Lvl 10 Minimag: Perfect Performance/Future Changes

[QUINCYMASSGUY]

I am just posting a thread to acknowledge the excellent performance the Level 10 gave me this weekend. I went to Boston Indoor Paintball in Somerville, MA last Saturday and played for almost 10 hours (some off time in there of course) and went through 2500 rounds of PMI Invader Paint which was dimpled and definitely not a good quality paintball (field paint only, $80/case for that garbage, those cheap jerks). I had absolutely NO breaks at all anywhere in my gun, and I think I was the only guy there besides maybe one or two other with $1200 Angels who did not have a single tech problem all day.
So although I still am hoping AGD makes nicer looking, vertical feed bodies with some high rise feed (to counteract the high pressure burst pushing the balls in the neck up) available sometime this millenium (not holding my breath though), and I'll have an Xvalve ordered this week and maybe an Intelliframe too (I have single trigger now), AGD had a strong showing in Boston this weekend with tons of people wanting to know more about the great gun I was using. Although I am still envious of the guy with the Angel. A couple questions for anyone who can answer them:

1.) Is AGD now focusing all their attention on Scenario Games and woods games rather than the speedball and xball formats? Just seems that's the way it's going right now.

2.) To get back to a point I previously brought up, does anyone know if they have given ANY indication or timeframe about if aluminium, better looking bodies with vertical feed will be available for Automags and Minimags anytime soon and available to install directly onto the rail or replace the current body and rail with no mods? I know the Sluggo body may be brought up here. I don't have the resources to work on the bodies, if I get a sluggo who can do the work on it and how much does that cost? Converting old Mags to a newer, flashier design seems to be something AGD would be dying to do, much like how they are encouraging people to trade in their old valves to get as many of them replaced by the Xvalve. They want their current markers on the field to represent them well. Making aluminium, Xmag-like bodies available to current nonelectric Mag owners would be the way to go.

3.) What's the best yet safest way to shorten and especially lighten the trigger pull on a Mag, and will AGD ever set it up that way standard (and I don't count electric)? This weekend what usually got me was the extra split second it takes to pull the trigger. The PMI Pirahna rentals had a better trigger pull than mine, that's pretty bad.

Anyways, great performace for the Mag this weekend but alot of room for improvement. A few changes, especially esthetics (as most people have a negative stereotype of the performance of the older design which I myself admit is ugly) and trigger pull, and Mags could actually make a comeback to the market. If no changes are made, I don't think the XMag will be enough to do it.

[oldsoldier]

Man, I really need to get out there soon. But, to answer your questions;
1: no
2:Looks like x-mags wont be in production here in the states till early summer. All the preorders have bodies made in Europe. I think, and I know cphilip just commented on this, is that once production becomes financially feasible here, they we be produced stateside.
3: you cant really shorten the trigger pull on it. The intelliframe will do you better though. But, you just need to learn the trigger, or get a retro valve or x-valve.
Hope this helped

[QUINCYMASSGUY]

I'm still interested in hearing others thoughts on my initial post, but oldsoldier made an interesting post that raises another question or two (or three):

1.)Are all Mags made in England? I mean, cool, I'm from England and think English quality is good, but that kind of explains why everything is so overpriced in the online store and why dealers have to wait so long for things. Why hasn't AGD expanded and begun manufacturing stateside yet? Seems they should have done that a while ago, especially if they're having such difficulty with meeting demands as they do now.

2.)So does AGD have some business relationship with WDP and related somehow to the production of Angels?

3.)Since this means Mag body conversions are going to take forever (if they ever do it), does anyone know how I could get a Slug body milled and anodized by a company for cheap? After paying $100 for the body I don't wish to pay another $200 to have somebody do a custom job. I want basic, smooth, black, with maybe one or two cuts. I don't have the equipment or metalwork knowledge to do it myself, and I don't know anyone else who can. Would paintball places like Boston Paintball or PNL Paintball be able to do it?

[BlackVCG]

Everything AGD sells is produced stateside except the X-Mag bodies. The design came from England and they were setup to mill them there, so that's where they have been done. AGD should be getting the code and milling them here if they haven't so already. As for pricing in the online store, all prices there are MSRP. If you want cheaper prices, go to your local dealer. None of their prices should be higher than those in the online store. AGD can't create an online store that gives competitive prices because that cuts off their dealers, causes them to lose money, AGD loses money because their dealers get mad and stop ordering from them and the cycle continues. It's bad business practice for the company that sells the product to compete with their dealers on prices.

AGD has no business relationship with WDP.

There are a bunch of milling companies out there such as Jackal Machine, part of G3PB.com, Doc Machine and numerous other places that could do mill work for you. You could get a simple cut job on the body and get it anodized black for about $50.

[QUINCYMASSGUY]

That's understandable about the MSRP, one catch: I'd have a better chance of finding Jimmy Hoffa in a paintball store than I would of finding an Xvalve. Even the Intelliframes are a tricky one, I've been waiting for PNL Paintball in Avon, MA to get one for a month. And most of this is due to the supply available to them from AGD. I know Boston Paintball is getting pretty irritated about always getting RT Triggers and not the ones they order. But don't quote me, I could be mistaken about that.

Ok, so my next question: Can someone provide me with a list of everything I will need to buy and do to convert my Minimag powerfeed body to an all aluminium, anodized and carved Sluggo body with Ball Detent AND Feed tube? Is it an Angel feed tube I need, and where is the best place to buy those? With the shop be able to install it, the detent, and literally provide me with a fully finished product ready to install on my Mag, and if they can, will I need the rail still? Like I said, a full list of parts and things I need to do would be appreciated, especially from someone who has already had it done and how it turned out for them. I keep hearing Micromags bodies can be "flimsy" and wondered if the sluggo has that same issue. Thanks!

[digitard]

For the XValve take advantage of the AGD trade in program ... You send them your old valve, they'll send you an XValve for $225

As for the Intelliframe, you can either buy one new from the AGD store ... or go to the classified MISC forums and ask there, I'm sure you'll find one with a good price.

Sincerely,
Dave K

[QUINCYMASSGUY]

I am definitely doing a tradein for the Xvalve but just trying to make a point about new equipment being in stock with that. The Intelliframe I'll wait until PNL is stocking them as their prices are always good. A followup on the Slug Body issue:

-Can those bodies be installed on Classic 68 and Minimag rails? It says Emag and RT Mag only in some places.

-And has anyone actually bought one of these bodies, done the work on them, and has a photo of their Mag with it installed and ready to go? Instructions of what you did along with a picture of it would be appreciated. Even just a picture you've seen of a fully finished slug body on a Mag would be appreciated. Anyone from AGD, your experiences and encounters with working on Slug bodies would be valuable. My key interests are the ball detent and cocker-threading (any input on if this has improved the accuracy of Mags?), but a good looking gun would definitely make me happy. Thanks!