So, you thought this day would never come.   I had initially intended for this article to cover the topic of trouble-shooting your Autococker.  But in the intervening couple of years since I wrote the first article there have been so many improvements with the Autococker that many of the initial problems have vanished.  I doubt that there are more than a couple of Autocockers left out there that still sport the original manual regulator or smooth timing rod.  With the wealth of after market products that are available out there it's simple to replace anything that hampers performance.  But now it seems a new problem is rearing it's ugly head.

    Modification Mania.  It seems that people just can't stop adding something new to their Autocockers.  Hey, that's fine, knock yourself out.  But here's what bugs me.  The attitude has reached the point that time and time again I hear it said, "Autocockers just don't work right without such and such by so and so."  Well. That's your opinion.  I don't mind that you have one, but quit giving it to every newbie that comes along.  I've heard so many new players say 'Gee, I'D like to buy an Autococker but I just can't afford all of the modifications you need to make it work right."  That is completely untrue.  Since '97, the 'Cocker doesn't need anything at all to perform exceptionally well right out of the box.  I have tried virtually every after market bolt, barrel, ram, reg, and 3-way on the market.  I've got a closet full of spare parts.  The 'Cocker I carry and use is nearly bone stock.  That's right.  I use the stock bolt, barrel, and auto-cocking components.

    Here's what I have discovered.  I chose the 'Cocker because of long range accuracy long before it was 'cool' to own a cocker.  People used to give me a hard time about how difficult to use 'Cockers are.  But I discovered that the 'cocker's long range accuracy was a distinct plus.  Well worth the extra hassle.   Players are more likely to give you a decent shot at them when they think you are too far away to hit.  I tweak my 'Cocker for as much consistency at range as possible.  I've fired about as much paint testing new modifications as I have playing.  And I've learned a few things that surprise even me.

    First, Ported barrels.  Everybody thinks they have to have a ported barrel.  It's like the first mod anyone makes to their marker.  I have invested a good deal of money in several different styles.  What I learned is that at about fifty feet they cause the ball to hook.  The effect is so evident that I really don't understand how anyone uses them at all.  And it doesn't seem to matter what style of porting they have.  I have spiral ported barrels and muzzle brake barrels, you name it.  They all hook.  After going through several designs I returned to a smooth bore barrel, it just happened that the one I chose was the one that had come with the 'Cocker.   I recently however switched to a Lapco stainless steel Autospirit.  Accuracy of the Autospirit is far superior to the stock barrel, due primarily I believe, to the tight bore.  In the early days of 'Cocker mania I heard a lot of people say that ported barrels didn't work on 'Cockers.  Now that those voices have fallen silent I believe them.  Eye any new barrel choice with caution.  If possible, try before you buy.  Even if that means trying to borrow barrels off of complete strangers at the field to make a few test shots.  It's better than wasting $$$ on a barrel that does nothing for your gun.  

    Barrel Length.  Barrel length does have an effect on performance.  But perhaps not in the way you might think.  A long barrel is not more accurate than a short one.  I have personally seen the stock 7 inch Mini-Cocker barrel put four consecutive balls through a four inch hole in a bunker at 60 feet.  This is phenomenal accuracy.   What barrel length does gain you is range.  I have yet to come to terms with the physics of this, but for some reason a ball fired from a longer barrel seems to retain momentum better than one fired from a short barrel.  The downside is that it takes more gas to get the ball out of a long barrel, reducing the number of shots from a single fill.  And long barrels are awkward in a cramped field.

    Venturi Bolts.  Another 'Must Have' that is a joke in my opinion.  Like Ported Barrels, Venturi bolts increase the tendency to hook.  Because of the 'Cockers valve design Venturi bolts do not grant an even gas flow.  Rather, they exaggerate the uneven flow.  The Venturi bolt's only plus in a 'Cocker is that they break fewer balls.  You will also experience about 15-20 fps velocity loss using them.  In other words, you will have to dial up, cutting gas efficiency.  For more info see my article on Venturi Bolts.

    Trigger Jobs  I'm not going to slam trigger jobs like I have barrels and bolts.  A good trigger job has it's merits but here's something to consider.  Don't go with the lowest bidder, send the marker to a well-known and respected shop.  Sure, it will take longer and cost more, but you might just as well get something for your money.  I have seen and even paid for some really lousy trigger jobs.  All too often I have seen adding a set screw into the bottom of the trigger guard called a 'Trigger Job'.  Nothing else was done.  Same stock trigger, same sear, same springs.  Talk about a $75 dollar rip off.  A reputable airsmith will charge you that same $75 or maybe a bit more and replace the junk factory trigger with a much smoother sliding one of aircraft aluminum, an over-travel set screw, and lighter springs.  The over-travel set screw is inside the grip-frame behind the trigger and is critical for getting the shortest possible trigger pull.  But this is the hardest set-screw to install so it's the one that the fly-by-night airsmiths skip.  You can install lighter springs yourself or even slightly trim the factory springs and improve trigger pull dramatically at almost no cost.

