A good example of really bad quality aluminum.

[magman007]

it isnt sp's anno thats the problem, its the aluminum used in the shocker. you cant buy a shocker used, and expect the anno to be perfect, after a day of play, it is starting to fade. sux really.

[ICP]

If it really is 2011 AL. Then I would say it's a little more worth the money they get for them. However, I find it hard to believe they would spend the extra cash on the 2011 instead of 6061. I'd like to see some evidence that its actually 2011. Hmmm, I'll have to do some searching.

[CoolHand]

Your all wrong, Smart Parts uses 2011 Aluminum according to YDNA. The other thing thats worse than the annos fading is the fact that the threading on the feedneck strips so easy.

http://www.shockerowners.com/showthr...ocker+aluminum

Bzzzzt! Wrong.

The bodies are 2011 (Nerve and Imp bodies too), the frames and everything else are 6061, unless something has changed since last I had one (IE in the last couple of months).

The ano sucks because the bodies are made from 2011. Machines better, has a marginally higher UTS, but it won't hold an ano for crap. Its just the nature of the beast.

[CoolHand]

If it really is 2011 AL. Then I would say it's a little more worth the money they get for them. However, I find it hard to believe they would spend the extra cash on the 2011 instead of 6061. I'd like to see some evidence that its actually 2011. Hmmm, I'll have to do some searching.

They use 2011 because its so free machining. The reduction in cycle time is well worth the extra material cost, when you are running the kind of volume that SP is, on the high dollar equipment they are using.

[Southparkrocks]

If they annoed it in dust would it hold out better?

[CoolHand]

If they annoed it in dust would it hold out better?

Yeah, it does.

It will still fade (color wise) the same, but it won't wear off as fast as gloss does, due to the increased surface thickness.

Even dust will wear off, but it will last longer than gloss does.

[TheTramp]

[TheTramp]

Oops. I thought he meant the frame in general not the ano/color.

[mobsterboy]

i have to say though
that would be a great snap shooting gun, with a little practice of course

[Ydna]

The frames as far as I know are 6061. However they're obviosuly extruded a bit differently than the bodies...which may make a difference.
The reason why 2011 is used for the bodies is to help keep the routers ontrack when boring out the bolt assembly chamber. 6061 was originally used (one of the prototypes is actually 6061) but it was changed soonafter.

Whomevers' gun falling apart after however many minutes of play doesn't change the fact that SP has some extremely intelligent and experienced engineers behind the equipment and they will buy whatever parts are necessary. Corners aren't just sliced off all over the place to save $3 on multi-hundred dollar profit margin. Come on.

Edit, the anodizing quality ws also brought up...this has more to do witht he anodizing method than it does with the aluminum. Well...what I mean is, the aluminum obviously makes a LOT of difference, but if the anodizing is done correctly it'll be just as durable as higher aluminum grades. Smart Parts doesn't anodize their products so they forunately can't be blames for it.
It's very true that many of the oldest Shockers that are lingering around have unmistakeable anodizing even after nearly two years. On the guns with faded ano, it's a sign of an improper long-term quality in the oxidation. But the next batch of guns could have been done perfectly and you wouldn't know the difference.