Guide: Extra Mods - based on the CPS 2700

Threads about water gun modifications.
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joannaardway
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Guide: Extra Mods - based on the CPS 2700

Post by joannaardway » Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:10 pm

At the request of others, I have come out of the new users forum to write articles on some of the mods I've done.

I've received requests to explain:

- extra nozzle settings (covered in this post)
- counter balancing (which I am going to bundle with recoil lessening and weight reduction as they are all based on making the weapon better balanced and easier to fire single handed)
- Various trigger mods: hair trigger, increased max output and range
- increased pressure tank range (not a K-mod! - this is hardest to explain so I'll have to do several drafts on this before it reaches this topic.)


I'm going to post this one first and I'll advance on to the others later. READ IT FULLY PEOPLE - I WILL GET QUITE DISSAPPOINTED IF YOU ASK A QUESTION THAT IS ANSWERED IN THE POST

3 extra nozzle settings for the CPS 2700.

A technique to double the options your selector weapon has. I refer to the CPS 2700 as a example repeatedly during this guide because that's what I performed this mod on.

Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible for damage done to you or your weapons when performing this modification, and it is performed at your own discretion. To some, it may seem that this guide is excessively long and contains too many details - this is to try and prevent unfortunate "mis-mods" because I'd rather that your expensive gun didn't go down the pan.

Takes 1-2 hours to mod.
2-3 hours was my initial time, and I needed to do a lot of thinking, guessing and inventing.
With this guide, you should be quicker, especially because it contains hindsight.

It takes varying times to dry, depending on the glue and putty used.

WHATEVER YOU DO, READ THE WHOLE OF THIS FIRST. SKIP NOTHING. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR WEAPON IS SUITABLE FOR THIS MOD.

Pros
- You have twice as many nozzle options.
- You get to choose exactly what these are.
- You don't lose any of the old options.
- Even if this goes wrong, it's unlikely that your weapon will be rendered useless.
- This guide may be long, but it's simpler than that suggests.

Cons:
- However, it's not the easiest mod.
It's not easy, and the instructions may be hard to understand in places. I do try to make them simple, but I'm not infallible.
- Needs some unusual equipment and parts.
- I cannot speak for guns other than the CPS 2700

This technique may work on other nozzle selector weapons, but use your common sense.

Guns that should be "good to go"
- CPS 2700 (definitely good to go)
- Weapons with a flat fronted, single part, "internally indented" (refer to "To find the size of the main drill bit for a weapon other than the CPS 2700" for a definition) nozzle selector piece.
- Weapons with mods. This is compatible with almost any other mod, but some may cause problems.

Guns which may have problems:
-Guns with a curved nozzle selector piece. (This can be deal with - it won't look pretty, but it should work)
-Guns with a two part nozzle selector piece. (I am pretty sure that this mod cannot work on this type of weapon, at least without some very impressive trickery)

Important points
- Make sure there is enough room between the current nozzles for a new one.
- Do not attempt to add anything more than doubling.
However, I'm sure you won't want less than doubling. And even if you don't, I'm sure you can survive with double nozzle settings - invent some.
- Make sure that you have marked everything correctly, because a mistake could render the whole mod useless.
- Do not attempt this unless you have at least performed a basic nozzle size mod.

Equipment and parts list:
- Drill bit - I will refer to this as the "Main" drill bit, as it's going to be the one you use most.
(9 mm or 3/8" [The previously given 16mm 5/8" was wrong] for the CPS 2700 - if it's a different weapon, I explain later how to find out the size needed)
- Plumbers putty, or similar
- Your favourite glue to use on your water gun.
- Plastic sheet either 2mm or "stackable" to 2mm thick (i.e. glueing two 1mm pieces on top of each other, etc.).
However, if it's stacked this may affect the stream lamination.
You may want to find plasticard (sheet styrene in the USA) for this.
At a pinch, the plastic cases for floppy discs should do the job.
Whatever you do, don't use brittle plastic, because you will be drilling into it.
- Drill bits for all of the nozzles you wish to add.
So, if you want a 4mm nozzle, get a 4mm-drill bit.
- Precision saw.
You could do it with a hacksaw, but it will be harder.
-Files
Optional
-Paint roughly matching the colour of the nozzle selector piece.

