Guys,
The regulator needs to be very close to the valve, but it must have sufficient volume behind it to supply the shot cycle. The gauge adapter is a problem because it prevents the regulator from supplying enough air volume to fuel the shot. On top of that, in order to work well, the regulated pressure should be well below the fill pressure. The stock valve cannot flow enough air at low pressure to maintain a high power level. There have been a couple of people who have modified their gauge blocks and valves and had pretty good results, but the things they have done are very suspect from the standpoint of longterm reliability! That is why I'm designing a whole new valve (and hammer) that is sturdier to begin with and designed to flow the right amount of air to marry to the regulator. My valve is also rebuildable, so it will last indefinitely. I'm still doing testing and refining because finding the balance of power and air efficiency is not an easy thing to do. The beauty of a regulated system is that it allows for a maximum pressure fill that can supply a much lower operating pressure. If it is balanced correctly, that can provide more quality shots at a given pressure without the steep falloff that you see in unregulated systems. It's not magic, but it is (can be) an improvement. Anyway, that's the simple explanation
I plan to have regulated systems in all my guns. Audrius is going to build me a custom regulator for my .25 which will be a pretty big airhog. The one I have now is for R&D, but will eventually get installed permanently.
Teryx