The Question; What is the differences between the 02 and 03 Odyssey Markers?

The Answer; There are quite a few differences, actually.

by The Inflicted

The Odyssey O3, O3x, and O2 are all spring-return electropneumatics designed by Michael Spurlock (Who had previously designed the Black Dragun and T.E.S.) and manufactured in Taiwan. They both work on the same basic principle as the Kingman EM-1, Indian Creek Designs BKO, and more recently the Dangerous Power Fusion and Infinity Legend.

The O3 actually came first differs from the O2 in that it's built on a unique body platform which takes autococker barrels, valves, and vertical adapters. Compared the the O2 it's a bit shorter and taller. The regulator is actually on the bottomline, and doubles as an on/off ASA. The feedneck was a twist-lock variety and is secured to the top of the body with two tabs, like all Spurlock guns. The bolt of the original O3 was pushbutton retained like an ASA autococker's or an Evil Pimp, but the O3X revision updated the gun's software and went to a more traditional pin-retained delrin bolt.

Neither of these guns should be confused with the O3M, which was an autococker-based semi-auto.

The O2, on the other hand, started life as an attempt to combine the body from a Dragun T.E.S. with a "The One" electropneumatic conversion kit. As a result the O2's body is patterned after a Spyder blowback and takes Spyder barrels and vertical adapters. Some of the parts, like the feedneck, LPR and bottomline regulator are in common with the O3. The major departure in terms of how the gun actually worked was in the solenoid, the O2 used a very different type of pneumatic valve that combined the barrel solenoid from an electroblowback with a miniaturized 3-way valve. This meant that the O2 drew more current from the battery to fire the gun, but benefitted by being far more tolerant of liquid CO2.

Both of these guns are so similar mechanically that I'm not sure if one would really have an advantage over the other, but if I had to pick one I'd say the O2 is superior because of its more Intimidator/Ego-like profile and CO2 tolerance.

Both of these guns would be superceded by the Diablo Wrath, which combined elements from both guns into a more streamlined package (and improved the regulator, downgraded the software, and went to breakbeam eyes), then the Odyssey RPM which returned to the O3's bottomline regulator and deleted the LPR from the marker. The current incarnation of these designs is the Dangerous Power Fusion which is pretty much a complete reworking of the entire design.

If anyone wants a new O3 or O2, they're currently being sold under the Rex brand as the R3 and RX, respectively.

Posted on Mar 2, 2007, 1:07 PM