STI Executive - Open Division Race Gun

[ILLusion]

This gun is something I've worked on for 2.5 years, but the final result is probably the nicest Hi-Capa I've ever shot.

It's extremely accurate, hard hitting and the balance and trigger feel are top-notch. The trigger break is buttery smooth, succinct with a very light pull - double taps aren't a problem with this gun.

Anyways, on to the pictures:







The DOM Mag Well is a bit big in general, but combined with this setup, I think the look goes well. The weight balances perfectly and being the largest mag well available on the market, this thing makes reloads extremely fast and easy. I also widened the inside of the Shooters Design grip itself by flaring it out with a file to make reloads even smoother. The flaring integrates the mag well to the grip that much better and reloads are so quick and easy that it sometimes makes me wonder if I could catch mags out of the air with it a la John Woo / Chow Yun Fat... hmm...



The wide and extended controls makes handling the gun very very comfortable as well as great at controlling recoil. Both the safety lever and the slide catch provide a rest for the thumbs, and the magazine catch makes for very fast reloads. Angle of engagement of the magazine catch can also be adjusted to the user's preference and grip.



The LDC (Long Dust Cover) type slide was chosen not just for aesthetics, but the full length mating to the frame ensured smooth movement along the entire length of travel combined with a reduced chance of dust and dirt getting in to the moving components of the slide.





The trigger is just... hot. What can I say? It's blood red, and it just tells you something big and bad is going to happen if you touch it. Besides that, it's adjustable and allows you to take off the back slop of the trigger pull.

Speaking of trigger pull, the Airsoft Surgeon steel hammer sets are probably the single greatest internal mod you can get for your Hi-Capa. Not kidding you. Words can't even fully describe how nice it feels, you just have to try it out. It makes the trigger pull extremely light, yet it maintains a very succinct break that is suuuuuuuuper buttery smooth.



The frame set chosen not only provided a low friction coated surface for the slide to ride on, but the scope mount base it came with was easily removable, low-profile and also allowed the iron sights to be used in the event of optics failure. There is an opening underneath the scope mount that allows a line of sight between front fibre optic sight and the rear sight.
The rear sight itself has been modified with a ring type rear sight for faster targetting. Combined with the front fibre optic front sight, shooting with the iron sights on this gun is faster and more accurate than the standard Hi-Capa.
















Externals:
Gun: Tokyo Marui Hi-Capa 5.1
Slide: Shooters Design STI Executive LDC, 2-Tone
Frame / Mount Base: Freedom Art Railed Frame, Type G-MT
Extended Compensator: Tanio Koba 1.3" Short Compensator with Tanio Koba One-Touch Joint
Grip: Shooters Design "Real" Pistol Grip, Black
Outer Barrel: Shooters Design 5" Steel Outer Barrel, Taper
Chamber: Shooters Design Steel Chamber, STI 38 Super
Spring / Plunger Set: Nine Ball Spring Plunger Set
Safety: Nine Ball, Wide Double, Silver
Magazine Catch: Nine Ball Magazine Catch, Square, Silver
Slide Stop: Nine Ball Slide Stop, Wide Long, Silver
Trigger: Freedom Art 3-Hole Trigger, Red
Rear Sight: Shooters Design Metal Rear Sight, Type C
Mag Well: Shooters Design DOM Style Magwell, Silver
Magazine Base: Shooters Design Metal Magazine Base, Type B


Internals:
Recoil Spring Guide: Firefly Recoil Spring Guide with Bearing
Recoil Spring: Guarder Enhanced Recoil Spring (150%)
Hammer Spring: Guarder Enhanced Hammer Spring (150%)
Hop-Up Rubber: Firefly Hop Up Bucking, Hard Type
Hammer: Airsoft Surgeon Hardened Steel, Type 10
Hammer Strut: Airsoft Surgeon Hardened Steel
Sear: Airsoft Surgeon Hardened Steel
Valve Knocker: Airsoft Surgeon Hardened Steel
Inner Barrel: Nine Ball 6.03mm 162.5mm Tightbore Inner Barrel
Blow Back Unit: Airsoft Surgeon Light Weight Blow Back Unit
Floating Valve: RCC Cylinder Bulb
Loading Nozzle: Shooters Design POM Cylinder
Floating Valve Blocker: Shooters Design POM Valve Blocker
Output Valves: KM / Head 1950 High Flow Valves


