A Review of the Brass Eagle - Eagle 68, model 1430

Including User Notes

By Pericles

Disclaimer - This article is not intended to be an operating manual. Its contents are presented for informational purposes only therefore the author assumes no responsibility for any usage of the information contained in this article. The author has no affiliation with Brass Eagle and is not a professional airsmith.

The Eagle 68 is an affordable 12 gram semiautomatic paintball pistol. Everything written here is based on three years experience playing with the Eagle 68 in a recreational setting.

Pros

• No bottle to fight with to see the target
• Accurate
• Good Range
• Fun to use
• Great customer support from Brass Eagle

Cons

• The plastic frame could be more durable.
• Somewhat difficult to clean inside gun magazine slot and breech area.

The Eagle 68 is a semi-automatic paintball marker powered by 12 gram powerlets. It has a 6 inch aluminum (bore drop) barrel. The barrel has a ball detent and the barrel is securely anchored in place. The frame is made of plastic and it has "peak and valley sights". There is no sight rail. The internal mechanism is metal. There is a metal safety switch. The cocking lugs protrude from both sides of the frame. The knob that tightens the 12 gram in place is made of a light aluminum and the 12 gram is located in the grip much like the Splatmaster/GZ1000/Talon. The back feed port has a flipping lid/sight where paintballs can be dropped in or the magazine inserted. The Eagle isn't particularly heavy, in fact it is much lighter than a PGP and fits easily a Brass Eagle or Uncle Mikes holster.

In The Colourful Box

In the box you will find the marker, an eight round spring loaded metal tube magazine, an informative manual which is well worth reading, and a catalogue of Brass Eagle Products

Getting Introduced

I advise players to read the manual carefully and follow its directions. If you don't do what the manual says you will have operating problems.

The safety must be engaged and the action cocked before inserting a 12 gram. It is important not to overtighten the 12 gram knob. I tighten it just enough to do the job, after all this isn't a jar of pickles.

The Feel

When you first hold the marker it seems just a bit large. I quickly got over this feeling shortly into my first game and it doesn't bother me anymore. The Eagle points naturally with its 45 style grip. Snapshooting is a breeze.

Shooting

I have played all sorts of recreational games with the Eagle. I was pleasantly suprised by the pistols accuracy and range. The pistol shoots very well to 50 feet. (Note: According to an article I read in APG, paintguns that POP the paintball [blowback semis] should have a barrel length between 6 and 9 inches. That would make the barrel length of the Eagle ideal. The barrel also has tiny grooves running down the length of the barrel, rifling?, which may help accuracy)

I found that the marker was ideal for buildings and typical mid range paintball skirmishes. I was able to accurately shoot between fence pickets and hit players on the other side of the fence. You have to stop drooling and shaking though. You will be able to mix it up with your friends. In fact they will become afraid, very very afraid, nyahahahahaha. Because the marker is small you will be able to shoot from unlikely places. Because there is no bottle or hopper the markers low profile will make you a difficult target. There is less of you sticking out.

Obviously with such a short barrel longballing is going to be more difficult. Going head to head with a hopper filled semi is not a productive stragegy since you will have to reload sometime. I find the best tactic is to stalk the intended target, take a shot or two, and immediately move to another location with a blindspot/cover between you and your target so you can set up for another shot. This usually has the effect of making the other player wonder where the shot came from if your quick.

Two Official Methods of Loading and One Unofficial Method

The gun can be loaded by dropping up to ten balls through the feed port and flipping closed the lid/sight. The marker must be tipped forward to load a ball.

Insert a loaded magazine. The capacity of the magazine is eight paintballs. The magazine is prepared by removing a rubber cap from the business end of the tube and pulling back the spring. Lock the spring in place. Eight paintballs are then dropped into the tube and the magazine inserted into the back feed port. The spring slot must be lined up with the corresponding slot in the feed port and the spring released. The paintballs then come under pressure as the spring travels down the magazine and pushes the balls further into the gun. This can be a problematic procedure to follow when you are in a HURRY because you are OUT OF PAINT. Practice makes perfect. It wouldn't hurt to have several extra magazines preloaded.

