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Autococker

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A WGP Autococker with extensive aftermarket upgrades.
An early model Autococker.
A WGP Sniper II(Pump).

The Autococker, also known as the AutoCocker, or 'Cocker, is a closed-bolt semiautomatic paintball marker manufactured by Worr Game Products (WGP). It was one of the first paintball markers to be designed specifically for the sport, and has long been known throughout the paintball community for its popularity and customizability, as well as its complexity. It is commonly believed that the closed-bolt design of the marker makes it inherently more accurate than its open-bolt counterparts, though this is disputed (see Accuracy, below).

Once a common sight at professional paintball tournaments (especially in the early- to mid-1990's), its popularity has since waned with the rise in popularity of electropneumatic markers.

History

The Autococker begn life in late 1986 when Bud Orr created the original Sniper pump marker, by carving the works of a standard Sheridan PGP into an aluminum block that would accept a longer barrel. The Sniper was operated in a manner similar to pump-action shotguns in that it had to be manually recocked after each shot to load the next round. In 1987, Orr founded Worr Game Products to sell the products he was developing, and by 1988 he was running the business full-time. In order to stay competitive with the rising popularity of semiautomatic markers in early 90s, Orr added a pneumatic system onto the Sniper. The pneumatics automatically re-cocked the marker after each shot and in 1990, the Autococker was born. There is a lot of controversy as to whether the design was stolen from Glenn Palmer (who has repeatidly and publicly made and defended this claim and has given a detailed accounting of the circumstances) or was actually Bud's innovation.

Although heavily criticized for reliability and a number of design defects, it proved to be an easy platform to work off of and aftermarket parts started to appear shortly after its inception. One of the most fundamental and important upgrades was the Palmer “Rock” low pressure regulator (LPR) to replace the troublesome stock LPR. With a variety of options appearing for parts, Belsales in the UK became the first company to build WGP-certified aftermarket cockers, called “Evolution” in 1993. Throughout the remainder of the 1990’s, dozens of shops ranging from large notables such as Shocktech, Eclipse, Belsales and FreeFlow down to small one man pro-shop operations made a business of servicing and customizing autocockers with price tags of nearly $2000 for high end models. A combination of performance, upgradeability and cosmetic options made it one of the top tournament markers of the 90’s. Only the Automag rivaled it in popularity until electronic markers appeared. Indeed, the autococker was so ubiquitous that its barrel threading became one of the most commonly-used standards on high-end markers (akin to how firearm cartridge sizes are named for the first firearm that used them). To this day, "autococker threading" can be found on higher-end markers.

By the turn of the century, with the advent and increased popularity of electro-pneumatics, it no longer became profitable for specialized shops to produce custom autocockers, and they slowly began to disappear. By the early 21st-century, the autococker was no longer considered the top tournament marker in the sport.

Operation

The Autococker is essentially a pump marker with an automated pumping mechanism. Like all pump markers, it is closed-bolt, and its operation can be broken down into two discrete phases, or cycles:

1) The Firing Cycle - The process that releases the gas that fires a paintball out of the marker is fairly simple compared to the re-cocking cycle. At rest, the bolt sits forward, closing the chamber (hence, closed-bolt). This prevents more paintballs from entering. A pull of the trigger drops the sear, which in turn releases the hammer. A spring propels the hammer forward into the valve, which causes the valve to release a burst of gas upward into the bolt. The bolt redirects the gas behind the paintball, propelling it out the barrel.

2) The Re-Cocking Cycle - Once the paintball is fired, three things must happen in order to return the marker to a "ready" state: 1) the hammer must be pulled back so that it re-engages the sear and re-compresses the spring, 2) the bolt must be pulled back so that another paintball can fall from the feed tube into the breech, and 3) the bolt must be pushed forward after the paintball is loaded to close the breech.

On both the Sniper and the Autococker, a back block performs all three of these functions. The bolt is attached to the block, while a cocking rod attached to the hammer and designed to catch on the block, passes through it. When the block moves backward, it pulls the bolt backward, allowing a paintball to drop into the breech, while simultaneously pulling the cocking rod backward, causing the hammer to be pulled back until it re-engages the sear. When the block moves forward, it pushes the bolt (and the paintball) forward, closing the breech. The cocking rod stays pulled back, with the hammer ready to fire.

