Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about services
Q: Where are you based?
A: Sabre Airsoft UK LTD is located in South Wales approximately 20 minutes outside of Newport (locally known as Zooport depending who you ask)
Q: How much do you cost?
A: The standard rate is £25 per hour, with a one hour minimum charge.
I also do not charge for more than four hours of labour as I generally take my time to ensure everything is bob on, why should you pay extra for my perfectionism?
Q: How can you afford to operate like that? Surely you can’t survive on that?
A: Tech work and YouTube are a hobby, the company only needs to make enough to be able to order in parts as needed and pay the monthly bills. I’m a software engineer during the day and so don’t need to make enough to live off through this work. Sabre Airsoft UK LTD operates as a not for profit.
Q: Aren’t you just undercutting others? Why do other Techs charge more? Are they better?
A: Bit of a loaded question there really.
So firstly, I’m not undercutting anyone intentionally, another tech that I know and a close friend charges the same as I do though without the hard cut off.
Other Techs charge what they do for a multitude of reasons, it could be because that’s what others in their area charge, or it could be the minimum they need to justify the work.
In some cases it’s because they get so much work that they need a way to discourage it, peoples in trades do this all the time by quoting large numbers when they don’t really want the job but will take it if the customer is willing to pay (Don’t like this practice personally, just say no?)
As for if they’re better? Well I know that I can’t hold a candle to some but I’m better than others. I quite publicly post some of my work on YouTube, you can use that to judge.
Q: Will you record your work on my replica and put it on YouTube? I don’t want my info online!
A: I will only record interesting replicas or things that I haven’t covered before on a particular replica, I will also NEVER mention anyone’s details in a video UNLESS they have agreed and asked for it ahead of time.
If you’re in my workshop and it’s something I wish to put onto YouTube, I’ll make it clear I’ll be recording and ask if you are ok with your voice being in the video, if not I’ll either ask you to leave, tell you to be quiet during recording, or simply not record depending on the circumstances.
Q: How much experience do you have doing tech work?
A: Officially I started offering paid tech services in mid 2024.
I’ve been in the airsoft hobby for over a decade now, during that time (especially when I was younger) I couldn’t afford the services of a tech and so had to learn how to repair and maintain my equipment myself. It’s also worth noting that back when I joined the hobby, there were no YouTube videos really, only some blog posts and forums where everyone argued their own ideas constantly, parts were also much harder to come by so you had to really bodge it more often than not.
So depending what you consider experience I have over 10 years experience repairing and maintaining airsoft replicas.
A lot of my knowledge comes from what I learned doing Blacksmithing, repairing my own kit, a year of doing a degree in mechanical engineering (BEng) and LONG discussions with others in the industry.
My methodology when it comes to diagnosing problems comes from my career as a software engineer, it’s iterative and formulaic, this means it can take a little longer than others who might dive right into their first hunch instead of carefully examining the evidence in front of them (No I’m not calling out anyone in particular, that approach is more nuanced than that, it’s just not my style).
Q: Can you repair my replica?
A: That depends on what it is, what parts availability is like and if I have time.
Because I do this of an evening and weekend, there can sometimes be a bit of a wait, for example at the time of writing this FAQ I have 6 replicas to repair or work on, sometimes I can get 2 done in an evening other times 1 might take a couple of evenings to get right. I don’t declare a replica done until I’m satisfied that it’s working properly and reliably.
In the unlikely event that I’m unable to complete a repair, I will either re-assemble it and return it or I will bag it up and ship back the parts. Alternatively you can opt to let me keep the parts for future repairs.
This will be discussed in the event that I can’t repair it, you will not incur a charge for any of those options, in fact should the replica be a particularly uncommon one (Marushin!!!) I may even offer you money for the parts as some brands may be out of circulation, parts rare or otherwise never sold.
Q: Why do you want my WhatsApp number?
A: Taking inspiration from Negative Airsoft, I will send you small videos showing the process, what I’ve found, and explaining what caused the issue and how we can fix it.
My aim is to empower you with knowledge and understanding so that in the future you can repair your own kit without the need to pay someone else to do it. The added benefit is that you know and can say with confidence exactly everything that was done to your replica should you decide to sell it on.
Obviously this isn’t for everyone and that’s perfectly fine! I will be here should you need guidance, or you just don’t have the time to do the work yourself.
Advice is always free!
Q: Do you offer warranty on repairs?
A: Yes! Sabre Airsoft UK LTD offers a limited warranty for a period of 4 months following works carried out on your replica.
The warranty is limited to parts replaced by Sabre Airsoft UK LTD.
Sabre Airsoft UK LTD reserves the right to reject warranty repair should it become clear that the damage was caused by misuse or parts of the replica not changed or interacted with by Sabre Airsoft UK LTD.
For an additional fee of £15, the warranty can be extended by an additional 4 months with a free service after the first 4 months to ensure that everything is still working as it should.
Q: You repaired my GBB but now it’s sticking and not working! You suck!
A: Did you maintain it like. . .at all? GBB replicas require a lot more care and attention than an AEG. On my YouTube I have a video covering the very basic steps you need to take after a game day (or at least every other game day) in order to keep your GBB replica running smoothly, you will also be informed of the bare minimum steps you need to take.
