Revamped AGD Automag Classic

WORK IN PROGRESS (Need to upload pics)

I've been somewhat reticent in the last few posts because I've been actually working on stuff.

Well, stuff finally came in.

Regulator Back

AA vigilante aluminum replacement. You guys have seen this already, and know it cuts the weight down considerably.

The Main Rail

The main rail is the single most overlooked part of the Automag.  It really only has two places to go: either it needs to achieve its full potential (see below for an example), or it needs to be folded into the grip frame.  Meanwhile, everyone else is obsessed with (mostly) decorative milling of aluminum rails for some reason.  Milling some fruity pattern doesn’t make the rail more functional; it just makes it lighter.

This rail removes the stupid wings, uses a press-fit sear axle, has ULE cuts, compatible with classic pim, and has the classic ASA adapter mounting geometry. 1.3oz, which puts it very close to the lightest known aluminum rail. (It costs $55 to print at Shapeways, which is kind of spendy, but then again, check how much a good ULE rail will cost you, including the anno).

The Trigger

This was my first trigger ever; it’s totally functional, but I’m not exactly happy with it.  In fact, I think the next one I draw will just be a simple stick, like on my Tiberius, which I am perfectly happy with.  Having drawn one of these, I have to say that the original design of the trigger mechanism was actually quite clever.

The Barrel Adapter

The mag to cocker adapter I drew up is roughly based on Doc’s adapter, except:

• It’s made of plastic
• It doesn’t need a twist lock pin - the threads are undersized so when a barrel is threaded in, the end expands to press against the body
• It has two detents

That yields a $16 part that’s 0.3 oz and locks pretty damn securely into the gun while still being removable without having to disassemble the entire marker.

The real beauty of the design is that if you can draw the threads, you can make nearly any mag to whatever adapter.  Just upgraded from a janked out Tippmann?  You can keep your barrel.  Or Ion?  Spyder?  Just get the right $16 adapter.

The Trigger Guard

The trigger guard was just made from the Intelliframe specs.  I think I’d go with a no-kink version next time.  It attaches to the hole which was recently vacated by the twist lock pin, via the mag2cocker adapter.  Yeah, it’s pretty ugly toward the back.  I just slotted the rubber grip to cram it in there.  There was no standard for cutting the single-finger triggers, so it’s hard to accommodate for that.  The real answer is to design the grip frame correctly in the first place.  Tippmann and BT did it correctly, and they’re borderline retarded.  The wrong side of the border.

The Top Rail

The top rail was grabbed from an Empire Trracer as some of you know.  The feed neck was cut off the body (another cost reduction).  A properly designed part, in my opinion, would just wrap around the Automag body and screw (or otherwise mechanically attach; it might not need to be screws) into the main rail itself.  Kind of like the useless sight rail of olden days.  Then the feed neck or spring feed or Rip Clip is securely attached to the picatinny on top, as it always should have been.

The Material

This nylon material is surprisingly durable.  It will tend to melt/fuse under high temps (like getting hit by a strong laser or a Dremel), and still has some flex when it’s thin (which I use to my advantage in the mag2cocker adapter).  But otherwise I’m actually quite pleased with it.  I have gone into the field with it, and will continue to do so.  The “black” material isn’t really black, as I discovered after sanding the trigger because I made an error.  It’s actually the white material, which I think they just impregnate afterwards with your color of choice.  The layer of the dye is reasonably thick and should hold up to some wear and tear, and if it gets scratched, you could probably just dye it back anyways.

Summary of Cost Reductions

• No twist lock
• No twist lock hole
• No feed neck welding
• No threading anywhere on the rail; just a press-fit sear pin which isn't threaded either
• Reg back is aluminum instead of steel
• Plastic rail
• Plastic trigger guard
• Plastic trigger

All of this is just proof of concept.  3d printing production parts would be foolish unless you intend to allow people to custom choose their options.  (Like a ULE rail with a built-in Gopro mount, or a mag to cocker adapter with 2 Ego detents and a Spyder detent because you’re ultra paranoid.)