So, you want to buy a gun?

[Ebonclaw]

Alright. Seeing as how I've answered the question "What gun should I get" approxiamatly three thousand times, I'm just creating a post for everyone who wants to buy a new gun to read.

Ok, when you say you're a newbie I'm guessing you're looking at something in the $300 and less, blowback area. There is nothing wrong with this. I currently shoot an Electronic Shutter and it performs like any other top of the line gun and is much simpler. So, for my purposes, the guns I reccomend will cost $300 or less.

First and foremost, avoid Brass Eagle guns. From my understanding, the new Viewloader guns (like the Genesis) aren't that great either. But from personal experiance, BE guns are a waste of money and you will be kicking yourself for weeks after you buy one. A Spyder can be had for the same amount of money or less.

By the way, I had the recent opportunity to handle a Genesis Surge DF (the top of the line Genesis.) I wasn't too impressed. Plastic trigger, long, creaky trigger pull, no quick-strip pin so oiling and cleaning is a pain....these are just the things I note before I opened up the internals. However, I didn't get to open it up seeing as how I didn't have the tools to (no quick strip pin) or shoot it (I was in a Sports Authority).

Second, don't go to Wal-Mart for your gun. It is well worth the time and money to order one. You'll get a lot more for your money. If, however, Wal-Mart IS the only choice for some reason, they sell one or two good guns. The first is the Spyder Sport. You can't go wrong with a Spyder. Very durable, very simple, very comfortable gun. The other is the JT Xcellerator 3.0 that I recently saw in my Wal-Mart. I've never used one, but they look very high quality and have an all metal construction.....built to last, and every bit as simple as a Spyder....a bit flashier too, at least in my opinion.So you basically have a two gun choice. Whatever you do, don't buy a plastic gun, or even one with a plastic trigger. This, again, is from experience.

A note on the Xcellerator: I was able to handle one osf these yesterday as well. It was great, the trigger was comfortable, the construction was good.....only problem was that the trigger pull was the LONGEST trigger pull I have EVER felt in my life. You would either need to modify the trigger or buy an Electronic grip (which you should do anyway in the long run).

Now, with Wal-Mart out of the way, you have a couple more options if you decide to go online. My personal weapon of choice is the Syder series, though as I understand PMI puts out a very good series called the "Piranha" that you've probably heard of. These guns are apparently identical to the Spyder series in every way, except the ASA holes (more on that later). So here's a little info on the Spyder series and other copycats:

The Spyder is a Semi-automatic (one pull, one shot) marker. It automatically recocks itself everytime you pull the trigger, so there's no need to "pump" and the gun will shoot as fast as you can pull the trigger.
The Spyder is called an "open bolt stacked tube marker". This is because the bolt is in the "open" position when the trigger is pulled. The ball falls down the feed, in front of the bolt until you fire it, at which point the bolt accelerates the ball will air flow. The bolt moves forward and is "blown back" to the "cocked" position by air from the valve, which is struck by the hammer, which sits connected directly to the bolt undreneath. So, the bolt is on top, the hammer on the bottom in two different tubes, hence the term "stacked tube." Fairly simple operation, and most anyone can take it apart and put it back togethr to maintain it with no problem.

The Spyder accepts CO2 or HPA. CO2 is usually the system of choice for newbies for one reason. Cheap. However, HPA, while more expensive to buy a bottle, is more consistent, meaning the velocity of the shots doesn't vary as much, meaning each ball goes at the same speed as the last and hits in the same place. HPA is considered more accurate for this reason. HPA also has the added benefit of being cheaper to fill. Check with your local field and make sure they have a nitro/HPA filling station before you go out and buy a hundred dollar tank. You may be better off skipping Co2 altogether if you can afford it and buying a HPA tank. A 68 cubic inch 3000 psi tank gives you about 680 shots and will make a great choice. Any 3000 psi tank gives you about 10 shots per cubic inch. A higher pressure (4500 psi or above) will be more expensive, but be smaller AND hold more shots. One last word on nitro/HPA-it is NOT compact. Tanks are much larger than CO2 tanks, yet hold less. 114 Cubic inch tanks are simply enormous. However, they are generally fiber wrapped which actually makes them as light, if not lighter than Co2 tanks.

