Autococker KO'd by AGD !

[questionful]

I don't know what to say. It definitely makes one think. Did AGD know long ago something like this might happen? What is their plan for the future? Will they keep making the trusty ol' Mag that has kept them afloat for so long? Will it work?

[angrysasquatch]

It kinda sucks to see another one of the "oldschool" guys loose out to the communist giants that are now modern paintball.

How is modern paintball at all like communism? They don't exactly take the grand sum of what's available and split it up evenly, now do they?

And actually, i thought the root thing was pretty good. I thought you borrowed it from someone else, that good :)

I wonder what Palmer's feeling are on this..

[going_home]

Sad Day Actually

WOW!! I wonder how Bud feels....

And another historic icon of the paintball world passes into the night. It is especially ironic that the cocker disappeared before the mag. So I have to bring up some statements made a couple years back.

When all the legal and other stuff was going down, the subject of paintballs future came up. Many on this forum believed that it wouldn't matter, paintball would go on with new manufacturers/designs taking the place of the old. They talked about it as if "thats the way it has always been". So I ask you now in the shadow of the cocker and Indian Creek, do you still feel that way?

The one and now only,

AGD

Well I wasnt one of the ones that said things like that.
Honestly I have never been a cocker fan, they are too finicky, have too many moving parts... and I cant seem to tech them to save my life. (but I am a fan of the older ICD markers, Alley Cat, Thunder Cat etc.)
Having said that you cant have my Series 6.
But I dont need to do anything to the S6, and theres really nothing I can do to it to mess it up either.

But its never a good thing for the sport of paintball when something like this happens.
I did have to gloat over the cocker enthusiasts that like to post how AGD is out of business,
but only for a second. In reality its not a good thing at all.

My opinion is PPS will pick up some of the slack, and so will CCM.
And maybe we will see some new blood in paintball with some new sniper offerings.
Although CCM is always working on the next "gotta have neato" pump.
So although its not the end of the world, its not helpful that it happened.

[kenndogg]

Remember when WGP was first bought out a few years back and soon after forced aftermarket companies to stop producing "autococker" parts? I really believe that really hurt cockers.
That and the trilogy cockers

[drg]

How is modern paintball at all like communism? They don't exactly take the grand sum of what's available and split it up evenly, now do they?

And actually, i thought the root thing was pretty good. I thought you borrowed it from someone else, that good :)

I wonder what Palmer's feeling are on this..

Indeed there is nothing communist about this. This is classic capitalism at work.

[zipity_Bop]

I just sold my mag off for a cocker.

I'm actually a little happy this happened, Now just like the mag there will be a niche community. Where all "most" of the owners are respectful knowledgeable and helpful, lets not forget a bit more mature than the rest of the herd. and when you look at it WGP tried to convert to the norm nowadays but couldn't cut it. And when AGD dropped in there production and popularity there prices went up. the ccocker market has been down for awhile and hopefully soon it'll pick back up, and we'll have knowledgeable owners producing the parts we actually want instead of WGP marketing to the rest of the paintball public. (example) the MG7 the quote on their site pretty much sums up what the market's come down to "blazing speed at an affordable price".



It still sucks to see such a great company go down like that.

[drg]

I guess now is as good a time as any to point out that what has been reported is quite vague ... What exactly is being sold? What exactly is happening to the current lines of WGP cocker/sniper guns?

[Draken]

Remember when WGP was first bought out a few years back and soon after forced aftermarket companies to stop producing "autococker" parts? I really believe that really hurt cockers.
That and the trilogy cockers

I honestly believe this is where the downfall REALLY started...Now I don't know if they are doing this because its cheaper to sell off stock then move it (and most of the time it is) and then start new after the move, or if they are just going to join the JT/WGP brands in some super ugly marker. I think they have left details out to keep people guessing. I know I would like to see them come out with some new really nice mechs to go along with the newer Jeff Orr series and Karni series, also some new pumps and a couple electros...and maybe a couple lower priced "things" just to help keep the doors open. We won't know what this means until the move/consolidation is done.

