ICD 'Cats: Main Page Getting Started: Tips for a New Owner    Bobcat Exploded View and Schematic    Puma Exploded View and Schematic    Thundercat/Alleycat Exploded View and Schematic 'Cat Theory of Operation and Differences    'Cat Theory of Operation    Differences: The 'Cats    Differences: Other ICD Markers Tweaks: Things you can do for your 'Cat    Trigger Work    Bolt Polishing    Adding a Rear Trigger Stop Accessories: Aftermarket Parts for the 'Cats Links: 'Cat Info on the Internet

Tweaks: Trigger Work and Bolt Polishing

ICD uses the same trigger mechanism in all of the 'Cats, and it is almost identical to the one used in the Desert Fox. But like all mass-produced markers, it can be improved with some work. If you've read the Desert Fox Trigger Tweak page, this will all sound the same; there are only a couple of differences. The Bolt/Hammer is the only significant departure for this page. You'll need some cylindrical punches and a block with a hole in it to drive out the pins through the sides of the trigger frame and remove the trigger and sear.   On the older ICD guns like the Panther, Puma, and Bobcat, the safety does not have to be removed to get the trigger out of the frame.   On the Thundercat and Alleycat the safety is like the Desert Fox, and must be pushed clear of the trigger frame from the left side (looking at the frame from the top, with the regulator closest to you). The frame contains a tiny spring-loaded ball bearing, so watch out! You'll need it to reassemble the frame.     Once you've got the parts out you will see that they have a dark pebbled finish from the EDM (Electro-Dischage Manufacture, a method of cutting metal with electrodes) and hardening process. Use a diamond whetstone to remove the high spots and smooth the action. You only have to worry about contact points: the sides and top of the sear, and the sides of the trigger. Now comes the tricky part.   There are two contact areas that determine the 'feel' of the trigger: The rear corner of the sear where the bolt is held and then released, and the back ledge of the trigger where the sear is held and released. Note the parts are HELD and released, if the parts are altered too much then the trigger becomes unpredictable and unsafe. I recommend that you be conservative and concentrate on making the edges square and smooth while maintaining the same shape as the original design. In other words, clean them, but don't change them. Some Automag tuning pages recommend grinding a sideways slope to the top of the sear to reduce the contact point to the high corner. This may be effective, but will also cause the part to wear more quickly. Be careful, and don't hold it against me if you have to order a replacement trigger or sear.   When you have the trigger and sear squared up and thoroughly cleaned you are ready to look at shimming the trigger. To manufacture thousands of markers at a competitive price ICD must use relatively large parts tolerances, which they overcome with clever design. The OEM trigger has a little side-to-side slop, and this can be taken up with a thin brass washer inserted on one side of the trigger as the pivot pin is re-assembled. Get some number 6 brass washers from Home Depot and carefully file out the hole in one to slide over the trigger pin. Then use the diamond whetstone to grind the washer thin enough to just slide into one side. How thin? This will vary from gun to gun. You'll have to keep grinding and checking the fit until it's juuuussst riiiiigghht.   Now clean everything with alcohol and re-assemble the trigger frame. Start by installing the trigger and driving the pivot pen through the rear top hole. It's kinda tricky getting it barely through into the trigger slot so that you can locate the shim and trigger in place. Then you'll need about three hands to hold everything in place while you drive the pin the rest of the way through the trigger frame.   If you have a Thundercat or Alleycat, here is how to re-install the safety. Holding the frame in front of you, with the grip down and the rear closest to you, start to insert the end with the scalloped ridges into the right side of the frame. depress the trigger to push it through the front trigger hole and stop when you get it just over the ledge on the other side of the trigger frame. Now turn the frame over so that the grip is up and the open (left side, before) safety hole is facing you. Look into the hole and you'll see a small hole at the bottom of the opening. Move the safety until the end is just on the far side of the hole and tilt the grip away from you. Then find the ball bearing that dropped out when you disassembled the safety and drop it in the hole. If gravity is working, it should drop into the hole. There is a spring in the hole, so you may need to press the bearing down to finish pushing the safety into the other side. You should hear a 'click', and then it should work when you use it normally.   Next comes the sear. If you removed the back pin for the sear spring, start by driving that pin back in, and almost through to the far side of the sear slot, then hook one end of the spring over the pin and drive it into the center of the frame. Now hook the other end of the sear spring through the small hole in the bottom tab of the sear and slide it into place. Start driving the sear pin into the trigger frame and stop when it binds against the side of the sear. Now push the sear forward against the sear spring tension until the pin pops through the elongated hole in the middle of the sear. Finish driving the sear pin into the frame, apply some oil, and you are done.   Wooooo! You're done!

