I REALLY need help on upgrades....LOTS of questions.

Okay.....Its time to finally admit it....I've been airsofting for four years now, and I've never upgraded a gun. All my guns are stock. My SOC16 and my M1A1 Thompson are in need of an upgrade, especially my Thompson, as it has very low RPM of like 700. I just recently knocked out a large block thing in the back of my Thompson (In the battery compartment) And I have room for maybe a Large type, like a 9.4 battery. (It has a small type 8.4 right now) But im not sure if I should, because while at my locale airsoft shop, the guy Iknow whose been airsofting for about 9 years told me if I got a larger battery, the gun might not hold up, or be to strong for itself or something of the sort, and could break? I don't know how to do it, or where I should go to have it done or anything of the sort. I do however, know where to get the parts, like a M120 spring, etc. But any tips on websites that sell upgrades (ex: M120 spring, better motor, bigger battery) would be aprreciated. Also, I have heard from alot of people that If you upgrade some parts, your gun may not last for as long as its supposed to, or may not even hold up for a couple of months SOOO, any suggestions on how to, where to go, what brands, etc is GREATLY appreciated.....THANKS!!!!

www.mechbox.com....

And first i would do some routine, hi-torque upgrades first.
Like replacing the bushings and shims. Replacing the gears with SYSTEMA or CA hi-torques.

Upgrading is going to cost you time and money. I would only upgrade one gun at a time and i would reccomend selling the guns you rarely use to get the money for parts.

Youtube though unreliable may have some good videos on how to install upgrades. But first look on mechbox.com.

Keep the questions comming, were here.

mechbox.com is a great suggestion Lone Wolf (+ 5 Special Moderator Awesome Job Pat on the Back Points aka SPAJPBPs)

M14... Welcome to the forums as this is the first post of yours I have seen. Also, what do you want the end product of the gun to be. Do you for instance want a gun with insane ROF (rate of fire) or a gun more along the lines of high torque as Lone Wolf described above (higher FPS ratings)?

For accuracy a tight bore barrel is a great solution either way and doesn't require opening the mechbox. It does however require buying better BBs (usually from an online dealer). Also a 9.6v battery will increase the ROF significantly from stock. This will however wear down the gears faster (because you will be going through more rotations then you would have with a 8.4v). I have used 9.6v batteries in my stock Echo 1s for a long long time with no problems. It is just common sense that the more you spin the gears the more likely you are to encounter problems.

Your questions are welcome...

-Roamer

For upgrades i think trinityairsoft.com is a great site. They have many upgrades and lots of great brand names. They are a little costley but you could find it there then do some searching and find it cheaper.

Right off the bat i would go to a Tight bore barrel for greater accuracy if in a AEG i would go with a 6.03, but in a sniper maby a 6.01.
Hope this has helped

The smaller barrels (like the 6.01) might be more frustrating to you right now. I would just stick with the 6.03 that way you wont have to worry about jams as much. What we are talking about here are smaller in diameter (more accurate) barrels to replace your stock barrel with. The 6.01 is obviously smaller and can be a bear for new players seeing how it is easier to jam. Getting a 6.03 tight bore (tight bore = barrel) will help you out a lot without having to worry so much. You will still need precision BBs either way.

One word....systema

No not quite. You can still get the same reliability and performance from products such as CA Hi Torque SA-25 V2MB gear sets, Deep fire 6.03 tb, PPA springs (available in the usa only at AEX), and deep fire spring guides...

You don't really need systema helical gear sets unless your cranking out 30 rps at 500 FPS.
then i would reccomend them. lol.

before I answer your question. May I ask what is your objective? high rof? high fps?, accuracy? If increasing fps, what is your target fps?. an m120 /pdi 170 / sp120 spring would give you a theoreticl fps value of about 375-390fps..