Stock Features

One of the Vectors greatest strengths is that it is already "tricked out" right out of the box.
Here is all you get without paying a penny more:
Open bolt autococking cycle.
100 psi regulated action with 4-way valve.
Anti-chop field-strip bolt.
Tool-less valve removal.
Quick-release barrel.
Raised dual-sight rail.
Target style trigger.
Zero problems with liquid CO2.

Good Points

Has probably the best accuracy of any semi. Vectors with stock barrels have won numerous 5-man and 10-man target shoots at the All American Opens. Great stability; the gun barely twitches when you pull the trigger. Eats liquid or gas CO2 and nitrogen (nitro requires a regulator, of course). Shortest trigger pull of any non-electronic gun; down to 1/16" (really!), and snaps when you pull (no grind). Rate of fire is amazing; it will outrun any finger. Trigger mechanism prevents "short stroking" (gun both fires AND recocks when the trigger is pulled; no waiting for it to be released). Anti-chop is about 95% effective in preventing ball chops. Very reliable -- it cocks itself (no bolt pin to pull) and since it uses 100 psi regulated action, will recock even in the coldest weather. Precision construction -- it’s hard to find the seams! The barrel releases at the press of a button which completely exposes the bolt for cleaning. The bolt and valve can both be removed without tools for easy cleaning. Stock barrel is well polished, and quite accurate. Little blowback – no need for a powerfeed. Relatively short considering its 13" barrel -- most of the action and pneumatics are below the barrel, rather than behind it. Few cold weather problems (you can play in the winter! Really!). Works with very low pressure. Air Power claims the gun will cycle (although not shoot very far…) at 80 psi. If you are running out of air your opponents can’t tell, unless they see the balls dropping. Brand new "Thruster" Vectors are still available for less than half their original price!

Questionable Points

Great stability does not agitate the hopper; could use a motorized loader (although the low pressure action won’t chop a mis-fed ball from a regular hopper). If you remove your barrel while your hopper is attached, and forget to turn the gun upside-down, you’ll drop balls all over the ground. (Feed port is part of the barrel.)

Bad Points

Very loud. Air Power says the main air charge nears Mach 1 going around the second corner when the gun is fired. Silencers can somewhat help. Tank must be removed to adjust velocity (an external regulator overcomes this). The gun may fire once when you gas up, regardless of the safety (this is documented in the manual). This is a rare occurance, but put your hopper on after your CO2. Gas efficiency (summer) is estimated at up to 65 shots/oz according to Air Power. This will vary, however, depending on each gun’s individual 4-way; they are designed to leak at up to an ounce an hour. All-aluminum body seems a target for stripped threads (caution is given several places in the manual against over-tightening). Use common sense when assembling. Spare parts are expensive and can only be obtained from Justin Beard at HYPERLINK mailto:classicpaintball@hotmail.com classicpaintball@hotmail.com (Air Power no longer has any parts). The Adapter Body has two very, very thin o-rings that seal it in, which are easy to slice when removing to oil. Recommend having a few spares on hand. High pressure feed line to the regulator has been known to leak on the valve side. This is easily repairable, though. Almost every pin and screw is untreated steel – oil them often, or the rust cometh! Heavy – 3½ lbs without tank or paint. No longer any warranty of any kind from Air Power.

Passed The Tests

There are a few things that AP, myself, or someone else has done to their Vector, (accidentally or on purpose) and what happened to their gun: (don’t try these unless you own a Vector!) Paint in the airway… so much paint it was oozing out the 4-way’s vents. Result: lots of paint in the barrel of course, but still firing away. Finger in the chamber when the gun was fired. Result: anti-pinch was ‘tripped’, owner kept his finger. Low pressure line hooked to gun instead of high pressure CO2. Result: Vector continued to cycle properly at pressures as low as 80 psi. Siphon tank attached. Result: big, Big, BIG CO2 cloud, big increase in velocity. Velocity adjust was then adjusted, cut the cloud down to size and returned to 300 fps. No problems. Siphon it if you wish for superior winter performance. Bolt Designs and Accuracy

