Tm hi-capa 5.1 to race gun help needed

[Tactical Elite]

Hi there, having problems here, have a tm hi capa 5.1, wanted to mod into a race gun. purchased some parts but they all dont seem to fit. Pls help anyone whos expert at this issues or a IPSC/CAPS members. Greatly appreciated.

purchased a LIMCAT slide with compensator,
HYBRID CAL .45 outer barrel Comp ready, also a Shooters Design Comp ready barrel.

I want to know is why they are having hard time fitting? all parts are placed to where its ment to be, but as for the Hybrid barrel, when tried to pull slide, it just gets stuck and won't slide back to place. slide seems grinding the chassis or something internal.
And when tried fitting the SD barrel, hopup system is well loose and nat able to latch on to the outter barrel, meaning when i hold outer barrel with hopup system facing downwards the hopup system falls off. But whatever thats besides the question.

I'm seriously having issues here, slide is brand new, and seems like its grinding the chassis, all internals like outer barrel not working well with the slide either, DO I HAVE TO CHANGE THE CHASSIS TOO? All top and internals are upgraded, except the lower frame chassis is original TM. Also the slide catch is original parts, So it doesnt catch at all.

PLS help if anyone has any idea what im talking about. Thanks.

[Kos-Mos]

That is normal, and that is the reason most people pay premium to have someone build the pistol.

Custom works is not LEGO. You will have a lot of fitting to do and it will take very long. If you don't take your time, your gun will be loose from everywhere and probably will shoot like shit.

Check Illusion's thread. He explains everything that needs to be done.

Also, you should have stick to the same brand for all your parts. That cause extra issues when assembling.

[Tactical Elite]

'So to say i'll need to have all parts customed fitted. Its kinda ironic that it's no more a TM pistol , and pointless to find TM parts. So you think i should just stay with one brand parts and not mix match> Or better yet pay arm leg for a pro to build.

Do the internal of the slide require grinding or sand down where the groves of the barrel alligns? cause thats what i think its a problem and original parts of TM don't mix with other brand parts. Slide needs sanding too?
Thanks for your replay. Greatly appreciated.

[HKGhost]

when you buy brand A and try to fit it to brand B, they don't always fit perfectly like you would want. If you stick with one brand, you might get a better chance for fitment. But, you might still need sanding or filing for a perfect fit.

[Kos-Mos]

Rails usually need fitting. Use a precision file, not sanding paper. You need to adjust the rails very precisely and evenly.

For the barrel, it depends each brand. Usually no, but I can't know for sure.

I am not even doing that kind of mods on my pistol. But I build AEGs from spare parts and ground up. People like Illusion are really, really good at it, and the price they charge is way worth it.

[Tactical Elite]

So i guess regardless any mod parts will need fitting, and as for the original parts meaning it needs replaced too. basically leave the original and build all with one brand. For example, all freedom art or Nova.
Filling is required i guess. Would want to try as much as i can to build my own. Will never learn if always given to a pro. Start from scratch and learn from mistakes.

Any tips from what is the best use of parts to properly fit with minor filling?
So if im using a LIMCAT 2tone slide with a shooters design outter barrel with compensator. What would be the right or preferred lower frame chassis for the snug fit? slide catch pin needs replacing too right to fit new slide>

Thanks you guys greatly appreciate the help.

[ILLusion]

It helps if you identify the brand of ALL the parts you're using. You've indicated the outer barrel is Shooters Design. I would assume the compensator is as well, as most compensator/barrel sets use proprietary fittings.

What brand is the slide?

When doing fitment, you should do one section at a time. If you slap everything together in one go, it's almost guaranteed to have problems the moment you start firing. Unfortunately, not everybody follows standards, seeing as how Tokyo Marui's blueprint schematics for the production of their parts is a trade secret. Dimensions and tolerances are not openly available to aftermarket manufacturers, and thus, many products are based on parts that have a set of tolerances already set. When you introduce a third party's set of manufacturing tolerances, you get what is called "tolerance stacking", which can result in two wildly incompatible parts.

Mix different brands, and you will end up compounding this problem, particularly if one brand creates a change to one dimension in order to fix a problem while another brand does not do the same change.


Ultimately, it is almost always possible to get brand A to work with brand B, but the amount of work required will differ, depending on the specific brands in question.

If you want the least amount of work, it is almost always recommended to keep with the same brand.

Even I do not hide the fact that my own brand of products will fit with all other brands.


The first thing you should do when fitting a slide is to run the slide on the frame, with NOTHING installed in the slide. Just the bare slide. Run it along the lower frame and check movement on the rails. That would be the first place to look for problems between the slide and the frame. Generally, this is not where fitment problems are. On occasion, a bit of fitment may be required between the slide and frame, but generally, fitment problems are between the slide and chamber/barrel.