If you have indeed properly maintained it and it’s still having problems (and it’s within the warranty period) I will take it back and repair it under warranty. I will however be able to tell if you’ve done no preventative maintenance and this will not be covered under warranty, unless you’ve been very very nice about it.
Questions about
choosing parts
Q: I want THESE PARTS in there, will you do that?
A: That depends on what the parts are and why you specifically want those.
remember, all airsoft replicas are shit. You may have found a video or post by someone claiming that they put those specific parts into their exact same model of replica and it shoots lasers or some other such claim. That doesn’t mean however that it will work in yours.
The reason for this is that the tolerances on airsoft replicas are absolutely rubbish, you can have two replicas that are identical in model but the gearboxes will sit ever so slightly differently, or the distances between the two halves of the shell will be out by 0.1mm. Believe it or not that can mean the difference between choosing one part over another. It also means the number of shims used on the gears will differ replica to replica.
No matter what, I have never encountered two replicas that are perfectly identical, it’s just not possible.
That’s not to say some aren’t close to identical though, a good example of this are the Wolverine series of replicas, the CNC billet versions will generally have much better tolerances than the forged versions. This means that it can generally accept other precision made parts such as Maxx hop units (yuck!).
In replicas such as those made by CYMA however, the likelihood that a precision made part will just drop in there is considerably lower so instead it’s normally better to opt for less precise parts such as the ZCI plastic rotary hop unit (yum!).
Q: I want you to fit a GATE Titan in my AEG
A: Unless you can justify perfectly why you want one, I’m very much not going to do so.
GATE products in general use things such as Bluetooth to enable you to program them, that sounds great right?
Except for one major problem, that requires using a phone app, phone apps require updates, these updates happen because of a whim from a company or because dependencies become obsolete or no longer function. This can lead to the app no longer working with your phones OS (not to mention OS updates breaking things as well!).
They also usually require firmware updates on the MOSFET itself, those who are old enough might remember (and have heart palpitations doing so) what it was like updating the BIOS on your computer. There’s a very real risk that the update can brick your MOSFET and you’re left with an expensive paperweight.
Not to mention in a lot of cases you need to modify the gearbox to fit them and I generally only modify things if I absolutely have to.
This is why I typically opt for using the Perun line of MOSFETs, I’ve found them easy to install and very reliable.
Q: Hey you should glue these bits in!
A: No, go away.
Q: How much do you charge for parts?
A: I will never charge more than the MSRP or what it cost me to get your parts should they be cheaper than MSRP. While I do have access to some suppliers directly I do not have access to them all, and some parts will need to come from Asia (WE parts typically).
I try to keep AEG related parts in stock as much as possible though I do sometimes run out and need to order more in which can add a short delay, as my first port of call for AEG parts is almost always the fantastic AK2M4 I’m normally able to get a restock within 2 days at the most (Seriously, I highly recommend them!).
GBB parts share very little cross compatibility in a lot of cases and so keeping those in stock is a big challenge. The more I grow the more I can keep in stock.
I will also give you a link to the parts I intend to purchase (where possible) and get your go ahead before doing so, if you think you can find it cheaper then let me know and I’ll happily save you money! As mentioned elsewhere Sabre Airsoft UK LTD operates as a not for profit, and my ethos is honesty, openness and integrity.
You’ll also receive an itemised invoice at the end so you can see exactly how much was charged and for what.
Q: If you manage to get the part at wholesale price, why are you charging me MSRP?
A: More often than not wholesalers will have in their terms and conditions that you can’t charge below a certain amount for products, to avoid losing access to those suppliers I have to charge based on those conditions.
If I could offer it at wholesale price I absolutely would. If I feel a job is getting too expensive for you and I can swallow the cost into the company I will. Though this is definitely not a promise or guarantee! It’s not very often I’m able to do this.
Q: Why does it seem like you only pick the cheap crappy parts? Why won’t you pick the super expensive CNC part?
A: I would refer you back to the section discussing how all airsoft replicas are shit.
Further, cheap does not mean crappy, it just means cheap. A perfect example of cheap and not crappy are the SHS gearsets, pistons etc. XT barrels, and the ZCI rotary hop unit.
Also I do sometimes use CNC parts, but it has to be the right thing for that replica! remember, there’s no one size fits all solution in this industry, you have to experiment and find what works best for that particular replica.
Questions about shipping
Q: Where do I send my replica? What’s your address?
A: I may put it here in the future, but for now I will give you the shipping address when we agree on what we’re going to do for you. If you’re clever enough I’m sure you could find it.
Q: What should I include in the box?
A: Please remove any optics or grips, I’ll be taking those off anyway and it saves me the trouble of remembering exactly where you had it on there.
If shipping an AEG or HPA replica, please include at least 1 mag that you use with it, you may optionally send a battery but for the love of all that is holy DO NOT under any circumstances, leave it plugged into the replica, you should also NOT have the magazine inserted into the replica either. This is for safety reasons, a plugged in battery could swell and catch fire, and some control boards are so sensitive to EMF that they will fire entirely without touching them. I have seen this first hand and there are plenty of examples of it happening online.
