Editing Autococker (section)

== Mechanical design ==

=== Overview ===

The Autococker is a closed-bolt, stacked-tube paintball marker.

Its upper tube contains the bolt and breech.

The lower tube contains the hammer, firing valve and associated springs.

The firing system is mechanically similar to the earlier WGP Sniper.

The principal difference is the addition of a pneumatic mechanism that performs the recocking operation automatically.[2]

=== Closed-bolt operation ===

In a closed-bolt marker, the paintball is chambered before the firing mechanism is activated.

The bolt remains forward when the marker is ready to fire.

When the trigger is pulled, the hammer strikes the valve.

Gas released through the valve propels the paintball through the barrel.

The pneumatic system then opens the bolt, recocks the hammer and prepares the marker for the next shot.

The bolt returns to its closed position before the next firing cycle.

=== Firing valve ===

The Autococker uses a poppet-style firing valve.

The valve is located in the lower tube of the marker body.

When the trigger releases the hammer, the hammer moves forward under spring pressure.

It strikes the valve stem, allowing gas to enter the firing chamber.

The gas travels through the bolt and propels the paintball.

=== Front pneumatic assembly ===

One of the Autococker's most recognisable features is its front pneumatic assembly.

The assembly traditionally includes:

* A low-pressure regulator
* A pneumatic control valve
* A pneumatic ram
* Pneumatic hoses
* A front mounting block

The system replaces the manual pump mechanism of the WGP Sniper.

=== Low-pressure regulator ===

The low-pressure regulator, commonly abbreviated '''LPR''', supplies gas to the recocking system.

It reduces the pressure available to the pneumatic components.

The LPR operates separately from the main firing pressure.

Aftermarket low-pressure regulators became popular upgrades.

One of the most influential was the '''Rock''' regulator manufactured by [[Palmer's Pursuit Shop]].

=== Pneumatic control valve ===

The pneumatic control valve directs gas to the recocking ram.

The valve is mechanically connected to the trigger through a timing rod.

As the trigger moves, the valve changes the direction of gas flow.

This causes the ram to move between its forward and rearward positions.

The component is commonly called a '''three-way''' valve in paintball terminology.

Some technical descriptions refer to it as a four-way valve because of differences in pneumatic port-counting conventions.[8]

=== Pneumatic ram ===

The ram is a double-acting pneumatic cylinder.

It moves the cocking mechanism forward and backward.

The ram is connected to the back block through a pump arm.

When activated, it moves the bolt and cocking rod rearward.

The movement recocks the hammer and opens the breech.

The ram then returns the bolt to its forward position.

=== Back block ===

The back block connects the bolt and cocking rod.

It moves rearward during the recocking cycle.

The movement of the back block became one of the Autococker's most distinctive visual characteristics.

Custom back blocks were produced by numerous aftermarket manufacturers.

=== Timing rod ===

The timing rod connects the trigger mechanism to the pneumatic control valve.

Its adjustment determines when the recocking mechanism activates during the trigger pull.

Correct timing is essential for reliable operation.

An incorrectly adjusted timing rod may cause the marker to recock too early or too late.