Looking for a bit of history on my Minimag.

[Adam45]

Hi

I picked up today a Minimag. Its in good shape and I played today with it. Theres a few parts of it I don't recognize right away though. I got it from a friend who said he has had it for a few months and he bought it from the original owner. Neither of them apparently made any changes from the original purchase from AGD. I dont know when that original purchase was made ?

Heres what I got .......

Minimag PF left body in a satin finish, is that factory ? Its much brighter than others I've seen but its not polished. It appears to be electropolished satin stainless.
PF plug is not parabolic
Expansion chamber is big but I dont know who made it or the name of it ? It matches the finish of the MM body perfectly.
It has a hard line coming from the ASA but I dont know if that is factory ?
The single trigger grip frame has a spring loaded trigger but I havent seen this frame before ?
The grips are marked VL but I'm not familiar with the manufacturer ?
The MM Valve is Reverse and # MM02524 is that an early number ?
The ASA, Rail and PF plug are all anno'd blue, is that factory ? I am thinking that it is and that may help put a date on this marker.
The MM barrel is stainless and looks just like my other ones.
The bolt has a foamy but seems short and has deep groove on the bottom, is this a level 6 ?
Tourney lock has no markings. I havent seen that one before either.
The hopper has APP 250 round sight feeder DOMINATOR written on one side. Who made this one ? It in really good shape. Was it part of an AGD package with the marker ?
The Armsom barrel is rifled and says Armson made in south africa just below the ports. I dont think the other Armson barrels I have seen have that writing ? Is it unusual ?
The CO2 tank is the same satin finish as the marker body and the expansion chamber. I think its stainless as well. Who made this and did it have a specific name?
The case has 68 AUTOMAG written on it and where the underline is missing I beleive it said AirgunDesigns. I can make out a De and g maybe ? Is this a case that was available from the factory at one time?

Anyways I really like it. I'm not asking for an estimate on value. I would like to know all the history of it. I thought I was pretty familiar with Automags as I have about 16 in my collection now but I'm thinking I need some help from you fellows to fill in the blanks.

I am adding a few pictures.

Much appreciation in advance.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/adam45/markers/Picture003.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/adam45/markers/Picture004.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/adam45/markers/Picture005.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/adam45/markers/Picture006.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/adam45/markers/Picture007.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/adam45/markers/Picture008.jpg

[Smoothice]

Can't say I've ever seen a spring assisted trigger frame...

Interesting!

[Coralis]

the expansion chamber is a air america model if im not mistaken.

[DevilMan]

Actually that spring will sit quite well on that little nubbin that is sticking up there...

The frame is a cocker frame. Early style. Early cockers aka snipers had no 3 way. The pump was all that mattered and the frame was used to trip the sear. No timing persay involved. Early mags and early cockers used the same frames. They were interchangable for the most part.

The change came when AGD frames were made but did not have the cut out in the right side to allow a 3 way rod to plug into to a trigger plate. Those frames were able to be used on pump cockers, but not on cockers that had 3 ways on them.

The spring nubbin is there to hold the spring into place as it was used to connect up to a sear to push it upwards. If you take the frame off or just look up through where the sear sticks down you'll see its a round hole. The spring would go through that hole and press up against the sear of the cocker. Without that spring in there, the cocker would not catch the hammer when when pump was pulled back.

You will also notice that the back frame bolt does NOT have the cut in to allow the thumbscrew to fit more flush with the frame.

You can also notice that the front of the trigger guard does not come down to a squarish profile at the bottom but is instead fully rounded.

DM

[Ando]

I did the spring thing with my first mag too :p

Not sure if it really helps or not :rolleyes:

[Walking Stick]

My two cents:

VL is for ViewLoader from back in the good ol' Revvy days, before Brass Eagle ruined them.

APP is for Allen Paintball Products (allenpaintball.com) who still make plastic and rubber paintball goods including the large Sight Feeder gravity hoppers.

-WS

[Adam45]

Actually that spring will sit quite well on that little nubbin that is sticking up there...

The frame is a cocker frame. Early style. Early cockers aka snipers had no 3 way. The pump was all that mattered and the frame was used to trip the sear. No timing persay involved. Early mags and early cockers used the same frames. They were interchangable for the most part.

The change came when AGD frames were made but did not have the cut out in the right side to allow a 3 way rod to plug into to a trigger plate. Those frames were able to be used on pump cockers, but not on cockers that had 3 ways on them.

The spring nubbin is there to hold the spring into place as it was used to connect up to a sear to push it upwards. If you take the frame off or just look up through where the sear sticks down you'll see its a round hole. The spring would go through that hole and press up against the sear of the cocker. Without that spring in there, the cocker would not catch the hammer when when pump was pulled back.

You will also notice that the back frame bolt does NOT have the cut in to allow the thumbscrew to fit more flush with the frame.

You can also notice that the front of the trigger guard does not come down to a squarish profile at the bottom but is instead fully rounded.

DM

Any idea of when the frame would have been used for cockers and mags ?

[athomas]

The way that spring is installed, it looks like it would make the trigger pull stiffer than normal. The AGD/cocker frames were made in the very early nineties.

[Adam45]

The way that spring is installed, it looks like it would make the trigger pull stiffer than normal. The AGD/cocker frames were made in the very early nineties.

The fellow I got it from says the original owner got it in 92'. I think Minimags came out in 91' ?

Not sure about that.

Trigger pull feels the same with or without the marker being aired up. Just like most of my other ones.

[athomas]

Take the spring out and try it. I'll bet the trigger pull gets lighter.

[DevilMan]

Take the spring out and try it. I'll bet the trigger pull gets lighter.

Well, really there should be no difference. The movement of the sear at that point is front to back. The spring is pushing up on the sear T post so really all it would be doing is pushing it up against the bottom of the bolt and the bottom of the on/off.

DM

[athomas]

The spring is bent sideways, which means it will try to straighten. This will push the bottom of the sear and the trigger rod towards the trigger. If there is force on the trigger when there is no air in the valve, then it is exerting a measurable force. Normally, air pushing on the on-off is the only way any force is exerted on the trigger rod. Since there is no noticeable difference between air and no air means it is the larger force between the two.