AUTOMAG RT REVIEW

Details

Propellant: compressed-air or nitrogen only

Pricing: MSRP $799.00 USA. Retail (gun only) Although most companies now sell them for alot cheaper

INTRODUCTION

The AUTOMAG RT a beautifully-designed marker for the tournament player. The Automag RT is designed to utilize the stability of compressed air/nitrogen from the ground up. This gun has the fastest recharge time of any marker. The RT is capable of firing 26 rounds per second, with a COMPUTER pulling the trigger,- that's a case of paint in less than two minutes, but there is no loader that can feed that fast.

The Automag RT from Airgun Designs

FEATURES

Reactive Trigger (RT) technology capable of an astounding 25+ rounds/sec without measurable shootdown, as tested in our R&D labs when trigger pulled by computer. Designed exclusively for use with high performance compressed gases. All new RT valve recharges 5 times faster than the world-renowned 68AUTOMAG valve. The RT valve features a stainless valve body with a lightweight Hard Anodized Aluminum Regulator Body. Laser-cut, precision located, roller bearing , carbide tipped Sear Assembly. New HiRise Power feed Mainbody that enables a clear sight picture for quick aiming. Stainless Steel hard line - no bulky braided hose. Front grip with built in air passage for custom hookups. Polished Stainless Steel Mainbodies. New tapered barrel with polished stainless steel muzzle brake. Integral Sight Rail. Built in filter prevents valve contamination and performance degradation.

Brief History

In October 1996 at the NPPL World Cup in Orlando, FL , the Automag RT was introduced among much fanfare, and the first samples were immediately snapped up. For months, RTs sold for hundreds of dollars above list price. Few knew the marker was coming; AGD kept the secret well, and leaked no information concerning the marker's performance or specifications. Tom Kaye (the owner of Airgun Designs) had determined around 1990 that compressed air or nitrogen was the superior power source for a paintball marker; the Automag RT was designed from the ground up around this power source. The paintgun was engineered to provide the maximum rate of fire possible, eliminate freeze-ups, gas starvation and trigger short stroking, while retaining the operational simplicity of the original Automag. Given the time spend researching and developing this paintgun, the decision to go with a High Pressure Air (HPA) power source was a great risk; this paid off, however, since most tournament players today have switched to HPA already.

How the Automag RT Works

1.RT Valve Assembly

2.RT Inner And Outer Spring

3.RT Regulator Nut Assembly

4.Barrel O Ring

5.RT Bumper

6.RT Foamieless Bolt

7.Power Tube O Ring

8.Power Tube Tip Spacer

9.RT Power Tube Tip O Ring

10.RT Power tube Tip Assembly

11.RT Mainbody

12.RT Bolt Spring

13.RT Rail Assembly

14.Trigger

15.RT Frame

16.RT Sear Axle Pin

17.RT Sear Assembly

18.RT Field Strip Banjo Bolt Assembly

19.RT Regulator Piston Assembly

To first describe the gun you have to start with the trigger un-depressed, no pressure in the air chamber and pressure present at the air input. In this state, the on/off top is open, and the regulator is holding open the pin valve, just like a normal mag. The air enters through one of the 6 air ports in the rail and travels through the hollow field strip screw to the valve assembly. The pin valve looks much different than the simple one in the mag. On one end it has a finned section flanked by two o-rings, and on the other a hollow pin extends into the regulator body. The whole pin is hollow, allowing air to flow through it's middle. The air entering the gun, however, goes around the outside of the pin, and directly to the on/off top without going through the regulator. The on/off top allows the air to flow past and into the air chamber. The air chamber is directly connected to the regulator in the RT. From the on/off top forward, the valve is similar to a regular automag, but behind the on/off top a hole is drilled to the pin valve. The hollow pin valve fits inside the regulator, allowing the air in the air chamber to be in direct contact with the regulator. With the on/off top removed and the regulator off, you can see completely through the valve from the power tube to the pin valve. The on/off top is drilled out in the center, and the pin in the on/off top is much thinner than the normal automag pin, except for the last 1/8" that makes contact with the Teflon o-ring at the top of the on/off valve, which allows the air to flow easily through the middle of the on/off top which lies right in the middle of the air path from the main air chamber and the regulator. As air flows through the gun, the pressure in the air chamber increases, and pushes against the piston in the regulator. This lessens pressure on the hollow pin valve until it seals against an o-ring at the front of the finned area and prevents air from flowing around the outside of the pin. This seals off the internals of the valve from the air source when the internal air reaches the correct pressure. When the trigger is pulled, the on/off pin is pushed up and seals the air chamber and regulator from the air supply. At the same time, the bolt is released and the regulated air blows the bolt forward and propels the ball. When the trigger is released, the gun is in the starting state with no pressure in the air chamber. This whole business is quite complicated, but allows the air chamber to fill and the pressure to be regulated all in one step. Also, the air flows through the on/off top and pin valve at a much higher pressure than a regular mag (input pressure, 750psi, rather than air chamber pressure, 400psi). This process also produces the reactive trigger, almost as a side effect. When you pull the trigger, you must provide the force to pull the sear off the bolt and push the on/off pin up against the operating pressure. Once the marker fires, the regulator immediately opens up, since no pressure is pushing against it anymore. The pressure in the small air path between the air input and the on/off top, which was at 400psi, immediately sees input pressure again. This just about doubles the force needed to hold the on/off pin up against the new higher pressure. This throws the on/off pin down, and consequently pushes the trigger forward.

