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========================================================================
AirGun Designs Automag/Minimag
Frequently Asked Questions List
Version 1.4
05/11/94
maintained by
Steve Mitchell (steve@cati.csufresno.edu)
========================================================================
1. What is the Automag?
a. AirGun Designs
b. Description and Functioning
c. How much does it cost?
2. What is the difference between the Automag and the Minimag?
3. Is it the best? Better than the AutoCocker?
4. I've got a 'Mag, what accessories should I get now?
a. VL-2000
b. Aftermarket Barrel
c. Filters
d. Anti-Siphon Bottle
e. Remote
f. Expansion Chamber
g. Secondary Regulators (NoHotShots)
h. AutoResponse Trigger
i. Other Accessories
5. What modifications should I have done to my 'Mag?
a. Drilled Regulator Body & On/Off Valve Modifications
b. Trigger Stop
c. Magic Box
d. Other Distance Enhancing Modifications
e. Airgun Designs on Modifications
6. Liquid and your Automag.
a. How can I tell if liquid is getting into my 'Mag?
b. What happens to my gun when liquid gets in?
c. How can I keep liquid out of my 'Mag?
7. Maintenance of your Automag.
a. Parts Kits
b. Replacing Foamies
c. Miscellaneous
8. I have the following problem with my 'Mag...what can I do?
9. Comments and net.opinion on the Automag.
========================================================================
1. What is the Automag?
The Automag is an open bolt, blow-forward, true semi-automatic
paintball gun designed and manufactured by AirGun Designs. It is
considered one of the best paintball guns made today. It is known
for its high rate of fire, its elegant, simple design, and its
dislike for liquid CO2.
a. AirGun Designs
AirGun Designs
804 Seton Court
Wheeling, Illinois 60090
(708) 520-7507
Fax: (708) 520-7848
b. Description and Functioning.
The Automag has two major design features that differentiate it
from most other paintball guns. One, the Automag has an integrated
pressure regulator in the gun. This feature was incorporated to
provided the gun's internals with an energy source of constant
pressure, no matter what the pressure in the CA bottle.
Second, the gun's action is blow-forward rather than blow-back. A
blow-back design has several problems that the blow-forward design
resolves. First, while the heavy bolt being blown back was
necessary to slow the action down, it reduced efficiency. The
heavier the bolt, the more energy it consumed; lightening the bolt
made it harder for the bolt to open the valve far enough. The
second problem was in allocating how much energy went to blow back
the bolt (requiring a fixed amount) versus propelling the ball
(variable with tank pressure and velocity setting).
"[The gun's] function can be broken down into three independent
stages: regulation, chamber fill, and chamber dump. Stage one
occurs when an air sources is connected to the paintball gun and
the system builds up pressure. At a predetermined pressure, set by
the velocity adjusting nut, the regulator valve closes thus sealing
off the tank from the rest of the paintball gun. The pressures
inside the paintball gun is now approximately 400 psi even though
the tank pressure may vary from 600-1000 psi under different
temperatures. Stage two happens when the trigger is released,
opening the ON/OFF VALVE and allowing the air chamber to fill to a
regulated pressure of 400 psi.
Stage three is where everything happens. The air chamber is
designed like a champagne bottle with a cork (the bolt) stuck in
the opening. The cork (or bolt, in this case) wants to pop out,
but is held in place by the sear. When you pull the trigger the
sear first closes the ON/OFF VALVE (just before releasing the bolt)
shutting off the air chamber from the regulator. This gives the
paintball gun a precise amount of regulated air charge. Next the
sear releases the bolt and, like the cork, it starts moving forward
out of the bottle. At some point after the ball has been pushed
into the barrel, the cork leaves the end of the bottle and all air
rushes out. Once the air is gone the MAIN SPRING which has been
collapsed from e bolt moving forward pushes the BOLT back into the
now empty air chamber. The process starts over when the trigger is
released."
-- From the Automag Manual
c. How much does it cost?
"The standard good street price [for a 'tournament' model Automag]
that I've seen is right around $400. I got my Mini-Mag for $465
and the usual price for that is $500-$525 so you can probably find
those 'tournament' Auto-Mags for something around $375. Basically,
just get the latest issue of a couple paintball magazines and start
calling around."
