MANTICORE 5-rnd semi-auto foam PPG Launcher [WIP 0.2] 

Stripped-down, janked-up trial of the 18 volt version of the Manticore self-contained ultra-low pressure air-powered launcher.
Link to Imgur album of progress: imgur.com/a/bU... More below 👇👇
Not 3... not 4... but now FIVE-round spring-fed semi-automatic self-contained LPA Blu Maxi launcher.
* ø58mm/13.0gm "Blu Maxi" projectile (credit to the multi-talented Mr Nathan for inspiring the idea of the squeaky-toy warhead. Turns out these won't squeak when they hit you but it's great for impact mitigation - that's win in my book!)
* 45' to the target
* ≈30psi in the (maximised) 350cc Marshmallow Extreme Blaster tank.
* Testing here with a 12v 40 ltr/min diaphragm pump over-volted to 18v. The new-and-improved pump is faster than the previous piston pump and quieter even when overvolted. You are limited to ≈20psi at 12v and ≈30psi at 18v, but for our purposes that's ideal.
* Low pressure/high volume diaphragm compressor available here: www.aliexpress...
The proof-of-concept is janky as hell, but RSCB-ing the air-tank layout enables the entire length of the Hydrocannon shell to be used for the mag tube while keeping the overall blaster length to an absolute minimum.
Just running it off a manual switch and regulator here until the digital switch, gauge and relay can get put together. Lots more flashy bits to come too, but weight, balance and basic function is great - so as a base-line to improve from I'm pretty stoked.
Performance has definitely dropped since the 3 and 4-round "in-line clip" versions, but access through the sealing cap at the stock end allows for "back-filling" the mag with foam plugs the same diameter as the tube - each plug reducing round capacity while at the same time reducing dead space (say, for a 3-round high-performance tuning...)
"Drive-through" access to the mag + barrel also creates the potential for easily swappable inner barrels for smaller/lighter/multibarrel loads.
Phase 2 of development will see a pretty much completely redesigned and expanded tank (with the trigger moved to the Hydrocannon's grip). The valve will dump directly into the mag tube (rather than into a u-bend) immediately behind the "chambered" round. This will mean the ID of the mag tube (and so the dead space) behind that leading round can be shrunk to an absolute minimum - as long as the loading spring can overcome the drag on the rounds we should be sweet.
This placement will also make it easier for the trigger pull to directly actuate the sear in one linear motion. Ideally I'll be re-designing the sear to catch the poppet evenly at multiple points as the current single point of contact means it can tilt and leak pressure past the flexible gasket. Originally this acted as an OP valve for the MMXB but we've got the regulator doing that job now and want to maintain as much pressure between shots as possible.
Yes, that's a baby bottle at the front. Takes 30psi no sweat 😅
The spring doing the loading is still set up for the old 4-round mag, hence the need to do the "dip" on the last round, just to be sure it seals to the barrel. New spring incoming.
There's even a crazy idea to rig up the last round as a simple pneumatic ram to advance the mag after each shot, minimising expansion-chamber volume and maximising pressure and consistency 😎
Soooo... accidental FULL-auto PPG launcher anyone?? This thing is going to be FUN 😂
Testing continues...