In this video, Dan DeBone, former service manager at Palmer’s Pursuit Shop (1990-1997), talks about an early Palmer’s Brass Low Pressure Rock Regulator that was constructed around 1991 to 1992. See this “new product” write up article from Paintball Sports International on the introduction of the Rock:
https://paintballhistory.com/scan-pps-rock-293-psi
The first Rock Regulator built to be used on an Autococker was made for Joel Kaufman who played on Constant Pursuit. DeBone’s pictured Rock was made shortly after.
During 1991-1992, Joel was playing a few tournaments with the Dogs of War and had been bugging Palmer’s to build an Low Pressure Regulator to replace the stock Brass 1st gen LPR on his Autococker.
Palmer’s Pursuit Shop modeled Joel’s Autococker “Rock” regulator after the removable regulator Glenn built into PPS’ second semi automatic, Hugo, the double barrel which Dan Debone commissioned in 1989 and was completed in February-March (or March to April?) 1990.
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DeBone also likens this early Rock Regulator to the regs found on the earliest Hurricanes with the exception that the internals in this Rock are Soldered in place and the Hurricanes used internal bases secured with set screws.
DeBone writes, “It was [1991] when Joel from Constant Pursuit had joined the Dogs for a few tournaments that I created a more stable regulator out of scrap parts around the shop. We set the regulator and he sealed it with nail polish.”
Dan continues, “Every week after [Joel] played and people saw he did not have to adjust [his Autococker LPR] mid game, Glenn would get phone calls about when he was going to produce the regulator. So every week I would get fired because Glenn did not want to fix the Autococker. That was the birth of the Rock regulator, based on the one on Hugo and adapted to the Cocker.”
Aside from being slightly longer, DeBone’s early Rock Low Pressure Regulator has an additional piece of brass attached to the side for added thread stability. With that added thickness a 90 degree fitting can be attached without having to worry about the threads stripping.
Wow…This brings back memories…I think Dan Bacci will be updating the article with more detailed info i’m sending him, But it’s pretty accurate. I remember Rock #1 being made from an existing bottom tube that was off of another of Dan D’s experiments, and that I had measured it at 7+” in length among other things. I also remember swallowing wrong at lunch that day and getting a seasoned curly fry into my septum somehow.:-) Also, as long as you’re talking to Dan D, see if you can find pictures of Otto. At the time it was probably the lightest hurricane ever and had an aluminum plate stock.