--John D. Mitchell (johnm@cory.EECS.Berkeley.EDU)
2. What is the difference between the Automag and the Minimag?
The Minimag is an improved version of the standard Automag. It comes
stock with many of the modifications that are considered necessary on
the Automag. These are a vertical bottle adaptor and a PowerFeed.
The only other difference between the Automag and the Minimag is a
cosmetic change to the gun's main body. The Minimag also comes with
a shorter barrel.
The vertical bottle adaptor allows the owner to operate the gun with
the CA bottle mounted vertically, in front of the trigger guard,
rather than horizontally behind the gun. Mounting the bottle
vertically aids in preventing liquid from entering the system.
However some people believe mounting the bottle this way is unsafe,
as you could fall and break the bottle off at its valve. [But this is
probably true for any gun-mounted bottle setup, with a remote setup
being in a separate class.]
The PowerFeed is a modification to the gun's feed tube. On the stock
Automag, the feed tube runs directly from the feeder to the chamber,
with the balls following a straight line between those two points.
The PowerFeed offsets the feed tube so that the balls must make a 90
degree turn just before they enter the chamber. This design is
intended to increase feeding speeds by preventing CO2 escaping from
the chamber from bobbling the balls back up towards the feeder.
AirGun Designs also claims that the balls "bounce off the backside of
the PowerFeed" and actually bounce into the chamber at the
appropriate time. For a complete description of the PowerFeed and
how it works, see the Automag Video that comes with the gun.
3. Is it the best? Better than the AutoCocker?
The AutoCocker vs. Automag debate will rage for some time to come.
Many 'Mag owners will say their gun is best, while many 'Cocker
owners will claim they've got the better gun..
The facts are that both guns are in the same class. They are both
used by top professional teams. They are both high performance guns
and they both tend to cost their owners lots of money.
The 'Mag is known for its simplicity of design and maintenance, its
very high rate of fire, and its dislike for liquid CO2. The 'Cocker
is known for its complexity of design, occasional severe maintenance
problems, tedious normal maintenance, and its long effective range.
Both camps claim that their guns can be modified to operate as well
as the others. The 'Mag biggots (automaggots) claim that the Black
Box modification from SmartParts (see below) can increase the
effective range of the Automag to compete with that of the
AutoCocker. The AutoCocker biggots claim that the AutoCocker can be
made to shoot just as fast as an Automag with some professional
trigger customization work.
"They're both right given well worked guns in the hands of someone
who can use them to their fullest. It's a lot simpler to utilize
the 'mags much closer to the limit by normal people than a 'cocker.
Trigger pulling especially is definitely an area where each
individuals shooting style makes a big difference."
--John D. Mitchell (johnm@cory.EECS.Berkeley.EDU)
With enough money, either gun can be made into a lethal, professional
quality paintball gun. Either gun will likely outperform its owner
for many years -- by which time he will probably own one of each
anyway.
4. I've got a 'Mag, what accessories should I get now?
Stock, out of the box, the Automag is an excellent gun. However, it
can benefit from a few accessories. The following is a list of
accessories, roughly ordered by importance, that most Automag owners
end up with eventually:
a. VL-2000
The ViewLoader 2000 is a motorized agitating feeder which is
designed to insure that balls constantly find their way into the
gun's feed tube. The ViewLoader 2000 is considered a requirement
by most Automag owners for two reasons. One, the gun shoots so
fast that many non-agitating feeders cannot keep up. Two, because
the gun is a blow-forward design, it is too smooth to agitate the
balls in the feeder with its natural "recoil" as many other guns
do.
If you ever shoot more than twice a second then you must get a
motorized loader.
The VL-2000 is available through most paintball retailers for
roughly $65.
b. Aftermarket Barrel
AirGun Designs offers three different barrels with their Automags.
The standard barrel, a Crown Point barrel, and a shorty aluminum
barrel for the Minimag. Most Automag owners agree that the gun can
be made more accurate with the replacement of the stock barrel (the
Crown Point barrel is not highly received by most Automag owners).
