Shockers love em or hate em

[flyingpootang]

I just added a Dynasty to the ever growing list. What I want to know is why most people hate them so much. Try to keep friendly I'm not trying to ruffle anyone's feathers. So here it goes:

Yeah yeah I know SmartParts is killing the industry with their claim to inventing the electronic trigger switch, but is there any other reason why most people say that Shockers are pieces of crap with out being on the "I hate SP band wagon"? I started playing in 93 with a Cocker and a MiniMag. I have owned or shoot almost everything out there. I have also fixed/tinkered with vast amount of markers out there. So with all of this if I had to choose 1 marker to keep and play with it would have to be one of my Shocker. They're light, fast, no LPR to adjust, no L10 to worry about leaking, no huge battery to charge, air efficient 6 pods/1 hopper (68/4500), and no special tools needed to take it apart/maintain.

(Q) Do I wish that TK was about to unveil the new XMag II or SFL II ?
(A) of course I do.
(Q) Am I ready to sell my AGD collection and buy nothing but SP ?
(A) heck no.
(Q) Do I think SP is screwing the PB community?
(A) Yup (I didn't buy them new if that makes a difference)
http://i537.photobucket.com/albums/ff333/flyingpootang/PICT3481.jpg

[warbeak2099]

Quests are better and can be had cheaper. That's my reasoning personally. There are better spoolers out their for less money. There's really nothing that a stock Shocker has over a stock Quest. Even an upped Shocker can barely keep up with a stock Quest. Now the one Shocker I might shoot would be that Hybrid Shocker in the middle. It's the only one I've seen with a frame that puts the trigger pivot behind the trigger instead of above it. Once you've shot a gun with proper trigger geometry, you can't go back to the crappy feel of a gun with the trigger pivot above the trigger instead of behind it. It just doesn't feel as good.

Basically, Shockers are fine guns, they just aren't as good as other stuff out there.

[Engus]

i wouldnt say the lack of lpr as a feature. ive seen a few blown solenoids from too high of pressure. and another reason people say theyre not as good is because the cheaper alloy SP used to make them.

[warbeak2099]

i wouldnt say the lack of lpr as a feature. ive seen a few blown solenoids from too high of pressure. and another reason people say theyre not as good is because the cheaper alloy SP used to make them.

Yea you definitely can't tune them to be as smooth as spoolers with LPRs. I also don't like the fact that the cheaper alloy doesn't hold anno as well. All the Shockers you see in the B/S/T's are faded to hell.

[neppo1345]

Smart Parts sucks, all their guns suck, their air systems suck, the people who put them together suck (right down to the guy/gal who mops the floor), the people who own them suck. The Gardener family has done nothing but destroy the sport of paintball we all love. The world would be a better place without Smart Parts.

On that note I'm going to go clean my shocker, freak kit, and maybe my micro max-flo.

[Pump Scout]

i wouldnt say the lack of lpr as a feature. ive seen a few blown solenoids from too high of pressure. and another reason people say theyre not as good is because the cheaper alloy SP used to make them.

Can't quite let that stand. The 2011 alloy in the SFT was used because it was easier than 6061 to machine. From what I'm seeing out there, 2011 is more expensive than 6061. We've all seen the picture of the Strange Shocker with the twisted grip frame, but that's happened to other markers as well. No marker is immune to structural failure. Case in point - just talked to an old-hand player this Sunday who used to shoot Mags exclusively. While shooting a carbon framed Mag (you know, the ones you can hang a Miata from), he stepped in a hole at full run, planted onto his marker, and broke the frame. And his hand.

Likewise, the solenoid issue isn't unique to Shockers. I've heard plenty of horror stories from many different markers about screwing a tank in and blowing the 'noid.

As for me, I've had just about everything on the market at one point or another, and I'm tempted lately to go back to a Shocker. The Dark I had was a fantastic marker. And there are certainly companies out there who play dirtier games than SP.

[BigEvil]

I owned a Hybrid one very similar to your pictured. For a gun that looked and felt so damn good I couldnt have been more disappointed when I played with it.

When I got it, the gun was immaculate and very well maintained. Which really didnt seem to matter since it had HORRIBLE FSDO.

-The Nerve board sucked
-The vision system sucked
-The trigger switch was 80gms which equals SUCK
-The feedneck sucked, since even with the lever you still needed a tool to open it up. Just seemed like it was made like crap.
-The Maxflo SUCKED. It would regularly tear a key oring by simply turning the velocity adjuster.

Im sure im forgetting something but you get the idea...

[warbeak2099]

That's the other thing, you have to upgrade everything on them. The feedneck, the board, the trigger, the bolt, etc. Everything that's on them stock is made of crap. By the time you actually have the thing upgraded with decent hardware, you could have got a Droid off the B/S/T's.

[Engus]

Can't quite let that stand. The 2011 alloy in the SFT was used because it was easier than 6061 to machine. From what I'm seeing out there, 2011 is more expensive than 6061. We've all seen the picture of the Strange Shocker with the twisted grip frame, but that's happened to other markers as well. No marker is immune to structural failure. Case in point - just talked to an old-hand player this Sunday who used to shoot Mags exclusively. While shooting a carbon framed Mag (you know, the ones you can hang a Miata from), he stepped in a hole at full run, planted onto his marker, and broke the frame. And his hand.

Likewise, the solenoid issue isn't unique to Shockers. I've heard plenty of horror stories from many different markers about screwing a tank in and blowing the 'noid.


well, either way they dont hold anno very well and Im sure if it was easier to machine it was probably cheaper in the long run. between spitting out parts quicker and less tool wear.

