Raider kit at Wal-Mart

[mruhl]

Does anyone have any experience with the BE Raider kit that's currently available at Wal-Mart?

fyi, I'm a newbie pb dad. My oldest son is about to turn 10, and wants to get into it. We know lots of folks who have been into it for a while, and they're all telling me to get him a Tippmann 98. I've read up on them (and have lots of firearms experience myself), and I understand all the reasons why.

But still, I look at that BE Raider kit, and it looks like it might be a decent little marker for the money. I'm familiar with BE's history, so I'm not interested in any BE-bashing in this thread.

What's up with the carbon-fiber barrel?

[MA_paintballer]

Originally posted by mruhl
Does anyone have any experience with the BE Raider kit that's currently available at Wal-Mart?

fyi, I'm a newbie pb dad. My oldest son is about to turn 10, and wants to get into it. We know lots of folks who have been into it for a while, and they're all telling me to get him a Tippmann 98. I've read up on them (and have lots of firearms experience myself), and I understand all the reasons why.

But still, I look at that BE Raider kit, and it looks like it might be a decent little marker for the money. I'm familiar with BE's history, so I'm not interested in any BE-bashing in this thread.

What's up with the carbon-fiber barrel?

Tippmanns are notorious for their ruggedness. They are used as rentals because you can fire (literally) tens of thousands of shots through them and require basicly no maitnance. You can also upgrade them as you go along. The same cannot be said for BE.

[mruhl]

Thanks MA, but I already understand (and agree with) all the reasons why everyone recommends the Tippmann 98.

I've already decided to get the boy a Tippmann 98. I'm interested in this BE Raider kit for myself, and my occasional forays into the field.

So let's talk about the BE Raider kit, please.

[TippmannPhreak]

Ok, let's talk about the Raider. If you're planning on doing any upgrading to the gun, you can forget BE's. Also, there are very little compatible parts for it, I don't know where you could find a barrel for it, or if they even make one for that matter. Also, you said something about a carbon fiber barrel, I'm assuming you're talking about the St!ffi. That's one hell of an expensive barrel if you're putting on the BE. But if you're putting it on your son's Tippmann, then that's a good choice. But you have to remember that you get what you pay for. They have a Raider at my local Wal-Mart for $60.00. But, on the other hand, they have the Spyder X-tra for $70.00, which is a far superior deal. I'd say, get your son the Tippmann, and get yourself the Spyder X-Tra for $10.00 more. Pm me if you have any questions.

[mruhl]

Originally posted by TippmannPhreak
Ok, let's talk about the Raider. If you're planning on doing any upgrading to the gun, you can forget BE's.Nope. That would be silly.

Also, you said something about a carbon fiber barrel, I'm assuming you're talking about the St!ffi.Again, nope. The Raider allegedly has a "carbon-fiber reinforced" barrel, whatever that means. It's printed on the barrel, at the breech end, and on the packaging. Trouble is, I can't find any reference to this Raider model on the BE website, or anywhere else, for that matter. Is this a brand new model?

They have a Raider at my local Wal-Mart for $60.00. But, on the other hand, they have the Spyder X-tra for $70.00, which is a far superior deal. I'd say, get your son the Tippmann, and get yourself the Spyder X-Tra for $10.00 more. Pm me if you have any questions.Now we're getting somewhere! So the Spyder X-tra for $70 is a better deal. That's the kind of info I'm after.

Although I'd still like to hear from anyone who may actually have one of these new Raiders.

Thanks, Phreak.

[TippmannPhreak]

Originally posted by mruhl
Nope. That would be silly.

Again, nope. The Raider allegedly has a "carbon-fiber reinforced" barrel, whatever that means. It's printed on the barrel, at the breech end, and on the packaging. Trouble is, I can't find any reference to this Raider model on the BE website, or anywhere else, for that matter. Is this a brand new model?

Now we're getting somewhere! So the Spyder X-tra for $70 is a better deal. That's the kind of info I'm after.

Although I'd still like to hear from anyone who may actually have one of these new Raiders.

Thanks, Phreak.


Oh, okay. I did some research into the "carbon fiber" barrel that they claim to have. On some models it doesn't even come off. I'd definitely stray away from this marker. But yes, if you go to the search and look up BE guns, you'll find the Striker, which is identical to the Raider. And if you read the reviews, you'll see some pretty bad problems, ie. triggers breaking, guns falling apart, etc. If I were you, I'd definitely go with the X-tra for $10.00 more. I guarantee you'll be glad you did. I'm not bashing BE or anything, but one day you'll walk onto the field getting ready to play with your son, and you'll have a critical problem with the Brass Eagle. On the other hand, Spyders are rock solid, require little maintenence, like oiling, cleaning, and replacing the ball detent. Basically just negligible problems, if any, that can be fixed with a little patience. You seem like a reasonable man, so just believe me when I tell you to go with the Spyder. It'll give you years of trouble free play. If I were you though, the first thing I'd do would be to send in both warranties, so the guns will be covered for any problems that may happen. Also, Kingman and Tippmann have the best of the best in customer service, should anything go wrong.

[mruhl]

Great info - thanks. Just ignore my pm...

[TippmannPhreak]

Ok. Whatever you decide to get, I hope you and your son have fun.

[master18967]

My friend had a Raider his broke after about 3 games, maybe it was a defect. There are also 2 different names to this gun one is the Raider and the other is the Striker. It is also listed on this website and the be website

[TippmannPhreak]

Yeah, BE has a little fetish with taking one gun, renaming it, then calling it a whole new gun.

[mruhl]

I finally found it under the Striker name on the BE website. They have the exploded parts view out there. It's the same gun. The renaming of it for specific vendors (Wal-Mart, etc.) doesn't bother me - that's a common retail practice. Target is also selling this same gun kit (as the Raider, in Target red, for $15 more than Wal-Mart). I just wanted to know what it was, and was having some trouble finding it.

