Angel Custom Pistol Parts Review by Booligan
Discuss this review HERE
Introduction
Ordering
Basic Information
First impressions/Packaging
Hop-Up Bucking
High Flow Magazine Valve
Enhanced Loading Nozzle
Pros/Cons
Overall
Introduction:
I'm continuing my review series of Angel Custom's airsoft products, and today I'll be going over some of their gas blowback pistol components! We'll be looking at their enhanced hop-up bucking, high flow magazine valve, and the enhanced loading nozzle. These parts will be getting installed in an Echo 1 Timberwolf, which I previously reviewed HERE. These components are used as part of a race pistol buildup that will be posted elsewhere on this site.
Project pistol
Ordering:
I was sent the Angel Custom components through Evike, who is their primary US distributor. The different parts being reviewed are the Enhanced Hop-up Bucking, High Flow Magazine Valve, and the Enhanced Loading Nozzle. These parts are very affordable, coming in between $12 and $15 each. They were shipped out using USPS First Class shipping, which got it to me quicker than UPS Ground, and is a great option for small packages.
Basic Information:
These parts are obviously small components and not the sexiest review I've ever done, however, these small parts are able to increase your pistol's performance in several ways, and shouldn't be overlooked. There are a wide variety of Angel Custom parts available at Evike, primarily for Hi-Capa pistols, however, there are parts for other guns, including the TM Glock system, which the Timberwolf uses. I decided on these parts because they were the ones that would fit best with my buildup, and I figured they would give me the best performance improvement.
First impressions/Packaging:
The packaging is pretty standard, with the bucking and high flow valve in cardboard backed plastic packaging, and the loading nozzle was in a small ziploc bag with some stickers on it. All of the packaging is retail ready with holes at the top allowing it to hang on a retail shelf.
From here on, click all pictures to enlarge
Hop-up bucking
High flow valve
Loading nozzle
Hop-Up Bucking:
The VSR10/GBB hop-up bucking is available in either hard or soft silicone compositions, and today, I'm reviewing the blue soft bucking, which is for lower velocities. This bucking offers a higher wear resistance over the standard rubber unit, and has a unique design to improve your accuracy. Instead of a single bump to apply the hop-up effect to your BB, it has two small fingers that apply even pressure to the edges of the BB, giving you better shot to shot consistency.
Bucking
Inner view, showing the dual nubs
Installation is a breeze in the Echo 1 Timberwolf, as you just have to pull the inner barrel assembly out of the outer barrel, unscrew the two phillips head screws on the hop-up housing, and swap the buckings. It's a really simple and cheap way to improve your pistol's performance.
Compared with the stock bucking
Installed, the dual nubs are clearly visible
After installing the bucking, I noticed that my effective range had gained another 10-15' or so, and my side to side consistency had greatly improved. This testing was done outdoors, and my current weather is a snowy 28 degrees, and the fact that the gun still functioned in this weather, and even showed improvement over stock was impressive. I'm looking forward to testing it out when it's not arctic conditions.
High Flow Magazine Valve:
The high flow magazine valve is a quick way to get some extra FPS, as well as to give you a sharper recoil, or compensate for the addition of a heavier metal slide. Installation is a breeze, requiring you to remove your magazine, unscrew the stock valve and install the new one. There are special tools on the market to unscrew the valve, but I was able to do it with a flat head screwdriver.
Angel Custom valve
Striker end
Valve end
This valve is improved over the stock magazine valve in a few different ways. First and foremost, the holes where the gas flows through are much larger, allowing more gas to flow more quickly through the valve. Everything also appears to have a higher polish, and the materials used are different between the two, with the Angel Custom valve being made of stainless steel, and the stock valve being made of brass. The O-rings on the Angel Custom valve seem to be a little bit thicker, and made of a softer material, which should seal things up better.
Compared to the stock valve
Performance changes are a bit hard to measure with my current weather, however, I did see a FPS and range increase from 300 FPS up to 315 FPS on average, however my shot count per gas fill dropped. I'm blaming this on the fact that it's less than 30 degrees outside right now, and once it warms up, I want to see what my shot count sits at.
Enhanced Loading Nozzle:
The enhanced loading nozzle is the component that I wasn't really expecting any huge improvement over the stock one, as it is more of a durability upgrade versus a performance upgrade. It is largely identical to the stock loading nozzle, albeit with a slightly larger inner diameter in the air nozzle. The other difference is with the shape of the port that interacts with the magazine. On the stock one, it's curved to fit the shape of the air-seal, but on the Angel Custom model, it's flat. I didn't notice any difference in shooting or performance between the two, so I'm not sure if that change in design will have any difference down the line. Time will tell I suppose.
Loading nozzle
Other side of loading nozzle
Comparison between the two
Different port shape
Slightly wider opening
Pros:
All of the parts are made of better materials than stock
Very affordable upgrades - $12-15 each
Are available for a variety of gun models
Easy installation in the Echo 1 Timberwolf
I saw a decent performance bump, even in my frigid temperatures
Cons:
Loading nozzle seems like it is more of a replacement part than an upgrade
Mag valve may cause higher gas usage, which is a standard issue with this kind of part
Some guns may require modification to fit the parts
Overall:
These parts aren't the most glamorous or sexy parts I've ever thrown in a gun, but honestly, they serve a purpose, and it seems like they fill that role very well. I got a performance bump across the board, they were easy to install, and they seemed to be fully compatible with the Echo 1 Timberwolf that I threw them in. They are a small part of a race gun build-up that will be featured here on Airsoft Retreat, so keep your eye on the boards for that post!
Many thanks again to Evike, and of course, Airsoft Retreat!