low pressure mag?

[matt-o]

call me crazy but i have an idea, if you drilled a hole into the firing chamber of a mag then connected it via macroline to an air reservoir (foregrip expansion chamber), wouldnt the operating pressure be able to decrease(volume vs pressure shift)? i know that this would probably cause recharge rate problems, but is the concept correct, i have an old classic valve i might want to try this on.

*edit* yes i know this would also kill efficiency, and the airflow from the macro might not be enough, but this is all just an idea, so dont flame the crap out of this thread

[matt-o]

cmon, all of you mag users, chime in! i see 13 veiws here. ill get the ball rolling... by adding volumizers to angels and intimidators you can lower the operating pressure by adding volume, so the same amount of air exits the valve, just at a lower pressure..... discuss!

i just want input on what effects this might have to reliability, recharge, etc

[silentdeath55]

I know SP made something called the "magic box" or something like that. It was supposed to make mags run at lower pressures. The downside to it was that it was big and ugly and screwed into the side of the valve. I dont think it worked all that well either.

Although mags run best at higher pressures, I think it would be cool to have one that could run at super low pressures, but with the design of the valve, I dont think it would operate as well as a mag running at a higher pressure. As you already pointed out, it would probably effect recharge and BPS rates. Good luck with the project!

[athomas]

Using the current lightest(standard) bolt spring, the lower pressure air would be restricted as it pushed out the front of the bolt. This would slow down the rush of air to the ball which would definately reduce the efficiency of the setup.

The pressure behind the ball in a mag is comparable to any other marker anyway. The delivery methods are different. The best, most efficient way to fire a ball is to get all the available chamber air to the ball instantly. In a mag, that means more pressure in the chamber, not less. In other guns, it means bigger air passages, to allow the lower air pressures to work properly.

The bolt and spring acts like a regulator to the air going to the ball. In order to make a mag utilize low pressure in the chamber, you need a complete redisign. Why not use it the way it was designed instead of trying to make it work like everyone thinks it should work because of industry hype and "low pressure" buzz words.

[matt-o]

yes athomas i realise that going LP does absolutely nothing, like i said in my first post, although it does quiet down the gun, im just wondering if it could be done not if it should be done.

and to combat recharge rate and airflow problems i could tap the firing chamber on both sides so there would be 2 macro lines meaning double airflow.

silentdeath, thanks for the input and interest

[athomas]

Recharge rate is not an issue. In fact, if you could lower the operating pressure in the chamber, the recharge rate would be increased due to greater pressure differential between input pressure to operating pressure.

You can't combat the airflow problems using bigger lines feeding the chamber. The restriction is at the end of the bolt stem as it is pushed/held out the end of the powertube. The bolt spring pushing on the bolt makes the bolt stem into a piston much like a regulator piston. This is a restricting area of air flow in the mag. Utilizing higher chamber pressure negates this restriction. Inorder to make the mag a low pressure gun, you have to find a way to reduce this bolt/powertube restriction.

Low pressure doesn't necessarily mean quiet either. Neither does efficient use of air. Anytime you shoot a ball and there is pressure remaining in the barrel after the ball has left, you will get a louder noise. I have heard many low pressure guns that were really loud due to wasted air. A properly vented barrel will lessen the noise by dissipating the excess air out in many directions.

[matt-o]

i get what your saying, that bolts airflow isnt high enough for LP operation

[the electrician]

exactly.

that's the exact reason the lvl 10 bolt needs more pressure to operate than the standard bolt. the path is more restricted because of the need for the little white washer you put in first. the flow path becomes smaller. so in order to get the same amount of air to the ball, the air must move faster, this means higher pressure.

[matt-o]

does anyone know if the airflow would be any higher on any other aftermaket bolts, such as the ANS venturi or the proteam products, i know there not reccomented but for airflows sake.

[athomas]

All the aftermarket bolts use the same type of bolt stem. Only the bolt face is different.