If you’re shipping a GBBP or GBBR, please again include at least one mag but ensure that it is empty of any gas.
You should also include any accessories such as remote controls (in the case of G&G replicas) or any other external tool that comes with the replica, I don’t own everything and some things are keyed to that particular replica.
You do not need to include ammo, or gas cans.
You may optionally include a gift for me though you won’t receive any lesser service if you don’t.
My favourite things to receive are:
Tangfastics
Strawbs
Milk Chews
Red Wine
Hobgoblin beer (or other Ales)
Wheat beers.
If you opt for a liquid please make sure it’s packed well and won’t break, I really don’t want to clean that off your replica as well.
Q: What box should I send it in?
A: You can use any suitably sized box you like though the original box it came in may be easiest, if you opt for the latter than I strongly suggest you wrap it in black cling film for shipping (you can pick rolls up cheaply from Amazon). This helps minimise the risk that someone will see the box and know what’s in it and then pilfer it.
You should also include appropriate packaging such as foam, packing paper or plenty of bubble wrap to again help minimise the risk of damage during transit.
Please don’t construct a box out of many boxes, this makes it a pain to send back.
Q: What couriers can I use?
A: At the time of writing this the only couriers that will knowingly and willingly ship replicas are:
Royal Mail
Parcelforce
To date, I have had no problems sending or receiving via those couriers. If you opt to use a different courier then Sabre Airsoft UK LTD and myself cannot be held responsible for a loss or damage in transit.
Please make sure you opt to use the appropriate insurance options when completing the forms.
I will return your items via the previously mentioned couriers using the best option available and you will be supplied with a tracking number. Please let me know if you can only receive the parcel on specific days such as Saturdays so I can select the appropriate time and service for sending it.
Q: You said my replica was damaged when it got to you? How do I know you’re telling the truth?!?!? (Or the other way around)
A: When I receive packages I always record the receipt of them (via ring doorbell) and the opening of them, this way I have proof that it was damaged in transit and you can claim from the insurance you took out when sending it.
I strongly advise you adopt the same practices with all packages you receive, it can really save you problems with places that are known for nicking items from packages or damaging them (Hermes, Amazon etc).
I will also record the closing and sealing of the box before I send it for the same reasons as well as the collection.
Questions about the rest
Q: Are you an actual company or a sole trader?
A: The clue is in the name, Sabre Airsoft UK LTD is a registered company in the UK, our company number is: 15437418
Q: Why do you get so weirdly excited about problems in replicas?
A: This hobby is always changing, and I LOVE learning (and puzzles)! I have ADHD and Autism, so when something comes along that is a break from the norm I can’t help but dive in and find out the WHY.
Most people when something breaks will think “ah well, that’s that then” but not me, I just HAVE to know why! I will never accept “ah well that’s just that brand” because I don’t believe that the designer (not the C suits, they suck) intended for something to break. I believe this because I’m a software engineer! I have seen it before, an engineer will say “This thing needs these exact specs to work” and someone controlling the budget will say “Ok, but can we do it cheaper?”.
There’s always a reason for a failure, and I will find it, and I will (hopefully) find a solution for it.
Q: Why do you say all airsoft replicas are shit? My (insert brand) is perfect!
A: So this comes from my knowledge of Blacksmithing and mechanical engineering (and over a decade of airsoft).
In manufacturing there is a term you’ve likely heard that is tolerances. What sets different brands apart in terms of quality is how strictly these tolerances are enforced by both the factories producing the individual parts, and the one conducting the final assembly.
No brand is perfect, and some such as TM (yay!) might expect a sub .05% of failures and call it good, while others such as APS (boo hiss boo) might see a 20% failure rate and consider it acceptable. Those rates by the way refer to failures in the end users hands.
Typically in my experience, if you purchase a replica at launch, there’s a higher chance of getting one of those failures than at any other time. See my video on the Delta Armory Glocks as an example. If there are problems at launch, most companies will correct them during the next batch or release replacement parts to the end user to resolve the problem. Most manufacturers do want to right by you, others (cough Delta Armory cough) will send out a known faulty batch and assume any that don’t work will just get sent back.
That’s not to say however that you are guaranteed to get a broken replica out of the box on some of the . . . cheaper. . . brands, it just means that your chances are that bit higher.
If you do find it broken out of the box, take it back to the retailer! You should be covered by warranty and if the retailer fobs you off then quote the Consumer Rights act! (Sections 9-11, 23, 24, 30)
If you’ve modified or painted your replica, expect to be told to do one. That almost always voids your warranty.
Having my mess around inside there will also void your warranty.
Q: I purchased my replica second hand and it’s broken! What do I do?
A: I hate to say it but that’s the gamble you take, unless you can prove that the seller intentionally lied about the condition of the replica and I do mean INTENTIONALLY, then “Caveat Emptor” applies, which means “Buyer Beware” essentially.
Luckily that’s where people like myself come in, get in touch if you want to get it working and I’ll either tell you how to fix it yourself and what parts you need (and where to get them!) or I’ll give you the details needed to get it on my workbench.