First Strike Automag

[El Camino]

Hello, I'm posting this build thread because a few members have asked about the First Strike Mag, so here it is,
As you see, not much work has been done to the marker, really, most was done on the body. I cut the feedneck off and milled the hole in a "D" shape to match the First Strike paint (and to fit my finger in there). It's a closed breech, single shot. Slide the barrel/adapter forward then you drop the First Strike paint (or regular paint) in the end of the barrel adapter, then slide it back. The adapter, when pulled back, sides over the nose of the bolt about a 1/6". It's a cocker threaded barrel. What you see in this pic, is the adapters I had made, cocker threads on one end and .690 bore on the other. The hole on the side is for a Spyder nipple detent. The hole for the 10-32 bolt to slide the barrel/adapter forward and backward, was not drilled till I installed it in the body so it would line up for when I milled the slot. Right now it's shooting at 334 FPS and it's VERY QUIET!! and I do mean VERY QUIET!! That's about it, there was more time spent figuring out everything so that I got it right the first time. My biggest expense was having the adapters made at a machine shop, while I milled the body. Oh, and the sight rail I milled down and mounted a Picatinny rail on it so I can use it like it is or add a scope, red dot, laser, etc.
Thanks for looking!! :cheers:

<a href="http://s1000.photobucket.com/albums/af122/ambler540/?action=view&amp;current=FirstStrikeAutomag004-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1000.photobucket.com/albums/af122/ambler540/FirstStrikeAutomag004-1.jpg" border="0" alt="First Strike Mag"></a>
<a href="http://s1000.photobucket.com/albums/af122/ambler540/?action=view&amp;current=FirstStrikeMag003.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1000.photobucket.com/albums/af122/ambler540/FirstStrikeMag003.jpg" border="0" alt="First Strike Mag"></a>
<a href="http://s1000.photobucket.com/albums/af122/ambler540/?action=view&amp;current=FirstStrikeMag.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1000.photobucket.com/albums/af122/ambler540/FirstStrikeMag.jpg" border="0" alt="First Strike mag"></a>

[TwilightG]

Nice work! :headbang:
Now you need to come up with a first strike magazine and mount that to the body :D

how easy is it to grab onto that bolt to slide the breech open/close? looks like you could use something beefier to hook your finger onto.

other than that, looks awesome :)

[DevilMan]

Nice work! :headbang:
Now you need to come up with a first strike magazine and mount that to the body :D

how easy is it to grab onto that bolt to slide the breech open/close? looks like you could use something beefier to hook your finger onto.

other than that, looks awesome :)


My thoughts are that he just grabs the barrel itself to move the system... Could be very wrong though.

Nice work!

DM

[El Camino]

Nice work! :headbang:
Now you need to come up with a first strike magazine and mount that to the body :D

how easy is it to grab onto that bolt to slide the breech open/close? looks like you could use something beefier to hook your finger onto.

other than that, looks awesome :)
I'm working on 10 to 15 round mag now, a lot more work to make one to the shape of the FS paint. I would love to have one made of carbon fiber.
The drag pressure for sliding the breech open/close is controlled by an o-ring sandwiched between the barrel and the adapter, the tighter you tighten the barrel and adapter the more the o-ring squeezes out, the tighter the drag. The bolt in the side of the adapter sits out about 1/2", which was plenty to get my thumb and finger on to slide the breech open. I wanted something a little fancier and I was even working on something but the bolt worked great and cheaper.

[DevilMan]

I sit corrected... ;)

DM

[georgeyew]

Not sure if I missed something but why did it need to be a close breech? Couldn't you have just opened up the feed hole and dropped a FS round in there?

Nice work though.

[vf-xx]

Not sure if I missed something but why did it need to be a close breech? Couldn't you have just opened up the feed hole and dropped a FS round in there?

Nice work though.

My guesses are: Safety and reliability.

No need for a LX on this type of mag.

[OPBN]

Very nice. Seems a bit overkill though to have an XValve and Intelliframe on a single shot breachloader.

[El Camino]

Not sure if I missed something but why did it need to be a close breech? Couldn't you have just opened up the feed hole and dropped a FS round in there?

Nice work though.
Well, that's where I started with the prototype. What I found was it was hard to get the paint in and lined up, with round paint it is set to go do to it's shape, but with FS paint it has to be in the right position. If you have the paint sitting with the hole beside it and it moved, which it does because it's nose heavy, then it would break when you shoot. If you push it in the barrel a little bit, then you have to keep the marker pointed down or the paint would slide back out and not sitting right, and then would break. So with a close breech, you open, drop the paint in (marker pointed downward), close it, the paint now sits up against the nose of the bolt, sitting where it needs to be and it will stay there till your ready to shoot.

[El Camino]

Very nice. Seems a bit overkill though to have an XValve and Intelliframe on a single shot breachloader.

The X-valve w/LV10 was what I had, a Classic valve would work just as good, just be sure you have a tuned LV10 on it. Don't forget your finger is in there sometimes. The Intelliframe I had laying around when I started the build. I love the single trigger frame a lot better, but my single trigger AGD Intelliframe is not done yet, almost, but not yet! ;) :ninja:

[El Camino]

My thoughts are that he just grabs the barrel itself to move the system... Could be very wrong though.

