Contents:

• Introduction
• The Parts
• Installation
• Timing
• Troubleshooting
• Final Thoughts

The Introduction

As many of you know, I am real big with Spyders. At the time of this writing, I have 5 of them. All converted to operate at low pressure. You may also know me for being on the KingmanUSA forum helping the new guys get into paintball. When they want to try something different in a marker, they ask what they should get. They find out that I have been playing since 1985 and I am barraged with questions. How to choose the right marker for you will be for another article.

The Tippmann and Kingman series of markers are great, in my opinion. There are plenty of things one can do to increase performance and to make it unique looking. But, for something that operates better than these markers, I suggest the following markers for those wanting a new one: Smart Parts Impulse, Smart Parts Shocker, and the Angel series for those wanting electronic markers; AutoMag, and AutoCocker. for the mechanical markers. I feel these have been proven in the field and will be around for some time.

The most popular type of marker that is termed "High-End" and is very common in tournaments is the AutoCocker. These are great markers. To the new guy, the pneumatics may seem intimidating. Even I was confused at one point as to how they worked when they were first introduced. The operation is much different to the Spyder or Tippmann. Horror stories of needing to time the Cocker as being hard and tedious. However, once you sit down with an AutoCocker and see what the pneaumatics and timing rods are for, you will understand why they are there/needed. In reality, having the understanding of the pnaeumatics and having it timed properly, there is nothing else needed to be done to it except for the occasional maintenance. Timing is a once and done thing until a new accessory is added. Or, something may come loose.

When one looks at the prices of AutoCockers, you will see a rather large span in price. From just under $300 for a base model to well over $1,000 for a highly custom Cocker. Even without the electronic gadgetry. Tack on another $350 minimum for that item if you desire to have an electro-Cocker. That is a really high price for a marker.

Personally, I never understood that large price gap in Cockers. For that fact, even the price difference for the Kingman line. Sure, your paying for a Cocker that has some nice milling and annodizing. Oh, and the timing is done with great performing accessories installed. Just add paint and air and go. However, deep down, the internals are pretty much the same when comparing an AutoCocker to another.

I have built Spyders from the ground up using the Bob Long Millenium bodies. Really not hard at all. And it is a completely custom marker for not much more money as a regular Spyder. I wondered about building an AutoCocker from scratch. There are plenty of articles to timing a Cocker for the uninitiated one. All that you would need is the parts and throw them together into a body and use those articles on timing.

I decided to take on this project and share my experiences with you if you are considering building one. This article is basically a step by step on how I made my custom Cocker that would be just as good as those with the higher price tag. But at half the cost. This is something that I encourage those wanting a challenge and to have a unique marker at the end.

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The Parts

• The Body
• The Trigger
• The Regulators
• The Pneumatics
• The Lower Internals
• The Bolt
• Miscellaneous Items

There are many avenues of getting parts. From ebay to paintball forums, you are bound to find all the parts that you need. Online stores are plentiful too. Places such as MadCocker, Aggression Paintball and G3 Paintball have very knowledgable staff to answer your questions. There are other larger stores that I tend to steer away from since they do not really offer much "tech" support. I only would consider going to these places if I knew exactly what I am looking for. Of course, I encourage all to visit your local shops. They do tend to have higher prices. But they may have a few good deals. Plus you will have immediate in person technical support.

The Body: This is the first item i looked for for this project. My preferences are not in the fancy department. Rather, on the practical way of thinking. I did have in mind a general look I wanted. Yet, it leaves room for flexibility. I wanted the 15*ASA that is the new rage at the time of this writing. Plus, I wanted a vertical feed and a different look to the body as compared to a stock AutoCocker bodys.

There are plenty on ebay that are already milled and anodized. Just do a search with the parameters "AutoCocker +Body". Several will come up. Just add the internal parts. Even some online stores will have bodies. Paintballgear has some from Spanky. Another place to search for AutoCocker bodies are some of the custom shops. These various shops have services to mill bodies. Or even make one from scratch. They may have services to do the milling and anodizing for you. Milling is relatively inexpensive for simple designs. Like, teardrops down the side could be $40. Milling out a window in the sight, add another $20. Milling will lighten the weight of the Cocker. Anodizing can be expensive. For a single color, count on $100. Fades, add another $50. Or, look for a place that will do powdercoating. The finish is almost as good as the anodizing. But at the fraction of the cost. Personally, I do prefer anodizing since the color "soaks" into the aluminum and will last longer. The shops I know of that do great work are White Wolf, Jackel Machine, Hogans Alley Paintball, and PK Selective. There are many others that that are so numerous to mention. Also, some elusive shops that I cannot find on a general search. One sticks in my mind by the name of Crazy Ivan’s Anodizing. Maybe a local metal shop can do the work for you..

