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Magwell · August 13th, 2016, 16:37

Time for another update... Picture intensive!

Been pretty busy this summer, so Airsoft has taken a bit of a back seat but I finally got around to getting back to work on this gun. Ordered an A&K 1500 rd 'nutsack' box mag via Evike (seems Evike has a monopoly on these, can't find them anywhere else). The price was 50 USD, (vs ~110 USD for the MAG brand). So far, I'm very impressed. If you're looking for one of these, skip out on the MAG boxes and go right for the A&K, there is NO comparison between the two, and for less than half the price... Here is a link for those interested. I should note that the multicam version is no longer up on the website (I ordered 2 weeks ago). I have no idea why, but I assume they are sold out. http://www.evike.com/products/57254/

The box mag runs off its own proprietary battery pack (4x AAA batteries, in a sealed unit, rechargeable), and comes with it's own charger and pressure switch if you want to run the box that way. Proprietary rechargeable batteries aren't my thing though, so I tossed it immediately and started the rewiring process to bring it up to par with my other box magazines.

Before I get into that a quick comparison of the two...

MAG 1500 RD Nutsack
Pros:
-Relatively easy to find/purchase
-Simple wiring and use
-Replaceable 9V battery power supply

Cons:
-Cheap/weak construction
-Cheap internals
-Small motor (limited RPS)
-Expensive
-Small access door for BB's that doesn't lock open

A&K 1500 RD Nutsack

Pros:
-Reasonable construction (still plastic, but better plastic than MAG)
-Powerful motor
-Robust internals (relatively speaking, still plastic, but the same bits as the larger box mags)
-Well designed
-Easy to disassemble/service
-Larger access door that locks open

Cons:
-Proprietary Rechargeable battery (ie it dies in the field, your box is out of play)
-Doesn't play nice with dummy rounds (see pics near the end)
-Still overpriced, especially with our dollar, however MUCH more bang for your buck than the MAG boxes

So on to the actual box...

Once the fabric cover and top are removed, the internals are very clean, it's pretty much impossible to get BB's into the mechanism from what I can see, an improvement over the larger 2300 rd box mags.

After removing the battery and bottom of the box, we gain access to the electronics, which are more or less the same as the larger box mags but with added circuitry for charging the rechargeable battery.

A few more screws and the mechanism is easily removed (would be nice if it was secured a bit better, but it works. Not as robust as the larger style boxes though.

With the original wiring removed, I added 16 AWG milspec silver wire as with my other boxes. Can't forget that diod! (see earlier posts for why)

Heat shrink that connection...

To get it past the side I removed some material at the flange and slipped the wires past, routed them to the spring where the sound sensor went and use hot glue to secure it in place. Make sure to test fit the lower cover before the glue cools down so it can conform to the shape if needed.

As with before, a new hole is needed in the magazine insert. Route the wire and hot glue in place.

I used the two screws which held the circuit board in place to screw in on the left/right of the box. This is to hold the top in it's proper place until the other screws get inserted again. Because they go through the fabric it's very hard to actually find the holes - case in point at the top right hole here which the screw missed as they assembled it in the factory. It's not a huge issue but the box sits cockeyed otherwise and you lose storage capacity.

And here it is all assembled and installed.

The access door is easy to get to, although the button that secures the zipper takes quite a bit of force to undo - will be difficult with gloves if you need to reload in the field. Some wear might make this easier but keep that in mind. Also notice how the feed tube sits over the dummy rounds... The larger box mags have some flexibility as the spring can slide in/out. This is not the case here, both springs are fixed at either end.

After testing this my RPS shot up by 2 RPS (assuming less resistance on the motor in the box mag). These little mags can chew out 24.5 RPS easily, but that's too much fire power for my taste - going to modify my electronics to try and bring it down to 19-20 RPS. Very happy with this mag though, I can actually use the gun in the low ready, no more 'chicken wing' when using the forward grip. All in all much more comfortable and maneuverable!

