Ok, so you're tired of getting outgunned by STO Autocockers and Automag
RTs. You lay down fire with a stock Spyder, and it just doesn't cut it.
You want speed. You need speed. Well, you're going to have to spend
some money and put in quite a bit of work to get results, but here's a
few hints as to what you can do to even the playing field.
All work was done on a 2nd Generation Standard Spyder by myself.
All parts were purchased in the Dallas/Fort Worth area from either Paintball
Games of Dallas or Hardcore Paintball.
For safety, wear goggles while cutting and filing metal parts.
ALWAYS remove the air supply from the gun while working with the internals.
Work with plenty of light and never perform any modification of which you
are not sure.
Disclaimer: All information presented here is performed without
warranty. I am not personally responsible for any accidents or damage which
may occur. Any application of the following information is done solely
with the recognition of this disclaimer.
All polishing was done using a 15,000-rpm. Dremel tool, but if
you want to save money you can use a combination of 1500 grit silicon carbide
sand paper and 0000 steel wool, respectively. Cutting and grinding also
was done with a Dremel tool, but a fine file can be used in its place.
Clean all parts well after any polishing to remove bits of metal and dust.
Here's a run down of the contents:
1. Trigger/Striker Mod
2. Air System Work
3. Powerfeed Fix
4. Other Goodies
1. Trigger/Striker Mod: I've seen some good and simple mods out there,
but here's what I did to my gun. This version may be a bit complicated,
but if you read through the instructions a few times it should be clear.
First, remove the grip frame and the striker from the upper receiver. We'll
deal with this in two parts: trigger parts and the striker.
Trigger: Disassemble the grip frame into the following parts:
trigger, 2 pins, the sear, the sear spring, and the trigger spring. The
pins can be tapped out, but they only go one way, so if they don't pop
out on the first try, flip the frame over. First, wash all of the parts
and then dry them well.
Sear work: Now, take the sear and polish it until it feels like
glass and you cannot see any pits or nicks along the top surface. Take
the sear and turn the long side away from you. Using a Dremel tool or a
file, bevel the long edge of the sear to a 45 degree angle, leaving a flat
surface that is about 2 centimeters wide. Re-polish the sear after any
grinding or filing. This mod will do two things: reduce the surface area
of the sear, thus reducing the amount of friction causing surface; and
provide a very smooth surface for the striker to act on. Cost: depends
on the type of tools you use and the paper you buy.
Trigger spring work: Get a lighter spring. The one that comes
with the stock gun is far too stiff to give you the speed you need. When
replacing the spring, find one that is the same size and circumference,
but with a much smaller spring constant. The new spring should fit into
the same location as the stock spring. Now comes the part that will get
on your nerves. Find a wooden dowel that will fit inside the spring. Trim
the post until it will fit under the trigger and allow you to fire the
gun. The post, if it is too long, will not allow the gun to cycle. You
will want to trim the dowel until there is no play beyond the release point
of the sear catch. In essence, you will reduce your trigger pull to 1/8
inch with no further play, reducing inefficiency while increasing the number
of trigger pulls per second. Cost: up to $1 for a spring, and $1 for a
dowel (however, you can use some other type of post. In my friend's case,
a chopstick end made a convenient and free spring post).
Trigger: For increased cycling speed a double trigger can be
a quite a help. While a double trigger may not be any lighter than the
stock trigger, the extra length provides more leverage and faster pulling
speeds. Unless you want to purchase a double trigger frame, you'll have
to remove the trigger guard. Use a hacksaw to remove the guard and a file
or Dremel tool to smooth out the rough spots. One other benefit of the
metal triggers is their durability. The stock trigger can break as a teammate
of mine discovered during a heated engagement. Cost: I paid $27 for a metal
double finger trigger.
Ok, once you've done all of this, clean the parts and put your
trigger frame back together. Then, get your striker.
Striker: Ok, this part is really easy, but if you get a bit too
enthusiastic you'll end up with a full-auto Spyder that won't be able to
feed the paint into the chamber. Moderation is the key.
