1995 Restomod Homage Cocker

[OpusX]

Since nobbie333 posted the overall group photos it seems high time I post the build thread for this one.

As many here I enjoy “old school” autocockers. I’ve built/restored/restomoded several, but I have always wanted something custom. An autococker that has all the old school milling, period aftermarket upgrade parts and an amazing anodizing job. I am just now finishing that build, that I wanted in 1995 and thought a roll up build thread would be a good way to document things.

I would first like to say thank you to rathbaster for selling me the body for this one. It is a 1995, serial 21836, that already had the top hammer lug adjustment hole, hammer lug side locking hole and a feed neck vent cut in it from way back when. Since she wasn’t stock minty, it was the perfect candidate to get properly carved up.

I must also give a huge thank you to my 2019 Secret Santa (who ever you are). In that year I noted I was just starting this project and received a NOS Palmers Stabilizer. It was the perfect regulator for this build, and “spoiler alert” didn’t need a rebuild and just worked right out of the 20-plus year old box! I'll add in some extra thanks to Craig Palmer for sending me the classic silver badges to really get things right.

Last but not least is the massive thank you to the precision milling work of KCCockerDoc . You made the dream work buddy!

So lets tell a tale, post some pics, and hopefully entertain a few folks along the way.

[OpusX]

Just starting out in paintball, I lusted over all the various cut, carved and anodized autocockers out there, and as many I was in no position to buy one.

I loved the splash patterns in the Smart Parts / Eclipse catalogs (quite specifically Banzai Green) and the simple cuts on Carters (the sight rail through cuts, vertical 1911 style slide cuts, and long ball end mill bottom tube cuts just looked so great).
So that was the goal, Bonzai Green splash with a Carter-esque homage style of milling.

Some inspirational pics:

Belsales Evolution in Green Banzai Splash




Earon Carter ABC Autococker (pic from baccipaintball/paintballhistory)

[OpusX]

Another major aspect for me was thinking back to watching Mark Jacobs, who at the time was the Jaegers airsmith and machinist work on carving up cockers. I wanted to try and relive that local craftmanship experience, with something for me.

I got so very lucky in that regard. KCCockerDoc is the current resident airsmith and machinist at Jaegers and when I approached him with the ask of “hey can you do some Carter-esque cuts on a cocker body for a bad ass build?” he was almost as excited as I was.

His work could not have been better, and really brought the dream together.

Teaser pics during milling (in process/incomplete):

[gabe]

It's for venting blowback. Older autocockers usually didn't have too bad of blowback but if the timing slipped it could be pretty bad. They also didn't have great hoppers either so a little blowback would really mess things up.

[OpusX]

Yep, like gabe commented, it was to allow for any blowback, if it occurred, to escape the feed without bouncing the ball stack, similar in concept to a powerfeed.

[KCCockerDoc]

Sorry, always forget to check my mcb. Insanely happy with how well this turned out, and honored to be part of bringing an old dream build to life. Pardon me while I get back to working on a p block for nobbie333!

[OpusX]

Ok so I had a body and a HPR, but at that point nothing else. I wanted to try for all the period correct bits. For me that meant you had to go with legendary Palmers bits. Velcor be praised for he headed my offerings of 12 grams and 10 round tubes!

I ran into this big ole lot of bits on the local-ish craigslist and there was a whole set of Palmers goodies in there, plus mostly everything else I needed; P&P 45 frame, Evil valve, vasa, shocktech bolt. Things were coming together nicely.

Got the whole pile of parts together and did a quick test fit on things. The reg indexed in the vasa perfectly, front block bits just look great. Yep we’re ready to get this lot sent to anno. This went out with a few other markers, so now nobbie333 and Myrkul all match.


Test fit pic and parts to anno:

[anson]

I just saw the finished product over in the collectors corner. It's hard to believe this is the same marker
Great job!

[OpusX]

After several months of waiting, and some very gracious and rapid resolution to a small issue, all parts had finally come back from anodizing. Everything was perfect. Assembly and timing was relatively easy.

I rebuilt the Palmers Rock and QuickSwitch, but decided to go with a NOS WGP ram and my vintage QuickRam has a bent shaft. The best small bit was getting new silver Palmers decals to get things dressed up.

I have yet to play in a game with this one, but it is chrono’ed and ready to go. Me, and 14 year old me, could not be happier.

Parts List:
-WGP Factory Autococker Body serial #21836 (1995)
-Custom milling by KCCockerDoc
-P&P 45 grip frame
-Proline pre2k back block
-Meteor front block
-Shocktech pre2k SupaFly bolt
-Belsales Rex Dialer and hammer kit
-maggot SLPS spring kit
-Evil high flow valve
-Palmers Stabilizer HPR (CO2 capable)
-Palmers Rock LPC (full size, CO2 capable)
-Palmers QuickSwitch
-WGP factory ram
-KAPP low pressure chamber
-Smart Parts All American Freak tip
-DocsMachine FreakXL Bull Barrel

[glaman5266]

Looks amazing!
What detent is that?

[Myrkul]

Nummech rebuildable

[glaman5266]

Myrkul Thank you very much.

[Macdave06]

If you didn't tell me you just built that I'd assume it came right out of the 90s. 👌

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk

[OpusX]

That is the best compliment I could possibly hope for, as that was the entire goal for the project. Glad you like it and thank you.

[Loophole]

Love the palmers goodies! Gotta love that co2 compatability

[OpusX]

Now to just get a tank or two in hydro so I can run that sweet smelling gas.

[NONOBLITUS]

What an adventure in building. Awesome Job and as an old paint slinger from way back it brings back some killer memories of when the Cockers ruled the field.

*They still till do in my world by the way.

[OpusX]

Agreed. They still rule.

[mwerne04]

Love banzai! Who did the anno job for you?

[OpusX]

Outlaw Anodizing if I recall