Why no private label Mags?

[Frizzle Fry]

-Eclipse
-Centerfire
-Smart Parts
-SFL (Shocktech)
-Taso
-Galactic Systems
-Vortex (PBI)
-Bob Long Signature
-Boxer
-Express (BPS)
-Predator
-Oh Pawlak Signature
-Pursuit (PMI)
-Venom
-Benchmark
-Hypermag (Fox)
-Diggers
-ProTeam Products
-Xtreme (ANS)
-ProLine
-Skanline TUX
-Automagnum (PMS)


I'm sure there are more, that's what I can remember now.

[MAGgot]

The Eclipse guns, were, and still are, considered the cream of the crop. The mechs had probably the smoothest and crispest triggers. The bodies were milled down to cut weight and the pneumatics are some of the best out there.

Cant say the same for the KAPP stuff or a lot of the rest of the aftermarket, but the Eclipse/Belsales guns are superb.

Functionally, yes... aesthetically, no. They were CNC carbon copies and came with boring anodizing. They are nice to play with though.

[OPBN]

-Eclipse
-Centerfire
-Smart Parts
-SFL (Shocktech)
-Taso
-Galactic Systems
-Vortex (PBI)
-Bob Long Signature
-Boxer
-Express (BPS)
-Predator
-Oh Pawlak Signature
-Pursuit (PMI)
-Venom
-Benchmark
-Hypermag (Fox)
-Diggers
-ProTeam Products
-Xtreme (ANS)
-ProLine
-Skanline TUX
-Automagnum (PMS)


I'm sure there are more, that's what I can remember now.

How many offered full markers though?

[Frizzle Fry]

Those are all complete markers.

[OPBN]

Those are all complete markers.

Really? Would love to see examples.

[Nobody]

the hypermags and some internal differences, like the dump chamber was smaller(what is basically done by the various efficiency inserts), so the pressures were higher. so it had a better shot count, but was more harder on paint. if these were still out/being made when the L10 was started, i think that the Hyper valves would be the cat's meow. alas, i only ever seen any being sold like 10 years ago or more.

[Frizzle Fry]

-Eclipse
Standard valve and body. Color or splash kit with rail, siterail, foregrip, tourney lock, pf plug, etc. Also sold as kit.

-Centerfire
"Special" valve. Standard body. Otherwise basically just a regular Automag.

-Diggers
"Special" valve. Centerfeed Minimag body. See Centerfire above...

-Smart Parts
"Special" valve. Color or splash kit with rail, foregrip, barrel, tourney lock, etc - in some cases frame too. Also sold as kit.

-SFL (Shocktech)
It's an SFL... we all know.

-Taso
Standard valve and body. Color or splash humpback 45, rail, site rail, foregrip, asa, etc. Win series or Powerbarrel.

-Galactic Systems
"Special" valve. Aluminum "Z-Body" with special backspin design and site rail. Oversize barrel.

-Vortex (PBI)
Standard valve. Aluminum Z-body (as above) but with Taso barrel kit and Centerflag Hyperframe.

-Bob Long Signature
Standard valve and body. Color kit with groovy finger 45 frame, rail, site rail, barrel.

-Boxer
Standard valve. Aluminum unibodies of various styles (unique and Micromag knockoff). Big barrel kits (lengths not size).

-Express (BPS)
"Special" valve. Options! Built to order with literally any parts on the market, then milled and splashed. Special trigger.

-Predator
"Special" valve. Standard body. Milled Benchmark 45 frame, color rail, siterail, etc. Foregrip ASA.

-Oh Pawlak Signature
"Special" valve. Standard body. Very similar to Predator (made by them), but set up to Ohs tastes I guess.

-Pursuit (PMI)
Standard valve and body. Basically a standard Automag with PMI grips, site rail, etc.

-Venom
"Special" valve. Standard body. Basically a standard Automag but with new valve back, bolt, barrel, hardline.

-Benchmark
Standard valve. Standard body. Color or splash kit with rail, siterail, foregrip, barrel, asa, etc.

-Hypermag (Fox)
"Special" valve. 'Hypervalve' and 'Hyperframe' otherwise standard.

-ProTeam Products
They're Micromags. We all know...

-Xtreme (ANS)
"Special" valve. Standard body. Color kit with rail, site rail, foregrip, etc. Lots of "internal upgrades" or whatever.

-ProLine
Standard valve. Standard body but in black. Rebranded Benchmark 45 frame or Autoresponse. Two-piece barrel.

-Skanline TUX
Standard valve and body. Special expansion chamber and quick connect setup. Color rail, siterail, asa, etc.

-Automagnum (PMS)
Standard valve. Standard body with cut feedneck. Finger groove 45 frame, rail with built in site rail, tipped barrel.


I'm sure there are more, that's what I can remember now.

Not sure where to find pictures; most were before 2000. I can describe to the best of my memory.


*edit: I'm working on an article about the Express mags. That should be out soon and will have some good pictures.

[OPBN]

Interesting. With so many colored parts offered, I'm surprised that more haven't survived. Also with so many using standard valves, guessing most were parted out since no one realized they were a special edition. I also bet that since some of the "upgrades" were mainly cosmetic, some were removed as weight began to be a factor? One of the things that made me think about this was a marker that I received recently. It came with an expansion chamber that is a Benchmark expansion chamber, and has "Bob Long Signature Series" lazered on it. Which would lead to another reason, that as people switched to HPA some items were ditched. Might be an interesting project to try and come up with actual pictures and such for some of these for people to be able to reference.

[Frizzle Fry]

Interesting. With so many colored parts offered, I'm surprised that more haven't survived. Also with so many using standard valves, guessing most were parted out since no one realized they were a special edition. I also bet that since some of the "upgrades" were mainly cosmetic, some were removed as weight began to be a factor?

Definitely the weight issue, but also the fact that mags tend to gain "upgrades" and lose older components due to their modular nature, and those parts end up in a bin or sold off. You've also got to figure that most were sold between 1994 and 2000 - the sport wasn't as big as it was now, production runs weren't what they are now, and frankly it's a fairly long time ago now.

Next time you see a Benchmark rail and foregrip on a marker for sale, or a Taso VASA and 45 frame, consider that it might have been ordered as a complete marker then "upgraded" into whatever frankenmag it is now. With a private label Autococker body you can ID it no matter what frame or pneumatics it's got now, with a Mag it's not that simple.

One of the things that made me think about this was a marker that I received recently. It came with an expansion chamber that is a Benchmark expansion chamber, and has "Bob Long Signature Series" lazered on it.

Most "Bob Long" frames were Benchmark made as well, including the standard 45s for cocker and mag, the finger groove 45s, and the "Perfect" 45 frames with the built in dropforward. I know some of rifled barrels were made by Armson, too, but with much different cosmetic milling. PTP made plenty of products that were branded by other companies, and until the late 90s BLAST didn't manufacture much in-house - they didn't even mill their own 'cocker bodies.

Which would lead to another reason, that as people switched to HPA some items were ditched. Might be an interesting project to try and come up with actual pictures and such for some of these for people to be able to reference.

Agreed - players with more expendable income and those who played competitively tended to upgrade to HPA; I'm sure that most players who bought private label mags fell in to one or both of those categories. I know I did, and I ended up with lots and lots of Micromags and private-label Autocockers. I've got a lot of buddies and former teammates who did the same, but didn't hang on to their markers when they upgraded or got out of the game.

[vintage]

I've got a powerfeed body around here somewhere with Pop's PopGuns laser engraved on it.

[robertsr1811]

I've probably seen six different on/off designs through the years too. I'll bet that a lot of the private mags had differences there as well.