What Gun to Pick?

[Dexter]

I am about to buy my first gun and am stuck between a spyder java or compact 2000 and the model 98 custom. I have read many good reveiws about all of these. I want a gun that is durable, good out of the box, and not too complicated, but still under $120. Right now i am leaning toward the m98, but i just wanted to know what other peolple think.

[Sudden Impact]

Get a model 98. If ya want an unreliable piece of taiwan **** with a new strain of hong kong flu get the spyder.

[Jake]

the spyder is an awesomely reliable gun i have owned two an original and the Xtra and love them both Model 98s are ugly as hell and hard to disassemble but tippmans are always durable and reliable.

[Splat Attack]

I'm selling an alley cat. The thing is built like a tank! It shoots strait as an arrow with El Tigré. and you can upgrade it easy enough. You wont have any problems of it falling apart, and if, enphasis on IF, it does you can buy a rebuild kit for 30 and have a brand new gun. I will sell it to ya for 100. It retails at 150, and you can pay shipping. You dont have to, but it is a great gun. Although it is fairly complicated to take all the way apart, you can clean it easealy. But if you wanna strip the whole thing apart, ICDpaintball.com has instrustions(pictures) and the customer servise is great if you cant figure it out with that. Great on Co2 and has excellent performance. The reviews are not bad. Any questions? I won't go less than 100 but I could throw in some extras.

[Ez8]

go for a pirahna vtl I own one and they are great! It has all the features a compact would have except with rear cocking, better lpc, and a field strip pin. All in all you sould go to your local paintball dealer and try out a gun you feel is right for you. Don't let people tell you what you want and make sure you do some more research on your gun of choice then some reviews written by people who probaly don't even own the gun.

[PiRaNhA69]

i wold go w/ the piranha

[Intruder]

go with the model 98, it is a good reliable marker right out of the box. To start off, the m98 comes witha hopper, a squeegie, and a 9oz tank. some places take the tank out and sell it separate though. I have played with an m98 before, don't believe people that say it is hard to hold and shoots aweful, it is easy to hold(comfortable)and it shoots great because it has a light and short trigger pull. Also, I don't think they look ugly either, I think they look pretty cool.

[davidb]

I would say go for either a Piranha or a 98, depending on your style. The Piranha is like a Spyder, except better in every way, and without all the rediculous internal friction. Both are easy to clean, but the 98 is difficult to take apart, but, the advantage to its design is easy access to every single part of the gun. I made a free, obscenely easy to do trigger job for the 98. Takes out any slack whatsoever, and takes the pull down to a few millimeters and between 1.5 - 2 pounds. I almost hate to say it, but I can shoot the 98 with trigger job about as fast as I can shoot a Cocker or Mag (don't get me wrong, I realise that Mags/Cockers are far better guns). I kid you not. It is very very easy to rip off shots with it, and it requires very little effort. Both guns have nice triggers to begin with, in contrast with the long, long trigger pull of the Spyder. The Piranha has a really fast field strip, the Model 98 has a barrel thread pattern that allows you to remove, squeegie, and replace the barrel in about ten seconds with a little practice.
Anyway, I really have to stress that IMHO, you shouldn't get a Spyder. Although the Model 98 is faster than a Spyder, (admit it Spyder fans, the trigger is shorter and lighter, which pretty much translates to faster) it is arguable whether or not it is better, because they are two completely different guns. However, the Piranha is the same design, but with every single aspect improved.
If you just get whichever one of those suits you better (or whatever else does for that matter) I can promise you will be happy with your purchase.