A pump arm runs from the front of the marker to the back block and serves as the means by which the back block moves forward and back. The Autococker is distinct from pump markers in the means by which it causes the pump arm to cycle. In a pump marker like the Sniper, re-cocking is accomplished maually via the pump handle at the front of the marker. The pump handle, located beneath the barrel, is attached to the pump arm. When the player pulls the pump handle back, it causes the pump arm to extend and push the back block backward. Once the hammer is cocked and the paintball is loaded, the player then pulls the pump handle forward, pulling the back block forward. This cycle must be repeated after every shot.

The Front Block

In the Autococker, a pneumatic system replaces the pump handle to automatically perform the function of recocking. Some of the gas used to fire the paintball is re-routed to this system. The pneumatics are composed of three components: the Low Pressure Regulator (LPR), the 4-way valve, and the ram. All three are grouped together at the front of the marker on what is known as the front block.

  • The LPR is tapped into the channel through which air is fed to the bolt. It functions to bring down the pressure for the pneumatic system to use (the pneumatics typically operate at < 100 PSI, versus a typical operating pressure of 400 PSI for the rest of the marker).
  • The second component is the 4-way valve, known simply as a 4-Way. It is linked to the trigger via a short timing rod and activated when the trigger is pulled. The valve is commonly known as a 3-way valve because it has 3 visible ports, but this is technically incorrect. The 4-way features three barbs on top, two of which are connected via small tubes to either end of the ram, and one of which is connected (also via tube) to the LPR. Gas from the LPR enters the 4-way through the center barb. Inside the 4-way is a small sliding rod with either 2 or 3 o-rings that links the center barb to either of the other barbs depending on the position of the rod. No more than two barbs are linked at any given time.
  • The third component is the Ram. The ram is connected to the pump arm and serves as the actual pumping component. It features two barbs, one near the front and one at the back, through which gas enters from the 4-way. O-rings inside the ram create compartments inside so that depending on whether gas enters the front or the back, the ram will either extend or retract. The end through which gas enters the ram depends on which barb in the 4-way is linked with the center barb, the ram will either extend or retract.

Timing

The re-cocking cycle as described above is understandably complex, involving many independent components that must be synchronized in order for the marker to function properly. The process of synchronizing these components is known as timing. Timing is a process unique to Autocockers, and viewed by non-owners as particularly onerous. Experienced Autococker owners claim however that with enough practice, timing becomes as simple and routine as the upkeep required of any other paintball marker.

Also, autocockers rarely need to be retimed. Most are timed at the factory, and only need to be retimed if some of the timing components (such as the hammer, 3-way, timing rod, etc.) are replaced. It is almost unheard of for an autococker to become out of time without either replacing parts or an inexperienced user messing with it.

Players who become experienced in both working on and operating autocockers prefer a more careful timing process called suction, or vacuum timing. The recocking cycle is carefully moved closer towards the firing point, until the interaction between the ball exiting the barrel and the bolt recocking creates a vacuum in the breech. Thus, the gun actively sucks a paintball into the chamber. Utilizing a hinged trigger frame and a dual-spool 3-way, a mechanical autococker can be made to keep up with the firing rate of a variety of low-end electronic guns, and far surpass them in terms of reliability and functionality.

Accuracy

A common belief is that the closed-bolt design of Autocockers makes them inherently more accurate than open-bolt markers. This argument is based primarily on the fact that the bolt's mass does not move forward when the trigger is pulled, (as it does in open-bolt designs) since the ball is already "chambered" in the breech when the firing cycle is initiated. Proponents note that the absence of an oscillating mass during the firing cycle makes the autococker a more stable firing platform, thus increasing accuracy.

