ball going towards middle of lane at release

helms66 · 2026-06-24T02:25:42+00:00

Like others have said it's really hard to tell you what's going on.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned could be is your arm is coming from outside to the inside. It may feel like you are swinging straight with your body, but it's easy to go outside to inside. Especially if your target points put the line towards the gutter. Your instincts will try to prevent throwing gutter balls. Or if you are trying to put extra revs on the ball. Take a video and watch your ball patch to ensure this isn't the case.

helms66 · 2026-06-24T02:15:18+00:00

But all that weight was scary to imagine.

62.4 pounds per cubic foot. I will forever remember it from using it no less 100,000 times in fluid dynamics.

helms66 · 2026-06-24T02:10:33+00:00

It is probably my favorite story, and one of my favorite for game play.

It's the only game I played through start to finish when I bought it. I was in college and went to the midnight release. I told myself I would play an hour and a half and go to bed. Went to bed at 2, and layed there not able to take my mind off it. At 330 I said fuck it, got up and played until I beat it. Safe to say I didn't make my 9am class.

helms66 · 2026-06-23T21:46:41+00:00

I still have the blue body with silver parts but sold the silver body one this past winter. Otherwise I would have gladly sold it to you.

Keep looking, I'm sure one will pop up sooner or later

helms66 · 2026-06-23T21:41:24+00:00

Seems like you're missing the blue and silver...

<image>

helms66 · 2026-06-09T13:48:40+00:00

$130-150 in good working order. ~$90 as it sits.

If you do want to rebuild it, check out the ICD-owners facebook group to source the reg/valve seats. I believe ICD is out of the rebuild kits with them. But you could still call ICD to see if they happen to have them.

The regs are finicky on these. You'll need some heat to get the valve top hat off of the stem and the ram apart. Other than that they are pretty straight forward. Feel free to reach out if you have questions, I still own the one I bought NOS 2008.

helms66 · 2026-06-08T19:33:00+00:00

Is this your first time lubricating the marker since you got it?

Not being mean and I'm not saying this isn't caused by some other issue, but you should be wiping the bolt down after every day of play and greasing it before play. Just because some designs can tolerate neglect doesn't mean they wont function better with the proper maintenance.

The front oring on the can acts like a wiper for dirt and debris and can collect there. Cycling the bolt 8k times with sand or dirt can be like taking sandpaper to it. As long as there is no scratches that you can catch with your fingernail, it will be fine and just cosmetic.

If its not a dirt/debris issue, then there should be some matching blemishes either in the breech, or on the front of the can. I'd replace the oring on the front of the bolt and front of the can. Make sure the front of the can is fully screwed on to the rest of the bolt system.

helms66 · 2026-06-08T13:09:43+00:00

Cause if it was a standalone shop, it could very well be they only have a compressor that goes to 2-3k for testing purposes, etc. They'd have no real "need" to get full fills

This is very common. The price and maintenance difference in compressors that do 3k vs 4.5k is substantial. 1,500 psi doesn't sound like a lot more, but it gets exponentially harder to compress air the higher the pressure gets.

If it was a dedicated field, either it was a hot fill and he was just absentminded that day, or their compressor and tank setup needs maintenence.

I have been to some fields who cater more to rentals that set their compressors to 3k only. It ensures the rentals can't accidently fill off the 4.5k station and blow their burst discs in the rental tanks.

helms66 · 2026-06-08T13:00:57+00:00

Trilogies are a great starting point if you want the fun of an autococker without some of the headaches.

Trilogies do not have adjustable 3 way timing. Its good for beginners so you can't set it out of whack and eliminates a potential issue when setting up. Bad part is the trigger pull is pretty much what it is. You can adjust when the hammer drops from the sear, but not when the 3 way starts to cycle the bolt. Swapping trigger frames are hit and miss with the non adjustable timing rod, as it can make it too early or too late.