[Tactical Elite]

Thank you very much illusion, I've actually tried little fitment with the slide. Yes you are correct it's both same brand Slide is a SD Limcat 2 tone. It's probably my stupidity that ive purchased a different barrel off someone which is not the same brand and also it was mod to fit the other pistol. I've finally able to fit the slide and the base without any problem.
But to turn it to a race gun , i think i still have a lot to go in order to make it and open gun.
Whats your expertiest illusion? Whats the cost to get right fitment, Thanks

[ILLusion]

Originally Posted by Tactical Elite

It's probably my stupidity that ive purchased a different barrel off someone which is not the same brand and also it was mod to fit the other pistol.

I'm confused now, because you'd previously said that the outer barrel was Shooters Design, but now you're saying it's a different brand.

Originally Posted by Tactical Elite

Whats your expertiest illusion? Whats the cost to get right fitment, Thanks

I can not give you a quote/estimate without having the items in my hands, or at the very least, knowing what brand the outer barrel is. I can't guess at what the problems would be. I really need to see how they are interacting in front of me before I could tell you that.

If there is some error in what you're stating, and both the slide and barrel are Shooters Design, then it shouldn't be hard nor expensive to fix. But I'd still need to see what type of mechanical interaction is going on before I could suggest a fix, as you haven't indicated specifically what is happening or not happening. Without experience, it's hard to know what you should be looking for. There could something be very simple that's being overlooked here, but without seeing how you're installing things via photo/video, it's hard to tell what's going on.

My labor rates are listed in my sales thread:
http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthread.php?t=495

[Shirley]

Haaaaaaa.... It depends how much you want to spend and if you're really going to compete.

My gun done all out was about $2000 with a real C-more since I first started with a TM Hi-capa. I haven't even upgraded my mags..

If you're going to compete and use it for practical shooting, you need quality parts for an open gun. Mags too.

[ILLusion]

Well, I wouldn't say you *HAVE* to get top of the line parts. Norrie's closing in on kicking your butt, and he's still running with an all plastic setup. LOL.

[Tactical Elite]

Sorry for the confusion Illusion, I have a SD barrel and also one brought off someone else which is Freedom Art but it has some grindage on it. Thats why it doesn't fit proper (my mistake of pruchase). But regardless of that,

the problem is the slide catch pin is thicker than the slide, and wouldn't catch, and the slide catch pin seems thicker when tried to fit it back to the hole. Tried to put the original rear site back on the slide, but nothing fits, Do i need to use a different one? Fitment required?


Would want a scope mount without drilling. I know of ASurgeon but all sold out.
The trigger reaction pin or what they are called( looks like 3 prongs fits where the hammer spring lies on) How to make it react faster as to trigger pull. Quicker response>
I'm in Markham 16th> Pretty much close to u.

Overall. I just want something to start off with, even thou i know i'm going ahead of myself.

Mr Hitman - Yes i've seen your pistols, they are a work of art. I know it's gonna cost alot but would like to start bit by bit. Would like to compete and get into the CAPS game .Unfortunally nothing has came up yet, and i don't know when to go for sessions and games, IPSC only. All i know it's at TTAC. Don't know where to get started.

Thanks you guys for your time and help. Great respect Illusion.

[ILLusion]

What is this slide catch that you're using? If it's stock, there should be no reason why it wouldn't fit the hole in the hop up chamber.

The original rear sight *should* fit... I can't tell you where to fix if you're not identifying the specific areas that aren't fitting. There are a number of areas that *may* require fitment when it comes to Shooters Design slides and the rear sight.

Regarding no drill scope mounts, there aren't many left available. I'm only aware of drill in mounts at this point. Most drill-less mounts are sold out everywhere.

The "sear spring" or also called the "leaf spring" (what you're calling the "trigger reaction pin"), if you want to make the trigger react faster, you'll need to identify what actions you want to increase speed.

There are two major characteristics responsible for trigger response: Trigger Pull Length, and Trigger Weight.
This can be further broken down in to six minor characteristics that combine together to affect the two major characteristics above, and each of these minor characteristics need to be looked at in order to understand how to speed up trigger response time:

1) Pre-pull take up: This refers to the distance you need to pull the trigger before you get to the release stage that will cause the sear to disconnect from the hammer hooks. This is not adjusted via the leaf spring, but rather, by pulling back the distance of the trigger stirrup either by adding material to the front of it, or by adding material to the back of it where the sear disconnect lever contacts. In essence, you want to remove as much of the initial take up as you can from the trigger pull. Some shooters prefer to have it there, I do not. To me, it's wasted pull distance, but that's me. Individual shooters have individual preferences. Many shooters like to keep the take up there as a safety feature to prevent accidental discharge, as the second stage of pulling the trigger means you are releasing the sear from the hammer hooks. There is a balance on how much to take up. Too much, and the sear may not safely engage the hammer (resulting in unintentional full auto fire), OR, the sear disconnect lever won't have enough room to do its job.

2) Trigger pull backslop: This refers to the distance the trigger is allowed to continue pulling after the hammer hooks break from the sear. This is generally done via adjustable triggers that have a set screw in them. By lengthening this screw in to the pistol grip, it restricts how far back the trigger can be pulled. Too little, and there will be a lot of travel after the hammer breaks. Too much, and you won't be able to break the hammer. Again, the point is to remove unnecessary trigger travel distance.

