Over the summer in Northern California I had the chance to break down and rebuild Michael “Machine Gun Mike” Baird’s 1991 Ironmen Autococker and then cycle some paint through it.
I purchased this Autococker off ebay around last september. I had hoped it might turn out to be the one of the original Autococker’s that the Ironmen used in the March 1991 Lone Star Open, in Dallas Texas, and after talking to Mike he believes it was. The serial number of #6212 would make sense for around that time.
Find more info on the 1991 Lone Star Open at:
https://paintballhistory.com/introduction-bud-orrs-autococker-ironmen-lone-star-open-c-391
While emailing with Mike about this Autococker he did believe this was his original gun from that event.
Mike writes, “[This was] the first Cocker I was given when we were signed by WGP in ’91. Serial #6212.”
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And Baird also writes, ” the Cocker you have … is the same one I used and am holding in the team picture from the Lone Star Open, Dallas ’91. Obviously there were changes made but it is the same one. 25 years old!”
Messaging with Bud Orr, he told me the following:
“The guns we made [for the Ironmen] started around 6500 or higher. I may have some records on that. They always kept there guns. A few played with pumps for a few years.”
I would say that Bud could be off 300 or so serial numbers since it was close to 25 years back and over 100,000 Autocockers were eventually produced. Eventually I hope we’ll see other original Ironmen guns from 1991 and see how the serials compare.
Bud Orr’s Factory Team
Some of the changes that I saw on Mike’s Autococker were the following:
Front Block:
Brass LPR replaced with a Rock regulator (rebuilt this before cycling).
Clippard Ram has opposite side drilled out, probably came from WGP this way?
WGP 3 Way with non standard 3 way stem. Was this an aftermarket stem? I don’t remember seeing it before? Could have been an early stock stem but I would guess it’s aftermarket.
Receiver has been switched out from the stock one hole grip to the Proline / Bob Long 45 frame. These were some of the first 45 frames for Autocockers.
The body has a set screw hole drilled for locking the hammer’s lug and sear in place.
The IVG (inner velocity govenor) has been changed from stiffer smaller diameter Sheridan Springs to softer larger outer diameter Nelson Springs.
Valve is stock but has been modified with a larger hold drilled on the top side and the cup seal has been “turbo’d” which means the width of the stem near the seal has been reduced. Both of these modifications mean more air flow to the bolt which translates to less spring tension as the same velocity. Valve spring has also been changed to a softer Nelson spring, roughtly equivalent to a yellow spring.
The back block has been changed from the large back block to an after market block. Not sure who manufactured the block on there,
Barrel has been changed from a Bull Barrel to one of Brahim Estephan’s OTP G-1 Pro Series Barrels.
An Air America Unireg has been added to the vertical asa.
From ebay this Autococker came with an Air America Apocalypse stainless reg and 114ci (?) tank. I removed the Apocalypse tank and added a WGP bottomline and in the video I’m running a 68 ci with a ninja reg.
Find more articles on the Ironmen at:
https://paintballhistory.com/tag/ironmen/
And more on Michael Baird on baccipaintball at:
https://paintballhistory.com/tag/michael-baird
