Here are a few outdated mod and gear pics from the last few months:
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M4 Pro-Carbine - %90 Complete
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Click here for more pics...
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My gear back in November...click here for pics
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Our 3rd annual family paintball game at Thanks Giving went well this year. Sadly one of our group wasn't able to join us because he was recovering from brain surgery. Not to worry, he's doing great though he missed a good game.
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I sold\traded my Tac-8 and Palmer for a Q-Loader Kit, Sith Tactical Ion, new 98C stock, and cash. The plan was to get more xmas cash but the trade offers were too good to pass up. I'll load the stock a Q-loader on the Ion for now. I think this will go well with a TM G36C body I have lying around at some point. My only regret is not holding onto the extra Tac-8 mags since it's only a matter of time before I pick up a T9. The new Tippmann X7 is looking very tempting as well.
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Wow, I can't believe that it's been several months since my last post. I'm still heavy into paintball but most of my current projects have been put on hold. My wife is almost 5 months pregnant with our second son. She's having a rough pregnancy and can't leave the house on her own so I'm spending most of my free time shopping and helping around the house. I did get out to a few walk on games over the last few months but nothing worth mentioning.
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I've been on what seems like a small spending spree. I picked up a Tippmann eXt, US-5 Electro, Palmer Typhoon, another Pro-Carbine, and two Sidekick Pump pistols. I'm 95% complete with a new M4 conversion and I'm assembling parts for a Tactical Remington 870 shotgun conversion with an internal 20 round clip. I may be selling my Tac-8 setup, Typhoon, and eXt in the near future to fund some home repairs.
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Anyway, here are a few reviews from the last few months:
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Challenge Park eXtreme (CPX), Joliet, IL - I've been to this filed on several times. The facilities and rentals are great. The refs are usually inexperienced an a little young. The scenarios are decent. The issue I have is that they now sell paint in their pro shop rather than at the rental desk. There is usually only one sales person in the store and it can make for long confusing lines. They are now all Marbalizers and Tippmann 98 rentals. They also have a tendency to overbook private parties resulting in limited play and frustration for walk on players. I give it a 5 out of 10 and have decided not to return to CPX unless there is a special event or scenario. It just isn't worth the frustration for walk on play.
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Tippmann eXt - I actually like the feel of the XT series guns. They're light compared to an A5. The universal cons are the model label and serial number are painted onto the gun. These are sure to wear off. The grip can't be upgraded as far as I know. The barrel has 98 threads but due to the gun design many 98 barrel may not fit the gun. The plastic feed neck may be a breaking point on heavily used XT's. Despite these flaws the gun handles well. I don't recommend this gun to experiences players. It may be a good entry level gun but why not get a 98C instead for about the same price?
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I do want to state that I don't recommend the eXt marker to anyone! The internal board has exposed wire connections to the solenoid and flimsy wires that could easily be damaged over time. Why they didn't create a separate battery compartment to protect the board wiring is beyond me. It doesn't make sense for an entry level marker and there is no fail back to mechanical firing if the board fails. My eXt quit firing after about 500 rounds and seems to be a battery hog. I suspect Tippmann placed the outdated and problematic pre-APE boards in these markers to get rid of them. Even with a fully charged battery the gun can't consistently trip the sear. I understand that this might be an isolated or correctable issue but the overall design is flawed. I'm very disappointed considering the quality of many other Tippmann products.
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Palmer Typhoon - All I can say is thumbs up for reputation, unique operation, and feel. I have only fired my used Typhoon at a target range but the sound of the gun operation is way cool and totally unique. I was less impressed with the trigger pull that requires a full pull and release to prevent "short stroking" and the standard angled feed neck. As a long time Tippmann user I just can't get over the feed neck and will pass the marker on to someone else for this reason alone. My only other gripe would be the fixed barrel but overall an impressive marker.
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PMI US-5 - Super cool points for an external selector switch on the electronic grip!! No other marker on the market has this capability, yet. They also kicked Tippmann's rear with a swappable grip frame to quickly go from electro to mechanical. The electrical frame also has a tournament lock. They also made the Tippmann grip look like child's play with an included rechargeable battery, changer, and get this…no exposed wires or boards!! Swapping the battery on this sucker is a breeze! Despite my love for the grip frame I'm having difficulty getting the gun to shoot an an acceptable velocity. This can be corrected easily enough. I'm having difficulty with the 98C style feed neck being kind of wobbly due to the drop away design. The gun has the feel of the A5 but is noticeably heavier. I think the receivers are made of a heavier material. Also, the barrel threads don't work with the A5 barrels but I'm sure someone will release an adapter at some point. I give the base marker a 6 out of 10 but the grip frames is a solid 10! Tippmann needs to return the favor and steel some of PMI's designs.
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98 Pro E\Cyclone - I must say I was never a big fan of the 98C design. I got a great deal on a 98 Pro E with a pre-installed cyclone. This gun has performed flawlessly. The APE board rocks! Three days of paintball on the same batteries…4500 rounds at least! It can't even be compared to the eXt or an A5 with the original eGrip. This is the first Tippmann electro configuration that I haven't had any problems with so far. I'm hoping the X7 board will perform as well!
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Well that’s all folks. It may be a while before I have anything new to post. The pod launcher project is definitely on hold, maybe indefinitely. I'm still perusing the possibilities of a Sidekick Semi revival by my own hand or others. My target date on the 870 shotgun is next spring. I'll have updated pictures of my M4 conversion and family paintball game in Tennessee at some point. Time permitting I might start working on a site redesign. I have thousands of new pictures to add to the marker gallery and the guestbook was corrupted by spammers. Thanks for stopping bye!
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Later, Crew

