What’s the though process and engineering behind the Novritsch Full Thrust Kit? And who is it NOT made for? Today, we will provide a bit of a background to this more tech-savvy topic.
Basic difference – 6 mm vs. 6.44 mm
In short, Full Thrust takes a regular airsoft sniper rifle and changes its calibre by replacing the Hop-Up chamber, barrel and nozzle. With a larger BB, you can use standard materials while making the BB heavier.
Full Thrust Kit uses 6.44 mm BBs instead of 6.00 mm standard BBs. ⚪️
In simple terms, that means more stability and range with the same muzzle energy. Or, even simpler – you get more range while still being field-legal. And that’s a good thing.
What is limiting airsoft snipers?
There are plenty of skilled techs now who can fine-tune an airsoft sniper rifle. However, most people never think about the capability of the projectile itself – the 6mm BB. The ammunition and laws of physics will inherently limit even the best and most expensive rifle.
Let us take the real-steel analogy for this. You may fine-tune your .22LR rifle as much as you want but you will simply never reach the power a 9mm round holds. And the same idea applies to airsoft.
This is an obstacle a regular tech in his garage cannot simply overcome – you need research and development, as well as a reliable supply of airsoft BBs and magazines. But we are no regular garage techs.
Why is 6mm BB even the standard?
99% of airsoft guns use 6 mm BBs. But why? Truth is, the size was determined arbitrarily due to the Japanese law. You see, since airsoft was invented to allow Japanese people at least some gun ownership, they were limited in the caliber such a replica can have to keep it legal.
But is it the ideal size from a ballistics point of view? The answer is evident if you look at the BBs’ weight development over the years. Snipers all over the world are continually switching to the heaviest weight available as soon as it comes out. First, there were 0.40g BBs, then 0.43g, and since 2016, 0.46g BIO BB has hit the market and become the go-to standard for most snipers.
Full Thrust Engineering Explained
Having the team and the options we now have, we spared time and energy in research and development, trying to fix the progress of airsoft snipers. Knowing that the only logical step is to increase the diameter slightly (+7.3%) to increase the weight dramatically (+27%), we had to test if it was safe and efficient to run.
So we took a chunk of ballistic gel, testing the penetration of this new, bigger BB. And we compared it to the classic. Turns out, with greater surface area, the big BB doesn’t do as much as a 6 mm pellet.
Then we ran accuracy/grouping tests. For that we took a wind tunnel (with no wind), set our targets at 60 meters and recorded the results. They speak for themselves:
0.46g grouping | 60m @ 2.6J
0.58g grouping | 60m @ 2.6J
With such clear evidence, we decided to go with the innovation. We had to change the following parts of an existing sniper rifle: Nozzle (as that needed to be wider), the Hop-Up chamber, the Hop-Up bucking and the entire barrel. Last but not least, we had to change the magazine and a speedloader. Unfortunately, a relatively proprietary system is the price for innovation.
Who is it NOT made for?
In short, the Full Thrust Kit is not for beginners. If you don’t know how to move, aim and hit, you will have little to no use of extra distance and better ballistics. And there are more prerequisites to getting the Full Thrust kit. Main one, you have to have either an SSG24, or the SSG10. That makes sense as we talk about a drop-in kit. The other one is to be able to order your BBs before the game. After all, 6.44mm BBs are not the standard offering everywhere…
But when you manage all that, well, you have your “9mm airsoft equivalent” – the Full Thrust. Feel free to check it out. Or watch a gameplay video. Your choice.