Spyders CAN be upgraded like MAD! Here's a list of a few of the upgrades, some of which already come with higher end Spyder markers.

Expansion chamber: Only necessary if you run Co2. Gives the liquid CO2 time to turn into a gas.
Low Pressure chamber: Allows lower pressure operation of the gun, meaning less ball breaks.
Regulator and gauge: Regulators regulate the amount of air going into the gun. This means the gun shoots the same amount of air at the same speed each time, meaning greater consistency whch, as discussed earlier, means greater accuracy. The gauge tells you what pressure your gun is running at, NOT how much air is left in the tank (in this instance).
Double trigger: Allows for faster firing of the gun.
Ported barrel: There's holes in the barrel. Quieter and allows for better dispersion of gas.
Venturi bolt: Spyder calls theirs "2nd generation" venturi bolts. They're basic venturi bolts like every other venturi bolt in the world. A venturi bolt's face has several holes, or a centerpeice in the main hole to divide the air up hitting the ball over the surface of the bll. This means less ball breaks, nothing more. In the Spyder's case, it has a metal piece in the middle that is kinda "star" shaped.
Delrin bolt: Yes, you can have a delrin venturi. Delrin bolts have never been seen on a stock blocwback. Delrin is a special plastic that lubricates itself, meaning you don't need to oil it, like a normal bolt. And, since it's plastic, that means less wear and tear on the receiver (the part the bolt goes in).
.45 frame- The style of the trigger frame. .45s are popular mainly because they accept the infamous "DYE Sticky grips". Not necessary, but nice to have.
DYE Sticky grips: Rubber grips that go on the grip frame (part of the trigger frame). They feel great and allow for better grip of the gun. About $20.
Tornado Valve, LP valve etc: Remember the valve that the hammer hits? A tornado valve opens up more and allows more air flow, meaning you can run the gun at a lower pressure. If you try running the gun low pressure without one of these, your gun may sputter.
Raised Sight Rail: That silver thingy on the top of the gun. It allows you to put a sight, scope, or whatever on the gun. It's raised so it can see over the feed, although occasionaly companies do something stupid and put the sight rail directly behind a vertical feed, as though the sight can see through the hopper and feed.
Powerfeed, Vertical feed, etc: There are three types of feeds. Vertical (regarded to be the feed of choice....some people say it's the fastes feed. It's a straight up and down feed), Powerfeed or Crossfeed (the feed sits across the top of the gun at an angle, this is another popular choice and feeds fast as well) or gravity feed (the slowest of the feeds, this one is directly molded into the receiver and sticks out of the gun itself. Not many people use this feed if they can help it).
Drop Forward: All this is is a chunk of metal at the bottom of the grip (usually a shiny or pretty color) that drops down and forward the place where you screw in the tank. This provides better balance for the tank and a more comfortable feel. There's some pretty cool looking drops out there that people pay a lot of money for (lighting bolt designs, flames, and even a shark). The most overpriced upgrade though, at least in my opinion.


Ok, so there's the basic upgrades. Now it's time for your gun choice. I'll make it short and sweet.

$100 and under: Spyder compact, Spyder 2000(about $80-$100, either model)........simple, upgradable, does exactly what you want it to do. Throw on a nice barrel and it'll shoot as straight as the paint you put in it.

$100-$200 Spyder Xtra ($150), Spyder Shutter($195-$200). These guns are loaded with nice features and look great to boot. The Xtra has a dual sight rail, that is a sight rail on either side of the vertical feed. It's argued that the regulator on the Shutter isn't the greatest, and that's probably true, but the guns obviously shoot much better than a stock Spyder compact or something similar. My personal choice was the Shutter.

$200-$300 Spyder Flash ($269) The Flash looks to be a very promising gun. It has many features and is electronic, meaning an incredibly short, crisp trigger pull, and capability for full auto, 3 round, and 6 round burst modes. Great anodizing as well.

[Ebonclaw]

Now, you've got your gun all picked out. We'll say you chose my personal favorite, the Shutter. Now you need two almost essential upgrades.