    Rams and 3-ways.  Uhg.  Another joke.  I've never noticed the slightest bit of difference between the factory Ram and 3-way and any after market models.  Only thing I see is that I am out 'X' dollars.  If you are at least 'mostly' competent, you can dismantle and internally polish the brass factory Ram and 3-way so that they perform as well as any of the after market types.  Some after market rams give a very slim edge in performance but they are fragile and you risk having them blow on you.  Which do you figure is more likely to win you a tournament?  Firing 11 balls a second instead of 10 for half the game because your ram blew up?  Or, firing ten balls per second through the entire game?  I won't sacrifice reliability for a slim performance gain.

     The True 'Must Haves'

    Threaded 3-way coupler.  Hey, it's ten bucks and it insures that you will not have an accidental change in your timing.  I believe that these are now stock.

    Ball Detent (Anti-doubler)  Okay, so 'Cockers will double feed without these.  I believe they come stock now.

    Hex Head (Or other easy adjust) Cocking Rod.  The old knurled knob just plain sucked.  This is factory now too.

    Self-Adjusting Regulator   Gotta have one.  New 'Cockers come with WGP's Sledgehammer now though.  It works fine, it's just a pain to adjust.  But once set you shouldn't have to mess with it unless there is an extreme temperature change.

 
    The 'Really Nice to Haves'

    Palmer's 'Rock' Regulator.  This baby is a life-saver.  Easy to adjust without taking it apart and it's got over pressurization prevention built in.  This has saved my game-day more than once.

    Nelson spring kit.  I almost put this in with the 'must haves'  It improves velocity consistency, reduces gas use and general wear and tear on the valve and cocking components.  It even quiets the gun somewhat.  Because it is an accuracy mod I always have one.

    Remote Setup.  I'm not saying this 'cause I think they are cool.  'Cockers go ballistic on you if they get liquid in their valves.  This problem plagued me for a long time.  My 'Cocker would work fine in the staging area and then screw up the moment the game started.  I finally realized that while I was standing around waiting, I had my muzzle pointed down.  The A.S.A. mounted tank was VERTICAL!  I was dumping liquid CO2 into the valves!  I went remote and that problem went bye bye.  Also reducing weight at the gun is a distinct advantage.  Get that bottle on your back if you can afford to.

    Trigger Job.  Hey, it's nice to have length of pull adjustment and anti-slop.  You will see an improvement in rate of fire and it's easier to squeeze off that long range sniper shot with a lighter trigger.  Just remember what I said above and don't go with the lowest bidder.  Expect to spend $75 and be without your marker for a while.

    Sights.   You really need sights if you intend to shoot long range.  It's hard to place a second shot into the same location as the first without something to serve as a point of reference.  I'm partial to Brass Evil's- - Er, I mean Brass Eagle's new light tube sight.  It mounts to a standard sight rail, it's $10 and it's virtually indestructible.  I've had a zillion variants of Daisy's point Sight shot right off the top of my paintgun.  They are nice because they can be adjusted but the dot is almost impossible to see sometimes.  Crossman makes a version with a full length hood.  This might cure the visibility problem.  I have yet to find one to purchase.  I would not spend $$$ on a really good sight for a paintgun as they are too bulky and no real advantage is gained.  Forget any sight with magnification and all scopes.  They are worthless on the paintball field.

    Agitating Hopper.  A 'must have' for hosers.  Would be great for everyone.  If you have the bucks buy one, if not, envy anyone who does.  The downside is that they are heavy and fail frequently.

    High Pressure Air (HPA) or Nitrogen (N2).  Improved consistency, better extreme weather performance.  Unfortunately they are $$$ and can give you hassles with regulators and maybe your field can't fill them.  They are also EXTREMELY bulky for the larger tanks and the small ones may not see you through an entire game.   Another modification for the wealthy player.

    Elevated sight rail.  Handy, provides mask clearance.
 

    Worthless mods.

    Silencer.  Homebuilts are illegal.  Factory builts work so poorly as to do nothing.  Adds length to the gun.  Breaks paint.  Hey, here's the legality thing.  Must be a permanently affixed part of the gun- That is to say, if you remove the silencer, the gun doesn't work.  This means it must be built into the barrel.  It is okay to have a removable barrel/silencer such as Boa's Concealer but you cannot have one that just slips on to the end of your paintgun.  Secondly, it must not drop the sound level below a set point.  The actual point is determined by a firearm round (9mm and 22LR) so it's difficult to convert to paintball terms.  My suggestion is just to stay away from silencers.  This is a FEDERAL LAW and I am not JOKING, You can be sent to jail for having a silencer on a paintball gun!  It has happened!   It is illegal to possess ANY silencer in Missouri.

    Sling.  Utterly useless, gets hung up on everything.  Sure sign that someone has never played before.

    Slip on Muzzle Brake.  Breaks paint, doesn't do anything else.

    Millwork/Anodizing.  Hey buddy, it's your money.  Only thing millwork is good for is reducing weight.  Some 'gills' allow dirt into the action.  This is unwise.  But if looks mean everything to you go ahead and throw your $$$ away.

    .45 Grip Frames.  More throwing money away for looks.  Handy for players with small hands however.

    High performance valves.  Never tried one.  Doubt that they do anything but cost $$$.  You can port and polish your own valves if you have skill, tools, and free time.