inconsistent GBB mag... again
 

so my HFC is being a bitch these days.

sometimes it would fire 2 full mags, other times it would fire only half a mag.

I'm filling it full(5~6 seconds) every time I fill it with propane.

I ordered a TM mag as well to see if this one is a lemon, but it won't arrive for a while.

any ideas what may be wrong?

I'm assuming it doesn't leak. Faulty fill valve not allowing it to actually fill completely perhaps? Also, are you actually filling full (to the point gas leaks out the fill valve) or are you just counting to 6 and releasing? On the mags you only get a few shots, does a bunch more gas come out than normal on the shots (a cloud or harder than usual kick)?

nope, it shoots just like when it was shooting fine before.

no cloud or harder kick.

mag isn't leaking either, can't hear any leak at al.

oh and I am counting to 6 and releasing, read on the FAQ here that 6 is the max you should be going to?

If there's no cloud or harder kick and no leak that means that there is physically less gas in the mag for whatever reason. When filling, there shouldn't be any gas escaping out around the adapter/fill valve. That means it's full or you've got a bad connection.

I know the FAQ says that 6 is generally the max but I know some people fill until it's full (gas spewing out the valve). This is probably going to start a "How to fill a GBB mag debate" but I've filled this way and never blown seals. My KWA manual actually says to fill until gas overflows from the valve. On some guns this won't happen and you'll have to listen for the sound of the gas filling to stop.

its not a TM mag so it wont leak out while filling.... it just sounds like nothing...

when i was a new guy i would watch all these guys wasting their propane cause they didnt have a good seal... then i found out that i had a shit HFC mag because it dosent have that extra valve to let the air out...

problem still persists, now it consistently only fires 1 full mag and no more.

before it sometimes could fire 2 mags or more =\

oh, and gas never flows out of any valve no matter how long I fill it for

Hey, Skladin, try filling more than once, cuz I filled mine 5 ~ 6 times, and it can fire up to a min of 2 mags at least

hey man

you mean try filling it for 6 seconds, and then fill it again 6 seconds without firing it?

something like that?

In my limited experience, there are a few things that can cause problems...
Sometimes the mag temp seems to cause a problem. If the mag is too warm, it may not fill properly... (I noticed this when trying to fill butane torches. I end up putting the torch in the freezer for 15 min. on a hot day before trying to fill it...)
With the mag, I will sometimes give it about a 1 second fill, then, holding the mag upright, gently depress the release valve causing a brief jet of gas/liquid from the top port of the mag. This will cool the mag: flip over and fill as normal.

Second suggestion is to try a longer fill count (go up by 1-2 seconds at a time until you achieve consistant performance.

Third thought is that some dirt has gotten into the fill valve. Anyone have any suggestions for cleaning/backflushing?

Louis

Hey, sorry for late reply...

yeah, exactly what you said...it looks like HFC mag requires more gas to be fully filled to me...when comparing to other brands...

ah, I need you to fix my gun...I totally forgot that...I'll pm you

Is your propane bottle at its last legs/almost empty?

I noticed that the pressure drastically drops toward the bottom of the bottle and there might not be enough pressure in the bottle to fully fill the mag. I had the same problem with my G23F mag.

As well, temperature of both the mag and the propane bottle might have something to do with it. I had a bottle of propane in the "cold room" of my house. I filled the mag in the cold, then took it into the house. After about 15 minutes or so i tried to fire the gun. The gas had expanded/warmed in the mag to the point that i had a hard time releasing the gas using my finger on the valve never mid the fact that the hammer with upgraded spring could not release the valve.