1) A revy. That's short for Revolution Hopper. These are electronic hoppers. Ever rent a gun, pulll the trigger and no ball comes out so you have to shake the hopper in the middle of battle? An electronic hopper automatically agitates the balls with a paddle connected to an IR sensor that triggers whenever it doesn't "See" a ball in the feed. No more shaking and keeps your gun fed. Unless you find an absurd deal like me on a 9V Revy (I bought mine in the Viewloader cCompetition set form Wal-Mart for $23 on clearence), you should spend the extra 10 bucks or so and buy a 12V revy. If you ever DO get an E-grip (or even a new expensive gun) the 12V will keep the faster gun fed, whereas the 9V can't feed quite as fast as the 12.
A 9V Revy will set you back $30-$40, and a 12V $40-$50. The 12V is so much more for your money. Do NOT go to Sports Authority for these. They charge upwards of $80 (yes, you read that right) for one.

2) A new barrel. After talking to a retired Team Xtreme member about what kind of barrel one should buy, he simply said "Take your pick, they're all pretty much the same." He did, however, mention to avoid the "rifled" or CMI Tru-Flight barrels that you see on ebay all the time. I've had experience with one and it was abysmal. You don't need a $100 barrel. A $30 J&J ceramic was my choice, and I've been very pleased with it. It's a very quiet barrel and very accurate. However, Custom Products (CP) puts out barrels just as nice, as do many other companies. Just take your pick of the one you like best. But which length? Studies have shown anything beyond 12" is unneccesary. I went with a 14" because it's a little easier to sight with, but the extra 2" doesn't really do much. In fact, I'm switching to a 12" barrel because every time I pop out of a bunker in Speedball, the end of the barrel snags the bunker. But 14" is perfect for woods play. I say either 12" or 14". Nothing longer though, as those are a pain in the rear to shoot with and aren't any more accurate.


Now for your air supply. A lot of peple like 20 oz Co2 tanks. This, in my opinion, is absurd. You can not possibly shoot 20 ozs of CO2 in a game, and a bottle that big is heavy. If I ran C02, I would personally opt for one of the 16oz "stubby" tanks. These tanks are actually smaller than a 12 oz and hold more. You won't be filling these every ten minutes, they balance better on your gun, they're compact, and they hold about 800-1000 shots or more. My father has one and it is great. In my opinion, a 16 oz stubby is THE Co2 tank to get.
OR.....
You can go the nitrogen/HPA route. If you're planning on staying in paintball, it's best to skip CO2 altogether and buy a nitro bottle because if you DO stay in Paintball, you'll end up doing this anyway. We already discussed why nitro/HPA is better. Which size though? That's tough too. With a nitro tank, you should look for a small size (88 ci or less) and a high pressure (4000 psi or better). However, most players can't afford a tank like this, so you end up going with a larger size and less pressure. I have a 68 ci 3000 PSI Crossfire "stubby" tank. These tanks are made to be smaller than a 47 ci, yet hold more at the same pressure. It's great and all, but it's HEAVY! It's heavier than my gun in fact! If you have a light gun, this may be a great tank for you, but if you have a heavy gun, it's gonna be a pain to lug around, even though it's small (trust me, I know, I have a heavy gun). What makes it heavy is that it's all-metal construction. This is good because an all metal tank can get scratches, nicks, etc and still pass the hydro test( you must send your tank to a hydro testing facility every five years or so for them to give it a "hydro" test, where they overpressurize the tank to make sure it's safe) A fiber tank, however, can NOT get scratched up or it fails hydro. Even one scratch can make you throw out the tank and buy a whole new one. BUT....fiber is unbelievably light. Lighter than a CO2 bottle. We're talking LIGHT. I am pursuing a fiber wrapped tank for this reason, but if you're out in the woods running around, or sliding and crashing into things on the speedball course alot (or are simply clumsy) you should consider a metal tank. But wai! There's more!
Several companies put out "tank wraps" for your fiber tank which protect it. Redz comfort gear is a popular choice. AND, fiber tanks aren't as easily scratched as you might think. In fact, they have a special coating over them. Granted, they get scratched more easily than an all steel tank, and one scratch and it's bye-bye, but with the protections in place, your nitro fiber tank will probably be ok. Which is why I'm switching to fiber, though all-metal tanks are, and contnue to be a popular choice for their simple durability.....and some people prefer the weight actually to give their gun a more solid feel.

