Adjustable tank regulator opinions wanted

[Darkspidie1984]

Adjustable tank regulator opinions wanted as I have the opportunity to buy an Air america Raptor reg, or Air america Armageddon reg, or a Smart Parts Max-flo. Im looking for an opinion on any whom may have experience with these regs.

Are any of these regs listed above very consistent as Im looking for a constant output of 900-950psi for my Rt Pro? I dont want a new ninja adjustable tank as id like to save cash and just buy one of these and have it installed. Id like to get more reactivity out of my Rt Pro as the 850psi output crossfire i have is nice but its still not shooting as fast as my buddies Rt classic with my tank.

[sjrtk]

I have an AA Raptor and a Max-Flo. I have no experience withe the Armageddons. The Max is much easier to deal with than the Raptor, it has an on/off, output pressure gauge, and dove tail mount. The Raptor need a cradle, has no out put gauge, and has no on/off unless you add one. Both are plenty consistent for use like you want. really though you'd be best calling ninja and having them send you a reg at 950. I know you don't want to do it but just to say it.

[VailSkibum]

I use an AA Raptor 4500. It's about to outlast the tank that I got it with.
Pro:
Almost identical to the Classic Automag Reg. O-rings are interchangeable on the 3000 psi and except for the reg seat, also interchangeable on the 4500 verson. (Raptor Rex).
Durable, Durable, Durable. Adjustable. Good Recharge rate. RTs no problem. Inexpensive.
Con:
Needs a cradle. KAPP's is easy to find but ugly (imho). No on/off. I use a pro-connect and almost like it better. I built a little contraption out of an old remote top and guage to test output pressure.
THE BIGGIE... This reg will chop piston o-rings evey time you crank up the reg. UNLESS you fire a few shots to relieve some of the pressure every 1/2 a turn or so.
Bottom Line:
Served me well since '99. Once the o-ring riddle was solved, never had a problem.

Here's my get up. Pic is clickable:

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/4531/p8060006.th.jpg (http://img690.imageshack.us/i/p8060006.jpg/)

[Wilko]

I have all three of those (I have the Raptor rex, which is the 4500psi version of the Raptor).

I didn't like the Raptor, because it's impossible to see what the outgoing pressure is and because standard it doesn't come with an easy on-off. Either you keep a remote line attached to it, or you need to attach a tap to allow for the pressure to be kept in, otherwise you need to screw in the adjustable pressure knob (allen key needed) to close the air off. Very impractical. I added a separate on-off tap to the air out nipple. Another disadvantage is the saddle and pin construction inside. Those pins can bend if you turn the pressure up too much, and those saddles basically need to be replaced every time you open the reg up. You can still find the saddles and pins, but they are getting very rare!

I used the Armageddon for most of the last two years of playing. A big advantage over the Raptor is the dual gauges, allowing for an insight in the output pressure. It has a similar adjustment system, which means that adding a separate on/off tap between the marker and the output air nipple is still necessary.

The Armageddon and Raptor o-rings can still be bought online, but I'm not sure if those saddles are still made. they look a lot like identical size Automag reg seats(?), but they are considerably harder.

I disliked the sensitivity of the reg to contact with anything hard on the pressure adjustment knob (allen key needed). Bumping into a wall (with my bottle horizontally on my back) I blew out an o-ring, emptying the bottle with lots of hissing. I also think the reg is quite big.

A couple of months ago I started using a second generation maxflo reg, which I had for quite some time. I recently repaired another one, and put it on my second 92ci bottle. I find that with the same output pressure as on the Armageddon, my automags shoot at a higher rate of fire. They also come with a standard on/off handle and a very easily hand-turned knob to adjust the pressure.

However, there is a disadvantage to these (as well as to the third gen Maxflo which my buddy has): the little o-rings inside that sit against the on-off handle tend to have a limited lifespan.

So, I like the Maxflo regs better than the air America.

Replacement o-rings for the Maxflo can be simply bought from the normal o-ring suppliers, like paintballorings.com and oringonkey.com.

HTH