*READ FIRST* Daytona Gun (DGA) IntroductionUpdated 3 months ago
(Don't defend past actions; what is right today may be wrong tomorrow. Don't be consistent; consistency is the refuge of fools. - Adm. Rickover)
DISCLAIMER: Reading through this FAQ will likely answer many of the questions that you majorly have regarding this platform. However, it may not answer all of them and the answers may change as the collective gains more experience with the platform. What works best for other people may not work the best for you and what works best for you may not work the best for other people. Show humility and try to use your best judgement. There’s always somebody smarter, faster, more experienced, and better than you out there.
The Daytona Airsoft kit is to convert a GBBR or AEG rifle to an HPA powered recoil system and let you use AEG mags.No more green gas/co2 cool down.
Basic setup and purchasing
A basic setup consists of the following Items:
- Daytona Gun kit
- A correct donor body for kit (supported model list)
- High refresh rate regulator & air line
- HPA or CO2 tank
What kind of tank should I get?
If you have easy access to 4500 PSI fills, get a 4500 PSI carbon fibre tank as it provides much more shots per bottle than a 3000 PSI bottle of the same capacity. Also, they tend to be much lighter as they are carbon fibre or fibreglass-wrapped aluminum rather than just thick aluminum.
Can I use CO2?
Yes, if the CO2 supply is food grade. However, it is recommended that you stick with HPA. Just be aware that you'll experience cooldown after a while and you need to clean the gun more often. Also, keep the CO2 tank upright while firing, so you don't get liquid past the reg or hoses otherwise stuff will break.
Can I use an SLP tank?
Definitely not recommended. SLP (super low pressure) tanks do not offer enough airflow for a DG. Some heavy bolt DGs will suffer inconsistent full auto with low airflow and performance will be affected.
Note: Airflow and pressure are not the same things. They affect each other but are not the same.
Choices of HPA regulator?
Redline SFR and Mini-SFR regulators are highly recommended. Use the ones with a single QD fitting on the line for the best possible performance (maximize the airflow rate). Polarstar MRS and Wolverine Storm can work too. Full auto fire may be affected since they do not provide as high flow rate as the Redline regulators.
Air efficiency?
It is largely determined by the PSI you are running. A very rough estimate for shots per tank is (Max PSI of tank x CI of the tank) divided by your set PSI.
Typically, you can get around 1000 - 1300 shots from a 48/3000 aluminum tank when you run your gun at 110 psi. Some models like Scar-H, FAL or HK417 which have heavier bolt carriers will have reduced shot counts. Full auto will drain more air than semi. Expect LMG models to consume a lot of air. 88/4500, 90/4500 and 100/4500 carbon fibre tanks are highly recommended.
Hopup and Barrels
Plunger spring mod (required for rhop mod and Reap hopup rubber).
Improved flatten hopup rubber is required for rhop mod.
Daytona Guns use standard AEG inner barrels. 6.03mm - 6.08mm diameter inner barrels are recommended. Use brass or steel inner barrels. Aluminum inner barrels can be bent from the pressure points pushed by set screws.
An inner barrel with an ID smaller than 6.03mm is not recommended, simply due to less tolerance on dirt or lube.
*PDI 6.05mm- 6.08mm ID Steel barrels are highly recommended*
*Rhop is recommended for semi-automatic fire. For best performance on full-auto, please stick to standard hopup rubber*
How can I adjust muzzle velocity (FPS output)?
Most DG kits can be operated within 80 - 150 PSI. Turn pressure up/down on your regulator to adjust the velocity.vHighest Operating Pressure is 150 PSI but it will void warranty. USE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Most kits will shoot 400 fps with 0.2g BB at 100 - 120 PSI of air pressure. Widebore and/or short barrels will reduce output power.
Lower operating air pressure can be achieved by cutting coils off recoil spring (not more than 5 coils). A weaker recoil spring results in lower ROF and higher felt recoil (you feel the kick on the back travel, weaker spring has less braking/slowing down on the bolt carrier). It also reduces the needed psi to cycle.
Low Power airshaft (sub 1J @ 110 PSI, equalized to sub 320FPS w/ 0.2g BB) helps achieving lower power while maintaining same recoil level. May be necessary to satisfy certain FPS/Joule requirements.
https://www.daytonagunairsoft.com/collections/upgrades-components
What’s the recoil like? Is it more than a GBBR?
Daytona Systems in general provide more recoil than most GBBRs/airsoft guns. The DG Scar-H, L85 and FAL/SA58 have the HEAVIEST muzzle climb.
DG HK417 and SR-25 with 4 coils off recoil spring have the most FELT recoil according to users.
https://youtu.be/zNrWwjRjPwQ?t=1075
Performance
Kinetic Energy Airsoft works achieved 240 – 250 ft range with very consistent grouping with a DG m4 kit dropped into Viper tech body.
Consistency wise, like most HPA airsoft products on market, variance is usually controllable.
A correctly installed and tuned Daytona Gun's performance will be more or less in line with AEG or other HPA systems. However, performance will be affected on full auto (recoil index) and by poor tuning / installation / maintenance.
**Clean installation and fine-tuning is the key**
Reliability
With a reinforced shaft spring, reinforced airshaft and POM crush ring, the system is a lot more durable than it used to be back in its early infancy. O rings, shaft springs & crush rings are still considered as wear & tear parts but now come with a much longer lifespan than ones on old DG kits. This is like a piston or o-ring in an AEG, or nozzles and trigger sears on a GBB. They are designed to break first to save other critical parts.
Bolt carriers are reshaped for bolt tanks to not destroy the top screw (i.e. M249 kit with U-shape groove to prevent the top screw from being eaten up). This is providing that all screws have been securely tightened (loctite required).
Stress test with 180 psi on full auto (50% overcharged pressure, NOT recommended, demo purposes only):
Maintenance?
Lube your gun. Lube the bolt and rack it, and the lube will work its way in. Don't be cheap and underlube. LUBE YOUR GUN. GetSome 1000 series lubes are great options; use another option and you do so at your own risk. A general rule of thumb would be to use lube that will be rubber and silicone safe, while designed for metal on metal contact.
Take care of your gun, obviously. Conduct the proper routine maintenance as if it were a real firearm or GBBR. You can’t just “set it and forget it” like you could to an AEG or other HPA engines. However, if you conduct the proper maintenance, your setup will last you a long, long time. Lube your gun.
Overhopped Airsoft has a great video to demonstrate DG maintenance:
Warranty & skills required?
DG Kits nowadays have excellent quality control to keep achieve a high level of consistency, both out of the factory and in-house in the distributor’s workshop. They also come with 180 days major parts warranty to ensure peace of mind.
DG kits are a heavily mechanically inclined system, and although kits have improved to become more user-friendly they still require some level of skill to do it properly compared to other HPA engines.
Warranty: https://daytonagunairsoft.com/pages/warranty-return-shipping
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Summary:
This system is heavily skill inclined and requires patience and a bit of problem-solving to tune it properly, and to get it right. Despite that however, more improvements are always on the way to aid the system to be more user-friendly and achieve a higher threshold of error forgiveness.
If you feel like this is too much of a DIY, getting Daytona guns installed or pre-built at authorized dealers or Daytona Airsoft themselves is a great idea.
Community suggestion/feedback
Constructive criticism is welcome. However, feedback/suggestions/criticism with a scientific explanation, practical proof, or experimental data is preferred and appreciated.