Im not arguing that the solenoid issue is shockers-only, but the OP stated it like a feature that you don't have the worry about tuning lpr pressure. I disagree.

[afortuna]

I know nothing about the shocker. I do know the ION fairly well. I owned a stock one, which was ok. When I built one out of aftermarket parts, it was a really reliable marker. Still a pain to clean after playing with, but that unfortunately was the design at the time. I thought the Blackheart board to be pretty solid.

I was not impressed with the quality level of the materials from SP, but the aftermarket stuff was much better.

[flyingpootang]

Im not arguing that the solenoid issue is shockers-only, but the OP stated it like a feature that you don't have the worry about tuning lpr pressure. I disagree.

To be clear I'm not talking about the regulator, but the LPR found on Egos, Pmeumags, & Cockers etc.... that need to be adjusted/maintained....

Blown noids: Most of the blown noids I've seen on various markers are from user error. They open the reg full blast and kill their noid....

Anno: The red Traitor is also a SFT and holds it's anno well. I think the place that did the vast majority of anno for SFT where put on real thin...

[flyingpootang]

I owned a Hybrid one very similar to your pictured. For a gun that looked and felt so damn good I couldnt have been more disappointed when I played with it.

When I got it, the gun was immaculate and very well maintained. Which really didnt seem to matter since it had HORRIBLE FSDO.

-The Nerve board sucked
-The vision system sucked
-The trigger switch was 80gms which equals SUCK
-The feedneck sucked, since even with the lever you still needed a tool to open it up. Just seemed like it was made like crap.
-The Maxflo SUCKED. It would regularly tear a key oring by simply turning the velocity adjuster.

Im sure im forgetting something but you get the idea...

I agree on the Nerve board. Luckily I got mine used with a Tadao and Virtue boards

The vision system I haven't had any problems with.

The trigger: I guess it depends on how you like your trigger set up.

The feednecks work for me, but they aren't stock.

The MaxFlow I wouldn't cause I've never owned one.

[Rudz]

The lpr one egos/ borgs/ pnuemags aren't bad at all, I own or have owned all 3 and once u set the lpr, I never touched it again.
I currently own an ego, and its more efficent and lighter than a shocker, and pretty darn cheap, used. So it was a no brainer, the shockers just seem to have too many problems and need maintenace.

[punkncat]

I have owned several shockers. I think total time was less than a month on all three.

I actually like the way they shoot WHEN they are right.

The first one I had was brand new out of the box. If you did not clean it EVERY single time you shot it, like even out the back door then it was inconsistant as could be.

One of the other ones would not fire its first shot until you physically pulled bolt out with a tool. New O rings, different types of lube/oil didn't matter.

[latches109]

shooooocckkers. owned em for years and years. fun guns, nice snap shooter...second behind the mag in my play. hated the anno wear. it was always a task to get that trigger just right, but once it was, damn it was fast. i guess that is why i put an ego frame on one.

i'm talking about the gun not the company.

[NoLifeLeft]

I always thought they shot okay. My problem was you should get a lot more for your money. The SFT was a spooler without an LPR, made of soft aluminum, and came with an HPR that was mediocre at best and an ASA that ate tank threads. To me, a Proto Matrix of any variety was preferable. Even on the used market today, for the prices used PM's and Intimidators are going for I'd easily overlook an SFT. I'd shoot one if it was given to me. :D

As for the aluminum, back when I worked at a proshop I personally saw 2 shockers come in with the bolt guides seized in. I know one of the guys very well and know he was smart enough not to do it himself. In Smart Parts' defense they fixed both of them without much drama.

And for the record, I don't hate Smart Parts.

[Engus]

Anno: The red Traitor is also a SFT and holds it's anno well. I think the place that did the vast majority of anno for SFT where put on real thin...


No, its because hybrid used a better alloy than SP did. you cant really put anno on "thin"

[trevorjk]

man i have always wanted a Hybrid shocker :(

[flyingpootang]

No, its because hybrid used a better alloy than SP did. you cant really put anno on "thin"

Really? :confused: So Hybrid where manufacturing their own bodies out of say 6061-T6 or 7075 aluminum and then milled them???? Where did you get your info from. If you also believe that anno can't be thin/measured in nm you should study up on it first before posting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing

[Engus]

Really? :confused: So Hybrid where manufacturing their own bodies out of say 6065-T6 or 7075 aluminum and then milled them???? Where did you get your info from. If you also believe that anno can't be thin/measured in nm you should study up on it first before posting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing


Im assuming that they manufactured their own bodies. It makes the most sense, and i dont think sft bodies have enough metal in certain parts for what the hybrids look like.

I know anno is a very thin layer on top of the aluminum. I meant that other than the 3 different types of anno, you cant just adjust how thick its put on. (hence the "" around the word thin)

[flyingpootang]

Im assuming
You know what they say when you "ASSUME" :rolleyes:

[Engus]

You know what they say when you "ASSUME" :rolleyes:


I know, I know. But the hybrids have more metal that goes out and around the barrel, and they made their frames, vert asa's, and regs, sooo......

[flyingpootang]

I know, I know. But the hybrids have more metal that goes out and around the barrel, and they made their frames, vert asa's, and regs, sooo......
If SP does it like everybody else they start with a extrusion and machine it down. The time to write the machining code for different bodies wouldn't be worth it. The way that FreeFlow does/use to do it would they would get the excrusions from the mfg, machine it, then send it back to the factory to be assembled. That way it carries the warranty from mfg....