I got this gun in Katy (near Houston) at Pro Edge Paintball for my birthday. I got it for $160-170, probably because it was from a pro shop.
-PROS-
EYES- I shot this gun around 15-20 times in my backyard, on different days in different weather conditions, and have had NO CHOPS OR BREAKS whatsoever ever since I got it. I usually use Impact, XBall, or Recon Camo paintballs, made by ProCaps, one of the best paintball makers in the world. Maybe that's why, or maybe it's my $13 32* Terminator barrel, or the eyes, I don't know. But I am purely amazed that I have had no chops or breaks since I got the gun. Ever.
FASTNESS- This gun is very fast. I think Kingman advertises 20-25 BPS, but i'm not really sure. I think I got it up to 13-15 BPS, since this is my first electronic marker and I'm still getting used to walking triggers. I've seen videos where people got it up to 20 BPS or so.
COMPACT- This gun isn't exatly "small" as in tallness, I think it's about the same as other markers in that category. But it is very compact, as in everything is close together, overall reducing length. The gas-thru-foregrip is almost touching the trigger guard, allowing me to play very tight.
BOARD- This gun comes stock with a Tadao board, which is a very good board to upgrade to, and the fact Kingman just threw it in as stock is just awesome. The board has three settings- Semi, Ramp PSP, and Ramp Millenium. Throw on a Viewloader Force or another good, cheap electronic loader and you're golden.
2-BUTTON MODE SETTING- Setting the modes are very easy. You don't even have to read the manual. It might take you 5 minutes to figure it out. All you do is press the power button to turn it on, press & hold the big M to get the SEMI mode blinking, press it again to get the mode you want, hold the M button to set that mode, and press it again to turn the safety off. To turn the eyes on/off, just press the power button. It's alot easier than it sounds.
The Spyder Pilot 09 came with a barrel sock in the box. I don't know if all manufacturers throw those in, but it was just nice.
-CONS-
FEEDNECK- The feedneck comes loose after shooting it a little. I don't know if it's because I'm shooting Co2, my velocity is too high, or my Viewloader Force is adding too much weight to one side. I would definately upgrade the feedneck, which doesn't cost much at all.
I would also like to add that the people at Pro Edge Paintball in Katy were very nice and helpful. I was asking alot of dumb questions, like what does ramping mean, and they told me with a straight face and not the slightest sound of smart ass in their voice. They even said that I should wait and save up for the Invert Mini. But I denied, as I've been wanting this gun since Christmas. Their prices aren't bad at all, either.
*EDIT* After a day of play, I've experienced only 1 or 2 barrel breaks, most likely to do with field grade paint.
Conclusion:
I would definately get this gun for a begginer or intermdiate player. It's very fast, compact, and very easy to learn how to use. It comes with a Tadao board stock, which is very nice. Just upgrade the feedneck as a start and you're golden.
Rating:
9 out of 10
Last edited on Thursday, July 15th, 2010 at 7:22 pm PST
