AKA Lightning bolt cocking rod...

[DavidBoren]

So, they don't come with the pin that connects it the striker? Whatever, I'm sure I can find something that will work.

What thread is the cocking rod bore threaded for?

[gabe]

Really? The AKA cocking rod doesn't come with the rod?

I thought the bolt was bad not coming with the pin or detent but this is a whole new low

[DavidBoren]

No. I have a cocking rod and cage. The cage came with the cocking rod.

However, I am putting the Lightning bolt in a Victor body, so I need a shorter cocking rod... like mount the cocking knob to the back of the bolt type shorter cocking rod... so it can be used with the windows milled into the body specifically to fascilitate cocking the marker.

The cage and cocking rod it came with will be used with a modified Evil bolt, not that it matters.

[Surf2Live]

Use the bolt pin from the stock bolt with the Lightning bolt. The cocking rod should be 8-32 or 10-32.

[DavidBoren]

The pin in the stock bolt has what appears to be a blind-sided cross-pin securing it.

Is the cross-pin in the stock bolt actually a set screw? Can it be backed out? Did they actually thread the cross-pin?

Because I don't have a drill to drill out the cross-pin on a stock bolt, if it is indeed a blind-sided pin.

I have a hacksaw, and some BS I can cut down that will work, but for how much everyone worships AKA, you would think their reputation was built on delivering complete parts. Thanks for 3/4 of a bolt, though, I am sure it was money well-spent...

I just won't know until I acquire the necessary parts to complete the incomplete part they delivered. To be fair, though, it's not pictured on their website with a striker pin, so why should I expect one? Nevermind that it is 100% required for the product to operate as intended.

Anyways, 8-32 or 10-32, you say? Thank you, I will see what I have.

[DavidBoren]

Ok, the cross-pin IS a set screw... I have never disassembled a stock bolt before... Probably because EVERY other bolt I have paid money for already came complete with a striker pin. Huh. This Lightning bolt better be freaking magical if it thinks its so d@mn special it can show up incomplete.

Anyways, separate question...

Why is the freaking hole in the cocking rod cage threaded?!

The sight rail hole in the body is already threaded, and its threads don't by chance align with the threads in the cage.

The sight rail hole in BOTH my Classic bodies are threaded... so how far back do we have to go before this cage actually fit a Spyder without modification?

So, do I drill out the hole in my body? Drill out the hole in the cage? Or just drill a completely separate hole in the cage? Hmm, decisions I probably shouldn't have to make. And, of course, I got the nickel plated cage... so you can probably see why I am less than thrilled to drill into it.

Not casting shade on AKA, but WTF? This is what they built their reputation off of? Incomplete bolts and cages that require modification to fit/function?

[DavidBoren]

Ordered new from AKA, nickel cage and cocking rod, it was in the Clearance (maybe?).

But the hole that lines up with the sight rail screw is threaded... why? The sight rail screw hole in the body is already threaded. And the threads are not timed to align.

When I screw the sight rail screw through the body, it binds in the threads of the hole in the cage.

If the hole in the body wasn't threaded, then we would NEED the hole in the cage to be... but the hole in the body IS threaded, making the threads in the cage not only redundant, but in the way.

Now, I'm not opposed to drilling holes, just got to buy a drill first. I just wish I didn't HAVE to. I know better than to cast shade on AKA around here, believe me. And I still love their products, order from them every payday, have their springs in pretty much every marker I own, go out of my way to put AKA $#!+ on $#!+ that doesn't need it.

Still, WTF...

[Tarsun2]

not on the center cocking spyders... IIRC.
the top tube back cap and the velocity adjuster were one piece.
this meant that there was nothing to screw the sight rail to. So the body was threaded.

not a big deal.

Cut down the AKA rear cocking rod, re-thread the end with a dye and put the stock spyder back cap assembly on.
or
If you want to use the AKA cage, leave the rear cocking rod full length, and drill out the threads on the top tube of the spyder.

it might look kindda funny though with an AKA cage on the back of a center cocking spyder.

[DavidBoren]

The Classic bodies I have are both threaded, but it could have been done afterwards, perhaps? There is a hole for the sight rail, and another hole behind it for the rear plug... the rear-most hole is larger, thus having larger threads than the sight rail hole.

I'm not putting this on a Classic, though. So I will just drill out the sight rail hole in the body, and use the threads in the cage. It's really not that big of a deal, just involves steps I wasn't expecting to have to take.

Same with the Lightning bolt... perfectly satisfied with the product, just was not expecting to have to butcher a stock bolt.

[DavidBoren]

The Lightning bolt is going in the Victor. Is in the Victor, currently. I found a random machine screw to stick in the back of the bolt to act as a rear cocking rod that fits in the windows of the body, without ever exiting the back during full cycle. All is good there... I will replace the machine screw with something a little more fancy when I give a $#!+. Lol.

The cage and cocking rod combination are going on my Evil Spyder (purple/blue fade with silver splash Flash body)... I am modifying an Evil bolt to work with the AKA cocking rod, as the Evil cocking rod thingy is too large diameter to fit in the cage.

I thought about cutting the AKA cocking rod down to use with the Lightning bolt in the Victor body, and modifying the Evil cocking rod to fit in the cage... but I figured that was a lot of work, and the modified Evil cocking rod would probably end up looking like hammered @$$.

[DavidBoren]

I will try that out, thank you. I even have an Evil Autococker cocking rod not yet being used for anything.

[Tarsun2]

cant wait to see the evil spyder build. Sounds like a pretty sweet combo.

[DavidBoren]

This is the Evil Spyder, so far. I put a big, shiny TASO LPC on it, an AKA feedneck, and I took off the sight rail (for the AKA cage)...

[scottieb]

Adding an AKA Lightning bolt to a windowed body Spyder isn't too complicated. It's not a drop it in a run with it upgrade. Grab the pin from the old bolt and get (or make) a rod/knob.

Here's my Victor with a Lightning bolt:

Here's my black Imagine, also with a Lightning bolt:

[Tarsun2]

that imagine looks nice. (insert drooling face here)