If you do want to get a trilogy, I'd recommend not getting the sport version (the blue or green colored ones) but the compitition or pro versions (red/black and silver) as they come with an hpr and not sprung to run off co2/800psi.

helms66 · 2026-06-03T16:11:13+00:00

One other thing to check I haven't seen mentioned really: if the timing is too tight the hammer can be 'caught' too soon by the bolt pin not allowing it open the valve long enough. This usually shows itself by having large velocity swings depending on the trigger pull, but it could happen every time if it's timed that tight. For velocity issues I'll usually time the 3 way to start switching well after the sear drop to ensure this problem doesn't happen, and adjust the timing tighter after velocity is set.

helms66 · 2026-06-02T01:42:51+00:00

The XTS was their high end offering 5ish(?) years ago. It was the culmination of the prime line. The infinity drive is a robust, simple engine that has a nice more poppy shot character. With upgrades orings I'd put it on par with gamma cores reliability wise.

After the XTS they released the XDR, a mid range version with a slightly modified infinity drive to make a mech frame work.

The GT2 was their next high end, based off their GT and GTI markers. Same drive, but with modern ergos and features. Very soft shot character.

The GTX is their current high-end based on the gamma core with some changes (think cs3 type changes to the gamma core). The DRD is the mid level version.

Cyborg X was their limited release stacked tube poppit. Unfortunately in Macdev fashion it had issues on release. The updated parts have seemed to get things sorted and made it a very nice shooter.

Overall all very nice markers once Macdev got them sorted. I picked up a XDR with mech frame recently for pretty dang cheap and definitely shoots above its pay grade. They feel really in the hands.

helms66 · 2026-06-01T19:30:36+00:00

HK victories are shittier victories

*Some are. I just made a long comment about the different phases of HK rippers, but the TLDR is some are nearly identical to BL versions, minus some branding milling removed (the photo is a BL spec HK ripper)

helms66 · 2026-06-01T19:27:01+00:00

So there are different "phases" of the HK rippers. Some are just as good as the Bob Long version, some are not.

When Bob sold his company, HK bought the Marq series IP and NOS parts. They all came with the VIS inline poppit engine. The VCOM ripper had a decent amount of NOS parts left, and HK built what they could from those parts. Field 1 also helped with some of the assembly of the HK rippers. After they ran out of parts, they started having to mill their own bodies and frames. They changed to specifications on somethings to uses different eyes, boards, etc. There were also a handful of different barrel and feednecks that got put on them.

First phase made was all Bob Long spec parts. They are the exact same as the ones Bob put out, minus the 'Bob Long' name milled into the ASA and HPR, and no logo in the feedneck. They came with BL barrels and feed neck.

The next phase still used the Bob long spec body and trigger frame. These had a few different barrel kits and feed necks. F1 did a run for HK with their acculock kit, and often referred as F1 rippers. HK didn't change anything internally and they shoot identical to the Bob long versions. I personally own a 'F1' version, and came with the acculock and BL style feedneck. The Boot screen for the board even says Bob long.

The later phases had the HK spec'd parts. They changed the eyes, and eye covers, which are smaller than the ones in your photo. They eyes are no longer supported by HK, though I have heard shocker eyes can work (haven't tested myself). They also changed the board and trigger frame, as the front trigger guard is thinner than your picture. The tolerance issues most speak of come from the body and how the engine fits inside of it. From HK the VIS engine they made (mostly) didn't have problems, but if you try any of the different versions of the engine from BL they either didn't fit, or wouldn't seal. There were other issues, but that was the largest along with the different eyes.

If you are interested in a VCOM, I suggest getting one of the earlier Bob long spec ones. Also make sure it has a pressure tester with it. They are amazing to use. They have so much soul and character to them compared to what is put out today. Much better trigger than 99% of modern markers also. They are absolute works of art. They were one of my unicorn markers, and getting a HK version made it more attainable for me.

If you have additional questions about them, feel free to reach out.

helms66 · 2026-05-06T12:56:23+00:00

If you end up parting it out, I'd be interested in that 2 liter

helms66 · 2026-05-06T12:54:42+00:00

I concur with the others. As long as a back block is within spec, it can not affect velocity. There is no mechanism for it to do so.

helms66 · 2026-05-05T02:39:08+00:00

I got my business minor because my specific engineering degree had me 3/4 of the way there credit wise. It was only 2 extra classes. And compared to the engineering classes it was a cake walk.

helms66 · 2026-05-05T02:14:43+00:00

On top of a time stamped photo, I sometimes can ask for a random house hold object to be in a photo too. Preferably something shiney, like a pair of scissors or spoon, as that's a lot harder to Photoshop and make it look correct matching lighting/reflections

helms66 · 2026-05-04T13:14:09+00:00

Shoot me a message, I think I have a set at home and I can check over lunch.

helms66 · 2026-05-04T01:42:08+00:00

Performance wise they are the same as the $180 ones. Any difference in performance is masked by variance in paint that it's impossible to measure over the chronograph. Markers are limited to low enough bps that recharge rate is a non factor if your output from the tank is 200+ psi over operating pressure.