I got a body from Advanced Concepts on Ebay at a great price of $150. I not only recieved a vertical feed body, but also got a 15* vertical ASA, front block, and a back block. All in the 2k style of internal construction.

That is another note to those also wanting to build there own Cocker. There are two body styles in AutoCockers. It is not an exterior difference. Rather, an internal. From 1999 and earlier, the air passage from the ASA entrance into the body to the valve is smaller. The Cockers that are made from the year 2000 to present have a larger air passage. The performance difference is that the marker can be easily converted to operate at a lower pressure in the 2k models. The ’99 models need an LPC of some sort. Think of it this way, the AutoCocker has transformed from the original Sniper pump marker. So, air flow was not that important as a pump marker. With the auto cocking pneumatics, more air flow is needed for firing at a faster rate. There are some internal parts that are specific to the pre-2k and post-2k model of the Cocker body. I suggest you keep with the current standard and get 2k style. Will WGP produce a different internal model? I hope not. One last not about the 2k styles. If you are interested in converting to LP, you may see an LPC made for the 2k models. As I mentioned before, the air passage is larger before the valve. You will not be getting much of a performance enhancement when adding an LPC to a 2k Cocker.

There is also a body style called a mini-Cocker. That offers a shorter body style than the regular bodies. Instead of the vertical ASA attaching directly to the body, it is attached to the front block. Many of the Turtle Cockers (mentioned later) are based on them. They would offer a lighter and compact body. However, the area in front of the valve is shortened. So I would expect an LPC is advisable for those converting to LP.

The Advanced Concepts Cocker body came with the vertical feed in Angel threads to add a Smokestack if desired. The 15*ASA is exactly what I wanted that came with the marker. No need to buy an aftermarket one. Also came with some milling to lighten the body and to give a slightly different look in appearance as compared to a stock body. Originally, I had gotten a black to yellow fade. The body looked great in the picture. Though, when I got the body, it was more gold then a yellow. Not really what I wanted. Made a quick email and painlessly got a different body. It was for a different color, but I like the black to red fade better. There are other bodies that are regulars on ebay (places like FireBall Mountain and the Crow). But they had too much milling for my liking. Make sure when looking for a custom body, that there is a lug access hole. This is on the top of the body. The reason will be answered later. This really is not an issue for 2k models.

If you want a different looking AutoCocker, look into the Turtle Cocker made by Bob "Turtle" Long. Not to be confused with the Bob Long of the Iron Men. Different part of the US completely. It is hard to explain his rendition of the Cocker. Here are a few pics for you to see what it is. It is based on a MiniCocker. However, a regular Cocker can be used. Just log onto his site and look around. I believe that I will use one of his bodies the next time I build another Cocker.

The Trigger Frame: Next, I needed a trigger frame. I could use my old frame from my '02 Cocker. However, I wanted a swing style trigger. The '02 that I had was that of the slide triggers. For some, the slide triggers feel comfortable. Others prefer the swing. I have seen some fast shooting Cockers with the modified slide frames. Though, they only come in single triggers. I prefer the swing. I have the KAPP Reflex on my '02 and like the looks and feel of it. So out goes $85.00 for one in chrome. I decided to do chrome highlights to add a little sparkle. There are other swing frames available. Some cheap, some not so cheap. In my personal opinion, the Reflex is very customizable in adjustments. The trigger pull front and back is adjustable. Also, the position of the sear is adjustable without the need of removing the frame. It does require either a transfer of a safety or purchase a new one. The Reflex frames do not come with one.

The Regulators: For more sparkle, I am going to add chrome pneumatics. I have an ANS Jackhammer LPR laying around from a previous project. I will use that. I will also use a chrome Ergo inline regulator. The Ergo is my new found favorite inline regulator. It is cheap and is very consistent. This regulator allows adjustments on the bottom without needing to remove the air line. With a stock WGP regulators that comes with your standard Cockers (both the pneumatic and inline), one needs to remove the air line to make adjustments. Other than that, the WGP stock regulators are great performing pieces of equipment. The aftermarket regulators were in my tool box already. So no funds were needed to purchase them. I have seen these go for $35 and $50 respectively on ebay.

