Conversion kit with a rail system for a paintball marker having a hinged portion

A conversion kit for a projectile launching device having an outer configuration, comprising:

• at least one shell that is capable of being secured on a projectile launching device;
• the projectile launching device including a front portion;
• a rear portion and a trigger defining a vertical plane;
• the at least one shell further comprising a front shell portion and a rear shell portion, the front shell portion and the rear shell portion being rotatably connected at a hinge so that the rear shell portion may pivot about the hinge with respect to the front shell portion;
• the front shell portion including a cavity for housing the front portion of the projectile launching device and the rear shell portion including a recess in the bottom thereof for housing the rear portion of the projectile launching device;
• the rear shell pivoting about the hinge in a vertical direction and within the vertical plane;
• the hinge further comprising at least one pin secured to one of the front shell portion and the rear shell portion, the at least one pin extending along a pin axis;
• at least one knuckle formed on the other of the front shell portion and the rear shell portion;
• each pin being dimensioned and configured to be received in a respective one of the knuckles;
• each pin having an outer surface comprising two opposed arced walls, the opposed arced walls extending along a circle, the circle having a diameter;
• the opposed arced walls being connected by two opposed flat walls, the distance between the two flat walls being a first width, the first width being less than the diameter of the circle;
• each respective knuckle having an inner knuckle surface that extends along an arc from a first edge to a second edge;
• a gap defined between the first edge of the inner knuckle surface and the second edge of the inner knuckle surface, the gap having a second width;
• whereby rotation of each knuckle about the respective pin effects pivoting of the front shell portion with respect to the rear shell portion about the pin axis, when each pin is received in the respective knuckle;
• whereby the at least one shell changes the outer configuration of a projectile launching device onto which it is secured;
• and the at least one shell allows a projectile launching device to engage a projectile hopper so projectiles can be fed from the hopper to the device while the at least one shell is secured to the device.