The accuracy of this review is disputed. Please see discussion below.
Period of Product Use:
Only tested
101 of 145 people found this review helpful.
Paintball Experience:
More than 5 years
Similar Products Used:
Spyder Xtra, TL-R, and Rodeo, JT Excellerator 3.5e and TAC-5, Tippmann 98 and A5, more...
Marker Setup:
* Spyder TL-R with a new Phat feedneck and PMI Razzor 14" barrel.
* Spyder Sonix Pro with a new ACPball feedneck and a 12" J&J Precision barrel
* Game Face Vexor Eye with a custom ACPball delrin bolt
Recommended Upgrades:
1. Feedneck / elbow.
2. Barrel, but not necessary.
3. Red dot dight and other decorative junk.
Strengths:
Slick styling, simple yet effective design
Weaknesses:
Cheap plastic feedneck elbow. Lack of volumizer or expansion chamber may hurt CO2 users.
Review:
11 FEB 2006 - Added a comment under the Detent section, changed rating from 8 to 7.
The MR1 is the electronic MR2's little brother, but it's an odd design. It's not as scenario-heavy as the JT TAC-5 but it's not as easy to use or as well-equipped as lower-cost mechanical markers like the Xtra or TLX. The rundown:
BARREL - 12" ported barrel with no muzzle break. Matte black so there's no glare to give away your position. Not very quietest, but that's normal for Spyders. Good internal finish, and better accuracy than average for a stock barrel. There is no volumizer shroud like on the MR2, so replacement barrels will be easy to add. Looks like a 2-piece but isn't.
FOREGRIP / EXPANSION CHAMBER - Foregrip is metal and vertical, shaped off the old AMG molds. It's just a gas-through foregrip, so there's no expansion chamber. No way to add a regulator since there's no front block to replace - the foregrip bolts directly into the body of the gun. Grip is a hair loose even with the bolts tightened.
VOLUMIZER - None. The body is capped where a volumizer would go.
TRIGGER / FRAME - Standard mechanical metal Kingman trigger frame. Trigger pull is 3/4" and not adjustable. Frame is all metal with very nice rubber grips. Safety is standard crossbolt for mechanical markers. Trigger has a little side play and is squeaky.
DROP / ASA - ASA works well enough and has an internal filter. Drop is short but angled. BIG HOORAY: The MR series uses IN-LINE SCREWS ON THE DROP FORWARD!!! No more offset Kingman-only holes! The line is black-coated stainless braided line.
DETENT - Integrated under the angled feed port's braces. Not a standard Kingman left-side ball-bearing. *** EDIT 11 FEB 2006 - This will cost the MR-1 a rating point. I played with the MR1 today, and through 4 games it successfully fired maybe 20 balls out of 500. The problem was the detent - the bolt sheared it clean off! The MRs use a tiny rubber finger as a detent and the MR1's aluminum bolt cut it right in half. It began double and triple feeding, which any marker with no detent could be expected to do. I didn't discover this until much later, when I got home to disassemble the marker (the detent is installed underneath the feedport plate). Why, oh why, did Kingman stop using their standard left-side ball-bearing detent??? ***
BODY - Minimal milling. Feedneck is an angled 45-degree stub with a cheap plastic adapter/elbow. Field stripping is a standard Kingman pull pin (held by a ball bearing, not a cotter pin). Body is all metal, but the marker is no heavier than a TL-R. The top of the marker comes with built-in 7/8" Weaver rails, interrupted by the feedneck and cocking knob. There are no bottom or side rails. Body is uniformly matte black with a tough finish; the cocking knob is also black.
STOCK - Shared with the MR2. Stock is open-frame skeletal design but is very stable and tough. Makes the already heavy MR1 even heavier, but it's worth it. The stock insertion is o-ringed so the marker may perform even better with it than without.
INTERNALS - Top-cocking marker (stacked-tube blowback) with an open rear end (unless the stock is attached). Internals may be shared with the TLX, TL-R, and Sonix Value / Sonix Pro, but I'm not 100% certain yet. Bolt is a standard Kingman aluminum venturi bolt. Interior finish is excellent. Velocity is adjusted via a rear set screw, not by the old Kingman thumbwheel.
Conclusion:
Marker feels good but it's not as well-equipped as lower-end markers - it's basically a dressed-up Victor or a stripped Sonix Value. The finish is good but the short rail (the main attraction for scenario / milsim buffs) is barely useful. CO2 users may be hurt by the lack of expansion chamber and volumizer. It's a good, solid marker, but only if you're dead-set on a mechanical or really need a blasted-black paint job. Maybe if someone added the e-frame from a $60 refurb Imagine then this would be a contender. Otherwise it's an 8 out of 10, and I'm generous because I'm a Kingman geek.
Rating:
7 out of 10
Last edited on Saturday, February 11th, 2006 at 8:50 pm PST
man,,, edit your review. you said you would give it a 8 but you gave it a seven. whats up with that?. edit yuor review dude. do it. yur makin the gun seem bad ur sumthin.
Last edited on Saturday, March 25th, 2006 at 6:36 pm PST
Have you attempted to add a EGrip to this marker along with an ACS Bolt? I'm in a woodsball team going to the SPPL and I can't use my pilot, so I'm looking to consolidate.
It's a good gun but I've used heavier markers (of course I've played with a VM-68 which is just a monster!) I gave it a ten in my review but I agree with an 8, it's more about personal feel than anything.
Dispute: The detent in this marker is fine, the bolt has a slot that allows the bolt to slide past it harmlessly. If you install the bolt upside down, this slot is on the opposite side, therefore shearing off the little rubber 'finger' detent. I dont think it would re-cock considering the gas port is on the wrong side...but it would definately shear off a detent
Last edited on Friday, August 4th, 2006 at 1:30 pm PST
hey i am thinking of getting either this or a pilot acs, but i am mainly a woodsball player and i really need a stock and a right handed sight wat is ur suggestion be thnx alot
