8.4v mini definitely doesn't fit on the length (width is OK)
what about a six cell 7.2v mini? how much depth is there behind the gearbox? would I have to build a custom 6 cell triple stick?
"Major Bernard Himmler, does the name mean anything to you?"
There is NO chance of fitting a Nicad or Nimh in there in any configuration, even the lipo doesn't leave much room to spare. The exploding lipo thing has been blown out of all proportion, so don't get too hung up about it.
The King Arms midcaps AND the AGM locaps fit perfectly.
There is no real chance of the barrel rotating, as it's al held in a solid aluminium block (with cutouts for the feed) and a spring holds it under pressure. You could mill out the block to accept a "normal" hop unit but that then means you have to modify said hop unit to feed from the side, so it's still not a perfect solution and a lot more work.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
Any idea what rating the supplied (anonymous and unmarked) battery is?
It must be 7.4v of course (which explains the nice low ROF) and it's around 34mm x 13mm x 67mm
The nearest Component Shop one in that length is 1300mAh but its 36.2mm x 17mm and that might be a tight fit - the next smallest is quite a drop in capacity, 850mAh but would definitely fit.
The original blurb said it was 1500mah but I reckon it's 1200/1300 because of the dimensions. I've been doing a lot of searching for Lipos today and trying to find suitable ones has been quite a challenge as they are primarily designed for r/c applications where 11.1 volts seems to be the preferred size, useless to us of course, as that kind of power would soon wreck our gearboxes. You also need to look at the discharge rates of prospective batteries, as a 1300mah 20C battery has a higher output than a 1500mah 15C battery! All very confusing and battery theory was never my strong point!
To be honest 850mah is probably ok, remember when the only "mini" nicads and nimhs were only 600mah? Even they were good for over 1000 shots.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
Oh dear, and I was relying on you Pete!
Forgot to say - the wiring on the gun's battery fly lead was shocking (well potentially!). Both wire were showing unshielded wire and were a quarter of a mm from shorting each other (or touching a metal gun part). A quick bodge with insulating tape did a temporary job but I will be replacing this and the battery end with proper connectors - Deans would probably be better space-wise.
Sorry to be a bit of a letdown! I'll do some more research on this new technology/witchcraft tomorrow. R/C websites seem to be the best source of information. I think I'll order a couple of different capacity batteries, as well as a charging bag and a voltage alarm while I'm at it and report back on my findings when I get them.
After seeing how crap your connectors were C-W, I was worried about mine and examined them closely but they were fine. I think "quality control" is a phrase which doesn't exist in China. Also, my battery appears to be fully charged out of the box as well!
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
the charging was me i checked all the stens before they went out .. as for the wiring it was rubbish i had to totaly re connect YIths . i would chainge conectors to tamya as there solid . glad u like them boys and girls i was expecting a few minor problems but the hop blew me away maby they were going for realism . 
. i will send a email to viva saying our concerns an trying to get a 43 out of them 
. .
now to somthing else has any one heard about a Enfield Revolver Mk II maby im getting my leg pulled but a little birdy says theres one out there or coming out ,i would love to know i you have heard anything ..
cheers jamie
ps i checed tanaka and its not them ..
George Washington:
There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet the enemy.
nice reply from viva
Hello Jamie
We are so glad to receive your message. Thank you for your order. Now ,let me answer your questionsJ
1. 1.About the hop, at first we test our production, and feel it’s work well without hop adjust. But now, we think it is necessary to have this part. So we are preparing to correct this part.. we will add this function to the following STEN. If buyers who had bought from you ,can get the new part for free. After we finished it ,I will inform you. then you can give them. say sorry to themJ
2. 2.The price. Cause we don’t use foundrye to produce the toys, it is CNC(machine work), so the producing cost is high. But we will try to improve our producing technology ,reduce the cost, The second reason is we spend amount of time to develop this production. We don’t like another producers, buy the sample, then just copy it. The time also is the cost. Can you understand? But we still want to produce some rare special and suitable price productions, give us some time to realize itJ
yes 3.yes,certainly! We are developing and researching another WWII productions now. we have a strong creative team ,they main work is develping new production ,drawing and testing….can you do me a favor? Gather some information and tell us what kind of airsoft gun yourdream? Or what is the most favorite gun in British? What gun you want to get at once? we will consider it carefully, maybe can do it. By the way, we also do some accessories.. like scope and mount.
Thank you very much ,Jamie, you give us the chance to communicate with end-customers. thank you for your supporting!
Phoebe(sales manager)
George Washington:
There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet the enemy.
Nice one Jamie!
1. Exactly the response a manufacturer who cares about its customers should make and corrects the negative PR - great!
2. Everyone needs to maximise their return on investment, be it tooling or R&D - no reason why the Chinese should be any different. I personally have no problem with this - although its true to say every purchaser would prefer a lower price!
3. 
An airsoft manufacturer who actually asks for and takes notice of what people actually want? 
Awesome stuff, thanks Jamie... I look forward to seeing what they come up with in regards to a new hop unit.
Back to the Sten, I've just ordered a couple of these http://flypo.co.uk/product_info.php?cPa ... ucts_id=43, they seem well priced, the right size and of a decent capacity. Also ordered the charging bag while I was at it. Also ordered some jst connectors of Ebay, from here http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JST-Connector-Plu ... 634.c0.m14. Can anyone confirm it's ok to use a shave adaptor on the supplied charger? Or is it worth getting a different adaptor?
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
Back to the Sten, I've just ordered a couple of these http://flypo.co.uk/product_info.php?cPa ... ucts_id=43, they seem well priced, the right size and of a decent capacity. Also ordered the charging bag while I was at it. Also ordered some jst connectors of Ebay, from here http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JST-Connector-Plu ... 634.c0.m14.
Please keep us posted on these... I could do with some extras like this myself.
Can anyone confirm it's ok to use a shave adaptor on the supplied charger? Or is it worth getting a different adaptor?
I successfully used the shaver socket in my bathroom to charge my batteries.
The batteries have turned up, very impressed with the speed of postage! Comparing one to the battery supplied with the Sten, they are virtually identical.
Edit - just noticed, the battery in the photo is 740mah! The other one I received IS 1000mah and identical in size to the Viva one.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
I re-charged my VIVA supplied battery yesterday - it took about an hour and not the slightest bit of warmth to the battery at all, unlike NiMh. Put your ear to the balancer thingy and it makes all sorts of clicks and buzzes as it does it's work of ... errr.. balancing.
Had a look for Sten bandoliers today - £50!! Bugger that, the mags can go in regular pouches!
Bugger that, the mags can go in regular pouches!
Ah, but will they be that teeny bit too long for the pouches to close properly?
Had a look for Sten bandoliers today - £50!! Bugger that, the mags can go in regular pouches!
There are some around at £35. I got one for that much at a militaria fair. I don't know of a mail order dealer that does them.
The batteries have turned up, very impressed with the speed of postage! Comparing one to the battery supplied with the Sten, they are virtually identical.
Edit - just noticed, the battery in the photo is 740mah! The other one I received IS 1000mah and identical in size to the Viva one.
Okay... so these are the ones we should get then?
http://flypo.co.uk/product_info.php?cPa ... ucts_id=43
Well, they certainly fit and have a decent capacity. Also, they are an almost identical size to the Viva supplied one. I also bought their charging bag at the same time AND they offer a 5% discount when you order 2 or more items.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
So it all sounds pretty good then! I guess I'll put an order in! 
done... 1x battery and 1x battery charging bag...
Now I need some connectors...
done...