any chance of new mags from AGD anytime?

[OPBN]

Considering the introduction of the ULE not only decreased the weight, it also allowed for the use of real detents, clamping feednecks, and cocker threaded barrels I would consider it a substantial performance increase over the SS bodies that required using elbows. In regards to price, the last rendition of SS bidies that came with clamping feednecks were about $120, not much less than what ULEs cost. Having the ability to use Cocker threaded barrels alone is worth the price of a ULE.

And if you don't like aesthetically pleasing parts... Don't buy them, but saying that people are wasting their time and talents making them is a bit harsh. Actually pretty douchey really.

[GoatBoy]

Considering the introduction of the ULE not only decreased the weight, it also allowed for the use of real detents, clamping feednecks, and cocker threaded barrels I would consider it a substantial performance increase over the SS bodies that required using elbows. In regards to price, the last rendition of SS bidies that came with clamping feednecks were about $120, not much less than what ULEs cost. Having the ability to use Cocker threaded barrels alone is worth the price of a ULE.

Funny, I've got a stainless body right here that has a clamping feedneck without an extra elbow, Spyder/Ego detentes, and takes cocker threaded barrels.

Given the complexity of producing the ULE's, I have to wonder if making the stainless bodies is actually easier and cheaper, if you're smart about it. I mean it's great that they do such a nice welding job on those feed necks... but it's also unnecessary. I could be wrong here and maybe they could just revamp the ULE body and not do such complicated things, but the ol' stainless tube seems pretty easy.

And if you don't like aesthetically pleasing parts... Don't buy them, but saying that people are wasting their time and talents making them is a bit harsh. Actually pretty douchey really.

It's the truth. Having expensive upgrades available is nice as an option, but there are some basic things that need tending to first.

[RT Lover]

See, the monkeys are already hard at work on the advertising problem! Bananas for everyone!

I think all these sluggo based bodies are useless. All they do is pretty up your gun at the expense of your pocketbook, and worse, they are a waste of time. Whoever is designing these things is wasting their considerable design capability on aesthetic crap when they could be designing something actually functional.

dude input is great but it is far out there, isnt the best thing about a mag is the options? so u dont have anything nice? big tv, siding on your house, cd player smart phone? all really fancy items u dont need, i know(assume all others) what i put into my marker is my own business. Im a guy anything with boobs and flames i want. anyway if i want to spend it isnt my choice? what some dealers throw out there is just wicked... and it has a price, if u r good with a ss body im cool with it

[OPBN]

I'm sorry but if you are really arguing that AGD or others should have pursued development of the ultimate SS body rather than the ULE, there's no reasoning with you. Troll on.

[GoatBoy]

I'm sorry but if you are really arguing that AGD or others should have pursued development of the ultimate SS body rather than the ULE, there's no reasoning with you. Troll on.

No, I'm not saying that. You clearly do not understand what I am saying.

You guys all talk big about having choice. But there is no choice for a less expensive automag body.

That's great that you can buy all the stupidly expensive bodies that you want, but where does the choice exist for a reasonable, basic, inexpensive body that literally isn't from the 90's? I'm not talking about pursuing the ultimate -- I'm talking about the exact opposite. Pursuing something REASONABLE.

WHERE IS THIS CHOICE YOU SPEAK OF?

[OPBN]

There are TONS of classic bodies out there. Why would anyone need to make more? So let's take one and add an AC adapter for $40. Say we lucked out and found a CF SS one and only paid $45 for it. We're now up to $85. We cut the feednecks down and add an ego feedneck for another $25. Now we are up to $110. For an extra $15 I could have a ULE body already AC threaded, so no adapter to get stuck, nice detent, and threaded for a clamping feedneck. And it weighs probably 1/2 of what the SS does. How does that make sense?

[GoatBoy]

There are TONS of classic bodies out there. Why would anyone need to make more? So let's take one and add an AC adapter for $40. Say we lucked out and found a CF SS one and only paid $45 for it. We're now up to $85. We cut the feednecks down and add an ego feedneck for another $25. Now we are up to $110. For an extra $15 I could have a ULE body already AC threaded, so no adapter to get stuck, nice detent, and threaded for a clamping feedneck. And it weighs probably 1/2 of what the SS does. How does that make sense?

That is *exactly* correct. It makes no sense to go that route. Piecing it together like that absolutely makes it more expensive.

So how much do you think it costs to make an Empire Trracer body?

[OPBN]

Maybe you should take lead on this. I'm sure there's a massive market out there for inexpensive SS bodies for Automags.

[brokeass_baller]

I get what he's saying. He isn't talking about beauty, he's talking cost only. He's saying something basic based around the classic valve could compete in todays market with similar mechs (Tippmanns) and probably lower-end electros. ULE bodies are apparently more expensive to produce than soldering a steel tube to another steel tube, then throwing in an insert with cocker threads and a normal detent.

That said, i think it's really sad we're taking about how to make a mag compete with the Tippmann price range. Automags were once held leagues above any Tippmann maker. It's sad to realize their fall.

[RehKal]

Fall? What fall?