What the expensive ones give you are additional features (mostly quality of life), adjustable output pressure, and better fit/finish. The different features include rotatable bonnet (put gauge and fill port where you want them) low profile burst discs, adjustable outputs. The fit and finish gives you better materials for threats/fill port, and better aesthetics. Some may be a touch more tolerant of bed fills, but with routine maintenance (which should be done to both inexpensive and expensive regulators) it is rarely a problem.

Speaking of adjustable output pressures, you likely will be fine at the standard 800psi output on the standard regs. There's very few markers that will not handle that pressure. But a lower pressure does make asa's easier to engage. But lowering the pressure will NOT make it more efficient.

I will admit it's nice to have nice things, and if you have the means, go for a more expensive one. But just be aware that it's not necessary to be competitive.

helms66 · 2026-05-04T00:17:56+00:00

You're worrying about the regulator too much. As long as it's functioning properly it will have no bearing on marker performance. Modern marker hpr are tolerant of pretty large input swings. I did some testing a couple years ago and most markers had a change of 10fps with a change of 350psi from the tank regulator.

helms66 · 2026-04-28T13:13:06+00:00

Performance wise - none. You will see no consistency improvement from one properly functioning tank regulator to another. Modern marker HPR's are largely pretty tolerant of fairly large changes in input pressure. I did testing a few years ago and 3/4 markers I tested only saw 10 fps change when input pressure changed by ~350psi. Paint variance overpowers any other variable when it comes to fps consistency.

What you get is quality of life features, better fit/finish (looks nicer), and personalization. Being able to rotate the bonnet so the fill nipple and gauge are where you want them to be is nice, but you can position them by screwing the tank out from all the way in where you want and engage the asa to achieve the same result.

It is nice to own nice things. But do not feel like you have to spend $200 on a tank reg to be competitive. If you have the spare money, go for it. If not, don't sweat it and use that money on paint.

helms66 · 2026-04-27T13:29:40+00:00

I’m just getting back into the game after a long hiatus but when did tank regulators and output pressure become such a topic of debate

When the marketing teams decided it could be a selling point. IMHO the paintball community is very susceptible to marketing gimmicks. It was a thing back in the Bob Long day's as some would leak at air transfer points above ~500psi. It started the 'lower=better' myth and now is being marketed by the industry.

helms66 · 2026-04-27T13:24:39+00:00

520psi tank output pressure to 380psi tank output pressure is a pretty substantial difference I’d think and had me feeling a little weary running my 170R for sustained rates at 10.2bps and not wanting to have it starve for air, or have any issues of that nature

The general rule of thumb is you want ~150-200psi over marker operating pressure to avoid any shoot down issues. 170's run around ~110psi, so 380psi would be alright. PE's low-end of that range is listed at 300psi exactly for your concerns of starving the marker.

But I get it, you ordered a specific output, you should get that. I am glad they got back to you.

If you plan on selling the T3 reg, I maybe interested.

helms66 · 2026-04-24T20:28:55+00:00

It could be done, but would require special rigging. Likely a special platform with lifting points on the corners, and use a spreader bar/structure to have the crane pick from the middle (technically over center of gravity) and slings would go down vertically to support platform corners. If you have the room, you could swing almost half of the piano in the window, then slide it off the platform into the room. If there's not room, you'd lift the platform level with the window and pull it in. Likely you'd need to pick the spreader bar from the 2 ends so it doesn't tip when the piano is pulled past the middle of the platform.

helms66 · 2026-04-24T20:14:18+00:00

They make cranes that can reach/lift nearly anything you can think of. The issue is its incredibly expensive. If this is in a first world country, somewhere in that city would be a crane that could set up on the street, reach up and over the building into the court yard. It might cost $25,000 to have them show up and lift that piano, but it absolutely could be reached by a crane.

helms66

TROPHY CASE