Finally, THE most important piece of equipment. The mask. Do NOT play paintball without one (and if you do, I'm not going to visit you in the hospital when you get your eye shot out). Face hits happen REGULARLY at ANY field. A mask is NOT an area to skimp on. However, Wal-Mart does sell some good masks by JT in the $20 range. I like them because they provide full facial protection and aren't flimsy, yet fit comfortably. If you want something a little lighter, cooler, and more comfortable, you're gonna pay more....all the way to the JT Spectra Proteus system, compleat with a cooling fan powered by a AAA battery and full head protection for a whopping $70-$80 or so.
Just make sure you get one that doesn't fog. If your mask keeps fogging, get some no-fog spray, or wipe your mask with a dishwashing soap/water mix and JUST LET SIT. The soap will coat the mask and prevent fog.
A little on maintenece of masks. Let's say you just got hit in the mask with a paintball. Plenty humiliating, but at least there's no bruise. Leave the field, even if you have to stumble off cuz you can't see and upon reaching the staging area, remove the mask and........
SPRAY IT. With water. And lots of it where the paint is. Try to get the paint to "drip" off. Wipe whatever is left with a soft cloth, like a paper towel. If the paint somehow got on the INSIDE of the lens, you have a very big problem. Spray it down and blot-dry it with a super soft cloth, because the inside of the mask is VERY VERY VERY VERY easily scratched. If your mask has a thermal lens (a second lens to prevent fogging) the thermal is even MORE easily scratched. (The thermal is the inside lens).
Needless to say, you WILL be buying replacement lenses over time, and it's probably a good idea to go ahead and order a spare with your mask.

Now, two last accessories. If you don't have a vertical feed, you'll need an elbow to connect your hopper to the gun. Spend the money and get the Deluxe model with the screws. And at the beginning of the day, tighten down the screws from the elbow onto the gun with a small screwdriver. This will save you a LOT of headaches from your hopper moving around or falling off. Trust me. GET one with the screws.

And the last accessory is called a Squeegee. Generally, an experianced player would be happy to loan you one and I sometimes need to borrow one, but it's much better to have your own. A squeegee is a barrel cleaner. When a ball breaks in your barrel (sucks, but it happens) you need to clean the barrel if you want to have any hope of shooting straight. I prefer the Jerk Squeegee or a BattleSwab, because they fit in your pocket. To squeegee the barrel with a pull-through squeegee, unscrew the barrel, pt the squeegee in, pull it through. Done. Now screw the barrel back on and you're back in action. With a stick squeegee or battle swab, just ram it down the barrel and pull it out, or, if you have time, unscrew the barrel and push it through. I hate stick squeegees because they're not compact and they generally do a poor job. The battleswab is an exception. It folds in half and does an excellent job of barrel cleaning. I think you can figure out squeegees. If you can't, you're in the wrong sport.

Now, one last thing. You're done playing, now, don't fall prey to a newbie mistake. BEFORE YOU PLAY AGAIN, CLEAN AND OIL YOUR GUN. For your Spyder, this means taking the bolt and hammer out, wiping them off, putting oil on them and the o-rings, and putting them back in. If you do NOT have a regulator, you can put a few drops of oil in the hole where you screw in the tank and dry-fire the gun. You should still oild the bolt and hammer though. About once a month, take out your valve and oil the o-rings on it. Keep the o-rings oiled and they won't break for a long time. If for some reason you get dirt in your gun (should NEVER EVER HAPPEN) do NOT fire it. Make as little movement as possible, take the whole thing apart and carefull clean and rinse every part till every grain is gone, cuz if you don't you can scratch things up (including your barrel) and have leaky o-rings, and basically ruin your gun. Spyders are more tolerant of dirt than other guns, but you should still do this with them. I loaned a newbie my gun one time and he picked paint off the ground, put it in the gun and shot it, basically running sand throught the gun. After a long and careful cleaning, it worked good as new. Spyders are very durable guns. Anyone who tells you they aren't probably hasn't taken good care of his.

-Mike

[Avery]

Okay. Here's a draft. If it's got potential I'll go through it and improve it, and if it's not what you're looking for then I'll scrap it altogether.

