The Autococker: The Evolution of a Paintball Legend
David Wilson asked:
Yes, the venerable Autococker. In the world of paintball, few other guns have the same level of legacy that the Autococker has. As a marker, it has spanned all eras of paintball history. Starting out as a pump gun in the form of the Sniper, and evolving all the way up to a a high end, tournament grade gun with todays high precision electronic versions. In this article, I will outline the basic steps on how this transformation occurred, and how it has changed the game of paintball.
In the beginning, there were pump guns. One of the most well respect of these pump guns was Bud Orr’s Sniper. With it solid, robust design, the Sniper proved to be a force to be reckoned with. Even in the pump gun days, the Sniper developed a reputation for accuracy and reliability.
Of course, the era of pump guns didn’t last forever. With the advent of semi automatic paintball guns such as the VM-68 and the Automag, it was clear that the days of pump guns in the mainstream of paintball were numbered. Bud Orr, ever inventive, set to tinkering. Since he already had a solid design with his Sniper, he set out to convert the design to a semi automatic.
To accomplish this, Orr devised an ingenious pneumatic system that would automatically actuate the pump on the Sniper when the trigger was pulled. It was this system that gives the Autococker its name, as it is simply an automatically pumped pump gun. Orr refined his design, and put it into production.
When the Autococker was first released, it quickly developed a reputation for being unreliable. This was due mainly to the complexity of the pneumatic system, which required a skill mechanic to set up properly. Also, many of the stock parts weren’t of extremely high quality, leading them to be replaced by aftermarket pieces. However, all this made the Autococker amazingly popular with tinkers, who took the gun as a platform for their own custom creations.
It was the aftermarket that really helped the Autococker take off. After a few modifications were made, the Autococker became a fast, accurate, and decently reliable paintball gun.
This helped it pick up momentum among paintball enthusiasts. Worr Games noted this popularity, and quickly began to improve the quality of the stock Autococker, which helped boost the guns popularity among recreational players. The Autococker had secured its niche in the paintball world.
However, things were changing in the paintball world. With guns such as the Angel, it became clear that electronic markers offered a serious speed advantage to serious players. The Autococker was slow in comparison, and began to loose ground among professional players. Of course, the tinkers weren’t unauware of this problem, and began to create electronic triggering systems for the Autococker. At first, these systems were plagued by ball chopping problems, but with the advent of electronic anti chop eyes and high speed loader systems, these problems were quickly solved. Electronic Autocockers became a common site in the professional circuit.
As time went on, simpler electronic markers began to dominate in many areas. However, the Autococker is still used by many who enjoy its unique feel, sound, and limitless configurability. It should be interesting to see what the future holds for this venerable marker.
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Yes, the venerable Autococker. In the world of paintball, few other guns have the same level of legacy that the Autococker has. As a marker, it has spanned all eras of paintball history. Starting out as a pump gun in the form of the Sniper, and evolving all the way up to a a high end, tournament grade gun with todays high precision electronic versions. In this article, I will outline the basic steps on how this transformation occurred, and how it has changed the game of paintball.
In the beginning, there were pump guns. One of the most well respect of these pump guns was Bud Orr’s Sniper. With it solid, robust design, the Sniper proved to be a force to be reckoned with. Even in the pump gun days, the Sniper developed a reputation for accuracy and reliability.
Of course, the era of pump guns didn’t last forever. With the advent of semi automatic paintball guns such as the VM-68 and the Automag, it was clear that the days of pump guns in the mainstream of paintball were numbered. Bud Orr, ever inventive, set to tinkering. Since he already had a solid design with his Sniper, he set out to convert the design to a semi automatic.
To accomplish this, Orr devised an ingenious pneumatic system that would automatically actuate the pump on the Sniper when the trigger was pulled. It was this system that gives the Autococker its name, as it is simply an automatically pumped pump gun. Orr refined his design, and put it into production.
When the Autococker was first released, it quickly developed a reputation for being unreliable. This was due mainly to the complexity of the pneumatic system, which required a skill mechanic to set up properly. Also, many of the stock parts weren’t of extremely high quality, leading them to be replaced by aftermarket pieces. However, all this made the Autococker amazingly popular with tinkers, who took the gun as a platform for their own custom creations.
It was the aftermarket that really helped the Autococker take off. After a few modifications were made, the Autococker became a fast, accurate, and decently reliable paintball gun.
This helped it pick up momentum among paintball enthusiasts. Worr Games noted this popularity, and quickly began to improve the quality of the stock Autococker, which helped boost the guns popularity among recreational players. The Autococker had secured its niche in the paintball world.
However, things were changing in the paintball world. With guns such as the Angel, it became clear that electronic markers offered a serious speed advantage to serious players. The Autococker was slow in comparison, and began to loose ground among professional players. Of course, the tinkers weren’t unauware of this problem, and began to create electronic triggering systems for the Autococker. At first, these systems were plagued by ball chopping problems, but with the advent of electronic anti chop eyes and high speed loader systems, these problems were quickly solved. Electronic Autocockers became a common site in the professional circuit.