The Pneumatics: I visited my local shop and got to talking with the owner. A very nice guy. He had shown me a few parts for my consideration. I had originally planned on getting KAPP pneumatics because I knew of a really cheap place to get them. I did get some translucent pneumatic hose offered under the KAPP name from that resource. $0.50 spent there for a foot of it. And the translucent red hose matches well with the red anodizing on the body. I also got a 3-way hose kit with chrome fittings. This was about $5. I just wanted the extra hosing in case the hose on this custom Cocker breaks, or my ’02 hosing breaks.

Upon the discussion with the shop owner, I had changed my mind from the FAT RAM to a STO RAM. Not for any particular reason. I knew the STO's are great. FAT RAM’s do enable some decrease in operating pressure. But only for the pneumatics pressure. Not the actual operating pressure of the marker. The pneumatic regulator is right around 80psi output. Plus, it doesn't actually fluctuate that much since it is putting out an already low psi. The FAT RAM may decrease the LPR by 20 or more.

I also changed from getting the KAPP 3-way to a Belsales Hollowpoint 3-way. Reason i was considering is that KAPP has, or will be coming out with a kit that will use the exhaust to air feed the hopper. Plus, it is easy to fix. The Hollowpoint has a shorter throw than the Shocktech "Bomb" that I currently have on my '02. Plus, it doesn't leak like The Bomb during timing because of a lack of pressure. The Bomb are known for leaks from time to time. Chalk up $90 for the STO RAM and the Hollowpoint.

* Small note on the 3-way. The shorter the throw of the 3-way, the shorter the trigger pull will be. Between the Hollowpoint and the Bomb, you may be talking a few thousands of an inch. But that will still translate to a shorter trigger pull as compared to a stock or other aftermarket 3-way.

The Valve: I had also mentioned to the shop owner that I was planning on getting a Rocket valve. I have one in my '02 and am able to operate at 200psi. Or changing the Shocktech Rat 3:16 from my Sniper into this custom Cocker that I am building. He said to consider something different. After a few minutes of rustling in the back room, he came out with a new looking valve. The body looked like a stock brass valve body, with a larger port. The real noticeable difference was in the valve pin/cup seal assembly. Actually, there is no cup seal. It is a ball that fits inside of a cupped out valve body to form a seal. A really nice design that doesn't appear to have major wear and tear over a period of time. It also has a built in valve spring like the Rocket. But is not adjustable. This was a splurge of $40. More than the planned Rocket valve price of around $30. Why not? This is a custom Cocker. Evidently, this valve comes standard in the Turtle Cockers that I had mentioned earlier.

The Lower Internals: I searched on Ebay for a spring kit. I have to have one. Got a spring kit for a few cents over the dealer price for a Maddmann Kit, $5.50. Another search on ebay and got a stainless steel hammer kit by 32degrees. Pretty much all hammers are alike. $15 was my price. This came with the hammer, hammer lug, a spring, and velocity adjusting screw.

I needed a valve retainer screw. There is a screw on the bottom that can lock the valve in place. This retainer reinforces and secures the valve in place. I purchased one made by KAPP. And lastly, a KAPP stainless steel set of screws to round out the Cocker and to probide me with all the right screws that i am missing. About $25 total for these two items. The stainless screw set came with many of the needed screws to put the Cocker together. The body kit that I purchased did not come with any screws. The screw kit includes a valve screw, trigger actuator knuckle setscrews, front block screw, ball detent, and screws for the trigger grip and beaver tail. I splurged and got a KAPP Twisted cocking rod and a beaver tail. An additional $20 for these.

There was a site that sold all of your lower internals for a set price of $45. This is just as good as the items I spent. The kit comes with all stainless steel parts consisting of a valve, valve retainer, hammer with lug, o-rings, matching springs, and a velocity adjustor. He also has the actuating rods for an additional price. I am no longer able to locate his site. However, I was able to find a similar kit at a similar price on ebay by searching for the following key words - "AutoCocker + internal".

