Check out my simple full auto recoil solenoid design...

[Zebra]

Hi Zebra

I'm doing some experimenting with recoil too, could you post the link of that solenoid you thought had the right physical attributes please?

Also, I think you should try messing about with Arduino, you obviously have a passion for experimenting.  Getting simple programs running with buttons and switches etc is probably less hard than getting hyperspin setup!  I know you said you don't have programming experience, but everyone has to start somewhere and just like with this forum there are plenty of people out there who are happy to help an enthusiastic beginner.  You don't need natural talent to be able to use Arduino.

I would suggest a Teensy 3.2 to start Arduino experimentation from PJRC.  It has loads of excellent well documented libraries and the creator takes the time to answer questions on the forum.  Make sure you don't get a clone as they tend to be completely different products.  I'm not affiliated with PJRC in any way.

Whilst I agree with the forum that electrically it's not the right way to go in its current form I still liked the innovative idea of using the solenoid action to cut the circuit. 

I have thought about learning how to write code many times. It's something that is of interest but there is a language barrier that I have never been able to get passed. I don't know where to start. It looks like something that requires a substantial time investment when you don't know what any of it means.

If it (an arduino) was commonly used for this purpose then I would have thought that some nice forum member would have posted a link for us to download the code but I couldn't find it if they have.

In my mind, whether the full auto mechanism is mechanical or a pulse generated from an arduino is not importantant as long as it works reliably. In both scenarios, the solenoid could be wired to a relay that is activated by the button used for the trigger and therefore has the potential to be controlled by software. That is if the software is capable of cutting power to the trigger when you run out of bullets.

I want to avoid the need for a switch to go from auto to semi as that interrupts gameplay. I like that my design allows it to be either depending on how long you hold the trigger.

The Dessert Eagle light gun I have for my PS2 uses a different but quite innovative approach. When you flick it to full auto, it turns on auto reload and auto fire. This means that on games like Vampire night (which only uses semi auto guns) it acts like a machine gun. The slide will continue to move back and forth even when you run out of bullets but.... you never run out of bullets because it auto reloads.

So.... next experiment.... can I hack a joypad with auto fire to make full auto recoil always match what is happening in screen.