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Thread: Question: Hopper Shells

  1. #1
    Junior Member C4 Explosives's Avatar
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    Question: Hopper Shells

    Question: Do hoppers really need shells? Would it not make more sense to just have a loader component attached to a marker that serves as an interface for pods to act as the hopper shell? Pods as hi-cap mags?

    The closest thing I've seen to this is the Q-loader, but that is a whole (costly/inefficient) system.

    Rubber pod encapsulation interface for various pod designs?

    Seems a valid evolution to me, no?

  2. #2
    Insider new ion?'s Avatar
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    One item that I find with a hopper, when comparing it to a pod-only system, is that it provides a 'buffer' for in between pods - when you have a 200 rd vessel sitting atop your loader, you don't have to worry about shooting it completely dry before reloading.

  3. #3
    CAD Monkey skibbo's Avatar
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    I think the main issue is that pods are somewhat too long to put on top of a marker. If pods were reshaped to resemble either a more streamlined shape or something less tube shaped 'pod-hoppers' could be viable. That would take care of the capacity issue as well.

    At first thought something along the lines of Borg's (R.I.P.) BULP loader for a gravity feed option, which would be sort of what you're talking about although it's not as much as an interface as another loader shape and it wouldn't keep up with most markers/fit on most markers.



    I don't remember the product's name (and sadly I'm too young to have ever used one) but I believe in the late 80's or early 90's Winchester marketed small hopper-pods that were basically a hopper that you would rig up to a vest/carrier system and carry multiples around during the game. Instead of reloading, you'd just pop on a new hopper and be good to go.
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  4. #4
    Insider new ion?'s Avatar
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    I had thought about the overall shape as well, but was thinking that in a vertical position they could work.

    but I agree that something would have to change.

    Maybe a resurgence of the VL Tri-pod?

  5. #5
    Insider
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    I've said to solve the buffering issue, you need TWO clips on the gun at once, and a seamless changeover - you get all the benefits and not of the drawbacks.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by C4 Explosives View Post
    Question: Do hoppers really need shells? Would it not make more sense to just have a loader component attached to a marker that serves as an interface for pods to act as the hopper shell? Pods as hi-cap mags?

    The closest thing I've seen to this is the Q-loader, but that is a whole (costly/inefficient) system.

    Rubber pod encapsulation interface for various pod designs?

    Seems a valid evolution to me, no?
    Several people have tried this and there are many patents on similar concepts, Stoneking, Garfield and the View loader Envy come to mind.



    In reality it just proved to be inferior to a system that can be loaded from "dumb" pods.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lurker27 View Post
    I've said to solve the buffering issue, you need TWO clips on the gun at once, and a seamless changeover - you get all the benefits and not of the drawbacks.
    That could be cool, and very possible.
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  7. #7
    Wayne
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    New VL ENVY?

    (side note, ENVY is a pretty GoG-ish name isn't it?)

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