My Karnivor Pump Project

So here goes, my first actual post about something. A month or two ago I started a pump gun project with an old semi marker I bought on ebay. I bought a WGP Karnivor on Ebay back in 07 and the thing never worked. The guy I bought it from disappeared and so I was left with a broken gun. I spent a long time researching and tinkering and a good amount of time taking it to 'cocker techs to get fixed but no one could figure out the problem. I called WGP, but the warranty was bad due to the seller swapping parts from two different color Karnivors. Basically it was a huge mishap. So, after a few years of it hanging out in a box, and my new love of pump paintball (as well as some nice new pump kits for the Karni) I decided to make this bad boy a pump.

This is my first paintball project ever. I'm not very far. I've taken it somewhat apart, and I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but this thing is in pretty bad shape. I had to buy 2 different screw extractor sets just to get off the snatch grip screw. The snatch grip screw is completely stripped out and I'm not even sure it's the original screw. I'm almost 100% positive the guy just went to a hardware store and picked some screw up that fit.

I think the guy used loctite on the front reg because I've tried everything to take it apart but I can't do it. Not a big deal as I'm going to use a Custom Products shorty reg on the front, but still a pain in the butt to not be able to get in there and see what's inside.

Here it is so far (I've only included the body, the hammer assembly and the IVG). The hammer assembly is in pretty bad shape. The cocking lug is pretty rusty and looks pretty rough. I've got to find a way to clean them up.



I still don't have a valve tool, so I haven't been able to get the valve out, but I'm ordering one off of paintballgateway.com here soon. I'm actually quite concerned that the internals and the valve are going to be rusted after sitting in a box for as long as they did. I may have to buy a new Karni valve - I don't know where I'm going to find one of them anymore :(

(looking down in from the back of the gun)




My ultimate goal is to rebuild this thing with a Chipley Custom Machine AT pump kit. They are expensive but they are really really nice. I looked at saving money and getting a Sanchez Machine pump kit but apparently the latest batch has been having issues with pump rods breaking, and I have had awful luck with this thing so I'm just going to spend the extra money and get a really nice kit from CCM - they come with a lifetime warranty.

I want to get it anodized digi-cam or something, leaving the grip and pump handle black. I just think that would look really nice, and be useful for our scenario games. I may actually get it powder-coated white. That's be really nice looking, too, and much more my style.

We'll see. Much more to come, but for now, this is it

First Blog ever

So, I'm taking a break from writing a grant proposal, and I was looking back over some paintball forum posts I've made, and I decided I want to make a blog about the sport and my life. This isn't going to be a place I come to rant, it's not a political or debating blog where I get on my high horse and berate others. This is simply a way for me to post things I find useful or interesting, a place for me to post a bit about my life, primarily my interest in paintball. This blog is going to contain reviews of paintball gear, my general impressions of the sport, stuff about my life, almost anything and everything - but I promise no politics, religion, or anything like that. There are too many useless opinions out on the net about that crap already. Nobody cares about my take.

I got engaged about a month ago to my girlfriend of 6 years, Kelsey. We couldn't be happier. Wedding planning is a bit of a tough thing for me, as I'm not a great planner, but I'm actually enjoying it. I go to school at the University of Minnesota as a PhD student in the Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer biology program. It's a LOT harder than I expected, but it's really really fun. I research Staphylococcus aureus in the lab of Pat Schlievert.

For those of you who don't know me very well I absolutely love paintball. I started playing when I was 12, living in Rochester, NY. I had a friend who played with his younger brother in the woods just behind their house and he got me into the sport. I bought a Brass Eagle Tiger Shark pump and played with them every chance I could get. I loved that thing. I moved to Florida about a year later, but kept on playing. I played all through high school moving from the Tiger Shark to a Spyder SE to a 2001 Dark Angel LCD and then to an ICD Promaster (I'm actually going to do a small review of these markers at some point). About 3 years ago, I made the switch back to pump and bought a CCI Phantom.The semi-auto play in the speedball circuit became too expensive, and to be honest, I got tired of the skate-park-rejects that came along with that play style (this isn't everyone who plays speedball, but many of the kids I played with were this way). I now play on a team in Lakeville, MN called Dead Squad. We're primarily a scenario/woodsball team, but some of the other guys like speedball/hyperball/xball as well. I'm not a great player, I never have been, but it's really fun. It's the only activity I've ever done that I enjoy everything about. I may not play speedball anymore, but if it's on TV or a tournament is broadcast online, I'm watching it.

I like to bike, to play my guitar and bass (they are still in Florida, poo ), I love to hang out with my fiancee and friends, I love to do research and I love to play paintball.

Welcome to my little, random world.