Not arguing one point or another...just tossing out a neat test.
I had a whack of spare parts lying around so for kicks I made up a stock TM mechbox, with original components +/-
+ reshimmed, regreased
+ M100 spring
+ Systema Magnum Motor
+ Polycarbonate ventilated piston head
+ 9.6v large (think is was a 2300mah battery? 2200? can't remember)
The ROF was over 1300rpm...just over 300fps. After baselining it (ROF and FPS test), I fed it Midcap after midcap as fast as I could (i have 14), then 2 hicaps (winding continuously) and then I just held down the trigger until it broke (dry fire).
From the baseline and approximately how long it lasted...I figure that it made it between 4000-4500 shots before it made "bad noise". That might not sound like much...but a 3 minute burst is a long time, and it's a lot of bbs in the trap. As soon as I heard something bad, I gave it one more good trigger pull
, and then stopped.
The only damage that I observed were broken plastic bushings. The gears jammed after the bushings broke and a little bit of plastic wedged between the sector gear and spur gear teeth. It was extremely interesting to note how warm/hot the mechbox shell was (it was cool/cold to the touch when I started).
The gearbox shell was pristine when I cleaned it up...still have it.
Not a be-all-end-all test of any sort...far from it. Just something to say, if you want to see how long something will last...run it until it breaks.
Want to build a 500fps rifle...go ahead. Want to know how long it lasts? Shoot it until it breaks. Want it to last longer? Change something and try again.