Instructions

Remove the nozzle selector piece from the weapon - retain the springs and other pieces.

Locate your "main" drill bit.

To find the size of the "main" drill bit for a weapon other than the CPS 2700:
Look on the inside of the nozzle piece. All the nozzles (should) have a circular indent, with the nozzle cut into the base of this. If you can't find an indent or the headpiece is made of two or more pieces, this method probably won't work. The original indents on my CPS 2700 are circled (alright squared) in the picture below.

Image

Take a drill bit and insert the base of it (i.e. not the business end) into the indent (not the actual nozzle). If it's a tight fit then that's the size you need. Find the best fit you can and then proceed.

At this point, I chose to cut the plastic pieces shielding the old nozzles away, down to the point at which the nozzles actually start.
However - before doing this make an educated guess - will the nozzles fit in the space you have?
(Remember that the nozzle will not be going immediately between the current nozzles, but "outside" of this.)

You will use this drill bit to drill the guide holes for the "buttons" that lock each setting into place. (i.e. you'll drill the equivalent of the holes not circled on the picture above - ignore the black plastic for the moment)

You need to mark points:
- "In between" all of the current nozzles, regardless of how many extra settings you want.
So on a three-nozzle gun you need to mark three points.
- An equal distance from the centre of the two nozzles next to them (which is why it's easier to remove the extra plastic)
- An equal distance from the centre of the selector as one of the centre of the current nozzles is.

On a weapon with three nozzles, these distances should be the same. So on the CPS 2700 both distances are 13mm (roughly 1/2")

Drill a hole in each place you have marked with your "main" drill bit. You may want to sink a smaller hole first as a guide. You must drill these holes first - even if they're not the sizes you want, not go straight on to adding your new nozzles.

Ok. You should now have twice as many holes in the front of your nozzle piece.

Assuming the hole on your blaster (the bit with the mesh in it [at least on the CPS 2700]) is at least as large as one of the ones you have drilled (it should be on the CPS 2700), you may want to leave one as it is - This provides the direct equivalent of the "Power Mod" (except without the loss of settings) and allows you the max the weapon can manage without highly extensive modding.

For the other holes:
-Take the 2mm plastic sheet
-Cut it so that it covers the hole well (you need to ensure it fits between the current nozzles), and doesn't cover any other holes. Don't make it too large. Whatever you do, do not block the central hole that screws the piece to the front of the gun.
-Glue it over the hole, and plug the edges with the plumbers putty. (On weapons with curved nozzle sets, the putty is your friend.)

Once you have added the plastic sheet over all the holes - except if you are leaving one for the "Power Mod" - get out your drill bits and drill your new nozzle settings through the plastic sheet, making sure that the holes are directed at the guide hole on the other side. If you miss this guide hole, then this nozzle may well be rendered useless. This can be a very tricky part, and requires a lot of care. It may be better to drill from the inside of the piece to the outside. This way you can insure the holes are running in a sensible channel.

Paint the nozzles to match the colour scheme, and then leave to dry.

Your finished result should roughly match the below.

Image

I elected to leave one nozzle for the "Power Mod" (20x - yeah!), drill 9 holes through one of the plastic sheets for a 9-way scatter shot, through the other I created a shotgun setting - This was intended to be a "sheet" of water, but for some reason it insists on spraying in a cone forwards. It's not a problem, because it's good for just hitting EVERYTHING.

In the picture, the bottom left nozzle is the 20x "power mod" nozzle, the upper nozzle is the shotgun nozzle and the bottom right nozzle is the 9 shot nozzle.

To finish - Enjoy the extra options!

