Getting back in the saddle after 13 years.

[Delorentis]

So. I have not played serious paintball for almost 13 years. I promised myself that one day I would play again, when I could afford it without thinking twice - and not have to choose between baked beans or a box of paint. That time has come.

You will see from my sig that I joined in 2003, but have not posted here. However the forum has been good to me and I have found lots of interesting and entertaining reads. Back then, I was playing for John Sosta's factory team (Delorentis), and ran a fully tricked Emag, silver to blue dust, fade ano'd, Warped and tuned. That marker was, well, basically what a ferrari or porsche would be to me today. Good times those.

Last week, I dug my Alien ano'd Armson body out, with RT classic valve (Minimag valve retired) and my stealth Armson 15 inch barrel. I bought a 3000 psi bottle and a dive tank. I dug out my V force goggles and my old Egg loader. After gassing up she started to leak from the front half of the valve and I troubleshooted with your help - reg valve assembly O rings had perished. With a little TLC and some replacement parts she is singing now. First game this Saturday. I really cannot wait.

But now for the serious stuff. I would like a new mech marker in the next few months (I want to just make sure I still have the minerals to play for a whole day without keeling over).

I see ol' Tunaman seems to be the go to - but some advice and chatter about what would suit me best would be helpful. I won't be playing tourney anymore, but I played front/mid and like a fast, light marker for a combination of woods and rec ball. Fields will include bush and forest, but I would definitely still rip up a urban/speedball/inflatables every chance I get. After all, that is where I cut my teeth with the little Italian calling the shots (Sosta, up a tower with a loud hailer telling us to imagine our shape was a hot babe and to get in as close as possible !).

So guys- help a fella out and put me back on the right track. What should I be considering for my next rig?

Thanks! Good to be back

Oh. Err. I live in South Africa now. Just a little longball (curve ball?) for ya

[zulubravo44]

If you're looking for light and fast, maybe a ULE body, X valved, intelli-framed mag (with something like a deadlywind fibur barrel and a set of inserts). Replace the on/off with an RT on off, and if that's still not fast enough get a blamtro pneu kit and one of the awesome frames that will let you put a sleeper together.

Or you could get yourself a pump mag. That could be a whole new challenge...

Most importantly, welcome back!

[cockerpunk]

if you want a new mech gun that is cheap, light, and easy, the gog eNMEy is a great little shooter.

[Jaan]

What is your price range? I think Mags are the best mech guns ever made. I know you said you wanted a mech gun, but I love my Invert Mini. The only other mech guns I play with these days, besides my Mags, are Phantoms. I have a nice little dropout pistol that I just love.

[TyeStick]

I would suggest a ULE mag. I mean, it's light, and it's reliable, and it's got awesome customer/community support backing you should something to wrong.

[Jaan]

if you want a new mech gun that is cheap, light, and easy, the gog eNMEy is a great little shooter.

I just ordered one today as a gift for my girlfriend. Thanks for the suggestion. I have an Ion and the thing is a decent little shooter, the eNMey appears very similar. Rockstar Tactical has them for $130 free shipping. It seemed like a practical choice. I'd give her one of my guns...but they're MINE. lol

[Delorentis]

Hi guys - thanks for the advice.

Whilst the eNMEy sounds like good value - cheers cockerpunk - I feel an attack of the snobs coming on. Let's spend a little more. Reckon from 750 - 1000 US.

I did lots of research on the ULE thusfar and the one thing that I cannot seem to figure out is, what is the supply chain? Who builds them, where can they be bought complete. Are they ground up made to order, or can you get come tasty ones off the shelf? Also, I would need to understand the shipping requirements to the South Africa, or in the very least the UK where it can be brought over by a friend/family when they visit. Complicated but that's how it is when you live on the tip of Africa.

Zulubravo helped out with a top level spec for the ULE. Can anyone give a little more detail? What would fit nicely into the budget and still give spotty kids a fright with their electro paint hoses.

Thanks chaps.

[zulubravo44]

Your best bet nowadays is to build one from the ground up with the parts you want. Check out XMAGTERROR's dealer thread, as he makes custom ULE bodies (either two piece carbon fiber or aluminum MiniMag bodies). The advantage with these is that they are double-detented (angel threading), vert feed (also angel threaded) but take autococker barrels.

Mix that with an X valve (either from Tunamart for a new one or here for a used one) and a grip of your preference, and you're already on your way to making the electro ropers poop themselves. Add a pneu frame and you'll be shooting almost as fast as they are. Blamtro is currently selling the whole kit less the low pressure reg and the grip frame itself for around 70. Luke and cougar20th both run custom sleeperframe projects on here (where the regulator fits inside the grip frame rather than being on the outside).

I shoot a standard ULE body with an intelliframe/classic valve with a level x bolt, and the electropunks are convinced that it's "full auto." You could build an almost identical marker from parts on here for about 350-400. If they only knew...

