First Strike Capable Automag

Shot Data

TopGun Paintball Recap

Disclaimer:  I was with a private group for the majority of the time I was there, so that may change the perception of certain items.

• Restrooms - Port-o-potties, untested
• Spacious staging areas
• Spacious dead areas; netting was pretty good in most of the areas, which was impressive given the size of the field
• Fill stations actually filled to 3k
• Remote fill stations also actually filled to 3k
• There were even some remote chrono stations, but no tools by any of the stations
• Refs were generally good
• rotated fields
• balanced teams
• announced next game start times, kept things moving
• generally did a good job when they were in the right place
• weren’t always in the right place for paint checks; particularly on the larger fields.  I don’t think it was for lack of caring; I think it’s a procedural issue and they just need to be trained to know where the hot spots on the field are and when to go to them to make sure things go smoothly, and radio’ing requests for paint checks to a closer ref if necessary.  For instance, the fort in the middle of the fort field.  You know if both sides get in there, it’s going to get dicey with all the CQB.  So I chalk this up more to management and procedure than the refs.
• Nobody chrono’d?  Admittedly I was with a private group so we were all pretty good, but I can’t recall seeing any indication of other groups chronoing.
• Some of the open group players were totally douchy.  Actually some of the players in another private group were totally douchy too.  Must be the local culture...
• Did I mention this was in NJ?  Fuck NJ.  God what a fucked up state.
• Lots of fields, lots of variety.  This is a very large plot of land.
• Some of the bunkers were kind of ratty and had holes and gaps, which is kind of a pet peeve.
• Was there a morning briefing for all the players?  Admittedly, I was with the private group, and I was seriously late for the first day on top of that, so I might have missed it.  But there was no signage regarding ground rules either.  I asked one of the regulars about the surrender rules since that is usually what varies between fields, and he said they basically don’t have any.
• I don’t know what normal field fees were since I was with a group, but the paint prices were bizarre.  $35 for a bag.  $60 for a half-case.  $80 for a case.  I...  don’t get it.  The regressive system encourages groups (understandable), or it encourages hosing.  The folks at the counter were cool about it and tried to help me out and get me to try getting in on a case with other people, but most other people had their paint already and by this time it didn’t matter much.  It’s not like I was going to tote the extra paint all the way back halfway across the country.  I think I used maybe 700 rounds over 2 days.
• And on that note the people running the counter (and there was always someone behind the counter) were efficient and pleasant to deal with.
• Good turnout; lot of players, even ignoring our rather large “private” group.
• Actual pro-shop on-site in case you need stuff.  Didn’t really look at their stock though.
• Paint sucked.  Marballizer.  Seemed about 0.680 bore.  I’ve never liked Marballizer.

As a lone wolf player (not looking for a wolfpack), I dunno how interested I would be in playing here.

All told, my experience with this field was largely positive.  The biggest caveat I would say is go with your own group.  That way you can all chip in for paint, and you mostly don’t have to deal with the douchebags.

Empire Resurrection Thoughts

• Appears to have best- or near-best-in-class components
• Excellent sliding single-trigger design
• clamping feedneck
• halfblock
• on/off t-rail ASA
• Couple of design niceties thrown in which make it more modern and easier to work on (some of this stuff is strongly overlooked by people in lieu of complaining about other shit)
• ram comes off without removing it
• 3-way piston comes out the back (I think)
• ego detents
• no tool needed to remove valve
• (Spyder) valve still has to ride over IVG threads when removing/installing
• Barrel kit is overkill and is an attempt to prop up the apparent value of the marker

So here's the argument:

The Empire Resurrection, just looking at the parts involved, is easily a more expensive marker to produce than many electros.  So from that perspective, it's easy to justify the price of the Resurrection.

HOWEVER, this assumes that the sum is greater than or equal to the total of the parts, which in most cases you hope to be true.

If you take all these parts, add them up to form one sum, what do you have?

