lopez17
08-13-2007, 02:57 PM
This is an addendum to a post I made on PBReview. There's often questions as to the differences between generations and such. Hopefully this helps clear up some of those questions. :tup:
1st Generation -
Classic, Ripper and prototype Texas Storm Intimidators – These were the first generation Bob Long Intimidators released in the 2000-01 time frame. Along with AKA, these were the first true Low Pressure markers. Being the first iteration, the Classics were very bulky and had a rather unique and tall grip frame and based on prior millennium bodies (this meant extra space at the end where the ram sleeve protruded which is covered by a distinctive decoration block). They also allowed some of the fastest firing speeds of all markers and were rather revolutionary in the features they incorporated. The classics utilized the same principles as an Impulse or Bushmaster but used a 4 way “Skinner” solenoid to control the air dispersion. They also incorporated “eyes” becoming one of the first markers with Anti Chop Mechanisms. These markers came stock with the Select Fire Board which allowed semi auto firing as well as burst and full auto modes, however these boards had a capped ROF in the low to mid teens (as did many other boards at this time).
Of this generation of markers, the most sought after were (and still are) the Rippers. These were intricately milled masterpieces that Intimidator owners still drool over nearly 5 years later. There were 3 subtle but distinct milling styles of Rippers all done in VERY limited colors/anodizing schemes. The three milling styles were the prototype style that has milling under the barrel tube and a less defined/milled back area (I’ve only ever seen this in a black-lime green fade). Then there’s the prototype style with the milling under the barrel tube and the full milled body. The last is the common Ripper that’s fully milled and lacks the milling under the barrel tube. Per many of the posts by people in the know, there were less than 250 Rippers ever made.
2nd Generation –
2K2, GZ, Dragon, Z, ECX, Species, Lasoya, Texas Storm, Shocktech, and Ironman Intimidators. The Second Generation is also known by many as the 2K2 line as they were released in 2002 and had a widely popular 2K2 model. I’m also including the GZ’s in this model as their internals and overall design fits better here than with the Classics.
Bob took some time after designing the Classic to improve upon his initial model. He got rid of the dual regs (and added a torpedo, High Pressure, regulator), shortened the grip frame into the popular clamshell grip (or the 45 in the case of the GZ). He also continued his improvements in milling and put out some intricately milled pieces of art (props to Ripper Machinist for many of these designs). Another redesign from the classics is the change in the bodies eliminating the need for the decoration block. These markers came with Humphrey’s solenoids which is a departure from the Skinner noids in the classics. The Humphrey’s noids operate at a stock dwell of 8ms as opposed to 16 for the Skinner noids.
He redesigned the trigger and guard a bit and included delrin bolts to make for smoother firing. Bob also corrected some problems later in this generation that were apparent with the early GZ and 2K2 releases…namely the need for a clamping feedneck and a better board than the Semi-Only Board (which came stock in many early markers of this generation.) The Dragons and 2K2’s in particular came with a high rise, non-clamping feedneck. The early 2K2’s (including most of the dust fades) came stock with SOB’s.
The real improvement in this series is the incorporation of Wicked Air Sports Equalizer boards. The WAS boards were widely popular and sought after as an aftermarket addition. At the time WAS boards were leaps and bounds ahead of the SFB and SOB’s. Bob just added in what the customers were already using. Towards the end of this generation in 2004, Bob started incorporating his Frenzy Boards into the 2K2 model intimidators. This happened after a falling out with Jim Drew. Internally, this generation of markers was almost identical to the Classics, utilizing a ram/poppet design. With additional trigger and switch adjustments coupled with more sensitive boards/electronics, the 2K2 generation was a HUGE hit and these markers were sold from 2002 until 2004 with an overlap of sales into the 3rd Generation of Markers. Quite a few of the top teams in paintball used Bob Long markers.
3rd Generation –
Alias, Empire, Dark, Naughty Dogs, Russian Legion, Atomix, Ripper 2, Ripper 2.5, Alias Shocktech, Redesigned Lasoya and Dragon and 2K5’s. This generation was a complete redesign from the 2nd Generation and was a much anticipated release in late 2003. Whereas the bodies remained relatively unchanged between the 1st and 2nd generations, the Alias Generation incorporated smaller eye covers, smaller overall body lengths, redesigned grip frames with the LCD screens in the grip as opposed to above it. They also incorporated a better, faster solenoid, bumperless RAM and in some cases adjustable RAM caps. In this generation Bob included the Frenzy Board as the standard board. The stock triggers are lighter in this generation and much like the 1st and 2nd Generations, the 3rd generation has some extreme milling designs. Bob also went back and resdesigned two very popular markers namely the Lasoya and the Dragon Intimidators. They are being released with some tweaks and with the new grip frame. These markers have better internals and cycle faster than the previous generation. This is mainly due to a newer style of Humphrey’s solenoid.