The Bolt: I was planning on using a '02 stock bolt since it does well in my current setup with my '02. Though, I found a pretty good deal for a SuperFly bolt at PaintballGear for a few dollars more. As usual, when I ordered it from PBGear, they were out of stock. This has happened to me on several occasions. However, a few days later, they were in stock and on there way to my door. I am not looking to getting this Cocker to low pressure, but if it happens to be that way, so be it. Add another $38 to the total.

Miscellaneous Parts: Might as well add a drop forward with an on/off ASA. With all my markers, I have always added stainless steel hose with a quick disconnect. It is tougher than Macroline/Microline. The quick disconnect makes taking the frame off without it dangling there on the regulator. I had gotten a Smart Parts drop forward from Kelly's Paintball (the local shop) some time ago. I was going to try and use that. However, I would not have been able to put an on/off ASA on it. So, I purchased a KAPP Apocolypse Drop Forward. Have also gotten a KAPP ASA on/off. It is a simple design. Add $10 for the ASA and another $20 for the drop. The air line and quick disconnect I had in my box. Typical price is $7 for the air line and $10 for the quick disconnect.

One thing that I needed to find is a screw to attach the 15* ASA to the body. A quick run to the hardware store to find a 1/4" fine thread screw about 3/4" long did the trick. I also added on a lock washer to secure it. You could get the suggested 12 point screw that is used for the AutoCocker from a paintball store. I have seen these in AutoCOcker First Aid kits. I decided to save $14.50 and spend $0.50 for both a screw and lock washer.

I think that is about it. I did have the actuating rods for the RAM and trigger from my now Sniper. But they are around $10 for them. Another item is the bolt pin. You can get either an AutoCocker pin, or visit your hardware store and get a 1/4" pin with ball bearings on the end. Depending what you decide, count on spending between $2.00 and $12.00 from a hardware clevis pin to a color coordinating pin made for the Cocker. The bolt that I purchased came with its own bolt pin.

Since I already have an AutoCocker, I do have a few barrels. So I will not need to purchase that. For information on what is the best barrel, read my Barrels - F.A.Q.. I highly recommend the multi-bore barrels. They offer several inside diameters to accomodate the different size paint. Personally, I like the Titanium Paintball Longbow. At the time of this writing, Lapco has not yet released there version, the SnapShot. This will be, in my opinion, the most efficient barrel that offers multiple bores. Unlike the others currently on the market, the Lapco SS will have a 7" bore as compared to the others 5". However, for many, money is not a crop that can be grown easily. The single bores will suffice for you. Look for one that is measured for medium bore. This will fit close to 80% of the paint sold. Companies I like are Lapco, DYE, J&J, CP, and Smart Parts. Because technically the inside of the barrels are smooth bore, there is no need to spend over $70 on one. Those barrels with inserts (like the Freak) do not interest me. I have seen the inserts start to become loose in the barrel back and effect the paintball. I prefer either 3 different barrels with a single bore. Or those barrels that have a changeable back for the different sizes paint used.

I will also be using HPA for this marker. I have pretty much gotten away from using CO2. It will work fine in the AutoCocker since the average stock Cocker operates at 400psi. Cold weather play is possible. However, HPA is more stable. This stability will keep feeding your regulator a consistant pressure. Plus, liquid CO2 is not exactly that good in any marker. If you insist on using CO2, do consider running the marker on a remote or install an anti-siphon tube. I have instructions for making one on my site.

And don't forget a valve tool. If you are building a Cocker from scratch, get one of these. You may only use it once. But it will pay for itself. They run about $12. I got a nice one from KAPP. Comes with a handle on the end.

The total for all the parts that I am using is about $590. I went over my budget by $40. Then again, I had some of these parts already. And a splurge here and there. So in reality, I spent closer to $500. If you decide to make your own cocker, feel free to use some used parts. There just as good as new parts. And do some snooping around. Deals on parts are waiting to be found. I did not look real hard as I could have. Though I am sure with more time, I could have gotten closer to $450.

