Updated: 10/25/08

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Doc Nickel's Custom Rainmaker 

The gun gets it's power from the matching 12-Volt Revvy, and shoots fine.  There are no leaks or problems getting it to chrony properly.

A link to Doc's site, showing the first customization of the gun:  Wild Rainmaker

Another link to Doc's site, showing his final picture:  World's Trickest Rainmaker!

Doc's description of it is better than anything I can provide:

"Well, the grip frame is a Benchmark Automag 2-finger frame that I modified to take a custom-made trigger and a micro switch, laid out pretty much just like an Angel. The controller is a KM2 Gladiator, which was one of the first replacement boards for the Bushmasters and Defiants, and the first new board for both that had eyes. KM2 should still have programming instructions on their site, http://www.exarin.com

The one-piece lower rail/ASA/grip adapter, the back valve body block, the bolt, the solenoid mount, the solenoid manifold, the drop-forward and I think the valve are all custom made for that gun. The LPR is a close-mounted MicroRock (note no visible pipe nipple) and the solenoid is a Shocker's Parker unit.

The ball detent is Angel LED/LCD, the reg is a match-annoed Air America Vigilante, as I recall with the low-pressure spring, and the grips are very carefully-fitted SP Wood grips, that I took a lot of time to closely match to the frame.

The three main body parts- bolt door, and upper and lower body halves- are original, though modified. The Z-link is unmodded stock (though I think I nickel plated it) and the ram and bolt carrier are stock. The hammer is heavily modified stock, using the stock sear but with a heavy stainless steel core inserted for durability. The QEVs are stock Rainmaker parts, but again, I nickel plated them. Other than a few screws and maybe the hammer spring, that's all that's left of the original gun."

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I "built" that gun twice.

The first time, I simply chromed the grip frame and added a stainless trigger guard and custom 2-finger trigger. Did a little milling, fitted a new bolt, added some stainless lines, a side-mounted Rock and built a cool little clamp for the MAC. Put a custom reg-less valve body on the back and annoed it purple.

Several months later the customer sent it back because the trigger wasn't working right- the frame allowed too much flex and slop, and the cheezy stock RM board had that absurd long lever on the trigger microswitch.

I can't recall if he asked or I offered, but we arranged for a new grip frame. Which meant a new frame-to-body adapter, which meant a new vertical ASA, etc. I had some cool ideas and I wanted to try 'em out.

I remachined a Benchmark 'Mag 2-finger frame to take a custom trigger that used Angel trigger/switch geometry, rewired the gun (including semi-hidden internal wiring) for a KM2 Gladiator Vision board (with ACE) machined a custom frame adapter rail with an integrated ASA, LPR port, and solenoid mount, switched the MAC for a smaller Parker out of a Shocker, ran stainless everywhere, annoed a Vigilante to match, made a Wayforward drop-forward, custom-fitted a pair of SP wood grips to the Benchy frame, sleeved the hammer with a steel insert so it wouldn't "mushroom", modded the valve, so on and so forth, ad nauseum.

I typed up an invoice for the work (the second-round work alone) which totaled some $1,600, which included more anodizing, some chroming, materials and parts & labor.