Goblin Deuce now Available in Black

It's been a while since we've heard from Goblin Paintball, so it's nice to know that they're still in the game! The latest release from Goblin is the Deuce in black, and hopefully we'll be seeing more things from them soon.

Sneak Peek at the Finished Goblin Deuce

Here are some images of the soon to be released Goblin Deuce (this is the final model):

Over-Shot Wad for Goblin Shells

In my boredom I was toying around with my Goblin Solo launcher and realized that the rubber slugs that plug the S-Thunder .68 Grenade fit perfectly in the Goblin shell. I gave it a whirl and fired off some reballs with the combination of a shell/reball/slug and it worked great! This works because it creates a more explosive depressurization of the shell, because of the pressure built up behind the airtight seal created by the slug. I have yet to try it with paintball but it was a fun exercise nonetheless. Also, for those that bought the Goblin Solo for airsoft purposes it provides a cheap slug round. 

Exploded view

Some Goblin News Stuff

There are advantages to me being nocturnal. For one, I can bring you guys updates when companies put up new stuff in the middle of the night. So you saw it here first, actual pictures of the Goblin Deuce! 

What's more, PBGear.ca now has the Black Goblin Solo in stock! Check it out here.

Pictured on the left is the elusive (and transparent) Goblin Phantom.

Keep your eyes peeled for more Goblin news.

S-Thunder Double Barreled 40mm Grenade Launcher

I'd like to see this next to a Goblin Deuce!

Specs (provided by S-Thunder):

Short Barrel Grenade: 
- Powered by: CO2 / Green Gas / Top Gas 
- Size: 4cm diameter, 11.5cm height 
- Filler: 33mm foam balls, color / smoke powder, confetti 
- Filler Volume: 2 foam balls (included in package) 
- Sound Volume: 90 dB (CO2 gas) 
- Firing Distance: 15 - 20m (CO2 gas)  
Long Barrel Grenade: 
- Powered by: CO2 / Green Gas / Top Gas 
- Size: 4cm diameter, 18cm height - Filler: 33mm foam balls, color / smoke powder, confetti 
- Filler Volume: 4 foam balls (included in package) 
- Sound Volume: 90 dB (CO2 gas) 
- Firing Distance: 15 - 20m (CO2 gas)

S-Thunder says that the final grenade launcher will be cosmetically different, as the one shown above is just a prototype. No price is listed for the launcher as of yet and there is a single barrel handheld launcher also listed on their website (seen below).

Goblin Deuce Sneak Peek

The Goblin Deuce

First update from Goblin in a while, I'm sure this little monster will pick up a lot of impulse buys. For the full story head over to Geoff's blog.

Ugly Milsim Markers 2 - Back with a Vengeance

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...

My own "milsim" creation, I like to call it The Ogre.

Typically, one tries to learn from others' mistakes. Some in the paintball industry are apparently still trying to grasp this concept. So, without further ado, I present the continuation of my little hall of shame.

Case 4: The BT SA-17

Until this little monstrosity popped up, I thought that BT knew what it took to make a decent looking milsim/woodsball marker on a budget. Ariakon pulls off a much better look, given the same format, without even trying.

Case 5: The Angel AR:K

Some selling points for this "milsim" marker include (and I quote): 

• All new color OLED circuit board with text available in different languages 
• Unsurpassed fire power (where permitted)

Now to be fair, I suppose you could always change the language on the board to Arabic and consider it an OPFOR weapon? As for the "unsurpassed fire power (where permitted)", well your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps it is deadly in its powers of incapacitating bewilderment.

For the previously published first installment of ugly milsim markers, click here.

Heat Stippling the Goblin Solo

Inspired by a video on how to heat stipple plastic grips (see embedded video below) but hesitant to try out the technique on an expensive marker, I figured it would be fun to heat stipple my new Goblin Solo.

I started off by pencilling in the perimeter of any area that my fingers touched the Solo when I held it.

Then, using a 60W varying voltage soldering iron set to around 16W (I think this may have been a bit too hot, as there are some black marks where the plastic burned a bit), I practiced the stippling technique on a broken fast mag that I had lying around. 

