Adjustable Tank Reg or Not - That is the Question

[Toestr]

The reg on my main tank recently gave out on me. It was a crappy generic Pure Energy clone that's aluminum and non rebuildable, so I'm looking at getting a new reg since the tank has plenty of life left in it and has served my needs well.

I was looking at getting a regular Ninja reg since they're the industry benchmark at worst, then I remembered the old school adjustable regs. The adjustability on the fly is nice, but not necessarily a must have for me, but the prospect of having a perpetually rebuildable reg in the case of the older max flo is intriguing. My only concern is being able to change between guns if need be.

What do you guys think?

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[Trbo323]

What markers are you looking to use it on?

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[Toestr]

Probably mags mostly since that's my current favorite.

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[Cdn_Cuda]

I have a super high pressure reg kicking around if you do end up wanting one. Traded my mag, so no use for it.

[Jordan]

HP MaxFlows are very difficult to locate - and bulky, heavy, and require a bespoke manifold, also hard to find.

Many of the old adjustable tank regs seem to only come in 3k examples, and those that do come in higher versions often don't have service parts available anymore.The AGD Flatline, in particular, does not have a source, currently, for the 4.5k version reg seats.

If you're looking for interchangeability, get a screw-in tank. Nearly all old adj. bottle regs require their own mounting systems- by the time you locate several in order to expedite tank swapping, you've likely exceeded the cost of a decent modern tank reg.

Classic valved Mags will benefit from a quality reg with an output pressure at 800psi... even the RT versions are recommended to be run at 600-800psi input, with level 10 setups benefitting from slightly higher inputs.

[Trbo323]

I run a standard ninja adjustable on my mag (x valve). Set it up for about 850 and that way it can still work on blowbacks as well

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[Toestr]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I wasn't aware of the difficulty finding a HP max flo. Is that the case for both the inline and manifold mounted? It's a 3k tank that crapped out on me so I'm fine with a 3k reg. I assume the 3k AGD Flatlines take mag seals? Do the Air America 3k regs also take mag seals or are they proprietary? I already have a KAPP drop for the raptor style regulators (and 2 other partial drops).

For the time being though, I do think my best option is a basic Ninja reg. I have a couple other tanks that have generic regs on them, so maybe I'll swap the Ninja on to one of them when their regs go.

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[Jordan]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I wasn't aware of the difficulty finding a HP max flo. Is that the case for both the inline and manifold mounted? It's a 3k tank that crapped out on me so I'm fine with a 3k reg. I assume the 3k AGD Flatlines take mag seals? Do the Air America 3k regs also take mag seals or are they proprietary? I already have a KAPP drop for the raptor style regulators (and 2 other partial drops).

For the time being though, I do think my best option is a basic Ninja reg. I have a couple other tanks that have generic regs on them, so maybe I'll swap the Ninja on to one of them when their regs go.

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If we're talking MaxFlos used as a bottle reg, then yes, the adjustable HP, manifolded versions are difficult to find. The other versions have a (virtually) non-rebuildable reg seat.

3k Flatlines take Mag seats, the AA uses a specific seat that I think is available from Immortal Air.

[Chuck E Ducky]

Depends on what you shoot. Most markers operate at mid to High pressure. I like ninja regs I switched to power house but I haven’t noticed a difference. Just keep em clean and even the cheap China ones work fine.

Other then my super small bottles specifically for my phantom that I shimmed up because they are unregulated. I have never messed with reg pressure. Very few markers need LP I sold my MVP because of the need for very specific reg input pressure. So it depends on how versatile you need your input pressures. For 90% of markers a mid to high pressure will do.

[Spider!]

I used adjustables when playing with RT automags. Aside from that, they are handy to test out the best pressure for old CO2 markers. I found some of my old markers would work better at around 650 psi HPA, instead of 850 or 950. An adjustable HPA makes that easy to figure out.

Other than that, I prefer to have a separate, set pressure HPA tank for different uses, and for simplicity and compactness.

[Toestr]

A basic Ninja tank just popped up locally for cheap so I'll see about getting that as my new main. I also just found out that 3k Flatlines are completely oring rebuildable so I'll probably pick one up for my tank and have it dedicated to a gun (probably a mag).

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[Spider!]