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The Installation

• Tools Needed
• Front Block
• Pneumatics
• Pneumatic Hose Configuration
• Lower Internals
• Beavertail and Trigger
• 15* ASA
• Odds and Ends

Tools Needed: This is probably some of my personal opinions as to the installation of the parts in this part of the article. Along with the parts that I had purchased, I also needed some tools. I already mentioned the valve tool. An adjustable wrench, allen wrenches (1/16, 3/16, 1/8, 5/16 ), flat head and philips head screwdrivers, and a 1/4" 12-point ratchet will be used for the assembly. Also, blue loc-tite and teflon (aka, plumbers) tape. Don't forget some paintball specific oil. Or, use 3-in-1 oil. Just as good and much cleaner than paintball oil. Also, nice to have a rag or two to wipe anything down and a clean work space that will not be disturbed for a few days. I would not expect you to assemble the Cocker in a few hours. I would give yourself a few days. If you use loc-tite, you will need about 12-hours for it to set.

You will also need some paintballs and air after everything is assembled. The really cheap paintballs from Brass Eagle are fine. You can buy a small quantity. Or, if your local store will allow you to buy a case and take any remaining paintballs to the field, that would be great.

As I had mentioned already, there are several sites that tell you how to time your Cocker. I like Ravi's since he included a few pictures. Vantrepes is also nice. I really have not looked, but I am sure AIR and COG has an article or two located on there forum. Review them a few times to get an understanding of what is involved. The first two persons that I mentioned above attacks the issue of timing differently. With either article you use, you should get the same result. I have also posted my own timing procedure on my site. Use whichever one you like.

Front Block Assembly: I first installed the front block to the body. I used the front block screw that came with the stainless steel kit. It came with two o-rings. It is possible that a front block screw will not have the o-rings depending on the manufacturer. Find one that is snug on the screw. These will fit on both sides of the front block with the screw going through the rings and block. I used a 1/8 allen wrench and tightened it well.

Now for the pneumatics: I took my ANS pneumatic regulator and wrapped some teflon tape around the threads. Then, I screwed it onto the bottom right hole (looking at the front end of the marker). I screwed it on until it was tight, yet had the barb facing in towards the 3-way. It should not be directly pointing towards the 3-way. Try picturing how the hoses will be flowing as you install the pneumatics. If you have the hoses pointing directly at the devices, you may have a hard time mounting the hoses, not to mention replacing them in case they are broken. Also, make room for your allen wrench in case you need to remove the front block for some reason.

Next was the 3-way valve. When all the way screwed in, the barbs were pointing in a downward direction, interfering with the front block screw. I unscrewed it and added some thread loc to the threads. Very little thread los was used just incase I wanted to remove this at some point. I reinstalled the 3-way so that it too was pointing in the upward direction. I am picturing the hose from the pneumatic regulator to the 3-way as a nice arc, thus clearing access to the front block screw. You do not want the hoses to have any sharp bends either. Else, the air flow will be restricted.

A note about Thread Loc. There are two kinds that are available. Blue, and red. Thread loc is technically not a glue. Taking a microscope and at the threads, it is not a very smooth surface on the side of the threads. A thread loc will fill in these gaps and make a smoother surface allowing more friction to hold the two threaded components together. Blue should be used in all applications where you want a secure thread. Red is kind of a different substance used for paintball tanks. You could say it has more gripping power.

Last, the RAM. I added a little teflon tape to the ram thread of the shaft that moves in and out. This will help to secure the ram's shaft to the actuating rod, yet will allow for easy removal. I screwed the actuating rod onto the ram rod, and then screw on the ram to the front block. Upon screwing this on, the barb on the threaded end was a perfect 45* angle into the barrel area. Can't have that. Backed it out and added some thread loc. Just enough to secure. I screw it on so that the barb is pointing sort of a downward angle from a horizontal position. This should not cause any problems with hose being bent too much. And, allows the barrel to be inserted without trouble with the hose.

Many will use teflon tape. Though teflon tape will also secure it, there is still a slight chance that these will start to wear out and unscrew. Adding thread loc to the 3-way and RAM will secure these items to the front block and keep the timing stable. Besides, I am not planning on replacing these parts anytime soon. I strongly believe I have great quality parts.

Again, I do not add globs of the thread lock. I also backed out the actuating rod from the ram. Moving the ram in and out, I heard a metallic clank from the rod hitting the ram/front block. The actuating rod can have 4-5 threads showing on the ram. The rod should bend into the body when the back block is installed.

So that dirt or general damage doesn't happen to the barbs during my assembly, I installed the hoses. I have little screw on fittings that I think are nice from ACI. These were left over from my '02 Cocker. I will use them instead of the "top hat" looking attachments that came with the KAPP kit. Not that there are any advantages. It is just a way to attach the hose to the barb. Though, when I tried to attach them, they were very loose and did not appear to hold the hoses on. I installed the chrome top hat connectors. The 3-way hose kit came with a fair amount of hose length. It depends on the type of trigger and the type of 3-way that you have to attach the hoses.

