I was watching "King Solomons' Mines" the other day (yes, it's shit but it's got a young and very fit Sharon Stone in it) and the baddie "cannon fodder" were using FN's/SLR's dressed as Lewis guns. They looked ok until you saw the magazine sticking out underneath!
It's most definitely do-able as an airsoft weapon.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
Actually, looking at it closely, the bit I've circled could house a hicap type winder. So, you could have ammo in the drum, dropping into it and fed upwards into a hop unit, so there'd be no need to use a P90 unit, nor modify an existing one. Much simpler I reckon.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
I meant you could make the real magazine into a gravity feed "hopper", so the bb's drop down into the winder via a continuous length extension spring, where they are wound up into another extension spring, straight into the hop unit. A hole in the top of the pan magazine (with a suitable bung) would be where you put the ammo in. With a bit of internal modification on the pan magazine, you could ensure a smooth feed into the winder and it would still work even if you're firing up or downhill.
The beauty of using extension springs is that you can route the feed around things like the barrel and hop.
Excuse my appalling "paint" skills but I've tried to illustrate what I mean...
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
Appauling paint skills aside, that looks a great idea!
I did plan to build one myself once but lost interest, so I've given it some thought in the past. In retrospect, it's a system I should have used in the MG42's I built, because it's so much simpler than modifying hop units.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
You could have the inner part of the pan magazine fixed to the gun and just have the outside part rotate if you really had to do it. Far less weight for a motor to move than a fully loaded magazine and you could wire it directly to the trigger, so it only turns when you fire.
I've never had any real problems with gravity feed (except paintball guns). Using compartments would just complicate it. A good shake of the gun has always worked for me when the feed has slacked off.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
A pin hanging down from the moving part could "stir" the BBs.
Or if the whole hopper moves, a pin or paddle near the hole in the bottom would do a better job.
One advantage of the P90 box is trigger mechanism - the M14s looks like it would get in the way, but the P90s is easily modifyable. Also, as the Lewis was full-auto only, all the selector stuff can be removed, and a simple MOSFET can be used.
Don't use steel for the tube - the originals were aluminium.
BTW, make the front end easily removable so it can be chronoed. 
I think M249, M60 and M14 boxes also have the motor in a compact assembly, rather than the pistol grip format.
I think M249, M60 and M14 boxes also have the motor in a compact assembly, rather than the pistol grip format.
MP40 as well. Then you could use an AK hop unit.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
And stens, mp7's and uzis.
If you need help converting an ak hop to feed from the top, get in touch - it's dead easy.
-Matt
I'm not sure why you can't use an aeg with a motor in the pistol grip, after all the Lewis has a pistol grip I would have thought that virtually any gearbox would do, I've been thinking about doing a Lewis and was considering using a G3 as a doner.
If your trigger isn't attached to the box, you can put it anywhere - it's just a switch after all.
Don't forget, the Lewis was full-auto only, so no selector is needed, and WRT a safety, it was a simple bolt-blocking lever similar to the M1919.
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/crosman-pul ... ifle.shtml
could that be used as a base?
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/crosman-pulse-R75-airsoft-rifle.shtml
could that be used as a base?
Veeeeery interesting...
Though at that price, it's probably not up to much mechanically.
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/crosman-pulse-R75-airsoft-rifle.shtml
could that be used as a base?
Veeeeery interesting...
Though at that price, it's probably not up to much mechanically.
yea thats what i thought too, but maybe the externals are ok, and a new drop in gearbox could fit it? i think i'm gonna give it a try at least seeing as it's so cheap
But for not much more, you can get the Lewis gun kit linked to on the first page. That Crossman thing looks like a real pile of crap to me
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
That Crossman has a gravity fed drum-mag - i.e: a tin with a hole in the bottom, allowing the BBs to just roll into an upturned hop which, because of this type of non forced feed, probably won't have a hop either. It'll be a waste of your money, especially as the mag is nowhere near the dimensions of a Lewis mag.
A Proud Member Of 'Team Spleen!' who play mainly at Gunman Airsoft, Tuddenham, Suffolk.
The real thing is an American 180, a .22 SMG with a huge magazine capacity, apparently intended for riot control in prisons, 
if anyone's interested.
For the lexis mag, how about using something like a bisuit tin as a base? Fit internals, and liberally cover in rivets and metal sheeting and it could look quite good, in addition to the other benefits of using a biscuit tin.
-Matt