The SmartParts barrel is highly recommended, as are the J&J Brass
and HardChrome barrels. The author prefers the J&J barrels, as the
SmartParts barrels tend to suffer when balls break and are also
more difficult to clean.
Note that ported barrels in general do not make the 'Mag all that
much quieter than non-ported barrels. The Automag's design makes
for a gun that is already exceptionally quiet.
SmartParts [412-539-2660] and J&J barrels are available through most
paintball retailers for $90-$100.
c. Filters
In-line CO2 filters are highly recommended. These filters keep
dirt (which can originate in your bulk CO2 tanks) from entering the
gun's CO2 system. The Automag has a very sophisticated and
sensitive CO2 regulator and valve body assembly. Keeping this area
clean should be a high priority of any 'Mag owner.
In-line filters are available from SmartParts and most paintball
retailers for about $10.
d. Anti-Siphon Bottle
If your bottle is to be mounted on your 'Mag horizontally, an
anti-siphon bottle or liquid control valve (LCV) can aid in
preventing CO2 from entering the Automag. The Automag will not
function well if liquid enters the system. It can shoot hot, shoot
with inconsistent velocities, and even refuse to function
altogether. More on liquid CO2 later in this file.
Anti-Siphon and liquid control valve bottles are available through
most paintball retailers. Anti-Siphon tanks costs roughly $60.
LCV bottles cost roughly $80. It should be noted, however, that
LCV bottles have a fairly bad reputation as far as effectiveness
and general operational problems are concerned. Also note that an
Anti-Siphon tank should not be used used in a vertical mounted
setup. Use a regular tank in these situations.
e. Remote
Installing a remote CO2 setup enables the gun's operator to solve
many problems at once. First, a remote's hose acts as an expansion
chamber (see below) which will aid in preventing liquid CO2 from
entering the system. The remote system provides many places for
the installation of liquid control valves and CO2 filters. A
remote mounted bottle can be mounted vertically (also decreasing
the chance of CO2 entering the system), without adding bulkiness
to the gun itself. The remote mounted bottle is also an ideal
place for the installation of an expansion chamber.
Simple remotes are available through most paintball retailers and
start at about $40. SmartParts makes an excellent remote called
the Smart Remote which includes quick disconnect, shut off valve
with bleed and an Air America expansion chamber (see below) for
$110. The SmartParts Mega Remote includes the Smart Remote plus an
in-line filter and bottom line for $160.
f. Expansion Chamber
Expansion chambers work by providing the CO2 going from the bottle
to the gun with a place to evaporate before entering the system.
An expansion chamber can be a 4' section of hose, a converted 3.5oz
bottle, or a product specifically designed for the purpose.
Expansion chambers can be added directly to the gun, or used inline
between the gun and bottle. An expansion chamber is useful for
keeping liquid out of the Automag. Air America makes an excellent
expansion chamber for the Automag called the Whispering Death
costing about $150.
g. Secondary Regulators (NoHotShots)
h. AutoResponse Trigger
The AutoResponse Trigger is a two stage trigger replacement for the
Automag and is made by Pro-Line. The AutoResponse allows your 'Mag
to fire once when the trigger is pulled, then to fire again when
the trigger is released. The 'Mag, even in the hands of a newbie,
can achieve amazing rates of fire with an AutoResponse installed.
But note that an experienced 'Mag operator with a normal trigger
can pretty much match and AutoResponse for speed and outshoot it
for accuracy.
The AutoResponse has a few drawbacks. One, the trigger pull is
extremely long with this trigger. While the stock Automag trigger
only requires that it be pulled approx. 1/8" of an inch, the
AutoResponse must be pulled through 3/4" to operate. In addition,
the trigger design requires that full strokes be used when
operating the trigger. If the trigger is not pulled completely and
released completely each time, the gun will chop balls. Second,
the long trigger pull is heavy and causes the shooter to wave the
muzzle of the gun entirely too much for accurate fire.
Some fields (and even tournaments) do not allow play with the
AutoResponse. But if you want the fastest gun on your block, and
you don't want to practice enough to make your finger faster,
certainly add an AutoResponse to your 'Mag.