- Hose Setup: Here are the basics to hose setup. Looking at the 3-way shaft, see if it has 3 o-rings (the Bomb is that way) on the 3-way shaft. Also, what type of trigger are you using, a sliding or swing style. A 3 o-ring with a slide trigger will need the front of the ram connected to the front of the 3-way; the rear of the ram connected to the rear of the 3-way. If using the swing style triggers, the front of the ram should connect to the back of the 3-way; the rear of the ram should connect to the front. In the case your 3-way shaft only has 2 o-rings, then the connection is as follows: For those with a slide trigger, the front of the ram should be connected to the rear of the ram. And the rear of the ram to the front of the 3-way. This is just the opposite for those using a swing trigger. The front of the ram connected to the front of the 3-way; the rear of the ram to the rear of the 3-way.

This may sound confusing at first. But with a Cocker in front of you, you will see why it is that way. Since my Hollowpoint is a 2 o-ring shaft, and will be using a swing style trigger, my hose setup should be the latter of the listed configurations (front ram to front 3-way; back ram to back 3-way; see pic above). The middle barb on the 3-way should connect to the pneumatic regulator. I held up the hose to the barbs and got a measurement. I added about 1/4 to 1/2 inch extra. You should not have straight looking hoses. Give it a nice curve. Before adding the hose to the barbs, add the top hats. Make sure the wider, flat portions of the top hats are facing the accessory. Push the hose onto the barbs, making sure your connections are correct. Then, push down on the top hats to secure the hose to the barbs.

Lower internals: Next on the install check list is the valve assembly. Normally, you would need to install a valve spring, then the cup seal/valve into the marker. However, this new Turtle valve that I am using has a built in valve spring. This is the same concept as the Maddman Rocket valve. The valve springs in the spring kit will not be used. A good thing for me. I was dreading having to tune the valve spring. It would require the extraction of the velocity adjustor, main spring, hammer, valve retaining screw, and the valve to get to the valve spring. Not to mention removing the back block from the actuating rod and possibly retiming. A lot of work to get to the valve spring. Unlike a Spyder, one can access the valve spring without needing to extract the entire bottom tube.

In any case, I go to install the valve. I set the valve retaining screw and the valve on to the end of my valve tool. I pick up the body with the back end pointing down. I insert the valve assembly as far as I could. The valve is unable to be inserted into position. Seems that the valve body is too big to fit inside of the body. A quick measuring of the valve body shows that this new valve is about .01" too large. Since I purchased the valve from a local shop, I am able to get this fixed very quickly. They even installed it for me at no charge! That extra amount of money I paid for some parts to my local shop paid for itself.

To install the valve, no thread loc is used with the valve retaining screw. The retaining screw has a built in o-ring that will "grip" onto the valve. I first secured the valve in place with the valve screw. This prevents the valve from rotating while tightening the retaining screw. Remember, you want the hole in the valve to be pointing up so that air can enter the bolt. If there are 2 holes, the larger one should face up. You may need to install the valve seperate from the valve retaining screw to make sure it is positioned correctly. Secure the valve from the bottom using the valve screw. Now, with all my might and without striping the threads, I turned the retaining screw clockwise as hard as I could.

The next three items to install is the hammer, main spring, and velocity adjustor. Remember I had mentioned about a small hole in the top of the body? This is were this comes into play. This is an access point to get to the hammer lug. The hammer has an adjustable lug on it that the sear on the trigger frame catches when the marker is cocked.

So that I can control the position of the hammer, I decided to screw on the cocking rod. The problem that I had was with the threads in the hammer were 8-32 threading for a cocking rod. AutoCocker rods are 10-32. Pulled out my 10-32 tap kit and widened the threads. Much better fit without binding. Not sure if this is typical to 32degrees hammers or not. I am sure that was just a fluke. With the cocking rod attached to the hammer, I inserted the assembly into the bottom tube.

I then inserted the 9/16 allen wrench in the hole. I was able to catch the hole on the top of the hammer and turn out the hammer lug. No need to turn it out a certain length. That will be covered in the timing article. Insert the main spring and the velocity adjustor.

