Particle I believe, Ive got the NPT and it feels weird almost like rubber.

They called it a "retro-active" coverstock, but I believe it's just another name for a particle coverstock. I still have my Midnight Scorcher, but I've never attempted to polish it. It's factory grit is 320. Mine's a flood ball for sure. Thinking of trading it for something else from Visionary. Don't use it much since I picked up a Granite Gargoyle. Still a great piece that'll hook on the heaviest conditions. Hits like a tank too!


Spike

A.P.K has it right - heavy high-load particle cover but it's called "retroactive" due to the urethane base. However be VERY careful about polishing it. My dad had one, polished it, and nobody (proshop included), could get back the original reaction when he wanted to change it back. Didn't matter what was done to it, how it was sanded, etc., it never rolled the same way again - he had to buy another. So be warned, there is a good chance if you polish it for longer, less hooking reaction, you won't be able to recover the "box" type reaction.

I always wondered if that was a urethane particle or not. That was a pretty good ball and rolled smooth and heavy.

The other one though...that blue one sucked. If I remember right it was a liquid particle substance placed in the cover stock. Rolled like a rock and hit like a marshmellow.

This is an old thread, but for clarity and accuracy I wanted to weigh in.

The Midnight Scorcher is a urethane coverstock that is embedded with polybutadiene particles.

It has an RG of 2.67 and a big diff of .069.
It is a mild asymmetric with an intermediate diff of .006 and can be laid out as an asymmetric or a symmetric.

The original stock grit of this ball is 320 wet sand.

You never want to use Abralon or Siaair pads on it!

Only use Scotch-Brite pads or you will sand down the particles and the reaction will go away. If you make this mistake you are not lost. Here is how to restore the ball back to its original stock grit:

Wet sand the ball on four sides with 200 grit Wet/Dry sandpaper on a ball spinner and then repeat with 320 Wet/Dry sandpaper. This will restore it to brand new, out of box condition. You can then use Scotch-Brites from there to tune the surface higher if needed.

Here is a description of the unique makeup of this ball direct from Jason at Visionary Bowling:

“The particles are a very tough but soft polybutadiene compound, somewhat similar to the rubber used in tires.  When sanding, the particles actually flex, allowing them to stay intact, while the urethane is sanded. In addition, the particles absorb small amounts of oil and expand slightly to create even more traction in the oil, and that is why it feels like a 5 o'clock shadow on the ball after you've thrown it a little bit. This also allows the ball to act like tire treads and hook in even the heaviest oils, yet be gentle on the lanes and still be microscopic enough to be completely USBC legal.”

This is an old thread, but for clarity and accuracy I wanted to weigh in.

The Midnight Scorcher is a urethane coverstock that is embedded with polybutadiene particles.

It has an RG of 2.63 and a big diff of .063.
It is a mild asymmetric with an intermediate diff of .006 and can be laid out as an asymmetric or a symmetric.

The original stock grit of this ball is 320 wet sand.

You never want to use Abralon or Siaair pads on it!

Only use Scotch-Brite pads or you will sand down the particles and the reaction will go away. If you make this mistake you are not lost. Here is how to restore the ball back to its original stock grit:

Wet sand the ball on four sides with 200 grit Wet/Dry sandpaper on a ball spinner and then repeat with 320 Wet/Dry sandpaper. This will restore it to brand new, out of box condition. You can then use Scotch-Brites from there to tune the surface higher if needed.

Here is a description of the unique makeup of this ball direct from Jason at Visionary Bowling:

“The particles are a very tough but soft polybutadiene compound, somewhat similar to the rubber used in tires.  When sanding, the particles actually flex, allowing them to stay intact, while the urethane is sanded. In addition, the particles absorb small amounts of oil and expand slightly to create even more traction in the oil, and that is why it feels like a 5 o'clock shadow on the ball after you've thrown it a little bit. This also allows the ball to act like tire treads and hook in even the heaviest oils, yet be gentle on the lanes and still be microscopic enough to be completely USBC legal.”

Good read! Do you know of any other particle ball that has that fuzzy effect after use? I still throw about a dozen particle balls (out of mere curiosity) and none of them have that particular characteristic. They usually track out and traction less in oil after about 30-50 games.

Have to make a slight correction...the differential on the Midnight Scorcher was .069.....063 was the diff on the Warlock dc's. As for the same "fuzziness" on other balls....The visionary Granite gargoyle is like that and also the Purple Ice executioner also from Visionary gets that fuzziness.

Brad

That's exactly what I said: "It has an RG of 2.67 and a big diff of .069."