Pro-Line can be reached at [803-458-9662]. The AutoResponse costs
roughly $150.
i. Other Accessories
Like most paintball guns, the 'Mag has many aftermarket accessories
to solve (or sometimes introduce) every conceivable problem.
Accessories such as scope mounts, shoulder stocks, UK tournament
caps (to prevent accidental velocity adjustment changes), and
replacement grips are available, to name a few. In addition,
AirGun Designs has started shipping 'Mags with different color body
parts. SmartParts is a good source for Automag accessories.
5. What modifications should I have done to my 'Mag?
An Automag, like an AutoCocker, is almost never found in professional
or amateur tournaments without first having been highly modified
inside and out.
SmartParts does all of the below mentioned modifications. You can
also have your 'Mag worked on through Paintball Checkpoint
[510-686-6249].
Some of the most common modifications:
a. Drilled Regulator Body & On/Off Valve Modifications
The gun's regulator feeds an air chamber via two holes in the front
of the regulator. This area is often drilled out with four or even
eight holes. This increases the gun's ability to refill the air
chamber during rapid fire. Without this modification, 'Mags tend
to "starve" during rapid fire. The result being a velocity drop
after several shots.
The On/Off valve also facilitates the transfer of CO2 from the
regulator to the air chamber. A brass part in this assembly is
often cut down to increase flow through the valve.
This mod costs about $80 and usually includes the Trigger Stop mod
below.
b. Trigger Stop
The stock Automag comes with one of the best triggers in the
business. However some people improve on this by adding a stop
that takes up the slack on the trigger, making it even crisper and
easier to operate fast.
c. Magic Box
In late '93 SmartParts came up with a modification to the Automag
that they claimed increased range by up to 15 yards. The
modification was immediately controversial, with various rumors
regarding its function, its performance, its legality in tournament
play, and its safety all being questioned.
An initial review on the modification by Paintball Consumer Reports
International was not favorable. The jury is still out on the
modification's actual level of performance, but most people agree
that using a low pressure, high volume mod like this *does*
increase the gun's effective range.
The Magic Box mod costs about $150 through SmartParts.
Below are some extensive net.opinions on this modification.
"The black box essentially expands the air chamber capacity in
front of the on/off valve by about 50%. This allows the Mag to
use a greater volume of air at a lower pressure. The result is
that the gun is quieter and shoots farther at lower FPS. I shot
a lot of paint in rapid fire bursts the day I tried it out and
observed no spikes in velocity."
--Bruce (bru@cc.bellcore.com)
"First, let me quell the rumors that it will increase the
velocity in rapid fire beyond what the gun was chrono'ed at in
"single shot" mode. It don't see any way this mod could possibly
increase the velocity above the chrono'ed point unless the gun
sucked liquid. This mod should reduce the chance of sucking
liquid over the stock gun, however. It will reduce the
starvation (and thus velocity/range loss) that the automag
suffers from in rapid fire. In addition, the lower pressure
should result in a "smoother" push, so the accuracy at the same
velocity should increase.
[...]
Now to the "Magic Box". I would call it an expansion air
chamber, with a few unrelated mods thrown in for good measure.
It is a piece of aluminum, approximately 1.25*1.5*.5 inches. It
is hollowed out into two separate sections that *do not*
connect. Each of these sections attaches to the gun through a
standard 1/4" threaded fitting. The expansion chamber section
connects through a newly machined hole into the air chamber, in
line with the existing CO2 fitting in the valve body, which is
the other attachment point. The second section of the "magic
box" contains a replaceable CO2 filter element, held in place by
an O-ring. The CO2 to the gun flows through this part of the
magic box. Again, it does not connect to the expansion chamber.
The left side of the main body is machined to allow the expansion
air chamber to slide in."
--Dave Rotheroe (rotheroe@convex.com)
"[PCRI did evaluate the Magic Box mod]. I've got it in my hot
little hands now. Out of 4 stars, they gave it only 1 star.
