'Lightspeed' Trigger Frame - an idea

[Ben Frain]

Thought about developing this idea a few months back but it's unlikely I'll ever have chance to even get a prototype built so I thought I'd share the idea in case anybody is inclined to run with it...

OK, so for as long as paintball guns have been made they have all been built upon the heritage of firearms. With firearms a trigger is needed to activate the hammer etc and fire the round. Over simplification but you get the idea.

With paintball going the 'sport' route more and more and the majority of markers now electronically controlled I set about thinking about whether this traditional approach is actually still needed.

For example, on an eblade cocker all the trigger does is cross cause a light beam to be broken, thereby signalling to the board to start the cycling process, same kind of thing happens with Speeds and A4's. However, do we really need the trigger part? If all the trigger is doing is breaking a beam of light - why have one?

Surely at present it is just one more element in an equation that isn't needed. It is a mechanical device which creates resistance that isn't needed...

So the idea of the 'Lightspeed' trigger frame is to elimintate the trigger from a marker. Still have a trigger guard but instead of a physical trigger, just have a break beam running top to bottom of the trigger guard and therefore when the user fans the fingers in the usual way (the program running the marker would need to be set to cycle on every other 'break' as the finger returns past the beam) it breaks the beam and cycles the marker - no trigger needed, no trigger resistance so possibly higher firing rates are also possible.

So, I know it's possible but is it practical? Is it worthwhile? Anybody with relevant experience fancy developing it with me?

Please don't steal this idea without consulting me!

 

[L J]

so what happens if your cleaning the marker out without a bung on, and you drop your pull through, its breaks the beam of light and a ball is fired?

yes you can have safe mode, but you cant guarantee 100% of people will do that

Jon

 

[L J]

also, triggers are good. most involve springs, some involve magnetics which help to push your finger back into firing position so you can fire again, thus increasing firing speed

although, your idea would stop trigger bounce wouldnt it?

 

[Ben Frain]

Push your finger back? Are you kidding me? When was the last time a trigger pushed your finger back?

With reference to the unwanted discharge - how is that any different to a current light trigger set up??????

 

[L J]

well with current light triggers, the actual trigger blade is in the way so generally things cant get behind it

and, about the trigger pushing your finger/trigger back, what does the eblade do? what do springs on triggers do, i know i like eblades with quite a bit of magnet against the trigger

 

[garycarrot]

The light beam would have to be set very close to the frame, so your trigger finger could move back and forth through it, or you would be always in the beam and it would only shoot once.

If I got your idea right.

And you would have to walk it slower, cause both fingers could enter the beam at the same time, so you would not get a clear beam to reset the trigger....

 

[Booti]

i'm with mr carrot on this one

there is no way you could get your fingers to break a light beam faster than you can pull a trigger

if you put the light beam down the centre of the frame and used one finger, it would have to go thru the beam and out the other side.....then the same back again. to make this work you would have to move your finger at least twice its thickness, and would get constant miss-fires

if you had the light beam against the back of the frame (where a normal trigeer would be) you could only use one finger as the other would constantly get in the way

you have to remember that a normal trigger can be set to work off 1 or 2mm travel....and so can be tapped to death

also how would the pickup work with all the ambient light, or are you going to play in the dark

if you can solve that problem and the marshalls will let you get away with it, i would place 3 beams in the trigger housing....one front, one back and one middle. As long as this does do not count as 'turbo' mode.....you would get 2 shots for every movement. (yes 2 shots, if your finger is at the back, that shot is fired. by moving it forward you get the middle 'trigger' and then the front one. same moving your finger backwards)

i would also mount a second microswitch on the side of the frame, that you could place your thumb over to act as a safety.....just have to make it 2-sided for shooting lefty

hope this helps....one way or the other

 

[Red_Merkin]

it's actually not a bad idea, but i'm sure smart parts already has a patent on light too...

 

[Gups]

and worst of all.... they'd have to re-write tourney rules before you could use it ...definition of trigger pull etc' physical exertion of pressure upon the trigger...one PULL one shot....blah blah...etc etc' But Hey! NO TRIGGER BOUNCE! that should save some time getting onto the field at CC!

 

[Ben Frain]

Originally posted by garycarrot
The light beam would have to be set very close to the frame, so your trigger finger could move back and forth through it, or you would be always in the beam and it would only shoot once.

If I got your idea right.

And you would have to walk it slower, cause both fingers could enter the beam at the same time, so you would not get a clear beam to reset the trigger....

No, I think you understand correctly but just try fanning your fingers at looking at them from above - near the finger tips is where you would have to pass through the beam where they would very quickly move back and forth through the beam and because there is no resistance (apart from air) you can fan quicker (well I can anyway) than you can against a trigger.

Of course there are some complications but I haven't come up with anything yet that makes me believe this isn't feasible or in fact preferable to a trigger based system.

However there is of course the inherent resistance that people may not want to use a 'gun' that doesn't have a 'trigger' - but it would take us yet another step away from being a 'firearm' in the eyes of the general public...

Patented and copyrighted Ben Frain 14/01/2004