Upgrade suggestions for xm8
 

I got a matrix/BE xm8 from evike with the metal gearbox. I know it may not be worth it to upgrade, but i just want to upgrade some stuff like battery, hopup and barrel. Which are the most important?

well, you *NEED* a battery for the gun to work... so I'd say that's number one on your list =)

i mean like upgrade to a 9.6v. (i got a 8.4v with the gun)

all 9.6 will do is increase your rate of fire, thus putting your piston and gearbox shell at risk. If anything upgrade to a high amperage, or NiMH if your gun came with a NiCd battery

the b&e (atleast the one i had) has a tm mechbox and motor inside. so dont kid yourself there. the b&e is an ok rifle, its missing some nice features that other xm8's have, but its also sporting a few others dont have. the tm internals being one of them. all id say do is put in metal bushings and a pdi 140% spring and yuoll be good to rock. the xm8's achilies heel is that ou can only fit a mini in the foregrip, so to rememdy the battery size problem, buy some g36 rails, mount them on the fore grip and then get a peq box battery.

reinforce the tabs on the stock/receiver area if you will be taking the rifle apart more than once or twice
they are weaker than TM m4 tabs

stock BE barrel is top notch, dont replace; j/k, its trash
there was quite a long thread here about the BE xm8 that I diddled around with

Can you link the tabs? I'm not totally sure what your talking about.

right now im thinking
Barrel
http://store.matrixbb.com/servlet/-s...29-Star/Detail
http://cgi.ebay.com/SYSTEMA-6-04-BS-...QQcmdZViewItem
and if its worth the extra money
http://cgi.ebay.com/PROMETHEUS-6-03-...QQcmdZViewItem

two of these or 4 magazines
http://cgi.ebay.com/MAG-G36C-Mid-Cap...QQcmdZViewItem

And for hopup what would you guys suggest?

Eventually i'll get to upgrading the gearbox, but i don't think i want to take that apart yet.

I'd say burn it.

What exactly does burn mean? i can see that going both ways.

I was wondering which hopups are compatible with the xm8?

people make parts for the XM8? lol
it failed its prototype testing miserably, it never became a real gun, its as realistic to me as the G3 SAS

but if any hopup would even come close to fitting i think it would be the G36's hopup

its was deployed with several units in iraq, and i believe the patent was bought by an american company (wasnt it colt, kg3?) so it can be made for civilian purchase. and it still isnt out of the running to replace the m16, although its not looking good anymore. in fact it WAS going to be implimented until colt got their panties in a bunch and complained about a contract signed back in the civil war (lol) granting them first dibbs on a replacment rifle for the american military. so they had to reopen the bidding, thats when fn stepped in with the scar and hk with the 416. the only thing hk couldnt achieve (wich colt used as leverage) with the xm8 was the wieght goal set by the military, they were off by .7lbs, also the hand guard was prone to heating up wilst under heavey use which they wanted addressed, they couldnt fix this problem without affecting the wieght. i dont think being rugged like an ak (water and snd tests) and being able to fire 40,000 consecutive rounds without failing (unable to be rectified in the field by the operator) as failing miserably. it only missed being americas next rifle by the skinon its teeth so to speak, the only thing that stopped it was the contract.

also, the g36 hopup IS the xm8 hop up.