Idea fror the split shell markers

So uh...care to share this plan, I don't think anyone is going to steal it.

Hello Ron
The idea is a tool-less dis-assembly of the 98 series receiver halves. I'm posting fast- I have my hands full with my children tonight. I can respond tomorrow while at work.

Thank you
Pep

Edited by Pepper - 30 January 2008 at 8:22pm

Pepper,

I believe there are several companies out there that make tool less disassembly for the 98 in the form of thumb screws. We kicked this idea around for a bit, but decided that it was better to leave that sort of thing to the third party developers, as the 98 was already in production by the time this was thought of. Retooling the production lines on the existing lines is just not smart or feasible. This idea was implemented however on the A-5 and X7 series markers in the form of push-pin breakdown.

Thank You,

Ron


Edited by Snake6 - 30 January 2008 at 10:37pm

The gains aren't honestly worth the cost. We are moving away from the 98 series with our new U.S. Army Paintball campaign. The Alpha Black is a 98 variant, but on a different assembly line. There are actually talks of discontinuing the 98c all together as the design is over 10 years old. I am sure the custom pro line will continue for a little while at least though.

Selling points would be %100 tooless disasebly, making it even easyer for the "new to the sport player" to service his/her marker.

I did find a real world aplication after I thought mine up.

98c is a dead production. Improving on it would not get it off the shells any faster, especially if its sub $100 price (when buying used) isn't getting them sold as much as the $200 A-5s. Best bet is to just recreate it as a whole, buttom-up and release it as a new line, which is what I understand this new Alpha Black line to be. Basically, your ideas aren't bad, they just aren't needed.

Its not that we shot your idea down without even seeing it, we have been extremely busy here with the launch of the Platinum series and other projects that we are currently working on.

Believe me, we have considered the idea as late as when the Platinum line. However the fact is that the lines are already tooled (the Platinum line uses alot of the same tools as the 98 lines), and it would actually cost more to implement the idea (retooling the entire line, contracting manufactuers to make the screws, etc) than it would to leave that type of thing to a thrid party. That extra cost would get transferred to the consumer, and would raise the marker cost at least $50 a unit to the retailers. In turn this would cause the retailers to increase markup, so you would have close to a $250 marker by the time it hits the stores. This is simply unacceptable.

At Tippmann we cater to the entry level player, and $250 per marker will not get your normal entry level player interested when there are better markers out there for that type of price.  If you want tooless entry third party is the way to go, as this it not needed for your basic entry level player. I suggest you look at the Platinum line, as it doesn't have tooless entry, but it is close enough that you can break down the marker pretty fast.

Sorry but basic cost benfit analisys dictates that it is not smart to implement your idea.

Thank You,

Ron

Edited by Snake6 - 01 February 2008 at 12:11pm

There is a possibility that future marker designs will include quick strip pins like the A-5 and X-7 have. However we are not in the early development stage of any markers currently. Everything we have is either in the prototype phase or manufacturing phase.

You have already told me the idea, and tooless entry has already been successfully done in the A-5 and X-7 series markers. Right now I do not understand the need to rethink the whole quick disassembly process. Why fix something that isn't broke?

I would be happy to look at the specifics of your idea if you would post them here along with a proof of concept. To my understanding so far, it is nothing earthshaking that will have significant advantages over our push pin system. If the idea is well thought out, and has good cost benefit I would be happy to pass it up. But from what you have said thus far, as far as I can tell it is nothing ground breaking.