Refurbishing old cockers or other guns...

[cledford]

Anyone else enjoy this? I've got an old '99 that the only original part left is the body. I recently was cleaning out the tool box and discovered all the original parts that I thought were long gone. Now, for some stupid nostalgic reason, I'm taking the half-disassembled carcass of what was left after I stopped canalizing it and putting back to the way it was when I bought it.

Everything is going back to the original stock part - down to the smallest screw. The only exception is the LPR - I've got an old school long black Palmer with brass fittings that looks identical to the Sledge. I still have the sledge also - but I'm thinking there is even a limit to what I can tolerate to be "historically correct" so I'm considering using the Rock. How much is it crime against the purists to use a no stock part?

Other then that I'm planning on polishing/waxing the pneumatics, and the bolt. The bolt was a hideous old thing that looked like it was hacked out of a block of aluminum by a retarded boy scout going for his whittling badge. I'm figuring that some TLC with the buffing wheel and rouge will "shiny" it up and maybe it'll look and perform a little better.

That whole project leaves me in a bad predicament. I've a lot of pre-2k parts left over (AKA tornado valve, AKA pump rod, AKA lightening bolt, AKA WGP reg cap, '99 cut front block , Shock-Tec low pressure chamber, and AKA back block) and no body to put it on. I'm guessing I could get a right-feed for cheap, which would be accurate for the time that the parts were made, but at the same time I hate RF. Any ideas?

BTW, this thread is more or less to spark a conversation than to obtain real advice - I'm interested if anyone else out there suffers from the same affliction I do...

-Calvin

[TheTramp]

I'd go with the old-school right feed body. If you are going to do a restoration you might as well go all the way.

[RRfireblade]

No "purist" here. I like it they way I like it no matter how new or old it is.

As far as restoration goes,either it's 100% historically correct and hopefully original or it's just another old gun,or anything else for that matter.

Jay.

[cledford]

Originally posted by RRfireblade

As far as restoration goes,either it's 100% historically correct and hopefully original or it's just another old gun,or anything else for that matter.

Jay.

Jay,

Hmmm, definitely something to think about, which brings me to the real challenge with the old Sledgehammer regs. In that they weren't externally adjustable. You could take them apart (which required removing at least the output hose) and adjust the output internally, but it was a pain.

I however agree with you on the difference between a "restoration" and an "old gun". To that end, I think what I'll consider doing is put the palmer on first and get everything running correctly. Then remove the palmer, and rig a way to test it's output. (rig something up that allows off gun pressure testing of the LPR when fed by the main reg) Then adjust the WGP reg to the same output and install on the gun.

It's getting interesting :)

It'll also be fun to test the WGP inline for performance. I'd always heard it was crap but didn't have any way to test it in the bygone years. Quite frankly it was quickly replaced with a Palmer Stab. Time to go back and see how much performance the upgrade bought ;)

-Calvin

[RRfireblade]

Originally posted by cledford


Hmmm, definitely something to think about, which brings me to the real challenge with the old Sledgehammer regs.

Ah,now your talking,the challenge is what makes it worth while.....now go get 'em!

Also,I believe the old regs are adjustable,just not "user" adjustable.

Jay.

[ClassicMagger]

Hey:

Cledford you proved to ALL of my teamates now that I am not the only one, who does this stuff. I usually deal with older items, than the 99 cocker but I love to redo anything. PM me with a list of the cocker parts you are missing. I have about 3 original pre 2k front blocks for a cocker with the 3-way and all of that. Just let me know I would love to help you out.

[JEDI]

I hear ya man... Here's my vicious cycle: I bought my first Stock Vert in 2002. I swapped out all the parts and kept the body. Now with all those new parts, I figured a new body was in order... Ok, New body with new parts.

I couldn't possibly just keep a cocker body lying around, so I slowly build it with the original parts I had (some got sold, so I bought new) WELL!! Cant have "some old - some new" parts on it. So.... now I'm slowly putting all new parts on the same old body...

You see where I'm going with this. :D

[Darkling]

Wow, sounds awesome. I've been building cockers from scrath for about a year or so know - it's really a challenge and fun. Hey, I'll take all the parts off your hands! E-mail or PM me if interested, heh ;).

[punkncat]

My wife gets on to me all the time.I will buy a marker, upgrade it to the end of the path.Play with it for a while , get bored restore it to original and sell it or trade it.
I love timkering with old cockers and mags.Spyders...you name it.
Most of my buddies will let me borrow their guns to tinker on , just to keep me busy and out of the doghouse with my wife.

[Odder]

'99 cocker is not that old :P, my STO is a '98 and My Sniper 2 that use to be a Cocker, has a 4 digit serial number.
As with the Sledge, chances are it has never been crack open,. so many people swapped them out before they even shot them. try using it first.

Personally I think Sledge suffers from bad opinion rather than bad design, they work great out of the box. unless you live in a extreme environment, they never really needed any adjustment at all.

well have fun with restoration project :)

[banzaimf]

I had a serial number 14K old style body (pre 97) that I got as a box of parts and then built and tuned. I loved that gun, I think I may need to buy it back. I have been thinking about taking a new cocker and doing all of the "OLD SCHOOL" mods to it. All the hand honing and internals polishing.