They bench mounted the mag at 4 feet above the ground, and put a
piece of wood 20 feet away. This piece of wood had a hole cut in
it that was about 8 inches in diameters. When they shot the gun,
if the ball didn't go through the hole, then they didn't count
it. With each shot, they got the chrono speed, and measured
distance. Here is my "cheap chart":
Black Box on Mag Normal Mag
Speed |---------------------------------------
275-279fps | 130.5 feet | 125.5 feet
280-284fps | 132.2 feet | 130.8 feet
285-289fps | 133.0 feet | 129.0 feet
|---------------------------------------
So overall it increased about 4 feet or so. With the Magic Box
they ended up getting 161 shots out of 200 that fell between
275fps and 288fps (not 289, ok my typing sucks...:) And the
standard mag shot 175 out of 200 between 275fps and 288 fps. And
I'll use this quote to sum up this section: "The decrease in CO2
pressure hitting the paintball will definitely dimish ball
breakage in the gun, especially in temps below freezing when
paintballs are most fragile. Also, another by-product of the
lower pressure system is a slightly [in italics] slower moving
bolt. In a 10-second burst using the stock Automag we are able
to consistently fire 63 to 69 shots. Using the modified Automag
that number was reduced to 52 to 55." [Feb '94 PCRI page 21]
Conclusion of the Magic Box was that it didn't increase the
velocity, no safety problems were evident, "However, the Box does
not increase the range of the Automag by the advertised 15
yards." And you guys can see that. One Star for it."
--Rob Schneider (schneidr@csugrad.cs.vt.edu)
d. Other Distance Enhancing Modifications
"[Paintball] Checkpoint very definitely does have their own version
of this modification which Greg endearingly calls his 'distance
enhancer' modification. It is basically a tap done into the air
chamber, a 90 degree elbow and a custom drilled expansion tube that
sits against the body of the gun rather than sticking straight out
like the black box. At least as good as the SP mod and a whole lot
cheaper! ... The modification lowers the pressure in the air
chamber so the ball get's spiked less so ball breakage decreases.
... This definitely does *not* in any way raise the velocity of the
gun."
--John D. Mitchell (johnm@cory.EECS.Berkeley.EDU)
e. Airgun Designs on Modifications
"Other news, I was speaking to Sparky at AGD, and he basically said
that the 8 hole mod was basically useless since there is only one
hole leading to the on/off valve.
[...]
"Also a larger air chamber theoritcally should yield a slower
moving bolt. Since Force = Pressure * Area, a reduced pressure
will result in a reduced force on the bolt if the area of the power
tube piston remains the same. Then since Force = Mass *
Acceleration, the acceleration of the bolt will be less at the
instant the sear is released (i.e. the point at which the spring
counterforce is a minimum). Thus although the overall power is the
same, the time over which it happens may not be."
--cptung@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Charles P Tung)
6. Liquid and your Automag.
Automags are famous for their liquid CO2 problems and poor
performance in cold weather. What follows is a little discussion on
liquid CO2 and your Automag.
a. How can I tell if liquid is getting into my 'Mag?
If your gun is shooting hot (that is, at higher than expected
velocities), is emitting CO2 clouds out the barrel, functioning
erratically, or stops working altogether, there is a possibility
that these problems are being caused by liquid CO2 in the system.
b. What happens to my gun when liquid gets in?
Your Automag's internal operation is dependent on a gas regulator
delivering gas CO2 to the valve body at a certain pressure. When
liquid enters the system it enters at, say 400 PSI, then evaporates
or partially evaporates inside the gun, it might increase in
pressure to, say 800 PSI. This causes hot shots and erratic
operation of the gun's internals.
Expanding and evaporating gases have a tendency to cool materials
they come in contact with. When this happens inside your 'Mag you
will experience "lock ups" where the gun fails to function at all.
Your gun can literally freeze.
The valve body of the 'Mag has many different seals and o-rings
that can be damaged if they are frozen by liquid CO2. The
introduction of liquid into the system may cause problems later on
due to damage done to seals and o-rings.
c. How can I keep liquid out of my 'Mag?
Now for the good news. There are several ways to keep liquid CO2
out of your 'Mag.
One obvious solution is to only play in warm weather, and to not
shoot fast. This not always being practical, almost any of the
liquid control accessories mentioned in the sections above will
aid in preventing liquid from getting into your gun. Specifically
anti-siphon bottles, remote setups, expansion chambers, and liquid
control valves and filters.