Another popular upgrade was the widescale release of various types of 2K5 gripframes. The LPR also incorporates a smaller piston. The LPR block is designed for higher airflow and no longer requires the need of an external volumizer. The 3rd Generation markers make use of shorter delrin bolts. These bolts also have detent slots already milled into them. These markers have been sold in various runs from 2003 to present and have proven to be the most popular and consistent markers on the market to date.
The Empire Intimidator (and to an extent the 2K5 Intimidator) were a unique release. The Empire has a body that uses a 2nd generation bolt, however it comes with a unique poppet that incorporates the poppet and cup seal and was able to be retrofitted on existing 2nd generation markers. These markers also have a unique front block that incorporates many of the best practices of the Alias yet fit on to older markers. The Empire and also the 2K5 also use 3rd generation wiring and come stock with 3rd generation style grip frames. In the case of the Empire this was a highly desirable integrated snatch grip frame with finger grooves built into the design. The 2K5 essentially incorporates a 2K2 milling pattern with 2K5 electronics. In some cases these markers came with boards containing dipswitches, in others they came with Frenzy 116 or 127 boards.
4th Generation –
Infamous, Empire 2, Ripper 3 Released in 2005 this was yet another redesign of the Intimidator line. Bob completely redid the body and frames to correct some perceived design flaws or deficiencies. The first upgrade was the LPR. Early models were often hard to remove or get into due to their slick design. This generation utilizes LPR caps that are grooved for easy removal. The ram cap is fully adjustable and screwed on to the sleeve instead of into it. The ram is also milled out more. The 4th generation markers utilize 4th generation wiring and boards as well as Alias style LPR blocks and the ubiquitous torpedo regulator. Due to a shorter body, 4th gens come with a different style bolt as well. Bob has also maximized the space in the trigger guard and included top of the line triggers with these markers. Some versions also come with an integrated rail designed into the grip frame.
Perhaps the most revolutionary upgrade in this generation is the inclusion of the “pressure balanced” poppet. This revolutionary design enables the users to lower their LPR pressure far below what previous intimidators could execute effectively at. This design was not without problems however and Bob and the BLAST team have issued several different poppets to correct flaws with previous designs. The current design is a brass poppet with 3 o-rings and a smaller, tighter poppet spring. These markers require tighter seals and mandate the use of Dow 55 to swell o-rings and effectively hold the seal.
The 4th generation markers are characterized by sharp curves and angles that make a very sharp, very tight, extreme looking marker. The balanced valve produces a marker with the precision and high ROF that Bob is known for and at the same time minimizes any kick.
1st Generation -
Classic, Ripper and prototype Texas Storm Intimidators – These were the first generation Bob Long Intimidators released in the 2000-01 time frame. Along with AKA, these were the first true Low Pressure markers. Being the first iteration, the Classics were very bulky and had a rather unique and tall grip frame and based on prior millennium bodies (this meant extra space at the end where the ram sleeve protruded which is covered by a distinctive decoration block). They also allowed some of the fastest firing speeds of all markers and were rather revolutionary in the features they incorporated. The classics utilized the same principles as an Impulse or Bushmaster but used a 4 way “Skinner” solenoid to control the air dispersion. They also incorporated “eyes” becoming one of the first markers with Anti Chop Mechanisms. These markers came stock with the Select Fire Board which allowed semi auto firing as well as burst and full auto modes, however these boards had a capped ROF in the low to mid teens (as did many other boards at this time).
Of this generation of markers, the most sought after were (and still are) the Rippers. These were intricately milled masterpieces that Intimidator owners still drool over nearly 5 years later. There were 3 subtle but distinct milling styles of Rippers all done in VERY limited colors/anodizing schemes. The three milling styles were the prototype style that has milling under the barrel tube and a less defined/milled back area (I’ve only ever seen this in a black-lime green fade). Then there’s the prototype style with the milling under the barrel tube and the full milled body. The last is the common Ripper that’s fully milled and lacks the milling under the barrel tube. Per many of the posts by people in the know, there were less than 250 Rippers ever made.
2nd Generation –
2K2, GZ, Dragon, Z, ECX, Species, Lasoya, Texas Storm, Shocktech, and Ironman Intimidators. The Second Generation is also known by many as the 2K2 line as they were released in 2002 and had a widely popular 2K2 model. I’m also including the GZ’s in this model as their internals and overall design fits better here than with the Classics.
Bob took some time after designing the Classic to improve upon his initial model. He got rid of the dual regs (and added a torpedo, High Pressure, regulator), shortened the grip frame into the popular clamshell grip (or the 45 in the case of the GZ). He also continued his improvements in milling and put out some intricately milled pieces of art (props to Ripper Machinist for many of these designs). Another redesign from the classics is the change in the bodies eliminating the need for the decoration block. These markers came with Humphrey’s solenoids which is a departure from the Skinner noids in the classics. The Humphrey’s noids operate at a stock dwell of 8ms as opposed to 16 for the Skinner noids.
