 |
 |
This marker is the culmination of some years of asking, prodding, pushing and begging. Though it is not a Palmer marker, I hope to have something similar done by PPS when the process becomes available to them.
By Brent Hoefling AKA RamboPreacher PoG#6- "A Player, Not A Pro"
About the time I discovered that Harley Davidson motorcycles have parts that are made with a process that has "Black Nickel", I had almost instantly imagined a PPS marker made with BN. Imagine a matte finish BN typhoon, or Squall. Take it a step further and make it a "classic". The mind boggles with visions of having polished and matte finished BN markers.
I have been in communication with PPS for a long time about this, and the main deterrents that I understand is that the process includes some chemicals that make it extremely expensive and even lethal if done without the precise techniques necessary. A couple years ago, I was told that PPS might have had a supplier that could do it, I was starting to get giddy!
After months of waiting, it turns out that they (third party) could do it, but the finish was not good enough for PPS, it was "bad" looking, kind of grayish, cloudy and just not something that would be able to be representative of PPS craftsmanship. So the search continues...
Right about that that time (coupe years ago), I had also been talking with single proprietorship airsmith and he said that he had someone overseas that could do it for me. the hopes increased again. I sent him the money for the custom built marker, essentially a scratch-built PGP-Stroker. After months of email communications, I was told that the BN overseas deal, had fallen through, and that I was not going to get what I wanted. That airsmith has since fallen on some bad times, personally, and I have not received a refund or another marker that I had finally decided to get instead.
Then one day last month I received an email from a long-time internet-friend "Manike". He was concerned about where I had been since I hadn't posted on the "Guild" forum in a while (I had been completing my studies for and then preparing for graduation to receive two master's degrees, while working on my post graduate work to ward a couple doctorates as well, and just hadn't had time). Anyway, come to find out he had been been in communication with Tom Kaye (Air Gun Designs), and he (Manike) had acquired a Black Nickel (or Chrome, don't know for sure which yet, it is high-polished though) Automag body.
To my great surprise, Manike wanted to give it to me. WOW! this had been something I had only been dreaming about (literally and figuratively) for a very long time. When I received it, I went directly to the AO forums (link below) and started asking around a bit. I then ran into "TunaMan", a long-time AO poster and builder-of-mags. With all the kudos and high recommendations, I proceeded to email and communicate with him about what I needed to get this body turned into a real functional marker.
Initially, I had intended on just ordering parts and building it myself. Believe it or not (not been publicized previously), about a decade ago, when I had a couple mags and only one palmer marker, my nickname was "MagMan", because I seemed to be the only one around with any troubleshooting skills for the various mags of the time. I know there were more, cause most of what I learned was from teammates - but that is another story.
Once I finalized what I wanted in parts (listed in a little bit), TunaMan had also expressed an excitement about seeing it built. I didn't know when I was going to actually going to get it built, but if I ordered the parts, I figured it'd be a month or so by the time I got around to building it. Anyway, I asked TunaMan if he would build it, he gladly accepted and even agreed to do it (building) at no charge for me!
I sent the body to him, and emailed and told him to let me know when he got it, since I sent it Express mail, adn wanted to make sure it got their. A couple days later, he emailed me and said he received the body and that he was already almost done with it! in fact, he just needed to attach the macroline and test it with the new Lev. 10 kit installed. He then told be that he posted the following pictures (they are links to much larger pictures, if you click them):
|
|
|
Manike had already posted that the pictures don't do it justice and that the body was much nicer looking than it seems from the pictures. I think the pictures look very nice (better than I can do with my current digital camera). I am in the process of acquiring a newer digital camera and will be taking more pictures after I receive the BlackTunaMag.
When I sent the body to TunaMan, I also started some communications with another AO'er - The Frymarker (Grip Gurl). I had sent her a graphic that I wanted customized as part of my grips and will have those shortly after I receive the marker from TunaMan. I hope to have the new digital camera soon as well so that I can take more pictures for this review.
Aside from the custom grips that are being made for me, the following major component parts were built into the BlackTunaMag:
I have a clear warp feed that I will be installing when I get it back from TunaMan. I hope to take some pictures of the mag before and after I install it. Everyone's seen a mag with a warp feed, so I will hopefully be able to have some more detailed shots of this mag and it's body.
UPDATE 021024: It was like Christmas around here this afternoon. I got home from work and in the mail was a box containing a digital camera that I had received in trade for one of my old cockers. I though that this was great, now I would be ready for when my package from TunaMan came. I brought the rest of the mail in the house and when I looked through it, there was a card from the USPS.
Could it be, dare I hope! - YES, it was from TunaMan! I rushed to the post office and picked it up (fortunately for me and my sanity the post office is only 2 blocks away). I grabbed my new (used, but new to me) digital camera and took these:
 |
 |
 |
|
Before |
During |
Left Face! |
 |
 |
 |
|
Right Face! |
Paintball is FUN!!! |
Black Nickel has some translucent |
 |
 |
 |
|
Another look at the |
Closer look at the front, |
A BN flaw towards the edge |
 |
 |
 |
|
right face - New GripGurl |
left face - New GripGurl |
Malachi, the Three legged cat. |
"***Reserved area for more text about the BlackTunaMag performance review, took the above pics, but snowed last night and I didn't feel like taking it outside for a performance review yet..."