METEOR Paintball Closing Down

[TheRealKaz]

Not sure if anyone here follows METEOR Paintball, but they are a small paintball company creating mechanical autocockers. In a recent post on Facebook, it appears they are going to shut. I am sad to see another mechanical paintball company go. I was just wondering what the Mag community thought of this.

https://www.facebook.com/meteorpaintball/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

[Gundam V]

Although I never owned any autococker, I have had the chance to shoot a couple of meteor cockers. It's sad to hear that a customer cocker company is closing shop.

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[mobsterboy]

I'm having a hard time finding a way to say this that doesnt make me sound like a mag-elitist a-hole.

If I were to collect autocockers, I would really like to have a Meteor in my stable. It would probably have to be after a Kraken, but that would probably be my list. Kraken, Meteor.

Alas, I don't really collect 'cockers. One day I'll get enough of the 'cocker urge again and find a Meteor. They made really cool stuff, just not for anything I avidly purchase parts for.

[Tunaman]

We still have Simon if you like autocockers...he is the best.

[captian pinky]

I have a few meteors and probably have built more than most. They truly are awesome markers.

Fab was doing all of the meteor stuff on the side like most people. I think it was a lot for 1 person to machine and anno in house.

[Mag-Convert]

I think it was just bound to happen, inception already has a large chunk of the market share for "new" autococker products. Plus free flow with their revival markers coming out and selling out. I think meteor offered a black Friday discount on their site, but didn't see anyone besides virtue offer any deals. Might have been a sign they needed to move some stock. Also I've seen a lot more meteor builds for sale than I thought I would see, compared to other cocker brands.

[captian pinky]

They slowed the production before the freeflows were released. I think it was likely more due to Gant the one heading the sales in the US was actually doing alot of playing and had less free time to actually push the product. Fab likely isn't able to machine, anno and handle marketing, sales etc..

I have actually seen a lot of inception markers sold aswell. The market as a whole has seen a lot of action.

[BigEvil]

The beginning of the end of the cocker market …

[going_home]

The beginning of the end of the cocker market …

Let all of magdom rejoice.

[Konigballer]

I wouldn't rejoice too much at autococker misfortune. As it is, we haven't even been able to get new Reg pistons for RT/X valves since, what, last June? The mag community is strong, but the actual amount of investment capital for 'AGD', as it currently exists, is minuscule.

I've never owned a cocker, but I'm thankful for the resurgence. It's nice to see alot more people turn out at the field who don't want things to just turn into a ramp fest.

[TheRealKaz]

I wouldn't rejoice too much at autococker misfortune. As it is, we haven't even been able to get new Reg pistons for RT/X valves since, what, last June? The mag community is strong, but the actual amount of investment capital for 'AGD', as it currently exists, is minuscule.
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I agree, the mag community shouldn't be happy about this... AGD isn't all to different.

[BigEvil]

Just the fact that we can get any new AGD parts at all, that the company still is in existence, and even that this forum is still around is a testament to the owners and community even more so than economic forces. Simon brought back the Autococker, everyone else saw another new market to exploit, and the leeches began leeching.

[dahoeb]

Never happy to see a small company thats been around for awhile have to shut their doors, but the niche autococker market just got too crowded.

[TheRealKaz]

Market getting crowded.... That is one thing that ADG never faced while WGP had to... A ton of companies made autocockers while no one really made a knock off mag .....

Maybe someone with more knowledge of the late 90's/early 2000's paintball can explain why...

[dahoeb]

Market getting crowded.... That is one thing that ADG never faced while WGP had to... A ton of companies made autocockers while no one really made a knock off mag .....

Maybe someone with more knowledge of the late 90's/early 2000's paintball can explain why...

Well...I think the short explanation is that it's hard for there to be a big market of custom/aftermarket parts for such a simple design with few parts. And the best quality "aftermarket" parts or upgrades were already being produced by AGD.

Also...mags didn't have the cool back block moving back and forth. Sounds simplistic, but the "complicated", tinker-bait design of the cocker will certainly be favored by those who like to tinker and try to improve upon interesting designs. And in the early days, the cocker had a LOT of parts that could've been improved upon. I guess one way to look at it, is that the cocker was like a giant blank canvas, full of parts that could be polished, redesigned and improved, with a big blocky body that was ripe for custom milling.