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This is the bolt made from the left over aluminum pipe. A cut of made and pipe squeezed so that it would fit snugly inside the newly made receiver. Holes were then made to allow the Blast-FX cables to go through the receiver and bolt to the grip and magazine well. Screw holes were also made which would fix the grip to the bolt and then the bolt to the receiver. Reason for this was that Asahi's grip is designed to be inserted into the opening in the receiver and fixed inside, not directly to the receiver bottom. Holes for the cables etc were actually enlarged further from these photos. This shows how the bolt is inserted and fixed within the receiver while allowing the Blast-FX cable to pass through. Switch for the trigger can be seen fixed to the bolt within the receiver. Here's the rail made from an aluminum flat bar from the local hardware store. I see that the connection to the rear sight is not ideal but will do for now. T-Tracks were made from 1.2mm styrene plastic. Made plastic strips and glued them as I saw fit. It was then heated with a lighter and bent to fit the receiver holes. Could have tried to get more accurate T-tracks but will do for now. Magazine well connected to the receiver. The magazine well is made of plastic. Since plastic and aluminum receiver would probably not glue together so well, I bolted a metal plate to the outer side of the receiver and glued the well to this metal plate to achieve a stronger connection. Hengstler counter was DIY'd from styrene plates. This would hold the lipo battery and the main counter LED for the Blast FX. Rear end of the counter was purposely kept open and attached with a small magnet so that the battery can be replaced for charging. Original Asahi's magazine was replaced with a DIY'd one made from styrene plates. And here are all the parts ready for painting. Almost there !

I couldn't help but spot a muddy Anthology trooper...

Congratulations Nick! Knew you could do it!

It's certainly possible I don't fully understand Dave's operation, so I don't suppose I really know if he does the pulls himself. I do have an older assembled AM TD from Joseph that seems to match my ATA armor in color, but I suspect it pre-dates Dave's involvement, and I have no way to know if the ABS color has changed since then. I do also have a TD from MonCal/FAC that is properly sized, but way different in color; I've considered color-matching and spray painting it. Sorry to derail your original topic, Jacob. I'd certainly love to keep up with what you decide and perhaps see some action photos. In my opinion, paintball would be even more interesting to see, particularly if your armor becomes a white ABS canvas.

Congrats Ben! Well done! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congrats on your Centurion level clearance Nicholas! It's a sharp looking suit you have there.

Hi @Sooperglue Great to have another TFA builder! I am currently coming to the end of my build so feel free to reach out.

Congratulations Nicholas, welcome to Centurion rank

Thank you. I was surprised myself that I was able to come this far with just manual drilling and a metal file. I couldn’t have done it without the E-11 Reference file and all the information on this FIST site.

Here's a little more of the Sterling with the replaced receiver. The metal stock is a working one which clicks into the rear end cap. Metal parts are : front & rear sight, stock, trigger & trigger guard, magazine release button Muzzle, magazine well, end cap and grip is of ABS material.

Okay, glad that you're already aware that everything about this is a bad idea, except that it will definitely look cool... so with that being stated clearly: If you were going to go with any armor maker to do this, AM is the way to go, as they are one of the thicker and stronger kits available. Since they utilize metal molds and industrial machines when pulling their plastic, they can go a little thicker than most and still capture excellent detail. Definitely more accurate than a Rubies kit. As far as damage to the suit, if you do anything other than stand around and take photos in it, you're probably going to damage the armor. The original armor was literally thrown in the trash after stunt filming, so usually we take great care NOT to be doing the exact type of running/dodging/etc typically found in airsoft or stunt work. Be aware it is very difficult to lean, kneel, or crouch, and sitting is usually off limits as well except under certain conditions. The 'correct' chelsea boots are also not terribly comfortable and don't have good grip for running. Heck, if someone bumps into you hard enough or you fall down, you're going to have a bad time. Repairs are possible for small cracks, but a large crack could destroy a piece. I can't see this being a regular thing, but it'd be a fun $1500 gimmick for a few rounds. You'll undoubtedly want to make some mods to increase mobility (almost more akin to those Boogie Storm clowns), but I'm sure the kit could be cut to some type of compromise between some level of comfort and still looking like a stormtrooper. As far as the impact resistance... There ARE thinner spots that might not take a direct hit from close range, but in general, BBs should bounce off and be fine with some scuffs or dents at close range (there ARE still several gaps in the suit under which a thin compression suit is typically worn, so that might still hurt). The BBs aren't going to be your problem, it's going to be the terrain you're interacting with and your mobility/vision. EVA foam could be a good alternative for comfort, but wouldn't look as good. That's been done before with interesting results... So idk, there are some thoughts on that and I guess an endorsement for Dave, but yea... I would never invest the money to do this, but would love to see you do it if you're dead set! Post pics/video hahaha