Taigen BB Firing Mechanism Issue

[Onesmallstep1966]

I’m seriously unimpressed with the Taigen BB Firing Unit. My RTR Tiger 1 is only a few months old and doesn’t get massive use but yesterday I noticed the BB pellets were dropping out the end of the gun so I dismantled the mechanism and discovered the plastic rod inside it had snapped!
Is this normal or have I just been unlucky?

BB Firing Mechanism

[spongehoobtank82]

There pretty fragile to be fair dude, but replacements are cheap

[jackalope]

Got 3 and all work just fine.

[PainlessWolf]

Good morning,
Since HL brought out these plastic shot firing airguns on their tanks a decade ago, the mechanisms have been the weak point. Taigen has the newest and the 'best' of the type but again, major changes are needed, ( Co2 or summat? ), to get the most out of your recoiling airsoft cannon. I had a really good version of the type made up in an older Tiger1 by a fellow named John. He had used stronger springs and an airsoft barrel and to be fair it produced consistent shots of a high velocity. The rest of the tank's turret mechanisms were taking a beating tho' so I ended up sending it to a new home yesterday. I'm switching over to IR with a recoil and flash for a little more realism. If I want to send live rounds down range, I'll use my Tokyo Marui Tiger 1. I don't know how theirs is configured but it works every time.
regards and good luck!
Painless

[Onesmallstep1966]

As a follow up, I received a replacement mechanism from forgebear today (nice quick delivery BTW) and other than the colour difference I noticed the replacement is missing a wired connection that the original has. Can anyone tell me what this wire is for?

Missing Wire

[MichaelC]

That's the trigger for the firing sound and the hull recoil. Without it you won't be able to get sound (you want) and hull recoil (you don't want ?). Just move it over from the old one.

[Onesmallstep1966]

Just move it over from the old one.

Thanks for clearing that up. It's not quite so easy to move the switch over to new mechanism because the elongated hole it goes through isn't quite long enough. I could remove the excess material to lengthen the hole but worry debris will fall into the mechanism.
I will be using an IBU 2 controller on this tank, does it still need this cable for firing sound and recoil?