Air America's Apocalypse regulators are the top of the line regulators for tanks. This article is an overview of the Apocalypse reg. This shall explain some of the features and add ons one should buy when spending the money to buy a high end system like this. The bottle used in this overview is an Apocalypse 4500 PSI system utilizing a 68 CI Carbon Fiber bottle.

Overview

Here is an overview of the regulator and its external components. The Apocalypse Reg is made from Stainless Steel. The safety disks are rated for the 4500 PSI systems.

4500 PSI Bottle - This bottle is a Carbon Fiber tank. The bottle is lighter than the older ones that were fiberglass wrapped. The bottle makes up about 1/3 of the total weight. The Carbon Fiber tank is rated for 4500 PSI fills. The capacity is 68 Cubic Inches. The tank also comes in a small version for 4500 fills. The tank's capacity is 45 Cubic Inches. This tank also uses the Apocalypse reg.

High Pressure Input - The HP input is more commonly known as the fill nipple. For those who don't know, this is the nipple where High Pressure Air (HPA) is used to fill the tank. The dust cover is on protecting the fill nipple from dirt and other contaminates that might harm the regulator.

HP Gauge - This High Pressure gauge is the bottle pressure meter. The gauge is scaled between 0-5000 PSI. Air America makes the gauge.

On/Off Valve - This On/Off valve is a unique feature on this regulator. This replaces a Slide check to shut off the pressure to the gun. This valve releases the pressure into the low end of the portion of the regulator. This valve makes its worth up when a player has his or her's regulator pressure exactly right and does not want to mess with it.

Reg Nut - This is the pressure adjustment for the system. The reset pressure is 1200 PSI. This is well more than enough input pressure for any secondary reg or straight on to the gun.

Pressure Lock - This piece is an accessory. This locks the reg nut in place for tourney and recreational use. This allows the user to "lock" in the pressure of the Apocalypse.

Low Pressure Output - The LP output is the final step of the regulation. This nipple is where the female QD will connect for gas up of the gun. This nipple can be remoted, on gun or remove for a straight though connection.

LP Gauge - This is the output pressure gauge. It is rated from 0-1200 PSI. The gauge is made by Air America. This makes setting the output pressure much easier than on something like the AA Raptor.

Here are two photos of both gauges for a closer inspection.

Accessories

These accessories I am going to strongly recommend. These items should be factored in when you buy the system from a dealer or private person. These items will extend the life of your equipment and may help you in the future.

Input Dust Cover - This $7 item will protect you from getting dirt into your system. If you are an on gun player, this is a must have. This will stop dirt or sand from the ground building up inside the fill port. This will minimizing outside contamination from the environment on the reg seals. Unfortunately, the dust cover will not stop the dirt from your air supplier's tanks from going inside the tank itself. You should ask the fill station personnel about their air cleaning policies to minimize dirt into your systems. Most reputable air suppliers will have some kind of filter for the air that will be going into your tank. Just remember, less dirt equals less problems.

Tank cover - A tank cover will protect your tank from getting scratches or other damages. Most tank covers are made of neoprene and have a high abuse rating. This tank cover is good for fields that are very rocky in which a rock could mess up your tank and cost you a few bucks to repair. The price of such a tank cover costs about $13-19 dollars depending on your dealer's cost and size.

Pressure Lock - This Stainless Steel piece works. This "locks" in the set pressure and keeps it there. I don't know how many times the reg nut of the reg has back out just enough to throw off the gun. This item costs about $15 and is a required item for Tourney players. There is a special lock for the AA systems made by J&J Performance that fits properly.

Buying the System

There are several ways to get a 4500 system.

First, buy the system new. This is probably the most expensive way to go. The average price of this system is about $500 depending on the dealer. On the other hand, the system is brand new and right out of the factory.

Second, buy a used system from a private seller. This might be a cheaper alternative. The problem is you don't know what you are going to get after the sale. The average used system price is about $425.

Third, is to buy a cheaper version of the Apocalypse reg. This is the way I went to go 4500. You can find used Apocalypse 3000 PSI systems by the hand full. The average price of these used systems is between $275-$350 depending on the condition,etc. Now what you do is buy the system. Then give Air America a call about converting the system. Depending on how much has to be change or changed, the system can be converted to 4500 PSI. The Apocalypse reg allows this conversion. If the gauges are still factory, the price will be less. Here is an example of this conversion.

I bought my Apocalypse used. It was a 114 CI 3000 PSI system. I had it for a few months until I had the cash to convert it to 4500 PSI. Well, the tanks are popular. I waited 4 and 1/2 months in getting a tank. I called AA about once every 3 weeks to find out when the new tanks were coming in. Well in late January,1999, I called AA to find out if they had a shipment of tanks and they did. I had the guy reserve one of the bottles for me and I sent my tank in ASAP. I had the gauges changed, the bottle swapped, and regulator rebuilt. The total cost including shipping was $168. Here is a break down of the total.

The bottle swap was $135. This included a regulator rebuild. That's service! I needed two new gauges because the old ones were aftermarket. If the seller left the factory ones on, there would not have been a change for updating to new gauges. Each gauge was $10. It was $13 for shipping to me and about 12 to ship there with insurance.

So I'm looking at about $25 for shipping and about $25 for shipping for the original system. I paid $325 for the original system plus overnight which was like $25. I have spent $50 in shipping costs which can be deleted from the actual overall total of the conversion. So $325 plus $155 gives a grand total of $480 for a "brand new" system. That is about $20 less than mail order or about $80 less than local. If I added in the shipping in, I'm looking at a total cost of about $530. If I bought local, I'm looking at about $560(tax included) total but then again you can save a bundle on shipping if you do not use the fancy options like overnight and 2 day.

Buying used for a good price and then converting might be the way to get a brand new system for less. While talking to the Tech, he told me there is no difference in a converted system and a new system. About the only thing that shows age is the S/N number.

Conclusions

I have not conducted enough tests on the 4500 system to give a shot count rating or anything else. I will update when the info becomes available.

Alan "Shag" Mendel
MPN Columnist