Not mentioned in the manual is a third method of loading: Insert a plastic paint tube. Remember those soft plastic tubes stock players keep carrying around? They can be inserted into the back of the feed port. I find that when I am DESPERATE for a quick reload this works very well. Tip the marker forward to feed.

Remember, without the magazine the marker must be tipped down to load a ball between each shot. With the magazine the marker can be fired from any orientation, upside down, with the marker on its side etc.

I have been using Zap and RP Scherer paint with excellent results. The Eagle does not seem to be fussy about what kind of paint you put into it. I had no ball breakages with fresh paint. IMHO ball breakage occurs because of stress to weak paintballs. Fragile paint means broken paint in the barrel or broken paint in the magazine. This is not an unusual condition for any semi so the Eagle 68 should not be singled out as being deficient in any way. The marker has a ball detent so double feeds won't be bothering you.

Getting the goo out of the gun when eventually a ball is broken is another story. I have a "T" style squeegee which works pretty well for most of the goo but I did notice that bits of shell and residual paint can build up in the breech area and inside the plastic "magazine" of the gun. Clean it up because hardened paint can cause problems, the gun may fail to recock. You are going to need a cotton swab to completely clean up these areas. It makes me wish the Eagle had a breech cleaning port. Maybe Brass Eagle will include one in some future variation of the Eagle 68.

Consumption of Gas and Velocity Adjustment

The gun must be cocked to hold gas pressure. There is no adjustment for velocity. The marker is set at the factory for velocities from 240 to 270 fps. I found that mine shoots ±265fps on a typical warm summer day. I couldn't see any reason to manually change the velocity as the gun operated satisfactorily and within safety requirements. You can get 24+(2 or 3) shots out of a 12 gram under these conditions. At room temperature my marker shoots 18 + or - 2 shots. When its cold out expect to see the number of shots and range decline. In comparison, my PGP shoots about 25-30 shots per 12 gram so I found the Eagle's gas consumption quite reasonable. In practical terms you can shoot three (eight round) magazines before you need to change the CO2.

When you do run out of gas in the middle of some skirmish the gun makes that wonderful gasless semi noise which is so satisfying to hear, buuurp. Ok, its not so great for you because it is a signal that lets everyone around you know you are ready to be pummeled. However, the 12 gram knob won't take hours to unscrew and the 12 gram will slide out of the grip quite easily because gravity is a wonderful helper of desperation. I have changed 12 grams during play without a hitch/crisis, practice helps.

Troubleshooting and Lubrication

Lubrication is not mentioned in the manual but I did find a troubleshooting guide at Brass Eagles' Web site that mentions the subject at www.brasseagle.com, check it out. The troubleshooting guide is excellent. Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) is recommended if you need to lubricate the action. I keep the hammer well lubed.

In the Cold Canadian Winter

I have never played with the Eagle 68 in winter. Check the troubleshooting guide for Brass Eagles' recommendations. As I mentioned earlier the number of shots and range will decrease in colder temperatures.

Durability and Reliability

Brass Eagle is very helpful so don't panic if you have problems with the marker. In the second year I had some unexpected problems which made the Eagle 68 unusable. They didn't all happen at the same time and resulted in a couple of calls to the service department:

• The plastic body (frame) cracked inside where the screws hold it together.
• The trigger stopped working (leaving the action permanently cocked).
• The 12 gram piercing nut started to come loose releasing gas when a 12 gram was inserted.

Naturally, I was surprised and a little disapointed that the marker malfunctioned in its second year. I was expecting the same solid performance as the Stingray. Rather than become upset I feel that the best thing to do in this kind of situation is to contact the manufacturer for assistance.

