21 replies to this topic

[Buffdaddy]

I found a red one of these, NIB, at Goodwill a while back (yay!), but I've seen them at Target for (CORRECTION) $20, I think. It's a larger version of the Pistol Splat, with longer spring and plunger tube, plus a ton of loading mech for the paintballs. When I took it out of the box, and it fired a stefan to the other basement wall with little drop (~50'), I got really excited. I knew I had to make something awesome, something worthy of using as a primary.

I also had the urge to make a clean-looking mod. Not usually my top priority, but if this is my big project to finish the summer, then why not?

Ok, open your gun up. You should have 4 screws under the priming lever. Use your preferred method (I used a dremel) on the orange cap to allow you to seperate the two halves of the shell. You'll also have to half-cock the sucker to take it apart. Believe me, this gun is a pain in the ass when it comes to the initial taking apart and the putting back together.


Here's the back, for reference:


And here's the front, which will all be removed, by the way. The metal bar that operates the paintball loader takes some wiggling, but it comes out, too.


Now that you've tossed that section out, remove the spring, plunger tube, and barrel. You can remove the buffer springs from the plunger tube and the barrel; now you have 2 extra springs for future modifications.

You should be left with this.

Why is there craft foam glued in there, you ask? Because a 2K tank can fit comfortably in there, that's why!


I epoxied 1/4" vinyl tubing to the tank, and cut a hole on either side of the shell for the tubing.


Firing the tank, however, was a different matter. Once I get time, I'd like to reinforce the shell forward of the trigger, then use bicycle brake line/aircraft grade steel cable and thread it so that I can pull the keyring with my middle finger. In the meantime, however, all I have is fishing line. Crappy fishing line, at that, too - only 8 lb. So I twisted 5 strands of it together, threaded it through the shell in vinyl tubing, and used fishing line knots to secure both ends. It goes out the back, but again, that's okay for now.

On to the next integration: the SSPB!
Take your pocket blaster, and do the usual: cut off the barrel, peg, and middle plastic area. You can plug the pump if you want, but I didn't. This is the backup shot, anyhow. I used 3 inches of 1/2" CPVC for it.


Now for installation: Carve out the ridges in the grip area, and cut semicircles in each shell (actually ends up being "semi-ellipses") for the SSPB. You'll be able to fire it off with your 3rd or 4th finger, depending on hand size. I hotglued my barrels for each part, for the sake of testing and redoing things in the future; I have yet to test ranges, and depending on performance, I may want to try an RSCB or hopper somewhere. Anyhow, I have 3" on the SSPB, 4 inches on the At2K, and 4.5" on the main gun. You'll have to carve out the front a bit for the At2K barrel to fit, though.

The extra 1/2" PVC and fittings you see on the plugged pump? I drilled a hole in the elbow to slide over the pump, and then carved the tee to both hold onto the 2K barrel via a piece of PVC and to wedge itself around the gun shell.

Final product, once put together:





I have yet to measure distances; I'll post those later tonight after work. 90% chance I need longer barrels, but aside from that, I think this will turn out to at least be a good backup primary.

Edited by Buffdaddy, 19 August 2010 - 08:12 PM.

[Eik]

Funktastic.

[Broderick]

Dude, that's fuckin' awesome. The SSPB reminds me of the old SS1. If it weren't for the price tag, I'd get one of these. I love the way you integrated the pump on the 2K as well.

[Spud Spudoni]

Wow! Very nice job. I like how clean the cut is for the secret strike trigger. I have a few questions:

I see a hole on the side of the blaster. Do the paintballs feed in sideways?

If you have ever moded or had a pistolsplat, how would you compare the guns on modding difficulty?

Does it have the same skirt seal as the pistolsplat?

Again, very nice mod. I have heard a lot of talk on this blaster but none have yet to post a write-up. I will have to get one of these soon.

Edited by Spud Spudoni, 17 August 2010 - 05:26 PM.

[cheyner]

Sweet jesus!, between this and your stopcock, I will not be rushing you anytime soon good sir.
Is the SSPB akward to use at all?
But yeah, how is the Magnum compared to the many variations of the Pistol Splat?

[minsc]

This is really well done. I'm surprised you could fit so much stuff in there (hurr hurr hurr).

Are the buffer springs useful for adding to anything at all? I feel like a secondary really isn't needed but it would be a nice bonus.

Also, does the fact you took out a screw port affect the stability of the blaster?

[Buffdaddy]

Broderick, on Aug 17 2010, 03:51 PM, said:

Dude, that's fuckin' awesome. The SSPB reminds me of the old SS1. If it weren't for the price tag, I'd get one of these. I love the way you integrated the pump on the 2K as well.

That's exactly what I was thinking of when I did that!

Spud Spudoni, on Aug 17 2010, 05:11 PM, said:

Wow! Very nice job. I like how clean the cut is for the secret strike trigger. I have a few questions:

I see a hole on the side of the blaster. Do the paintballs feed in sideways?

If you have ever moded or had a pistolsplat, how would you compare the guns on modding difficulty?

Does it have the same skirt seal as the pistolsplat?

