Mag efficiency

[speeddemon]

We all know that mags arent the most efficient guns out there, but why is that, and is there anything that can be done to the current mag short of making a new gun?

Now from what I can think of, the bolt spring takes a lot of the efficiency from the gun. Since going from L7 to LX with the long spring requires a person to turn the velocity adjuster up quite a bit, which would mean that there is more air in the dumb chamber (same volume, higher pressure). So if the the bolt and power tube were redesigned so that the spring would take a fraction of the force to compress than the current ones do, would it be possible to get noticable gains in efficiency?

I wouldn't think that the dump chamber concept itself is the cause for the inefficiency, because there are several very different types of guns out there that can be very efficient.

And TK, are you, or are you planning on trying to do something about it once you get everything else sorted out?

[athomas]

The higher tension spring of the level 10 acts like a regulator and restricts air flow out the front of the bolt. That is why the inefficiency is there. Using the regular bolt spring, the effect is still there but not he the same effect due to less return force of the spring.

The delivery method of the front dump chamber to the ball is where you gain or lose effiency when firing a ball. If you can get the air to the ball without any restriction, you will have the best efficiency possible.

You could use a lighter spring but you would have to redesign the powertube and bolt or the size of the chamber so that you would still have an anti-chop system and the capability of accelerating the ball to 300fps.

[Magluvr]

Well, I was wondering the same thing, except without bothering to retain the lx anti-chop ability. Would it be possible to make a "level 7" bolt that would have better efficiency?

[athomas]

Making the level 7 more efficient would use the same methodology as the level 10. The level 7 and level 10 are the same efficiency useing the same small spring. Its only the longer level 10 springs that make the mag more inefficient.

[hitech]

I have also wondered what causes the 'mags efficiency problems. My theory is that the paintball is gone (out of the barrel) before the bolt returns and seals the dump chamber. All the air released after the ball leaves the barrel is wasted.

[athomas]

The mag, like any paintball gun, must deliver the air to the ball with the least amount of restriction in order to be efficient. The mags efficiency problems are because the bolt spring pushing on the bolt acts like a regulator, restricting the air flow out the powertube. If you increase the pressure (put a stiffer level 10 spring) you increase the restriction. This in turn reduces the efficiency.

[Der Cockermeister]

the springs dont restric flow at all, they just increase force needed to push the bolt forward.

the mags greatest cause of enefficiency lies within the fact,that as previously stated, a good amount of ari is wasted after the ball is shot, where do you think all the blowback comes from?

[athomas]

The blowback on a mag is caused because the bolt returns so quickly after the chamber pressure can't maintain the bolt in a forward position. This occurs before the ball has exited the barrel and some of the air blows back up the feed tube. Any gun that has a bolt return while the ball is in the barrel will experience blowback. In fact the level 10 bolt experiences less blowback than the level 7 bolt. This is because the bolt stays forward longer due to the restriction in the flow.

The bolt springs do restrict flow. As long as the air pressure in the chamber puts more force on the bolt stem than the force of the spring, then the bolt stays forward and the air is forced out around the bolt stem. When the air pressure can no longer maintain enough force on the bolt stem, the spring pushes the bolt back and shuts the flow of air off. This is the same action as in a regulator.

As hitech mentioned; "All the air released after the ball leaves the barrel is wasted". Because the air delivery is more restricted on the level 10 bolt, the air is not delivered as effectively and therefore must be maintained longer to get the desired velocity. This results in more air pressure being in the barrel at the point when the ball exits the barrel. This is wasted air.