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Splat
Attack
www.splat-attack.com
The
trigger uses the same sort of sliding trigger
and rocking sear arrangement as the Cocker. Both
trigger plate and sear are AKA-manufactured parts
made from solid steel and with an AKA claim that
they'll "never wear out". Both drop
into an AKA .45-style trigger frame that (thankfully)
does away with the safety hole.
The trigger's not coupled
to the 4-way valve by an external timing rod that
runs along the right side of the trigger frame.
Instead, a small plate engages a slot in the top
of the trigger and runs through the front of the
grip frame. The front of the plate is threaded
to fit into a standard timing collar that attaches
to the 4-way centered in the front block. This
arrangement encloses most of the system and eliminates
problems with bent or poorly aligned rods. The
end result is a dramatic reduction in the potential
for problems with 4-way binding and leaks.
The frame has front and
back trigger-guide screws to eliminate most vertical
slack in the trigger. The plates are cut wide
enough to eliminate lateral slack entirely. The
trigger and sear springing are soft and the trigger's
action is as wonderfully smooth as that of any
Autococker. The hammer release is sharp, giving
the trigger a snappy feel despite its 4mm pull
length. They've cut the slot for the timing plate
in the top of the trigger wider so it acts like
one of the old Cocker trigger plates, allowing
you to properly time in a gap between the firing
and cocking stages of the trigger pull. This makes
for a more reliable paintgun and less potential
for blowback. An exceptional trigger very cleverly
implemented.
 The
Revenge uses all the same front-end pneumatic
components as the Autococker, but arranges them
differently. The Revenge uses Splat Attack's "inline
design". The inline design refers to the
way they line up the barrel, low pressure reg
(LPR), and 4-way in a vertical line rather than
having them staggered around the front block like
you see in the stock Autococker.
The timing rod allows them
to line up the 4-way directly in front of the
trigger plate. This centers the 4-way valve. They
also use a custom front block made for them by
AKA. This goes specifically with the AKA Merlin
body that Splat Attack uses for this paintgun.
An extra-large screw couples the front block to
the body. This screw is hollowed and tapped clear
through. The LPR threads into this screw rather
than into the front block. This centers the reg
as well.
Splat Attack uses an all-Palmer
front-end on the Revenge. The reg is Palmer's
excellent Micro-Rock with an adjusting knob. The
4-way is Palmer's smooth QuickSwitch. It sealed
well at normal operating pressures, switched over
a very short length, and was extremely smooth.
The pneumatic cylinder that actually drives the
pump rod and back block is Palmer's superb QuickRam,
an ultra-durable ram that promises 1,000,000 trouble-free
cycles. A smooth ram that can keep up with the
fastest shooters.
The Revenge's internals
are all AKA in origin. The velocity adjuster and
hammer are an old-style kit. They use the larger
lugs, but the gun body is not tapped for one of
the new velocity screws, so a full adjuster with
guide is installed. As expected, it takes Nelson
springs and is sprung to take full advantage of
the low pressure Tornado valve. Since velocity
is set with input pressure rather than adjusting
spring tension, you should never have to touch
this.
The valve is the AKA Tornado
valve. This is one of the best performing valves
on the market for both low pressure and high efficiency.
With this valve properly installed, the gun runs
perfectly in the 180-200-psi range and gets better
efficiency than any other valve on the market.
Expect 1500+ shots from a 68-ci 3000-psi air system,
and well over a case if it is a 4500-psi system.
AKA's Lightning bolt with
Evolution-style pushpin rounds out the air-delivery
package. This bolt has a ramped inlet and an outlet
that cones open as a single hole. This is an all-plastic
bolt now rather than hard-coated aluminum, making
for a lighter, though less durable design.
 The
body used in the Revenge is AKA's Merlin VLM center-feed,
P-block body. It differs from the WGP Autococker
body in a few ways. This body is built with gigantic
air chambers to allow very low-pressure operation.
As a result, it is not compatible with standard
Autococker front blocks. An AKA front block and
screw are required. The valve is also installed
differently. Rather than going in through the
back of the gun you remove the front block and
drop it in through the front. The ball-detent
uses a small rubber nubbin hidden under a small
plate.
The front block is custom
made to fit the Merlin body and work with the
Revenge's "inline design". The pressure
regulator that comes with this gun is the AKA
Sidewinder. The cocking rod, pump rod, and beavertail
are also from AKA. The cocking rod is grooved
to match the back of the bolt and pull pin. The
AKA straight pump arm rod has a slightly different
design that prevents it from rotating around out
of the pump rod slot in the side of the gun body.
The
barrel is just about the only part AKA makes that
Splat Attack has not included on the Revenge V2.
Splat Attack has gone the popular route by including
a DYE 14" Titanium Boomstick. This is currently
THE choice barrel for the fashion-conscious player.
It looks cool, is very light, and shoots as well
as any DYE barrel.
The looks of this paintgun
are rather disappointing. The Merlin body is big,
blocky, and very plain. It's embellished with
an Evolution-like P-block and a few check-mark-shaped
grooves cut in each side, but neither does much
to displace the impression that this paintgun
is shaped very much like a brick. On the positive
side, the anodizing is fabulous - even, glossy,
and unmarred from tip to tail. The fit and finish
of the paintgun are excellent as well. All non-anodized
parts are either stainless steel or chrome for
a consistent look.
Though clearly Autococker-inspired,
the Revenge doesn't share a single part with the
guns that come from WGP. The parts are predominantly
AKA in origin and many of them won't fit a standard
Autococker.
 As
a paintgun, the V2 is impressive. It is clear
that a lot of care went into the construction
of this paintgun. The trigger was perfectly timed
and tuned for no blowback, smooth action, a snappy
feel, and a soft pull. Efficiency, as expected
from a Tornado-valve driven paintgun, is the best
in the business and still unmatched by other manufacturers.
Revenge V2s currently coming
from Splat Attack can be expected to work even
more impressively. They've increased the size
of the bolt a tiny bit for better fit with the
gun body, and resprung the hammer and valve to
lower the operating pressure another 20-psi and
allow for a softer hammer release.
The
price of the Revenge V2 pictured here is $1259.
Not cheap, but not mind-bendingly expensive either,
given that many of the parts on this paintgun
are made specifically for the Revenge and that
it includes the most expensive barrel on the market.
For those who want to save
a few bucks, Splat Attack also sells a basic model
for $999 that does not include a barrel and comes
in single color anodizing. If you're looking for
a bit more flash you can have the Limited Edition
Revenge V2 for $1359, which is essentially the
same gun but with more radical milling.
Ravi Chopra
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