This page contains some general information for the Shocker Sport. Although the marker is long since discontinued, there is no other source for information on them despite being many Shocker Sport markers in circulation.
Information is divided up into sections, as listed below.
Getting started: Guide to using this website
Tech toolbox
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Shocker Sport frequently asked questions Parts of a Shocker: (technical information, theory, upgrades, etc)
Private Label Shocker Sport Guide General equipment tech (back to tech mainpage) |
Adjusting and Maintaining
Troubleshooting and Repair
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Introduction:
The Shocker Sport, although no longer in production, is a seasoned and proved design which was ahead of its time when invented and has since never been duplicated. It's a fully-electropneumatic paintball marker, meaning there is no sear, hammer, or pin valve. This combined with its unique operation lets the Shocker be one of the quietest markers on the field. It's also closed bolt like an Autococker, which means the bolt is already closed and the ball is already seated when you fire. Specifically, the ball is fired then the bolt slides back to reload another round, and automatically closes a short time afterwards. However, unlike an Autococker, you cannot control how long the bolt remains open while playing. The loading time is electronically-controlled, and allows the marker to virtually never chop a ball unless improperly timed.
The Shocker Sport has since been discontinued as mentioned earlier, however they are easy to find in used condition. In December of 2002 Smart Parts dropped the price for a new-in-box Shocker 4x4 from $700 to $450 (and dropped the $100 for vertical or powerfeed to $50). This sale lasted until December 31, when sales of the Shocker Sport were officially discontinued, and the webpage changed to an ad for the 2003 model (later known as the Shocker SFT). Smart Parts then clearanced all their remaining Sports to retailers (mainly paintballgear.com) and were sold for $450 for a brief period of time, until the price was dropped to $425, then $400, then $375, and then one final drop to $350. At the time of this writing just about all retailers have completely run dry on 2002 models. Just about the easiest way of getting a 1998-2002 Shocker at this time is to head over to eBay and find one there. You don’t have many assurances as to the marker's reliability, however most problems can be fixed by a qualified tech. You might also with to check the buy/sell/trade listings on shockerowners.com or PBnation.com.
Many players enjoy using the original Shocker because of its unusually tight shot-to-shot accuracy and low recoil; personally I see these as the marker's greatest advantages. Other characteristics include...
· 14" or 16" All American barrel (depending on year).
· Max-Flo regulator, low-pressure operation.
· Hammer-less design; produces extremely quiet shots.
· Patented dump-chamber design; maximum ROF of 13-bps.
· Electronically-controled closed bolt action.
· Design employs no external moving parts.
· Available in right feed, powerfeed, ot vertical feed body (vertical body includes dual ball detents).
· Operates with any tank using an output above 400-psi.
· Stock efficiency in the range of 700-900 shots from a 68/4500 HPA tank.
· Simplistic design makes maintenance very easy to perform.
· Once many upgrades available, including [but not limited to] frames, triggers, foregrips, feed ports, and others.
· Marker operates at 150-200 psi.
· Capable of operating off CO2, compressed air, or Nitrogen. The marker will perform better than most others on the market while on CO2, due to the operation.
History:
The Shocker was the first electropneumatic paintball marker ever manufactured (second being the Angel V6, third being the Rainmaker) in 1995. This original Shocker was actually manufacturered by a company called pneuVentures, or pVI for short. These first-generation Shockers were therefore known as pVI Shockers. The marker was jointly designed by pneuVentures and Smart Parts, however it was mostly produced by pneuVentures. PneuVentures is no longer around, however at the time they were heavily involved with devices that relied on air and air pressure, hence their name. They made pneumatic devices for NASA and various branches of the military, for instance.
The original Shockers were manufacturered by pneuVentures and sold directly through Smart Parts. The guns were expensive for the time (costing $700 plus more for accessories) but they weren't extremely well performing due to the early design. They were caped at 9-bps, large and heavy, used unreliable electronics, and weren't the best on air efficiency. The marker continued until 1997 when Smart Parts began developing their own second-generation Shocker design, after which point SP withdrew from their merchandising contract with pVI. This second-gen Shocker became the Shocker Sport marker which is the center for this section of the site. The Shocker Sport was faster firing, slightly more efficient, smaller and lighter, and used more reliable parts. Prior to the Shocker Sport in 1998, Smart Parts produced only barrels and generic marker accessories; the Shocker Sport was the first marker for SP, which as since grown to be one of the largest paintball manufacturers on the market today.
PneuVentures also began developing their own second-gen Shocker design (known as the Warrior or Cyber9000) however the company went out of business shorly afterward so the marker never made it to production.
PneuVentures and Smart Parts were both listed on several patents for the Shocker and its regulator. After pneuVentures went out of business, Smart Parts purchased the remaining patents for these technologies and were then entitled to their full ownership. SP then took the oppurtunity to expand the Shocker patent to cover feasibly any electronic marker out there, grounds being the Shocker was the first to use this type of part on the market. This was the source of some contention, but the same patents are still enforced to this day (2013 at the time of this writing) despite the fact that SP no longer owns the patents any longer.
The Shocker Sport continued production until 2002, when it was discontinued in light of more fast and lightweight markers (Ion, Impulse, Shocker SFT, etc). Many parts of the marker were changed in these five years spanning 1998-2002, including the style of the body, electronics, regulator refinements, internal parts, and others. Nowadays, this second-generation Shocker Sport has been completely discontinued. Smart Parts currenty produces a marker known as the Shocker SFT however its design is completely different and doesn't share anything with the original Shocker markers (the Shocker SFT is only named Shocker for marketing purposes). The old Shocker Sports are obviously still around, and even pVI Shockers can be infrequently spotted on the field, in the hands of diehard Shocker fans for the past decade or so. Shocker Sports aren't the fastest and lightest markers on the field, so they're not prized as overly worthy markers by the large tournament scene.
In the end, over 24 thousand Shocker Sports were made.
The above pictures are scans from the 2002 Smart Parts catalog (the blue marker is from an ad for paintball magazines). The last picture is an early 2000 model, with the old-style body.