It’s been over a month since my last post. Despite my plans for a summer filled with paintball my life and budget had other plans. I do plan on playing 3-4 times before the end of the season but my participation may go down quite a bit next year for personal reasons.
 
My new obsession is the Sidekick Semi Pistol! I picked one of these up from a guy on PBnation a few weeks back. The gun is insanely light and easy to carry compared to my Tac-8. In fact, I plan on getting rid of the Tac-8 at some point since it’s too big as a carry-on backup for my taste. With a few simple modifications this could be the perfect light, inexpensive, backup marker for the scenario player market. I’m currently researching the pistol and have recently found contact information for the original designer. I’m keeping my fingers crossed but I’m hoping to purchase the rights to bring back this marker. If not I’m seriously considering developing my own low cost, light weight backup marker. Dream big…
 
Here is an overview of my upcoming game plans and projects:
 
Upcoming Events:
September 9th – Big Game at Sudden Impact (Mclean, IL)
October 21-22 – Bearclaw paintball scenario in Tennessee, big family game.
November 25 – 3rd Annual Family Paintball Game!
 
Current Projects:
 
Tac-8Q Project – My top priority project at the moment is finishing a Q-Loader, constant air modification for my Tac-8, including an extended custom barrel with Apex tip. Instructions for the constant air modification for the Tac-8 mod will be posted here eventually.
 
M4 Pro-Carbine – Despite the hundreds of M4 based paintball mods I’m creating a one of a kind M4 conversion on a Pro-Carbine. All I can say is this will be something entirely new and not the blot on off the shelf stuff that is most commonly seen. This will be a full M4 replica with airsoft and real rifle parts. I have 95% of the parts and I’m about 40% complete…
 
M870 Shotgun – Despite the October release of the RAP4 shotgun I’m gathering the necessary parts to build a paintball shotgun. The SPAS12 project is on the bottom of the project list at the moment. This will be a tactical shotgun with a 20 round internal mag, single round bottom side loading like a real shotgun. The bulk of the marker will be made from an ACI Hornet pump and a Maruzen 870 shotgun.
 
Recent Purchases:
 
I’ve added two Tippmann 68-Carbines, a tricked out 98E-Pro, an ACI Hornet pump, and a Maruzen M870 shotgun to the arsenal. I have also acquired my new pride and joy, a Sidekick Semi pistol!
 
