

Originally Posted by M.Garcia

I just purchased my brand new KA M4 and looking to get some input from people with experience with the model on what I should be upgrading from the very start?

I will already be changing to deans connections and upgrading to tight bore but not sure if Madbull does the job or should I get Prometheus? I've had Madbull before with no issues but unsure of other brands.

As for everything else is there anything that MUST be changed or RECOMMENDED to be changed?

Thanks for all help in advance!

A lot of people have been asking similar questions and seem to focus on stock barrels as a weak point of their guns, when in fact guns like the KA M4 have very good stock barrels.

You should use your rifle for a few months before assessing what you want to upgrade in terms of internal parts. It takes a while to tease out real inadequacies as opposed to imagined ones -- the barrel thing is a good example, since I've noticed some people don't seem to know how to adjust their hopup properly and assume their barrel is at fault.

If you want accuracy and range, buy 0.28g BBs and set your hopup correctly. My favourites right now are the Elite Force 0.28g BBs. You will outrange and outgroup people using Prommy barrels with 0.2g BBs and spend a lot less.

Having said all of the above, the KA M4 does benefit from some tweaking out of the box. The best things to do to a stock King Arms M4 are:

1) Check the seal of the o-ring on the piston and replace the o-ring or stretch it (with fire) to ensure maximum seal. Regrease it. Stock these o-rings come not as tight-sealing as they could. This will improve your compression. The rest of the compression setup (nozzle, etc) is great out of the box.
2) Rewire the gun for Deans or XT60 connectors and wire to the front. There's a ton of room for larger-capacity 7.4V LiPos in that handguard.
3) Swap the motor for a high torque (neo) motor. The stock ferrite can is weak.

Combined, the last two changes will give you a snappier trigger response and ability to shoot longer than the stock gun would.

[MultipleParadox]

Depends on what kind of setup you're looking for I guess.
Are you upgrading for the sake of upgrading or you have a specific goal in mind?

If the former, I'd say leave it as it is, beside the Deans and the Tightbore which is always a good idea. A good hopup bucking is good to have too.
I personally got a Prommy and I love it. I heard good things on the madbull as well, depends on the budget you have.

Then when something break or performance gets lower, you change whatever parts that needs repair.

King Arms stock internals are good unless you got a "lemon" like me :P

Chrono it to see how it shoot and compare this to the advertised speed. Mine had compression issues right off the bat so I changed the cylinder head, nozzle, piston. Then a bit later on, the gear set as I had one that was slightly crooked and causing issues.

MaciekA: Good points. As for the barrel thing, I agree with you. However, I must say I did saw a great difference going from stock to the Prometheus 6.03mm barrel

[M.Garcia]

Ye when I get it re-wired I will have these things checked out and see what needs to be done then. I will definitely be changing to tight bore for sure, easy upgrade.

Thanks for the input guys!

[M.Garcia]

Does anyone know what this gun is shooting out of the box? Will I have to change to S100 to bring it under 400FPS?

[Rusty Lugnuts]

In my opinion, if you have to open it to change a spring, i would change the piston head as well.

[Spike]

All of the ones I've seen shoot 380 out of the box, right on the dot.

[M.Garcia]

Ye someone told me they received one Monday and it shot 380.

[slink182]

Put it on a chrony to be certain of fps. Anything else is guesswork.

[Short Round]

If you can buy a prommy barrel. A lot more durable and better performance then madbulls.

I noticed the 6.03 phython barrels are too thin for use with a lot of hop up rubbers I have, maybe it was just me but I got a lot tigther groupings after installing the prommy as well as a better airseal.

What I was told a lot of madbull parts require the use of other madbull products, ie. If you use a madbull barrel, you should use a madbull rubber and hopup unit. Don't think that's true but it seemed to be for me.

Also check out KN barrels. Don't know much about them, they look like prommy barrels but come in a 6.04mm length.

[phloudernow]

First thing , i changed in my KA was the piston and gear set, its not necessary but I've had problems with KA Pistons stripping or breaking quite a lot, still have not had my prometheus piston break in any gun yet. In my Opinon and some other people might agree on KA motors kinda suck compared to others so maybe swap it out for something else, most of my guns run a TM EG1000 <--- one of the best motors ever made in my opinion, or a G&Pm120.

I also run a Systema Magnum Motor in my primary set up.

[Stealth]

Originally Posted by phloudernow

most of my guns run a TM EG1000 <--- one of the best motors ever made in my opinion, or a G&Pm120.

Don't take this personally but all 3 of the motors you just mentioned are either not great, bad or overpriced.

The EG1000 overheats very quickly and the brushes do not last long. The M120 is overpriced for its mediocre performance and the same goes for the Systema Magnum. I've tried all 3 plus about 10 or more other motors from X High Tech high torque to SHS high torque/speed, G&P M170, M180, Guarder ITU, Lonex Red/Orange, VS Studio, Marui EG3000, 700 and the 1000S, G&P stock, VFC stock, CYMA neo, JG red/blue and some others I don't remember.

Favourite motor right now is the X High Tech motor just because it's so cheap. It does overheat/get quite hot after sustained fire, but the ROF is quite good. Pinion gear is a bit soft but you get what you pay for. This is followed by the Lonex Red which gives better performance and runs a LOT cooler and more efficiently. It's more expensive, but worth the price difference. If money is no object, a TerminusX motor will rape any of the motors above.

[MultipleParadox]

Originally Posted by Najohn

What I was told a lot of madbull parts require the use of other madbull products, ie. If you use a madbull barrel, you should use a madbull rubber and hopup unit. Don't think that's true but it seemed to be for me.

I bought a set of Madbull's rubbers (the Sharks) and it was so tight on my Prommy inner barrel that when I tried putting it in the hopup unit it was deforming the bucking quite a lot. So I would say it add some truth to this "rumor"

FWIW, Madbull do state that the Shark bucking doesn't fits all barrels

[SF_Chewy]

Originally Posted by MultipleParadox

I bought a set of Madbull's rubbers (the Sharks) and it was so tight on my Prommy inner barrel that when I tried putting it in the hopup unit it was deforming the bucking quite a lot. So I would say it add some truth to this "rumor"

FWIW, Madbull do state that the Shark bucking doesn't fits all barrels

Here's my experience with Madbull rubbers (the blues), I installed them in all my guns at one point and had a terrible time each time. They either didn't hop enough (would drop off early) or would hop too much (noticeable upward spin). I don't know if it is normal to need them to break in or something, but I felt it could have been better out of the box. I also had fitting issues with some of my setups (rubber had a tough time fitting into the whole assembly). I wouldn't recommend them to anyone after this.

I switched out to Lonex hop ups and the difference was quite noticeable. It took a few adjustments and the hop up was perfect (3 - 5 shots)

[MultipleParadox]

Yeah, in my case I couldn't even test them out (bought a red and a blue, both had same results).

I got a Guarder black installed now, haven't tested it out yet though