Many people have heard the P.R. about the Vector being very accurate and long ranged, and assume that it must be a closed-bolt design. (Closed-bolt means that the gun’s chamber is closed with the ball loaded before you pull the trigger.) The Vector is actually open-bolt. In addition, the bolt does not even have an o-ring on it to seal the chamber. It is also not a venturi bolt, like its pump-gun ancestor. When discussing these points with AP, I was told that the original design called for a bolt o-ring, but they found that by removing it the Vector’s gas efficiency dropped only slightly and the rate of fire was increased by at least one shot per second. This was due to the pneumatics not having to get dragged down by the bolt o-ring’s friction with the barrel. Air Power also abandoned the venturi pattern and went to the old center-fire design. The real reason AP invented the venturi bolt for the Apex was because they found that the multi-port head was much more gentle on the fragile paint of the era. Therefore you could raise the velocity to whatever you wanted without shattering paint (chronographs weren’t used much in the late 80’s). This is why the Apex was originally so accurate; the trajectory of paint at higher speeds is much flatter. However, the new paintballs being produced in the Vector era of the mid 90’s were far more durable, and suddenly the venturi bolt lost much of its effectiveness. I have heard several people argue that a closed-bolt design introduces less ball-deformation and turbulance during firing, and that this deformation and turbulance are responsible for decreased accuracy and range. No proof of either of these claims has been offered, and I remain skeptical. Besides, the range of a paintball is only affected, for the most part, by its velocity (ask any physics teacher). As for accuracy, the condition of your paint has more of an effect than probably anything else. In my opinion, one factor that helps the Vector’s accuracy is its incredible trigger. Since the trigger-pull is so short, and the gun’s action so smooth, the barrel remains rock steady when you fire. Not having the end of the barrel jerk every time you pull the trigger goes a long way towards a well placed shot.

Anti-Pinch Feature Explained

Many people want to know more about the anti-pinch feature, so here is how it works: You’re firing away and a mis-fed or deformed ball drops down your elbow halfway into the chamber. When you pull the trigger, the bolt moves forward, powered by a 100 psi burst from the 4-way. About 95% of the time the bolt will stop before breaking/slicing the ball. The gun will not fire, and will appear to be out of CO2. With your index finger, just flip the safety (a lever right above and forward of the trigger, on the side of the gun) and you’ll hear a slight click as the gun recocks and resets. Flip down the safety (off) and you’re ready to fire again. When the gun recocked, the ball should have fallen into the chamber. This resetting procedure takes about ½ second if you know what you are doing. On an average day with average paint and a high rate of fire, expect to reset your Vector 4-5 times. Don’t think of this as four resets; think of it as zero ball chops, zero hooks/slices. Oddly enough, this was not a design goal, but rather came as a side effect when they dropped the regulated pressure to 100 psi. AP has never marketed the ‘anti-pinch’ feature, even though is has really gotten around. Some Autococker mods lower the regulated pressure down near that of the Vector, and with the proper bolt, they too can have this anti-pinch feature (although you have to yank back the bolt to recock them).

Velocity Adjustment

The "Back Bottle" Vector adjusts its velocity by limiting the distance the cup seal can move from the valve seat using an internal valve stop (velocity piston). Adjustment is done by removing the tank (bummer), and turning a set screw in the adapter body with an allen wrench. The manual states you have 6-8 turns to work with. To set the Vector at maximum velocity it is not necessary to back the screw all the way out. Back the screw out until it is flush with the adapter body. Now slowly twist it in until you feel a slight resistance (it will be several turns). When you feel this resistance you have just hit the velocity piston. Turning further will push the piston forward, decreasing velocity. When turned in all the way the pin can barely move, and the cup will put hardly any air in your barrel. This adjustment in no way affects the air going to the internal regulator and its 100 psi for the action. Note, as they use an external regulator for velocity adjustment, Vectors sold as "Thruster Ready" come without the piston and set screw.

External Regulators

Setting up the Vector with an adjustable, external regulator (such as a Stabilizer, Uni-Reg, RG-1, Air Power’s Thruster, etc.) has some advantages. Not only will it make velocity adjustment easier, as you don’t have to remove the tank, you get the added benefit of greater consistency for no more "hot-shots". Also the firing pressure of the gun is lowered which causes less stress on the paintball. Vectors require less input pressure than a lot of markers- 850 psi is where you’d set one for a ‘mag, but the Vector is looking for around 450-600 psi. So in case you use someone else’s regulator, here’s the factory instructions that came with a Thruster Reg’:

Thruster Manual Instructions

Remove the main spring from your Vector; refer to the General Maintenance and Cleaning Disassembly section of your owners manual, replace with the Thruster main spring.

Step 1: Unscrew the seat from the adapter body. Warning: do not scar adapter body. Scratches can cause irreparable damage. Always hold seat with a tool, not the adapter body to prevent damage.
Step 2: Remove the shaft from seat.
Step 3: Remove the spring from adapter body.
Step 4: Remove the velocity piston.
Step 5: Remove adjuster screw. The piston, adjuster screw, and return spring can be stored for future use should you desire to shoot the Vector on siphon without the Thruster.
Step 6: Install the Thruster valve shaft return spring.
Step 7: Install valve shaft into seat.
Step 8: Lubricate o-rings and interior of adapter body. Screw valve seat into adapter body. NOTE: Be careful not to slice o-rings when assembling.
Step 9: Inspect o-rings for damage. Adapter body is now ready for insertion into Vector. *(Note: guns sold as "Thruster Ready" come with Thruster springs already installed.)