Dealing with the Service Department

The telephone number is 1-800-861-6095. Brass Eagle is now a separate division from Daisy. The Service Department is very helpful. New frames were sent at no cost to me to replace the cracked ones. For the trigger and piercing nut problems I was told to send my marker in and Brass Eagle would replace the marker with a remanufactured one even though it was out of warranty. I was very pleased by this response to my problem.

Policy seems to be to replace defective markers with remanufactured ones. So when you send a marker in to Brass Eagle they send you another one back, say goodbye to your marker. Keep your magazine! I had some minor problems with the remanufactured marker I recieved from them (A bad magazine and a worn quick change) but again they offered to send me the parts I wanted at no charge. They were a great help to me and I am still a satisfied customer. Its a fact that Brass Eagle has offered great service every time I called. :-) Incidentally, the remanufactured marker performed identically to my original marker! Gas consumption, range, and accuracy were identical.

Many players like to tinker. Even if you have to buy parts they are inexpensive to purchase and will probably cost less than the postage you would pay to send them your marker for repair. If you feel up to the repair job you could choose to repair the marker quite easily yourself. Remember I'm not responsible for what you do. Get some advice or obtain service from your qualified local airsmith.

WARNING: If you attempt repairs yourself be sure to follow proper safety precautions. Make sure there is no C02 cartridge in the marker. Dismantling and attempting to repair the marker voids your warranty. Before dismantling make sure the marker isn't cocked. Heres a tech tip, if you need a guide to whats inside the marker diagrams from the patent of the Eagle 68 are available at patent.womplex.ibm.com Enter a search using "paintball" and select patent number 5634456. There is also a description of how the marker operates.

I chose to purchase some extra parts for spares and to replace some parts myself rather than send the remanufactured marker back to Brass Eagle. The items listed below are those that were replaced at no charge by Brass Eagle or were purchased for spares as indicated. My advice to Eagle 68 owners is that it doesn't hurt to have a few spare parts even if you never need them. They aren't expensive to purchase. Also, when ordering frames get both sides because there was an earlier body style which is incompatible with the newer one. I had ordered a single left frame only to realize that it wouldn't match up with my older right one. :-) Prices are in US dollars.

• Left and Right Frames(gun body) - $3.00 per side, in case frames crack open, spare parts.
• Trigger Assembly - $3.00, in case trigger fails to release action, spare part.
• Aluminum Knob - replaced at no charge, threads were worn.
• Aluminum Ring inside grip - replaced at no charge, threads were worn.
• Metal Tube Magazine - replaced at no charge, it was not soldered at the insertion end.

Eagle 68 Wish List

Here are a few ideas for future development and improvement of the Eagle 68:

• A long sight rail so players can hook up red dot sights.
• The sight rail should incorporate a second screw halfway between the breech and the back of the marker for strength because the magazine has a tendency to push the body slightly apart as it is inserted. (The frame is tapered on the inside to "hold" the magazine.
• All the screws should be changed to bolts with nuts recessed into the body on the left side of the frame - this would prevent the frame from cracking open.
• The plastic body should be made out of the same stuff as the Stingray because that carbon composite stuff is more durable than whats used now.
• A breech cleaning port with a simple clamp on round lid above the breech, the lid could even be clear. It would make the marker easier to clean after a day of play.
• Longer aftermarket barrels, maybe an Eagle 68 special edition with 11 inch barrel?
• An adapter to hook up a remote line.

Do I like the Eagle 68, yes! I've had a lot of fun playing paintball with it. My conclusion is that the Eagle 68 is an excellent gun for all around play. It is not excessively expensive to operate and it's easy to use, normally requiring little maintenance.

Due to the problems I have had, resulting in calls to the service department, my initial confidence in the Eagle 68 has been lowered. I plan to keep the marker and continue using it despite some minor problems. On the positive side Brass Eagle's committment to customer support has been great. I have been satisfied by their responses to my problems with the Eagle 68. The service department is very helpful. Thank you Brass Eagle!