3) Stage-2 Pull: This refers to the second stage of the pull on pistols like this. This is the definitive action that causes the sear to move and allow the hammer to break free. Only highly experienced 'smiths should be altering the stage of this pull, as an incorrectly angled hook can cause a very dangerous pistol that may result in accidental discharges from something as simple as bumping the pistol, dropping it, or it can even result in unintentional full auto fire. A hook that has been shortened too much can also do this if the angles are not correct. I won't go in to detail on how this is done, as I don't want people to start messing around with guns and making them unsafe. But if you understand what I'm saying thus far, then you should have the knowledge to change this characteristic.

Combined together, the above three minor characteristics will affect the length of the overall trigger pull. Experienced 'smiths can create a trigger pull that is less than 1mm in length. That'd be like tapping on an electronic switch.


4) Contact friction: This refers to the amount of friction between all moving parts responsible for the release of the hammer when a trigger is pulled. Experienced smiths can go further and polish all contact surfaces, such as the sear, hook, disconnect lever, trigger stirrup, trigger, and even grip area where the trigger/stirrup contacts. The smoother the surfaces that move against each other, the less effort, energy, and thus; weight will be required to pull the trigger.

5) Trigger reset time: This refers to how fast the trigger springs back forward when you release weight on it. This is affected by the RIGHT most prong of the leaf spring. The further forward you have this prong, the faster the trigger will reset to the original condition. However, pushing it forward with greater weight will also mean an increased trigger pull weight. It is up to the tuner/'smith/shooter to decide where your balance is with this. If all movement points are extremely smooth and parts move effortlessly, not much weight will be needed to push the trigger back to reset.

6) Sear reset time: This refers to how fast the sear is able to safely and reliably catch the hammer when the slide blows back to cycle the next round. The shorter the hammer hooks are made, the faster and stiffer a sear must engage the hammer to avoid any accidental discharge. This is adjusted via the MIDDLE prong of the leaf spring. Bending it forward will increase the speed and tension the sear will engage the hammer hooks. However, pushing it forward with greater weight will also mean an increased trigger pull weight, as more effort will be required to break the sear clean. It is up to the tuner/'smith/shooter to decide where your balance is with this. If all movement points are extremely smooth and parts move effortlessly, not much weight will be needed to push the sear to engage the hammer hooks.

Combined together, the above three minor characteristics will affect the weight of the overall trigger pull. Experienced 'smiths can create a trigger pull that requires less than half a pound to break the hammer. Many 'smiths prefer not to make triggers this light, and you will almost NEVER find a duty/carry pistol with a trigger pull this light for safety reasons. This is dangerous, and should only be done by experienced 'smiths. Most duty pistols have a factory setting that is 4 pounds or heavier. Airsoft is significantly lighter than that.


Whenever doing any hammer work, PLEASE test fire many times WITHOUT ammunition loaded to ensure safety. The last thing I need is people accidentally discharging in safe zones because I put up information on how to make their gun "race ready." If anything, it could get you disqualified from a match quickly, if you do this type of work haphazardly.

[Tactical Elite]

Thanks Illusion, very useful information, But it looks like its ment for real IPSC pistols. But regardless, i do appreciate the helpful info.

And as for the slide catch its original Tm. It could possisibly be the hop up unit, as it's from KJworks, why i used it because it give a slight spacing from the guiding rod and that stops the friction of the outer barrel and slide. Hard to explain unless u see it.

The rear site i used is the original, Would not fit the SD slide.
Parts i have : SD Limcat slide, SD Outer barrel comp ready, SD recoil spring and Hammer spring, SD Nozzle valve, PDI 7" inner barrel. Thats all i have on the TM 5.1

Other than those, all are original. Even the blowback unit. And i guess drill mount is needed than. Since all non drill is sold out.
As regardless of those issues, i sure dont know what else i need to change in order to have a starter open pistol.

Thanks again for the help.

[ILLusion]

Originally Posted by Tactical Elite

Thanks Illusion, very useful information, But it looks like its ment for real IPSC pistols. But regardless, i do appreciate the helpful info.

Actually, it applies just as equally to airsoft. Basic functioning of parts between real steel and airsoft 1911's/2011's is not that different, as long as you understand the basic concepts and purpose of each component.

Originally Posted by Tactical Elite

As regardless of those issues, i sure dont know what else i need to change in order to have a starter open pistol.

As far as equipment is concerned, you don't have size restrictions, so I'd also add on a flared magwell. And if you want/need it, an extended mag catch button and thumb rest as well, but that's up to personal preference. You should also be saving up some money to get a proper rig to holster the gun and all your magazines. Real steel race rigs are not cheap and start at around $400 for a full rig. This includes the outer belt, inner belt, holster, and three mag pouches.

There are much cheaper airsoft replicas available, but you do get what you pay for. There may be some reviews available around here that explain their weaknesses. My experiences with them are limited.