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The Automag RT

The "Automag RT" is the newest paintgun from Airgun Designs, makers of the Automag/Minimag. The "RT" is a high-pressure only, blow forward semi-auto. The suggested retail price of the Automag RT is $850.

Design/Construction:

First of all, the RT is not an upgraded Automag from a design compatibility point of view. The original Automag's components are not interchangeable with the RT's except for the barrel, power tube o-ring, bolt and grip-frame. That's it. The RT uses more than 35 parts that are different from the Automag.

Materials used: The Automag RT's main body is manufactured from polished stainless steel which has eighteen machined holes to give the body a unique look. The built-in raised power feed is angled back to give the user a better sight picture and a more balanced gun. The foregrip mounting block, frame rail, barrel and sight rail are made from aircraft grade aluminum. The grip frame is manufactured from a carbon fiber material with molded rubber grips. The air-line that runs from a vertical-adapter to the rail is a hard-line type that does not need to be disconected to remove the valve/regulator.

Internally the RT is similar at first look in design to the Automag. The RT differs in these areas: The spring pack has been replaced by coil springs which in theory, give ypu more velocity adjustability. The trigger pull has been lightened from about a seven pound pull, to four. The sear has been redesigned and is now made with a more durable carbide coating and roller bearing mechanism. It is held in place with an allen set-screw, accessible externally in the frame rail.

The regulator in the RT has been completely redesigned. Air from your hign pressure system fills the air chamber first, then flows to the regulator piston. With the original ‘Mag, the air flowed to the regulator piston first, then to the air chamber. The result of the change is that the RT will recharge faster, preventing shoot-down in long rapid fire shot strings (see maintenance of velocity).

The high pressure from your tank runs through the foregrip, into the hard-line, then the thumb screw, filling the air chamber. It then flows to the regulator piston.

The RT also has what Airgun Designs calls a "reactive trigger" (that's where the name RT comes from). What this means is that the instant you pull the trigger, pressure that sends the trigger back is doubled. "Before your brain can send the signal to your finger to let the trigger come back, it's already there", Tom Kaye told us. This should give you a slightly faster rate of fire.

Looking at the RT's internals you'll see that the gun comes with a foamie-less bolt. The power tube spring has been replaced by a "spacer", similar to the Pro Team Products "Spacer Kit" for the Automag. The regulator seal has been changed to two o-rings and a brass machined disk (similar to the on/off top in the Automag). The on/off has been redesigned as well. The field strip thumb screw is tapped and is used as an air passage. The Automag RT is an extremely well designed, completely thought-out, well made paintgun.

Design/Construction rating (4)

Accuracy:

Procedure: With a securely bench mounted paintgun we fire 200+ rounds of three different brands at four target distances. At 100 & 125 feet the target size is 22" x 22". At 50 & 75 feet the target size is reduced to 8" x 11". All accuracy testing is performed indoors at temperatures of 60-80 degrees (F). For this test we used RP Scherer "Premium Gold", Proball and Zap "Pro-Series" paintballs.

At a target distance of 125 feet, Premium Gold hit the target at a clip of 63%. Proball's accuracy ratio was 61%; Zap Pro-Series followed at 54%. At 100 feet the ratios were 75% for Premium Gold; 79% for Proball, and 72% for Pro-Series.

At 75 feet with the smaller target size, the ratios dropped to 60% for Premium Gold, 62% for Proball, and 59% for Zap Pro-Series. All 50-foot ratios increased. Premium Gold's ratio was 94% - Proball had an almost perfect 99%, and Pro-Series came in at 90%.

Observations: Out of the box the "RT" chronographed in the mid 330's (feet per second). We tuned the gun down into the 290's for all testing. During accuracy testing we encountered one ball break (at the muzzle end of the barrel) firing more than 2400 rounds. One nice little feature on the barrel is the ability to unscrew the muzzle break. This makes cleaning the barrel easier.

Performance tests: (field testing, maintenance of velocity, velocity consistency, etc.)