My sincere hope is that this innovative product will continue to mature and improve. It has few if any rivals.

The following text is presented for informational purposes only therefore the author assumes no responsibility for any usage of the information contained in this article.

WARNING: One word of caution to readers, if you are not confident of your abilities to repair the marker yourself do not attempt to dismantle the Eagle 68. Your safety is of paramount importance and the marker must be assembled correctly to function properly. If you have a problem with the Eagle 68 call Brass Eagle and they will tell you if it is necessary to send your marker to Brass Eagle for servicing. When in doubt leave it to the professionals, be safe.

Why I Chose the Eagle 68 and Other Ramblings

One of the reasons I wrote this article was that I couldn't find any information about the Eagle 68 when I was considering the purchase. I made my decision pretty much in the dark. I want to pass on what I had learned about the Eagle to others. My Eagle 68 experience has been a happy one except for a couple of pit stops. I wouldn't dream of giving up the Eagle because I have had so much fun with it.

I started out as a stock player (PGP) and I wanted a paintpistol with a semiautomatic capability. Like many stock players there were times I would have liked to have had that second shot. The Eagle 68 is very reasonably priced and offers this capability while maintaining a lower profile, i.e. its light, no tank, and has a small magazine. Players with "more" of everything are often surprised that I can give as good as I get without carrying a paint-o-matic.

Like many paintball players I discovered that the Eagle 68 is a black box. The manual does not cover enough information to service the marker. Therefore the user has to decide whether or not to send the marker in when it goes down. I am not a professional airsmith. These notes were written about my experiences servicing the marker. These notes are not intended to be a complete disassembly procedure. Here's what I did:

Some Disassembly Notes

WARNING: Be sure to follow proper safety precautions. Before attempting disassembly remove all CO2 power sources from the Eagle 68. Unscrew the quick change knob at the bottom of the grip and look inside to confirm that no 12 gram is in the marker. The marker must not be loaded with paintballs. Remove the magazine and confirm the marker is empty by examining the feed area through the port in the back of the marker.

CAUTION: The trigger sear and ball detent are under spring pressure and have a tendency to come popping out of the marker when the frame halves are separated. The most complicated part of the Eagle 68 is its trigger assembly which can be tricky to reassemble.

• Getting Started
• Tools - Phillips screwdriver, Flat head screwdriver, pliars wrapped with hockey tape, cup, Automatic Transmission Fluid, masking tape, notepad for making notes, loc-tite, diagrams from the patent web site.
• The action must not be cocked. Confirm that the action is all the way forward.
• Make sure that the safety pin is pushed all the way in to the "Safe" position.
• Unscrew the two cocking screw caps from the hammer at the rear of the marker. Leave the small bolt that passes through the hammer in place there is no need to remove it.
• Lay the marker down with the phillips (+) screws facing up. Gently unscrew the frame screws and remove the rear sight/loader cap.
• CAUTION: before separating the frame halves be aware that the trigger sear and ball detent are under spring pressure and have a tendency to come popping out of the marker when the frame halves are separated. Be prepared to cup your hand over area just forward of the trigger to catch these parts.
• Gently pull the top frame (the right side) from the lower (left) frame while continuing to lay the marker flat on the table.
• Inside the marker the componants should be visible. Note that the marker's action is similar to that of the Stingray. The hammer is connected to the bolt by two metal arms and the valve is in the middle. In the Eagle 68 the position of the hammer spring is between the bolt and the valve face instead of behind the hammer as in the stingray. There should be a teflon washer between the bolt and the valve face. This is the same washer used in the valve. It is my belief that if this washer isn't present the marker may not recock properly. (My "new" Eagle 68 did not have this washer but my "remanufactured" one did, go figure!)
• If the sear spring, the ball detent and its spring haven't moved they should be removed and placed into a cup.

