2003 Shocker Review
By David Hayes
In the paintball community, Smart Parts is definitely a “household name.” Their recent business moves have certainly put them in the spotlight, but what is not getting as much attention are their products. While most people in the paintball community have heard that there is a new Shocker, many do not realize that all it shares with its predecessors is a name. Smart Parts completely revamped the Shocker in 2003, giving it much more than just a face-lift. I’ve had the opportunity to work with one, and I’ll be sharing my experiences with you.
I will discuss multiple aspects of the Shocker, from my first impression to maintenance, and everything in between. In doing, so you the consumer, should be able to walk away better informed about the new Shocker and be able to decide if it is the right marker for you.
The marker itself came in a standard cardboard box protected by stiff foam, nothing fancy. However, I would like to point out it did come with a tube of Dow 33 “Shocker lube.” This is definitely plus, as it ensures people will know what to use in their marker, and prevent mishaps relating to using incorrect lubrication. The box was definitely designed for packaging and not meant to be a case for the marker. So if you do not have a case or marker bag yet, you will want one to protect your investment.
When I first held this marker, two things immediately impressed me about it. First, it was extremely lightweight. To give you a better idea of how light it was, it weighed about the same with a tank as my Black Magic Autococker did without one. This is definitely an ideal marker for a front man.
Secondly, the design was very sleek and compact. The ugly bolted on eye covers common to other high-end markers were absent, being replaced by a small metal plate that was flush with the body of the marker. Dual ball detents are in place to keep balls in place, and have been reported to be able to stand up to the merciless Halo-B hopper. The single tube body helps to reduce vertical profile, and the matching barrel finished the effect. All in all a very sharp looking marker.
The marker came in two pieces; the barrel and the marker itself. There was nothing unusual or difficult about the assembly of the marker for play. The barrel itself is the Smart Parts 2 piece All American barrel. This is a top-quality barrel and helps make this marker one of the few where you would not want to upgrade the barrel first. It’s lightweight, accurate, and a solid all around performer with a good paint to barrel match. I’m glad companies are recognizing that people don’t always like having to upgrade the barrel first.
The Shocker I had acquired, came with the vertical Max Flo regulator and an on/off Smart Parts drop forward. The regulator has a new look for this marker and looks as sleek as everything else. The drop while not necessarily a big asset, is a nice little extra that makes for one less part to put on the marker before you can go play. The marker can handle either CO2 or HPA, though HPA is definitely recommended. That dual ability certainly points to the quality of the vertical Max Flo. You are truly able to gas up and go right out of the box, which is a definite plus.
So how does it fire? You simply hold the on/off switch for a few seconds and a chirp confirms the marker is active. The marker has two modes of fire; normal and vision. Both modes are semi-automatic only, raising no issues come tourney time. At the chronograph, I was getting results of about plus or minus 3 feet per second, which is extremely good.
The vision mode uses a reflective eye to detect if a ball is chambered and will prevent shooting unless a ball is in the breech. This definitely reduces the chances of the bolt chopping a ball, however darker paints may not work as well. The 3 trigger screws allowed for precise adjustment of the trigger to my taste and in about 30 minutes of tweaking, I was able to, occasionally, outshoot my Evolution 2 loader.
One drawback to the tweaking is that to adjust the rate of fire and dwell (how much air the solenoid lets through) you have to remove the grip of the marker. While it is not a difficult procedure, it would have been more convenient to have the ability to do this on the outside of the marker. The kick created by this marker while firing even at high rates of fire is minimal. You will find the biggest disruption to your aim will be your fingers working the trigger. The Shocker will definitely keep up with the other high-end markers out there on the field.
So is it hard to maintain? Maintenance is not difficult at all, but it is a bit tedious. You unscrew the bolt guide from the back of the marker and then remove the bolt sleeve and bolt guide. Grease up the o-rings on these parts, and reassemble. Very simple, but there are a good number of o-rings and it quickly becomes a boring task. Definitely a plus with it’s simplicity though. The marker does not kill batteries quickly, though I would advise a new battery on tournament day. You won’t need to change the battery to frequently though.
Unfortunately, as with everything else, there are some drawbacks to this marker that definitely need to be mentioned. First, the initial batch of Shockers was sent without manuals. This is a glaring oversight that has since been rectified, but if you buy one, make sure you have the manual.
Secondly, the gas efficiency with a stock set up is mediocre at best. You can expect 700-800 shots from a full 68/4500 tank. This can be remedied by upgrading the bolt and is definitely the first upgrade needed. At this time, I would recommend the HE bolt from Smart Parts, and the Evolve bolt after that. This will bring your efficiency up to an acceptable range with people reporting between 1200-1700 shots per tank after a bolt upgrade.
Thirdly, the vertical regulator lacks a gauge. The solenoid is a delicate piece of equipment and only a change of 50psi out of the normal range can cause damage. Aftermarket adapters do exist that let you add a low-pressure regulator in addition to a gauge. If you are using a preset tank, then this is definitely something you want to invest in. Even with an adjustable tank I would still advise looking into this as an upgrade.
Cost was about average for a high-end marker. The price ranges between $825-$1000 for the Shocker with vision, and lower for without. Cost after upgrades not including a new barrel would be about $275-$350 for pretty much any upgrade. Based on other markers in this category, I would have to say that the price is not a fair price. Might not be an extreme bargain, but it is not too overpriced either.
Overall, I feel that the Shocker is a solid marker for use in high-end paintball play. The combination of it’s weight, consistency, and rate of fire makes it a good choice especially for the front man. If you were interested in purchasing one, I would highly recommend purchasing the marker and a bolt kit together. Another bit of advice; don’t buy a marker based on a review, not even mine. Buy your marker based on how it feels to you. Go to your local paintball shop and try the different markers. See what is best for you. All reviews can do are give you opinions and options, what you like is up to you.