As time went on, simpler electronic markers began to dominate in many areas. However, the Autococker is still used by many who enjoy its unique feel, sound, and limitless configurability. It should be interesting to see what the future holds for this venerable marker.
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Buying Your First Paintball Gun
Chris Abro asked:
Paintball is a great sport that is still growing in popularity among all demographics across the world. It is a good way to keep in shape, and if we are being honest most people will say that there is nothing quite like being able to go out and play war without the risk of serious injury. Most of us are also pretty intense when it comes to paintball competitions, so if you are one of the people who is thinking about taking up paintball full time you will want to choose your first gun carefully.
Many people get into paintball by accident, going out to a field with a group for a bachelor party, a staff outing, or just at the invitation of a friend. Everyone quickly realizes how addicting the sport can be, and most will be chomping at the bit to get back out there. These first outings can be a great way to get an idea of the type of gun that you want to purchase. Most outfitters will rent out standard, cheap-yet-durable pump model guns. These guns are designed with a pump action which is pulled backwards to drop a ball in front of the bolt and then pushed forward to place the paintball in front of the bolt in firing position. Right off, you will realize that in the excitement of paintball war, pump model guns get jammed up as you forget if you have put a ball in the chamber or not. Players are especially prone to this in high-intensity situations where they are firing for their life (and they usually end up getting shot out sometime during the frenzy).
Pump guns can be great for beginners, but it is likely that on your first few outings you will be impressed by the types of guns other players bring to the field. I remember the second time I went out. We were a team of pump-armed teenagers and the other team had a guy with a semi-automatic. We were mowed down time and time again, because of high firing speed and the lack of confusion on the part of the other gunner. If you are planning on becoming involved in high-intensity games, then a semi might be the best model for you. Just remember that as semi automatics are becoming more prevalent, many field operators are aware of the damage to business; if paintball becomes a sport of professionals only, then the market for beginners will dry up. Many paintball fields cater to amateurs and thus will only allow pumps on their ranges unless they are hosting a special tournament. Pump guns are still a great way to demonstrate mastery in the game as they require real skill to manage.
Your first gun will also be determined by whether or not you plan to join a paintball team. Often, team hobbyists will have several roles for individuals to play, and the type of gun will depend on the role that you are playing. Full automatics are good for holding positions and laying down covering fire, pumps are used by snipers and the real skilled players on the team, and ramping modes shoot huge bursts per second and are a good counter to automatics.
The decision about what type of gun you use will be based on a lot of factors. Many enthusiasts will use several types of gun depending on what type of event they are participating. Your first gun is special, though, as it will determine the direction you will take with your new hobby. Choose wisely, and have fun!
Kansieo.com
Paintball is a great sport that is still growing in popularity among all demographics across the world. It is a good way to keep in shape, and if we are being honest most people will say that there is nothing quite like being able to go out and play war without the risk of serious injury. Most of us are also pretty intense when it comes to paintball competitions, so if you are one of the people who is thinking about taking up paintball full time you will want to choose your first gun carefully.
Many people get into paintball by accident, going out to a field with a group for a bachelor party, a staff outing, or just at the invitation of a friend. Everyone quickly realizes how addicting the sport can be, and most will be chomping at the bit to get back out there. These first outings can be a great way to get an idea of the type of gun that you want to purchase. Most outfitters will rent out standard, cheap-yet-durable pump model guns. These guns are designed with a pump action which is pulled backwards to drop a ball in front of the bolt and then pushed forward to place the paintball in front of the bolt in firing position. Right off, you will realize that in the excitement of paintball war, pump model guns get jammed up as you forget if you have put a ball in the chamber or not. Players are especially prone to this in high-intensity situations where they are firing for their life (and they usually end up getting shot out sometime during the frenzy).
Pump guns can be great for beginners, but it is likely that on your first few outings you will be impressed by the types of guns other players bring to the field. I remember the second time I went out. We were a team of pump-armed teenagers and the other team had a guy with a semi-automatic. We were mowed down time and time again, because of high firing speed and the lack of confusion on the part of the other gunner. If you are planning on becoming involved in high-intensity games, then a semi might be the best model for you. Just remember that as semi automatics are becoming more prevalent, many field operators are aware of the damage to business; if paintball becomes a sport of professionals only, then the market for beginners will dry up. Many paintball fields cater to amateurs and thus will only allow pumps on their ranges unless they are hosting a special tournament. Pump guns are still a great way to demonstrate mastery in the game as they require real skill to manage.
Your first gun will also be determined by whether or not you plan to join a paintball team. Often, team hobbyists will have several roles for individuals to play, and the type of gun will depend on the role that you are playing. Full automatics are good for holding positions and laying down covering fire, pumps are used by snipers and the real skilled players on the team, and ramping modes shoot huge bursts per second and are a good counter to automatics.
The decision about what type of gun you use will be based on a lot of factors. Many enthusiasts will use several types of gun depending on what type of event they are participating. Your first gun is special, though, as it will determine the direction you will take with your new hobby. Choose wisely, and have fun!
Kansieo.com