I have since found it listed at a couple of other pb review websites. One reviewed the Striker, and said that it's actually a die-cast aluminum receiver. Can anyone confirm this?

I realize most of you are strictly anti-BE, so bear with me...:blah:

Originally posted by master18967
My friend had a Raider his broke after about 3 games, maybe it was a defect. There are also 2 different names to this gun one is the Raider and the other is the Striker. It is also listed on this website and the be website What broke, and how? Thanks!

[TippmannPhreak]

The reciever is not cast aluminum. Even if it was, that's an inferior metal compared to other paintball guns. So, what did you decide to get?

[mruhl]

Originally posted by TippmannPhreak
The reciever is not cast aluminum. Even if it was, that's an inferior metal compared to other paintball guns. So, what did you decide to get? The Tippmann 98 has an die-cast aluminum receiver, as do most of the reputable markers out there.

Haven't decided on anything, yet. Looking into the GT line www.gt-2000.com from Archon. www.archonpaintball.com They have an office across the street from where I work.

[topazbullet]

If you're just going to play occasionally, a Spyder Victor II for $55 is a good deal

http://www.pbreview.com/products/reviews/2319/

It's reliable, and if you ever decide to get serious, spyders are upgradeable as hell, and it's cheap enough so you don't have to worry too much

[TippmannPhreak]

Originally posted by mruhl
The Tippmann 98 has an die-cast aluminum receiver, as do most of the reputable markers out there.

Haven't decided on anything, yet. Looking into the GT line www.gt-2000.com from Archon. www.archonpaintball.com They have an office across the street from where I work.

Actually, Tippmanns are the only cast aluminum guns. Everything else is milled. So, you decided not to get the Spyder?

[mruhl]

You're right - I stand corrected.

I haven't decided for or against anything yet. Our Wal-Marts don't have the $70 Spyder you referred to. The GT guns I was looking at today are well made guns, and are being used as rental guns at one of the local pb fields. They take Spyder barrels. We'll probably go out and spend a day at Red Fox Games www.redfoxgames.com and rent a couple of them, just to see how well they work.

[TippmannPhreak]

Oh, sorry about that, man. Did you check around at local sporting goods stores and stuff?

[mruhl]

Yeah. I've been shopping pretty hard. Did you know Kingman sells facotry refurbished guns thru their website at really good prices? I may get a refurbed Xtra thru them. I'm also watching about 25 ebay auctions for used Custom 98s. I'm not in a hurry to buy. My boy's 10th birthday is Sunday, but he's also getting a new bike, so the pb gun will have to wait. He was actually saving up his money for one already. He has his own business pet-sitting for folks in our neighborhood. He earned over $300 last year. But he likes to shop around and get good deals, so we're not in a rush.

[Headhunter]

Mruhl- First let me welcome you to the wonderful and fun filled world of paintball(that can be expensive along with confusing at the same time when just starting out). In case you didn't realize, the Tippmanns at Wal-Mart (at least up here) are NOT Custom 98s. They are M98s. The difference is with in the pistol grip. On the M98(Wal-Mart), behind the trigger there is not a small hole for trigger upgrades like a response or e-trigger. On Custom M98s, there is a small hole. If your son at a later date wanted to upgrade his trigger to either of the fore-mentioned upgrades, he would have to either mill/grind/cut out a space for the mod or send it in to Tippmann for them to do the work and install(recommended if one is not 100% sure what they are doing), whereas with the Custom M98s one would just have to buy the upgrade. Something you may want to watch for.

Renting the first few times is another way for you to find something you may like. Ask other players to look and hold(maybe even try out for a game) some of they're markers. There maybe something there that you haven't even thought of or have seen before that is inexpensive and functional. EBay is also another good place to look.

[dude14]

hey painball dad, get a BE stingray which you can upgrade. It is rugged, and the gun by itself with all the necessary upgrades is only about.... hmm 55-60$. It has the ruggedness of a tippman, and it'll shoot great. You'd need the gun, starfire bolt w/ball detent, and if you want to a new barrel. All that stuffs on ebay. and the stingray websight: http://www.stinggroup.addr.com/ if u like to tinker, this is your gun.

[MA_paintballer]

Originally posted by dude14
hey painball dad, get a BE stingray which you can upgrade. It is rugged, and the gun by itself with all the necessary upgrades is only about.... hmm 55-60$. It has the ruggedness of a tippman, and it'll shoot great. You'd need the gun, starfire bolt w/ball detent, and if you want to a new barrel. All that stuffs on ebay. and the stingray websight: http://www.stinggroup.addr.com/ if u like to tinker, this is your gun.

I beg to differ. Tippmanns quality is unmatched. Tippmanns are the best for tinkering, since you can do anything to them and they will continue to shoot paint.

Like headhunter said, go to a local field and rent first. You'll also see tippmanns reliability and popularity at work. Rentals are put through hell and back, which is why a vast majority of fields use the 98c's, because they can take a beating and keep on shooting. I'd have to say a 98c is the way to go for you and your son. Have fun on the field.

[dude14]

ohhh man, i dont think you have ever shot an upgraded ray. Yea, they probably dont have 100% of the ruggedness of tippman, but i'd say about 90%. You never have to clean an upgraded ray unless it breaks a ball, and it wont do that if you use decent paintballs. Tippmans are great, but they cost about 60$ or more than a stingray. And stingrays are VERRy upgradable, you just need to know how to do it yourself instead of buying expensive tippman parts.

[mruhl]

Thanks to all, I appreciate the input.

Headhunter - I had indeed noticed that Wal-Mart sells the 98, and not the Custom 98. But thanks for pointing it out. And I do intend to go out and rent a couple of times just to get a feel for the Tippmann and the GT that I mentioned earlier.

My son and I are really looking forward to getting into paintball. I appreciate everyone's helpfulness!

[duck_boy]

personally i would try to go with a spyder. they have tl-r kits for about $100 - $150 at the sports authority. it works great has a huge upgrade potential and because it comes in a kit it has everything you need to play paintball, a mask, hopper, CO2 tank (comes with a free first refill).

