AEG Piston Heads
Checkout our selection of reinforced pistons! below! Click Here to Learn about the different types of piston heads!. Have questions? Give us a call at 888-316-7816
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Checkout our selection of reinforced pistons! below! Click Here to Learn about the different types of piston heads!. Have questions? Give us a call at 888-316-7816
The piston head is part of the piston assembly which is inside the gearbox of an AEG (automatic electric gun). The piston assembly is responsible for forcing the air inside the cylinder out of the gearbox to propel the BB. The piston head works with the piston head o-ring to form the seal inside the cylinder as the piston is being driven forward by the AEG spring. It also bears the force of the impact when it hits the cylinder head. Most piston heads will have tiny holes which act as ports to draw in air into the piston head and flare out the O-ring as the piston is on its forward travel. Some more old fashioned designs might have a piston head lacking holes which still works though is not as efficient.
Piston heads should be matched to the cylinder heads they are used with. A mushroom type piston head will not work with a flat cylinder head and will cause major issues. A good piston head should fit correctly inside the cylinder and the O-ring should flare up and create pressure when there is a BB chambered. A near-perfect seal is what you are looking for with the piston head.
Installing a piston head requires complete disassembly of the gearbox. We offer tech services if you are in need of gearbox work on most popular AEGs.
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Q: How long does a piston head last?
A: A piston head should last tens of thousands of rounds if it is made of polycarbonate. If it is made of metal it could last indefinitely however you do face more wear in other areas such as the gearbox shell itself due to the heavier and stronger component hitting the front of the gearbox. Often times the manufacturers will have different philosophies when selecting the materials to use for piston heads and cylinder heads as these parts are impacted with tremendous force repeatedly and for tens of thousands of rounds.
Q: Which is better? Polycarbonate or metal?
A: There are different schools of thought when it comes to what a good piston head should be made of. The polycarbonate one will definitely break one day but typically you will see it lasting tens of thousands of rounds, often outlasting other components in the gearbox regardless of level of upgrades. Plastics could become brittle over a long time but we are talking about many years from now before you see a polycarbonate material degrade to a level where it can fail. Metal piston heads on the other hand are very strong. That extra weight and the strength of a metal piston head can fatigue a gearbox and cylinder head more over time than the polycarb ones, but the component itself is going to last indefinitely when made of metal. Whenever you make one thing stronger in the gearbox, the next component to interact with it that is weaker will be the likely component to wear out so it is not as if you will solve all your problems by upgrading to the toughest components available. Often times the other parts durability is challenged as a result.