Future\Pending Projects:
 
My rocket launcher projects are currently on hold. The SPPL launcher needs to be repaired and I need to add a few minor updates. The Pod Launcher is still in the works but I’m pushing back the plans to develop these for sale until next year. Rather then create custom parts I’m looking to get some prefab parts created or at lease pre-sized and threaded PVC. I also have 3 M72 replicas that I plan on converting to paintball at some point. One idea in the hopper is to use a motorized airsoft gearbox as an electronic firing mechanism.
 
Other projects on the back burner include reviving an old WG-75, creating a MP5-SD Pro-Carbine, a Tippmann A5 M4 based on my current M4 project, and a complete redesign of my paintball website.
 
All of this with a 2 year old son, high maintenance wife, and demanding career in addition to working on a basement remodeling project, National Guard commitments, and family website redesign…so little time…so much to do!
 

I was recently trying to google my own name when I found an essay that I submitted following the attacks on September 11th.
 
God Bless the USA!
 
I attended basic military training at Lackland, Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas during the spring of 1996. It was there that I experienced true patriotism for the first time. During a general assembly an American flag was displayed on a large overhead as Lee Greenwood's song "I'm proud to be an American", played over the loud speakers. We stood in silence for the first few words until one by one we each joined the chorus. I started to sing the words, "I'll proudly stand up next to you and defend her still today", but I began to waiver as I tried to hide the tears that welled up inside me. I quickly glanced around hoping that my fellow troops hadn’t seen me cry. To my surprise I saw before me a sea of patriots. Hundreds of young men and women in green uniforms brought to tears by their love for their country.
 
As I began my transition into the civilian world at the end of my enlistment I realize that for most of our country patriotism was dead. I can't begin to speculate the reasons why but it was obvious to me that a love for our country was the last thing on most Americans minds. It was the last thing on mine. Now everywhere you turn there are stories of heroes emerging from the smoke of New York’s twin tower. Their legacy is not only their love of country, sacrifice, and loss of life. They are true heros because they have inspired and reawakened the patriots in all of us. Today as I drove to work I passed house after house proudly displaying our flag. The radio began to play a familiar song and tears rolled down my face as I sang "There ain’t no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA!"
 
Submitted by:
Andrew Blumhardt
 

I went down to my home field, Sudden Impact, for a nice relaxing day of rec ball. There was a bachelor party and two church groups there. Most players were rentals, all were mech semi-auto. I decided to take it easy and enjoy the day. I like to play but there isn't much joy in pounding a bunch of noobs, though several of them were pretty good with a rental.
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I tried out my Tac-8 and new Proteous mask. The Tac-8 was a blast! I got three people out in the first game. After two rounds I switched back to a 98C for the day. The Proteous mask was pretty nice. It feels like the least protection money can buy for those that don't like a bulky mask. For the first time I could really smell the paint when I got paint on my mask. I also had paint come through the mask on two occasions, once getting in my eyes. Small price to pay for a mask that is so light you forget its even there!
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I also started working on my own Tac-8 extended silencer barrel. I should be finished in a week or two. Pics and instructions will follow if I can get my digital camera to work right.
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Bad news from the D-Day SPPL qualifier. The team I had hoped to play with, Overkill, came in dead last with a negative 70 something points. I'm not sure if I could have made it better or worse...maybe they'll want to set the record straight at the Michigan qualifier in August?
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Later, Crew

We visited Nashville, NT over the Memorial Day weekend to spend some time with my family. The wife and I stopped in at the Opry Mills mall for a few hours on Sunday. I was in Kay-be-toys when something caught my eye. They had three M72 rocket launchers! These toys were supposed to be recalled due to safely problems and are near impossible to find. Rather than point this small fact out to the store employees I took the remaining launchers off of their hands...to keep the kids safe. They lot cost me less than a cheap video game though my wife was less than impressed. These are the same launchers used by Rusty's Paintball in their M72 LE ball valve launchers. I'll be converting at least one launcher using the thunder grenade design. I'm still debating to sell one or two but I'm torn since they are so hard to find.
 