Sometimes obtaining proper velocity settings with a reg’ isn’t quite this easy and you may have to experiment initially with various spring pressures in the gun. One handy thing is that Nelson main and valve springs can be used to replace the Vector’s. I’d start with blue for the main and use yellow for the valve.

Air Power Toys

Bottomline Grip: MOD-2 has a downward angle and MOD-3 is flat bottomed. Accepts all standard bottomline adapters.
Shorter barrel: 8" effective length. Available in all barrel styles.
Left-Hand Feed barrel
NRG: Non-Restricted Gravity barrel, feed port is on top.
Push-Button Safety: no need to flip to reset, just push.
Thruster: inline regulator/velocity adjuster.
Power Stock: gas-through stock for remote use.
Pro-Comp Nitro System: lightweight regulator with a 114ci fiber-wrapped tank.
Parts Kit: includes at least one of every seal, o-ring, and screw.

Barrels

The stock 12½" barrel for the Vector is reported to be the most accurate produced so far. Its rate of fire is 7-8 shots/second. This barrel has neither ports nor a brake. The NRG barrel has the feed port moved to the top for increased rate of feed. This requires that the raised site rail be removed (two screws). Air Power made a few NRG’s with a Weaver-style rail mounted directly on the barrel itself at a 45 degree angle from vertical. Rate of fire is tested at 9-10 shots/second, depending on whose finger is on the trigger. Better get a Revolution too. AP also offered a shorter barrel, which lowers the effective length from 12½" to 8", and reduces the overhang of the barrel from 5" to ½". Reduced accuracy is expected, but not confirmed. (An interesting note here; there are some Vectors that came with an 11½" barrel instead of a 12½". This was because during production the barrels were sectioned out of super long pieces of extruded aluminum tubing, and the last barrel cut ended up 1" short.) BoA can custom make a ported barrel for the Vector in brass (with various finishes) that has about equal accuracy as stock. The feed port is also lengthened to better than 2", which may help increase feed speed (and get the hopper well out of the way of a nice big site). Call BoA at (330) 878-6309. J&J and Smart Parts at one time made barrels for the Vector by taking a stock tube, cutting it, and attaching their own ported end. Smart Parts will still do this as a custom job. Call them at (724)539-2660.

Paint

The Vectors were designed and tested using ProBall, but don’t have any "incompatibilities" with any brand of paint. All Vectors come with a wire ball detent built into the barrel.

Spare Parts

This is the stated price for all parts shown in the breakdown in the manual (current prices may vary).

Barrel $75
Valve Shaft $20
Site Base $20
Return Spring $1.50
HP Line $25
Velocity Piston $10
Barrel Mount $45
Adapter Body* $40
Adapter Pin $4
4-Way Valve $100
HP Line Cover $20
Valve Arm* $20
Drive Pin $4
Trigger Sear $20
Bolt Head Slider $20
Trigger Assembly $30
Action Power Unit $200
Side Cover* $30
Hammer $25
Foregrip $27
Receiver* CALL
Pistol Grip $25
Valve Seat* $30
Parts Kit $40

Notes:
"Return Spring" is the valve spring.
Valve Seat must be matched to Adapter Body.
Side Cover must be matched to Receiver.
Valve Arm must be matched to rest of action.
Action Power Unit includes the regulator, ram, main spring, and hammer.
Total cost (without receiver) is $791.50
Maintenance

Here are the things I do when returning from the field:
Remove and clean barrel, bolt, and bolt pin.
Put a few drops of oil on the bolt slider (a quality lightweight grease would work here too).
Put it all back in.
Wipe off any paint on the outside and spray the entire gun with a pure silicone spray (makes it look great and keeps the rust off the screws).
I also like to put a drop of oil in the tank adapter every time I gas up the gun.

"Every dozen games or so" maintenance:
Unscrew brass regulator bonnet, remove piston, and check/oil the two o-rings and plastic cup seal.
Clean and oil all trigger parts.
Remove Action Power Unit. Clean and oil, no grease. Thoroughly clean out hammer where ram’s tube goes in.
Remove Adapter Body and open valve. Check/oil cup seal and both o-rings. Oil piston (if still there, removed if you have a regulator).
NOTE: have a pair of the thin AB o-rings on hand, they may need replacing.
Check all low pressure hoses, make sure they have not slipped off a bit.
Check/tighten pommel (grip) screws.
Put about four or five drops of oil in the ASA adapter (where you screw in the tank), gas up the gun, and fire a few times to circulate through the pneumatics. Leave the barrel off here to keep the excess oil out.
BE CAREFUL not to overtighten the foregrip screws when reassembling!

