Question [Archive] - Paintball Forums

Moo Shoo H34d

11-05-2002, 05:20 AM

With the bushmasters stock trigger probably being the biggest reason people stay away from it you would think ICD would make some improvements on it with all the other things they have done. Unfortunately they haven't so we have to look to aftermarket upgrades such as triggers and frames such as the sonic.

The looks of the sonic is based on the angel grip and is pretty much identical. I didn't really like the look at first but its grown on me and I now like it better than stock. Its currently only available in black but if you talk to macdev they might custom anodize one for you if they have a batch of the same color that you want. I got mine in aqua to match my sonic bushmaster. The trigger is anodized to match but I was able to order a custom silver trigger that I wanted to dremel to my liking. They come gripless so you have to add your own. I purchased my sonic bushmaster in the summer before the frames came out and purchased the frame in December. The ano matched perfectly which I've found to be rare even with parts from the same company, I was impressed

The feel of the frame takes a little to get used to when changing from the stock frame. It moves the trigger about an inch closer to the back of the grip. Under the trigger guard there's almost half the space as on the stock frame. Some people who shoot with their index finger on the bottom curve will have problems fitting their hand in there. I see people doing it on angels all the time though so maybe its not that big of a problem. For me its much more comfortable when shooting not holding the grip with fingers 1 and 2 as well as 2 and 3. Its also feels better when shooting holding the grip using 1 and 2 to pull the trigger. For my tastes the trigger is the only thing that's uncomfortable. I don't know how many other people feel the same but the standard 2 finger triggers are very hard to work with, especially the way I shoot-fingers 2 and 3. After some fooling around I was able to find a comfortable way to shoot with the trigger and found that using 1 2 and 3 to be surprisingly nice. The side to side play is very small and isn't noticeable when pulling the trigger.

The features on the frame, even though they are few, is about as plentiful as they get on a frame, WOW. The trigger has adjustments for spring tension, firing point and trigger length. Doing a “trigger job” sounds like a silly term since its just adjusting some screws. On other guns such as the Angel to do a similar feat would require taking apart the gun, cutting springs, being careful not to pull out wires and isn't reversible without a new spring. The new pins make it much easier to take out the micro switch and switching the trigger is a breeze. When I switched triggers all it took was the removal of one screw and the dowel pin. The gun itself doesn't need to be dissembled in any way. This is nice for when Macdev releases new triggers. If you have ever changed the trigger on the stock frame you know how much
easier this is. To top things off, you don't even need the washer on the back screw!!

There are a few other notes Id like to make that probably wont matter many other people. First there's the anodizing of my frame. I purchased my sonic bushmaster in the summer before the frames came out and purchased the frame in December. The ano matched perfectly which I've found to be rare even with parts from the same company, I was impressed. One downside is the space. Not many people have the DV8 but those who do will have some trouble fitting it in. I had to dramel a lot out to make it fit and its really tight in there because of the location of the mircro switch. I actually had to cut out some space next to the micro switch. Maybe if the beta version of the DV8 that defiance was working on is released there will be more space. Also, sticky grips have to be modified to fit. Some people swear by them but I don't think they are magic or anything I actually like hogues better. I have APP grips on mine which are pretty nice but grips don't bother me that much since I don't hold the grip when I shoot. It might be possible to modify the frame to accept angel stickies and other angel grips.

I am very happy with the frame and have found only the space with the DV8 to be a negative. The price of $100 is a bit hefty but most sonic parts are a little bit more expensive than others and this is the same. Its hard to determine whether its worth the price or not for others. Those on a budget might find it better to get a new trigger and spring. For those that like the stock frame more than the sonic or angel one, a new trigger and spring would also be a wiser decision. Those who prefer blade triggers there's also the ripper frame available. The frame does have a nicer feel in my hands, however, and like most of us I want every upgrades possible and the easier it is to tinker with the better. With my dremelled trigger I don't think it could get anymore comfortable for me and I am very pleased with the upgrade.

theres about all you need to know...straight from tank himself ( www.obdo.flipity.com )