WE M4 - Stock Air Nozzle or Metal?

[Bar1975]

I picked up a second hand WE M4 and the air nozzle was busted. (Broken teeth in the front end of nozzle).

I replaced it about 2 weeks ago and have only plinked around in the backyard with the gun. The damm new nozzle broke today!!

That's 2 nozzles now on this gun..

should i buy a 3rd oem plastic nozzle or finally upgrade to the metal nozzle and hop up unit?

i don't plan to replace those plastic nozzles every 20 mags that's for sure..

[hollywood...]

Originally Posted by Bar1975

should i buy a 3rd oem plastic nozzle or finally upgrade to the metal nozzle and hop up unit?

i don't plan to replace those plastic nozzles every 20 mags that's for sure..

I think you answered your own question there

[Kos-Mos]

You should learn to use your gun.
If you break a nozzle, usually it's a jam or mishandling.

Broke one when I got my first gun 4 years ago.
Never broke one again.

P.S. Aluminum nozzle are not stable. You are lucky to get under 50fps difference in a mag. And they break the same way as the plastic nozzles. Not before damaging your mag and hop-up chamber too.

[St. Ides]

Have had my WE M4 for a year and a half now.....gamed it and tinkered with it hundreds of times....no broken nozzle yet!

That being said, I wouldn't be too quick to blame the nozzle itself.....you should pull the whole bolt carrier out and ensure that the nozzle slide guides are intact on the bolt carrier itself. If the nozzle is free and swinging as the bolt is cycling then it won't matter how many, or what type of nozzles you throw in there; your gonna end up breaking something. Whether it be teeth on the nozzle or the hop up unit, something is going down and within a few mags!

2nd what are you using for propellant, is it green gas or propane, red gas maybe?? Did the original owner throw a different buffer spring in there?? Something that's more powerful than the stock buffer spring that requires metal upgrades??? Is the bolt the stock bolt, or is it a steel upgrade (steel is heavier). These are some questions that might have answers to why your gun is breaking down. But just note that if you plan on switching to a metal/aluminum nozzle, than your gonna need to upgrade your hop up unit eventually......the stock hop up is a softer metal that will degrade quickly with a metal nozzle....

All said though, my money is on the nozzle slide guides....they may well even be there but not locking the nozzle in place causing a shift in the nozzle when cycling the bolt....if those teeth don't line up on the hop up unit then its gonna get messy!

Try looking at the BCG, if unsure of what your looking at, google it.....if unsure of what you come up with or just feel uncomfortable than take it to a gun doctor.....hell take it regardless, my advice or anyone else giving advice haven't seen the gun and can't offer a 100% reliable solution.......a gun doctor may very wall can!

[Bar1975]

Originally Posted by Kos-Mos

You should learn to use your gun.
If you break a nozzle, usually it's a jam or mishandling.

Broke one when I got my first gun 4 years ago.
Never broke one again.

not the issue here i can assure you.. i'm a gun doctor and been teching and playing for years. The issue today was not my fault but a bb that mis-fed or something and i had no idea it was going on.. i fired my second shot and out came all of my gas. I looked down and a BB and broken piece of nozzle dropped into my hand..

my point is that mis-feeds are going to happen and it's not always a result of mis-use.. but if the nozzle breaks with every mis-feed then holy crap.. that's going to get expensive.

Here is a question.. i just emptied another 2 or 3 mags with the broken nozzle .. doesn't seem to be any difference in the performance. Can i continue to use this gun with a broken nozzle? (The only thing broken is a tooth of the nozzle part that mates with the hop up)

I have a WE Scar and L85.. been using them for years with no issues like this. This is my first M4 GBBR..

[pestobanana]

Seems like everyone is a gun doctor these days. Aluminum nozzles from RA tech are horrible. They are always off spec, I've never seen one in person that worked properly.

If you keep breaking the nozzle and the nozzle isn't the culprit, wouldn't you think the most sensible thing to do would be to alleviate the issue instead of putting in a stronger nozzle? Make sure your mags are good, your feed ramp is good, and your chamber is good.

It's like if you have an AEG that keeps stripping pistons because it doesn't feed. Do you throw in a $50 piston and strip it or do you fix your feeding issues?

[St. Ides]

Originally Posted by Bar1975

Can i continue to use this gun with a broken nozzle? (The only thing broken is a tooth of the nozzle part that mates with the hop up)

As long as the nozzle mates properly with the hop up unit you are fine....broken teeth and all....buy an open bolt upgrade kit for the WE M4 should have all the required replacement parts you'll ever need in it!

Everyone seems to be quick to upgrade to metal upgrade parts, the problem is that they are upgrading parts one at a time as they can afford it....the diff metals don't mesh well with the softer alloys used in the stock gun......your gonna run into headaches.....unnecessary headaches as the stock gun is great outta box....keep it lubed and make sure to clean it....after cleaning ensure that it functions properly (nozzle slide guides lock into place so you don't break your nozzle!) Look at my first post....a free and moving nozzle whilst cycling is not going to mate with the hop up unit resulting in broken teeth...........

[Hectic]

I'd also agree it's gotta be something on the use side. I've ran the stock nozzle on my we 416 for the last 3 or 4 years (had the spring fail once) but the nozzle is still fine.
Perhaps loading while the bolt is forward? I mean I've even had jammed/broken bb's stuck in the opening that those "teeth" on the nozzle line up with. It didn't shoot well but didn't break anything.

[Bar1975]

The mags have worked in the Scar and L85 for 2 seasons now.. i can't imagine them being the issue. The previous owner 'may' have damaged the hop unit when he smashed a BB into it and continued to fire under those conditions... i did clean out all the BB debris so if it's off the tolerances are so small i can't tell by looking at it.

The nozzle guides are fine.. in place and not damaged at all.

i feel like i'll have to check this after every single shot to ensure there is no floating BB in the breech..

[pestobanana]

Originally Posted by Bar1975

The mags have worked in the Scar and L85 for 2 seasons now.. i can't imagine them being the issue. The previous owner 'may' have damaged the hop unit when he smashed a BB into it and continued to fire under those conditions... i did clean out all the BB debris so if it's off the tolerances are so small i can't tell by looking at it.

The nozzle guides are fine.. in place and not damaged at all.

i feel like i'll have to check this after every single shot to ensure there is no floating BB in the breech..

Do what turok_t does. Record a video of your bolt cycling so you can see the BB's and identify what is causing your feeding issues.

[St. Ides]

Well the hop up unit is probably the culprit......the nozzle should mate without any force into the hop up unit.....and should be snug enough that when mating with said unit, without lube, there should be some resistance pulling it out of the unit....i.e. when pulling back on the charging handle, the bot carrier pulls back exposing the nozzle that is locked temporarily in the hop up, but pulls back with the bcg (again this is without the lube)

[St. Ides]

I feel like this thread is irrelevant, if you want a sure fix to your gun then bring it to a "VERIFIED" gun doctor.....like pestobanna!

I'm a do it myself kinda guy, but that said....that gets me into problems at times! I'll google and research the hell out of a project...get into it and then screw something up that's crucial and have to start from scratch with new components.....a learning experience yes....but usually an expensive one! At times more expensive than if I had just taken it to someone that's already made that mistake once and never again....like a gun doctor!

[Aper]

Call me stupid, but i'm pretty damn sure the problem here is a lack of proper lubing and greasing of moving parts.