==================

Tippmann has long been a pioneer in paintball. The company has a long and well-deserved reputation for some of the best customer service in the world, as well as for producing reliable and long-lasting paintball guns. Their latest marker, the Tippmann 98 Custom (98c), is an updated version of their semi-automatic Tippmann Model 98 (M98). Both guns are in-line blowback style semi-automatics, which in layman's terms means that they have a long, narrow body and their internal components fire from an open bolt as do almost all other markers for less than $350 US.

The 98c retails for between $125 US and $200 US in the States, and for $275 to $350 in Canada, which puts it in the same general price range as other semiautomatics such as Spyders, Piranhas, and other similar markers. The low-end semiautomatic blowback market is very competitive and there are many companies trying to produce various guns in this price range. Most of them share a lot of similarities, but what makes the 98c stand out is that it is very different from most of the other markers in this market.

The 98's are undoubtedly some of the toughest, most rugged, practical and durable markers out there. They have relatively few moving components, and are almost entirely made out of metal. The mechanism inside is extremely simple and literally straightforward. They can be dropped, kicked, soaked, frozen, abused and mistreated only to come back for more after a little oil. It is for these reasons that the 98's are very common rental markers at fields. Part of this toughness comes from the "CVX Valve" that it comes with. This valve works really well in cold weather compared to other guns, and it also works with CO2 gas very well compared to most other valves. The valve will still work better with compressed air than CO2.

Now don't let that fool you, if you've used one at a rental field you might think they are poor because your rental one was crap. Well, to be honest, if they rented out $1000 Autocockers you'd think those were crap because these 'Cockers simply would not work at all given the sheer amount of abuse rentals take. Combine that with the fact that the staff have only minutes to tune, check and repair any given marker, and you'll find that rental field markers don't perform up to their full potential, even 98's!

Okay, so what else about the 98's is appealing? For $125 they are a very good deal, and will outshoot many other markers in that price range right off the bat. There are literally hundreds of upgrades available for the 98's, more than any other marker in the price range. You can buy a 98 for $125 then upgrade it with literally $1000 worth of upgrades over the next decade if you want to, and it'll be one of the only 10-year-old guns that works like it was brand new (gotta' love that old Tippmann reliability!)

If you recall, the 98's are sold for very little cash. In fact, Tippmann makes only a very small portion of their profits on 98 sales. They sell the 98's super-cheap, knowing that many people will then turn around and upgrade their marker 3 or 4 times, and that's where Tippmann makes the cash. They know that by selling 98's at a good price, they can get more 98's out there which 1) increases their long-term sales by providing a market for upgrades and 2) with so many 98's in the hands of players there is a huge market of people driving a chunk of the paintball industry. It's very much like Nintendos or Playstations, which are sold at a loss to the manufacturer for the first few years! These companies know that when their product is all over the market and in millions of hands their short-term losses will be overcome by long-term profits from other products (games, controllers, magazines, etc). What this means is - as we've already established - 98's are dirt frigging cheap! There are cheaper markers out there, but few perform like a 98, and none offer the long-term upgradeability that is available with a 98.

This also leads to another strength of the 98's. They are everywhere. Every shop knows how to fix them, and every shop carries parts and accessories for them. They are arguably the single most ubiquitous (common) markers in the world. Of course, that means that having a 98 does not make you special, and most other people have seen them before. This is the same as owning a very popular and common car or owning an exotic and rare one. You can always find parts for a common old Ford and plenty of mechanics that have spent years learning everything about them, or you can have a rare and exotic car that needs parts special ordered from Europe and mechanics have no idea how to fix it. Of course, exotic cars get the "oohs" and "aahs" - it's a trade-off between reliability and exoticism. 98's are as practical and reliable as it gets.

When it comes to upgradeability is where the differences show between the "Model 98" and the newer "98 Custom". Stock, out of the box, they perform almost exactly the same. You can put almost all of the same upgrades into each. The difference is that the body of the 98c is pre-designed to make adding upgrades easier. They already have the channels and holes drilled and ready for most of the major upgrade kits you can buy. Sure, you can drill into your Model 98 easily enough, but with a 98 Custom the work is already done for you. Basically, a 98c is the same as the M98, but a bit easier to upgrade at home without taking it into a pro-shop. The easiest ways to tell them apart is that a M98 says "Model 98" on the side and has some diagonal gills milled into the body near the barrel, while the 98c says "98 Custom" on the side and has no gills.

