Diamond Labs hurricane valve

[Criticalhammer]

So these all aluminum valves pop up from time to time. I was wondering why these valves have not really been talked about, or asked about? From the lack of conversation, it makes me believe these things where not as good as they lead to believe? Anyone have any experience with these things?

[Pumpytrilly1]

I thought they save 2 ozs of weight. I wouldn't mind finding one.

[alpha_q_up]

I own a handful of valve backs and I haven't seen any real performance differences in them I'd assume the main difference is the weight reduction

[scottieb]

Weight reduction and collectibility with these.

[Cunha]

People didn’t give a damn about them for a long time.

now that no one even bothers to shoot fast, the dead nuts consistency of the classic valve has its charm for more players than it did ten years ago. So while a retro valve or later an x valve was a no brainer, and not a ton more money than a classic once you add a level 10 bolt and stuff, more people are interested in lightening up a classic valve than they used to be.

so the shock tech and the diamond labs reg bodies are worth 50 to 100 instead of like 15 to 25 as they used to be.

no performance increase at all (zero) but they’re lighter. I like them because I’ve always liked classic valves, because they feel crazy accurate for me. I hate the efficiency though (of all mags)

[Spec]

The old forum had the exact numbers. The steel back is a chunker. I don't remember anything exact but close to 6 oz. The aluminum ones were maybe less than 3. I do recall that you lose a full 4 oz if you go to a unireg back. Plus you can cut off the back of the rail for more as they don't lock in. I can't budge one under pressure though. Recharge rate is good enough for this auto response frame running through a Dye Rotor about a quick as possible. So add an rt on/off and it'll do any speed an x-valve will do on field.

[Walker]

- They are not valves, but regulator halves (rear)
- The aluminum ones can be annodized.
- Not enough weight difference to be noticed.
- No performance increase of any kind.
- Essentially, a gimmick.
- They have more use than an SP Magic Box (another gimmick), but only because they can be annoed to match.
- Not collectible, for me. I think a Classic valve has more value with both matching halves.
- Every time I get a valve with a non-matching rear, I send it on, or trash it....
- Back half, unpopulated Classic valve = 4.9oz
- Front half, unpopulated Classic valve = 5.1oz

[Criticalhammer]

it kind of amazes me no one has come along and made more aluminum reg backs. Looking at the SS reg I don't count a lot of machine processes to get a complete product. With 6061 and 700X series aluminum a classic valve could easily be 3/5 the weight, maybe more.

[Nish]

I had one that Spider! Helped me set u pto run CO2 on. Because the aluminum transfers the heat from the outside better he milled fins in it for me and it did a pretty good job of helping to prevent liquid issues. The setup as a whole worked on CO2 down to the low 30* f mark, 32-33 if I remember right

[FredMnkyDad10]

I had one that Spider! Helped me set u pto run CO2 on. Because the aluminum transfers the heat from the outside better he milled fins in it for me and it did a pretty good job of helping to prevent liquid issues. The setup as a whole worked on CO2 down to the low 30* f mark, 32-33 if I remember right

You have pictures to share of the fins? Was it like the trashcan milling?

Didn't the diamond lab backs also hype up the 8hole mod. Saying it was more efficient.

Really to me I find it funny when ppl say oh man that is a heavy setup.

[Nish]

Um... Somewhere... Maybe... I can look but they were function over form for sure. Straight cuts clean but not fancy

[Spider!]

The eight hole design came out in response to the early "unclocked" reg backs where the discharge hole did not line up with the 12o'clock hole in the valve front. It did solve some shoot-down in that case, which indirectly involves efficiency.

Aluminum has about 10 times the heat transfer rate of stainless steel, so the aluminum backs help with CO2 to start with. Fins more than double that rate.

[Jordan]

I always preferred Classics with either a Unireg/GX-2 reg bottom or cap. The weight savings are noticeable enough for me to avoid a classic Mag without that setup, as the extra weight can otherwise aggravate existing joint problems I have.

Old school Mag users just dislike anything Tom Kaye hasn't given his stamp of approval on.

[Criticalhammer]

The old forum had the exact numbers. The steel back is a chunker. I don't remember anything exact but close to 6 oz. The aluminum ones were maybe less than 3. I do recall that you lose a full 4 oz if you go to a unireg back. Plus you can cut off the back of the rail for more as they don't lock in. I can't budge one under pressure though. Recharge rate is good enough for this auto response frame running through a Dye Rotor about a quick as possible. So add an rt on/off and it'll do any speed an x-valve will do on field.

I found this a while back, which lead me to ask how people like their aluminum regulators
https://www.automags.org/forums/cont...-Valve-Weights

Capped seems to shave 1/2 the weight but you then have to add a full regulator. Aluminum reg is around 3 oz savings. To me its not so much the weight its the balance that makes a marker easy/hard to shoot. Paintball markers are notoriously back heavy, and a stainless steel slug does not help matters.

EDIT: Now that Ninja has released a real, external adjustable tank regulator i've been floating the idea of capping a classic. The weight difference between a fixed output and adjustable is whats really keeping me from pulling the trigger.