In the instructions that come with the Automag RT, there is a description of how to chronograph the gun. Here are the important points from the instruction sheet. "The RT's regulator recharges so fast that friction heats up the compressed air molecules filling the the firing chamber. It is important to understand that when the air chamber is filled with hot air under pressure, it then cools off rapidly and the velocity will drop noticeably. If you fire the gun while the chamber is hot your velocity will be higher. If you wait just a few seconds, the air chamber will cool and the velocity will drop noticeably. In other words, the faster you fire your RT the more consistent your velocity will be. After thousands of computer gun test runs and dozens of regulator variations, we feel that the Automag RT represents the best compromise between outstanding rapid fire performance and instability overthe chronograph." Below you'll see what to expect firing both slow and at a fast rate.

Velocity consistency: All velocity consistency testing was done using an Air America "Raptor" high pressure system. All shots were fired at a slow rate. Read from right to left.

A sample of what we found...

289 fps 284 fps 284 fps 286 fps 277 fps 283 fps 284 fps 285 fps 280 fps 281 fps 288 fps

average fps 284

low fps 277 (-7 fps)

high fps 289 (+5 fps)

Maintenance of Velocity shows a gun's ability to hold it's velocity during rapid firing. Again, we used compressed air for all testing.

1st shot 289 fps 10th shot 293 fps

1st shot 290 fps 10th shot 291 fps

1st shot 286 fps 10th shot 290 fps

1st shot 285 fps 10th shot 285 fps

Observations: During rapid firing, not once did the last shot of the "string" drop below the first shot. We were concerned that rapid firing the gun constantly would increase the velocity by a larger margin, but it didn't. Using a 114 cubic inch high pressure tank we got an average 1290 shots per full tank (velocities in the 280 - 290 fps range).

During field testing the Automag RT, we had an average of one ball break per 1600 rounds fired. As one "tester" put it, "the gun definitely encourages you to shoot a lot of paint." The RT's trigger pull is outstanding, but takes a bit od getting used to. The gun is also quieter than the original Automag.

Performance test rating (4)

Maintenance:

Like any high performance paintgun, the Automag RT need to be kept clean and lubricated to work its best. That's the easy part. For a more complex inspection of your gun, follow the general guidelines in the RT's instruction manual.

A handy feature of the Automag RT is the ability to remove the regulator without the need for tools. With your air source turned off you can remove the regulator without disconnecting your pressure lines.

Debugging the Automag RT is a breeze if you're already familiar with the original Automag. If not, there's a learning process that will take some time.

Maintenance rating (4)

Versatility:

Like the original Automag, one of the RT's biggest attractions is that it can be completely customized to fit your needs or playing style. The RT has six active air "lines" that can be used to set your gun up exactly the way you like. The RT's barrel is interchangeable with the original Automag's barrel, although the RT barrel has two nubbins. The Automag RT has a bolt-on sight rail incorporated into the gun. This makes attaching a sight a snap. Like the Automag, the RT's grip is machined to allow the user to attach an on-gun high pressure cradle.

Versatility rating (4)

Customer Service/Warranty:

Airgun Designs' customer service is among the best in the industry. AGD provides a tech support staff to all of the major tournaments and events, where they will usually fix, or "tech" your ‘Mag at no charge, whether under warranty or not.

Customer Service rating (4)

Price:

At $850 retail, the Automag RT is priced in the middle of the tournament paintgun pack. There are several tournament guns priced higher than the RT and a few priced lower.

Price rating (3)

Conclusion:

The 68 Automag RT is not just a dressed-up Automag, it's a completely new gun. There are many similarities though. If you've already got a "tricked" Automag, you may not feel you "need" the RT, give it a look anyway, you might be suprised at what you see. If you're considering buying you're first tournament gun, or you're just ready to switch to a new competition gun, before you make a decision, give the RT a try.

PCRI IS PLEASED TO AWARD THE AIRGUN DESIGNS' 68 AUTOMAG RT OUR FOUR STAR SEAL OF QUALITY.

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