This is 4 A4 pages people - so it should cover most of what needs to be said

Any questions? I'll try and get the other mods up as fast as possible
Last edited by joannaardway on Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Mistake on drill size.
"Over the hills and far away, she prays he will return one day. As sure as the rivers reach the seas, back in his arms again she'll be." - Over the Hills and far away, Gary Moore

"So many people have come and gone, their faces fade as the years go by. Yet I still recall as I wander on, as clear as the sun in the summer sky" - More than a feeling, Boston

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joannaardway
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Counter Balancing (Bull-pup considered), Weight Reduction and Recoil Lessening

Post by joannaardway » Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:52 pm

The next mod to be covered is counter-balancing, recoil lessening and weight reduction.

Weight Reduction
Speaks for itself really - anything that cuts down on the weight of your weapon, making it less tiring to carry in the field. Simply, this consists of stripping out non-essentials from your watergun to try and make it less cumbersome. I have no idea what your watergun can do without, so I'll leave you to decide. Every little change counts so cut things even if they're not a major weight.

However - do not remove things you may want again or parts that will weaken your weapon.

Parts you may want to remove:
- If you've lost screws, you could remove the opposing pieces that they screw into.
- Cut away spurious pieces on the weapon - If it has no use, get rid of it. The purple head piece on the CPS 2700 is an example - after removing that, you may want to cut away the plastic that it clipped into.

I achieved a 7.5% weight loss on my 2700 (even after the counter balance), which proves useful at times.

Counter balancing
Counter balancing combines specific weight reduction with re-weighting in different places.

The aim of counter-balancing is to move the centre of gravity to a more desired location - normally towards the trigger grip to make the weapon more single handed.

In the case of the single-handed counter-balance, if the trigger is towards the rear of the weapon (I'm not aware of any bull-pup stock water weapons, but if there are enlighten me), weight should be cut from the front of the weapon, while weight is added behind the trigger.

Bull-pup counter balance

A more drastic counter balance (but massively more effective) would be to move the position of the trigger-grip and trigger - essentially converting the weapon to a bull-pup type. I'm working out if this would be viable for my CPS 2700 - the second column in front of the current trigger guard might be an optional location. It serves no real purpose, and this would almost perfectly balance it - if it worked.

Recoil Lessening

The name "Recoil lessening" hypes it slightly - Nothing can make recoil disappear except a power reduction. Don't go! - this is not a power reduction.
The aim is to make recoil affect your aim less.

To do this, it's required to change the slant of the "main nozzle" (i.e. the nozzle behind the selectors) so that it aims more at the weapon's centre of gravity. When twisted by the force of the water flow, the weapon will turn around it's centre of gravity (COG) - and if this pushes more towards the turning point the weapon will twist less when fired (think of a door - the closer to the hinges you push the harder it is to open/close)

With some small screws or small "chocks" you can adjust the nozzle's flow relative to the COG.

The COG of a water weapon changes quite a lot during a fight, so set it up so that the weapon is in the most common condition when firing (probably about 2/3 to 3/4 full PC and 1/2 to 2/3 full reservior) when you work out the COG to perform this mod.

This does shift the aim of the weapon, so make sure you are used to this before you go into a water war.

This mod is most likely to be of use for snipers, so this is recommended for snipers - for other users it may be excessive.

Those mods are not the most weapon changing, but if you "dual-wield" or are a sniper it may be worth your efforts to perform one or more of them - Most users should consider the weight reduction mod if they can
"Over the hills and far away, she prays he will return one day. As sure as the rivers reach the seas, back in his arms again she'll be." - Over the Hills and far away, Gary Moore

"So many people have come and gone, their faces fade as the years go by. Yet I still recall as I wander on, as clear as the sun in the summer sky" - More than a feeling, Boston

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joannaardway
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Hair trigger, Increased max output and range.

Post by joannaardway » Wed Feb 22, 2006 4:42 pm

I know I'm multi-posting, but it's much easier to do it this way as well as more navigable

Hair Trigger

Definitions of "Hair Trigger":
- a trigger so constructed as to discharge a firearm by a very slight pressure, as by the touch of a hair.
-A trigger adjusted so that a very small amount of pressure causes the gun to fire.