He redesigned the trigger and guard a bit and included delrin bolts to make for smoother firing. Bob also corrected some problems later in this generation that were apparent with the early GZ and 2K2 releases…namely the need for a clamping feedneck and a better board than the Semi-Only Board (which came stock in many early markers of this generation.) The Dragons and 2K2’s in particular came with a high rise, non-clamping feedneck. The early 2K2’s (including most of the dust fades) came stock with SOB’s.
The real improvement in this series is the incorporation of Wicked Air Sports Equalizer boards. The WAS boards were widely popular and sought after as an aftermarket addition. At the time WAS boards were leaps and bounds ahead of the SFB and SOB’s. Bob just added in what the customers were already using. Towards the end of this generation in 2004, Bob started incorporating his Frenzy Boards into the 2K2 model intimidators. This happened after a falling out with Jim Drew. Internally, this generation of markers was almost identical to the Classics, utilizing a ram/poppet design. With additional trigger and switch adjustments coupled with more sensitive boards/electronics, the 2K2 generation was a HUGE hit and these markers were sold from 2002 until 2004 with an overlap of sales into the 3rd Generation of Markers. Quite a few of the top teams in paintball used Bob Long markers.
3rd Generation –
Alias, Empire, Dark, Naughty Dogs, Russian Legion, Atomix, Ripper 2, Ripper 2.5, Alias Shocktech, Redesigned Lasoya and Dragon and 2K5’s. This generation was a complete redesign from the 2nd Generation and was a much anticipated release in late 2003. Whereas the bodies remained relatively unchanged between the 1st and 2nd generations, the Alias Generation incorporated smaller eye covers, smaller overall body lengths, redesigned grip frames with the LCD screens in the grip as opposed to above it. They also incorporated a better, faster solenoid, bumperless RAM and in some cases adjustable RAM caps. In this generation Bob included the Frenzy Board as the standard board. The stock triggers are lighter in this generation and much like the 1st and 2nd Generations, the 3rd generation has some extreme milling designs. Bob also went back and resdesigned two very popular markers namely the Lasoya and the Dragon Intimidators. They are being released with some tweaks and with the new grip frame. These markers have better internals and cycle faster than the previous generation. This is mainly due to a newer style of Humphrey’s solenoid.
Another popular upgrade was the widescale release of various types of 2K5 gripframes. The LPR also incorporates a smaller piston. The LPR block is designed for higher airflow and no longer requires the need of an external volumizer. The 3rd Generation markers make use of shorter delrin bolts. These bolts also have detent slots already milled into them. These markers have been sold in various runs from 2003 to present and have proven to be the most popular and consistent markers on the market to date.
The Empire Intimidator (and to an extent the 2K5 Intimidator) were a unique release. The Empire has a body that uses a 2nd generation bolt, however it comes with a unique poppet that incorporates the poppet and cup seal and was able to be retrofitted on existing 2nd generation markers. These markers also have a unique front block that incorporates many of the best practices of the Alias yet fit on to older markers. The Empire and also the 2K5 also use 3rd generation wiring and come stock with 3rd generation style grip frames. In the case of the Empire this was a highly desirable integrated snatch grip frame with finger grooves built into the design. The 2K5 essentially incorporates a 2K2 milling pattern with 2K5 electronics. In some cases these markers came with boards containing dipswitches, in others they came with Frenzy 116 or 127 boards.
4th Generation –
Infamous, Empire 2, Ripper 3 Released in 2005 this was yet another redesign of the Intimidator line. Bob completely redid the body and frames to correct some perceived design flaws or deficiencies. The first upgrade was the LPR. Early models were often hard to remove or get into due to their slick design. This generation utilizes LPR caps that are grooved for easy removal. The ram cap is fully adjustable and screwed on to the sleeve instead of into it. The ram is also milled out more. The 4th generation markers utilize 4th generation wiring and boards as well as Alias style LPR blocks and the ubiquitous torpedo regulator. Due to a shorter body, 4th gens come with a different style bolt as well. Bob has also maximized the space in the trigger guard and included top of the line triggers with these markers. Some versions also come with an integrated rail designed into the grip frame.
Perhaps the most revolutionary upgrade in this generation is the inclusion of the “pressure balanced” poppet. This revolutionary design enables the users to lower their LPR pressure far below what previous intimidators could execute effectively at. This design was not without problems however and Bob and the BLAST team have issued several different poppets to correct flaws with previous designs. The current design is a brass poppet with 3 o-rings and a smaller, tighter poppet spring. These markers require tighter seals and mandate the use of Dow 55 to swell o-rings and effectively hold the seal.
The 4th generation markers are characterized by sharp curves and angles that make a very sharp, very tight, extreme looking marker. The balanced valve produces a marker with the precision and high ROF that Bob is known for and at the same time minimizes any kick.