STBB Revelation

[shadow191]

Just wait til you try an old Tippmann

I recently did that - got my old Pro-lite up and running. Played a few games with it and it was actually pretty fun. Even made it down the snake during one game which surprised everyone. It's fun but might be a little too nostalgic for me, mostly the trigger pull and recoil on the Pro-lite. It gets hairy when you're matched up against an electro and are trying to keep the barrel on target. Not to mentioned the really low ROF.

It might just be the Tippmann though, I also have an Azodin Blitz which is mostly a loaner gun these days but I like it a lot and never feel outmatched. Plus an old Spyder Imagine which is a lot of fun too - that thing will literally shake the frame grip loose after a few games even with lock washers and loctite. Plus an old Spyder Compact that I got up and running; updated to 2 finger trigger.

Just play rec so if we see it's mostly renters, will bring out the classics. But if there's a lot of the self equipped regulars then modern guns come out.

[wunderbarsafari]

I’m torn on STBBs. They’re nostalgic, perfectly usable for recball, and certainly affordable. But each time I consider buying one, I can’t get past all the crap we used to “upgrade” on them to make them faster, smoother, quieter, and everything that my new gun does right out of the box.

That said, looking at what people are paying for older cockers, angels, etc, I would sooner buy an old blowback for retro funsies.

[kevin qmto]

I’m torn on STBBs. They’re nostalgic, perfectly usable for recball, and certainly affordable. But each time I consider buying one, I can’t get past all the crap we used to “upgrade” on them to make them faster, smoother, quieter, and everything that my new gun does right out of the box.

That said, looking at what people are paying for older cockers, angels, etc, I would sooner buy an old blowback for retro funsies.

Getting them to that state is half, nay- 75% of the fun. Getting an Azodin Zero System installed and dialed juuuust right is a fun game by itself, and when you're done, you can buy a case of tournament grade paint to throw at your enemies without fear of constant breaks!

[Cdn_Cuda]

I ended up with a bunch of STBBs from gear I've picked up recently. I've managed to largely avoid them over the last few year but recently have had a run of Spyders. They're not as easy to sell locally as Tippmanns, but not bad as little loans. My most recently pickup included a Dye threaded Boomstick (I think, dye barrel regardless) that matches perfectly with a black and silver Spyder Shutter I ended up with. It's an older-style Spyder with an angled feed so threw a cheap elbow and pocket hopper on it. Perfect nostalgia piece at zero cost to me. Been eyeballing a Shocktech bolt for it that's on sale for $15... Damn MCB for being so contagious...

[Cunha]

Only bummer with so many spyders and the whole first 2 generations of piranhas is the power feed, hopper left.

Honestly its the worst thing that happened in paintball and almost outweighs all of Tom Kayes positive contributions.

[Tinybear]

I do much prefer Centerfeed and today it’s the far far superior option. But in all honesty power feeds are not that bad and you do get used to them. They did serve their purpose.

In the days before force feed loaders. They helped with feed rates by stopping paintballs being pushed up the feed neck. Easily seen. If I put my revy on one of my Azodins, put a squeege in barrel and dry fire. It will pop the lid on the loader.

Do that same thing on my power feed auto mag and nothing.

[glaman5266]

And you can shut the feed off. I dunno why, but it's one of my favorite things about powerfeeds.

[flyweightnate]

The old dry fire "whoops I'm out of paint" trick

[Dusty Bottoms]

I always liked the Pro Carbine for nostalgia's sake, and have a nice one that rarely sees the field, but that trigger is just God awful. However, I picked up a cool F4 Illustrator months ago and finally got it tuned up and chrono'd last time I played. I was blown away by how fast I could shoot that damn thing! I don't know if that is typical with F4's or if this one was forged by Krom himself, but I was able to rip with this thing. I'm definitely going to try it out next time I play. If I had known how good the trigger was back in high school, I never would have bothered with a Pro Carbine and Spyder Compact.

[autococker04]

Interesting you'd mention the F4, one just came up on my craigslist in the past couple days. Maybe I'll have to look into it.

[autococker04]

After really appreciating the simplicity of having a cheap gun that works great, I did what always ends up happening and started the upgrade cycle.

I dug deep in the bins and found a metal trigger frame because the plastic one was wobbling too much. then I put a trigger stop into that frame in the ugliest way possible.

I put on a feedneck adaptor that I was going to use on a side feed to vert feed mag conversion so that I wouldn't have to use one of those clear shatter tubes ever again.

I had an extra delrin bolt from a parts lot that looks suspiciously like a shocktech, so thats in there now.

So much for simple.

[Spider!]

Only bummer with so many spyders and the whole first 2 generations of piranhas is the power feed, hopper left.

Honestly its the worst thing that happened in paintball and almost outweighs all of Tom Kayes positive contributions.

I had forgotten that whole discussion, whether power feeds worked or were even necessary. Thinking back, I've had automags that had a lot of obvious blowback in the feed neck, and some that would RT with a gravity loader completely unassisted. The obvious blowback was with an APP 50 hopper that would pop the loose lid every shot on a pump mag.

I suspect the level 10 bolt is better about blow back.

I can see a power feed being unnecessary on the right bolt/feedneck arrangement. Long ago, I would blame my son's egg loader (not keeping up) for chopping as he was running about 11bps on his vert-feed piranha. Instead of not being able to feed fast enough, it may have been blow back causing the loss of the ball stack at the higher rate.

[kevin qmto]

Powerfeeds aren't ideal to be sure, but several things can be done to improve the experience when using them on a Spyder or Piranha.

1. use no forcefeed hopper on them. use a revy, ricochet, or Tippmann SSL-200 (my personal fave). Modern force feed hoppers will put so much tension on paint that it'll either force balls past the single detent, or jam up the elbow section of the powerfeed. Small paint can cause this issue as well. best to use an agitator loader.

2. Make sure the detents are fresh. The newest style Spyder red rubber nubbins are slightly larger than the black ones of old, and I highly recommend using them.

3. Find a VLbow elbow. smallest profile plastic elbow, much lower profile than the modern JT plastic ones for sale at most retailers. Don't buy a Sconi Lean elbow, those aren't even designed for powerfeeds, they were meant for left feeds to get the loader over the center of the marker.

[Cdn_Cuda]

Good info! I happen to have a Ricochet in my pile of extra gear I’ll try out with the power fed Spyder.

[moonweasel]

I have nothing to add, except yay, for the XT, My first marker was a stock green XT, had to sell it before I moved to the US for a bit, then I got another and fixed it up a bit, don't think I'll ever get rid of it.

[flyweightnate]

My millennium is center feed and runs a Revvy just fine, so a lot must rest on valve tuning and bolt fit.

[MrKittyCatMeowFace]

Raptors are cool 😎 .

[AnarchicArctic]

I just resurrected my old Spyder one with some of the “upgrades” I remember drooling over back when I couldn’t afford them as a teen. Much cheaper now and after shooting it Ive got to say all of my youthful cocker envy has been replaced by nostalgic utility. This thing rips with the ACI frame, and a revy has no problem keeping it fed, powerfeed and all.

[OpusX]

Not a STBB but I did play the whole day yesterday, sans two games with the custom pgp, with a tippy carbine on CO2 and just had a blast the entire time.

[iamthelazerviking]

I have definitely wanted to jump on the cheap old nostalgic gun train, but I have this voice in my head saying "that's probably gonna chop a ton "