VL Triad - Not half as good.
I've fought and sampled other guns, but the Triad's the only one I've used extensively.
Marker Setup:
Spyder Xtra
- Smart Parts All American 14''
- Custom pistol grip mounting stock
- Custom grips (They're also mounted on the pistol grip, in case you're wondering)
- VL Revolution
- Bob Long Torpedo Reg
- Shocktech Superfly Bolt
Recommended Upgrades:
Feedneck, first thing. The stock one I swear comes out of the box cracked. Does not last.
Barrel, soon as possible.
Regulator, hopper, stuff like that, but only if you want it. The above two are nearly necessary.
Strengths:
Cheap
Tough
Parts availability
Easy to find help on
Weaknesses:
Feedneck
Barrel
Review:
I got mine about a year ago for twenty bucks. It shot fine, worked good, loved the gun.
It's rugged. I don't think it's as indestructible as a 98c, but it's a tough gun. It's easy to clean also. I've yanked the guts out multiple times on the field and run the squeegee through. I don't know if it's the brightest thing to do, but the fact that you can, and it works, speaks for itself.
It's easy to find. Not only did I get mine cheap, but I got my brother's for twenty also. Being easy to find, it's also easy to get parts for, and on the same token, there are a lot of people who know what's wrong with almost any given problem. It being a Spyder, you automatically have the OtterSC site which is awesome for reference, help, upgrades, anything.
Upgrading it is unlimited. First things first. The feedneck sucks. Doesn't matter, straight or bent, Kingman elbows stink. I used mine for a day, chucked it and got a PVC adapter and stuffed it on. Works way better. If you want something fancier, there's always the CCM or NDZ feednecks.
The barrel. The barrel works fine for a few games, but after awhile, you start wanting some more length and some better accuracy. Does a barrel contribute to accuracy? Yeah, definitely, but it's not gonna make your aim perfect. The stock Kingman barrels leave a lot to ask for, so grab a J & J ceramic or something. Me, I grab whatever has decent reviews and is cheap on the Trading forum.
After those two necessities, you can go for Low Pressure setup. That's my goal at the moment. That includes Regulator, modded/new VA, spring kit, good stuff like that. You can also get hoppers (After some experience, you start wanting to just be able to shoot, not shoot shoot shoot, shake, shoot shoot shoot shake. The VL revolution solves that problem.) and maybe an Electronic grip.
Overall, I love my Xtra and my brother likes his. The only Spyders I'd really choose over them would maybe be the Rodeo or the Sonix. Upgraded like my Xtra is, it'll out perform a stock Rodeo and Sonix, but stock, I think the Rodeo's a little better. It's also more expensive. For me, a used Xtra beats everything.
Also, the only problem I've ever had with my Xtra is the bolt chopping a ball and getting stuck. It's happened twice. The bolt gets stuck halfway and will not move. It takes taking apart the gun and cleaning it to fix that. Otherwise, not a problem, and I haven't had that problem since I got the Superfly bolt.
Conclusion:
Awesome gun. Great for a woodsballer, or somebody who's not paintballing every weekend and then some. You want a gun you can go pick up and have it work, Xtra's your gun. Just clean it out after every game.
