Who is this guy?

Hello everyone!  Thanks for stumbling upon my blog, the Gratuitous Gas Gun Geek!  This is a project I have been considering for a long time about something I like quite a bit, Gas Blowback Airsoft Replicas.

For those that do not know, a gas gun is an airsoft replica that is designed to use a compressed gas to propel or operate the internal mechanism of an airsoft gun.  This can either be accomplished by two methods, blowback and non blowback.  Non-blowbacks use just the compressed gas to fire, and as a result are much cheaper to produce as they have less parts.  The fun ones in my opinion are the other type, the blowbacks.  Blowback airsoft guns have a slightly unique design which allows them to propel the BB using compressed gas, and cycle the action automatically like real pistols and rifles.  The designs of many are based off a company named Tokyo Marui, an innovator for the airsoft market.

For a long time, airsofters who have joined the sport in the last 5 years have only seen electric guns dominate the market for primary rifles like the M4/M16, AK47, and MP5 just to name a few.  The gas gun has either been seen as a classic rifle (Of which few remain in this category), and the gas pistol.

Up until about three years ago, gas rifles were considered novelties of yester-year and were not often fielded.  They required the operator to carry a tank of compressed air on their back and have a hose lead into the gun.  Many people did not like the bulk and expense.  When pistols became more wide spread, the compressed gas was stored in the magazines.  This meant no external air was needed.  The classic guns slowly became collector's items and electrics dominated.  A well known company in the pistol world for airsoft, Western Arms, decided to hark back to the days of gas rifles but with a new gas delivery system in the magazines.  They have created the now famous and infamous WA gas rifle system.  Originally, these M4 patterned guns started at an expensive $650 with magazines costing over $100 per unit.  This meant most people would need to shell out over $1,000 for a decent load out.  These guns would also be made of plastic in some areas to help reduce cost, so it was not true to it's real steel counterpart.

The reason for this price tag is for the realism.  Many people do not realize how close to the actual function of the real steel M16 these guns are.  When upgrading these guns, many people even choose to use real steel parts!  This could get expensive, and many parts do not fit perfectly.  G&P, a well known AEG and accessory manufacturer, contacted WA (Western Arms) and a deal was made that they would produce high quality parts to supplement and fill a need to upgrade as most users have.  After that, clone companies appeared to jump into the market.  With this surplus of parts, many people have even opted to build guns from scratch.  You can google many of these people, and often they will go into some detail about their parts lists, energy, time, and money spent to make one of these replicas.  Each one is unique for the most part, and is built to the specification of the operator.

This is where I come in, I will not detail my entire life story, nor facts about me that could have people find me but I will tell a short story.  I grew up in a home in the lovely state of Pennsylvania.  I was in the Boy Scouts of America, and have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 2006.  I did not know what I wanted to do with my life in high school, but I knew I wanted to build things.  I was in a competitive creative problem solving program named Odyessy of the Mind, and had my hands in a few neat little things used to make the many parts of this world.  About midway through high school, I discovered I had a natural shooting ability.  I am no sniper, but I can put rounds where I want them to with a little time and training.  So I was just like most kids, I enjoyed video games (who could have guess first person shooters?), and the outdoors.  A friend of mine introduced me to the sport of airsoft and it was like love at first sight.  I couldn't get my hands off of the spring USP style gun my friend owned.  I wanted to master it, and enjoy it more.

A year later, I had a small collection.  My parents wouldn't buy me airsoft guns, so whatever money I had was put towards that.  After owning a CYMA XM8 for a few months, I always looked high for the premium brands.  Once I sold that plastic trash, I bought myself a rifle worth owning, a Classic Army M14 Scout.  I had always liked the M14, and with the shorter barrel it made it fit for an assault role quite well.  I had that rifle for what seemed like a long time, and always dreamed of shelling out $500 on a gun and 'tricking it out' for my needs.

After graduating high school, I entered the Rochester Institute of Technology to study Mechanical Engineering Technology.  I had hardly played airsoft the past year since I wanted to focus on academics.  After meeting someone who to this day I cannot remember their name, I had joined a forum known as the Western New York Airsoft League.  This lead me to a man known as Haggerty.  An eight year veteran of slinging plastic, he had enough of what retailers were doing to customers and opened his own airsoft store.  Those who knew him could now order whatever they needed and a well known person to make sure it went into their hands.

Long story short, I asked him if he ever had seen a WA style rifle.  He proceeded to walk around the back and bring out a full metal, custom build someone had wanted.  I had to have man handled for at least an hour, and could only ask for more.  He then told me, "Oh, I can get you whatever parts and guns you want, man.  It doesn't matter what site they are at, I am here to make my customers happy.  Just give me a list and the money, and I will make you smile."  I couldn't help but grin on the hour long trip back to Rochester from his store.

After a few visits to his shop, I had a burning question I wanted to ask him.  I had heard of someone building WA M4's from parts now widely available.  I wanted to know what his thoughts were.  I believe his words went something like, "Those things are stupid cool."  and "I would be more than happy to buy whatever you have in mind." ; the exact words I wanted to hear.  Being a college student, money was tight.  I couldn't afford this $1,000 project quite yet.  I didn't even know what I wanted it to look like by the end.  I had originally wanted to just buy one.  I would have been happy with a factory built G&P Western Arms Official Custom they had at the time.  Then I stumbled on a youtube video of someone who had three boxes in front of him;  all containing parts to a soon to be built Western Arms M4.  As the video began to close, it showed him with the fully built gun racking the bolt and showing all the tacticool crap he slapped on it.  It was this moment I knew what I wanted to do, scratch build a Western Arms M4.

So a striving mechanical engineer from an average town in PA wants to build one of the most realistic airsoft replicas ever produced.  This is where I mention this blog.  Since I enjoy teaching what I know to others, I created this blog to detail my progress as I build my WA M4.  I know it must have taken awhile to read this wall of text just see "Building WA M4" at the bottom.  Let me just say that this is not something I wanted in the past few months, this has been THREE YEARS in the making.  I have just now begun.  This is a serious undertaking for anyone, and I wanted to make sure that I absolutely without a doubt wanted to do this.  My mind is made up.  My next few posts will be detailing my research and mindset for this project.  Be sure to see check it out!  Post number 2 will be about my parts and goals.  Stay tuned!