Again, very nice mod. I have heard a lot of talk on this blaster but none have yet to post a write-up. I will have to get one of these soon.

Normally there's two hoppers on either side; the paintball falls into the mech and the barrel moves forward when you cock it, and a lever lifts the ball in place while the barrel moves back and makes the seal.

I have a pistolsplat I've modded, The difficulty is about the same. It's taking apart and putting back together that's the problem on this version; you have to do it half-cocked, and there's a lot of stress while you're doing that. And it does have the same skirt seal.

cheyner, on Aug 17 2010, 05:21 PM, said:

Sweet jesus!, between this and your stopcock, I will not be rushing you anytime soon good sir.
Is the SSPB akward to use at all?
But yeah, how is the Magnum compared to the many variations of the Pistol Splat?

Doesn't seem awkward to use; I can just hold the gun up and blast it by pressing the middle finger. And see the above answer.

minsc, on Aug 17 2010, 07:14 PM, said:

This is really well done. I'm surprised you could fit so much stuff in there (hurr hurr hurr).

Are the buffer springs useful for adding to anything at all? I feel like a secondary really isn't needed but it would be a nice bonus.

Also, does the fact you took out a screw port affect the stability of the blaster?

The buffer springs are ok strengthwise, but I don't know what you'd fit them into. That's more of an afterthought, really.

The blaster is still very stable, even without two screws (that one post is gone, and the screw that would normally go through the belly is gone too, b/c of the 2K tank). Structurally, all the "needed" screws around the lever and spring stuff is still there, and the shells got carved (and foam padded) well enough on the inside that they fit perfectly over the air tank and its barrel.



ON TO TESTING!!!!

Measured out in my backyard:

Spring barrel:
Single bb:
68'
68'
66'
73'
1/4" slingshot:
69'
68'
74'
64'

SSPB
Single bb:
42'
52'
52'
1/4" Slingshot:
45'
52'
56'

At2k
Single bb, 2 pumps:
75'
79'
81'
Single bb, 4 pumps:
92'
96'

And that's where it stops, as all 5 fishing lines broke. Although that's kinda my fault, for picking something weak to begin with. I'll be in the garage to see if anything ideal (aircraft grade or bicycle brake line) is buried somewhere. And I'm serious about the buried part.

[The one donut]

I love the SSPB integration!

I have to ask, is the barrel frontloading or do you have a hopperclip that I just don't see?

[Eh Watt]

Wow, that SSPB is just, amazing... It's pretty sweet how well it fit in the handle... Also awesome how the At2k fits right in there. I want to do this now! 'Cept I don't wanna pay 25 bucks for one...

Oh, and how comfortable was the grip before it was integrated upon?

Fantastic job overall, incredibly clean!

[Buffdaddy]

The_one_donut, on Aug 17 2010, 07:56 PM, said:

I love the SSPB integration!

I have to ask, is the barrel frontloading or do you have a hopperclip that I just don't see?

Haha, I wish there was a hidden hopper. Although I've considered it - if we expand the hole in the PT for better airflow, we might just have enough airflow to use Brit's hopper design. MIGHT. But don't count on it.

Eh_Watt?, on Aug 17 2010, 09:06 PM, said:

Wow, that SSPB is just, amazing... It's pretty sweet how well it fit in the handle... Also awesome how the At2k fits right in there. I want to do this now! 'Cept I don't wanna pay 25 bucks for one...

Oh, and how comfortable was the grip before it was integrated upon?

Fantastic job overall, incredibly clean!

The grip was quite comfortable, and is actually quite large. CORRECTION: it was actually $20. Considering a deploy or recon is about the same price, I'd consider it a steal, considering its potential.

Repair update!!!

I used 1/16" stainless steel welding filler wire for a new 2K trigger. (Something dad had in bulk in the garage - so I guess that counts as "locally available" ) Just drilled a few extra tiny holes, threaded it in, and used needlenose pliers for the loops on either end. The gun is large enough that the wire doesn't bother my trigger finger. Works a TON better now. I'll finish up ranges tomorrow, when I actually have light outside.

[nostyleguy]

I love the gun, integrations make me happy. Just one question: why didn't you stick with running the at2k trigger wire through vinyl tubing like the fishing line previously? I understand that its not horribly uncomfortable where it is now, but was there technical difficulty in getting it to work through the tubing?

[Buffdaddy]

nostyleguy, on Aug 17 2010, 10:40 PM, said:

I love the gun, integrations make me happy. Just one question: why didn't you stick with running the at2k trigger wire through vinyl tubing like the fishing line previously? I understand that its not horribly uncomfortable where it is now, but was there technical difficulty in getting it to work through the tubing?

Nah, mainly I left it out because I didn't feel it was needed. I had the tubing originally so that we didn't have the fishing line rubbing across every plastic piece possible within the shell or getting jammed in something. Since the wire is basically straight through the shell now, there's not really any concern. You should certainly be able to put 1/16" wire through 1/4" OD/ 1/8" ID tubing, if you wanted. I just don't really mind having the wire bare as is.

Hope that answers the question.

