Regulated Phantoms

Hi Tim,  

I was just on your site as a side track from Doc's Machine site.  Very impressive your collection is.  I didn't spend much time looking at the pictures except for the Phantoms.  ------Sweeeeet Phhaantom,------- my precious.  

I'm pretty much of a NOOB but I study and enjoy learning from other's tales of triumph and defeat so I learn pretty quickly.  Since I am now 45 I don't recouperate as fast as I used to so I take things a little slower (don't run the entire game).   I am interested in a couple of things that you may be able to help me with.  I live in Bakersfield and am having some small difficulty interesting more than one other player in some pump action games.  I have used my Maverick up against the A-5s, Spyder E99s, a couple Tricked Autocockers (took them both out and they're tournament players) and other high ROF markers and in one game took down the entire opposing team of 4 myself (I just spotted the right mark and marked the right spot....O.K. I was really, really lucky).  Our field is basically a wrecking yard for mining equipment so there are ample places to hide and find cover for moving around.   

The   next time I played my pump I seemed to stall out and not get anywhere.  Now I only play it occasionally and for maybe only one round.  The draw of high ROF gaming is almost irresistable and I am well enough equipped to keep up (2 E-trigger Spyders and 2 Semi- Spyders-one of each is self-modified for LP.  This takes me to my first question:  

Have you tinkered with LP on a Phantom?  I'd like to persue that on mine but am concerned about spring pressures and cocking issues.  I really only want to reg. down to about 600 or so just to be below the CO2 "COLD WEATHER" pressure.   I suppose after the reg., a lighter valve spring would be the place to start.  I have done some machining so I'm able to modify things to fit.  I could even make a new longer travel valve for longer valve dwell at LP speed: I just hate to waste time doing something that was already proven not to work well--you know, like reinventing the wheel, except the wheel proved to be a worthwhile invention. O.K.,  Also it really would be nice to adjust ball speed easily from the back of the gun with the reg..  

The second question has already been alluded to in the opening 2 paragraphs:  How do I interest my guys in trying pump action when their "pride-and-joy" Autoblazerimpulsecocker is calling to them from the tailgate?  I now own 8 functioning pump guns (Tagmaster/Hornet, Maverick/Trracer and a PHANTOM) with a few small "ammo box" hoppers so I can supply the markers.  Only problem is these are small bore markers and need small paint.  Most players are using med. to large bore barrels so the paint won't match.  I guess  I could swap paint with them and use their larger paint through my FREAK on one of my other markers.   

Question # 3 is an after thought.  I like the small "ammo box" hopper that came with my first pump (Maverick) and I can't seem to find any around.  Do you have a connection for these little gems?  

Thanks for contributing to Doc's web pages and in advance for any advice you can spare me.

 

hey Marlan,    

whoa...long e-mail, hehe, ok, so as i see it, the questions at hand are: 1) LP phantom operation, good/bad? 2) integrated regulators? 3)ammo box supply source 4) interesting others in pump only play    so i guess i'll start with #1 :-D seems a good place eh? lol

1) LP on a phantom isnt really the greatest way to go...they are built for a high pressure opeartion on straight C02 and seem to work fine like that, when you're using 12 grams (if you do) there really is no point to LP or regulation of any sort...but if you use C02 tanks like a small 4 oz or a 9 oz or even a large 20 oz, some people use a palmers inline stabilizer on the phamtoms to adjust the input pressure...ALSO, the inline regulators do the same job basically as the velocity adjusting bolt does without having to get access to the bolt to do it...so the higher the input regulator pressure, the higher the velocity and vice-versa...all you do to set that basically is teflon tape or lightly loc-tite the adjustor screw on the bolt in place at a reasonable FPS like 280 or so...and then adjust the inline stabilizer to change velocity............LP isnt really reccomended...the reason for LP is to make the bolt pinch balls in semi-auto guns instead of chopping them and to have the ram and LPR pressure run really low, since the bolt is operated by you pumping the gun on pretty much all pump based guns, LP isnt going to do much for you...if you want to regulate down to 600 you can do the stabe trick and adjust the stabe to 600psi and then adjust the velocity the normal way till its set where you want...

2) also, if you want to have an external velocity adjustor without using an inline regulator there are custom shops like "Electric Iguana" and "Docs" and "Punishers Customs" (and a few others i think) that will integrate a inline stabilizer, or other preferred regulator, to the back of your phantom...so you can adjust velocity that way...i wanted to do it to mine but decided against it just cause i like the way it works now and its not really necessary for me...

3) well, what kind of hoppers do you have? the small 45 round BE hoppers or like the old WGP ammo boxes? or something totally different?  i know that Winchester makes a small paintball hopper that holds about 35-45 balls but i'm not sure where to get them, also made are 90 round hoppers called "PB Virus Hoppers" that are still in production which you can find at major online re-salers...like action village i think carries them for relatively cheap...if you're looking for motorized, BE makes a hopper called the BE Quantum that holda about 100 balls and is motor driven like a revvie, i've never tried them but i hear they are good...you can also make a mod of a PBvirus hopper and 9v revvie to make a small motor loader...but its really a pain in the ass...and i'd just say buy a BE Quantum

4) as far as interesting other players...its just a personal choice of what gun you use...i suggest trying to get a pump only day setup at the field you play at so that EVERYONE has to use a pump gun to play and no semi's are allowed (maybe pistols if you like)  or start a 1v1 or 3v3 tournament for pumps only at your field and have prizes or whatnot.................you can also drag them up to our sac pump day on the 23rd of this month...are you gonna be up here to play maybe? yes? please?  hehe

anyway, hope some of this info helped...hit me up with e-mail or catch me on AIM at FirePro84 if you have it...see ya later

- Tim Firpo
- FirePro84
- Viper84@jps.net
- www.FIREPRO84.com