You still have a mech autococker.  It might be the nicest mech autococker in the world, but it's still just a mech autococker.

Here's where the whole thing gets ugly:  in my opinion, they should have released it as an upgrade to the Sniper.  The thing just shares way too many parts with the Sniper to justify a completely separate gun.  Having two products that are so similar in price and parts seems like a bad idea.

A player who is thinking about mech play has to start thinking, "Well, do I buy a Sniper, or do I buy a Resurrection?"  The first obvious thought is:  "Well, for just a little more, I can have a semi-auto."  Which leads the user to think, "Well, if I'm going to drop that much coin for a semi-auto, I might as well just go for an electro."  BOOM, neither product sells.  The products just do not look very good stacked right next to each other in a product line.

Another way to look at it:  pretend I actually want both.  I want a Sniper (and at one time I was looking at buying one), and I want a Resurrection as well.  But not both at the same time.  For pump days, I run the Sniper, and for normal days, maybe I'll run a Resurrection.

What happens if I want both?

I HAVE TO BUY NEARLY THE ENTIRE FUCKING GUN TWICE.  LITERALLY.

So I've got to plonk down on two bodies, two feed necks, literally 6 extra barrel backs that I probably won't be using, an extra front, two regulators, two grip frames, two ASA's, two valves, two bolts, two hammers, and an assortment of other parts just so I can basically have the front pneumatics.

Yeah, about that?  Not so much.  Again, the end result in my case -- neither product sells.

We'll see how the market reacts.

Notes about the Empire Trracer

1. I don’t give a shit if it’s a ‘Nelson’ valve -- put god damn regulator on there, or at least leave space in the design for one as an upgrade.  Make a small regulator, like the one for the Mini, and sell it to us as an upgrade!  SHUT UP AND TAKE OUR MONEY. It’s not like it has to be a superfast regulator.  Tiberius built a tiny reg into their pistol.  Tippmann built a tiny reg into their pistol, and they’re clinically retarded!  The bolt is simpler to make since you’re not adjusting velocity there, and you don’t need the stupid ass long allen wrench, so that reduces cost too.  And if you need another cost reduction, just fucking drop the barrel.  Nobody wants that fucking thing anyways.
2. Backbottle?  Seriously?  Backbottle?  I know the original had backbottle.  I know you wanted to reissue teh gun, BUT IT WASN’T NECESSARY TO COPY THAT FEATURE, THANKS. Fucking playing with backbottle sucks. Just put a 1/8 NPT port on the side, and make it so you can flip that back end so that the port is on the right or left side. That's it.
3. Detent is weak; could use two of them (one up, one down).  Smallbore paint rolls right through.
4. Pump arm Picatinny didn’t extend back far enough; had to carve it to get the AFG2 to fit where I wanted.
5. Somewhat wobbly pump arm. Minor issue.

Ah, the Empire Trracer.  Would have been a great gun had they not fucked it up.  Maybe they deliberately fucked it up so the Sniper would look better.  I dunno.  Guess I'll get some custom work done for mine.

Next OpenSCAD extended rail

Weight comparison:

Impact Force of a Paintball

Alternate title:  Y CAN'T MCBERS MATH?
Alternate title:  The (Un)Scientific Method

http://www.mcarterbrown.com/forums/dead-zone/125903-physics-paintball-sort.html

Here's my back-of-napkin calculation.

1/2 mv^2 = F * d

Mass = 0.0032kg
Velocity = 88 m/s
d = 0.008636 (half the diameter of a paintball; will explain later)

Average force = 1434 Newtons.  This is obviously an average force.

Assuming average head is about 8 lbs (3.63kg):

F = m * a

1434 = 3.63 * a

a = 395 m/s^2

g = 9.8 m/s^2

a = 40.3g


Alone, not enough to meet the 70g threshold for concussion that's thrown around, but high enough to consider, especially given how many variables might be involved.

More on this later.