Hi! I have written this guide to help people to buy a good BATTERY for their HIGH END ELECTRIC GUN. I have been airsoftting for more than 15 years and this quick guide is based off from my own experience to help you pick a good battery for your AEG as well as give you some tips to get the most performance out of your electric gun. There are 3 standard types of batteries for electric guns: Small 8.4 v type, Large 8.4v type and Stick 8.4v type. Nowadays there are more people carrying custom batteries but we will focus on these 3 types for now. I will be presenting advantages and disadvantages of the three types as well as tell you which brand to buy.

NIMH vs. NI-CAD

Before there was only ni-cad batteries produced for electric guns. They are pretty good batteries, if you keep them well maintaned. You have to discharge them completely before you recharge them because the cells have a memory effect. But as time goes on players have been looking for more power and higher capacities and without the hassle of discharging before recharging. That was when they started producing NIMH batteries. In the beginning they didnt do so well, some batteries claim that they have 3000 mah capacities but have a really low output and it is evident in the slow rate of fire of the gun. But nowadays they started not only producing high capacity NIMH but as well as high output for that increased rate of fire and more pushing power for stronger springs. Sounds perfect right? But there is one flaw, they are sensitive to high heat. Heat really affects the performance of these new generation NIMH and it not only decreases performance but also damages the cell itself. But careful operation solves this problem.

LARGE 8.4v TYPE

The size of a standard large cell is Sub C but contrary to popular belief different brands dont have the same size. They vary as more capacity means bigger diameter and longer length.

ADVANTAGES:

-Longer playing time

-Higher output (brands like the intellect brothers gives you the same performance as a 9.6v sanyo large ni-cad or 9.6v small type in a 8.4v platform)

DISADVANTAGES:

-makes the gun longer because it requires a full stock

-makes a gun heavier (could also be considered as an advantage)

-may sometimes require modifications in some models to the battery compartment to fit

-more expensive

RECOMMENDED BRANDS:

1. INTELLECT BROTHERS- 3600mah-4200mah

2. ELITE- 3600mah-4300mah

3. SANYO- 1700mah-3300mah (the only brand that needs no mods to fit)

4. GP- 3000mah-3300mah

SMALL 8.4v TYPE & STICK TYPE

The size of a standard small cell is 2/3A. No modification is required to the battery compartment. The stick type is the same as the small type because they use the same cell size.

ADVANTAGES:

-small

-light weight (can also be considered as a disadvantage)

-perfect for compact guns

-cheaper than a large battery

DISADVANTAGES:

-lower output

-lower capacity than a large

RECOMMENDED BRANDS:

1. INTELLECT BROTHERS- 1200mah- 1400mah

2. CBP- 1150mah

3. GP- 1100mah

TIPS:

-on Ni-Cad's always discharge before recharging

-even though NIMH don't have to be discharged before recharging it is also good idea to discharge them to cycle the battery pack

-invest in a charger that has a peak detection and auto cut-off feature to avoid overcharging

-If you have a charger that has a selectable charge rate and if you are charging a small battery always only choose 1 amp charging rate specially on NIMH to avoid overheating of the battery and damaging the cells and if it is a large battery pack only go up to 2 amps.

- If you have an upgraded gun, never take out the fuse for higher current flow just replace with a higher amp fuse

-Although its kind of expensive it is a good idea to also invest in a MOSFET. It helps protect the electrical components  as well as boost up the performance of the gun.

Hope you enjoyed this short guide. Thanks for looking and God bless!