Do not attempt a Hair trigger mod lightly after performing the Increased trigger output mod. It is highly likely that you will damage the trigger valve - however, with care it may be possible - but check everything twice!

In this case, my aim was to reduce the slack on the weapon's trigger to enhance the weapons' reaction time.

The primary duty was to adjust the trigger rod so that it was shorter so that more of the slack in the spring [marked in the picture below] was taken up - this consistutes much of the mod - take care that the trigger is not pulled open by the shortened rod. It's an old repair adjusted to work as a mod. Part of this switch allows for the Increased max output mod.

Image

The new rod is shown below (it's the top one), but in addition to being shorter, the rod is also delibrately straighter. This is part of the increased max output mod, because the rod must be straighter in addition to being shorter - this may not make sense, but it's true enough. Other soakers may need to adjust the rod differently. (But shorter and straighter is the right route to take)

Image

This, because of the decreased "slack" on the trigger, means that more of the trigger's run opens the valve.

Increased max output and range.

The other half of this mod involves allowing the trigger to draw back further to insure that the trigger valve opens fully and allows more laminar flow of the water. If the water has a cleaner flow, then less power is lost from the flow due to friction and turbulence.

To perform the remainder of the mod, cut away parts from the back of the trigger in order to allow it to pull back further to allow the valve to open fully.

However a word of warning. Ensure that the trigger stops before it's pulling fully on the trigger valve, because if this is pulled back too firmly, it may damage the valve. This is a mod that requires a lot of care, because if it goes wrong, it may damage the internals.

The two mods combined will allow better range and reaction times.

Next time: Pressure tank range improvements - this may take a week or two to sort out, because it won't make sense without pictures and I'm having trouble taking the ones I need
"Over the hills and far away, she prays he will return one day. As sure as the rivers reach the seas, back in his arms again she'll be." - Over the Hills and far away, Gary Moore

"So many people have come and gone, their faces fade as the years go by. Yet I still recall as I wander on, as clear as the sun in the summer sky" - More than a feeling, Boston

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SSCBen
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Post by SSCBen » Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:54 pm

Sounds great so far! Don't worry about splitting anything into multiple posts. Our double-post rule really only applies to worthless posts. ;)

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wetmonkey442
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Post by wetmonkey442 » Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:57 pm

Nice! Those mods are pretty creative. In fact, I'm suprised that more people haven't though of or at least implemented these before. Any chance I could get you to write some articles for my new site, Downpour?

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Post by joannaardway » Wed Feb 22, 2006 10:19 pm

The truth is I did most of the mods before investigating any mods on the net. So because I hadn't read about any mods, I had to invent my own. Which essentially means that they are created "unique". I haven't performed any check valve freezes (I actually calculated the advantage it would give me, and it wasn't worth it against the trouble) or K-mods (too much work, and shot time is important when you dual wield as much as I do). Many of my mods may seem pedantic, but everything counts in large amounts.

I enjoy investigating new mods, and I'm willing to try most things as long as they can be fixed. My thoughts are that there are limits to how much one mod can adjust the performance of a weapon, but there are almost no limits on the number of mods a single weapon can have performed to it. Without innovation and interaction, then no true advances are made.

I can't measure ranges at the moment, because I've opened up the trigger valve for some more modifications, and hence it can't be used. I'm currently pioneering "turbulence reduction" - not quite lamination, but it reduces hard edges in the water gun, meaning the water flows even more freely. (Again the less power lost to the internals and friction, the better)

I haven't got any problem with writing articles for sites - I want to see greater enthusiasm for water weapons - they're fun, easy to use, not dangerous or painful (if used correctly) and customisable (which is more than many paintball guns can manage)

I'd sooner write articles for another site than create my own site - if I do that the information is spread even more thinly and harder to get, so I'm happy to help collect the wisdom into a smaller space.

