SpudFiles

I got to watching Deconstructed on the Science channel yesterday. Imagine my surprise when they rip up none other than a Tippman A-5. Once they explained and showed EXACTLY how it worked, I realized why we were having such problems with doing it ourselves.

What they did is they had connected the hammer to the bolt, with the valve in between. Imagine a tee. The breech with the bolt, which pushes the ball into the breech, is on the left. The hammer is on the right, with the valve in the middle, facing right. The hammer is connected to the bolt via a rod. The hammer is released, chambering the round, and hits the valve, causing air to exit the valve to the right. A tube connected from the right to the left delivers the propulsion to the projectile. The remainder of the air in the right pushes the hammer back into battery, pulling the bolt back with it. (On the A-5, a third outlet drives the hopper feeder.)



Bit of a eureka moment, especially since none of all the diagrams I saw of paintball guns NEVER outlined this system. Anyone need a diagram? Because I really don't feel like drawing one. I hope someone posted this bit of the show on youtube.

Thanks, JSR. I wouldn't have gone out and found one on my own. (Though I'm getting bored enough to...)