A recent posting in rec.sport.paintball summarized these methods.
It is included below:
"There is a ton of stuff that can be done to a Auto/MiniMAG
that can improve its winter performance ranging from the cheap
to the expensive. Just remember that automags are sensitive to
liquid, thus, in cold weather its easier for the valve to
'freeze' up in cold weather. Below is a list of things my
teamates use (we live in MAINE, gets real cold).
Some real cheap things you could do is get a IN-LINE filter
$15,they reduce winter freeze up a little bit. Also, a verticle
C/A adapter keeps liquid out rather well $10. But for true cold
winter play, you need either an expansion chamber or a remote
(or both). I have seen expansion units from Taso, Proline, and
Direct Connect for around $30, and I have never seen an automag
freeze up with these. The Air American units are SWEET, they
will give you at lease 20% more shots than the cheeper
expansion units, but the prices are around $130 - $155, I don't
think this is worth the price, since the others work just
fine. If you really want the Air America unit, buy it from
SMart Parts, and they will throw in a remote system and
disconnect for $105 (nice). The Guantlet from Smart Parts works
very much like the LIQUID CONTROL VALVE, but I haven't seen one
(I think they are around $150). If you have an OLD 3.5oz laying
around, COOPER-T makes a special valve that will turn them into
an expasnsion unit, and from what I here, they give more shots
pers oz than the Air America units (around $25).
If you have $100 bucks, go for the Smart Remote system. If
you have $40, go for the pro-line expansion system. If you have
only $5, buy one of those heating pads that hunters use to keep
there hands warm, and tape it to your valve (This really
works!). If you have nothing, rub your left hand quickly over
the valve to warm it up (I've seen people do this)"
--Nick Brassard (Brassard@puffin.usmcs.maine.edu)
7. Maintenance of your Automag.
First of all, if you own an Automag you should also own the video and
manual. This video and manual are the best in the industry. In most
cases they tell you more than you need to know, unlike some of the
skimpy leaflets that come with other guns. If you do not have this
material you should call AirGun Designs today, and they will probably
send them to you for free. If you bought your 'Mag used and are
re-registering the gun, they will send you anything you tell them
you didn't get with the gun (parts kit, bumper sticker, manual,
video, etc.) all free of charge. Hint: tell them you didn't get any
of this stuff with the gun.
If you do not own an Automag, but would like a copy of the Video, send
a blank video tape, along with a stamped, self addressed, padded return
envelope to:
Steve Mitchell
1099 Sylmar #176
Clovis, CA 93612
You will receive a copy of the AirGun Designs video, but with no
guarantees that it will a) be returned on the same videotape that you
supplied or b) be returned in a timely manner. Do not worry, AirGun
Designs encourages the copying and re-distribution of their video.
Maintenance is covered in detail in the video and manual. Automag
maintenance is simple when compared to other high performance guns
like the AutoCocker, but is somewhat more complicated when compared
to lower-end guns like the Tippmann Pro/Lite. However, AirGun Designs
designed the gun with ease of maintenance in mind, so even a newbie
need not feel intimidated by the job.
A couple of tips regarding maintenance:
a. Parts Kits
Complete parts kits are available from Airgun Designs and most
large paintball retailers (I&I Sports, for example). These kits
cost about $20 and include at least one of every o-ring and seal in
the gun, a mainspring, a powertube spring, replacement nubins and
foamies, AutoLube and (in some cases) a pick for removing seals.
b. Replacing Foamies
When replacing the foamie, be sure to scrape all of the big chunks
of the old foamie off but don't scrape every last little bit off.
The left over chunks provide some nice roughness to the surface so
that the new one can really get a good hold. Of course, make sure
you spread the superglue over all of the contact surface.
"I have found something that works A LOT better than Super Glue
for holding foamies on. It is a two-part Epoxy called Duro Brand
"Master Mend" Epoxy. The only problem is that it takes several
hours to dry. The advantage is that if you put the foamie on
crooked, you have plenty of time to move it before it is dry,
unlike Super Glue. Another tip is to buy a spare front bolt,
with a foamie. It should cost $20 or less. That way, if you
loose a foamie during a good day of paintball, you can just go to
your parts kit, put the new bolt on, and screw with the old bolt
when you get home."
