Boneyard Build Blog - HALO'een Edition
The true benefit of Boneyard guns isn't just the discounted prices; browsing the Boneyard in search of a new project can lead to one of the most rewarding parts of the sport/hobby of Airsoft. Boneyard guns have often been mistreated, and won't always be in perfect external condition, allowing the Airsoft innovator to do weird and wonderful things to them, guilt-free. If you have ever been held back by the thought of ruining a perfectly good Airsoft gun to make something epic, stand back and bear witness to the incredible things that can be achieved with a Boneyard wreck, and free yourself from your care. Join us on our journey, have your popcorn and sick bag handy!
We will begin by choosing our Boneyard gun, looking for something with a functional gearbox and HOP but thoroughly messed up externally. Having recently taken in some home-less ex-rental G&G CM16 Raiders from HALO Mill, we decided one of these would be the perfect starting point, ironically due to its imperfection. This AEG had a hard life, but performed well and provided long service, and it damned well earned a comfortable retirement. This unfortunate example won't be retiring quite so comfortably as it has been selected for one final task. Behold what it once was, before the egregious act of soulless carnage occurred:
Our innocent and loyal victim, the G&G CM16 Raider-S, started life as one of the finest AEGs a beginner Airsofter could ask for. G&G Combat machines of various stripes have been serving skirmish sites around the country for countless years, due to their reliability, high performance, and ease of maintenance. Our example has seen better days externally, and a lifetime of semi-auto fire as a rental has seen the boring mode fail, leaving this a full-auto only AEG. In spite of this, our base gun is quite well equipped and should make fine skirmish tool, though it has been replaced in its rental role by a fleet of brand new CM16 Raiders. With G&G's combat machine gearbox, gear adjustable rotary HOP unit, high-density polymer body, and adjustable crane stock, the CM16 Raider-S is just such a perfect little AEG, it would be a shame if someone...
With the assistance of an Amazon special Minigun, a junior hacksaw and some justified swearing we have our finished build! From an eyesore to a head-turner, the transformation is complete! Sporting all the functions from the toy Minigun, including its vibrant lighting effects and "hyper-realistic" noise making, we have successfully transformed our boneyard wreck into a unique juggernaught primary! The process involved sawing off the shell deflector, removing the outer barrel, rail system, and buffer tube, leaving a skeleton of an AEG with only the major structural components intact. The minigun was then taken apart, hacked to pieces, and reconfigured to serve as the front end of the monstrosity dubbed the "Patrol Base Mini-Franken". The internals of the Raider remain untouched, though to keep the functions of the minigun intact its own internal parts needed removing and re-mounting to allow the Raider's inner barrel to pass through beneath the spinning light bank inside the minigun. Hot glue, super glue, modeling putty and tiny screws to the rescue! The only additional part used was what remained of a heavily damaged Krytac PDW stock, kindly donated by another staff member. The butt plate and stock bars were removed, and what remains houses the AEG's battery.
The end result combines familiar M4 elements with some Elysium inspired tech-noir influences. The intention, if not only to give AR15 purists goosebumps, was to make a contraption combining heavily battle-damaged AR with futuristic modifications, wielded by an inventive wastelander surviving in the ashes of a once-great society.
What we have here is just one of many things this build could have become, and serves as proof that with a thrifty mindset, a bit of imagination and a few quid you can make something without equal, even if it is more for fun than skirmishing! And whilst you're enjoying hacking an old AEG to pieces, you can keep your conscience clear in that you are giving the old AEG a new life. Stay tuned for more wacky boneyard contraptions, and maybe the odd sensible boneyard build coming down the line!
Happy Halloween from all of us at Patrol Base, and a friendly reminder: Never take your Gun out on Halloween! Even if it is a hideous unrealistic monstrosity like this! Nothing ruins the fun like explaining why you are a dumb dumb to the Police. Have fun, stay safe, and most importantly, be responsible with your kit! The very survival of both yourself and the sport could be at stake!