You could also post a WTB ad on here specifying what you're looking for, and people may approach you with a complete marker (used).

Your problem will be bundling it all together for a single shipment over to .za. You might be able to convince Tuna or someone similar to do you the bundling service. I find myself in Malawi 1-2 times per year for work, but that's still not all that much closer (and an added risk of yet another customs clearance).

[Delorentis]

Thanks for the great input Zulubravo. I spent some time snooping around the classifieds last night and I was gutted to have missed out on the emag's on KNM's sale. That shockwave was beautiful - I know I said I wanted a mech mag, but I was blinded by the sweet ano and milling job...

Ok - so I have tried to pick up on what I need and thought I would start a build list that I can edit with your help and feedback. Once I have all the parts that I need finalised I can order them and hopefully some kind soul like Tunaman can get the build and tune done for me (paid of course) and I can then figure out how to get it over to the UK, then on to SA. So here goes:

1. X valve (new)
2. Carbon fibre ULE body, angel detents, angel feed neck, autococker barrel thread (new)
3. Fibur barrel with freak inserts (KNM has a set for sale...)
3. ULT trigger (new)
4. Intelliframe OR Pneuframe (tell me, I checked the pneuframe out, but just to be sure - pneuframe introduces a regulator for low pressure use?). Gun metal or black.
5. Wrap around grips
6. ASA with on off. Gun metal or black.
7. Sleeperframe from Luke with gas through. Gun metal or black.

err. Anything else? Suggestions/arguments for and against, debates etc welcome. Looking forward to thrashing it out and getting shopping. Thanks chaps.

[zulubravo44]

1. X valve (new)
3. ULT trigger (new)

X valves come standard with a ULT; if you want the "bouncy" trigger rather than a super light trigger, you'll need to find an RT on/off (Baccipaintball.com usually has some, and Tuna may as well)

4. Intelliframe OR Pneuframe (tell me, I checked the pneuframe out, but just to be sure - pneuframe introduces a regulator for low pressure use?). Gun metal or black.
7. Sleeperframe from Luke with gas through. Gun metal or black.

A pneu introduces a regulator for a simultaneous low pressure system. Basically, low pressure air is used to power a system that uses air to drive a ram that pushes the sear. Instead of being connected to the sear pin, the trigger is connected to a 3-way valve that actuates a pneumatic ram to fire the marker. See a detailed guide here (https://www.automags.org/forums/showt...er-Frame-v2-0-!!!!!!)

You can build one out of an AGD intelliframe, but the low pressure regulator (LPR) will be outside the frame, on the ASA or somewhere else. If you build one from a luke's frame, a cougar frame, or some of the others, you'll be able to rig it up so the LPR also goes inside the grip frame along with the parts. Loguzzzzz (probably the wrong number of Zs) probably has the most experience building these kinds of frames. Blamtro currently has a sale (here: https://www.automags.org/forums/showt...-Ready-to-Ship) for all the pneumatic parts. If you get one of blamtro's kits, you'll still need an LPR (Palmer's micro rock is the one that seems to be most popular) and the grip frame for the build.

Unless you're a fan of tinkering and tuning, I'd stick with a regular mech frame rather than going the pneu route. I had one a while ago, and I didn't bother to spend the time to really tune it. As a consequence, I was never able to shoot it much faster than I could shoot a trigger-stopped mech frame, and I didn't like the extra gas usage and tiny tubes running all about (it was on an intelliframe, so the LPR was exposed).

Unless you want to get the whole marker re-annoed, gloss black is probably the safest bet. I haven't seen gunmetal grey as a standard color for most of these parts.

2. Carbon fibre ULE body, angel detents, angel feed neck, autococker barrel thread (new)

Xmagterror is the guy who builds these, and he's doing (the last) run right now over in the dealer's section. They sometimes come up for sale in the BST section, but working with XMT directly is the best way to get the style you want. He does them all (minimag, ULE, chopped ULE, old style RT, etc). It's 50 bucks to get on the production list, and I think another $160 for final delivery.

[going_home]

Xvalves come with an RT on/off.

The ultra light trigger kit (ULT) is an upgrade.

Tunaman can sell you a new RT Pro ULE with Xvalve or a Tac One tunaman5@comcast.net .

And so can AGD http://store.airgundesignsusa.com/in...alog&catId=727 http://store.airgundesignsusa.com/in...alog&catId=728

[Spider-TW]

Check out Luke's rails and mini vert frame as well. I have four of his ULE rails, and the weight difference is noticeable. Same is true of his ULE frames. I bought one of his ULE'd intelliframes second hand. I thought I had been sent a plastic copy of a frame when I first picked it up out of the box.

[SummaryJudgement]

A Dune fan by any chance

[Nobody]

A Dune fan by any chance

You could think that, by why name yourself after Dino, when Stilgar, Gurney Hallack, Duncan Idaho and clearly more imoressive names. Plus the ooster is SA, not Italian. I venture it is his real name.