The velocity adjustor has an o-ring built into it. This o-ring helps to secure the velocity adjustor in place when the marker is fired. It should not vibrate loose and fluctuate the velocity. As a note on adjusting velocity, you will need to remove the cocking rod and insert the 1/8 allen wrench to adjust it. Screw the adjustor in (clockwise) will increase the velocity. Unscrew the adjustor (counter-clockwise) to reduce velocity. A typical rule of thumb is to screw in the velocity adjustor so that the back face is flush with the body. Then, screw it in about 1-1/2 to 2 turns. Let your in-line regulator do the major velocity adjustment. Use the velocity adjustor do the fine tuning. When finished adjusting the velocity adjustor, simply reattach the cocking rod.

Insert the main spring, then the velocity adjustor. I am not sure what spring from my spring kit I will need to tune the markers velocity. So I will just install the spring that came with the hammer. When it comes to adjusting the velocity, then I will make use of the spring kit.

Next, installed the rear block. I screwed it in as far as it could go. It stopped on an angle. So I backed it out until it was straight up and down. I inserted the bolt and secured it with the pin. Make sure that the hole on the bolt is facing down. Next was the rear cocking rod. Starting to look like a Cocker now! Again, no concern now about the 'clang' noise with the contact of the rear block and body. That is part of the timing.

Trigger Frame and Beaver Tail: I now installed the beaver tail. Make sure it is straight and not cockeyed. Some beavertails will let you remove the cocking rod with ease. Some will require you to remove the beavertail before allowing clearance for the cocking rod removal. Secured it with the SS screw kit. Another thing that you need to make sure is straight is the ram rod and trigger rod. The ram rod will have a slight bend already. That is fine. I am talking about bends that may hinder and bind the operation of the moving parts.

I attached the trigger rod to the 3-way. The 3-way rod may have a small indentation. Set the coupling over the rod and secured with a set screw from my KAPP kit. This will help keep the trigger rod attached to the 3-way. Not a terrible idea to add a small drop of thread lock to the set screw. However, the set screw closer to the trigger on the knuckle should not be secured with loc tite. This needs to be loose so that you can adjust the pull for when you time the marker. Even when timed, it should not be thread loc'ed in place. Incase you need to do some adjustments during maintenance. Just make sure before every game, you make sure that it is tight.

Twist the 'L' of the 3-way rod assembly so that it is pointing underneath the body. slide the point of the 'L' into the hole of the trigger frame and slide the trigger frame into position. I then secured the frame with the screws from the SS kit.

15* ASA: : The 15* ASA was next to be installed. I swiped a 1/4" fine thread screw from my sniper and used that to secure the ASA on this body. You can very easily use the screw and lock washer you purchased from the hardware store. There really is not difference. Before I secured the ASA to the body, I placed a 5/16" diameter o-ring and inserted that onto the ASA. There is an oval that the o-ring will fit into. The o-ring is to keep the ASA and body gap from leaking. I secured the screw with a 12-point ratchet.

Added the ergo regulator. Looks more and more like a marker. I attached the drop forward that I am using. The downfall of a 15* ASA is that it will not allow you to add a gauge to the front block. There is a set screw on the bottom of the block that is used to drill access holes. This is here because of drilling an air passage was needed. Tapping this and adding a set screw was a good solution to “plugging” this hole. Removing this and adding a gauge will tell you the operating pressure of your marker. Not the operating pressure of the pneumatics.

Odds and ends: To fill the gap from the drop forward to the regulator, I used a length of braid hose with quick disconnect. I did not forget to add teflon tape to the threads before assembly. About 3-4 turns is enough. I like to wrap the tape so that when i screw it into the fitting, the tape will not come undone. Simply hold the air fitting with your right hand. Then wrap the tape over the top towards your body. Flatten with your fingers and cut any that may overlap over the air passage. If there are some tape in the air passage, this can tear off and plug elsewhere and restrict air flow.

I added the male fitting of the quick disconnect to the 90* air fitting (adding teflon tape to the threads). Then attached it to the regulator. I then attached the femal of the quick disconnect to the air line. Then the air fitting to the air line. Attached all of that to the on/off ASA. Made some adjustments to the air fittings so that the quick disconnects are not hard to put together and seperate.

I believe that I am finally done with the assembly. Remember, it is best to let it sit if you used any thread loc. It will need some time to dry.