August 13th, 2016, 16:37	#15
Magwell Trader rating Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Edmonton, AB	Time for another update... Picture intensive! Been pretty busy this summer, so Airsoft has taken a bit of a back seat but I finally got around to getting back to work on this gun. Ordered an A&K 1500 rd 'nutsack' box mag via Evike (seems Evike has a monopoly on these, can't find them anywhere else). The price was 50 USD, (vs ~110 USD for the MAG brand). So far, I'm very impressed. If you're looking for one of these, skip out on the MAG boxes and go right for the A&K, there is NO comparison between the two, and for less than half the price... Here is a link for those interested. I should note that the multicam version is no longer up on the website (I ordered 2 weeks ago). I have no idea why, but I assume they are sold out. http://www.evike.com/products/57254/ The box mag runs off its own proprietary battery pack (4x AAA batteries, in a sealed unit, rechargeable), and comes with it's own charger and pressure switch if you want to run the box that way. Proprietary rechargeable batteries aren't my thing though, so I tossed it immediately and started the rewiring process to bring it up to par with my other box magazines. Before I get into that a quick comparison of the two... MAG 1500 RD Nutsack Pros: -Relatively easy to find/purchase -Simple wiring and use -Replaceable 9V battery power supply Cons: -Cheap/weak construction -Cheap internals -Small motor (limited RPS) -Expensive -Small access door for BB's that doesn't lock open A&K 1500 RD Nutsack Pros: -Reasonable construction (still plastic, but better plastic than MAG) -Powerful motor -Robust internals (relatively speaking, still plastic, but the same bits as the larger box mags) -Well designed -Easy to disassemble/service -Larger access door that locks open Cons: -Proprietary Rechargeable battery (ie it dies in the field, your box is out of play) -Doesn't play nice with dummy rounds (see pics near the end) -Still overpriced, especially with our dollar, however MUCH more bang for your buck than the MAG boxes So on to the actual box... Once the fabric cover and top are removed, the internals are very clean, it's pretty much impossible to get BB's into the mechanism from what I can see, an improvement over the larger 2300 rd box mags. After removing the battery and bottom of the box, we gain access to the electronics, which are more or less the same as the larger box mags but with added circuitry for charging the rechargeable battery. A few more screws and the mechanism is easily removed (would be nice if it was secured a bit better, but it works. Not as robust as the larger style boxes though. With the original wiring removed, I added 16 AWG milspec silver wire as with my other boxes. Can't forget that diod! (see earlier posts for why) Heat shrink that connection... To get it past the side I removed some material at the flange and slipped the wires past, routed them to the spring where the sound sensor went and use hot glue to secure it in place. Make sure to test fit the lower cover before the glue cools down so it can conform to the shape if needed. As with before, a new hole is needed in the magazine insert. Route the wire and hot glue in place. I used the two screws which held the circuit board in place to screw in on the left/right of the box. This is to hold the top in it's proper place until the other screws get inserted again. Because they go through the fabric it's very hard to actually find the holes - case in point at the top right hole here which the screw missed as they assembled it in the factory. It's not a huge issue but the box sits cockeyed otherwise and you lose storage capacity. And here it is all assembled and installed. The access door is easy to get to, although the button that secures the zipper takes quite a bit of force to undo - will be difficult with gloves if you need to reload in the field. Some wear might make this easier but keep that in mind. Also notice how the feed tube sits over the dummy rounds... The larger box mags have some flexibility as the spring can slide in/out. This is not the case here, both springs are fixed at either end. After testing this my RPS shot up by 2 RPS (assuming less resistance on the motor in the box mag). These little mags can chew out 24.5 RPS easily, but that's too much fire power for my taste - going to modify my electronics to try and bring it down to 19-20 RPS. Very happy with this mag though, I can actually use the gun in the low ready, no more 'chicken wing' when using the forward grip. All in all much more comfortable and maneuverable! __________________ Last edited by Magwell; April 22nd, 2018 at 15:29..