[mruhl]

Just bought a factory-refurbished Syder Xtra kit from the Kingman website's outlet store. $84.99 for an Xtra, face shield, hopper, and a 12 oz. Co2 cylinder. Pretty good deal for a starter gun, I think.

Haven't received the kit yet. When I do, I'll post a description and some pics in the Kingman area.

Thanks to all who responded to this thread!

[TippmannPhreak]

Good choice, mruhl. You won't be disappointed.:)

[buffaugust]

i seriously doubt you'll be an occasional paintballer... i don't believe anyone can stay on that level, unless money is the problem. either you'll love it or hate it. I would suggest that if you haven't used a rental, go to your field and play with a rental for a day. if you like it, go for the tippman 98 custom (not the wal-mart m98). spyders are notorious for the amount of maintenance they take. For the price, the tippman makes the most sense for a beginner who can spend the money, plus if you don't like it, you can sell it pretty well. i'd be willing to bet that the tippmans have the best resale for a gun of that level. Good luck!

[MaverickSniper]

Stay as far away from that kit as you can. My stepdads body got one and it sucked.

[master18967]

Yeah its not a good gun to get the way my friends broke was, it did the rapid fire thing and the cocking pin flew out and was lost in the woods.

[Daryn]

Originally posted by master18967
Yeah its not a good gun to get the way my friends broke was, it did the rapid fire thing and the cocking pin flew out and was lost in the woods.
lol, i just pictured that. pretty funny.

you'll love the Spyders. tons of upgrades...

as long as your bolt doesn't happen to spit out like his friends did.

[Hekrill]

I'm glad to see another paintballer & son enter the wonderful world of paintball...I've met so many people, made many friends, and had the time of my life. I hope your experience is similar.

I'm also glad that you purchased the marker that you did, and did not become a victim of Brass Eagle's marketing strategys. I hope you have fun, and wish your son a happy birthday. Yes, I've watched multiple Brass Eagle markers go down. Not pretty, he he. They also lack performance compared to Spyders. They chop paintballs, and are relatively innacurate. I hope you enjoy yourself!:D

-A fellow pb player
PS-If you ever need help, send me a private message.

[Sheps]

Good choice, rerember to field strip it before and after a day of playing though (and clean and lube it if nescessary), as most breakdowns I've heard of are due to bad maintenance.

[dude14]

this guy shoulda gotten a ray'. Those things can get run over by a train and still work. Oh well, spyders are good guns. Durability is an issue though.

[Headhunter]

This is the way I see it; Mruhl did some research and came up with the best marker that suits his and his sons needs at the present moment in time. It doesn't matter if his choice is a Spyder, Tippmann, or was a Brass Eagle, it's a start. And that is all that matters. Everyone has to start some where and as long as one has fun with the marker they have, that is all that matters. He has the option to upgrade if he wants to, but he doesn't have to.

[dude14]

good for mhurl.

[mruhl]

Yeah, I did my homework. Like someone said, this is our first gun, and I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg on it. We have a lot of father/son friends who are seriously into pb, and they all told us basically the same things that we heard here: 1) Get a Tippmann Custom 98, 2) Spyders are good guns, but need regular maintenance, and 3) avoid Brass Eagle products.

Basically, the decision came down to cost, balanced by the following two things. I'm an old Army armorer (for you career civilians, that's someone who is trained to perform maintenance and repairs on firearms), so I understand the need for regular maintenance. Also, we'll likely get another gun within a year, and that will undoubtably be a Custom 98. This Spyder will probably end up as a backup gun.

As for whether we end up as occasional players, I guess that depends on your definition of occasional. We have a fine pb field very close to us ( www.redfoxgames.com ), and a family from church runs a woodsball field on their property, by invitation only. I anticipate getting out once or twice a month. We're going out for the first time this Saturday. My son is really excited about it.

I have to admit, though, that I'm still kind of intrigued by that BE Raider Kit.

[Headhunter]

Being a qualified Armorer, that gives you a great back round with maintenance and tinkering. Glenn Palmer is another Armorer who started up his own shop trying to 'make something that already existed better'. He has some REALLY nice 'toys', expensive, but nice. The Brass Eagle gear I feel would be something to tinker with. Sure they're functional out of the box but can they be made better with a few home made mods? Absolutely! Plus the Raider may perform better then some people think. And it would also make a convenient back-up marker or loaner.

[mruhl]

I was just out at the Brass Eagle website. They've updated it recently, and it looks like they've introduced more semi-auto markers. Looks like they're determined to be taken seriously. Good for them.

Headhunter - I think we're on the same page. And I like your signature.

[Headhunter]

Originally posted by mruhl

Headhunter - I think we're on the same page. And I like your signature. We're both old enough and been around long enough to know that the latest and greatest electrical geewiz bang contraption isn't always the best thing out there.

My sig is how I try to play: Play for fun and enjoy when you play but treat everyone with respect. I do need to change it to "Recreational Paintball Player with a Professional Attitude".

[scarroll825]

If you are planing to get a Spyder I recomend one of the 32* Icon copies. They are almost exactly the same and a bit cheaper. Also my Icon-E is shinyer that it's Kingman counterpart :D
Although if you wish to upgrade it you may need to make a couple modifications to the upgrade for it to fit. For example the dye E-spyder stick3 grip doesnt fit well because the solinoid is lower so I melted the plasick to make it fit using a hot skrew drive that i layed on my stove for a while :D

[mruhl]

Originally posted by scarroll825
If you are planing to get a Spyder I recomend one of the 32* Icon copies.Thanks for the suggestion. About a month ago I picked up a factory-refurbished Spyder Xtra kit from the Kingman Outlet website for $85. I just noticed they don't have any more of the kits, but they still have several refurbished markers for sale at good prices.

[trailer_trash]

nice job getting a spyder you wont regret it, i haven't

:agree:

[trailer_trash]

also, the spyder is just your son's

if so what marker r u going to get?