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Timing

This is the hard part to building a Cocker as it requires trial and error. But, once it is timed, no need to fuss with it until you add a new part or during maintenance. You can either use my directions, or use any of the other online sites that I had mentioned earlier to help you time your creation. I had made a seperate article to timing your cocker as this is a huge artcle down to this point.

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Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting is not that hard to do. If you are brand new to the AutoCocker, you may need some assistance from your local shop or players that have AutoCocker. Once you sit down and play with your marker, you will get an understanding as to what parts do what. Making the proper adjustments will become easier and not so scary. Also, when something comes up at the field, fixing the problem will be easier. Like the timing section in this article, I decided to tack on this subject to the end of the timing article. To me, they would go hand in hand. More for those that have an AutoCocker and do not want to scroll all the way to the bottom of this long article. Follow this link to troubleshooting your AutoCocker.

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Final Thoughts

Well, that is it for building your own AutoCocker. Building one is like doing a major overhaul of a marker on an end of season clean up. Just added a few extra steps. I did spend more than I originally planned. I think it is worth it overall.

Since I made this AutoCocker from the ground up, it has functioned well. I have had no trouble with the operation.

I have thought of a different vertical feed since it has Angel threads. A longer stack will stack the balls on top of each other to allow for a faster feeding. However, with this taller stack comes with a higher profile. With a taller profile, your opponents may see your marker coming around the bunker before you get a shot off. I will probably stick with what came with the body. KAPP has an interesting feed that allows the paint to travel in one direction. Thus eliminating blowback feed trouble. I find that markers that operate at 400psi or lower really do not have a blowback problem.

Another option that I may look towards for a future upgrade is an electronic upgrade. I have seen the Eclipse frames go on ebay as low as $300. And that is with the electronic eye upgrade. There are others that offer basically the same thing. Racegun is another good manufacturer that is made in Denmark.

When looking for parts, there are so many items that one has to choose from. From coordinating actuating rods by KAPP to loud colors and wild milling on premade body kits. For added pizzaz, draw up your own milling design of the body and get it priced by the many custom shops. Take your time and research all of the manufacturers. They may offer something to you that you would like. Everybody has different financial resources. You may not have the immediate funds to drop on all the parts like I did. No problem with going slow. Maybe start off with a base model and work your way up. This will provide you with a marker that you can use and build up over the course of your playing season. Remember, this is your marker. You make it how you want to.

I believe that this custom Cocker that I built is just as good as those high priced Cockers. It has the look I want and the parts that are above par. On some of these highly customized Cockers, they have for the most part great parts. But not all the best parts. It is either one of the pneumtics, the valve, bolt, or a combination of a few that are so-so mixed in with great perfoming parts. Do not get me wrong. They will operate great on the field. I was able to get all good parts and have a finished product that would excel above those markers. And, for much less money. That is the point I want to bring out. Sometimes to save some funds, a little work will need to be done to find the right parts at the right price. Plus, as I built the Cocker, it was a learning experience. I can now say I have a more fuller understaning how things work and troubleshoot when something goes wrong. I play rec-ball mostly. Really do not play much tournies (another story there). I probably went overkill on this marker for playing rec-ball. But that is alright. It is my marker.

So, here are the final stats of my AutoCocker.

• 2k body style from Advanced Concepts (ebay)
• KAPP Reflex Chrome trigger frame
• 32Degrees Hammer
• 32Degrees Velocity Adjustor
• 32Degrees Spring Kit
• Turtle Cocker Valve
• KAPP Valve Retainer
• ShockTech SuperFly Bolt
• Stock WGP Actuating Rods
• ANS Jackhammer II Reg
• Belsales Hollowpoint 3-way
• STO RAM
• KAPP Translucent Red Pneumatic Air Line
• KAPP Twisted Rear Cocking Rod
• KAPP Beaver Tail
• WGP Ergo In Line Regulator (set at 200psi)
• Stainless Steel Air Line with Quick Disconnect
• KAPP Apocolypse Drop Forward w/ On/Off ASA
• Titanium Paintball Longbow Barrel System
• Lapco BigShot Barrel (shown)

I am very happy with the parts I have used and the overall performance. I would encourage any that wants a fun project, build a marker from scratch. It is a learning experience. Besides, you will be able to show off your accomplishments on the field.

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