Performance:
Maximum Power:
311.9 with Tokyo Marui Superior Grade 0.30g BBs
(equivalent in power to 383fps @ 0.20g)

Shot string (in fps):

• 309.0
• 311.2
• 311.9
• 311.5
• 311.1
• 310.6
• 309.5
• 308.9

[ShortCut]

I think I just shit my pants

[Daiviet]

She's a beauty. Definetly love seeing her at the CAPS events, I just can't take my eyes off her. Did you have to do any kind of adjustment to the AS hammer set to get it nice and smooth? Mine feels a bit....rough when I pull the trigger.

I also spent a good hour or two trying to figure out why the trigger mechanism wasn't working, and I remembered what you said about the tape mod. D'oh.

[ILLusion]

Originally Posted by daiviet

She's a beauty. Definetly love seeing her at the CAPS events, I just can't take my eyes off her. Did you have to do any kind of adjustment to the AS hammer set to get it nice and smooth? Mine feels a bit....rough when I pull the trigger.

Yeah, despite having so many Hi-Capas, I ALWAYS have this gun in my kit when I come to CAPS games. She's the most reliable and best performing piece I have. It's had the most time put in to it to work out all of its kinks.

The Airsoft Surgeon hammer set was a direct drop in for me and was buttery smooth out of the box. I'm experiencing a rough pull with a different set in another one of my guns, I'm not sure yet if it's due to the Airsoft Surgeon hammer set or if it's the trigger, but I'll be inspecting it to see what's causing it. I'll let you what I narrow it down to.

Originally Posted by daiviet

I also spent a good hour or two trying to figure out why the trigger mechanism wasn't working, and I remembered what you said about the tape mod. D'oh.

I've experienced that with a couple of aftermarket frames, but not all of them - even if it's the same manufacturer. I wish I knew what the exact cause of it is - possibly the location of the sear hole, combined with dimension differences to the trigger bar. Hard to say at this time. Another one of my guns I fixed the issue by opening up the hole in the frame where the trigger lever sits in. (By trigger lever, I'm referring to the piece at the very back of the frame that sits between the trigger bar and the sear. I don't know what else to call it.)

[the_griffinator]

Beautiful as always. I really like the rear iron sight. does it make much of difference with target acquisition? Nice to hear the Airsoft Surgeon hammer sets are so awesome as well. I'll need one for my hicapa when the time comes.

[ILLusion]

Originally Posted by the_griffinator

I really like the rear iron sight. does it make much of difference with target acquisition?

Oh yeah, definitely. I have that rear ring sight mounted on another pistol that I used (for the first time) at the 2nd CAPS tournament last week and placed first in that stage using that pistol.

[ColtFarmer]

Congrats Bri, someone finally made a race gun I *like* that's quite an acheivement.

[m102404]

Nice. Personally, I like how it's not just a pretty pistol...but a wicked nail driver when it comes time to put shots down range.

The pistol doesn't make the shooter...but that one's not holding anyone back.

[Invasian]

Sickness personified Bri..Thats a real beauty..and your still a maniac.

[R1Style]

sexy sexy...

[Shirley]

WHAT THE HELL? That is totally freakin sexy! Is that a real Doctor?
That's it, when I have 1000$, I'm asking you to build me one.

[ILLusion]

Yep. That's a real Doctersight and it's worth every penny.

[Skladfin]

woah.

woah

wanna take a pic of groupings at 30feet?

woah

[Shirley]

Originally Posted by ILLusion

Yep. That's a real Doctersight and it's worth every penny.

*Faints
That sight probably cost half of your gun in total. LOL
You're so crazy!

[ILLusion]

Originally Posted by Mr.Hitman

*Faints
That sight probably cost half of your gun in total. LOL
You're so crazy!

Maybe just 1/3rd... :P