The Industry is going magfed crazy...

[desertT1]

In the DAM news thread on MCB, there is talk that the magwell is held to the body with 4 screws, not actually a part of it. The wheels are already turning about just ordering the well and a few mags and doing a ground up custom marker around them. I bet it can be done for well under $1300.

[PBSteve]

In the DAM news thread on MCB, there is talk that the magwell is held to the body with 4 screws, not actually a part of it. The wheels are already turning about just ordering the well and a few mags and doing a ground up custom marker around them. I bet it can be done for well under $1300.

Not to be a negative nancy, but I have serious doubts about that.

[desertT1]

Not to be a negative nancy, but I have serious doubts about that.

Which part? I have no interest in that type of project, but there are a few people over there who have the machines to do it as a personal project and keep the costs quite low.

[vijil]

@simon

Some good points, and thanks for the response. I suppose the 10+10 thing is one of those details for me at least. It may be easy enough to reload etc, but when you're paying $1300 you don't want decreased functionality even if it is only a small thing. Same reason I tend to avoid Dye markers - I don't need a screen and the convenience that brings for speedball, but for the price of a super high end gat I definitely want one. The 10+10s therefore to my mind could well be the flea that breaks the camels back at least when it comes to magfed only milsim players who are used to actual 20 rounders.

The same applies to stock tanks - referring specifically here to magfed only players as before. Stocktanks are by far the preferred option among these players at least in these parts.

As you say this marker really seems to be more geared towards scenario and big game players than it is towards milsim magfed players which I suppose is my point. Dye seem to be ignoring that market. Why lock themselves into such a niche? As it is they aren't really bothering to compete with milsig and rap4. Perhaps that's a deliberate decision I dunno. To me as a milsim limited paint player (sometimes, but I enjoy it when I do) the DAM just seems to have too many compromises for the price. I'd been hanging out for a magfed with eyes since it's long overdue.

Regarding the mags I actually like the idea of standardising it since there's no real reason somebody couldn't make a true 20 round mag that would fit the dam's magwell. I've got a design for one running around somewhere.

Thinking more about it, something based on a cheap electro platform like an azodin blitz could be a great starting point for an electro magfed. Hmm lots of ideas

[Simon]

I agree that at the high end the little "bells and whistles" are where I see the value and the reason to buy one product over another (that goes for all my purchases not just paintball).

I am stunned that DYE still doesn't have an OLED/Screen on their guns.

Around here, at least currently, mag fed play is a smaller niche than big game/scenario/rec. I agree it would have been cool to be able to cover the full market but then DYE has rarely done that in the past. They are always the premium priced item.

Even playing magfed/pump/stock class. I can't stand having the stock on the back of the gun. I would always rather have a bottom line set up or T stock so that I can get my head down behind the gun and sight easily in goggles. Even with lowered stock set ups, it just doesn't work for me. I won't be running a stock on the DAM when I get it. Even if I play mag fed I would still run a tank on the ASA. Maybe a smaller one and a butt stock adapter or something. Not sure yet.

I agree there is likely no issue against making a mag that would run 20 paintballs non stop in the DAM mag well. Who knows, if the mag's are that much of an issue, DYE may well do that anyway. It would make more sense for them to do it if it is an issue than anyone else.

For all the good things on the mags, I still think they may be lacking. I see people losing balls when swapping them, and breaking the last ball in the mag (not sure but that is often a feed alignment issue).

Having made under fed guns since 1995 the biggest issue is the gun and valve design. An Ego would need some significant rearrangement of the internals to work (because of the valve and reg locations). When I made my first underfed gun I used a mag because it was the most convenient set up, but even then I fed from the side instead of directly below to get rid of some alignment issues.

[vijil]

It seems mags are one of the hardest things to get right. I have a few ideas but I suspect they've already been tried.

As for the ego thing... yeah. Might be easier with an etha or geo style setup and relocated reg.

[Simon]

So I got the DAM that I won in the UWL today.

I feel a little "dirty" owning a DYE gun. lol. The first one I have ever owned.

It's definitely an interesting gun, some awesome features, and some things I think time will tell on...

I don't think it would make sense taking the mag well itself and putting it on another "chassis" as it is bigger than it needs to be, and it may limit what you can do with the gun. You'd need to cut it down for it to make any sense, but I think it would be more sensible to machine a matching mag well on the new project gun. It would take some reverse engineering and work but it would be possible.

I like the ambidextrous mag release.

I like the magazines, there is a lot to them, especially for the price and am interested to see how well they work in use. The stock 12 round magazines are plenty long enough that I don't think I would want to play with the 20 round ones (I don't like things sticking below the gun as they simply tend to get in the way). They fit very well and drop nicely. Really well done.

I don't like that I need to use almost every single allen key in my set to work on the gun. It feels like there's a gazillion little screws and different allen keys needed. I am especially not fond of the two tiny allen keys holding the normal hopper feedneck on. I wonder if I can mod a BT Picattiney mount feedneck to fit it... especially since you can't put it back in it's box with the feedneck mounted.

The gun is big and heavy. I don't use a TM15 because I don't like the size. I am not sure but the DAM feels heavier than the TM15.

I already stripped it down and removed the front shroud and grip. I miss the grip. It felt better than the front of the square magazine well does to my hands. I wish the front of the mag well had chamfers on it's edges as I would use it like this more than I would any other way.

I like the UL barrel, but can't see anything on it about it's sizing. Would it be sacrilege to machine it out for Freak Inserts? lol.

The buttons and led's for changing modes isn't bad. They decided to ignore the ASTM requirements and it goes to true three round burst and then true full auto. I like that and wish we were allowed to do it, but we tend to err on the side of meeting ASTM requirements.

Did I mention there are a lot of small screws? And not all the same lengths?

The back bolt magnet system is a little strange. I am not sure if I am doing it right but it's not simple to pull the back cap back against the magnets and then it's pretty hard to undo the bolt system by hand. I ended up using an allen key to remove and replace it.

The grip itself feels great. Opening it up caused damage to the front of the plastic section on my grips where it interferes with the frame. Mine has gouges in it after opening the grips twice. They are only little marks and it wouldn't be a big issue other than that's exactly where my thumb lines up and I feel it. I like the way the grips snap into and out of place.

I am sat here with it in my hands and the biggest thought I have is... how can I make it lighter.

[fullofpaint]

I believe that the unmarked UL is always a .688 bore, comes stock on all the dye guns.

[Simon]

Thanks.

So I spent a good part of the weekend thinking about the DAM gun, and reading about others comments on it, and watching other people's videos.

I really wanted this gun, and thought it would be the ideal gun for me when I play big games, but the more I think about the less I feel that way.

Even stripped down it is still huge and heavy, and I don't think I will be happy with that just to be able to carry and shoot 24 first strike rounds at the points it becomes useful. Carry such a big gun when the majority of the time I would be shooting paintballs doesn't make sense for me.

I think I would rather build a dedicated but ultralight "sniper" set up that I could strap across my back or holster somehow.

I also tend to shoot a lot at big games and I usually only leave the field because I have run out of air. It's one reason I don't like inefficient guns.

So as much as this has some cool features. It doesn't hit the mark for me, and I am not sure if it will for that many people in paintball. Time will tell.

In the mean time, if anyone wants to buy it, it's for sale. Never aired up or shot, all I have done (honestly lol) is remove the front shroud, install the feedneck and remove the bolt system to check out the quick strip system. I will put it back to stock to ship it out.

It's BNIB. Let me know if you are interested.