MAINTANCE

The RT requires a little more attention than the original Automag, but it still works very well with a minimum of fuss. I never subscribed to the "run dry" theory with my old Automag; I completely disassembled, cleaned and lubricated it after every day's play, and because of this I never had any problems EVER. The RT doesn't NEED such anal retentive maintenance, but it couldn't hurt just as long as you're careful when disassembling and reassembling it. A word to the wise before attempting this; at the present time, RT parts kits are not widely available and none of the standard Automag o-rings fit the RT. Work in a clean, well lit location and be sure not to drop or lose any parts or else YOU'RE BONED. At an absolute minimum, you should carefully remove the field strip bolt (the o-rings on the bolt can strip easily, so remove and replace the bolt slowly and with a minimum of force), put a few drops of oil inside the bolt and replace it. Fire the gun until no oil can be seen coming out the front of the receiver. Do this with the barrel off, or else the barrel's accuracy will take a serious dump until you get the oil out. Preferably, you should remove the whole regulator and bolt assembly when the field strip bolt is out by rotating the regulator 1/4 turn clockwise and pulling it out. A degassed RT can still hold enough gas to cause the internals to be pressurized, so be careful when doing this operation and don't be surprised if you hear a pop when the regulator assembly is removed. If the gun is pressurized, it might take some force to pull the assembly out, but be careful and apply force slowly and do not manhandle the thing. The bolt should be removed and cleaned, and the outside of the entire assembly should be inspected for dirt. The main body can be removed from the receiver and cleaned with soap and water, or the whole assembled gun (gassed up ONLY!) can be submerged in a bucket of water to remove old paint scum. The sear needs no lubrication, although I like to coat it with a light film of RIG +P Stainless Steel Lubricant. This high pressure lube is a thick paste designed to lubricate the slides of semi-automatic pistols, and can be found at any well stocked gun shop for about $5 a jar and one jar will last you about 100 years. Don't use this anywhere else but the sear. When applied to the contact point of the sear (the pointed part just to the front of the pivot point) it noticeably smooths the trigger pull. It works even better on standard Automag sears but still does the job here. The barrel o-rings as well as the power feed plug o-ring should be kept lightly oiled to prevent binding. Also, keep a close eye on the condition of the two (or one of you have an aftermarket barrel) nubbins. The quickest way to brake every ball is to have a broken or bent nubbin that slices balls as they're shot. If you want to go farther than this, be sure you have the mechanical ability to reassemble your marker once you take it apart. As you've probably surmised from reading the Operation section of this review, the RT is a very complicated piece of machinery. If you are at all uncomfortable with taking your RT apart beyond the simple stuff I've gone over so far, don't. Occasionally, the on-off top assembly (the rectangular plate with protruding pin on the bottom of the air chamber) should be removed, cleaned and lightly relubricated with a good non-reactive oil like AGD Autolube or KC Trouble Free oil. The white Teflon o-ring in the top of the cavity into which the on-off top fits and in the brass piece of the on-off top are very sensitive to scratches. The top o-ring continuously seals and unseals, and the bottom o-ring has a part continuously moving against it, so wear on these o-rings is an issue. Like the old Automag, a faulty top o-ring will cause the marker to "spit" when the trigger is pulled and held. The pin itself should be kept clean, but it is vital that it remain unscratched. Do not use a pair of pliers to pull it out; use your fingers. The on-off valve bottom (the stainless steel rectangle) and the on-off valve top (the brass piece) are threaded together and should be tightened lightly with a wrench (NOT pliers. Make sure to use the right sized wrench too!). The regulator seal, the seal in the original Automag that was so sensitive to cleanliness and condition, is gone in the RT, but the o-rings behind the brass piece in between the regulator (the black anodized aluminum cylinder at the back of the regulator assembly) and the air chamber are subject to continuous sealing and unsealing. With the regulator unscrewed and the brass piece removed, the pin valve can be removed by pulling straight out FIRMLY. When reassembling, push the pin, sans front o-ring, into its tube, and then use the brass piece to reseat the front o-ring. At the front is a large urethane o-ring that will fall free. The pin valve has a serrated section in the center that should be kept clean. At the end is a double o-ring that seals the other end of the pin, but this o-ring does not seal and reseal. These o-rings act as the "spring" that pushes the pin valve closed. The small o-ring that seals the outside of the pin valve also experiences friction and should be looked at every once in a while. The bolt fits onto a power tube almost identical to the standard Automag. The brass power tube tip can be removed with a Nickel; the o-ring at its base should be kept clean and lightly lubricated. Inside the power tube, you'll find a brass power tube spacer (I guess Pro-Team had the right idea) and a power tube o-ring. If the paintgun leaks down the barrel, this o-ring should be replaced. The regulator itself need not be disassembled that often. Once every six months or so, completely unscrew the velocity adjustment screw, remove the spring pack (leave all the nasty grease on, as well as the gray anti-seize compound on the threads of the velocity adjuster) and push out the regulator pin by sticking a small allen wrench through the front o-ring, where the pin valve normally enters the regulator. The regulator piston should be cleaned, the ungreased portion of the inside of the regulator body should be swabbed out with an alcohol moistened Q-tip. Lightly oil the piston, reinsert it (pushing it all the way forward), put the spring pack back in and screw in the velocity adjusting screw to approximately the same place it was when you started (you'll definitely have to re-chrono after this procedure!).