[Broderick]

Wow. Looking at it some more, this plunger is... tiny. Maybe 4, not quite 5 inches long? I've seen this gun before, and it's pretty large for a pistol. But yeah... With all the empty space in the front, do you think that a plunger tube replacement, and thus draw extension, would be possible? You may need to make it pull back priming, but being one of the coolest shells I've seen, you gotta squeeze everything you can out of it.

[Spud Spudoni]

Broderick, on Aug 18 2010, 12:03 AM, said:

You may need to make it pull back priming, but being one of the coolest shells I've seen, you gotta squeeze everything you can out of it.

If this gun is anything like a pistolsplat, then that would be very hard to acomplish. The spring in these guns are very strong, hence the lever to decrease weight of force. It can be done, but I highly doubt that you will be able to prime it very easily.

Edited by Spud Spudoni, 18 August 2010 - 07:59 AM.

[BustaNinja]

Spud Spudoni, on Aug 18 2010, 05:59 AM, said:

Broderick, on Aug 18 2010, 12:03 AM, said:

You may need to make it pull back priming, but being one of the coolest shells I've seen, you gotta squeeze everything you can out of it.

If this gun is anything like a pistolsplat, then that would be very hard to acomplish. The spring in these guns are very strong, hence the lever to decrease weight of force. It can be done, but I highly doubt that you will be able to prime it very easily.

The lever action of the Pistol Splat, Maximizer, and Maxshot is probably already the perfect priming mechanism. It allows for a very natural range of motion, and a very easy prime on an otherwise impossibly strong spring. I'm seconding that notion by the way Spud.

[taerKitty]

As part of a (shelved) homemade, I've found that the second-gen spring is indeed prime-able by hand in a straight pullback. The trick is to shove a crossbolt across the end of the priming bar so you get the full hand into the game, not just a finger. It's a little harder to prime than a [k25] in terms of overall effort, but keep in mind that the 'throw' is only one-half or less of a [k25].

[Buffdaddy]

Agreed. There's no reason to change the priming method for this gun. And the plunger tube, while tiny, is longer than the Pistol Splat, and the fact that the spring is so damn strong means it's not necessarily a bad thing. We're getting well-modded NF ranges with this thing, and I still need to expand the airflow from the PT. Also need to do the same for my 2k tank (Thanks for the suggestion Zorn), but that'll come in time.

I'll post new ranges for the 2K once I get home from work, since it's functional again. Also considering making a breech-fed RSCB for the 2K and a breech for the Magnum. (thanks to the wonders of using only hot glue, I can pull things out and add new things!) That should make this more useful warwise.

Edited by Buffdaddy, 18 August 2010 - 03:40 PM.

[pjotrkuh]

For anyone who wants some more refference to this blaster, I did a comparison a while back, over here it is called the magnum blaster,comparison
(More pictures on page 2)

Nice integrations Buffdaddy!!

Edited by pjotrkuh, 18 August 2010 - 02:08 PM.

[ultimatenerf 320]

This may sound really stupid, but how is that thing primed? It doesn't have a priming handle like the pistol splat does. And it seems the only thing to grip is the sight, which would seem slow to prime if it was.

Edited by ultimatenerf 320, 18 August 2010 - 04:11 PM.

[Spud Spudoni]

ultimatenerf 320, on Aug 18 2010, 05:10 PM, said:

This may sound really stupid, but how is that thing primed? It doesn't have a priming handle like the pistol splat does. And it seems the only thing to grip is the sight, which would seem slow to prime if it was.

The magnum primes exactly the same as the pistolsplat.
There is the ridge under the bar that look like they are used as a surface to grip onto. The slide can probably be opened slightly so you can put your hand under it before actually priming.
Also in the new pictures Buffdaddy posted, you can see that the lever slightly elevated.

Edited by Spud Spudoni, 18 August 2010 - 05:56 PM.

[Buffdaddy]

Ok, I test fired a few shots with the 2K!

Single bb, 2 pumps:
62' 63' 69' 70'

Single bb, 4 pumps:
70' 74' 79' 80'

1/4" Slingshot, 2 pumps:
54' 60' 61' 66'

1/4" Slingshot, 4 pumps:
67' 77' 77' 77'

I'm going to go ahead and do airflow mods to the Magnum PT and the 2K, as well as adding a coupler/breech to the Magnum and a breech-fed RSCB to the 2K. We want to make this as good as it possibly can be for a "run and gun" primary, and RoF is of the essence.

[Buffdaddy]

Legit double post!

I have the finished version, with all the above mods, plus the following:
Magnum:
PT lubed up, air outlet expanded to ~CPVC ID, couplered.

At2k:
Airflow optimized, RSCB'd (1/2" CPVC elbow/tee/8" barrel, 6" of 5/8" brass for clip, 1/2" CPVC ball valve with passage expanded to 9/16")


Since it's dark, I can't test outside, but the 2K is firing the same as before, if not better (5 darts doesn't hurt performance!). More importantly, THE MAGNUM RAPES!!!! Single bb darts were clearing the 50' basement with virtually no drop.