SlyFox's ANH Airsoft Conversion w/ Real Parts

[charlesnarles]

I tell ya, neglect this website for a week or two and you miss seeing amazing things like this. I just caught up and wow! You're doing all I imagined and more, plus you're making it look so easy! Great work so far, truly inspiring. Can't wait to see how it all turns out.

[SlyFox740[TK]]

I tell ya, neglect this website for a week or two and you miss seeing amazing things like this. I just caught up and wow! You're doing all I imagined and more, plus you're making it look so easy! Great work so far, truly inspiring. Can't wait to see how it all turns out.

Thank you so much, I'm really glad you like it so far. I still have so much more planned for this build yet, I'm only getting started. I may make it look easy but like I said these modifications aren't for the faint of heart. This Airsoft Sterling is made in China and individual parts are basically impossible to get, so I only have one shot at modifying it. Considering the price of this gun I'd better do it right the first time!

I'm flattered you find my work inspiring and I appreciate your kind words. Many others before me have done an Airsoft E-11 Conversion, albeit most of them are functional Airsoft guns unlike mine.

[redinight]

I've been gone a long time and just logged in to find a pm, and I'm glad I did!!!! This is amazing work, and I will definitely be looking it over more than once.  Thank you !

[fieldmarshall]

I love seeing those  Hengstler Counter boxes ,,, 

 

Edited February 23, 2017 by fieldmarshall

[SlyFox740[TK]]

Episode III - Revenge of the Sights, & Stock

 

Sorry for the delay in this build thread, but after finally repairing all the broken Photobucket links in my posts I can now finally continue where I left off. The next inaccuracies I will correct will be the front sight, rear sight, and folding stock.

 As you can see a real Sterling (Top) has knurling on the front sight guard, where the Airsoft replica(Bottom) does not.

 

 

I removed the 4 tack welds holding the front sight guard with a precision dremel tool, then I used a punch to recreate the staggered knurling pattern.

After knurling the front sight guard I tack welded it back onto the airsoft gun.

Here are some Before & After comparison photos of the airsoft modification. Before (Top), After (Bottom).

Notice I also filed the round opening on the front sight guard to be a little bit deeper like the real thing.

 

Here are some comparison photos of a real Sterling (Top) and my Airsoft modification (Bottom).

 

I also filed the front sight pin a little bit to make it more accurate to the real thing.

 

A real Sterling rear sight guard has knurling as well, where the Airsoft replica does not. The pivot pin on the Airsoft is also different than a real Sterling.

Using this needle file set I was able to add the serrations on the rear sight guard.

Here are some Before & After comparison photos of the Rear Sight Guard modification.

I also changed out the pivot pin for something that looks a bit more like the real thing.

Here you can see the Airsoft rear sight guard has a mushroom head shape, this is inaccurate. I used a file to round it off like the real thing as well as adding the serrations.

 

 

Here is a comparison photo of a real Sterling (Left) and my Airsoft modification (Right).

 

A real Sterling folding stock is different than the Airsoft folding stock in a number of ways. First of all the shape of the bends arch outwards on a real Sterling, and they arch inwards on the Airsoft gun. There is a also a steel block present at the base of the "Y" on a real Sterling, but it is absent on the Airsoft gun. There are some other small differences which I will discuss and correct as well.

Here are some comparison photos of a real Sterling folding stock and the Airsoft folding stock.

I started with a 1/2" block of steel with a 7/16" diameter hole in it, I used a center punch to mark the center of two opposite sides.

Then I drilled a center hole through both sides.

I also had to shape the end of the support bar on the folding stock to match the tip of the 7/16" drill bit I used. I did this for two reasons; 1. To keep as much steel around the pivot pin as possible for strength, 2. To allow me to chamfer the edges and corners of the block without penetrating through the thin walls of the steel block.

I chamfered the edges and corners of the block using a lathe, and then used sandpaper to smooth it out after. I also drilled a small dimple in the top of the steel block to make it look more accurate.

