Cocker Tech

After borrowing a 'cocker from a regular at my local field and shooting the hinge frame, I decided that it was imperative I get one for my own cocker. After the few outings with it, I can confidently say this is the most worthwhile upgrade I believe I have done thus far on my 'cocker, other than getting rid of the stock barrel.

For those who know the basics about upgrading an Autococker, the installation of this frame should be a snap. I removed my old trigger frame and the setscrew that holds the timing rod to the 3-way shaft. I didn’t have to swap out any parts from my old frame as the WGP Hinge frame came with all the components I needed to start out shooting. I attached the timing rod to the frame and bolted it onto the gun. One thing you need to do with these frames is to switch the two hose going into your ram around. Because you are essentially running the 3-way backwards, the hoses have to be switched, so that the barb on the 3-way closest to the gun body goes to the barb on the ram closest to the gun body, assuming you have a standard 2 o-ring 3-way. After setting the proper lug depth (I set mine to drop the sear about 1/3 through the pull), I made sure everything else was set on the gun and gassed it up. I had to adjust the timing rod to the proper length so the 3-way would switch properly. Once that was set, I tightened down the set screw and ripped off some shots.

Wow. That’s all I could say. I used to have some short stroking problems occasionally with my sliding frame (P&P Benchmark 45), but this was a shooters dream. I ripped off about 150 shots or so, in a row, without a single short stroke or break. The pull was a little snappy, but still rather light, and longer strings of 10-20 shots felt natural to me. The feel of the frame is excellent, and the quality is top-notch.

Well, first off, is the obvious pivoting action of the trigger. This is the whole point to the frame. Each retail frame comes with all of the parts you need (trigger, sear, pins, springs, etc.). Although mine came with no instructions, I’m sure most do. On the second generation hinge there is a small set screw inside the frame that allows you to shorten the overall travel of your trigger, making very short switching lengths possible, for those of you who like to fire very fast. A functional safety also impressed me, as when the safety’s on it physically prohibits the hammer’s ability to be cocked.

I believe the hinge frame has and will continue to revolutionize how Autocockers are built. They are now included as stock on the 2003 Autocockers. I am impressed thoroughly with the construction, performance, and price versus performance ratio with this frame. If you’re looking at having an Autococker long term, and you want a very comfortable frame to shoot, consider the Second Generation WGP Hinge Frame.