So I have read countless posts about the TM Hi-capa the WE, and all other brands. I however would like to collect all this info into one spot. I will start with what I have read and my few questions and I am hopefull AOE will lend his vast knowledge to this thread.

To start: TM has the 4.3 and 5.1 versions
They are made of ABS plastic and therefore are not ment to use co2 because it will wear down the slide catch.
The TM parts are interchangable with WE
WE guns are all metal and come in Baby, Dragon, and Regular versions
WE makes the co2 mags and regular mags
WE slides were to heavy for regular green gas because they were metal and needed co2 to cycle properly, now they make Dragon style slides lighter to cycle easyer.
WE has problems with its internals and needs to be repaired.

So my question is is co2 better than green gas or is it worth it, second which gun needs less matinance ie slipping disks or whatever it is, and third which one do you like better if any (I assume you like them or you wouldn't click on this thread)?

A thanks to all who post and sorry for any repetitiveness

I'm flattered you'd single me out specificially. But yes, this design does have its quirks. The WE's heavy slide is partly to blame for its gas guzzling - you can list that down as one of its other quirks - but it can be remedied by an enhanced recoil spring and some polishing of the slide guide rails.

One thought that crossed my mind, since another member mentioned it earlier before, was that once you have a metal slide on a TM Hi-Capa, you can use those CO2 mags on it, provided you upgrade to a 150% hammer spring plus a METAL slide. I haven't tried this before, though, and I'd like to see someone use WE CO2 mags on an upgraded TM Hi-Capa.

In stock form, the TM one needs less maintenance. I'll explain later, for now I have to go.

I think that's rather subjective. As there are many people who'd purchase WE and not a single problem with the internal. I'm one of them and I shoot Co2 exclusively (knock on wood!)

I do believe that some WE guns may have internal problems so we need to identity extactly where's the failiure and maybe a percentage that's reported.

You might want to add the following...

WE - Wei Tech manufacturer in Taiwan. The original Taiwanese Hi Capa 5.1 model after TM Hi Capa 5.1

5.1 Model as the following
Government
Model K
Model M
Black Dragon Type A and B
Silver Dragon Type A and B

If you see the two tone color, the retailer are probably mixing the slide between Black and Silver Dragon.

3.8 Model as the following
Model A
Model B
Model C
Model D

They are same base platform with different slide design.


AE - Release by Airsoft Elite, they purchase the body and parts from WE and re-badge them as AE. Usually comes in a plastic case. Confirmed there is a Government model (Operation Irene), Version K and a Striker model /w added compensator (Tactical Master). AE guns have their own serial numbers.

PHX - Release by Jag Precision, they purchase the body and parts from WE and rebadge then PHX. Usually comes in a metal case. Confirmed there is a Government model. Jag Precision claims the PHX model have added improvement but they didn't relase what exactly has been improved. We need further comparison on this.

I am going to buy some Red Gas (Co2) and fill it with standard mag and see if it performs better.

I just ordered a 5.1 K. I plan on testing testing out that theory.




Thanks Allizard,
Useful info, clears up a few "Who's is it?" questions. Maybe the Powers That Be could find a place tp pin this.

Well......I just got a WE hicapa 5.1 w/ported slide....and I'm very pleased with it so far, its shoots accurately, and is very fun to shoot, very nice sidearm in my case....

Ported side is the Model K. And that's the VERY first GBB I brought last year. My main weapon in CQB currently. A true work horse and it haven't fail me yet in terms of performance. That said, my AE version does have couple flaws. Not major, but can be annoying to a picky person.

1. the slide didn't lock when BB's empty in chamber. Has nothing to do with temperture. I used a dremel and rounded the notch and it seems to work better.

2. the safety grip doesn't work as intended to. I haven't been able to fix that one.

My next CQB game I'll use Black Dragon and see if it performs the same.