The Airsoft folding stock is made of thinner steel than a real Sterling so it's rather easy to work with. I used a rubber mallet and the rounded edge of an anvil to correct the shape of the Airsoft folding stock. The bends now arch outwards correctly like a real Sterling, not inwards.

Here are some Before & After comparison photos of my modified Airsoft folding stock.

 

Here are some comparison photos of a real Sterling folding stock with my modified Airsoft folding stock.

 

A real Sterling buttstock is slightly different than the Airsoft replica in a few ways. The pins have dimples on the ends and the corners of the folded steel buttstock are rounded, the Airsoft gun does not have dimples on the ends of the pin and the corners of the buttstock are pointed.

As you can see here I drilled out dimples in the center of the pin on both sides and filed down the corners of the buttstock so that it's rounded off instead of pointed.

Here's a Before & After comparison photo. Before (Top), After (Bottom)

And here's a comparison photo of a real Sterling (Top) with my Airsoft modification (Bottom)

A real Sterling folding stock also has dimples on the ends of the support bar pivot pin where as the Airsoft gun does not.

Here is a Before & After comparison photo of the Airsoft modification. Before (Top), After (Bottom)

Here is a comparison photo of a real Sterling (Top) with my Airsoft modification (Bottom).

A real Sterling folding stock (Top) is mounted with carriage bolts, where the Airsoft folding stock (Bottom) is mounted with slotted dome head screws.

Here's what the folding stock mounting bolt looks like when removed from the airsoft gun.

To replace the slotted dome head screws I used a custom combination of Chicago screws, Small washers, and a threaded rod. This screw also holds the grip in place as you know from my earlier grip modification chapter. For this reason I needed a fairly tough small threaded rod so I modified a steel machine screw by cutting the head off and filing it down smooth.

Here are the other parts I used to create the custom mounting bolt for the folding stock. Chicago Screws, Washers, Modified screw for threaded rod.

Here they are assembled in the same way it would be when they're on the blaster.

As you can see, the Chicago Screw dome heads fit perfectly inside the recesses on the Airsoft Folding Stock.

Here are some Before & After photos of the Folding Stock Mounting Bolt modification. Before (Top), After (Bottom).

 

Here are some comparison photos of a real Sterling (Top) with my Airsoft modification (Bottom).

 

A real Sterling folding stock has square locking studs where the Airsoft gun has round locking studs.

Using a scriber I was able to carve the correct shape into the folding stock and fill in the incorrect one with bondo.

Here is a Before & After photo. Before modification (Top) After modification (Bottom)

Here is a comparison photo of a real Sterling and my Airsoft modification.

 

I hope you enjoyed this chapter of my blaster build, please don't hesitate to leave any comments or critiques.

Stay Tuned for the next episode, To Be Continued...

 

 

Edited October 28, 2017 by SlyFox740

[fieldmarshall]

Incredible work

 

[fieldmarshall]

Just a observation/critique on the airsoft gun... They really missed/messed up the little half moon shapes too . I have shared the complexity of that part with you before SLYFOX  ... It has been the toughest to recreate and braze on a tube correctly...  The airsoft did a terrible job of coping it i think... 

 

Too thin and not doesnt have the proper radius on the bottom to get it to line up and lay flat on the tube... caused it to lean forward some.

 

Edited October 22, 2017 by fieldmarshall

[SlyFox740[TK]]

On 10/22/2017 at 2:33 PM, fieldmarshall said:

Incredible work

Thank you for the compliment Chris!

 

Yes I agree the ejection port/muzzle flash guards are off too, like pretty much everything else on the airsoft gun. The bayonet lug is of as well which I will also be correcting.

I guess it's all part of the fun/challenge of converting one of these airsoft guns to an ANH E-11.  They would make a much easier base for a Rogue One E-11 blaster build considering that's what was used on screen, and that's exactly what I'm doing with the other Airsoft Sterling that I bought; SlyFox's R1 Airsoft Conversion with Real Parts

Edited January 7, 2018 by SlyFox740

[T-Jay[TK]]

The attention you pay to all the details is highly appreciated. It gives a clear understanding to every potential builder about the required effort to turn such an airsoft Sterling into an ANH E-11.