EV Phantom updates

[The Jayster]

I just got my new Phantom from EV and I got some interesting tidbits from Jesse (AKA Mike Casady 2.0, and that's meant as a compliment!);


As you know, the new Phantom bodies come with the ASP mod stock. That's pretty damn awesome.

Thumb screws have been discontinued as they've become too expensive, so standard hex screws are provided (I actually prefer that).

The safety button has been removed from the frame. Jesse was saying that they had to move away from the previous extrusion process and they now use billet aluminium (improving the finish by the same token), but to offset the increased costs the safety was removed.


So, the Phantom keeps evolving and adapting to the current times, as it did for 35+ years.

[Jonnydread]

Heard a lot of good reviews, but I'm glad to keep hearing them.

Making the ASP mod standard was a no-brainer, super cool to hear they have become part of the new bodies.

[JeeperCreeper]

Now if they could bring back the splash ano's that would be ultimate

[The Jayster]

That would be awesome.

[pearcem]

Another fun few to add:

they are working on some sort of new grip frame setup later this year. No details yet that I know of

my UC pump rod (the one that links to the bolt, not the dual rods) looks really textured, almost pitted. The pump stroke feels absolutely fine and as far as i can tell it has no impact whatsoever.

i have bought a bunch of stuff from EV since they took over, and I have nothing but good things to say. Excited to see where else they take the phantom

[iamthelazerviking]

The safety has always been pointless to me so that's cool. Also yeah some cool stuff coming I was informed about that I'm not able to speak of 😁

[Fishy]

The amount of times that the safety has messed up an otherwise perfect shot for me is absurd. It's so easy to accidentally thumb on when drawing/aiming, at least with my setup

[Cunha]

I don’t own a phantom right now and I’m still uncomfortable with the fact that I don’t have a pile of thumb screws on hand for future phantoms.

But I’m a thumb screw over the barrel pump phantom guy

safety never caused me any trouble but it is a liability I’d rather it not be there

[kyote]

Picked up one of the old style UC pump handles and am digging it, bridges the gap between the pump handle styles nicely and fits my large mitts better.
Glad to see that EV is continuing the spirit of awesome customer service and improving the design.
Always was so cool to be able to call and talk to Mike, glad that EV is carrying on the tradition and the Phantom didn't fade away after Mikes well deserved retirement.

[chrislognshot]

Now if they could bring back the splash ano's that would be ultimate

if the demand for them is worth the cost will do. but since cost to do stuff like are out of question. not worth money to do so. since would have to make large amount only doing 20 or so not profitable.

[Slim]

One of the biggest selling points of the original Phantom was it's ease of maintenance. The thumbscrews allowed the marker to be completely disassembled and reassembled without any tools. I can't even begin to count how many times I've been on the field, in the middle of a game, where I chopped a ball and was able to clear and clean the gun with just my hands and a squeegee. This single feature became one of the many hallmarks of the gun. Take away the thumbscrews and you take away one of it's biggest features. While I fully understand that EV is working with limited capital to keep the Phantom alive, loosing the thumbscrews is a complete fail on their part. Obviously, cost is a factor, but a factor that can be offset by simply increasing the quantities produced. Mike had always included thumbscrews in his repair kits, as well as selling them individually. EV has increased the cost of every part in the Phantom inventory, so why not produce the thumbscrews and sell them at an increased cost as well?

[SignOfZeta]

The amount of times that the safety has messed up an otherwise perfect shot for me is absurd. It's so easy to accidentally thumb on when drawing/aiming, at least with my setup

I’ve never had this happen one time ever. I have no use for a safety, obviously, I can’t even think of one, but a “liability”? I suppose operator error isn’t an option when the feature he failed to correctly operate has no use…

This reminds me of an old video I once watched about Bugatti GP cars. When one guy was showing how to drive the car the student asks,

“Why are there two tachometers?”

“Ehh…tradition.”

And then they move onto talking about the choke or something. I have my theories about why a 30s race car would have two tachs (One coil distributor and one magneto distributor? Two sets of plugs? Redundancy in the face of pre-war French electronics?) but really I never learned. I also never learned what the use is of a Phantom safety, it likely has none at all and is simply left over from the days when the Phantom was a conversion of a semi-auto BB pistol that did very much need the safety. Yes, it’s backward and old but…this is a pump gun. Latently backward and old. In 2022 paintball itself is backward and old. Phantoms are well made, in the USA even, also an old fashioned tradition that flies in the face of reason, and many of us run them on CO2. I’ll be keeping my preference for the useless safety if for no other reason than it keeps me even further from battery powered guns that talk and that kind of silliness.

[SignOfZeta]

One of the biggest selling points of the original Phantom was it's ease of maintenance. The thumbscrews allowed the marker to be completely disassembled and reassembled without any tools. I can't even begin to count how many times I've been on the field, in the middle of a game, where I chopped a ball and was able to clear and clean the gun with just my hands and a squeegee. This single feature became one of the many hallmarks of the gun. Take away the thumbscrews and you take away one of it's biggest features. While I fully understand that EV is working with limited capital to keep the Phantom alive, loosing the thumbscrews is a complete fail on their part. Obviously, cost is a factor, but a factor that can be offset by simply increasing the quantities produced. Mike had always included thumbscrews in his repair kits, as well as selling them individually. EV has increased the cost of every part in the Phantom inventory, so why not produce the thumbscrews and sell them at an increased cost as well?

I see what you are saying but…they want to sell VSC and under-cockers to everyone so that Phantoms are $500+ guns. Quick strip screws are scant help stripping a Phantom like that. You need three hands just to put it back together!

EDIT: Also, quick strip Nelsons are very common. The Trracer does the same thing. It’s not a hallmark at all, a dirt common feature when the Phantom was current.