CHRONOGRAPHING THE GUN(CHECKING THE VELOCITY)

The AUTOMAG RT has a new, fast recharging regulator not found on any other paintball marker. There are certain characteristics that you should understand about this regulator before you chronograph your RT. The RT's regulator recharges so quickly (up to five times faster than the 68AUTOMAG) that friction heats up the compressed air molecules filling the chamber. The temperature in the air chamber can get as high as 180 degrees and can make the front of the gun warm after a string of shots. It is important to understand that when the air chamber is filled with hot air under pressure, it cools off rapidly over several seconds. This cooling will reduce both the chamber pressure and the velocity. If you fire the RT while the air chamber is hot (high pressure) your velocity will be higher. If you wait, the air chamber will cool and velocity will drop noticeably. The faster you fire your RT the more consistent your velocity will be.

QUICK SETUP AND CHRONOGRAPH PROCEDURE FOR YOUR AUTOMAG RT

1.Set the pressure going into the RT to 700 psi.

2.To record your highest rapid fire valocity:- Fire a paintball and hold the trigger back. Then release the trigger completely, and fire the next paintball as quickly as possible, nce again holding the trigger back. Repeat as necessary. This procedure will simulate rapid fire, thus recording your highest possible rapid fire velocity. PLEASE NOTE: The AUTOMAG RT is sensitive to differences in trigger release, so always attempt to be consistent with your trigger finger!

FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT SETUP AND CHRONOGRAPH PROCEDURE

The AUTOMAG RT, like any manufactured product, will vary a bit from one RT to the next. Our testing shows that the best input pressure for each RT will be somewhere between 650 and 750 psi. This is why we recommend 700 psi as a starting input pressure. Higher input pressures will make the trigger more reactive, but the velocity will drop off more when fired slowly. Lower input pressures will reduce the reactive trigger and may cause slight shoot down on rapid fire, but the RT will be more consistent over the chronograph when fired slowly. As you can see, the AUTOMAG RT can be adjusted to suit your preferences and style of play. We hope this information provides you with some insight on the best methods for setting up your RT and giving your game the performance edge. Airgun Designs is committed to bringing you the highest performance products possible. The AUTOMAG RT was designed to be (and is) the world's fastest shooting paintball marker! The RT performs best when fired rapidly, much like a high performance racing engine that runs best at high rpms but doesn't idle well. After thousands of computer gun test runs and dozens of regulator variations, we feel that the AUTOMAG RT represents the best balance batween outstanding rapid fire performance and stability over the chronograph.

PROS

High rete of fire

Stylish body

recharges quickly

CONS

a little heavy

breaks alot paint