Question for Longshot Modders

Hi All,

I'm still working on a spring kit for the Longshot, which will comprise of an outer spring of around 14kgs, and an inner spring of around 6.5kgs.

The idea is that you can go with the single spring, with the option of adding the inner spring if you are strong enough to cock it (I realize some of you are younger/smaller).

So we are looking at a potential load of 21kgs, which is at the outer limits of breaking things, but I often see you guys wishing for.

My question is:

Have many of you busted the retaining plate that screws onto the back of the plunger and holds the spring in?

I am considering adding a laser cut plate similar to my boltsled bracket (which WILL be included in the kit), to strengthen this part.

Making a whole aluminium replacement is not an option, as the price would be silly.

I've had no problem with this part, but haven't used this heavy a spring combo yet, as I've seen some of you do.

Please let me know your thoughts...

Cheers,

I often worry about the back plate breaking with a triple shot spring added. I think it would be a great idea to include these if you create a longshot kit.

I'm running a 12kg V2 spring, and although I've only used it for one war it ran very well, no issue.

I'm considering putting in the original LS spring along with it, which will probably be around 18kg perhaps (I'm not sure what the kilo load on the original spring is), but I am almost certainly going to epoxy the plunger head on. Of course I will test it first to make sure it's functional, since once the plunger head is glued on the springs cannot be changed.

When I was reading up on mods I did hear a few horror stories of plunger heads ripping off since the single screw is just not strong enough to hold the load multiple springs.

The issue to me seems to be more that the plunger head can be ripped off the plunger, rather than the head itself cracking during firing; this seems to be less common.

As a side note, I don't know if anybody has tried maybe fitting a stronger screw to aid this problem of the head popping off?

The back plate concerns me, because the screw holes have a notch in them, severely weakening its holding potential against the screw, when the spring is compressed.
It's only 2 little screws, though the notched holes are holding this piece against the load...

Melefanty wrote:I'm running a 12kg V2 spring, and although I've only used it for one war it ran very well, no issue.

I'm considering putting in the original LS spring along with it, which will probably be around 18kg perhaps (I'm not sure what the kilo load on the original spring is), but I am almost certainly going to epoxy the plunger head on. Of course I will test it first to make sure it's functional, since once the plunger head is glued on the springs cannot be changed.

When I was reading up on mods I did hear a few horror stories of plunger heads ripping off since the single screw is just not strong enough to hold the load multiple springs.

The issue to me seems to be more that the plunger head can be ripped off the plunger, rather than the head itself cracking during firing; this seems to be less common.

As a side note, I don't know if anybody has tried maybe fitting a stronger screw to aid this problem of the head popping off?

Actually, the plunger head could be reinforced by epoxying it on when you have fitted your new springs, but then you couldn't remove it again.

If it did rip out (never happened to me with a longshot, but did with a nite finder), yes you could try a larger self tapper or even a helicoil with a socket cap screw.

I would suggest that filling the dead space (see various tutorials) and using suitable plunger padding would reduce the chance of this happening.

This is not actually what I was referring to though.

I was referring to the black plate at the back of the plunger tube, which the springs sit on.

I have seen reports of that breaking.

mull wrote:The back plate concerns me, because the screw holes have a notch in them, severely weakening its holding potential against the screw, when the spring is compressed.
It's only 2 little screws, though the notched holes are holding this piece against the load...

Yes Mull,

Looking at it from an engineering point of view, I wish it was done differently.

Obviously they weren't counting on us doing our thing

I am running a Stock and Triple Shot spring in my LongShot and have re-enforced the back plate with epoxy putty as well as building rests for the back plate on the shell. The screw holes in the back plate are still cracking. That observation as well as feeling the load when cocking my 21kg sprung Triple Shot leaves my quite concerned as to the number of breakages that would occur in a LongShot of that sort of spring load

I haven't had the catch plate break yet, but it will in my LongShot's for sure. It's only a matter of time, but I was assuming that JB weld would fix the issue, as long as it splits, and doesn't tear off.

Cheers,

Yepp, mine broke. After a lot of use. Whatever the crazy spring combo I had, stock, Raider, Recon and old NF, that killed it. Two pieces had snapped off the little screw hole when I opened it up. I would say yes, include it. It can't cost that much more for a little piece like that and it certainly won't hurt.

Cody

My mate made a back plate out of brass after it broke, so it's possible and easy to make a replacement

Mozart wrote:Yepp, mine broke. After a lot of use. Whatever the crazy spring combo I had, stock, Raider, Recon and old NF, that killed it. Two pieces had snapped off the little screw hole when I opened it up. I would say yes, include it. It can't cost that much more for a little piece like that and it certainly won't hurt.

Cody

Mate...

You had 4 springs in it

Clunk, this guys trying to pinch your "extremist of the year" title.

Seriously though,

It seems that while it has happened, it's not widespread and usually do to excessive spring weights.

Only testing will tell if my springs are excessive.

It sort of pushes me back to my idea of offering the 2nd spring separately with some disclaimers.

Hahaa, thanks man. But no, the Longshot spring was the strongest in that combo. Four springs probably didn't even equal a V2 plus stock spring, hah. Maybe slightly more than just a V2.

haha - yeh, it'll take a fair bit to surpass my stock LS, BTV2 and OxyFU spring combination.

I reckon the biggest issue with cracking the back-plate would be not tightening each screw down evenly/over-tightening. It's happened to me a couple of times, and I've just repaired the crack with some JB weld. Haven't had any issues, but none of my personal LS have had more than 1200 rounds through them, which I would imagine isn't that many.

Cheers,

Mine broke a couple of days after a Stock+NF, boltsled reinforced.

clunk07 wrote:haha - yeh, it'll take a fair bit to surpass my stock LS, BTV2 and OxyFU spring combination.

I reckon the biggest issue with cracking the back-plate would be not tightening each screw down evenly/over-tightening. It's happened to me a couple of times, and I've just repaired the crack with some JB weld. Haven't had any issues, but none of my personal LS have had more than 1200 rounds through them, which I would imagine isn't that many.

Cheers,

Yes,

I think that half the battle with screws in Nerf blasters is to make sure that you "follow" the old thread when you screw the self tapper back in, not cut a new thread (therefore weakening and eventually stripping the entire thread).

I should get him to sell these back plates