So, let's characterise the 98's. We know they are reliable and tough, cheap, upgradeable, and very common. The 98's are often said to look more like real guns than most other markers. They are solid and either black or silver in colour. You cannot buy a regular 98 with flashy colours, racy styling, or catchy graphics (although some other companies will sell you painted ones if you like). They are seen by many as a rejection of the flashy "space-shooter" style ray gun markers that are dominating the market right now. Many 98 owners wear camo and play in the woods instead of wearing neon colours and playing on brightly coloured inflatable fields. This is not to say that everyone is like that, it simply means that the apparent philosophy behind the 98's is one of practicality, durability while many others seem to also be about style. The 98 simply looks more like a real gun than many other markers.

The 98 has a foregrip, but if compare closely, you will find that the foregrip is out further from the trigger hand than on most other markers. Most markers are designed to be shot with a very tight shooting posture, often with the middle finger instead of the index finger. No, this is nothing like shooting a real gun, but most tournament players aren't trying to recreate war games with realistic guns, they are trying to hit the opponent and not get hit. Although the 98 does have a foregrip, it is more like a Thompson Rifle (Tommy Gun) than the more cramped style on Spyders and Piranhas.

[Avery]

Okay, so the 98 is not meant to be like other tournament-style guns. It is more popular with scenario game players and casual players. It comes with a single finger trigger (like a real gun) instead of a double trigger (like most tournament paintball markers). It does have some tournament features however. The trigger is very light (around 4lbs) and has no lateral wiggle. This means that you can actually pull the trigger fairly fast. With many upgrade kits the 98 can compete with lower end tourney guns at a very low price. Basically what I'm getting at is that if you want a "realistic" paintball gun for under $200 this is the one to get. If you want a tournament style gun, this may not be the one, but then again it might. There are features of the 98's that no other marker has. But first, I'll write a little about the rest of the disadvantages of the 98.

First, it's heavier than many other guns. Because of the inline valve it is longer by an inch or two than most guns, although it's about 2 inches shorter than they are. It only comes in black or silver, and the black paint scratches off easily. It comes with very few of the bells and whistles that many other markers do, they all have to be bought separately if you want them. The gun is not tournament styled, nor is it flashy (if that's what you're looking for). The barrel that it comes with is very poor unless you polish it yourself. It is louder than many other guns. They are very common, so you wouldn't be special just for having one. It needs to be taken nearly completely apart to clean it, whereas many other markers simple need a few pieces pulled out.

Just so the pros and cons are together, here's the pro's again quickly? Good in cold weather, simple and reliable design, very common, very upgradeable, styled more like a real gun (if that's what you like), you can get at every part inside it whereas most markers are a pain to completely disassemble, comes with a built-in elbow, the elbow can come completely off with a push of a button, the threading on the barrel is large so it doesn't take long to unscrew, will work for years, you can repair most anything on it yourself, and the things you can't repair Tippmann will fix for very cheap with great service.

What about the upgrades, you ask? Well, other people have done better jobs of listing them than I can, but I'll pass along the basics. For about $25 you can replace the single trigger with a double trigger (I recommend the Tippmann double trigger over one made by anyone else). You can add an expansion chamber to further improve performance with CO2. You can add a regulator to do the same thing with CO2 only a little better, and it's good to have it you switch to compressed air. You can put in a Low Pressure Kit to make the marker more efficient and gentle on balls when shooting (although still at 300 fps) if you decide to use compressed air. You can add a Reactive Trigger Kit to make your rate of fire faster or even give the gun rapid-fire, burst fire, or full-auto fire (after a fashion) if you choose to, just like an Automag RT gun has. You can add a true full-auto kit, or you can add one of at least three electronic kits that make your gun have computer controlled full auto and burst fire as well as improved semi-auto shooting. You can add stocks, including one that looks just like one off of an assault rifle. You can add different side-cocking or rear-cocking devices, drop-forwards, and remotes. You can add a bloody grenade launcher from Tippmann. You can add new barrels, including the curved Flatline barrel.

