What is the difference between direct and power feeds?
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Direct feed means ball goes straight into the breach from the hopper. There may be a slight bend in the feed tube, usually 45 degree, unless it is a centerfeed body.
Powerfeed means the ball enters the breach after making a 90 degree turn. It uses the power of blowback air to assist in loading the ball.
The powerfeed prevents blowback air from pushing the ball stack up into the hopper. The ball gets pushed against the sidewall of the feed tube and can rebound into the breach faster than it can free fall in using just gravity. With todays forcefed hoppers, it doesn't make much difference anymore with respect to blowback. Most modern direct feeds are center feed, but older direct fed guns were fed at a 45 degree angle to keep the hopper out of the sight line.Except for the Automag in front, its usually the man behind the equipment that counts.
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