Where was I? Oh yes, the reason why TM Hi-Capas are not as fussy as We ones is because of the recoil spring. This is easily remedied, however, and should pose no problem if you were to upgrade to a stiffer recoil spring. WE Hi-Capa owners often complain of their pistols being gas guzzlers, this is partly due to th heavy slide, the soft recoil spring and the unpolished guide rails. Once you got those three fixed up, you'll cut gas consumption by up to 15%.

I have this friend, a fellow pistol technician, who was able to manipulate the cut-off valve in such a way that more gas was directed towards the pellet per shot. This reduced the gas guzzling by a large amount, but gave him more FPS.

Another problem with the Hi-Capa design are the sears, one such problem Allizard's Hi-Capa already seems to have. Once the sears slip, your grip safety loses its function and you'll have to open the gun up to realign them. On my previous TM Hi-Capa, I had to open my gun up around three times to realign the sears, whic slipped until I tweaked on the screws holding them to keep them in line.

Ok now for my personal problem. I want the WE Hi capa 5.1 Dragon but what is the difference between the dragon style A and B? Based on what I have seen it is the front stationary portion of the slide and the WE trademarks on the grips. Both look good to me, but do I nesecarily need co2 or is green gass good enugh with the sanding of the recoil guide rail, and replacement of the spring? Lastly where do I get the new spring?

I have all the WE guns picture from their catalog. I'll post it here when I get the chance. And that should answer some of questions between Dragon Type A and Type B.

I know some of the parts are compatible with TM Hi-Capa. Can some make a list what they are?

Here is also a video got to take apart the slide. It's quite good.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=71...81153&q=airsoft

This post has been edited by Allizard: Mar 1 2006, 04:47 PM

With the proper mods, you can get a WE Hi-Capa shooting real well, so it all comes down as a matter of preference, and if you really want to learn how your pistol's mechanics work. Yeah, just polish the rails up to get the rough coating off using 1100 grit sandpaper to reduce friction between the slide and the frame, which would result in better efficiency and less gas guzzling. The springs can be bought at Redwolf or any airsoft store you have there. Just look for the Guarder 150% enhanced spring set for Western Arms pistols. They're sure to work fine on your WE.

AOE, can you take a couple pictures where to sand the slide?! And which spring to remove?

the we is all metal
the dragon edition is Awesome
they are all good guns and airsplat sells them cheap

AOE I remember you talking about making a hi-flow valve in one of your posts as one of the top three things to make your gun better. Now I see them for sale on redwolf. Now I am skeptical about taking a dremmel to my GBB so would this valve be a good option for me or is it not "up to par" with your home made one (Things sually superior when home made). Most of my knowledge applies to rifles.


Also as far as recoil springs on redwolf thay have Firefly, Nine-ball, and PDI, The PDI looks the best. I like how they tell you only to use it in upgraded guns.

This post has been edited by Caimbridge: Mar 2 2006, 09:14 PM

I have a guide in the earlier pages somewhere, it's titled How to Tune a Western Arms .45. It should contain all of the mods you're looking for and more. By the way, some of those mods are applicable to Hi-Capas. It details some tune-ups too and lot's of pictures.



Well, my main point in why we make hi-flows out of stock valves is because why would you spend that much money on something that can be done at home for free, and would be just as effective, right? Differences in performance are just the same, as far as FPS and output are concerned, and basically your main concern in doing this project is if you have enough confidence in yourself in doing such a simple task.

Personally I don't want to upgrade the valve unless I'm using a single mag. If my gun is use for skirmish then I'll need 2 to 3 mags which I'll have to upgrade all the mags and the cost went up.

I like AOE's idea to modify the slide and change the spring. More cost effective.

I might as well adding the pictures here like a catalog.

WE Hi-Capa 5.1 Government model
Comment: Trade on the slide "OPS-M.R.P. CAL .45"


WE Hi-Capa 5.1 Type K
Comment: Ported on the slide


WE Hi-Capa 5.1 Type M
Comment:


WE Hi-Capa 5.1 Black Dragon Type A
Comment: Type A slide have ported round holes on top of gun. Also available in Silver.