Remove the o-ring from the striker, as getting metal filings
on and under it would be very bad for your gun. Using your Dremel or file,
grind or file the 90-degree lip on the back of the striker to a 45-degree
angle. The "back" will be the end that the spring inserts into. You only
need to remove 1-2 millimeters of metal! If you remove too much, you'll
have to call Kingman and get a new striker, and you don't want to spend
that extra amount of cash. Now, sand and polish the striker, especially
the flat surface that rides along the sear. After cleaning the polished
striker, replace the o-ring. Why do you do this? The benefit is based on
the combination of the striker and the sear. By creating the 45-degree
angle you reduce the distance that the sear must travel before the gun
will cycle and fire. After doing this, you may have to toy with the trigger
post. If you're not sure about grinding on the striker, skip it. Cost:
tools and sanding paraphernalia.
2. Air System Work: this section deals mainly with the addition
of aftermarket valve parts. As with any addition or modification to the
air system, it is important to make sure all connections are secure and
sealed. Teflon tape should be used on all external fittings, and internals
should have new, unmarred o-rings and seals.
Max Flow Valve: A part that fits onto the valve spring. The aftermarket
version has a thinner stem to allow increased airflow. After the addition
of the Max Flow to my Spyder, I noticed increased range and cycling speed.
Cost: $21-$25.
Magnaport Valve: This is the actual valve fitting. This aftermarket
part help to increase airflow while keeping it constant. As with the Max
Flow, I noticed increased range and cycling, along with fewer FPS spikes
on the chrony. Cost: $25-$30.
Expansion Chamber: I use a Bob Long Signature Series expansion
chamber connected to a standard vertical adapter. Expansion chambers help
to reduce liquid CO2 from getting in the gun while providing airflow consistency.
For the Spyder Compact they simply screw into the CA adapter. Owners of
Standard Spyders will need to purchase a vertical adapter. Cost: anywhere
from $30-$75.
Brass Cup Seal: Also called a "Performance Cup Seal" by I&I
Sports, this part isn't so much for speed as for reliability. I actually
had a standard plastic cup seal chip and leak during a game, not something
that one want's to deal with when being shot at. Cost: $7-$10.
3. Powerfeed Fix: I've heard quite a few Spyder owners complain about
unnecessary bolt wear. As far as I can tell, this wear is just part of
the process of the parts seating themselves in the gun. However, after
making the following modification, which was six months ago, I have not
experienced a single feed problem or ball chop. As of this point any correlation
between the modification and performance is purely conjecture.
For this modification you are going to need a Dremel tool or a drill
that uses grinding bits. You want to select two bits, one that has a medium
grit and one that is a bit finer. As with the striker modification, if
you don't feel secure about grinding on your gun, skip this part. This
modification should be performed on a completely stripped gun and the upper
receiver should be cleaned thoroughly before reassembly.
Using the medium grinding attachment, insert the bit into the oval shaped
hole on the powerfeed. Lightly grind the connection of the powerfeed to
the body, removing any sharp or edged connection points. Use some moderation.
You do not need to grind all the way through the body, just enough to knock
down the edges. After this, use the fine attachment to clean up any remaining
rough spots. Clean the receiver and replace the internals.
Why is this beneficial to the speed of the gun? By removing this point
of bolt wear you are also reducing the amount of friction causing surface
area. Also, you extend the life of your bolt by eliminating excess wear.
Cost: whatever you paid for tools and bits.
4. Other Goodies: This section deals with the preassembled portions
of a gun system that can help increase your speed.
Power loader: VL2000, VL3000, or VL Revolution (sorry, I'm partial to
Viewloader products...). These will allow your gun to feed faster than
gravity allows by agitating the paint. While I have found that the Spyder
has a good habit of self-agitating the paint, it never hurts to have that
little extra help on your side. Cost: $70-$80.
Teflon lubricant: Needless to say, lubricant is essential. But lubricant
with Teflon will make the parts of your gun extremely slick, allowing for
faster cycling time by reducing metal on metal friction. Cost: $5.
Overall cost of modification: $187-$254 plus tools and sanding items.
The basic goal of these modifications is to increase cycling speed by
reducing fun friction and extra, unnecessary play within the gun. I have
personally made all of these modifications to my gun and will be happy
to answer questions regarding the performance of any portion of this document.
I realize that I did not discuss remotes or HPA systems. Why? I personally
don't have any experience with these items and I do not want to make claims
about them that I cannot support. If you have a question regarding these
products, contact your local shop owner, the SPG, the SOG, or check on
the newsgroups (alt.sport.paintball and rec.sport.paintball)
Ben Baron a.k.a. Kinderfeld
Team Fallen Angels
bkb9206@pop.tamu.edu
SPG#11
SOG#81296