[mruhl]

My 10-year-old son and I finally had our first paintball outing this past Saturday, and I wanted to post an update.

As I posted earlier, I picked up a refurbished Spyder Xtra for my son back in Feburary. It came with as a kit with hopper, mask, 12 oz. cylinder, barrel plug, etc., supposedly all refurbed stuff, but it all looked nearly new. $85. We were very happy.

For my birthday last week, my son took $65 of his own money (earned pet-sitting for folks in our neighborhood), and bought the Brass Eagle Raider kit for me at Wal-Mart. He wanted me to have a marker, so we could play together. Needless to say - as I'm sure the other Dads here will understand - I was overwhelmed.

Important Note to all you Brass Eagle Flamers: READ THE REST OF THIS POST BEFORE YOU REPLY AND FLAME BRASS EAGLE AND/OR ME OR (ESPECIALLY) MY SON FOR HAVING PURCHASED A BRASS EAGLE MARKER. OTHERWISE I WILL BE VERY TEMPTED TO HUNT YOU DOWN AND SHOOT SOMETHING HARDER AND FASTER THAN A GELATIN CAPSULE AT YOU. :pissed:

A friend of ours runs a woodsball field, and we went out Saturday for the first time. We shot over 2000 balls between us, and DID NOT CHOP NOT A SINGLE BALL WITH EITHER MARKER. We both played all morning on 12 oz. cylinders, and we had a blast.

The only technical problem we had all morning came at the end of the last game, when the front grip-frame screw fell out of the Xtra. My friend who runs the field said that was not uncommon with the Spyders, gave me another screw, and told me to just make sure all the screws are tight before we go out, keep some tools in the kit bag, and check it between games. Basic stuff I should have known anyway.

The Brass Eagle Raider, right out of the box, chrono'd at 260 fps +/- 5. I didn't bother adjusting it. The ONLY minor complaint I have with its accuracy. I don't expect minute-of-angle accuracy from a pb marker, but it was noticeably inconsistent from shot to shot, and occasionally just plain wild. However, I realize that this can addressed with a change of paint, and tweaking the velocity. I am not at all concerned about it. In fact, it's a good opportunity to teach my son some of the fundamentals of ballistics, and how markers function.

btw, other than dropping that screw, the Xtra did great. It's remarkably accurate with the stock barrel. Some of the experienced teenagers on my son's team (who were playing with tricked-out A5s and such) were very impressed with it, and encouraged my son that he a great gun. The Xtra chrono'd at 285, with no adjustments.

So all in all, I'm a happy PB Dad. Sure, the Raider could get to 5000 rounds and blow up. I had M16s do that on me while in the Army. But that was almost always due to abuse. BE sells a parts kit this marker, and having worked on real guns for long time, I know how to perform preventive maintenance, and repair. Based on my long experience, I have a very good feeling about this Raider marker.

So if you want flame BE, take it to another thread. :finger:

[Govinda_T]

Originally posted by mruhl
So all in all, I'm a happy PB Dad. Sure, the Raider could get to 5000 rounds and blow up. I had M16s do that on me while in the Army. But that was almost always due to abuse. BE sells a parts kit this marker, and having worked on real guns for long time, I know how to perform preventive maintenance, and repair. Based on my long experience, I have a very good feeling about this Raider marker.

So if you want flame BE, take it to another thread. :finger:

:D

Good job. I could not agree more with you.
Most people just think "Oh, it's a plastic marker so it must be crap." But that is not always the case. I have a Pirahna Black Maxx that is almost entirely plastic and it never gave me problems. But I have taken a lot of crap from people at my local field. It still boggles my mind why so many people bash Brass Eagle products when they have never used a Brass Eagle in their life. Or they compare them to $1,000+ markers. Well yeah, dumb-a, obviously there is a difference between a $30 Wal-Mart marker and a nearly $2,000 electro-cocker. They are made to be an entry-level marker, not a tournament-level masterpiece And you're right, most people probably also abuse the heck out of them and then sit there stupidly for half an hour wondering why it broke.
And for all those people in the Black Maxx and Brass Eagle review section who said there are no upgrades for such markers, I certainly proved them wrong with this masterpiece of mine in the attached pic. (By the way, pretty much any Brass Eagle marker can be upgraded with any spyder-threaded barrel, like the Smart Parts Progressive on my Black Maxx, which, mind you, also fits perfectly on my Brass Eagle Marauder.)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/Govinda_A_Thorr/blackmaxxcarbine.jpg

[p8ntballin fool]

Originally posted by MA_paintballer


I beg to differ. Tippmanns quality is unmatched. Tippmanns are the best for tinkering, since you can do anything to them and they will continue to shoot paint.

Like headhunter said, go to a local field and rent first. You'll also see tippmanns reliability and popularity at work. Rentals are put through hell and back, which is why a vast majority of fields use the 98c's, because they can take a beating and keep on shooting. I'd have to say a 98c is the way to go for you and your son. Have fun on the field. \

*mockingly* *cough, cough* I beg to differ. Spyders quality is unmatched. Spyders are the best for tinkering, since you can do anything to them and they will continue to shoot paint.
Seriously, look at a site like otter sc's and tell me you cant do anything like that to a spyder. In fact...heres a link. otter sc's (http://www.ottersccustoms.com)

[TippmannPhreak]

Originally posted by mruhl
My 10-year-old son and I finally had our first paintball outing this past Saturday, and I wanted to post an update.

As I posted earlier, I picked up a refurbished Spyder Xtra for my son back in Feburary. It came with as a kit with hopper, mask, 12 oz. cylinder, barrel plug, etc., supposedly all refurbed stuff, but it all looked nearly new. $85. We were very happy.

For my birthday last week, my son took $65 of his own money (earned pet-sitting for folks in our neighborhood), and bought the Brass Eagle Raider kit for me at Wal-Mart. He wanted me to have a marker, so we could play together. Needless to say - as I'm sure the other Dads here will understand - I was overwhelmed.

