Hey everyone, Im in the process of building a VDT and Im wondering if anybody has a preference between the gun kits for either BC or strike models? Strike Models seems to have more choices and is a bit cheaper so I'm kinda leaning towards them but I want to know if the statement "you get what you pay for" is true in this case. Has anyone tried guns from both and is there even a difference?
BC & Strike sell different styles of guns. The Strike style is know as a Foster Breach, after James Foster who invented it. It has the elbow of the gun milled out and a #36 O-ring in side of it. The BC style has the elbow of the breach ground flat with a larger flat o-ring on top of it. Both gun styles work well. Both fire around the same speed. More people in my area use the Foster Breach, that's what the common spare parts are so we recomend getting those. Personly I like the Foster better. The real question you should ask is if you should get coil mags or straght mags. I like to get all straight. The coils take up too much room in the ship. If they get a dig the mag is toast. With straight mags there are ways to fix them.
Is Strike selling fast gun guns yet? Not dinging on them (cause they're cool and I like them), but I didn't think they'd got the ultrasonic welder hooked up to make them yet.
I'd guess that Stephen is still selling the brass&copper ones while he works out the prototypes and fabrication of his new fancy ones.
Thanks for the advice about the straight vs coil mags. Thats one tip that I'm glad I didnt have to find out the hard way.
If you are building a VDT have you see this yet: http://www.portpolarbear.com/reports/Inside%20the%20DKM%20VDT.htm Some of the other ships on the list might also help out: http://www.portpolarbear.com/reports/index.html
And on the magazine tube and uptube of each gun, wrap some of that plastic split-loom tubing for protection. It'll keep any random BB dings from denting your tubes mid-battle. You can see this in some of the ship reports on the PPB website. I got the idea from a boat I bought from one of the PPB guys that came with the guns in (and the split-loom on them).
Stephen may have a few pre-made left, but hasn't started making them since the move. I'll have him chime in here in the next day or so about this. Keri
I checked out alot of the ships on the ship report including the vdt. Also the Bearn build (which is fantastic by the way). Im having a hard time finding anything else on a vdt besides this ( http://ja-vdt.blogspot.com/2007/09/preparing-hull.html ) I can see why the straight magazines save room though. I would've thought the opposite considering that they're coiled. So can you put anything on the actual barrels to prevent dings or just the uptube and magazine? Like sleeving it with some sort of airline tubing? I really appreciate all the advice from you guys so thanks again.
Haha you found my old site!! It is still just a cut out hull but has a new owner and will be built by spring!!
I've used both clear plastic tubing from Lowes and the split-loom to protect the barrels. But definitely use something.
I use 1/4" vinyl clear tubing to protect the gun barrels, also it is the same stuff used to connect the pump outlet to the pump so getting a roll of it at a hardware store should be on your shopping list anyway. As far as "better" guns, both commerical venders offer guns that work reliably if they are treated right. Use correct size O rings, dont spray anything into the workings, drain water out of them after a sink promptly, check the connections periodically for leaks and damage, and they should last a very long time. Good internal armor is a must, shower pan liner or rubber floor mat material works very well. The clear/white quilting stuff gets shot through and turns brittle very quickly. Best way to protect gun magazines is to keep the bbs away from them altogether, and have them wrapped as a precaution just in case. Coils vs straight mags...I like them both, but for different boats. I like coil mags in larger ships with one cannon per turret (ie sidemount on Kongo, Fuso, Nagato, Bismarck, Baden, etc) because they can be loaded and topped without taking anything apart and straight mags on smaller ships (Moltke, VDT, Invincible) or stern guns with multiple cannons (North Carolina, Yamato, Scharnhorst). If you plan out your ship, you can have the magazine fill ports accessable for straight mags as well, but it just takes a bit more engineering. Check out the PPB build reports page, lots of great ideas there.