WE Hi-Capa 5.1 Sliver Dragon Type B
Comment: Type B slide have ported regtangular holes on top of gun. Also available in Black.


WE Baby Capa 3.8 Type A


WE Baby Capa 3.8 Type B


WE Baby Capa 3.8 Type C


WE Baby Capa 3.8 Type D


This post has been edited by Allizard: Mar 4 2006, 03:42 AM

Airsoft Elite version. These guns are base on WE gun body.

AE Striker
Comment: only 500 are made


AE OPI III Special Limited Tactial Master
Comment: only 100 are made


AE Hi Capa 5.1 K
Comment: Exactly same as WE 5.1 K but with AE logo.

Considering the increasing popularity of the Hi-Cappa and its varients... I think I will pin this.

I WOULD however, like to see one or more of you write a little bit in here on the drawbacks and common failings of the WE HiCappas... because I KNOW they exist...

Carry on.

Thanks BP.

Here is a link to the trigger problem and it's been resolved.

http://www.airsoftforum.com/board/index.ph...&#entry16981990

And here is a guild to take apart the WE.

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/inde...topic=33832&hl=

Here goes the "newbie"
I normally shoot USPSA with a very well used but still great shootin STI 2011 in .40
I got a 5.1 full metal to do home practice and back yard fun(no fence ,bad idea!),don't need the cops yelling drop it or anything like that.
get to the point...........ok.
With a little pushin my STI magwell went right on,and my kydex holster and mag pouches interchange seamlessly.The feel is close and I even put a fiber optic front site on (slotted front site and super glued it)
This thing does drink the gas,I'm using propane and green gas,also got 1 co2 mag
Grip safety is iffy but mt race gun has that dissabled anyhoo..
What wa parts interchange with this?
Can I get a lighter slide?
I'm new to the airsoft thing.It is an interesting perspect on shooting.Different,cool,yet the same passion for the game(obsession).

does anyone know how to get the slide off the dragon version. I can do it on the regular 5.1 but I cant get the dragon apart

You need to take out the screw under the front slide section which then comes off. Then you just take the slide off as normal.

Sorry if this thread is supposed to be more for info and less for questions, but what does anyone think I could do about the gas consumption on a WE Dragon? I'm guessing that since the slide isn't that heavy (or is it?) that a stronger recoil spring wouldn't help. If you guys don't know, I guess I could just try it and let you know how it goes.
AOE, could you post info on how your friend manipulated the cut-off valve? I doubt I'd be able to do it myself, but it'd be good to know how.

This post has been edited by FJ2 - Kaye: Mar 11 2006, 05:30 PM

FYI... WE is working on a new slide with lighter weight. Material is aluminium or similar. I hope it will be similar to the WA metal slide from Prime.

That said, I hope they work on a better blow back chamber with a tighter seal.

has anyone seen reviews for the WE hicap AB? ive been looking for one for a while, and I cant find any

I'm not exactly sure how he did it, as you see pistol techs have their special tricks that they keep secret. I have my own, he has his, our friends have theirs. Now it's been a while since I last dismantled a Hi-Capa based gun, as I specialise more on WA Magnas at the moment, so asides from what I know about the problems of the Hi-Capa design and certain ways to improve it, I can't be of much help.

Now, sand the rails to improve gas efficiency. This will solve part of the problem, as I theorise that WE Hi-Capas, with their heavy slides, have a lot of air leaks in the gas system. This means not all the gas goes to the right places, and the system compensates by putting out more gas to make up for the leaks.

This post has been edited by AOE: Mar 15 2006, 10:25 PM

I've talked to a distributor couple days ago and he concur the blow back chamber is "Crappy" I thought he used a much stronger words than that. But yeah... he indicated the same probable cause why WE is a gas guzzler and not only because the slide is heavy.

So... we have a probable cause... what's a good solution? Use a thicker silicon in the o-ring inside for a better seal?!!!

This post has been edited by Allizard: Mar 16 2006, 12:32 AM

Is the Tm chamber any better?
and is it a direct match?