Once I had gotten the knack of it, I stippled the line I had drawn with a pencil earlier on the Goblin.

After this point I just filled in the area outlined. The entire process took about half an hour when I got down to business.

I'm very happy with the result, and the grip provided is superb.

One thing I should mention is make sure you do not stipple over the median between the clamshell halves, I only realized this after I had stippled the outside line (as seen above).

As you can see, the stippled portion matches up with where my fingers go perfectly. This is my first time doing this, and first time working with a soldering iron. That just goes to show how easy this process is. If you take your time and think it through before you start, you'll end up with a great finished product.

Goblin Solo Initial Impressions

I finally took the plunge and picked up a Goblin Solo the other day (the combined result of a deal I couldn't pass up and an unexpected paypal payment).

It seems that everyone these days is reviewing the Goblin, so I'll try and keep this short and maybe do some more interesting stuff in the future.

The build quality seems good overall, nothing feels cheap or easy to break. One of the first things I do with any new toy is test every part of it for wobble, and the Goblin has a bit of wobble around the barrel assembly, but the trigger seems nice and solid. The trigger also has a fairly strong pull, which came as a nice surprise.

After the initial lubing of my one included air cartridge i found it took me about a dozen dry fires to "break in" the valve system to a point where it would produce a satisfying bang with each trigger pull.

I have yet to test the cartridges with CO2 but instead used my Myth'd Crossfire (high pressure). A few negatives that I've found to date include the use of little brass shims for barrel sizing, and some slightly annoying iron sights. 

On the subject of barrel sizing, I had a little idea about finding some alternatives to the brass shims...

More to come... 

P.S. I apologize for neglecting the blog, I intend to catch up in the near future.

Goblin Solo Phantom and Contest

Looks like Goblin will be releasing a clear Goblin Solo soon, with the moniker Phantom. With this new transparent marker, comes a contest. Details right here.

S-Thunder

S-Thunder is a new Hong Kong based company, focusing on replica/milsim paintball/airsoft markers and accessories. Some companies (unmentioned, but my guess would be RAP4, Umarex etcetera) have already purchased S-Thunder merchandise and sell it under their own branding, but soon all members of the public will be able to purchase S-Thunder merchandise.

Some interesting items mentioned include a rechargeable CO2 cylinder (with the same fill mechanism as airsoft grenades or the Goblin Solo shells) that could bridge the gap between in-stock HPA (refillable but bulky) and in-stock CO2 (non-refillable but small enough to use regular stocks), a sniper rifle marker, and get this... a double barrel shotgun marker.

A slightly warped view of the rechargeable CO2 cylinder:

Below are a few of their initial demo videos for their new products:

Goblin Solo Videos - Old Man

Here a couple of videos of the Goblin Solo Launcher from Old Man of Wolverines Tactical Paintball. Should answer a few questions as to the mechanism/operation of the Solo.

Black Goblin Solo Pics

The title says it all...

Goblin Solo Launcher

Here's a peak at the upcoming new marker released by Goblin Paintball.

A single shot, break action, cartridge based launcher, this thing can fit right in the palm of your hand. As is, it ships with "SOLO Launcher, Fitted Tactical MOLLE Pouch, Air Cartridge, .68 Magnum Barrel, 6MM Nitro-Express Barrel, Air Adaptor, O-Ring Replacement Kit, Instructions" and a small assortment of accessories and add-ons can be found right here. 

Videos of the launcher have already been posted by Goblin Paintball, and discussion on some forums has cropped up over the white object being seen leaving the barrel with the paintball, possibly meaning that you need to wad the barrel to ensure it fires properly. Some concerns brought up concerning the marker include the method of charging the shells, which some fear may lead to wildly variable velocities and a weak valve. I'm reserving judgement until I see some results from the online community, but with an MSRP of $ 89.95 US the idea of owning one of these little guys is pretty appealing.

It will be available through various small and large paintball dealers soon but can be purchased now right here through the Vancouver based distributor (it's worth noting that this launcher is made in China). An all black version will be available early next year.

Edit: (March 13th 2010) Check out this post for a short review.