For oiling all the ‘external’ moving parts 3 in 1 oil is OK. For anything that will encounter CO2 I use KC Trouble Free oil or in a pinch Gold Cup. Remember, the 4-way is designed to hiss just a tad while powered up, so don’t worry. Up to an ounce of CO2 lost per hour is acceptable. You may want to remove the Adapter Body well after using the Vector. If you don’t give it a good 15 minutes of "cool down" time after degassing the gun, you increase the risk of damaging the o-rings. When removing, twist a lot, pull a little, and oil well before reinserting.

Behind The Scenes

Things start with the Vector cocked:
Hammer is locked onto ram by hammer sear, main spring compressed.
Hammer/ram are back (next to valve).
Bolt is open (above ram).
Trigger sear is holding valve arm.
Valve arm is holding 4-way closed.

Here is what happens when you pull the trigger:
Trigger is pulled.
Trigger arm presses past trigger sear.
Trigger sear pivots, releases valve arm (safety holds valve arm if on).
Valve arm pivots, 4-way opens.
4-way stops pushing on ram, now pulls ram, hammer, and bolt forward (this is where the anti-pinch would stop the cycle).
Bolt pushes ball into barrel.
Hammer sear reaches sear roller. Sear roller pivots hammer sear and ram pivots valve arm.
Hammer sear releases hammer from ram and valve arm closes 4-way.
Main spring pushes hammer back and trigger sear catches valve arm.
Hammer hits valve.
Short, high volume air charge released from valve, travels up power tube and fires the ball.
Ram compresses main spring and catches on hammer sear (Vector has cycled completely).
User releases trigger and trigger arm slides back over trigger sear.
Vector is now recocked and ready to fire again

If a ball stops the bolt from moving forward, the action stops. The 4-way is still open, therefore the Action Power Unit is still pulling the ram, bolt, and hammer forward. Leaving the Vector in this state for long could eventually pinch the ball in half (and fire the gun). Flipping the safety pivots the sear (normally done by the ram just as the hammer strikes the valve and fires the gun), and causes the 4-way to close and the trigger sear to catch it. When the 4-way closes the ram just goes back to the valve along with the hammer, opens the bolt, and the ball should then drop into the chamber. Don’t forget to flip the safety off. In addition to chopping the ball in time, the slider that the bolt is on is being stressed quite a lot, and might eventually fail at the pin. This may be a ‘weak spot’ in the design- bolt sliders sometimes look a bit curved/bent after a month or so of use (although they are confined in a groove, which limits how much they may bend). If the trigger is pulled with the safety on, the valve arm will not pivot, and the gun will remain in its cocked state. There is very little difference in the "feel" of the trigger pull of a Vector on safety or not. One of the reasons for the high rate of fire is that the gun does not have to wait for the user to release the trigger to complete recocking. The Vector relies on its own internal timing to complete the firing cycle as fast as possible- no short stroking. Another factor is that the gun cannot be fired faster than the mechanism works. If you pull the trigger faster than the Vector can cycle (!), the Vector will simply not cycle during those times the trigger is pulled and it is not ready. It is quite possible however, to pull the trigger faster than the balls can fall into the chamber. (NRG barrels make this a lot more difficult to do.) If you do pull faster than they fall, you’ll just trip the anti-pinch more than usual.

Physical Specs

Weight: approx. 3½ lbs.
Length: 18" w/barrel, 13" wo/barrel
Height: 8" (bottom of grip to top of sight rail)
Width: 1" (receiver), 2" (including foregrip), 2½" (total w/feed port)
Color: jet/matte black

Barrel: Length, total 15¼" (this is for the standard length), 12½" effective
Very well honed, not ported, not braked.

Construction

Plastic: handgrip, foregrip
Black anodized aluminum alloy: barrel, sight rail, receiver, CA adapter, cover plates, trigger, and sometimes the bolt
Untreated aluminum alloy: hammer, bolt, most of 4-way, and a few misc. pieces
Steel: all pins, screws, valve mech., hammer sear, bolt carrier, parts of ram and 4-way
Heat-treated tool steel: all internal trigger parts
Stainless Steel: body of ram (303), valve shaft (17-4H)
Brass: regulator
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Why To Buy

Another semi over a Vector:
Quieter
Lighter
Smaller
More aftermarket stuff available
Can turn off the ball feed (powerfeed)
More gas efficient
Cheaper, more obtainable parts

A Vector over another semi:
No short-stroking
No freeze-ups (never ‘goes liquid’)
Stock barrel is already accurate
No need for powerfeed
Easier field cleaning
No shoot-downs
No chops
Can run siphon for exceptional velocity stability in all seasons
Very unique, rare, and definitely a part of paintball history

Out of the box the Vector is big, heavy, fast, loud, accurate, reliable, and complete.