Wait a second? what's that Flatline barrel you ask? Well, it's shaped like a limp banana, and fires paintballs further than any other barrel in the world. By a lot. It makes it so the paintballs don't arc by putting a backspin on the balls that counteracts the force of gravity on their trajectory. The Flatline is picky on paint, not pinpoint-accurate, and very large, but if you're into having superior range it wins every time. It also happens to make your marker look even more like a real rifle when you put the plastic shroud on it. The only other gun in the entire world that has a similar range is the Flatline Autococker that has a Flatline barrel stuck to the top of it. These 'Cockers look awful in my opinion, and they cost triple the price of a 98. The list of upgrades goes on and on, but you're getting the picture. Basically, the 98 is a really solid bare-bones gun with a lot of potential. You can add whatever you want, or you can choose to add nothing.

Now, to deal with the inevitable comparison, I'll discuss the 98 versus the Spyder (sigh). I'll compare it to the Kingman Spyder TL which has the same MSRP. First off, you either like the 98 or you don't. Pick one up and you'll know. If you still can't decide remember that a 98 is made for reliability and upgradeability. Spyder TL's are pretty common, so you won't have trouble getting parts or labour. The TL comes with some features the stock 98 does not: "Power Feed / Filter System / One Piece Deluxe Sight Rail with Beaver Tail / Rear Cocking 2nd Generation Venturi Bolt / Low Pressure Chamber / Vertical Adapter / Quick Disconnect Pin / Tournament Level Velocity Adjuster". The 98 can be upgraded to have every one of these parts except the Quick Disconnect Pin for additional money, at which point the 98 will most likely be a better performing gun, but by that point it cost an additional $180 or so. Basically, Spyders come with most features already built-into a fairly cheap basic gun. They look really flashy, and are more like the tournament markers that are popular today. Your best bet is to pick both a Spyder and a 98 up and see which makes you go "This feels good" more.

[Magnus55]

Ok so this thread has been cut back and cleaned out for the second time and I don't really want to have to do it again. Please listen to me when I say that this is a thread for people to help influence the new paintballers into what marker to purchase, and not for a flame war about which gun is best or which brand or company is best. Haven't we learned by now that no one actually wins in those types of arguments? Everyone just ends up pissed off and more stubborn than when they first started. So please, enough with the flame wars.

I'm still looking for people to write up summaries on other entry level markers besides just tippmanns and spyders. If you're interested please PM me. Just make sure that you stay away from comparing your gun to the other guns. I just want someone to write out the pros (and the cons) of your marker and why it is a suitable starter gun for a newbie. Let the reader come to their own conclusions and pass their own judgement for himself/herself based on what you guys write on which is right for them. This could be a very influental thread with the new paintballers, so if you plan on writing something, make sure you do it well. Thanks guys

-Magnus55

[EZ_cheese]

If your a newbie and you dont want to carry around a 7 dollar squeegie, then just make you own! Get about and 18 in long string or fish line, then tie a nut at the end (one that you would use on a car or whatever) and tie a wad of cloth at the other end, make it tight nots, and then squeegify until the cows come home. good luck and have fun

[over kill]

buy a tippmann 98 or 98c cheap reliable and will shoot almost all paint balls with few breaks (even brass eagle lots of upgrades but game ready right out of the box,i sugest you up grade your barrle stock barrle is ok 12'' dye excel good starter 50.00. i would wait for any other up grades just to make sure your in it for the long haule. every body has their opion what gun is right .i sugest before takeing any opion go to your paint ball field rent their equipment and talk to the players most will let you see their gun and if you replace the balls most will let you try their set up . but when on the side line watch the players, see who's set up breaks more balls who spends more time fixing their gun,watch for the good and bad characters of the dif guns.

[tavish]

I have to say as a newbie that the Enigma EXR is great. Only $164 right now at bargainpaintball.com. Well built marker, no need to upgrade the barrel. The only upgrade on mine is the grips. I did my homework on markers and I believe I have found the best. Look into them they are great.

[Paintballeater]

just to tell everyone.......
SHUTTERS SUCK!!!! THEY CHOP WAY TOO MANY BALLS!!!!!

[PaintballerX]

Okay. I don't like Spyders for many reasons. However, mindless gun bashing NOT backed up by proof is not a good thing..and not a good way to get on good terms with either mods OR other users. Just FYI in case you plan on spreading that kind of idiocy to other threads.

BTW, congrats Ebon and Avery on the great, informative threads...