 

 
Rusty's M72 LE LAWGiver

 

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OES V rocked! We played a constant game from 9:30 AM-8:30 PM (11 hours!) and a few hours of recball on Sunday. The extended play was a last minute decision by the field owner since the night game was cancelled due to the difficulty of managing a night game. After playing out there all day I can't imagine playing this field in the dark due to the rough terrain. The weather held out until Saturday night when we were hit with a few short thunder storms. Due to some heavy rain in the morning hours a lot of people took off on Sunday. We still had about 50-60 players so we played a few attack/defend games on a few of the bases for fun. The weather cleared up by 10:00 and the woods were pretty dry by 11:30.
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OES Game Report
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The Contra team was out numbered but had the field advantage and two tanks. The US forces only had a few reliable tank hunters so we were hammered by the tanks the entire day. The first half of the game was focused on a back and forth battle for the "Satcom" base. The base was elevated on the top of a large hill with heavy cover and trenches. Since the base was centrally located on the field it was easy to surround and re-supply so both teams had their turns defending and attacking. By early afternoon US Forces gained a dominant hold on the Satcom base and pushed in to take the Contra ammo dump and Fire Base Echo. This was the first time Echo base has been captured by an opposing team! Contra regained control of Echo and the rest of the game pivoted around US Forcers trying to re-take Echo before the end of the day. Despite a very intense battle, Contra held the Echo base and won the game in overall points.

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I finally found a solution to my pod launcher shredding rockets thanks to the help from some guys on the OES Forum. I created a small cardboard sabot that protects the rocket fins. I also noticed that the newer versions of the Nerf Vortex rocket are being made with a much more durable fin.
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Here is the sabot with the new version of the Nerf rocket, old version fired with the sabot, and old version fired without the sabot.
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I spent several hours this weekend working on the SPPL launcher. The air system is working perfectly and I made a few cosmetic upgrades including a sling and barrel cap. I'm still working out the kinks on the firing mechanism and have yet to fire a single round. I'm committed to finding a solution before OES next weekend.
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I put the final touches on the Super 9 sniper and it is ready for use! As with any project there are still a few minor changes that I'd like to make but it looks pretty sweet. I will be field testing this in June at my local field since I won't be playing a sniper role at OES.
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I just got a big bonus for reenlisting in the National Guard! I treated myself to a great deal on a Tac-8 pistol package that will hopefully arrive before I leave for OES. I also picked up a used Pro-Carbine for super cheap, a Hammerhead barrel, and a digital camo Flurry vest. A fool and his money are quickly parted.
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Check out the new project pictures. I started a third launcher project on a whim but fire testing was a big flop. At least I can use the parts to make an air tool for cleaning dust off of my workbench.
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Finally!!! I've been dying to get back on the field! After three failed attempts to play at my local field where nobody showed up I finally got to play my second game of the year!
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Click image for link to game pics:

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The Sudden Impact Big Game this year drew in at least 100 players despite a continuous drizzling rain and discouraging weather reports. The day was broken into 4 separate games with points based on flag stations and the retrieval of randomly placed ammo boxes. My initial concern was that the field owner had spread us too thin with 3 teams and 15 minute reinsertions. With only 50-60 players for the first game we were spread pretty thin over approximately 90 acres. We were also plagued by marker and paint problems due to the humidity and rain. Fogging was a continuous problem for many players throughout the day though thankfully I wasn't one of them.
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I learned a big lesson that day...10-15 rounds at the chrono station isn't enough to verify a marker is working correctly....especially in the rain. Large bore, short barrels seemed to work best. Funny thing is that the rental markers worked great. Anyway, by the second game the teams were at near full strength and most people seemed to have recovered from any initial marker snafus. The field owner saw the error of his ways and changes the rules to hot reinsertion from your home base which really helped keep players in the game.
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Games 2 and 3 went reasonably well. There were enough inexperienced players on the field to make you feel like Rambo and rack up a good personal kill count, yet enough experienced players to make it a challenge. Even though most of my friends were on the Purple team I was placed with Red at the start of the game. I think Purple had the most experienced players or at least a group that played well together and they were the clear leaders for the first three games. One interesting aspects of the game was each team was given a different base for start of each game.
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The final battle was by far one of the coolest games I've ever played! I would have gladly driven cross country for a similar experience. The only objective was to place a team flag on a single flagpole in a central location. The team with their flag in pace at each 10 minute marker got the points and the game was close enough that this could decide the winning team. The flag was in a circle of sand bags, natural cover, and heavily wooded on several sides. Yellow was the first to plant their flag and the rest of the hour was spent taking turns making 5-10 man charges on the flag.
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Continue on page #2:

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No updates. My last two trips to my local field were a bust. I'll be at the big game on the 29th at Sudden Impact for sure. Here are a few pics I 'borrowed' from a post on the Sherwood Paintball Forum.
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ScareCrow getting his snipe on!

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Helecpter incertion....exercise in teamwork!

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Crew and ScareCrow are bringing up the rear...

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Well I'm still reeling from last week's game. This was the first athletic anything I've done in several months so I'm hobbling around like an old man. I also had the combined stress of my wife's birthday and some unexpected family events that may hinder my willingness to play this weekend. The weather man says Sunday in Mclean, IL will be mostly sunny and 50 so I'll check my baggage and meet up with some friends from work for a little p-ball.
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Reminder: Sudden Impact is holding their first big game\mini scenario of the year on Saturday, April 29th. (This may be my only game in April...)
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In some unrelated news I traded my eGrip and several assorted paintball items this week for my first Xbox!! Let the games begin!

Click for Gallery...

Risk II at Sherwood Forest Paintball this weekend went fairly well for a cold weather game. The roster had about 230 players though it felt more like 150. I was joined by my brother Jon (Scarecrow) and his good friend Kevin (Bird Dog). It was surprisingly cold in the morning but big thanks to team Overkill for letting us join them in their heated tent. My crew joined the Green side along with Overkill and Ace of Diamonds. I think we were heavily out numbered throughout the day due to players how didn't make it and because we had two scenario teams on our roster. Almost everyone was plagued with a combination of low velocity, freezing, and\or a high percentage of ball brakes due to the cold...those who didn't were at a big advantage.
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More on Page 2:

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My new SPPL launcher design is nearly complete! All I need to do is create a barrel plug, sling attachments, make a few minor adjustments, and paint a few items! Hopefully I will get a chance to fire test this monster at Risk II this weekend.
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Here is a photo of my setup for Risk II:
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Here are the rules for the D-Day Pazooka launchers and my initial Tippmann Pro-Carbine Apex Pazooka!
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Anti-tank weapons (pzookas) can ONLY take the following form:
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Anti-Tank Weapon bodys built around paintball markers (marker-in-a-tube) with the following restrictions:
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Allied:
US bazooka, Type 1 - 60" long by 2" in diameter.
US bazooka, Type 2 - 54" long by 2" in diameter.
British PIAT - 36" long by 2" in diameter.
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German:
Panzerschreck - 60" long by 3" in diameter.
(Panzerfausts will not be a viable option, as they were disposable 1-shot rocket tubes.)
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The picture below shows my local field on Saturday. You would think that on the warmest Saturday of the year with temperatures in the 60's players would be flocking to their local field. I show up at 8:30 and see the field staff setting up but no players. This isn't that unusual since I'm usually one of the first to arrive and last to leave most days.

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By 9:15 I start to get a little concerned. The field owner stops by to say hello and mentions that no groups are scheduled and they weren't expecting many players that day. Hanging on by a thread I continued to tinker with my gear until 10:00. I finally gave in and retuned home to spend the rest of the day with my wife and son...not a total loss.