Tests have indicated that where there is a good paint-to-barrel match, the design of the marker is irrelevant. Open-bolt markers with a good paint-to-barrel match have proven to be just as accurate as the Autococker. These tests, however, did not measure the stability of the shooting platform, which is the main reason many believe Autocockers to be accurate. They instead used a fixed mounting point which artificially equalizes the stability of both guns tested. Additionally, these test were performed with a single gun modified to act like both and open or closed bolt paintgun. This modification along with the poor quality of the modified gun leads to inherently inacccurate shots for both versions.

The belief that Autocockers are more accurate due to their design is partially due to the confounding fact that the Autococker requires a good paint-to-barrel match. In open-bolt markers, the breech is open during the firing phase, since the bolt is in a "back" position. Thus, a rubber detent keeps the "chambered" ball from rolling out of the barrel before the marker is fired. The closed-bolt design of the marker means that paintballs are held in the chamber, beyond the breech where the detent is located. The only thing keeping the paintball from rolling out the barrel is a good paint-to-barrel match. Autococker owners unaware of this fact tend to notice that paintballs roll out of the barrel when the end is pointed downward.

Criticisms

Reliability: Due to their large number of moving parts, Autocockers are popular with tinkerers. Since even seemingly unimportant aspects of the gun, such as how far the back block is screwed onto the pushrod, can affect Autococker performance, minor tinkering with the marker can compound over time and lead to failure. It is not uncommon for an inexperienced owner to try to fix an Autococker that is not broken, frequently with disastrous results. As a result, rumors of Autocockers being unreliable have circulated the internet for years. The reality however, is that Autocockers are extremely reliable once set up properly. Experienced owners that understand how each of the parts in the marker interact are consistently able to modify and upgrade the marker without causing problems. Since new Autocockers are designed to work "out of the box," new owners are usually advised to not tinker with anything until they fully understand how the marker works.

Slow rate of fire: In an era where electropneumatic markers are prized for their high rate of fire in both tournament and recreational play, the slower mechanical operation of the Autococker (at least in entry-level models) is looked upon with some disdain. The first production E-cocker conversion was the PMS mark 3 system in the late 90's, which met with minimal success but paved the way for offerings by Sandridge (fully electronic and one of the first electo's to use eye technology) and the centerflag Uprising (partial conversion). Next generation frames from Racegun and Eclipse (with multiple fire modes, fully electronic sear and pneumatics) were the first frames to find broad use and the Eclipse E-Blade became the standard for electro-cockers but was discontinued in 2006. WGP's own electropneumatic system, based on technology licensed from Planet Eclipse, is now standard on many of their new Autococker models.

Short-Stroking: On mechanical Autocockers, the trigger both fires the marker (by releasing the sear) and re-cocks it (by pulling the timing rod and activating the 3-way). This is a mechanism unique to the Autococker. Since the re-cocking function follows closely after the firing function, it is necessary for the player to fully pull and release the trigger. Partially pulling the trigger will cause the firing and re-cocking cycles to fall out of synchronization, which can result in short-stroking. Short-stroking can result in a chopped ball, which leads to a loss of accuracy and velocity. The need for a full trigger pull on mechanical Autocockers also results in a slower rate of fire.

Sear Trip: Even with an electronic trigger, the Autococker still relies on a hammer and spring valve for firing. The electronic trigger controls the recocking pneumatics, and a sear solenoid. Thus, even electronic Autocockers have an amount of recoil and rate of fire some find unacceptable for serious play (though Autocockers are still seen in serious tournament play). In early 2006, the first fully-electronic (valve and recock) electronic Autocockers were seen, made using the "mQ valve" (named after their inventor Mike Quinn). The valve only had a limited release cycle however, and became tied up in production and legal issues. A lack of steady supply of mQ valves caused prices to skyrocket on eBay, even for used or damaged ones. In mid-2007, the original creators announced that they had resolved the production issues and are now making new "mQ2 valves," which are mQ valves redesigned under tighter tolerances.

Variants

As one of the oldest markers in the sport, several different "premium" or "high-end" models of the autococker have been produced over the years in addition to the basic stock models.

  • STO ("Special Tournament Operations")
  • Vertibrate
  • Orracle
  • Black Magic (two versions)
  • Worrlock
  • Superstock
  • Karnivor
  • Jeff Orr Signature Series
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