ICS m4 crane stock ?

[Padkiller]

Hello everyone, I own a ICS m4 with a crane stock. It's a very good gun, but I really don't like the fact that I''m forced to buy ICS batteries only for that gun. Is there anyway that I can modify the stock to add a regular battery, cause if I can't, I'll be forced to buy some from Airsoft GI, in the U.S

OK, here's the twist :O

The ICS m4 crane stock use a battery that works with contact, rather than connect the fuse, I just have to drop the battery in the stock and push it at the bottom.

So, is there a way to change the stock or not ?

Thanks !

[Sha Do]

You can change the stock on these particular I.C.S AEGs, BUT you may have to go with another type of I.C.S. stock, as they have an unusual mounting (the wiring harness from the back of the mech box will also have to be switched out).

SHA DO

[AoiShikaku]

I have the same issue with mine and thought up several solutions to your problem. The stock of the gun can be swapped out for other stocks, but you'll have to be careful which stock you want because some stocks won't fit snug (at least with my ICS M4). I learned that when I had to hacksaw a sling mount attachment between the stock and receiver.

From personal experience this is what you can do:
Daisy chain the internal wires (the best one would be on the receiver side when you remove the stock) to a location where you want to put it (external box, between the rails and the external barrel, etc.). You can essentially have two battery sources inside and readily available while on the field. If you do want this as a solution what I would recommend is that you get an A-B switch (like a light switch) that can swap between the two instantly if you are running low on juice. Just remember that you will only need the red cables on the switch, black ones are ground so can all be attached together without the switch.

In the event you want to keep the original stock it becomes a bit more difficult because of the limited space you have to work with. From the stock side you'll have to attach two wires (red and black) and run them down the shaft of the stock to where the battery sits. From there you'll have to get a female end so you can plug in any battery + still use the existing ICS battery. Those end types are pretty common (just buy some cheap $5 charger with the same female end so you can harvest it)


If this confuses you I'll take pictures of exactly what I'm talking about to be more clear. Just tell me what solution you want to go with and I'll be pretty descriptive in the pictures.. might just do a video to speed it up.

[Padkiller]

Thanks guys !

[Kos-Mos]

You can perform a modification that will let you install any stock you want. It is quite simple and requires only a file or dremel and a few hours.

You will need the stock you want to install.

Basically, the part where the buffer tube mount is made taper towards the rear, and the front section is too wide for regular stocks. You have to file it down a bit so that any stock fits. It does not have to be a snug fit, the screw will remove any wobble in there, but too much slop might let the tube (and stock) rotate a bit.

Only the two side tabs have to be filed, in thickness, and sometimes a bit in width. It is really easy to understand when you have an other stock to try.

[AoiShikaku]

Originally Posted by Kos-Mos

You can perform a modification that will let you install any stock you want. It is quite simple and requires only a file or dremel and a few hours.

Also going to forewarn you about the advice listed above. If you file to much there will be a vertical bend starting from the stock to the receiver which will put a lot of stress on that one screw holding up the stock. Eventually it will snap off and the likely part to break would be the plastic lower receiver (if metal, then the screw).

[AoiShikaku]

Forgot to mention that there are retailers in Canada that sell ICS batteries for the crane stock. Unfortunately I couldn't find one as cheap as Airsoft GI in the states. The average prices I've seen for crane stock batteries from Canada ranged anywhere from $50-$100+