Tweaks: Polishing the Bolt

The in-line Hammer and Bolt on the 'Cat is one of the best things about the marker. On semi-autos like the Spyder these are separate parts that are stacked in two parallel tubes and linked with a pin. This can cause all kinds of alignment and binding problems, which is one of the reasons why these markers tend to lead shortened lives. Jerry Dobbins at ICD designed a unique vertical valve for these guns which is struck by the Hammer Ring when the Hammer flies forward to release gas. This also allows a player to field strip the marker very quickly and pull a swab through the entire gun when gunked up, much easier than cleaning other designs.     To disassemble the Hammer from the Bolt Tip, use a hex wrench to remove the bolt deep in the rear of the hammer. The parts should then pull apart, but they are a tight fit. The hard black plastic hammer ring rides over a ball bearing on top of the valve twice on each cycle, so it needs to be clear of any dings or deep scratches. This is an inexpensive part and should be replaced if it is damaged. This part has been improved over time with deeper chamfers on the edges, so owners of older ICD models may want to upgrade anyway.   The sides of the metal hammer ride against the inside walls of the aluminum Upper Receiver and should be polished to reduce friction. Under the hammer is a flat slot where the Sear catches. The rear wall is the contact and release point for the sear. To get the sear to release consistently, the bevel for the rear of the hammer slot must be consistent. Check it before polishing, and if you need to, lightly file the edge to make the same chamfer around the circumference. If there are any deep tooling marks, you may want to work them out so that the sear edge moves more smoothly.   The easiest way I've found to polish the metal hammer is with the 'Scotchbrite' type plastic steel wool (there's an Oxymoron for ya). This is now available in different grits equivalent again to steel wool, in auto parts stores. I've used the 1, 0, and 0000 grades to gradually work out scratches pretty easily. Take the pad and lay it on the edge of your worktable and then rub the part back and forth over the surface. Damn easy.   Finally, check the white Delrin Bolt Tip to make sure the surface is clean and unscratched, and that the face that comes into contact with the paintball is smoothly rounded. The light grade Scotchbrite works wonders on the Delrin, but it's soft, so go lightly. The sides of the bolt tip seal against the inner diameter of the firing chamber, so a good fit means less blow-back and better efficiency.   Reassemble the parts of the Hammer and Bolt, and apply some Loktite (blue, medium hold) to the bolt before re-inserting it. Make sure that the white Bolt Tip is fully seated in the front of the Hammer and give it a good tightening. Remember that the bolt is threaded into the Delrin bolt and can be stripped, so don't go overboard.   Many thanks to 'Bror Jace on the ICD Discussion list, who originated the idea of polishing the hammer on these guns.