Anyway, with regards to me, I'll try and keep innovating in the field of water weapon mods (maybe I'll perform the bull-pup mod if I find a way to do it, and then post a guide - it won't be easy though.)
"Over the hills and far away, she prays he will return one day. As sure as the rivers reach the seas, back in his arms again she'll be." - Over the Hills and far away, Gary Moore

"So many people have come and gone, their faces fade as the years go by. Yet I still recall as I wander on, as clear as the sun in the summer sky" - More than a feeling, Boston

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wetmonkey442
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Post by wetmonkey442 » Wed Feb 22, 2006 10:28 pm

One of the new Super Soakers this year, the "Defender" has a slight bullpup look to it. Although the handle is not as far forward as in most bullpup designs, the center of balance is clearly closer to the center of the gun, and the handle looks a lot like a handle from a FN P-90 or something akin. I think iSoaker has some pics of it.

EDIT: Spelling

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m15399
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Post by m15399 » Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:22 pm

I WILL GET QUITE DISSAPPOINTED IF YOU ASK A QUESTION THAT IS ANSWERED IN THE POST
We see that alot...
for some reason it insists on spraying in a cone forwards.
That happened when I tried to make a fan nozzle, too. Hmm...
(I'm not aware of any bull-pup stock water weapons, but if there are enlighten me)
I believe the Splashzooka could be classified as a bull-pup.
there are almost no limits on the number of mods a single weapon can have performed to it
Well, at a certain point, it becomes a homemade with stock parts instead of a stock with homemade parts. ;)

Very nice article(s)!

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joannaardway
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Post by joannaardway » Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:41 pm

Fair point about the Splashzooka. I'd forgotten that.

And yes, the whole thing about homemade's with stock parts. I like the super soaker weapons because they have the case and configuration, which is hard to find on a homemade. So a modded weapon could match up well against a homemade because the case is really useful.
"Over the hills and far away, she prays he will return one day. As sure as the rivers reach the seas, back in his arms again she'll be." - Over the Hills and far away, Gary Moore

"So many people have come and gone, their faces fade as the years go by. Yet I still recall as I wander on, as clear as the sun in the summer sky" - More than a feeling, Boston

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m15399
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Post by m15399 » Thu Feb 23, 2006 12:29 am

Well, a soaker with a PVC nozzle mod, a homemade pump, and a trigger valve replacement is pretty darn close to a homemade, even if it's in a stock case!

Personally, I don't see how the casing helps you in a water fight, but you could easily add straps, handles, etc etc etc to homemades.

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joannaardway
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Post by joannaardway » Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:00 am

A case makes the weapon easier to handle, and less likely to damage. Once I've put the trigger valve back toghether, I'll measure ranges.

As a guess, I believe that the weapon has about (possibly a touch less than) 40ft range at a 10-15 degree angle.

I don't tend to use the weapon at a 45 degree angle so this stat isn't much use to me, but I'll investigate it when I can, as this is what people want.

However, with the extra mods I've added it should have changed. I need some more parts from the local DIY store, so it may take some time to finish the mods.

EDIT: I've found a few more things that need to/can be done, so I'm going to do them before I reassemble the weapon. In the meantime, I'll see if I can provide any more mod ideas.

SECOND EDIT: THE DRILL SIZES GIVEN FOR THE CPS 2700 IN THE TOP POST WERE WRONG! THEY HAVE BEEN CORRECTED, BUT I WANT TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW!
Last edited by joannaardway on Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Avoiding Double posting, Mistake
"Over the hills and far away, she prays he will return one day. As sure as the rivers reach the seas, back in his arms again she'll be." - Over the Hills and far away, Gary Moore

"So many people have come and gone, their faces fade as the years go by. Yet I still recall as I wander on, as clear as the sun in the summer sky" - More than a feeling, Boston

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joannaardway
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Bullpup counter-balance mod.

Post by joannaardway » Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:47 pm

I have now performed the bull-pup mod, and I've got some pictures, but it's going to be a collosal task to write it up, and I'm rather unwell today.