• Trigger Group
• NOTE: The trigger sear, trigger, and trigger spring each sit on their own pins. Observe the positon of the safety pin and the orientation of the trigger spring. The longer part of this spring enters the trigger. DO NOT GET THESE PARTS MIXED UP. Be sure to match the parts with the pins.
• Disassembly of the trigger group begins with the removal of the sear pin. The sear is the flat metal piece forward of the trigger which has an oval slot in the pin end. Pull out the sear pin, push the sear to the rear and lift it out of the trigger. Note the hook on the bottom of the sear. Lay the pin onto a piece of masking tape with the sear beside it so they stay together and don't get mixed up.
• Note: The trigger spring is surprisingly firm. Its longer arm rests in a slot in the lower frame. When you reassemble the marker this spring must be pushed fully into the slot in lower frame. So when you pick up the spring put it down in the same orientation on the masking tape to ease re-assembly. To remove the trigger hold the trigger firmly and pull out the pin. Push toward the top of the marker on the now loose trigger and the safety pin will drop from the lower frame. Relax your grip on the trigger lowering it and pull it away from the spring. Take note of how the trigger fits onto this spring arm. Stick the pin and trigger onto a piece of masking tape.
• Note the position of the trigger spring and its pin. These can be removed and stuck to the masking tape.

• Valve
• The valve can be accessed from the rear of its housing after the hammer is withdrawn and is unscrewed with a large screwdriver. Note that the valve sits on small washers in the frame.
• Brass Eagle does not sell a valve seal kit for this marker so any work on the valve is dependant on getting the right seals, otherwise you'll have to send the marker in for repair. I had a leak in the valve, gas was coming out the back of the valve because the teflon washer had developed a fault. Fortunately this washer is the same one used in the stingray and commonly available. I had to match other o-rings at the hardware store.
• Heres a tip you can use should the valve washer leak and you can't get another immediately. Take No. 600 grade sandpaper and sand the washer on both sides in a circular motion until the surfaces of the washer are smooth. I have used this technique and it works. Use a new washer if you have one.

• Assembly
• Lightly lube the hammer, bolt, and valve powertube with ATF.
• Assemble all componants and install in the frame before installing the trigger. Note that the barel sits on a square pin at the bolt end.
• Assemble the trigger group in the reverse order of disassembly: spring pin/spring, trigger/safety pin/trigger pin, sear/sear pin/sear spring. Its important to match the pins with the elements that sit on them.
• Insert the trigger over the spring arm and push it up to install the safety pin and trigger pin. Push the safety pin all the way in. When assembling the trigger group make sure that the trigger spring is fully pushed down into the groove in the left frame.
When all the componants are in place insert the ball of the ball detent, the ball detent spring and the trigger sear spring in their proper places using a flat head screwdriver.
• Gently insert the right frame over the componants pushing the frame completely together until it meets the left frame. There shouldn't be any gap between the frames if the componants have been assembled correctly. If it won't go together the most likely problem is that the trigger spring has not been pushed into its groove in the lower frame. Push the spring into position and try again.
• Insert all the screws and gently screw the frames together. Do not tighten all the screws fully until they have all been inserted. CAUTION: Do not overtighten the screws!

• Testing
• Confirm that assembly has been correct by cocking the action, it should lock to the rear position. If it does not there is a problem with the assembly of the trigger group.
• With the safety on squeeze the trigger - the marker should not release the action. If it does there is a problem with the assembly of the trigger group.
• Take the safety off and squeeze the trigger, the action should release and move all the way forward. If it does not but remains to the rear there is either a problem with the assembly of the trigger group or the trigger is faulty (see below).
• CAUTION: Put on a paintball mask. Insert a barrel plug into the barrel of the marker. Per the manual, place the marker on safe, cock the action, and insert a 12 gram power source. The gun should not leak CO2 down the barrel or out the rear of the valve.
• CAUTION: Put on a paintball mask. Point the marker in a safe direction, remove the barrel plug, take the marker off of safe and cycle the action by squeezing the trigger. The action should cycle properly, recocking each time the trigger is pulled.

