Chrome Minicocker with Smart Parts 45 frame

May 3, 2014

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I visited Benji “bigbthebenji” Silverstein on Friday, April 2nd, to help him fix a couple paintguns and ended up purchasing this polished Chrome Minicocker from him.
I was attracted to this Minicocker primarily for the Smart Parts engraved 45 frame. I’ve only seen one other engraved Smart Parts frame like this, which was pictured on an automag recently. I don’t think this was an engraving for All American team guns but rather cockers that Smart Parts distributed. But since I’ve never seen it on any Evolutions, maybe they sold these frames separately as upgrades in their catalog? I really don’t know.

I would guess this Minicocker was produced around 96-97 (?) with a serial of 2109 (correct me if I’m wrong) and I think this frame was likely made by Proline or it could have been an early Benchmark/PTP frame. Depending on the year, this frame could also have been engraved by Skeeter Gordy for Smart Parts.

I believe Gordy worked for Proline on notable products such as the Pro Connect, the standard 45 frame which was first designed and produced Proline as a stand alone item and for runs of Autocockers such as Bob Long’s Ironmen Signature Series cockers.
Later these 45 frames were made by PTP/Benchmark (after Forest Hatcher left Proline or Proline dissolved? (I’m not sure)). During this same period Skeeter Gordy ran a mobile engraving station, Laser Dynamics, which could have been used for the Smart Parts engraving on this frame if it were done in 1995-96 (which is possible).

Aside from the frame, this Minicocker is polished chrome plated, has a nickel plated Clippard ram and a nickel shroud.
According to Benji, the previous owner he purchased the cocker from salvaged the paintgun from a fire, and although the gun wasn’t damaged in the fire, the ash did discolor the nickel/chrome on the shroud and the polished chrome around the edges of the front and back blocks. The Smart Parts engraving is also a little dark and I’ll be cleaning it a little to brighten it.

I will likely be parting out this Chrome Minicocker, saving the frame for later projects, and using some of the chrome parts on a few other chrome cockers I’m putting together such as this Bud Orr signature Series (pictured above) which is in pretty rough shape but will be slowly pieces back together.