Pros:
  • Well balanced.
  • Easier to use Single handed.
  • More comfortable to hold if pressed into shoulder.
  • Old trigger not removed.
  • Easier to pump-and-fire.
  • Doesn't add much, if any weight.
Cons:
  • Takes a LONG time if done properly.
  • Two triggers might be a disadvantage if an opponent gets close enough to pull one to discharge your soaker.
  • Can be confusing to do.
  • Rather odd.
  • The second column is not the perfect handgrip, and was never designed to be - I might look at rubberizing it in the future.
I doubt it will work on a soaker other than the CPS 2700, but it's possible that some enterprising modder will prove me wrong

Essentially, it involves hacking away part of the case and changing the trigger rod (again!) - basically, it curls back on itself to become the second trigger.

I'm providing some pictures - These give an idea of what I have done -I haven't finished yet, as I still have to plug the holes in the case, but you can get the general idea.

Despite the images, refrain from rushing in and destroying your soaker before I have posted the guide.

If you must perform the mod, gut your soaker first (take everything out of it), and try and be as neat as possible, as you may want to use the parts you cut off the case to plug the gaps you have made.

Image
Parts to be cut away. Don't cut away the screw fixings on the column - do cut them away at the front.

Image
After parts cut away, showing alternate trigger rod.

Image
Outside view after reassembly.

When you've finished both triggers should move in unison - you pull one, the other moves.

Well, that's all I've got energy for now, so I'll enlighten you some other time on how I did all this.

In the meantime, I might go off and spray paint the case, but I haven't decided yet - a brightly coloured soaker can be more intimidating.
"Over the hills and far away, she prays he will return one day. As sure as the rivers reach the seas, back in his arms again she'll be." - Over the Hills and far away, Gary Moore

"So many people have come and gone, their faces fade as the years go by. Yet I still recall as I wander on, as clear as the sun in the summer sky" - More than a feeling, Boston

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wetmonkey442
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Post by wetmonkey442 » Sat Feb 25, 2006 5:31 pm

Wouldn't it have been easier to have just cut away a section of the trigger rod, moving the original trigger up to the new position?

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joannaardway
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Post by joannaardway » Sat Feb 25, 2006 7:55 pm

No, not at all.

The trigger is on runners, which it would be nigh on impossible to install in the new location. Anyway, even if it were possible, this is probably less trouble, even if the runners installed themselves. You'd need to cut away the same amount of the casing, because the case in that location is not spacious to accommodate the trigger and someone's hand.

Putting an extra trigger in there is less effort and gives you the option of holding it either way. And of course, my principle on waterguns is more options and the higher the stats (except size and weight) the better (as indicated by my doubled nozzles mod)

Many people prefer bull-pup to standard configuration and vice-versa.

And, because sometimes other people use this water weapon (with very careful instruction) I don't want to limit them and, personally I like the option of holding it either way - the rear trigger is more use for two handed operation, the front for pump-shooting and single hand firing.

I would not recommend moving the trigger, because it would be a nightmare. This way it's well tracked and the rear spring isn't cut from the system.
"Over the hills and far away, she prays he will return one day. As sure as the rivers reach the seas, back in his arms again she'll be." - Over the Hills and far away, Gary Moore

"So many people have come and gone, their faces fade as the years go by. Yet I still recall as I wander on, as clear as the sun in the summer sky" - More than a feeling, Boston

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Post by SSCBen » Sun Feb 26, 2006 4:22 am

Very nice! I like the bull-pup modification a lot. That's exactly the kind of thing that no one else thinks of.

I would perform the bull-pup modification to my CPS 2700 because that is my experimental water gun, but the trigger valve has been completely replaced, making the bull-pup modification impossible.

As for rubberizing the grips, there are many easy ways to do that, as I am sure you are aware. Most people use either electrical tape, which is the cheap method, while others will use bicycle handlebar tape. Handlebar tape is the obvious best choice for quality.

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