Could you shoe-horn a WA chamber in there?

Wouldn't make any difference and you'd have to worry about the excesses turning into grime which would mean more of a headache when cleaning. Grime = slowing down of components, and extra thick silicon oil would = thicker grime which would = less efficiency.

WE sucks, that's a fact.



Why bother? The barrel and chamber won't mate properly given their different designs if you try forcing a WA chamber in there. It isn't feasible, nor is it logical.

WA chamber won't fit. Not sure about TM. But either way... WE will have to lighten the weight of the slide first which I know they are looking into right now.

if your good with a dremel and have some time to kill, couldnt you just cut it up like swiss cheese to lighten it, or even just thin out maybe the top of the slide from the inside?
The creative things you do with RC racing to make cars lighter gets ya thinking.

how much lighter does it need to be?

With the dragon I have now(my first airsoft gun ever), if I leave the mag in my pocket to warm it up for a little while(im in illinois at its around freezing temp right now) the gun shoots flawlessly on whatever green gas the local shop sold me. I can get almost 60 rounds on a fill of gas, the last few I have to rack the slide by hand on, makes the gun an exspensive springer for the last 5 to 10 rounds. Me being a rookie, I don't know if thats good or not, but it suits me just fine, for shooting targets in my basement.

Ive added the bb under the hammer spring, and im picking up the 150% spring on ebay.

The one thing I couldnt figure out in the limited time I spent tinkering with AOE's WA tuning guide, was taking apart the blowback chamber and teflon taping it, does that apply to the WE? If so how do I get it apart.

This post has been edited by primussucks: Mar 17 2006, 01:57 PM

Nah, that upgrade only applies to WA guns. There are other things you can do, though, like polishing the rails if you haven't already.

is it a good idea putting red gas in the standard WE HI-CAPA mags or do I have to put it in the CO2 mags??

I actually put some Redgas in my standard mag. That didn't seems to improve much. The Co2 mag you'll need to purchase those 12 grams co2 cylinders.

I have a trick to getting a full mag of bb's on one fill of gas. This is a trick I thought of after having my co2 tanks for paintball filled. Whenever I have a co2 tank fill to get a full fill they slightly fill the tank then let it all out this cools the tank and then fill it full. as it is being filled the mag will warm back up and you will notice that more gas goes in by the sound of it. I got about 40 rds through on a single fill of green gas. I have sanded the rails so that helps also.

I'm adding AOE's link for WA mod here on this since it does apply to WE and TM.

http://www.airsoftforum.com/board/index.ph...topic=30396&hl=

And for the record, I just did the hammer spring mod and now my WE Model K kick really hard on Co2.

I'll be trying the blow black chamber mod next few days.

This post has been edited by Allizard: Mar 29 2006, 11:12 PM

Hi All

I am a new poster on here, I normally go on arnie's airsoft forums.

I have a thread on there about WE hi-capa's and in particular Dragons :

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/inde...showtopic=55781

I am trying to find out if normal hi-capa scope mounts can be used on them, and also if there are any Hogue wraparound grips for them.

Any info regarding accessories available for WE hi-capa dragons would be greatly appreciated.

I'll check back on this thread from time to time

:)

regards

Raj

hi all

I heard back from WGC that this scope mount will work with WE hi-capa dragons :

http://www.wgcshop.com/pcart/shopper.php?I...at_Mount%20Base

has anyone tried one of these ?

would love to see some photos of one fitted

:)

regards

Raj

How exactly does that go on?

if it attaches by screws, are you drilling holes?

yeah I noticed that too

still waiting for WGC to get back to me with some photos

I thought you'd want something that goes on the bottom rail

speaking of the bottom rail, on the dragon what can you put on it since the rail looks smooth, as in nothing for the screw of an accessory to sit in (eg it doesn't look like the rail on my G36)

well, I think that the tension from the screws being really tight will keep the mount in place. kinda like those trigger guard mounted flash/lasers