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Tutorial: disable recoil in EMS TopGun II
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jasonbar:
What's different between gun #1 & gun #2?


OK, a few closeups will answer my question.


(and, no, the answer is not "One gun has a '1' on it & the other gun has a '2' on it"!)


-Jason


PS--yes, the thread subject gives it away--I didn't want to make this thread hard to find!
jasonbar:
Rather pleased with my pair of EMS TopGun II guns (except that they don't work if the light bar's behind my tinted monitor glass...), I found that I was sometimes growing weary of the recoil feature.

It seems to hurt my accuracy a little & it gets old after a while.  Unfortunately, to turn it on or off, you need to physically disconnect part of the cable down by the USB plug, which is buried deep in my cabinet by the PC.  Not very user-friendly.

So, I wanted to make it convenient for the casual user to enable or disable recoil.

It was a pretty simple matter of putting a switch in line with one of the motor leads.


But how to package it?  After figuring out how to disassemble a gun (which was non-trivial...boy, this is a really impressive piece of packaging & engineering!) the answer was pretty clear.

Since I can upload only 8 pictures per post, this tutorial will span several posts.

Disclaimer/waiver: this describes the use of pointy & semi-dangerous hand tools & power tools.  Be careful.  If you get hurt, you can't sue me.  If you bust your guns in the process, you also can't sue me.


On to the tutorial!


-Jason
jasonbar:
1: Remove screw cover on the chassis, just above the laser.  On one gun, I was able to rock it out partway by digging my fingernail on the key portion & then yoink it with pliers.  The second one was more tenacious, so I pried it with an X-Acto knife, using the SE/BA button as a fulcrum point.  This made minimal scarring on it.

2: Remove screw cover on grip frame by trigger guard (this is called the "magazine catch").  Unfortunately, this one is pressed in snug & flush to the part around it, so I had to dremel the heck out of it.

3: And then pry it out with a small screwdriver.  I'm going to search for a small rubber plug to cram in the hole later, but it doesn't look at all bad as it is, with this cover missing.  Go back to the 1st post.  I bet you didn't even notice it was gone!

4: Remove the left grip.  Take out 2 big slotted screws & the 2 pieces of plastic.  This reveals some small screws you need to access.

5: Remove the right grip.  Same procedure.  Actually, this step is unnecessary, but I did it anyway--at the very least, it gets these pieces away & in a safe place while you work on the gun...and it's fun to take stuff apart!

6: I was wondering how they got the recoil slide on, since it isn't split down the middle like most of the gun...it must slide on!  Getting it off is really easy.  Simply push the slide all the way back towards the hammer & then pull upward.  It should pop up easily.  If not, just pry the left & right sides apart a little--there are 2 barbs on each side that retain it in its slot--they might be catching a little.
jasonbar:
7: Remove the 4 screws holding the laser.  Note that 2 are small & 2 are big.  Keep track!  The bigger ones are closer to the gun barrel.

8: I recommend reassembling the laser to protect it & keep its components together while working on the gun.  No need to be careful on this initial reassembly, but note that the 2 adjustment wheels' pegs go into slots in the laser housing.

9: Now the laser is safe & protected!

10: Remove the 7 screws holding the left half of the housing to the right half.  Note that 2 of these screws are flatheads.  The flatheads go in the hole on the chassis in step 1 & in the trigger guard.  Pull off the left half & set it aside (everything's attached to the right side of the gun).  I also recommend pulling out the palm switch in the grip frame at this point, as it will likely fall out sooner or later anyway.

11: Rather than drill a new hole for the recoil switch, I opted to move aside the superfluous jack that appears to do nothing.  Seems to be a headphone style jack.  I don't know what the heck it's for.  The manual doesn't mention it.

12: There's plenty of room in the grip handle, so I just popped the jack out of its cubbyhole & tucked it to the side, along with the capacitor attached to it.  This is the only part of the whole dang gun that has any extra space in it--fortunate!
jasonbar:
13: I bought a whole lot of switches at Radio Shack & settled on this one.  Part # 275-324.  10A @ 1250VAC or 6A @ 250VAC.  Since we're running 5VDC & low current (USB can't possibly put out too much current...).  A bonus feature of this switch is the colored rubber covers.  My cabinet is black with red trim everywhere (and some orange & yellow too), so loved the red & yellow covers.

Edit: I really don't recommend this switch shortening after all--it's still causing me headaches to this day.  Just deal with the switch handle length & save yourself the hassle.

14: OPTIONAL.  To make the switch smaller & less obtrusive & look more stock & minimize accidental switching, I cut down the handle by about 1/2 its length.  WARNING!!!  The handle is hollow & has a compression spring running through it.  When you cut off the handle this short, you'll likely release that captured spring & then your switch won't work!!!  Solution: cram it back in a bit with something pointy, like a scribe, & then squoosh the handle hole back shut with pliers.  My 1st switch was well-behaved, but the 2nd one needed attention.  Deburr any rough edges, but it doesn't have to look pretty, as it will be covered later.

Substep 14.1: If you don't realize that the spring was what busted your switch, drive to Radio Shack to buy another switch, find that they're out of stock, have the clerk call the other Radio Shack in town & learn that their computer says that they have stock but they actually don't, then have the clerk call the RS in the next town over & have them hold a couple of switches for you.  Then, on the way to the other RS, take a wrong turn at a poorly marked intersection & end up on the freeway & get off at the first possible exit, which puts you pretty much at the last RS.  Then take your 2 new switches home, cut the 1st one & scratch your head about why it suddenly busted, then cut the 2nd one & watch the light bulb above your head *finally* turn on!

15: These toggle switches come with an internal washer that's keyed to a slot on the switch's threaded stud mount.  We're going to want to attach this washer to the outside of the gun & swivel it 90 degrees from its intended clocking position.  So, file that little nub on the bore.

16: Filed!  Now put it on the switch's threaded stud mount & make sure it spins freely.

17/18: Pop the power/data cable out from the bottom of the grip frame & get it out of the way.  Fit the switch in the gun & notice how it doesn't quite rest in the cavity quite right.  Pic 17 shows that the switch's stud isn't coming straight out of the bottom of the gun grip handle--it's come out at a slight angle--this will prevent the washer & nut from resting flush on the gun when assembled.  Pic 18 show that the threaded stud is floating above the gun hole instead of coaxial with it.  Pic 18 also shows the hole in the switch handle & spring inside it (see step 14).

19/20: Cover up all but the very bottom of the gun (especially the exposed gears!) & bust out the dremel & the X-Acto knives & the files & hack the case slightly until the switch pokes out to your liking.  Note that the switch is oriented such that its 2 tabs are "up"--this helps clear the wall in its cavity, and there's nothing on the mating left half of the gun that will get in the way (so no need to hack that piece).  Also note the washer with the bent tab.  I unbent the tab slightly & managed to hook it into the gap in the X/P switch (which selects between XBox mode & PS2/PS3/PC mode).  This ensures that the switch will stay stuck in P mode & that nobody will flip the wrong switch or flip this accidentally.  BONUS!  OK, pic 20 doesn't look like a great fit--the switch must've budged for this picture...
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