Updated Apr 25, 2009

planet eclipse

Planet Eclipse and Belsales are two peas in a pod.  They often shared the same anodizer, and Besales did the milling on many of the Eclipse designed markers.  So if you like one, you will probably really like the other also.  That's the case for me at least.  I like Eclipse for many of the same reasons as Besales, but I find Eclipse actually ended up doing more innovation late in the autococker lifecycle, and especially did some out of this world milling designs - taking full advantage of the latest in C&C machining technology.

Here are some more pictures of the guns I still own or added and descriptions:

I'm not listing them now by favorites, but instead by manufacturer.  Hmmm... new and old Belsales, new and old Eclipse, several Westwoods, new and old mags.  Didn't notice that pattern before.

One of the new favorites of the collection is a "Graphite II" dust graphite to clear fade Eclipse Nexus DC2.  As with most of my eclipse gear, I picked this one up from the UK (and it took almost 8 weeks to get here!).  This really is what I would consider top of the non half/mid block autococker food chain.  In truth, these were really the last of the high end Eclipse autocockers and sported the Eclipse Dart LPR, a match anno'd Nexus Ram and QEV's (DC1's didn't have match anno'd QEV's I don't think), and a E2 trigger frame with built in beaver tail.  The more interesting things about this marker are some of the small things, like the fact that the vertical adapter and part of the front block are milled in once piece and retained on the body through the vertical adapter screw.  Also, the ram is held on by a stainless ram bracket (apparently on DC1's they used aluminum and some bent/broke).  Other small things include the fact that the solenoid is not threaded - it is held in by a set screw, and the solenoid wire is routed through the vertical adapter.  Clever!  According to Jack Wood (head Eclipse designer) these were milled by Belsales - which explains why they look so good.  There are under 150 of them.

The E2 frame itself is nice.  They did some good stuff with a wider trigger guard (though not compared to the Worr frame on my Evo), LCD screen (much easier to see in the Texas sun), and the solenoid is now fully enclosed (I hated cleaning that when it got shot).  The trigger is a lot thinner than original E1 frames but not as nice as a delrin trigger (in my opinion).  The ramp settings pretty much do what they are suppose to do - though as someone who doesn't use them very much they always surprise me when they kick in.

It also came with a delrin Dart bolt, WGP clamping feed neck, and Shaft Solo barrel (which looks great but annoys me because the front tip screws in opposite than a Dye or Freak tip..).  Oh yea - and the CNC milling is wicked.  BTW: the very last of the DC2's had ego feed necks and Star regulators - oh well.. (and the very first DC2's still had E1's with zero-b boards).  Recently I upgraded it with a super light Orange bolt and put a Carter Machine titanium barrel back and Dye ultra light front on it.

Eclipse Nexus "Pink Lady" autococker (1 of 25).  You know - I was not a big fan of the pink fade and wasn't really interested in getting another eblade 1, but this marker is really really nice looking in person and I feel like it "completes" my high end eclipse collection and is one of those trademark cockers that has a lot of stigma to it for lack of a better word.  I mean who made a line of pink markers before this?  Even more generally - Eclipse's anodizing is really just phenomenal.  And the Nexus milling is, like the director's cut above - gorgeous.  This Nexus has a chrome samurai trigger, a magnetic Killa detente, a CCM bottom line, and best of all an AKA tornado valve and hammer kit.

Milling comparison between the DC2 and the Nexus.

This is 1 of 10 Eclipse Aurora plated autocockers.  It is not anodizing, it is a method of plating called spectrum physical vapor disposition that requires between 20k and 40k volts to pass through the piece.  It ends up looking like an oil slick and Eclipse had to stop making them because the high voltage led to high failure rates which made the cost to producing them prohibitive.  This is the SECOND one of these I've owned!  I sold the first one, wanted another one, and found it on e-bay.  The guy didn't describe it too well so I ended up getting a good deal on it with only 2 other buyers (one of which was a buddy to whom I had sold the original aurora).

This gun is almost entirely stock.  I had originally been under the impression that there were 5 hinge framed ones, and 5 slider framed ones.  I have since found out there were potentially 3 that came from the factory with e-blades.  At any rate, sold the e-blade and have hid the body away in a padded case (like I am with the gold minimag) beside the zebra Westwood.  The e-blade is not the special part of the gun, and its value is dropping so I might as well get the money out of it while I can.  The marker was definitely played with btw, and the plating held up great (one small chip where the feed neck is pressed in, and a small bubble near the ball detente - but that's it).  I just think this is not a loaner marker if I'm shooting my half block most of the time.

Update - so of all random things, I was checking out e-bay (that in and of itself is not random), but I saw an "Eclipse aura frame" for sale.  Of course I bought it!  As the bottom picture shows, my aurora is now complete in mech form, never again to have an electro frame strapped to it.  It even had the trigger aurora plated, which is very unusual from what I can tell.

Next up is a 1995 (?) Eclipse Autococker (its serial number is in the 9000's).  These were high end back at the same time the evolution above was, and they were probably anodized at the same shop in Europe.  I really like the anno on this gun and it reminds me a bit of the red splash John Gross cocker that got stolen (in fact one of the barrels and the grip frame in the first picture are from that stolen cocker).  It also features some nice milling.  I added a delrin jam bolt, AKA Sidewinder reg, and a drop and it shoots like a champ.  Also picked up some matching anno'd accessories.