  The Eagle 68 Frame Cracking Problem

  The two halves of the plastic body widen apart a fraction at the top when the metal magazine is inserted. I have also noticed that over time the frame screws loosen. Overtightening the screws will crack the screw mounts!

  If for any reason you have to tighten the screws on the frame (because the body is splitting open) be very very careful not to overtighten them or you'll crack the mounts in the left frame. If your frame isn't cracked I suggest using a little of the light duty loc-tite on the screws if they show signs of coming loose.

  An Improvised Solution to the Eagle 68 Frame Cracking Problem

  I eventually did get tired of the plastic body on the Eagle 68 cracking and splitting apart. This seems to be a recurring problem as I have had it happen twice. There is a very simple solution that involves modifying the plastic body of an Eagle 68. Remember that I am not responsible for what you do nor any consequence thereof. Just because I modified my Eagle 68 doesn't mean you should. I am simply stating that this is what I did to keep the frame from coming apart. I came up with this idea when the screw mounts broke but I wanted to continue to use the frames.

  First I'll describe the problem. The screws pass through the right side of the frame and penetrate mounting holes in the left side of the frame. Unfortunately the frame doesn't seem to be tough enough to retain the screws and I have had several of these screw mounts crack. The result is that the Eagle starts to come apart because the screws are no longer holding it together, which is a very bad thing in my opinion.

  At this point I could have sent for new frames (again) but instead I decided to drill out the left frame and replace the screws with nuts and bolts. Taking a drill and 6/32" drill bit (which is nearly the same size as the existing holes) I completely drilled out the holes in the left frame. I started drilling from the inside of the frame through the screw mounts and out the side of the frame. This was really easy to do and I didn't have any problems. All you need is a steady hand. I trimmed the resulting debris from around the exits of the new holes with an x-acto knife and No. 600 sandpaper.

  After assembling the Eagle I replaced the screws with stainless 6/32 x 1 1/2" and 6/32 x 1 1/4" bolts to close the frames. These bolts have phillips heads (+). Because the 6/32" hole I drilled and the 6/32" bolts match exactly the frames won't move or slide against each other after all the bolts are inserted, there is no slack.

  I inserted the bolts through the right side frame and out through the left frame. Left handed shooters may want to insert the grip bolts from the left side for comfort. The phillips heads do fit in the recesses provided in the right side of the frame. On the left side I used washers appropriate to that size of bolt and loc-tite on the thread before tightening the nuts. NOTE!!! I was careful not to overtighten the nuts. Excess bolt was cut off with a hacksaw and filed for smoothness.

  Ok, I admit it looks a little like Frankensteins' monster but the frame will stay together, which is a good thing. The nuts and bolts can be painted black either before or after assembly if you can't live with the stainless Frankenstein look. I wasn't too concerned with the appearance of the marker I just wanted the frame to stay together so that I could use the marker. Besides, Its an interesting conversational introduction like, ...whats that? I wish Brass Eagle had used a similar approach, with recessed nuts in the left frame, maybe they will someday.

  I played all summer with the modified Eagle and had no further problems of any kind. It was also rugged enough to survive use by my children.

  The Piercing Nut Leaks

  The piercing nut can unscrew and come loose causing a leak. Beyond the nut is a flat seal between the valve and the base of the nut. I got a socket wrench, an appropriate socket, an extension bar, and carefully tightened the nut (clockwise). I was careful not to overtighten and cut the seal. (I believe an o-ring could be used as a replacement if the seal were damaged). A little loc-tite or teflon tape could be used to secure the nut if desired.

  The Trigger Fails

  The trigger stopped working (leaving the action permanently cocked). The trigger has a plastic sliding hook inside it which wore out. Symptom: the hook fails to catch the sear and the gun can be cocked but won't fire when the trigger is pulled. Solution - replace the trigger. I now keep a spare.

  Article by Pericles Another great review thanks, Hunter Hill E.O.G Owner

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