Important Note to all you Brass Eagle Flamers: READ THE REST OF THIS POST BEFORE YOU REPLY AND FLAME BRASS EAGLE AND/OR ME OR (ESPECIALLY) MY SON FOR HAVING PURCHASED A BRASS EAGLE MARKER. OTHERWISE I WILL BE VERY TEMPTED TO HUNT YOU DOWN AND SHOOT SOMETHING HARDER AND FASTER THAN A GELATIN CAPSULE AT YOU. :pissed:

A friend of ours runs a woodsball field, and we went out Saturday for the first time. We shot over 2000 balls between us, and DID NOT CHOP NOT A SINGLE BALL WITH EITHER MARKER. We both played all morning on 12 oz. cylinders, and we had a blast.

The only technical problem we had all morning came at the end of the last game, when the front grip-frame screw fell out of the Xtra. My friend who runs the field said that was not uncommon with the Spyders, gave me another screw, and told me to just make sure all the screws are tight before we go out, keep some tools in the kit bag, and check it between games. Basic stuff I should have known anyway.

The Brass Eagle Raider, right out of the box, chrono'd at 260 fps +/- 5. I didn't bother adjusting it. The ONLY minor complaint I have with its accuracy. I don't expect minute-of-angle accuracy from a pb marker, but it was noticeably inconsistent from shot to shot, and occasionally just plain wild. However, I realize that this can addressed with a change of paint, and tweaking the velocity. I am not at all concerned about it. In fact, it's a good opportunity to teach my son some of the fundamentals of ballistics, and how markers function.

btw, other than dropping that screw, the Xtra did great. It's remarkably accurate with the stock barrel. Some of the experienced teenagers on my son's team (who were playing with tricked-out A5s and such) were very impressed with it, and encouraged my son that he a great gun. The Xtra chrono'd at 285, with no adjustments.

So all in all, I'm a happy PB Dad. Sure, the Raider could get to 5000 rounds and blow up. I had M16s do that on me while in the Army. But that was almost always due to abuse. BE sells a parts kit this marker, and having worked on real guns for long time, I know how to perform preventive maintenance, and repair. Based on my long experience, I have a very good feeling about this Raider marker.

So if you want flame BE, take it to another thread. :finger:


Hey, mruhl. Haven't talked in a while. Anyways, I'm glad to hear that your BE worked out for you.:tup: PM me after some of your games if you could, I'm actually pretty interested in hearing how your BE holds up after every game, since I advised against buying it, I actually feel kind of bad.

[mruhl]

Originally posted by p8ntballin fool
I beg to differ. Spyders quality is unmatched. Spyders are the best for tinkering, since you can do anything to them and they will continue to shoot paint.
Seriously, look at a site like otter sc's and tell me you cant do anything like that to a spyder. In fact...heres a link. otter sc's (http://www.ottersccustoms.com)Guess what, fellas? They're both good for tinkering, in their own ways. "Tastes great! Less filling!" :rolleyes:

TippmannPhreak - Hope you're not offended, Cap'n. I greatly appreciate your input, and respect your opinion. I had actually decided to pick up another Spyder from www.kingmanoutlet.com, but my son decided on his own to get me the BE for my birthday. He doesn't know it, but $20 more, we could have gotten a refurbed Spyder E-Marker. That's okay.

I just ordered the BE Striker spare parts kit from www.actionvillage.com. They were about half the price of eveywhere else. Actually, they were about the only place that had it in stock. I may tinker with the bolt - maybe remove the venturi, if it has one, as described on the OtterSC site (spent way too much time there this afteroon).

I'll be around...

Mike

[p8ntballin fool]

Just a thought to you mike...when you look at Otter SC's site...have your gun in hand, and ready to field strip to check out parts on your gun that could possibly be modded. Oh, and just remember that you can take some of the mods farther than he has described.

[impul5e]

knock it off. Spam agian and you're gone
Jaster~

[mruhl]

Ran another 500 or so balls through this marker over the weekend without a problem. Dialed up the velocity to around 280 fps, +/- 10. It was at around 265 out of the box. Accuracy seemed to improve with field-grade paint. I observed fewer flyers, and what few flyers I noticed weren't as wild as before. So I'll leave it where it is for now.

Had a chance to shoot a couple of Custom 98s. I must say, for woods ball, I prefer my little BE Raider. It's light, it's accurate enough, and it embarrasses people when I take them out with it. If we ever get into speedball, we'll get markers that shoot fast. But for rec/woods ball, this thing will serve me for a long time.

I'll keep y'all posted....

[p8ntballin fool]

Originally posted by impul5e
knock it off. Spam agian and you're gone
Jaster~

Who was spamming?..............................

[Sheps]

Impul5e was, Jaster changed the original post to a warning (I believe).

And Mruhl, if you have any problems with your markers PM me and I might be able to help, I have a good grasp of how Low-End mechanical guns work. Although I don't expect you will have any trouble, you sound like you know what you are doing.

[Intrepid01]

Hey Maruhl I just saw this thread, and would like to wish you and your son the best of luck on the field. I take my godson out on the field every third saturday and is quickly beating me on the field. I guess that is the price I pay for being old.

Anyway on the Brass Eagle. In the early days of paintball BE was the BE (get it?! huh! ha ha ) all end all and I have owned at least three BE markers over the years. That being said my last BE was an Avenger that my g/f (now wife) bought me for my birthday. So believe me I know where your coming from. That Brass Eagle shot with the best of them, of course I got laughed at, but it is the player not the marker, and it was hilarious when I made electro owners eat paint. Even funnier was when I would go to my car and come back with my 'cocker and clean their clocks.

Best of luck and welcome to the sport!

[mruhl]

Thanks Intrepid01. I appreciate the encouragement. I can see us gradually upgrading my son's Xtra over the next couple of years, with him learning about the mechanism along the way. He's very mechanically-inclined.