Tweaks: Adding a Rear Trigger Stop

There are no adjustable trigger limits on the 'Cats. The front limit is a ramp on the bottom of the Upper Receiver, and the rear limit is the back of the trigger slot. There are at least three ways to add a rear stop, but they all require permanent alterations to the trigger frame. If you are nervous about drilling your frame, don't do it!     Both of these methods are much easier if you have already removed the trigger guard to mount a double trigger, since you don't have to worry about drilling the access hole through the curved guard.   Which method should you use? The 'Spring Core Method' is easier to adjust since you'll probably have to remove the trigger shoe to adjust the 'Shoe Stop Method'. If you feel weird about drilling through the operating area of the trigger, use the 'Shoe Stop Method'. They both work well.   You'll need a couple of lengths of 8-32 setscrew (1/4 inch and 3/8 inch), a drill and tap for 8-32 threads, a drill, some oil, and a center punch.   Start by driving out the pins in the trigger frame and removing the trigger components; if you've already removed the parts for the tuning above, now is a great time to make this modification. You will need to be able to clean everything thoroughly once you've finished tapping to remove any metal chips.   Find the centers for the holes you want to drill and center punch them so the bit won't wander. Clamp the frame down to drill the holes, drilling from the top of the trigger frame for the 'Spring Core Method' (So you won't miss the center of the spring), or drill from the front of the trigger guard for the 'Shoe Stop Method'. Use a drill press if you have one available. You may not have to drill the access holes if you have ball-end allen wrenches, which can adjust the setscrews from an angled entry. (Which sounds like a good rationalization for buying a set of these, nice to have!) Oil the tap and work it through the holes by twisting forward 3/4 revolution, then back 1/4, then forward again.   Clean off the metal shavings and thread in a setscrew to straighten out the threads in the aluminum. If you've run into a problem and the threads won't hold, don't panic! You can step up to the next screw size (10-32) and just drill out the hole a little larger, then tap it again.   Re-assemble the trigger machanism and the marker, and you're ready to adjust the stop.   The rear stop adjustment is easy to set. If we're adjusting the setscrew in front of the trigger (Spring Core Method), it should be accessible with an allen wrench from outside the gun. Start with the 1/2 inch setscrew and apply blue, medium strength loctite so your adjustments will stay where you want them. Loctite takes a few minutes to set, so you've got time to work. With the marker gassed up as before, shoot a few cycles, then adjust the screw in. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. When the gun will not fire reliably, back off the screw 1/2 a turn and test the trigger a few rounds. If the setscrew sticks out too far, swap it for the 1/4 inch screw and retune. Now the trigger should stop moving just after the sear releases and marker fires, and your trigger movement is minimized.   If you are using the 'Shoe Stop Method', you'll probably have to remove the trigger shoe to adjust the screw, but since this is a 'set once and forget it' feature, that's not so bad. Start with the 1/2 inch long setscrew and screw it all the way in, to the back of the flange. Re-install the trigger shoe and cock the gun without gassing it up, then turn off the safety and pull the trigger. If the hammer releases, or 'dry fires', then you've got the right length screw, so start adjusting it 'out' like the above instructions say 'in'. If the gun won't fire, remove the trigger shoe and replace the setscrew with the shorter length, then try again (some trigger shoes are deeper than others). Apply Loctite to keep the screws from moving once you find the right position.   You've now finished the trigger job on your 'Cat. It should feel smoother, lighter, and faster.

Disclaimer:   The ICD 'Cats are not difficult markers to work on, but there is some chance that things could go wrong. If you are uncomfortable about working on the hammer or trigger of your marker, Don't Do It! These tips assume some mechanical aptitude and use of the correct tools. If you mess something up, you'll have to replace it.   Indian Creek Designs has an excellent warranty, and they stand behind their guns. If you have a problem and ship it to them, they promise 24 hour turnaround on repairs. There are many testimonials on the web to back this up. They will also do upgrades based on production improvements.   ICD wants me to make it clear that this is not an official ICD site. Any changes you make to a marker under warranty may void that coverage. Don't blame them, don't blame me. There, that should cover it.   the ICD Official Corporate Website   Finally, Don't use an unsafe marker, and Be Careful with CO2 and Paintballs. Paintball markers are not toys, so be an adult and take responsibility for your own actions...

Links: 'Cat info on this Site

ICD 'Cats: Main Page Getting Started: Tips for a New Owner    Bobcat Exploded View and Schematic    Puma Exploded View and Schematic    Thundercat/Alleycat Exploded View and Schematic 'Cat Theory of Operation and Differences    'Cat Theory of Operation    Differences: The 'Cats    Differences: Other ICD Markers Tweaks: Things you can do for your 'Cat    Trigger Work    Bolt Polishing    Adding a Rear Trigger Stop Accessories: Aftermarket Parts for the 'Cats Links: 'Cat Info on the Internet   ICD 98 Desert Fox ICD Barrels: Aftermarket Barrel Review Basic Airsmithing Links to ICD Resources on the Web

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