There is always a noticeable wind up delay when operating airsoft electric gun replicas. This is due to the time spent by the motor and gears turning to pull and release a piston. It can be bothersome, and I was convinced that adding a programmable MOSFET with the pre-cock feature was going to solve this issue. However, I am particular with trigger feel and needed one that did not replace the mechanical trigger. That’s how I decided to go with the GATE Warfet.
For the GS550 marksman I was commissioned for I wanted to put focus on improving the trigger response. The gears, motor, and battery that were previously installed contributed to this slow impulse. I swapped these out for quicker gears, a torquier motor, and a battery that delivered slightly more current. Lastly, the installation of a programmable MOSFET was needed to bring the parts into harmony.
GATE’s Warfet fulfilled three i initial criteria I was looking for in a MOSFET. One, it was programmable and had the Pre-cock Feature. Two, it maintained the use of the trigger switch assembly. And three, would be easy to service externally in case it broke.
MOSFET Pre-Cock
Some programmable MOSFETS allow AEGs to apply additional current after the piston assembly cycles. This additional current rotates the sector gear again a certain amount pulling it back. Thanks to this, the piston assembly will be partially drawn prior to initiating the next trigger pull.
The timing current can be set to adjust how much or little the piston assembly is staged. This feature does work as advertised and I was able to confirm that it indeed sped up the trigger impulse when I observed the sound wave readings.
However, it was less effective for my purposes. One characteristic of the G&G GS550 is a very tiny battery compartment. This project operates on a high load, but is starved for amps and this limited the gains seen with the pre-cock function.
An external power source could be run, but I wanted to keep the system self contained for a streamlined look and operation.
Maintain Trigger Switch Assembly
The mechanical feel of the trigger switch assemblies is a characteristic I like to maintain. However, a lot of modern MOSFET design are shifting towards replacing the assembly with sensors for more accurate and consistent operation. Many will argue that the benefits outweigh the cons, but this loss of mechanical feel is why I prefer the Warfet over the higher end options.
Modularity
GATE’s basic MOSFET design comprise of an In and Out Deans T-plug and signal header. Once an AEG is rewired for this, replacing the MOSFET with units with different features but same layout is a simple affair.
On the GS550, I was able to compare the Nano ASR to the Warfet. I was able to swap in the Nano ASR and discovered that it did not push as much power as the Warfet. Swapping back to the Warfet, trigger response was snappier which proved that there was a difference in power delivery capacity.
Thanks to this test, I will now be more mindfull and add a MOSFET’s ability to deliver power as the 4th ceiteria to watch for. Also, if anything wrong were to happen to the MOSFET, this set-up makes it really easy to replace.
Conclusion
I think GATE’s Warfet is a great MOSFET. For someone like me who has a very specific need to keep the trigger switch assembly, it presented itself as the best option. Rate of fire control and Pre-Cock are adjustable and it delivers power really well.
However, the design is not the latest and it has been some time since this MOSFET has seen any updates. GATE is rapidly expanding their portfolio with more and more advanced MOSFETs that are sensor focused. I hope they can put some of that R&D into a smaller Warfet that doesn’t lose out on features and power delivery.
I really like GATE’s MOSFET design language and really enjoyed their other products like the Pico AAB and Nano ASR. Hopefully they can continue to improve on these models as well.
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