But I'll stick with my BE Raider for now. The silly little thing works well for woods ball. I may even get up one of their cute little 45-ball hoppers, just to lower my profile. Who needs 200 balls? I sure don't. Where we play, we usually play 20-minute games with the kids. Who needs 200 balls for that? I sure don't. ;)

Nice to meet others who share my point-of-view for this sport. Thanks again!

Mike

[mruhl]

Oh yeah, might as well mention here: my son and I are working on a couple of aftermarket product ideas. He's working on a new prototype feed tube design that, as far as we can tell, no one else is producing. And I'm working on some aftermarket internals for the BE. Everything is in the design/prototyping phase right now, but we should have working products by year-end. That's the goal, anyway. I think my son is some kind of design prodigy. As soon as he gets something in his hands, he starts redesigning it or coming up with improvements. Pretty scary.

[Intrepid01]

there are many small companies that make marker parts. The Nightstriker and Polar Bear bolt are very good examples. Many air smiths make their own parts or modify stock parts. The latest thing for me is a target gun made from a sting ray. Modified the action, and barrel and now it shoots marbels at 243 fps. Perfect for removing the troublesome squirrels!

Only thing is BE is hard to modify. So be careful where you tread.

best of luck

[mruhl]

Originally posted by Intrepid01
Only thing is BE is hard to modify. So be careful where you tread.I'd like to clarify for those of you who may not have seen this BE Raider marker: this is a semi-auto marker. It's the same as the BE Striker, sold in Target and some of the other big box sporting goods stores. Except the Raider's receiver housing is dark blue, not the bright red of the Striker, and the Raider has a light-weight 'composite' barrel.

My point is this: modding this marker should be easier than modding one of their pump guns. The only problem is that no one makes after-market internals for these things (yet). I'll be investing in spring kits for my son's Spyder, and I'll check them out to see if they can be used in the Raider.

I'm planning to pick up a CMI R-2000 regulator, just to level out the co2 pressure from shot to shot. No comments on the R-2000, please. I've already researched regulators to death, and made up my mind. I don't need a high-flow reg. Remember, we're woodsball-only at this point, and I tend to shoot fewer balls than the kids.

Matter of fact, this thing is so light, I'm thinking about getting one of those little BE Pocket Hoppers, just to reduce my profile. Sniping is a state of mind.

[antmanrulez]

my opinion i have a eradicator works great and i had a raider suked but ive had a imagine LED fora while mines a 2005 and its $108 if ur playing speedball get it and get a t-board n etc. but woodsball get 98' custom but for u if an adult get something worth getting like an xtra or imagine but imagines dont require ne upgrades well the LED doesnt but i use my eradicator for woodsball.

[antmanrulez]

ne1 here live in mississippi?cuz if ya do i can show some awesome tips in pb also nebody besides me like the angel G7?

[TippmannPhreak]

Don't get the little pocket hopper. Those things wouldn't feed if you cut the bottom out of them. Make your own :tup:

[mruhl]

Hmmm, I wondered how well they fed. Any suggestions on the best method to make a smaller-profile hopper?

Are there any good 100-count hoppers out there?

Hey, Phreak, you're not a Captain any more?

[hamsterman12]

hey a great gun to get for yourself would be a gameface vexor.it is pretty nice and will last for a loiong time it isnt to expensive either. get it!

[mruhl]

Thanks hamsterman, but I've already got the goods. A Spyder Xtra for the boy, and the redoutable BE Raider for moi.

Just picked up some old WGP 45-count hoppers on ebay for cheap, as well. I consider the Raider not a sniper's gun, but an assasin's gun. :freak:

[hamsterman12]

o ok. my freind has a Be and has had it for 2 years and only had 1 problem the screw that held the frame together fell off. but he got a free one from the feild. i recommened u upgrade 2 a 20oz co2 becuz my 12 for my spyder isnt to good so buy your son a bigger co2 tank. u can aim me at blader6zero or email me at blader6zero@aol.com if u have any questions

[mruhl]

I dunno. We both kind of like the 12 oz co2 cylinders. The 20s seem to throw the balance off. I was actually thinking of picking up a 9 oz cylinder for my Raider, in an effort to get the weight down. Then again, my son wants to go with a remote line.

[hamsterman12]

that is true. hey where do u live cuz my freind has some afyter market parts from his old BE

[TippmannPhreak]

Originally posted by mruhl
Hmmm, I wondered how well they fed. Any suggestions on the best method to make a smaller-profile hopper?

Are there any good 100-count hoppers out there?

Hey, Phreak, you're not a Captain any more?

Nope, I'm not Captain anymore. I played back for a game, and liked it better.

[Paintballfan35]

PB Dad May suggest to get a better barrell? JJ Precision, Stiffi's, Dye boomsticks, 32 degrees Quiet Riot, or a KAPP KXS Barrells all make a nice performance upgrade for your gun.

[mruhl]

Originally posted by Paintballfan35
PB Dad May suggest to get a better barrell? JJ Precision, Stiffi's, Dye boomsticks, 32 degrees Quiet Riot, or a KAPP KXS Barrells all make a nice performance upgrade for your gun. Thanks for the suggestions. I assume you're referring to my son's Spyder, since the BE gun has a fixed barrel.

I had decided to get him a 14" Smart Parts Progressive, since it wasn't a lot of money, and gets good reviews. I was poking around on ebay a couple weeks ago and found the Smart Parts Closeout Store. They had some of their old 12" stainless steel barrels for sale, so I picked up one of those. It got good reviews here as well. It's obviously heavy, but very nicely made. I may not give it to my son until Christmas.

[antmanrulez]

thats a long way off i got a 16" spyder barrel though hehe my ups for my imagine finaly came in now waiting for my new nos tank and halo b loader.

[mruhl]

We're down in South Carolina, where it never gets very cold for very long. Barrels longer than 14" are unneccesary. We'd be wasting co2. I only got the stainless barrel because it was rather unique and very durable.

