Parts to build pneumag

[AustinWV]

Just picked up my first automag, moving over from intimidator owners group.

Its a stock automag, I'm posting this here because I'm on a tight budget and I'm hoping someone here might have a box of parts that could get me started on the path to a reliable pneumag.

I've included a picture for identification.

Anyone here fit that description?


Thanks!

[captian pinky]

I have several gforce frames and also an intelliframe modded for the trex kit with trigger.

[AustinWV]

What are you asking for the frame in row 2 on the right, and the center frame on the bottom row? They look like a lot of the hard work has already been performed. I'm not a big fan of the Y and Z grips.

It's really a shame that the stock frame won't work because those wood grips are so damn comfortable.

[rawbutter]

I have one too, if you can't work something out with Captain Pinky, built out of a black Intelliframe. It's not 100% done yet, but I should have it finished up this week. Price is going to be $250 shipped.

[AustinWV]

rawbutter I've been watching all of your videos, I'm dying to ask, Have you ever done work to the Benchmark 45 frame? I have one in the corner.

[captian pinky]

most people avoid using benchmark frames because of all the slop in the trigger.

[rawbutter]

most people avoid using benchmark frames because of all the slop in the trigger.

Good thing I'm not most people.

I've never done a pneumag with a Benchmark trigger, but I have owned a few and worked on them. I've developed mods to eliminate the slop and replace the safety with something more tradition that you can push from either side (instead of that push/pull nonsense). And I'm sure that pneumatics could be added to a Benchmark trigger, although the inside might need to be milled a little bit to make it wide enough to hold the piston. It probably can't be a sleeper, though. Probably.

Dang it. Now you've got me thinking about it. Hmm.....

Regardless, most of the milling and cutting to the frame will be hidden by the grips, so it wouldn't look that different except for the external LPR.

[AustinWV]

It piques my interest as well. I just don't have the funds to drop 250$ into the marker, I'd like to do it in baby steps. So I may play with the benchmark.

[rawbutter]

It piques my interest as well. I just don't have the funds to drop 250$ into the marker, I'd like to do it in baby steps. So I may play with the benchmark.

Yeah, a pneumag job would cost you at least $80-$100 in parts, and maybe another $50-$100 if you don't have the right tools. Getting someone else to do it for you would probably cost at least $150, plus shipping both ways.

Modding a Benchmark frame, on the other hand, is fairly easy.
1. Buy a 6-32 tap, a 1/8 drill bit, and a long 6/32 set screw (I forget the exact length, but you want it as long as the frame is wide).
2. Drill out the trigger pin holes in both the frame and the trigger.
3. With the trigger in the frame, tap the trigger pin holes. Go through the frame and trigger in one pass.
4. Thread in the 6-32 set screw and lock-tite in place. Only use lock-tite on the frame. Be careful not to get any on the trigger, or the trigger won't rotate freely.

That's all there is to it. When the trigger is rotating on a screw instead of a pin, there's a lot less side-to-side slop. This can be further reduced by adding a shim of some sort between the trigger and the frame. Nylon shims are best, but you can probably find something comparable at your local hardware store for less than $1.

Then there's the safety, which is a whole other ballgame, and a much longer write up. But if you're interested, I could walk you through that too.

And oh, by the way, it is possible to use the stock frame for a pneumag build. You probably can't do it on your own. The build would require a custom-built piston and a MAC-33 solenoid valve. The frame would have to be milled slightly just behind to trigger to make the space inside wide enough for the valve. The grips would have to be cut a little somewhere to make an exit point for the LP hose. (This would be mostly hidden, but still...most guys don't want to cut wooden grips.) And it would be utterly impossible to make it a sleeper. But like I said, it's possible.

[AustinWV]

If the stock grips can be used, Can you show me a picture? I'm a Nissan Master Tech, I've got tools Plus I know a few machinists. I'm ok with the setup not being a sleeper.

[rawbutter]

If the stock grips can be used, Can you show me a picture? I'm a Nissan Master Tech, I've got tools Plus I know a few machinists. I'm ok with the setup not being a sleeper.

I don't think I have one, sadly. I built that frame a long time ago, before I started documenting everything. I could build another one in the next month or two, though. I just finished my sleeper Intelliframe project, so I've got the time for something new. I'll be sure to take pictures this time.