I love the durability of the 3k Flatlines. Their only hitch is being 3k, which brings lower shot capacity while you're using it to shoot faster. :/

[Dusty Bottoms]

I really like running old adjustable regs on some of my mags. I have two RT Classic's setup with Air America Armageddon's that run off the same bottle, a new production Immortal Air 88ci tank, and am about to setup a third one as well. I've also used to run a Gen2 MaxFlo on one of my old Minimags ten years ago, and still have a Gen 2 and Gen 3 MaxFlo in my parts drawer for possible future use. I think of all the old adjustable regs, the Armageddon is the best overall design and the best suited to run currently on mags for a few reasons. First, Armageddon's are much simpler in design compared to MaxFlo's, and don't use proprietary seals except for the reg seat. Disassemble both regs and this will become apparent quickly! Unlike the MaxFlo and AGD Flatline 4500, you can buy brand new reg seats and reg pins for Armageddon's, that also work in a few of Air America's other regs, courtesy of Immortal Air. Immortal Air was founded by Dan Colby, who founded Air America, and is a successor to the old company. The rest of the orings in an Armageddon are standard sizes, some even shared with Automags, and can even be substituted with cheaper high durometer buna orings if you need too. Plus, being simpler in design, it uses fewer orings than a MaxFlo, and doesn't have any weird little parts to lose or damage. Also, the Armageddon DOESN'T need a proprietary rail to mount to your mag. I use a CP rail to mount one of mine and it works perfectly. The reg itself is neat as the front half functions much like a conventional asa, with the back half of the reg being attached to the bottle itself and screws into the front portion just like a conventional tank. This makes it very easy to switch your bottle to another mag that also has the front portion of an Armageddon mounted, without having to unscrew/ dismount the entire regulator unit from the marker. The adjustability and high flow rate is awesome, and I like being able to set my RT's to run any way I feel like. Straight semi, assisted semi were the trigger feels springy, or straight up rapidfire at 14-15bps (or more). The main drawbacks are the weight penalty, these things like most adjustable regs are heavy, and the inability to shut off and vent to degas the marker like a standard on/off asa does. The weight I just deal with. I'm already shooting a heavy marker, so what's a few more ounces? To degas it really isn't such a big deal. I back out the pressure adjustment screw all the way and dry fire a couple times till there's not enough pressure to for the mag to shoot. Then to vent the residual pressure still left in the marker I slowly unscrew the back half/bottle from the front part of the reg and let the gas slowly vent out, much like you would with a standard, non on/off asa. Hasn't been a big deal really. Armageddon's turn up for sale either on forums, ebay or Facebook fairly regularly. Some dude just sold multiple of them as a lot on FB, and there's usually one or two on ebay. I really like the old school look and history, and it just goes perfect with a vintage mag. Of course, if you want convenience and all around practicality, just stick with a standard pressure tank or Ninja SHP. However, if you want to get serious about using a old school, fully adjustable reg, then I wouldn't use anything over an Armageddon.

[Euphie]

Interesting I used a Raptor Rex, Apocalypse, and Armageddon back in the day, I really loved my Air America regs. So I could buy an old one and rebuild it? I would just need to find someone that sells large bottles then, immortal air seems to always be out of stock for the large tanks.

also are first strike adjustable regs any good? They have large bottle sizes and adjustable regs that are currently in production.

[imped4now]

I own a couple FS tanks and regulators - the tanks are excellent (same supplier as IA uses), but their piston design is lacking in durability, specifically the seat. I'd recommend a Powerhouse or Immortal regulator instead.

[Toestr]

Interesting I used a Raptor Rex, Apocalypse, and Armageddon back in the day, I really loved my Air America regs. So I could buy an old one and rebuild it? I would just need to find someone that sells large bottles then, immortal air seems to always be out of stock for the large tanks.

also are first strike adjustable regs any good? They have large bottle sizes and adjustable regs that are currently in production.

From what I've heard the guerilla air/first strike regs aren't the best, specifically with consistency. The only thing they really have going for them is how low profile they are.

I assume when you say adjustable you mean where the fill nipple/gauge/burst disks sit, and not the pressure? Ninja's pro series regs also have that feature. The first strike regs are pressure range adjustable through changing springs/shims like most of the regs on the market.

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[Euphie]

I didn’t see that it was shims and springs that is kinda meh, I just saw they called them adjustable on their website. They do have decent bottle sizes though, honestly I did struggle only occasionally with a 114/4500 with the Shocker, so I could probably manage without a 124/4500. Running out of air for normal recball games with a 62/3000 on an Angel LCD which should be quite a bit more efficient than a Shocker.

[Dusty Bottoms]

They’ve changed the meaning of the term ‘adjustable’ as it pertains to regulators since Ninja introduced the SHP reg. It no longer means what it meant for the old regs of ‘adjustable pressure output on the fly with the turn of a knob or screw without having to remove or empty the bottle or disassemble anything’. Now ‘adjustable’ means ‘you can change a fixed output pressure to a couple preset amounts by completely emptying the bottle of air and disassembling the top portion of the reg to add shims or a different spring pack’. That’s now considered ‘adjustable’.