Paintball Library wishes to thank ZDSPB.com and all the animators (whether known or unknown) for the following information.

This page is an index for marker firing assembly animations that I've collected or created. They are organized into groups based upon one possible categorization method. More detailed descriptions of these designs, including their operation and lineage to associated designs, can be found on the marker classification pages.

If you have any additional animations for a production marker not listed here, point them out to me and I will gladly host them.

Credit is listed for animations that don't have the credit pictured on the anim itself. If it doesn't say who made it, then I don't know....if you know who made it please let me know and I'll post credit on this page.

All animations listed here with the tag ZDSPB.com were created by myself. My animations are made using the following programs: MS Paint, Jasc Animation Shop 3, Addobe Photoshop (Imageready), Autodesk Inventor. Each animation takes several hours to compile each; this page is representative of days upon days of work.

Hammer/valve markers; Nelson-based; Pump:  

    Nelson                        Phantom                   Splatmaster             Sterling

Nelsons were the original hammer/valve paintball markers and are characterized by using a hammer that travels rearward to fire. All of the above are closed bolt, and non-automatic pumps. Sterlings are a stacked-tube variation of the Nelson design while alternately the Splatmaster is similar except the hammer is actuated by the articulating barrel when fired.

Hammer/valve markers; Nelson-based Semiauto:

    ATS-AT                       Rainmaker                    Rainmaker                  Splatmaster

These markers are similar to Nelsons in their design; however are semiautomatic instead of non-automatic. Rainmakers are an electronic version of the Vector, which was a pneumatic Nelson semiauto.

Hammer/Valve Markers; Sheridan-based Pump:

         Sheridan                        PGP

Sheridan is the first major offshoot redesign of the Nelson markers. The noticeable difference is that the hammer travels forward to fire the marker. The vast majority of present-day markers use this same design.  

Hammer/Valve Markers; Sheridan-based Semiauto; Open-bolt Blowback:

   Tippmann A-5       F4 Illustrator     Tippmann Prolite     Kingman Spyder            VM68

These use the same valve design as the Sheridan, however are modified for semiauto. This is easy to do with the Sheridan design since the bolt can be linked to the hammer.

Spyders are examples of "stacked tube" blowback markers, including the Piranha as well as many others (the VM and F-Illustrator are older markers). Tippmann Prolites are an early example of "inline tube" blowbacks, similar in layout to the other Tippmann markers, as well as a few other low-end blowbacks (Stingray, etc). The design of the A-5 is similar in action however the valve outlet is reversed, allowing for a less complex layout of parts.

Hammer/Valve Markers; Sheridan-based Semiauto; Closed-bolt Blowback:

    Autococker              Autococker                 Excalibur                    Omen

Same valve deisgn as the open bolt blowbacks, however the bolt action has been separated from the hammer to allow them to act independantly. Autocockers accomplish this by linking the bolt to a set of trigger pneumatics (similar to Sovereigns, Blazers). Omens are a literal semiauto version of the original Sheridans, using a bolt that is blown into the open position by the hammer but closes afterwards by spring action. Excaliburs aren't blowback markers (they're electropneumatic instead) but the design is similar so I put them here.

First animation from WGP.

Hammer/valve based, Sheridan-based Electropneumatic; Stacked-Tube:

      Angel                            Impulse                           Impulse                     Nerve

Sheridan valve system, except here the spring-loaded hammer has been replaced by a pneumatic piston. Examples of this type of marker include the Impulse, Bushmaster, Intimidator, Angel, Viking, Ego, NME, Daidem, and others. Angels share the same basic layout with the Viking, except parts are in different loctions. Nerves function the same except the position of the hammer to the ram is reversed.

          Intimidator                Ego                        Ego

These are newer-generation hammer/valve markers. They use modified diameters and air features to eliminate the use of a traditional hammer weight. First Ego animation from x420psykoticx.

Spool valve, Unbalanced (Blowforward); Mechanical:

     Automag                 Automag              Automag              Automag L10           Level-10 bolt             Pneumag

    RT E-Mag

This design includes the Automag (pictured above), Desert Fox, Tiberius series markers, as well as a few others. Automag RT (wmv) animation from AGD. The bottom row of animations are as follows: 1 RT E-Mag without the RT animated; 2 Full RT E-Mag; 3 Pneumag modification (no RT); 4 Level-10 low-impact bolt.

Spool valve, Unbalanced (Blowforward), electropneumatic:

     Freestyle                Rail                        Threshold

        Ion                    Ion Nano bolt             Ion  QEV                  Ion Full                       Ion

These markers use a bolt that is "held back" in the open position, then allowed to move forward to fire. Freestyles are similar in layout to Automags; Ions and Rails are laid out similar to the original (balanced) Matrix design. Ion bolts without tails (Nano, L7) can be thought of as inverted Automag/Freestyle bolts.

The last type of bolt layout shown is the guide version, shown in the third row. These bolts are hollow and ride on a central guide or stem. These are examples of the balanced Shocker design made into a three-way blowforward, other markers using this layout include the Droid, Pikkadoll, Ion Hollowpoint bolt, and Proto SLG.

Click for a slower Rail animation. The last animation is of the Ion with and without a QEV. The movement of the bolt in that animation is perfectly accurate, down to the millisecond. Click for a slower Ion QEV animation.

Spool valve, Balanced, Matrix-based:

Matrix Slambolt    Pre-DM Matrix            Dye DM4/5/6/C/+              Droid                 Pre-DM Matrix    

Matricies use a balanced bolt with the piston in front and the dump chamber in rear. The bolt is pushed forward to release pressure and fire the ball. The design of the Matrix originated from a grease injector-gun used to package meat products.