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Above is a photo of my basic gear. I tend to play closer to stock at my local field. Most of the players are rentals and I like to keep it simple on my home court. I’m always torn between the joy of whaling on a bunch of inexperienced players and making sure everyone has a good time. You may notice a 3.5 oz tank from RAP4 in the picture above that I will be using to power my SPPL launcher.

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On the project front I have hit a big snag with the pod launchers on two fronts. First, the trigger translates some of the explosive force of the grenade round back to the user. It feels like hitting something solid with a stick or setting off a small firecracker in your hand. It isn’t so painfully that I would stop using the launcher but it isn’t very user friendly. The second snag is that the launcher releases air so violently into the back of the rocket that it destroys the fins. I have tried sealing the back of the rocket with epoxy but it failed. Before I can make these launchers for resale I have to resolve the trigger kick and prevent the rockets from ripping apart.

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In my rush to finish the SPPL launcher by this weekend I dropped the barrel and destroyed one of the air fittings. I can still get some work done but I’m on hold for new parts. I think it would have been difficult to complete the project by this weekend anyway due to some unexpected complications. My experience has been that all big projects revolve around a series of unexpected challenges or mistakes and this hasn’t been any different. I did finish the trigger mechanism and have begun mounting the launcher internals inside the shroud but there is still a ton of work to be done. My focus now will be on preparing for my first game of the year on Saturday and the first public demonstration of the pod launcher.

I’m also excited to announce that my brother from South Bend, IN will be joining me at Risk II later in March. Spending time with family is always great but combine that with paintball and you have a rocking good time!

PS – The videos I promised several weeks ago of the pod launcher in action should be available this weekend!

I had some time to work on the SPPL Launcher design this Friday. I'm hoping to have it finished by next weekend for velocity testing at Sudden Impact before taking it to Risk II later this month. More design drawings and pictures will be availble at the same link as they become available.
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I plan on playing at Sudden Impact on Sat, March 11th and Risk II 8hr scenario game at Sherwood Forest Paintball in Laporte, IN on Sat, Mar 18th if anyone is looking for an excuse to play some paintball.

I plan on meeting up with my brother and some old friends from South Bend, IN and team Overkill at Risk II. I'm going to try very hard to have an SPPL launcher prototype ready but then...

So I've been anxiously waiting on the first warm weekend of the year to kick off the first paintball game of 2006. Several weekends looked promising but the weather just won’t cooperate. Finally, this weekend was supposed to be the long awaited day only the paintball gods thought otherwise. I was hit with a chest cold earlier in the week that got progressively worse. I took a sick day from work on Friday hoping that the extra rest would help me get better before the weekend. To my extreme horror I was too sick to play this weekend. This is coming from a guy who played two days after oral surgery gone terribly wrong and completely hopped up on painkillers. To make matters even worse I made no progress on my paintball or household projects...setting me back yet another week. I did get a chance to do some minor revisions to the pod rocket launcher instructions but the rest of the weekend was wasted. Next weekend I'm off to serve my military drill weekend...maybe I can play sometime in March. Such is life...

I turned the big 30 yesterday! Despite the nice gifts I received I was even more excited by my new pipe threader and Palmer gas fittings that came in the mail. I made a few attempts at threading a piece of PVC with no success. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it sooner or later...could be a bad die. The Palmer fittings were exactly what I needed for my new SPPL launcher. The Palmer website is golden for anyone looking to do a custom marker design. Their 3 way push button valve will be a primary part of my new launcher design...surprisingly small and functional!

Palmer's Pursuit Shop

Exert from the 2006 SPPL rule book:

17.3) Rocket Launchers: (Limit: one (1) launching device per team and 10 rockets projectiles used per 1 hour game.) All rockets must chronograph under the speed of 230 feet per second. Every rocket must be approved by the host field prior to the game. All rockets must have a device for plugging the barrel and must use ONLY two-inch Nerf rounds.

