Soon to be an iR3 owner... upgrades?

[Pelican]

Hello to all.

I may be purchasing an iR3 from a friend, who got ahold of it by unknown means. What and/or where should I look on the marker for signs of wear or abuse? Is there any way to tell if it's a mem6 cops2, or an older board? Upon purchasing the marker, I'd like to add some goodies (Ex: Bolt, valve, max-flo, barrel kit, and any other performance enhancing pieces) , but I'm having a hard time finding sites that specify whether or not they're compatible with the iR3; It seems most are for its sister, the LCD. Anyone have some site url's, or just tell me what should be added? Chances are, the marker isn't coming in a box, so I may need a new battery, charger, parts kit, etc. Will your average allen wrenches be sufficient, or is there a host of proprietary tools needed? I was pretty much sold on a strange vision impy, but taking home an iR3 for $300 outwieghs that idea. ANY and ALL help is appreciated.

[Ian Y.]

Eh...whoever's selling an IR3 with 300 USD is not totally sane. Well, guess you're quite lucky.

Back to your questions. As far as I know, the Angel barrel threading is the same in every model, someone clarify this.

When you switch the marker on and look at the display, you can see the MEM version. In case it's 6, it also has COPS 2.

Barrels:
www.dyeprecision.com
www.smartparts.com

I've been shooting both, DYE Boomstick and the Freak from Smart Parts, I guess it's pretty much which one you prefer. Both have worked fine for me. Some I haven't tried but are recommended by people are the Pipe from Evil and Empire's barrel set. Might be worth checking.

Loaders:
www.haloloader.com
www.viewloader.com

A lot of people prefer Viewloader eVLution II over the Halo. I've had no problems whatsoever with my Halo & IR3 combination, though. There's also a new loader available from Odyssey Paintball. Seems quite cool, haven't had the chance to try.

I don't know too much about bolts, valves, air systems and other stuff, but the R11 bolt is recommended by a lot of people. Air systems...I've heard a lot of praise about the Max-Flo, there's a new one coming out (or is already out, not sure). DYE also has their own air systems, dunno if they're good. Of course, there's the Angel A.I.R, which a lot of people would like to have, but it's expensive as hell. I guess you can find some reviews regarding consistency and such if you search a bit.

Finally, you definitely should get tools and of course the battery and charger if they're not supplied.

Hope this helps.

[EDIT] - www.wdp-paintball.co.uk - They have a web store, so you should find genuine Angel parts relatively easy.

[Pelican]

Yeah, the guy's nuts, but i'm not complaining. I've been a very satisfied boomstick user for some time, but constantly have problems with the local field paints. Most local shops and fields push venom, which is a tad large for the boomstick's back end. I've been looking into the evil pipe system, and it may win my cash due to its durability. As far as bolts go... The cobra bolt seems interesting, and so does the ND equalizer. I'm not sure if the stock valve is worth upgrading, so any other feedback would be great. Thanks for the mem/cops info.

Some other questions:
Just how adjustable is the marker w/o a pda? What's the actual bps rating for mem2-6 boards? What actual benefits are offered with a pda?

Where on the marker should I look for signs of abuse or wear?
Thanks again.

[Ian Y.]

Well, with a PDA you can do the adjustments a lot faster, plus at least change the messages your Angel gives you, e.g. when you shoot fast enough. Imagine that you have to change some settings in your marker 2 minutes prior to a match and think which one is faster, with a PDA or without.

Actual BPS rating...hmm, well. I personally don't know how come the difference between shooting at 20 BPS and 14 BPS is so great...I mean, does the person you're shooting at really notice the difference? But anyway, I usually have about 11-14 BPS when I play, no paint breaks whatsoever yet, except when I used the stock barrel which wasn't the right size...but, I think the board promises you around 20 BPS. Wouldn't know for sure, though.

[warpedx]

You say he acquired it by unknown means? Take a look around this site and warpig for the stolen guns threads, just to make sure you're good on that end. The R-11 seems to be the most recommended bolt, I know I like it. They did stop making them, but just buy a Speed bolt, same thing. Do NOT buy an LCD bolt, it will destroy your COPS sensor, new bolts have a groove cut on the bottom to accomadate it.
Don't change the valve, you won't get any difference in performance.
iR3's are capable of shooting 20bps.
And get an Angel Tool Kit w/Gauge. That is the best "upgrade you can get, any of the site sponsors will have it.

[Deep Sixx]

This sounds like bad news... I'd say it's stolen. Maybe not by your friend, but it definitely sounds hot.

sixx

[Ian Y.]

I agree with warpedx about the stolen guns. You don't want to be involved in the transaction if it's stolen property. I am not accusing anyone, don't get me wrong.

Anyway, wear and tear. I don't think you'll find any wear and tear that affects the marker performance just by looking at it (well, unless the barrel is bent or something that obvious), but of course it's nice to have the anodizing without major scratches...you'll definitely have a few nicks and scratches on your gun at some point, so that isn't so important. Just ask if he has done the maintenance regularly and what has he done. Checking the cycles counter (shot counter) might also be helpful, but we all know it can be reseted if you know a bit about PDA's and software. As you don't know the origin it is unlikely that you can send it to some place for maintenance. If you have the original stuff that came with it and the gun is obtained via a legal way, you might want to send it to some paintball store who do the maintenance job for you. Just tell them to do a thorough service & repair.

[Ir3Flyer19]

$300 must want to get rid of it fast.
for wear heck breach, bolt, valve stem seal, hammer, check lpr pressure.

get a good barrel system
get a fast loader
consistant air probably adjustable
Then the rest is extra.

difference between 14bps and 20bps is how well you can cover a lane if i guy runs through 20 balls he is less likely to make it through a gap or get a bounce than 14 balls.
Same thing with off the break.

[MoogLe]

unknown means? $300?????? rofl that **** is hot!!!!!

[Pelican]

That was my first reaction as well. After questioning him quite harshly, it comes to be that his older bro is one of those filthy rich guys who buy everything they see on magazine covers. He purchased the marker, then lacked the will and patience to operate it, thus it's history in the hands of my aforementioned pal. Though logical here in Miami (where practically every car I'm driving next to costs in excess of $60,000), I do understand it may be a sh** excuse he's pushing to cover up the iR3's history. I will be on an asking binge in my area, with the serial # in hand. The local shops are my first stop.

Now, should all work out in my favor, the advice given above will be heeded. My plans are these: 88/45 max-flo, Evil Pipe Kit, ND speed bolt, spare parts kit, gauge adap, shim kit, and a partridge in a pear tree. Will your average metric allen wrenches work fine? Will they be a problem when adjusting the lpr or rear access?