--Adrian Higginbotham (alh7396%utarlg.uta.edu)
c. Miscellaneous
"Use isopropyl alcohol to clean all of the parts and then use KC
Trouble Free oil on the appropriate parts as that makes for a
very sweet shooting 'mag"
--John D. Mitchell (johnm@cory.EECS.Berkeley.EDU)
8. I have the following problem with my 'Mag...what can I do?
The Automag video spends about 45 minutes just discussing
trouble-shooting the gun. The video explains that the gun can be
broken up into three sections, with each section responsible for a
certain aspect of the gun's performance. It is a good idea to
understand these three sections of your gun and the aspects of the
gun's performance that they are responsible for.
The most common problems that arise with the Automag are related to
liquid in the system, or with dirty or worn out o-rings and seals in
the gun's valve body. The issues relating to liquid are covered
earlier in this file. Here are some other problems that have popped
up in rec.sport.paintball.
Q. The MM would frequently seem to lose power, that is, a shot or
several shots would just bloop out of the gun and fall far short
of anything I was aiming at. They sounded noticeably weak also.
A. There are 3 areas that could be causing your problem:
1) your air source might have a problem, perhaps you have dirt
in your bottle? Perhaps there is dirt in the hose.
Try another bottle, blow out the hose
2) your regulator piston may need lubricating. Use you allen
wrench that you adjust your velocity with and remove the
regulator nut/ regulator spring pack. Use a dental pick (or
some other tool) to remove the regulator piston. Put some
silicone grease on the O ring and re-insert. Using your pick
make sure that the piston freely moves-up and down. If the
piston was not well lubricated then this could cause your gun
to have the symptoms that you described.
3) If doing the above two tasks does not solve the problem, then
disassemble your gun and remove the powertube spring and the
bolt spring. Get a set of calipers and measure the length of
the powertube spring. This spring should be .296 of an inch in
length. If it is .294 or shorter, then you need to replace the
spring. Call Airgun Designs, talk to tech support and they
should send you a new one at no charge. Also, check the length
of the bolt spring, the length of this spring should be
2.89-2.91. If you don't have acess to the calipers, then buy a
parts kit and replace the springs from the kit."
[From: al@feenix.metronet.com (Al Alder)]
Q. I can't seem to get anything close to consistent speed out of it,
after two rapid shots the balls just start dropping out of the
barrel (about half the distance of the first two shots).
A. I had a similar problem....called the factory and told me to look
at the valve seal, that little round disk into which the spring
and pin inserts. It was slightly convex and replacing it seems
to have fixed the problem."
[From: bru@thumper.bellcore.com (Bruce Leary)]
Q. I'm having a problem with my new automag. It has a whispering
death expansion chamber in the vertical bottle adaptor and I'm
running a remote to a 20 oz tank. The problem is that after I play
for a few games, the velocity starts going up and down. If I fire
about twice per second, one shot is fast, the next slow, the next
fast, etc. If anyone has any ideas on whats going on and / or how
best to get this fixed, please let me know - Paul Reiser -
A. Probably the flat washer with the hole in it between the regulator
and chamber. Unscrew the valve and clean the surface on either
side of the washer, and the washer itself. If that fails, replace
the washer.
Less likely, but also possible: take out your velocity adjuster.
Behind it is a piston with a hex fitting showing. It isn't
screwed in, just put the right size hex wrench in it and wobble it
out. On this piston is an o-ring, which probably needs
replacing.
[Also try cleaning everything well, then..]
When all else fails, fork out the $20 for the parts kit and
replace everything..."
[From: ebmud@netcom.com (East Bay Municipal Utility District)]
Q. "With the first 250 shots out of my 12oz, I get serious velocity
drop if I shoot faster than 2-3 times a sec. after 250 shots I
get a velocity drop no matter how slow I shoot."
A. "A little while back I posted that I was having velocity problems.
Today I called Airgun Designs and found out my problem was that my
on/off top was upside down."