[BigEvil]

Remember when WGP was first bought out a few years back and soon after forced aftermarket companies to stop producing "autococker" parts? I really believe that really hurt cockers.
That and the trilogy cockers

Exactly correct. There were so many cockers out there that companies had a ready-made market to sell parts and goodies to. Those companies also pushed the autococker, and thus their products. Eliminating others from producing 'cool' after market products all but removed the cocker from the main stream.

[KevinA]

I honestly believe this is where the downfall REALLY started...Now I don't know if they are doing this because its cheaper to sell off stock then move it (and most of the time it is) and then start new after the move, or if they are just going to join the JT/WGP brands in some super ugly marker. I think they have left details out to keep people guessing. I know I would like to see them come out with some new really nice mechs to go along with the newer Jeff Orr series and Karni series, also some new pumps and a couple electros...and maybe a couple lower priced "things" just to help keep the doors open. We won't know what this means until the move/consolidation is done.

Second!

[Spider-TW]

I don't know the full story behind the autococker design, but I always figured it was a natural outgrowth of Palmer's KP2 mods around '89. As such, I never saw it having any truly unique value in the factory models, especially along the lines of the automag valve. Custom autocockers are works of art, but off the shelf, the Karnivor was as interesting as it ever became. I wonder why WGP never integrated the whole front block and made it their own, something like PTP's integrated pneumatic trigger/actuator. Maybe SP or others cut them off and blocked the development. Without some core value in truly unique design ownership, a company has to live on marketing. You hate to see any quality marker maker go down, but they never seemed to have a 'niche' market, just a loyal following.

Anyway, what's the deal with the ANS X5 series? Is ANS still making those? Not much meat for custom milling, but as mini/midget/half blocks, they would be tiny.

[B-Pow]

Well I hope palmers continues to make cocker parts, I have a project on my table of "old school cool" of tricking out a 04 prostock with /mostly/ palmers parts and making a mech cocker that well...sings. Then get it re-annoed in splash or acid wash and definately leave the back block the way it is.

lets see I still need an....everything...but a body, rods, hpr (maybe), and a frame (maybe)

d'oh

It is sad to see them go, even if their quality has been lacking in recent years. The history of this game/hobby is being quickly left behind, and forgoten by the new generation of players.

Sometimes I feel like I'm missed the golden age of paintball (I've only been playing for 2-3 years) I've heard the stories and wished I could have been there. But at least I have the stories (I am good friends with Tyger, I was before I started playing so I get his reserve of stories and I have a good idea of what I missed).

Why does this (still, ongoing) changing of the gaurd feel like a death sentance, or at least an extended stay in purgitory.

[TnDeathInc]

I don't know the full story behind the autococker design, but I always figured it was a natural outgrowth of Palmer's KP2 mods around '89. As such, I never saw it having any truly unique value in the factory models, especially along the lines of the automag valve. Custom autocockers are works of art, but off the shelf, the Karnivor was as interesting as it ever became. I wonder why WGP never integrated the whole front block and made it their own, something like PTP's integrated pneumatic trigger/actuator. Maybe SP or others cut them off and blocked the development. Without some core value in truly unique design ownership, a company has to live on marketing. You hate to see any quality marker maker go down, but they never seemed to have a 'niche' market, just a loyal following.

Anyway, what's the deal with the ANS X5 series? Is ANS still making those? Not much meat for custom milling, but as mini/midget/half blocks, they would be tiny.

Mt brother just bought me a ANS X5, well he bought it and sold it to me on the side. ITs a solid piece. I have it vacuum timed and use it alot on saturdays when i dont want to bring out one of my xmags. It recently had a cocking arm break, i sent it in they fixed it for free, of course they re timed it so i had to re-vaccum time it to get rid of the feedneck blowback. They still have numerous x5's for sale and parts out the wazzoo for them.

Great customer service ANS, they even overnighted my cocker back to me.

[Ydna]

You have to remember that WGP is owned by the same corporation owning five or six other paintball companies as well. It's a massive holding company buying everything up they possibly can. Brass Eagle, Viewloader, Stryler, etc.

They've been clearancing Autocockers for quite a while now. In with their newer things and out with the cockers and such.

[Maghog]

...so what you are saying is that someone other than Jeff or Bud pulled the plug. If that's the case, then that's pretty darned bitter.