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Product Testing performed with DraXxus Paintballs provided by Procaps Direct

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In the last few years, loading gates have become a popular upgrade part for paintball loaders. Although many different designs are used, the premise of these devices is that they replace the loader's stock flip-open lid with a feed gate that lets paintballs into the hopper, but doesn't let them out. Ideally, they allow for faster loading, without time being taken to flip open a hopper and reduce the risk of paint being spilled out of the hopper because the lid isn't being flipped open. They are primarily used in tournament style play where players are rapidly reloading with only the cover of inflatable bunkers. In woods, they can be a disadvantage as most designs also allow twigs, dirt or other debris into the loader while crawling.

KEE Action Sports, through their Empire brand line has introduced the Quick Load System to compliment their Prophecy loader.

The Quick Load lid installs easily, due to the Prophecy's modular body design. Unlocking and removing the front section of the body leaves the left and right body halves able to flex enough that they can release the stock lid, and the Quick Load lid may be dropped in its place. Without practice, or rushing things, the Quick Load lid took about seven seconds to install for review. The Prophecy loader could be swapped back to the stock lid just as quickly.

Like the stock solid lid, the Quick Load lid contains three rare earth magnets. One magnet holds the lid in the open position, and two secure it while it is closed. This is a feature that distinguishes the Quick Load from many feed gates – it still opens and closes like the stock lid. This is especially useful if one wishes to dump paint quickly out of the loader.

The Quick Load lid is manufactured with overmolding construction. A hard plastic frame is injection molded, then the remainder of the lid is injection molded from flexible rubber-like material over that rigid skeleton. This gives the product the sound structure it needs to function as a lid, combined with the flexibility needed for a speed loading gate.

The center of the Quick Load lid is comprised of 10 flexible leaves. Each leaf has a ridge running the length of its top, giving some rigidity to its structure. At the bottom base of each leaf, on the bottom is an indented channel, acting as a hinge. When the leaf is pressed inward the combination of the thin material on the channel and the top ridge cause the leaf to remain fairly straight, and bend primarily at the hinge. Regardless of where the leaf is pressed – near the center, or the edge of the lid, this arrangement causes the entire leaf to open, not just flex at the end. A tab extending up from the outer end of the leaf's top ridge acts as a one-way blocker, so that the leaf does not fold outward nearly as easily as it will fold inward. This is what gives the lid its one-way feeding nature.

In use, the Quick Load lid worked effectively for both fast loading and preventing paint from flying back out of the loader, even during fast moves and dives. In comparison to other fast loading devices used, the hinged one-way structure of the leaves in the Quick Load design allowed it to easily open from light contact with a pod so that it was able to load as few as the last one or two paintballs in a pod, since it did not require the weight of several paintballs to push the gates open.

The Quick Load lid is available as a factory upgrade for the Prophecy loader. Not only does it provide the functions of a fast-load gate, but it is well integrated to the loader, installing and removing easily, and opening and closing like a standard lid as well.

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