FEATURE
MCX DREAM BUILD
and compression parts, as
well as outfitting it with an
R-Hop, hop up chamber
and upgraded inner barrel
for improved range and
accuracy. This build is
primarily tuned for rapid
semi-auto response and
CQB sites where there are
restrictions on full auto
use. With the quick-change
main spring, it can easily be
configured to compete on
the field with its excellent
range and above-average
full auto. Thusly, the “Wolf
Mod” moniker stems from
the fact that no external
aspects are changed,
making it otherwise
outwardly indistinguishable
from a stock rifle… making
it a real wolf in sheep’s
clothing!
The Heart of the
Matter
Disassembly of the MCX
Virtus is nearly on par
with any of VFC’s other
Version2-based offerings
and will be eminently
familiar to those who’ve
worked on such before.
The one feature of this
particular design I can
really appreciate, is the
fact that the quick-change
spring guide is accessible
without having to remove
the gearbox; rather, one
simply unmounts the stock
via a single screw and the
spring guide is visible and
ready to be accessed. VFCs
are among some of the
easiest and best AEGs to
upgrade; the tolerances
are excellent and
consistent throughout.
The first step of
upgrading this MCX will
be prepping the gearbox
for the TITAN installation.
This may seem slightly
backwards to some, as
most start off with a
proper re-shimming of
the gears, but this step
requires some filing which
generates metallic dust
and is best accomplished
without the internals in
the way.
62
APRIL 2020
Taking the right gearbox shell half, we
will start with filing flat the metal posts
that normally keep the wires pressed down
into their channels. As this is a front-
wired installation, it is actually only really
necessary to remove one of these posts,
but I always follow suit with removing all
of them to “future proof” the gearbox,
should it undergo a configuration change.
Since we’re in the midst of generating
filings, this is also a good time to radius
the front edge of the gearbox as well.
This assists in reducing the chances of
the gearbox cracking from the impact of
the piston slamming forward on every
shot. Lastly, and as a small extra touch, I
elected to polish the piston guide rails. This
helps to smooth up the piston track and
improves efficiency by reducing drag.
Now we can move onto the shimming
stage. As this gun will be receiving a new
motor, it will be necessary to properly
re-shim the gears. I have selected the
excellent ASG Infinity 22K Neodymium
motor for this application. I always shim
pinion-to-bevel, so we will first be installing
the motor into the motor grip, ensuring
the motor plate is attached too. ASG
motors are taller than VFC, so this step is
also necessary to obtain the correct motor-
to-bevel height.
On the subject of gears, we will be
using a set of SHS 13.65:1 ratio CNC
gears. SHS sets are an excellent value for
the money and have generally proven
themselves to be quite durable, provided
you don’t draw the Chinese Lottery. As
mentioned previously, this gear and motor
combination will produce an excellent
semi-auto response with an above average
full auto. To meet the UK’s strict 350 FPS
criteria, I will also be short stroking the
sector gear by three teeth. Aside from
reducing FPS (approximately 10 – 15 FPS
per tooth removed), short stroking can
help increase your cycle time and eliminate
PME (Premature Engagement) risk; the
latter is not really a concern on this
particular setup, however.
After all the shimming is done, one can
now install the Gate TITAN, taking care to
correctly lay out the wires in a manner that
will prevent the motor pinion from slicing
through them on reassembly.
One of the things I really like to pair
with the TITAN is the new MAXX CNC
tuneable flat triggers. These allow you to
fine tune your over-travel adjustment point
and, coupled with the adjustable trigger
sensitivity on the TITAN, you can easily
obtain a highly reduced trigger pull. All
of which assists in faster follow up shots;
further enhancing what we essentially call
a “semi-auto spam build.” For the MCX
“Wolf Mod” John chose not to have this