Body Parts Vector Optics

hile light, twists and squeaks. By choosing the right body you can also increase the durability of your gun in case of, for example, falling on the ground. 

 Our tip: 
For example, with AR15 type guns, it is not good to combine Lower and Upper from different manufacturers, even though we may think that the body as a whole fits and can be put together, yet the final product may have a problem with power or feeding, for example, due to a bad "axis".

In general for all guns, the body houses all the necessary components for the proper functioning of the whole assembly, from the outer barrel to the mechabox, to the stock and many small parts that are important for the operation of the replica.

AR15 body

All AR15 type rifles (M4, Mk18, SR25) have a few things that are only found on these rifles, namely the upper, lower and delta ring.

The upper is the part of the gun where the delta ring is used to install the outer barrel. The delta ring, or also the forearm nut, can be thought of as a really big nut that is most often cylindrical in shape, with a thread on the inside that screws onto the upper and through which the barrel passes. This nut, when tightened, fixes the outer barrel to the upper. On the outside, the Delta ring may then have various threaded holes for mounting the fore-end.
Lower is the part where we insert the mechabox together with the stock tube and the handguard. This is also where you will find most of the small parts such as the magazine catch, firing switch, etc. As written above, it is not recommended to combine uppers and lowers from different manufacturers.

AK bodies

In the AK series guns, you won't find an upper and a lower as you do in the AR15, but there is the body itself and the bolt cover. The body itself is nowadays most often made of steel or alloy. Plastic bodies can still be found today, for example in the 028 from Cyma.  
The breech cover protects the top of the mechabox and the battery from the environment. Most often it is a piece of moulded sheet metal. But as with the ar 15, there are different "tuning" variants. These are most often characterized by the addition of a RIS rail, thanks to which we can mount any collimator on the cover and thus make aiming easier. These RIS breech covers can also be found in our offer. In some cases, however, it is necessary to have a modified or disassembled sight for proper installation of such a modified cover.
On AK-type weapons, the outer barrel is attached in several ways. One can find attachment via tapping pins but also screws or Allen screws. This situation arises because of the different type of replica bodies. For some we encounter fixing via screws (often these are cheaper variants of guns), for others we encounter fixing via a single pin (most often in AKSU type guns). When buying different fore-ends the barrel fixing can be again slightly different.

Machine gun bodies 

The M249, PKM and other machine guns most often have bodies made of metal, and as with the AK, there are bodies made of steel. This makes these types of weapons heavy to carry. But as the saying goes, the exception proves the rule, and so Specna arms has come up with the SA-249 PARA CORE, which is made of solid ABS plastic, making it much lighter in weight and therefore more comfortable to carry in the hands.

Interesting info: The CORE series of guns from Specna Arms features lightweight plastic bodies.

WHAT MATERIALS ARE THE BODIES MADE OF? 

In the past, the bodies were most often made of the aforementioned plastic or ABS (for example, the notorious Cyma 028), today we most often see metal alloy, this material is strong but at the same time fragile. We can also find steel bodies, especially in AK replicas (for example LCT or E&L) Among the best but also the most expensive are CNC machined duralumin bodies, where we can choose not only from different shapes but also colours.
In the following lines we will explain the different materials and manufacturing technologies used for the production of airsoft guns.

Plastic

This material is characterized by low production costs and also low weight. In the past, ABS-type plastics were used, but nowadays we mainly encounter plastics that have been improved in various ways, for example with fibreglass, to achieve greater strength without increasing the weight of the weapon. The big disadvantage of plastics is their fragility and in the event of damage or wear due to the action of other parts of the weapon or repeated servicing, there is a risk that individual parts may not fit together properly.
Nowadays we can see plastic weapons most often in gas guns, as in the case of pistols it is for example a copy of the Glock, in the case of submachine guns as a representative we can name the mp5, g36 or mp7. Today we can also find light machine guns that are made of very strong plastic, such as the aforementioned SA-249 PARA CORE from Specna Arms.

Metal alloy

Probably the most used material in airsoft guns today. It has much more strength than plastic, so it is suitable for laser engraving, for example. This type of material is found in various airsoft guns, both in the basic and the highest editions.
They are produced by pouring a hot metal mixture into a mould, followed by cooling of the product. It is this process that can lead to various inaccuracies in production. So it can happen that the gun will have more or less clearance. Therefore, additional machining is often done afterwards to remove the unevenness. The final products are flatter, smoother and the clearances between the parts are reduced due to the additional machining.

Dural bodies

These bodies are nowadays among the absolute top in terms of quality. The price of these bodies may be higher, but for the price you get extremely strong bodies that are extremely light. Unlike metal alloys, the production of these bodies is not done by casting, but by milling on precision CNC machines from a single piece of material. The most commonly used types of duralumin are T6 6061 and T6 7075. These materials are also used in edged firearms, which shows their quality. Today we encounter different colour variants, where their colouring is most often done by anodizing. Thanks to this process, we obtain different colour variations, increased protection against corrosion and scratches.

What is CNC machining? 

CNC machining is one of the most versatile and precise manufacturing processes available today. CNC - "Computer Numerical Control" machining uses computer software to move machine tools and tools across the surface of the materials being machined. This process is compatible with a variety of materials, with aluminum or steel being among the most popular materials in airsoft. This process results in premium high-precision machined parts from triggers, to mechaboxes, to bodies.

DO THE BODIES HAVE ANY SPECIAL FEATURES?

Today's bodies have a variety of useful features such as quick spring removal (QD), which, in conjunction with a mechabox of the same function, allows us to quickly change the spring without removing the mechabox from the gun body. This feature is most commonly encountered on AR15-type weapons other than machine guns. This mechanism can be found on the part of the body where the stock tube is screwed onto and then screwed on. In the first versions, for example in the CORE and FLEX Series, from Specna Arms, to replace the spring it was necessary, as in the case of replacing the entire mechabox, to unscrew the stock bolt, remove the tube and, only then, to replace the spring. The new systems, which can be found on the EDGE 2.0 and Prime series also from Specna Arms, already come with a modified tube, where to change the tube, it is enough to loosen the tube lock nut and then rotate the tube and then pull it out. Underneath, we get a special variant of the spring mandrel that behaves just like the classic spring mandrel and stock bolt. This mandrel must be unscrewed and then we can replace the existing spring with a new spring. However, this system can also be found in other manufacturers such as Cyma, E&L or Delta Armory. 

On AKs, with few exceptions, it will usually be necessary to lift the mechabox off the body to replace the spring by unscrewing the screw from the underside of the grip, unscrewing the firing switch screw, and in some cases removing the plastic cover under the bolt cover. Then you should be able to move the mechabox and lift it up so that the arbor and spring can be unscrewed. After replacement, the replica has to be put back together. For machine guns such as the M249 and PKM, the spring can be replaced with the mechabox in the body. 

In our offer you can find complete bodies as well as individual body parts for replacement in case a part gets damaged or you want to visually modify the weapon.

WHAT ABOUT SOME TUNING ACCESSORIES FOR THE BODIES ?

Of course, we also have different types of breech covers for guns, most often AKs. They are available for models of the AKM/AK74 series or also the popular AK74u. Most of them boast a RIS rail that will make installation of any collimator comfortable. We must point out that in order to install these covers, you will most likely need to remove the visor from your gun. If you are not confident in this step, we recommend entrusting your gun to our service department.