[antmanrulez]

i live in mississippi and the reason i use a 16'' is cuz i can press the barrel agasint the air bunkers n give me low profile and i can lean in more n jopper in with jst the barrel out.

[TippmannPhreak]

Originally posted by mruhl
Thanks for the suggestions. I assume you're referring to my son's Spyder, since the BE gun has a fixed barrel.

I had decided to get him a 14" Smart Parts Progressive, since it wasn't a lot of money, and gets good reviews. I was poking around on ebay a couple weeks ago and found the Smart Parts Closeout Store. They had some of their old 12" stainless steel barrels for sale, so I picked up one of those. It got good reviews here as well. It's obviously heavy, but very nicely made. I may not give it to my son until Christmas.

Nice choice :tup:

[mruhl]

Originally posted by antmanrulez
i live in mississippi and the reason i use a 16'' is cuz i can press the barrel agasint the air bunkers n give me low profile and i can lean in more n jopper in with jst the barrel out. Gotcha. Makes sense. We haven't played anywhere with air bunkers yet....but we will... ;)

Thanks, Phreak.

Hey, just fyi, I work across the street from Archon Paintball headquarters in Greenville, SC. They have a nice retail store, but it's only open Thursday and Friday, from 12- 6. I'm an old mainframe computer programmer, and the company I work for is going through some tough times, so I'm actually thinking of approaching Archon about a job. A change of careers might be fun.

[SEAL34]

Don't EVER even if your life depends on it... well that might be pushing it... but if you can help it, don't buy any guns from Wal-Mart.

[mruhl]

Originally posted by SEAL34
Don't EVER even if your life depends on it... well that might be pushing it... but if you can help it, don't buy any guns from Wal-Mart. Too late, already did. And I'm still liking the BE Raider. It's light, reliable, and as of this weekend, has fired about 4000 rounds without a chop. As low-end, entry-level mechanical markers go, this one's a winner in my book. YMMV, of course.

[p8ntballin fool]

Originally posted by mruhl
I dunno. We both kind of like the 12 oz co2 cylinders. The 20s seem to throw the balance off. I was actually thinking of picking up a 9 oz cylinder for my Raider, in an effort to get the weight down. Then again, my son wants to go with a remote line.

remote line...20 oz. thatll hold you over for awhile. just make sure you have a comfortable harness and your tank isnt anti-siphoned*cough*iveNEVERdonethat*cough*.:D ;)

[mruhl]

Originally posted by p8ntballin fool

remote line...20 oz. thatll hold you over for awhile. just make sure you have a comfortable harness and your tank isnt anti-siphoned*cough*iveNEVERdonethat*cough*.:D ;) lol....that's what my 10-year-old has wanted to do all along (20-oz. w/remote line). Probably what we'll end up doing.

[dude14]

Originally posted by SEAL34
Don't EVER even if your life depends on it... well that might be pushing it... but if you can help it, don't buy any guns from Wal-Mart.

hahahaha... man they sell tippmans at wal-mart. Spyder Imagines too. no no... your wrong

[Defiler]

I got a Imagine at Academy. Academy is agood stop for guns because I saw a couple 98C and A-5 there. They also replaced the old Imagines with the 2K4 version, so I bought one. I personally love it. I have bought a couple upgrades for it. Next upgrade I want is the T Board with Break Beam eyes.

[outlaw45329]

You could even try the VL Triad kit which is also available at Wal-Mart. I got mine for 80 bucks and it works great. Ive played against Tippman customs and have had no problem.

[BelligerentBear]

I like using the Raider, as it is a quick gun to be able to use. It's easy to shoot, and it is fairly fast. It's also light, so it will be easier for a 10 year old to use

[mruhl]

Ah, voices of reason...thanks...

Actually, my 10-year-old uses the Xtra. He bought the Raider for me. But he does like to use the Raider for that very reason: it's light and easy to handle.

We were talking about it last night. I asked him if he thought he'd like a straight, flat trigger on the Xtra, instead of the contoured one (I prefer the straight one). He said no, he likes the finger grooves. So be it.

[outlaw45329]

If you Don't mind me asking, how is the sight that comes with the Raider Kit?

[mruhl]

Originally posted by outlaw45329
If you Don't mind me asking, how is the sight that comes with the Raider Kit? It's pretty much useless, according to me and my son. It mounts on the the feed tube, and two little red LEDs light up when you turn it on. They're supposed to help you line up your target, but they're really more of a distraction than anything else. I took it off the Raider. Save your money.

[antmanrulez]

HEY DUDE I JST GOT MY T-BOARD AND CHIP AND ETC. U DONT NEED BREAK BEAM EYES FOR A IMAGINE REALLY JST NEW BOLT AND T-BOARD N CHIP.NEVER BROKE A BALL IN MY GUN AND NOW WITH MY 16" BARREL I WON EVERY1 AND NOW WITH MY STRAIGHT TRIGGER IM BETTER THAN EVER AND NOW MY NOS TANK .

[mruhl]

antman, this thread is about the BE Raider. Please stay on topic. Thanks.

[antmanrulez]

LOL I KNO JST WAS SAYING BUT I CAN STILL TALK BOUT WAT I WANT.

[outlaw45329]

Thanks, I was thinking about getting one, but not if theyre crap, I can probably aim with my eye better

[mruhl]

I wouldn't really say it's crap - just not a great idea. It's well-made, and would hold together during play. It just doesn't buy you anything. In the heat of the battle, you're better off shooting instinctively.

[Jaster]

antmanrulez, please turn offthe caps and stay on topic

[OrraclePsycho28]

Hey my friend has that gun for his first gun and I would say its a great gun and is quite accurate just sometimes if you try to speed up the fire too much with a normal gravity feed viewloader the balls will jam ( I would know i accidently shot him from 2 feet away when 2 balls jammed I pulled the trigger just expecting air and BAM 2 balls come out and slam him in the stomach he was hopping around for a minute or 2 but he got over it quickly ) overall I say its a great BE gun for the money and I think the best gun BE makes:)

[antmanrulez]

i like the eradicaor better its accuarte and if u get a new barrel and take the sight off its awesome i put some mods on it and its my bak up gun.

