First Strike Sniper Rifle

[Spyglass]

Man, it's been a month and a half since anybody has come up with anything new. I guess it's high time that somebody wrote something in here.

What if soembody took serious advantage of the new Tiberius Arms First Strike rounds? At the moment, most paintball markers can only load spherical objects without risking a jam, followed quickly by a chop. The very few magazine-loaded markers out there aren't exactly revered for their quality or accuracy. So, why doesn't somebody make a quality marker designed to fire shaped projectiles?

Here's what I'm thinking: Start off with an inline hammer valve system (think Tippmann), except with higher manufacturing quality in a blowforward design (now think Ego) and that only sends air out in the direction opposite the hammer (now think Sheridan...okay, mutant Sheridan). The connector rod between the hammer and the bolt will have a hollow-tipped, cup-like surface facing forward in the middle. A handle, which will fit snugly into a groove along the receiver near the top of the bolt assembly, will be able to be moved from the resting position in the front ant to the side to push the bolt back to the open position (Think E-Mag or SLG, except manual power instead of a spring, and an electronically-controlled solenoid connected to a board near the triger with eyes near the hammer so as not to allow for leaks after the marker is fired). The receiver will be shaped so that the bolt will have a hole on top of it when in the forward position. This hole will be too small for a paintball to fit through. The receiver will be shaped so that the bolt assembly will seem to be located where the bolt assembly is normally located in a bolt-action firearm.

Below where the bolt will be located in transit from the open position to the closed position will be another opening in the receiver. A detachable magazine for the First Strike rounds (size optional, probably eight-round magazines to match up with the tubes with which they are sold) will be locked into position here, and the rounds will load into the marker before they are fired. However, instead of simply packing them into the magazine, they will be put into a plastic jacket (think RAP4) which will have an inner diameter larger than the bolt (let the bolt go through it) and will match up with the grooves of the First Strike rounds. The plastic jacket will be big enough to catch onto the handle when it is placed in the forward resting position, and this will place the round in its primed position. There will also be tapering grooves from the entry point into the bolt assembly to the forwad point, and the jacket wil fit into these grooves, allowing the First Strike round to take a certain position before firing. Because of the spirally-shaped tail of the First Strike rounds, they break many of the accuracy problems with paintballs (improperly round, poor aerodynamic shape of a sphere, etc.), and, when placed properly, can fit into rifling grooves and theoretically (so as not to take too much flak for this already slightly obscene idea) be able to reap the rewards of a rifled barrel. With some research and development, a barrel with the proper diameter and rifling to match the ruts of the First Strike round can be found at different lengths with the best air efficiency and accuracy at different muzzle velocities. A small, specialized carbon fiber 4500 psi air tank can be fitted into the stock, allowing for a completely self-contained marker with extreme capabilities.

I would imagine that this would sell extremely well in the woodsball market.

1. Unsurpassed Accuracy and Range - The First Strike rounds have been proven to successfully out-perform, out-distance and out-target conventional, spherical paintballs in the marker setups seen commonly today. If they could be used in rifled barrels designed specifically for their use, then it isn't so far-fetched to imagine not only being able to fire rounds farther than the Flatline or Apex barrels, but to do so while consistently hitting the target at that range. I would guess that one could even make use of a low-powered scope.

2. Mil-Sim Feel - Throw on some weaver rails and you've got yourself a tactical sniper rifle (and, yes, because the barrel would be rifled, you could call it a rifle). There would be no tank, and the fill nipple for the stock could be put in an out-of-the-way spot. A top weaver mount for a scope, a bottom for a bipod...buy a mock silencer, and you're good to go.

3. Price - Now, I'd imagine that something like this would go for roughly $600-$700. How is that a bargain, you ask? Well, the best marker at the moment for using these rounds, the Tiberius Arms T9, costs about $350...plus the price of a tank, around $150. While that mey still be lower than the price of the newer rifle, the new design will have so much extra to offer that the $100-$200 more will not seem like that much.

Tell me what you think.

[fieryfizzion213]

I think... you need diagrams. I stopped reading after I realized I didn't understand anything that you described. >.>

[DYNASTYxPRO]

haha i lost intrest after 3 sentences but seems good idea

[Spyglass]

Well, I'm poor enough at drawing skills as it is, and since I jammed (and possibly broke) my pinkie yesterday, the splint on it has kept me from maintaining too much manual dexterity (I typed most of this with only one hand). When I can move it again, I'll get to some diagrams.

[fieryfizzion213]

Theoretically, you could try drawing in MSPaint or something similar (hopefully better--maybe Photoshop if it's available to you =P), but I know how different it is to draw with a mouse compared to a pen on paper. Another theory is that you could look up marker diagrams online--I know they exist, but I don't remember which sites--and circle which portions you mean when you refer to specific guns, i.e. "think Tippmann" and "now think Ego." Just a thought if you don't want to wait to get your idea cleared up.

[Spyglass]

Well, here is the site that I go to when I want to reference marker designs. However, I really can't draw anything with my messed up hand right now.