Automag (paintball marker)
It was decided to give up on blow back technology and re-engineer the entire action into a "blow-forward" design.
This eliminated many problems inherent in blow-backs, such as their dependence on full, constant operating pressure in order to cycle reliably.
Later came the RT which incorporated an all new regulator that made shootdown impossible (it could recharge 25 times per second), and had "reactive trigger" technology; after the marker fired, input pressure manipulated the mechanical link to force the trigger to return to its resting position, which reduced problems with "short-stroking".
AGD now sells the X-valve, which is the RT Pro valve made from aluminum instead of stainless steel, and is combined with the Level 10 bolt.
With a dead battery, the magnets are simply not functional and the gun reverts to mechanical operation similar to an RT.
Therefore, the E-mag remained the only electro-pneumatic marker that would fire with a dead battery until the production of the Tippmann X-7 Phenom with its E-grip in 2009.
The paintball market has since evolved into fully electronic markers, which provide higher rates of fire and much lighter trigger pulls, many at lower cost than the all-mechanical Automag.
Mechanical Automags have had a resurgence in popularity with woodsball and scenario players due to their reliability, compact design, and water resistant qualities.
Airgun Designs, Inc. (AGD) is a manufacturer of paintball markers and equipment formerly based in Wheeling, IL.
The main purpose is to give a player a lower profile, while maintaining extremely high feed rates.
One of the products of the Ultra Light Engineering from Tom Kaye was the aluminum vertical feed bodies.
This made the powerfeed tube design obsolete since chopping was no longer a problem with the help of the level ten bolt and agitated/force feed loaders.
The use of aluminum instead of stainless steel dropped the weight of the automag significantly, allowing players a tighter as well as lighter marker setup.
The body rail is a black anodized aluminum extrusion and the grip frame manufactured of a carbon composite.
This valve uses air pressure to quickly reset the trigger after a shot, thus enabling a faster rate of fire.
Shootdown became impossible, as these valves recharged faster than anyone could pull the trigger; in fact, due to their design, they heated up under rapid fire and actually experienced shootup instead.
Unfortunately, the original design was fed its gas through the marker's rail, and thus was incompatible as an upgrade to older Automags.
While initially sold as an upgrade, it soon became the standard for all new high-end Automags, and was used as the basis for the MicroMag, a collaborative project with PTP (Pro Team Products).
The advent of 700 billet aluminum meant that components no longer had to be made of stainless steel in order to be both strong and light.
In addition to the weight savings, aluminum could be anodized instead of painted, allowing for more impressive colors and designs.
As a result, the safety is a very reliable actuator interrupt, and the marker is physically incapable of firing with it engaged.
The original X-Mag was considered somewhat "blocky-looking," so AGD ran the body through a computer controlled CNC milling machine.
The original Automag design has evolved into other products and is the heart of the FN303 Less Lethal Weapon System developed for Police and Military use.