Mags were -never- cheap and they still aren't. Nor should they be. They aren't some off the shelf, generic knock off marker produced by the thousands. They are one-off, highly customizable pieces of art and are reflected as such by their price tag. And honestly, they are a sight cheaper than some of the $1200 electros out there that come out with a new model every year where they tweak... the milling... or the color...

Remember back in the day of the classic automag? When you bought one, it was a grip, valve and body. No barrel, everything else was added and customized.. it wasn't until later that they came with everything else. ;P

[Nobody]

See, the monkeys are already hard at work on the advertising problem! Bananas for everyone!

I think all these sluggo based bodies are useless. All they do is pretty up your gun at the expense of your pocketbook, and worse, they are a waste of time. Whoever is designing these things is wasting their considerable design capability on aesthetic crap when they could be designing something actually functional.

I say just go back to the steel tube. The classic body is just fine with some minor modifications.

so you'd rather stifle the artist aspects of machinists who made the Chord, Dallara, the X mag, the SFL, Ripper, IT and all those aftermarket bodies? sure, just performance is nice, but sometimes people want to turn heads. would you buy a Ferrari that looked like a Honda Element? so a Chrysler K car is just as good as a Jaguar E type?

the modular breech on an Xmag allows you to switch from a warp feed to a vert feed. its nice to have when you want to go from a hose to a pose. hell, a smaller vert feed with a smaller hopper brings the mobility up on the gun so that you don't have this huge long brick that you are trying to move around. you are able to bring the center of gravity of the gun towards your hand and not above it. plus, all the steel adds up. guns that weigh less make for a more mobile person. why do you think that the stainless barrel fad is gone?

but the aftermarket bodies are personality. look at even the Eclipse body kits. they gave the person the option to personalize their gun. no one want to have the same thing that the person next to them has. its functional, but i'd take a vert feed clamping feed next over a powerfeed any day. i hated the elbows but it was a necessity. it also eliminates a break point. the elbow will fail before the body or the hopper.

No magic business man is going to fly in and pay to move the forum to new hosting either.

Yet somehow it happened.

If there's no money left in paintball, then how valuable is the AGD IP? How about just the classic, which you seem to assign no value to?

hate to tell you, my classic i bought in 1999. its my mud gun, its my anvil. put 30+ cases through it and it has yet to let me down. put some oil in it about a year ago to chase a small leak and that's it. changed everything but the rail and the valve and its a keeper. so i don't have anything against classics, except that they are dirt cheap, you can pick up an ex-rental for $100 and though its solid gun, its still weighs a ton, especially with the powerfeed bodies.

ummm, we the people paid the money to have the forum moved. TK didn't care, but listened to the people. he moved things around, but it wasn't his choice, it isn't his doing about redoing the forum, these are the people posting. also, TK himself said that there is no money in paintball. that's why he left AGD. hell, it will be worth talking to him at Tunaball and see what he says, if he does show up.

IPs couldn't tell you how much they are worth. don't care, i don't deal in them. but regardless of the item, an object is only worth what someone is willing to pay. to those on AGD, its worth a lot. to the people who post here, who do business only here. the rest of the world could care less.

[Cokrkilr]

I'm with rehkal, back in the day I spent over $250 for my classic, by the time i was done with 2-3 different frames, hyperframe, barrels, etc... I was up in the dm13 price range by today's standards. I played in probably 20-25 local tournaments with and without the hyper, either way, it was heavy, reliable, and one of the most accurate guns out on the field.

I personally wouldn't care if agd made another mag or not. I've got mine, I still find the parts I need, and it still turns heads every time I pull it out of the bag.

Id rather have my mag that maybe (a big maybe) 10 people in the world have in the exact configuration I have, than have a flood of mags out that look the same and generic but they are "new".

And as far as fancy stuff, get a one off made. Like everyone else is saying, if it were cost effective it would have been done already and there would still be stock on someones shelves... oh wait, agd still has purple ule bodies from 2000 on the shelf, that should say something right there

[OPBN]

Part of the problem I think is the idea that bringing back classic valves and bodies would instantly create a cheaper entry level marker. I would wager that building new classic valves wouldn't necassarily be that much cheaper. If someone wants an entry level Mag, buy used. When people want a Vette, but can't afford a new one, they buy a used older model. It's the way things work.

[Patron God of Pirates]

Part of the problem I think is the idea that bringing back classic valves and bodies would instantly create a cheaper entry level marker. I would wager that building new classic valves wouldn't necassarily be that much cheaper. If someone wants an entry level Mag, buy used. When people want a Vette, but can't afford a new one, they buy a used older model. It's the way things work.

I think the point of an entry level mag would be to bring new players into the fold. The Strength of the Automag used to be its durability and reliability. While that is still a strength, it's best feature imho is something that used to be it's greatest weakness; customization.

Get them with anything with an X-Valve for under 300 retail and the sky is the limit.

[OPBN]

Get them with anything with an X-Valve for under 300 retail and the sky is the limit.

Considering an X valve retails for about $250 that would be a really tough task.