Nice work!

DM

The prototype was a pushmepullme barrel system! :rofl:

[halB]

If you can figure out a magazine for the rounds, and then put a pump handle on the barrel, I would be all over that. As it is, it is still very very awesome.

[El Camino]

If you can figure out a magazine for the rounds, and then put a pump handle on the barrel, I would be all over that. As it is, it is still very very awesome.
Because of the shape of the round the magazine will have to go straight out the side of the body to work, so it won't have but maybe 10 to 15 rounds. But still better then a single shot.

Pump? It would work if it was a mag-feed.

[georgeyew]

Well, that's where I started with the prototype. What I found was it was hard to get the paint in and lined up, with round paint it is set to go do to it's shape, but with FS paint it has to be in the right position. If you have the paint sitting with the hole beside it and it moved, which it does because it's nose heavy, then it would break when you shoot. If you push it in the barrel a little bit, then you have to keep the marker pointed down or the paint would slide back out and not sitting right, and then would break. So with a close breech, you open, drop the paint in (marker pointed downward), close it, the paint now sits up against the nose of the bolt, sitting where it needs to be and it will stay there till your ready to shoot.

Good thinking. I am glad that you are more thorough in your thinking than I am :)

[maniacmechanic]

Looks great , the big question is how many adapters did you have made ?? ( I need one of these )

[El Camino]

Looks great , the big question is how many adapters did you have made ?? ( I need one of these )

LOL I wanted 2, they made 4 to the tune of $75.00 each. I couldn't leave the 2 sitting there.

[Rudz]

I would pick up a classic valve, cf single finger mag frame, and have Pillage make you a wood grip/stock for your cf frame like he made for my pump mag, then have the marker/barrel/valve/rail/frame hydrographiced in some camo or duracoat the marker :eek:

great idea, I like it

[GoatBoy]

You know, you could just take an old twist-lock automag and do roughly the same thing.

I took a classic, ground a "D" slot into the automag body.

Repeat for a barrel of your choice.

To load, twist the barrel so barrel/breech and body openings line up. Drop FS round in.

Then you rotate the barrel again so that they don't line up to "seal" the breech.

I think a bolt modification might be desirable because the round has a tendency to rotate and bobble inside the breech. Something like an extra long foamie tip.

[El Camino]

You know, you could just take an old twist-lock automag and do roughly the same thing.

I took a classic, ground a "D" slot into the automag body.

Repeat for a barrel of your choice.

To load, twist the barrel so barrel/breech and body openings line up. Drop FS round in.

Then you rotate the barrel again so that they don't line up to "seal" the breech.

I think a bolt modification might be desirable because the round has a tendency to rotate and bobble inside the breech. Something like an extra long foamie tip.

That's were I started, then I wanted to make sure the barrel stayed in the body when running around the field. The other problem is making sure the paint stays in the right position. You are doing the same thing I've done except for the barrel adapter. I had to overcome the problem of the paint moving while running around in between shots, and the adapter made it easier to load.

[Thotograph]

IMO for a bolt action type gun I would think a small trap door type magazine that will hold another 2-3rounds is all you'd need, I mean maybe do a 7 round mag so you can rock 7+1 and use a whole tube at a time (they'z get expensive you know)...

Just thinking if you were to use this gun only for sniping/ambushing and such and carried either a sidearm or regular semiauto (perhaps strap the SniperMag on your back?) then you'd be fine with a low count magazine that would allow for a quick followup shot if needed and would keep the bulk & size down and be a better handling FS platform. Say you miss on trying to shoot a general or want to take out his Lt. or whatever... you get maybe 2 shots before the whole place is a wash with paint. Maybe I'm wearing my scenario hat a little too tightly but I could see a 15rnd mag protruding a bit too much...

Still must say the build is tip top :clap:

[GoatBoy]

IMO for a bolt action type gun I would think a small trap door type magazine that will hold another 2-3rounds is all you'd need, I mean maybe do a 7 round mag so you can rock 7+1 and use a whole tube at a time (they'z get expensive you know)...

Just thinking if you were to use this gun only for sniping/ambushing and such and carried either a sidearm or regular semiauto (perhaps strap the SniperMag on your back?) then you'd be fine with a low count magazine that would allow for a quick followup shot if needed and would keep the bulk & size down and be a better handling FS platform. Say you miss on trying to shoot a general or want to take out his Lt. or whatever... you get maybe 2 shots before the whole place is a wash with paint. Maybe I'm wearing my scenario hat a little too tightly but I could see a 15rnd mag protruding a bit too much...

Still must say the build is tip top :clap:

You know, what I really would like to see is something like a 3 to 5 round revolver/cylinder system with a feed gate. That way you could fire one off, the next round would be chambered and ready to go, and you could load another round with the off hand.

I was hoping the "DRV revolver" that an MCB member was making would go this route, but the design got hijacked by a bunch of people who wanted something that "looked cool" instead of something that might actually be functionally useful.