- Code Red Limited

First Impressions
Released in April 2017, the Storm Code Red Limited is a special edition designed primarily for the international market, and it differs significantly on the technical side from the later US hybrid version. While the regular Code Red uses a hybrid cover, this limited model is laid out as a pure "heavy oil" machine. Inside works the extremely aggressive asymmetric RAD4 core, which at 15 pounds delivers a 2.50 RG, a massive 0.058 differential and a 0.020 intermediate differential. Wrapped around that core is the NRG Solid Reactive coverstock, which is based on the famous Nano technology. Out of the box the ball comes with a rough 3000 grit Abralon finish. This combination of the torque-heavy RAD4 core and the microscopically structured Nano surface provides maximum traction in oil. Visually the ball shows up in a rich, matte red that leaves no doubt about its purpose: it is built to dig through the heaviest oil.
Comparison Compared directly to the Storm Code Black, which came out shortly before as the pearl version, the Code Red Limited behaves like the complete opposite. Where the Code Black skids through the heads and reacts with a whip at the breakpoint, the Code Red Limited starts working immediately. The NRG Solid cover reads the lane much earlier and creates an extremely round, controlled, but enormous motion. Compared to the later US version of the Storm Code Red (R2S Hybrid), the Limited offers noticeably more overall hook in oil and reacts less sensitively to carrydown. Its motion characteristics strongly recall the legendary Storm Virtual Gravity Nano, though the RAD4 core gives it even more backend motion than those more rolling predecessors. Next to the Storm Sure Lock, the Code Red Limited often comes across as somewhat more dynamic downlane, since the RAD4 core tends to tip over faster than the Sure Lock's RAD-X core.
On the Lanes The Storm Code Red Limited is an absolute specialty tool for heavy oil conditions. Thanks to the NRG Solid surface, the ball bites through the film of oil in the heads and prevents the dreaded slide past the breakpoint. It's the ideal choice as the first ball out of the bag on fresh, long sport patterns or extremely oily house lanes. If you throw the ball fast, you'll love how early the ball builds traction without losing energy. If you're rev-dominant, it gives you the security that the ball won't squirt uncontrolled through the pocket, but instead describes a reliable, early-starting curve. Once the lane dries up and the heads burn up, however, the ball will roll too early and lose power; at that point a switch to a polished ball like the Code Black or Code Red Hybrid is mandatory.