---Mike

[MÆST]

I'm going to take up paintballing this summer and I have been browsing the internet tonight looking for a good marker. I', planning to spend 100-150 for the gun.

I found this one: (http://www.airconcepts.com/ACI_Ecom-.../F4Series.html) It looks pretty good I was just wondering if you have any positive or negative opinions on it.

It'll still be a few weeks before I buy anything so I have time to look around.

Also, if anybody knows of a website with any good deals on the markers recommended in this thread could you please point me to them.

Thanks

[DeFauLt]

Originally posted by Ebonclaw
Raised Sight Rail: That silver thingy on the top of the gun. It allows you to put a sight, scope, or whatever on the gun. It's raised so it can see over the feed, although occasionaly companies do something stupid and put the sight rail directly behind a vertical feed, as though the sight can see through the hopper and feed.

a comment on this...

most sights are not to be looked directly through, instead with one eye on the target and one eye through the sight to see the dot on the target.

[jdubois67]

You guys have failed to mention the best Marker out there, the Piranha. These guns are very relieable and can outperform any marker in its price range. Piranhas range from $170 piranha BL/VF to The piranha pro ts $400 cdn. These markers are great for beginners and experienced players. If you get a piranha you won't be dissapointed.

[jdubois67]

You guys have failed to mention the best Marker out there, the Piranha. These guns are very reliable and can outperform any marker in its price range. Piranhas range from $170 piranha BL/VF to The piranha pro ts $400 cdn. These markers are great for beginners and experienced players. If you get a piranha you won't be disappointed.

[Peanut]

I agree with tavish. I have an enigma and its my first gun. I took a gamble, cuz no one knew what it was. turns out, its a great newbie gun! Ive gone through several cases of paint and never broke a ball. it comes with a 12 in barrel stock too so its really accurate. it also has the quick field strip system. it has all kinds of goodies, and it is a very simple to use gun. to see more on this gun, go look under enigma EXR on pbreview, or, go to www.68enigma.com but really the best place to look is bargain paintball.com

[Butter Knife]

First off, I would like to clear something up. All Spyders are the same, the differences are only the options that Kingman tacks on. you are actually better off just buying the cheapest one and getting third party upgrades, as they perform much better. However, I would actually suggest that a Pirhana is a better deal, on pbgear.com you can get one with verticle feed for a few bills short of a Benjamin, so long as you like black. This is only $20 more than a powerfeed Spyder, and there is a powerfeed Pirhana for only $10 more. Pirhanas come in just about as many versions as the Spyder, and they have electronic versions that are equivalent to their Kingman (Spyder) competition. To find them, look for the PMI guns (they make Pirhanas, some people have trouble finding them without that info). The cheapest verticle feed Spyder is still cheaper by a little bit (the Spyder Sport), but it has a plastic trigger, those are bad. The next cheapest is only a couple bucks more (as in $1-2), but I can only find it in blue.

Pirhanas are also American made, Spyders are made in Third World factories, this is really a political statement, but if you're into that sort of thing you might care. In my experience, Pirhanas tend to last longer as well.

The important thing is that you do your homework before commiting. Just get the right gun for you based on what you want. I'd also suggest talking to field owners and experienced players, because they'll often give very good advice. Remember, we've all done this at some point, even that tourney player with the Dark Angel who shoots a case a game started with something cheap and easy.

[Butter Knife]

Ok, just recently, a gun has come to my attention as a REALLY good deal. The Bushmaster BKO by Indian Creek Designs is a fully electro pneumatic gun, not one of those cheesy hybrids that so many other companies put out to fill the same price gap. For only about $280 at pbgear.com, it is a sweet deal. While this is on the pricey end for a first gun, I'd say that you should consider it if you have the money.

More information can be found in the Specific Markers-> Indian Creek forum. As always, do your own research before you buy any marker, just to make sure it's the right gun for you.

[-=ReD-hAzE=-]

and if you can... go to your local pro shop and at least hold the gun your thinking of buying... and if they are nice... they might let you try it out...

see if you like the way it feels in your hand... how it feels in a shooting position... just how it feels...

you need something comfortable...



-=HaZe=-

[Ebonclaw]

This article is currently being overhauled as of today, Sept 29, 2002