Paintball

[Cromulus]

Is there a good source to read up on the salient points regarding their differences?

Thanks.

[Shiba-Kun]

Just me personally... I think it comes down to 2 main points. Trigger feel vs. speed, and looks (p-ball fashion).

I just like the "break" on a slider trigger. Even though my Carter Comp has an over travel screw I still get a crisper break from my slider frame.

On a Sniper I like the way hinge triggers look (fashion over form). Plus with electros I think they're faster to cycle.

I dunno... personal preference to me I guess. Maybe otheres feel differently or have other info.

[Wycke]

Originally Posted by Cromulus

Is there a good source to read up on the salient points regarding their differences?

Thanks.

I'm sure someone out there (in fact, probably several someones) has written up some kind of debate between the two, but it really comes down to preference. To that end, your best bet is to just ask here, which you have, and you'll get a whole bunch of varying opinions. I don't believe that one type is inherently better or worse than the other, they're just different.

Personally, I prefer slide triggers, at least on Autocockers. IMO, they just "feel" right. I may be mistaken, but my understanding of the laws of mechanics dictates that it's at least theoretically possible to get a shorter trigger pull out of a slider than a "hinge", at least the two-finger or blade-type triggers. However, you must sacrifice something, in this case, trigger weight. The extra leverage of the hinge-type trigger means a slightly longer travel, but less effort is required.

So, in my estimation, a good slide trigger is short, crisp, and slightly "heavy". The only hinge triggers I've shot on 'Cockers were E-blades, so that's not really a fair comparison. However, my Blazer (like all Blazers) has a "hinge" trigger (single 45 frame), and since it's a two-part trigger pull, it makes a fairly good analogy. On that gun, the pivoting trigger feels right, though I haven't completely mastered the art of not short-stroking it. The way my 'Cockers are set up, I have to make a conscious effort to short-stroke them.

Just my $.02

[Stainlessbutcher]

I'll toss in my .02 here since I've shot a bunch of different type grip framed cockers. Any "good" slider frame like the ANS quickfire, benchmark, or Bob Long makes an excellent argument for slider frames. They are very adjustable, and with good polishing skills, can be very smooth operators without spending the extra cash for the ball bearing sears and such. A good cocker tech can tune a good slider frame to function flawlessly for years. I will say that most of the stock slider frames that came on ACs over the years sucked pretty bad. Especially those very late plastic frames.
On the other end of the spectrum are the double swing frames. I've shot the WGP frame which is adequate, an GenX frame which felt funny and somewhat mushy, and some sort of Dye contraption that I was not at all pleased with, however on the Dye, the gun was not tuned very well, so that may have been the issue. I'm chomping at the bit to try out a Dye single swing on my newest cocker project though.
For use on my snipers, I prefer the stock swing frame, or a Dye Single Swing cocker frame. Once you've adjusted the cocking lug on your hammer to your satisfaction, you will find that on snipers, the trigger pull is crisp and consistent. I have not had that experience with sliders on snipers. Perhaps it's something to do with how the sear has to be activated by the ramp on the slider that makes them feel inconsistent. To me, the trigger seems to break at different points in the pull on sliders.

[Lenny]

I love sliders. In fact, the only swing for a 'Cocker I've ever really liked was the Aim Battle Axe. The adjustability did nothing, but it was smooth and crisp. But other than that, sliders.

But then, that's only my opinion.

[Wycke]

Originally Posted by Stainlessbutcher

I will say that most of the stock slider frames that came on ACs over the years sucked pretty bad. Especially those very late plastic frames.

I would have to disagree here. The frame that came on the early Black Magics was very nice - extremely smooth and absolutely no slop. And the older (single-hole grip) composite frames are among my favorite of all. They're very light and can be made very smooth. Plus, pair that frame with a set of Smart Parts wood grips and you've got, at least IMHO, one of the most comfortable grips available. The later plastic .45-style frames, however, I'm not so crazy about. With the right plate & sear (like the Extreme Rage roller set), they're smooth, but there's a bit too much flex to 'em and they just feel cheap. They're definitely not the same material as the older, standard-style frames, which feel much stiffer and sturdier (despite being slimmer than the .45 type frames).

Of course, all this is just my opinion....

[K_Obeastly]

The BM were an exception. I think he was mostly talking about the 01 or 02 type cockers and not really the looking at WGP's higher end models. Did the 2000+ STOs have a plastic or metal frame?

I really like the shocktech sliders with their timing plate and shoe (much bigger shoe than others). I don't like the oval hole timing plates but I can still shoot them.

I find it somewhat sad that people that used to make decent money doing work on sliding frames after spending years trying different mods untill they got them feeling great are no longer valued amongst most of the cummunity. I am much faster on a hinge but there is something about the slider. Can't say why but it just feels right to be in the woods with a plain looking RF sleeper with a sliding frame.

[WilD]

I think most people can agree it i mostly about what feels "good" or "right". Old stock potmetal AC sliders feel quite sloppy but a high end aftermarket slider in a 45 frame can feel amazingly smooth and crisp. They look good too. The only hinge trigger I have experience with on a 'cocker is the newer WGP double finger unit. It looked ugly, was ergonomicaly wierd and felt cheap and creaky. However, it did seem easier to achieve a relatively high ROF without short stroking. I did once get to try a DYE single swing on an STO converted to a pump. That trigger felt great. I've been looking to pick one of those up for a sniper project ever since. So, I think the triggers are one of those things everyone needs to try for themselves and see what they like. I don't think there is much constructive to debate or analyze on the topic.

[DarkNinja]

I had the stock plastic frame on my 2k1 cocker, while being kinda comfy it was a pos. I had a tank bolted up to it and I could feel it flexing when I moved it certain ways. Same with the marker itself, I could feel it move a bit sometimes. I upgraded to a Benchmark 45 and never looked back at that thing. Probably my favorite trigger ever was my basically stock cocker with the Benchmark frame and a nylon tipped setscrew so it slid very well.....I got a cheap WGP hinge and while it was faster and easier to shoot, didn't feel right after years of shooting it with a slide.

And I agree, the SP wooden grips are amazing, I have a pair on my Ranger and its fantastic.

[Morgenstern]

Fortunatley both styles of frames are cheap enough now that you can buy both and decide for yourself. A few years ago those hinges were expensive.