[From: cptung@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Charles P Tung)]
9. Comments and net.opinion on the Automag.
"The Automag is NOT a cold weather gun without some sort of
modification such as AA Whispering Death, or a 4' hoseline to keep
liquid out of the chamber."
--HenryC@Panix.Com
"Smart Parts "short" barrel is good improvement. Smart Parts inline
gas filter mandatory to keep little bits of bulk tank crud out of
valve body. Anti-syphon tank mandatory. The rest is personal
preference and the kind of use the marker will see.
[...]
"Mega-Remote or vertical Whispering Death, yes, guarenteed Automag
performance. Even gets rid of Dan Abernethy's complaint about
velocity variance during intense firing bursts (hosing). PowerFeed IS
worth the 70 bucks it costs (when purchased with the marker), and
with a motor loader (VL2000 ViewLoader), is bulletproof. The
Crown-Point barrel is a dog compared to the Smart Parts barrel. It
barks, too.
[...]
Whispering Death or DCG's surge valve chamber both connect to the
vertical bottle adapter (option for automag, standard on minimag) and
run a line from the expansion chamber to a a bottom line adapter,
thence to your bottle. With either unit, an anti-syphon tank is
still recommended to improve their efficiency. Your LCV will suffice
until you get good with the 'mag and get your rate of fire up, then
it will freeze inside the bottle unless you never put more than about
9 oz. in the 12 oz. bottle you mention."
--John Hamilton (john@kennel.FIDONET.ORG)
"For what it's worth the recent PCRI review gave the minimag the
highest accuracy of any semi they've ever tested. (There numbers did
look impressive)."
--mas@skinner (Marc A. Sullivan)
"It's always wise to go with a remote/expansion chamber setup with
the Automag. If your friend is in the mood to spend a lot more money,
a new Smart Parts barrel will make the gun a lot quieter and more
accurate. Also, the new Auto-Response double trigger job is
marvelous. I got one a couple weeks ago, and although I run out of
paint faster, I love it to death. However, you absolutely have to
have an anti-siphon or preferably a remote for the Auto-Response
because of the firing rate."
--Robert G. Hearn (z_hearnrg@ccsvax.sfasu.edu)
"I would highly recommend getting the motorized loader because of the
rate of fire and stability of the automag. Because the 'mag is
relatively stable while firing, the balls aren't aggitated in the
hopper. Many times an ordinary loader just can't keep up during rapid
fire, when a jam is most likely. Granted, you don't use rapid fire
all the time (well, some of us don't :-) ), but for the times you
do, the motorized loader is definitely a bonus. It also prevents
jamming at other times, which, although less common, does occur."
-- Michael Edwin Sheldrick <msb1+@andrew.cmu.edu>
"'Mags... Excellent paintguns. Obviously designed and built by
serious, real engineers (AirGun Designs). AGD has excellent
reputation, great service.
The guns are on the expensive side but the quality, warranty and
service are worth it even if the gun wasn't as good as it is. :-)
The various models are easy to use and take care of. They are
definitely high performance guns. The things that can bug the
monster gun folks are: the gun's extreme dislke for liquid C02; and
that the stock versions of the guns are outranged by slick, tricked
out 'cockers & Typhoons.
Going to things like remote setups with expansion chambers takes care
of the liquid problem and getting something like SmartParts' magic
box modification pretty much takes care of the range thing (though of
course, this point will probably be debated for years :-).
[...]
A must have nowadays is to get the guns internals worked on.
SmartParts does some mods and they seem okay. I got my gun worked on
at Paintball Checkpoint in Pacheco, CA and they did, IMO, better work
for a lot less. This includes stuff like drilling the regulator
body, valve work, a 'distance enhancer' (enlarging the air chamber to
produce a higher gas volume but lower pressure delivery) all for less
than $100. It works great.
Get a (couple of) good barrels. I've got a Mini-Mag and I really
like the short aluminum barrel for most play but don't quite have the
range/accuracy. Switching to a chromed J&J takes care of that. I
personally stay away from heavily ported barrels just because they
are a pain in the butt too clean but YMMV. In the next couple of
months I'll be getting a stainless steel barrel and we'll see."
--johnm@cory.EECS.Berkeley.EDU (John D. Mitchell)
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