I use the term "pre-DM" to refer to the Matrix design before the DM4+ in 2004. The firing assembly is the same; the rest of the marker is different. DM animation from Subvertz and Excel-Krusher. Click for a slower pre-DM Matrix or DM4 animation.

The last animation is for the MacDev Droid, which fires using a nearly-balanced four-way bolt, also operating a shutoff shuttle valve behind it. The layout of components pushed me to classify this as a derivative of Matricies, however the bolt riding on a central guide lends it some similarities with Shockers too.

Spool valve, balanced, Shocker-based:

Air Challenger 264     FEP Quest                Evolve bolt             HE bolt/NXT stock        SFT Stock bolt

Shockers use a balanced bolt with the dump chamber in front and the piston in rear. The bolt is pushed forward to release pressure and fire the ball. The design of these markers stems from a steam-powered device used on locomotives. Click for a slower Shocker animation: stock bolt; Evolve bolt; HE bolt.

Quests function the same as HE Shockers except the dump chamber has been moved to the inside of the bolt instead of around it (and some other rearranged parts).

The Air Challenger marker shown above (the name of which is unknown) is similar to an HE Shocker. Click for slower AC 264 animation.

Spool valve, balanced, dual-piston:

Omega-II

This marker is similar to the Shocker design, however uses two separate spool components to function. Interestingly, the creator of this marker is also the creator of the original Matrix/Omega, so one can wonder if this was designed to be a Matrix predacessor. I don't know its actual name being as it's not currently a commercial marker, until Kirwan tells me anyway (lol).

Pressure-controlled poppet - Increasing force: 

Legion Shocker

These markers fire by adding force behind the poppet, which pushes it open and fires the ball. The firing design for the above markers is very similar, however the Nova uses an articulating barrel instead of a traditional bolt. In the Nova and Legion Shocker (as well as the Mayhem) the dump chamber pressure holds the bolt/barrel in the closed position, which allows the bolt/barrel to move when the chamber is expelled.

The Legion Shocker was a marker concept that SP never released. Please note this is not the same as the Russian Legion private label Shocker. 

        BL Onyx                  Shocker Sport 

These markers function by adding force to one side of the poppet to release the seal and fire the ball. They don't necessarilly function similar, though. Onyx is a literal electropneumatic conversion of the mech design used in the A-5, and has other applications.

Pressure-controlled poppet - Decreasing force:

WM Assault-80   Deadlywind Aedes (mQ)   ICE Epic              mQ valve                   mQ valve 

The mQ is a poppet-based valve system that initiates a small leak in order to fire the valve (firing by means of removing pressure/force). First valve animation from Vantrepes. The Aedes marker is a stacked-tube design using an mQ valve to fire (click for a slower Aedes animation).

The ICE Epic uses a unique trap-door action to seal off the chamber, however the valve is fired by removing pressure from one side of the poppet in a similar method. The Epic is mechanical, however, so the removal of force is carried out by a mechanical trigger.

Lastly, the Assault-80 functions by pushing the poppet/bolt combo forward, teh releasing the pressure behind the poppet to actually initiate the firing. The layout of this obviously marker is similar to the Legion Shocker and Nova, however the valve action has been switched (decreasing instead of increasing). The Assault-80 is an open bolt version of the Mayhem, which is a redesign of the Nova that uses a bolt instead of an articulating barrel.

Pressure-controlled poppet hybrid: 

King Cobra/Invert         Invert Mini               Invert Mini

These are technically "decreasing force" but with a twist. They use a poppet to control the release of pressure, by simultaneously removing force from behind the poppet and increasing it on the front, thus moving the poppet and firing the marker. The bolt is pushed forward using pressure from behind the poppet.

The first animation (courtesy of Manike) is of the Invert Mini, based on the older King Cobra marker. The second animation (courtesy of Nadsenoj) is of the original King Cobra design. The two are operationally similar, except the Invert uses modified parts.

The third animation (of the Mini) shows the valve action with greater detail.

Dual-solenoid electropneumatic:

       Excalibur              Shocker Sport

These markers use one solenoid to fire the marker, and another to operate the bolt. Due to this function, the markers operate as closed bolt. The difference between these two markers is that the Excalibur is a hammer/valve electro, whereas the Shocker Sport is an increasing force poppet design. An electronic autococker would function like the Excal, except with springs to operate the valve instead of a piston.

Combustion/Propane:

C3

This uses a combustion chamber that is prefilled with oxygen (red) then mixed with propane (yellow) when the pump is racked to create the necessary flammable ratio (yellow/blue). To fire, a small ignition switch is sparked, and the gases expand out through the barrel to fire the ball. The rate of fire for this type of device is severely limited due to heat-buildup complications; this is the main reason for the pump design instead of semiauto. (this is also the reason for a C3's special barrel).

Valves: 

  Parker K solenoid              Autococker 3-way (regular)        Autococker 3-way (sealed)

These valves are used to switch airflow in various markers. The Autococker valves are mechanically actuated by the trigger (an example of the sealed three-way valve would be the Shocktech Bomb). The solenoid pictured is a Parker K-series, however it also represents other pilot-actuated / indirect-acting solenoids as well. Description can be found in the solenoid tech section. Click for a slower version of the solenoid animation.

Regulator:

Floating poppet reg

Check the Excalibur animations for an example of a moving base type reg; alternately another example of a floating poppet reg can be seen in the Nerve animations.

Loader:

Tippmann Cyclone

This loading device uses a small burst of air pressure to advance the feeding sprocket, which pushes the next ball into the breech.