[mruhl]

Just a quickie update - my son (age 10) went out to play woodsball yesterday, and took the Raider along with his Xtra. He shot up another several hundred rounds without a chop. It was the first time he had used it. His comments:

"It's light and loud, and when I snuck up behind the guy with the Custom 98 and shot him, he about jumped out of his skin."

Direct quote. So now tell me again how BE sucks. :laugh:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/super20player/Paintball/raider.gif

[dude14]

RIGHT ON MAN!!!!

dude, brass eagle is known for making bad guns, and they have made some in the past. But just because the old ones were bad doesnt mean the new ones are. Use good paint in the gun and i bet it will be as good as any low end spyder to some point. My BE stingray, which is known as junk, out performs any low end spyder right now at its current setup.

[mruhl]

Yeah, I know BE's history. I just want people to realize that this particular marker is a decent piece of work.

[antmanrulez]

i used to think BE was the best but they suk now spyder ne spyder gun will beat ne BE gun but the BE eradicator n pump blade 1 is the only good 1s so i give BE 2/10 and BE has no eletronic guns at all n their fastiest marker would be the eradicator most likely but BE is sorta good jst all of them need new barrels.

[TippmannPhreak]

You're a retart. <---- I know I spelled it wrong, but retart sounds funny.

Anywho, punctuation is your friend. Your only friend, probably.

[antmanrulez]

BETTA TO BE A RETARD THAN A ***GOT AND NE1 WILL AGREE WITH THAT.

[TippmannPhreak]

Ok then, buddy. If you say so. Just don't strain yourself by typing like a normal person.

[antmanrulez]

watever i got more inportant things to do than waist my time with u neways like going to the pb field rite now.

[TippmannPhreak]

Isn't that nice.:dunce2:

[antmanrulez]

hmm yes it is

[St. Spyder]

just get a refurbished imagine at www.paintballgear.com for like $60 , its a lot better and it is electric. J&J ceramic or CP barrel is a good upgrade and your set.

[mruhl]

Yeah, I've been seeing those refurbed Xtras and Imagines showing up all over the place. The Imagines do seem like a really good deal. That will probably be our next gun. With all the extras available for them, might as well get another Spyder.

But considering we were new to the sport, and had no gear at, the $65 spent at Wal-Mart for the Raider kit got us the marker, 12 oz. cylinder, mask, a couple of hoppers, a squegee, and a couple other doo-dads. There's probably better deals out there, but my only point is that this one is not bad at all.

[Sheps]

mruhl, if you at any point decide to buy a new gun I would look for something better than a Spyder Imagine. Personally I think you should look at high-end guns if you or your son really get into the sport.

Currently one of the best buys is the Smart Parts ION, which I would get in a heartbeat if I had the money. You could also look on Ebay at used markers if you wanted a project for your son (broken markers can be found pretty cheap, and if you have half a brain, some basic tools and the money for replacement parts you can generally make the gun shoot better than new).

[St. Spyder]

thats a good gun too, but it looked like he wanted cheaper guns, not a $270 gun.

[mruhl]

Sheps - I hear what you're saying about the Imagine and the ION. I doubt we'll ever get into the sport the way you mean. We'll probably only ever be woodsball/recball players. I'm not quite yet sold on the electronic markers anyway. I'm not saying that they're aren't great guns, and well-designed. I'm just saying that they aren't necessarily for me. I'll probably always be an old-school kind of guy.

Now, my son is just 10. If, in a couple of years, he decides to really get into it, and it's appropriate for him to have a high-end marker, then we'll probably get one. But for now, we're content with what we have. I appreciate the input, though.

[pfizerreg]

So, what kind of masks are you both using? I ask because they are one of the most important purchases any paintball player has to make. Are you getting by without fogups with the packaged masks?

And I agree, Tippmanns aren't my style, either. They're long, heavy and kick like mules. Stacked tube markers have a much better feel to them.

About the remote line system, I recommend that you stick it out with your 12oz tanks. I had the idea of strapping a 20oz to my back when I first started, but I ended up trading it for a 9oz and cash. The big tank just made playing, running and hiding a ton of work, because it kind of lifts up and slaps as you run, unless you buckle down the harness really well.

Also, you should consider that once you take the tank off of the gun, you'll be without any kind of shoulder brace. Having something, be it a stock or a bottomline bottle to shoulder into makes shooting a paintball gun much easier.

[mruhl]

Originally posted by pfizerreg
So, what kind of masks are you both using? I ask because they are one of the most important purchases any paintball player has to make. Are you getting by without fogups with the packaged masks?Excellent question. So far, so good with the inexpensive JT masks. But it has crossed my mind to invest in better masks with thermal lenses and full-head protection, especially for my son.

Originally posted by pfizerreg
About the remote line system, I recommend that you stick it out with your 12oz tanks. I had the idea of strapping a 20oz to my back when I first started, but I ended up trading it for a 9oz and cash. The big tank just made playing, running and hiding a ton of work, because it kind of lifts up and slaps as you run, unless you buckle down the harness really well.That's how I figured it would go. Plus it seems like the remote line would get tangled up with branches and stuff on the ground during woodsball play. Yeah, we're sticking with our 12 oz cylinders.

At this point in time, we're pretty much over our Gear Acquistion Syndrome (GAS for short), and we're focusing on playing the game. Thanks for the reality check! :)

[p8ntballin fool]

you can even look for some high-end autocockers on ebay, due to low resale value on them. i bought a wgp prostock 04 for $211.01 and they come cheaper the more used they are. mine to compare, had only about 1/2 a case of 2000 run through it. also, if a cocker isnt a brand name cocker like....lets say....a franken-cocker....it can be bought for less than the factory/company-made ones.