I'm working on beefed up version of the pod launcher with internal direct air based entirely on the SPPL rocket launcher rules. Design goals include the ability to fire 5-10 rounds without recharging the air source, an internalized air source, integrated barrel plug, easy to use safety mechanism, as well as being light and portable. I'm basically talking about a thunder grenade based launcher with the ability to recharge the grenade on the fly. Just breach load a rocket, release the safety, and fire. The big benefit will be the ability to use a primary marker without the burden of a cumbersome launcher and the ability to quickly reload and fire rockets as needed. The look will be similar to the M72 LAW but I'm leaning more towards functionality over form.

I was able to pull in a fat tax return this year and with the extra cash comes a long list of new home improvement projects to occupy my time. The biggest of these task being finishing half of my basement. Between working on my basement, various paintball marker projects, and the new SPPL launcher design; the release date for the first run of pod launchers will be delayed. I'm still hoping to have something ready by the end of March but it could be sometime in April. I'm still waiting on the delivery of a pipe threader and a few other small parts before I even get started. I also plan on simplifying the launcher instructions page but be warned, these instructions may not always be available.

Well the ball is rolling on my pending membership with team Overkill for SPPL in 2006. Most of their planned events for 2006 conflict with my National Guard weekends but I look forward to being part of a real team. This will also be an excellent opportunity to test and possibly market some of my paintball launchers!

I plan on playing at Sudden Impact on Saturday, Feb, 21 rain, snow, or cold weather. Finally my first game of the year and a chance to show off the pod launcher! Feel free to join in for a day of relaxing walk-on woodsball. Stop by or contact me at ablumhardt@yahoo.com if you interested.

I'm also very happy to announce that Sudden Impact will have their first big game of the year on April 29th. It's sure to be a good time with 80-100 players on about 100 acres.

The BIG GAME of 2006

Saturday, April 29th 2006

Cost is $30 per player and includes: Equipment rental if needed(first come first serve), 500 rounds of premium paint, a ticket for a prize raffle, and lunch(hotdogs, chips, and drink).

Extra paint for the event will cost $80 a case of 2000 rounds. (Discount on paint if pre-registered.)

The official Scenario Paintball Players League website has been updated recently with information about the 2006 season!!

The North Eastern qualifier will be held in August at Hell's Survivor in Michigan followed by the National playoff in October at the Oklahoma D-Day field. I'm totally psyched and looking to put together or join a solid team ASAP!

http://scenariochallenge.com/index.asp

I'm proud to say that I recently finished a complete redesign of my paintball website. The site is simple by design. I've found that my more complicated websites are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and easy to break. My paintball website was originally intermingled with my personal family website that I have gone to great lengths to hide from public search engines. Now that the sites have been segmented I can publicly host the crewchiefpb.com domain and hopefully begin making a modest profit in advertising to help cover my hosting costs. I've also setup cascading style sheets so I can control the font, background, etc. from a central location.

New updates planned for the website include a favorite links area, shopping cart for selling paintball projects and gear, more project pictures, more mod instructions, and I'll be tripling the size of the Big Marker Gallery and adding a photo submission area. I have several new launcher and mod designs in the hopper right now that I can't wait to share once I have the time. I'm also working on an instructional document to help create airsoft based paintball markers similar to the Pro-Carbine Sniper I created.

I also have a staging area I use for project photos. If you want an advanced look at some of my project updates or progress this is the place to look.

Pending project pics: http://www.crewchiefpb.com/paintball/misc/temp2/

Thanks,
CrewChief

I'm currently acquiring the tools and material needed to create 20-25 launchers for resale and working to get a patent for the idea. My intention is either to sell the launchers at a rate of 50-100 a year depending on demand or license the patent if sales exceed my ability to keep up with the demand.

I'm waiting on a pipe threaded to create a more uniform way to mount the end cap. The second version of the original prototype will have the threaded end cap among other improvements. I'm still testing whether of not to use a fluted 1 4/3 barrel front or a straight 1 1/2 barrel front. Vidoe and new photos will be available sometime this month.